Rising Waters//Book Two

Chapter 7:

Previously-

Stumbling toward the door, she glanced outside and quickly decided that was a terrible idea.

Monsters were everywhere, and she could see even the Minotaur slowly dissolving into dust.

Lily finally realized what was wrong.

The borders.

Quickly, she grabbed the Fleece off the bed and ran- well, stumbled outside and into the fray.

*************

Have you ever taken a nap and then, when you wake up, freak out because you think you're late to school because your clock is really close to the time you're supposed to be at school, only it's nighttime? 

And you're so disorientated your head hurts?

Well, imagine that x10, and that pretty much sums up how I felt as I stepped through the door of the Big House, towards the monsters and fighting demigods.

Piper was fighting off 3 hellhounds when I saw an empousa try and sneak up on her. 

I summoned my bow and arrows, dropping the fleece, and drew my arm back, praying my aim was steady. 

The arrow hit the empousa in her bronze leg. Well fuck.

That got her attention.

Quickly replacing my bow and arrows for Hurricane, I had just enough time to raise my sword in the air before she swiped at me. Ducking, I rolled, grabbing the fleece in the process. She kicked out with her donkey leg, which I dodged, only for her to swing her bronze leg around, hitting me square in the chest.

Falling on my back, the air was knocked out of me. I had just enough time to bash the side of my sword across her face, pushing her away as she went in for the kill. Before the empousa could fully stand up, an arrow came wooshing past my head, hitting her in the chest, and she burst into dust. I whirled around, relief filling me as I saw Will rushing towards me.

"Lily? You shouldn't be out here, how are you even...?" He'd noticed the Golden Fleece gripped in my hand. 

He chuckled dryly as we started towards Thalia's tree.

"Di immortales." he breathed out, taking down a flesh-eating horse while I swiped at a giant badger that came rushing towards us. A fucking badger?! 

"Your brother has to be the biggest, loyal idiot on the planet," Will said as we reached Peleus, who was busy torching a large and beady-eyed snake.

"You're telling me. Remember, I had to deal with him in the womb."

Quickly, we ran up to the pine tree, throwing down the fleece at its roots. It glowed brightly before expanding outwards as borders became stronger and less translucent, keeping the remaining monsters outside the camp and trapping the ones inside.

It was quite a while before the last monsters were killed off, as only the more powerful monsters or groups of monsters, like the hellhounds, were even able to get inside the camp in the first place.

As soon as the last monster was zapped to dust by Jason, Percy quickly ran over to me while I leaned against Thalia's tree, sliding down it. Any and all adrenaline had been drained out of me.

"Hey, bro." I said as he kneeled in front of me, grabbing my face and inspecting me. I slapped his hand away.

"I'm fine. Just exhausted." 

Annabeth, Piper, Jason, and Nico ran up behind Percy as I gave a grin to my brother, though I'm sure it didn't reach my eyes. 

The dreams I had during my monster-induced sleep were coming back to me as my brain started to catch up with my body. I leaned my head back, planning to just rest for a second, ignoring the cries of my friends to stay awake.

Right before I closed my eyes, I saw a flash of red hair in the trees above me as a body started falling towards me. I suddenly rolled to the side and into a standing position, my dagger out, hood over my head, and energy back in my body. My friends had disappeared and were replaced by the redheaded bitch.

There she was, Victoria, standing in front of me. Snarling, she went to move forward but was stopped by a huge russet-colored wolf crashing into her.

She quickly rolled out from under it and ran. I followed, surprising myself as I kept pace with her. 

I chased her down while noticing a pack of wolves gaining on us and--

"Huah!"

I yelled out, sitting up in bed, sweat beading down my face. 

I was breathing hard as I tried to calm myself down, refusing to allow a panic attack to happen after that shitstorm. 

Demigod dreams. I hate them with a burning passion. 

I have no want or need to relive terrible things and see vague hints of shit that is going to happen in the future.

After the attack at camp, I had gone back to Forks two weeks later as the school year was about to start. I was a lot more mentally fragile because of what had happened, and sleeping in my room at Charlie's was actually the first time I'd slept alone since the attack. And it was not fun.

Apparently, the feeling of safety and protection I felt at camp, drooling on Percy's back, was one I took for granted. I've had some sort of nightmare or flashback almost every night since I've been back, and Bella's depressed state hadn't helped.

I rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom to shower. Afterward, I changed into sweats and a hoodie, and then I picked up my sweat-drenched pj's and sheets, taking them downstairs to the wash.

Passing the kitchen, I saw Charlie's hunting rifle out on the table, and I remembered what my plan for the day was. 

Seeing it was near 6 in the morning and Charlie would be leaving soon, I willed my hair dry and decided to actually eat breakfast. Making myself oatmeal, I also started brewing a pot of coffee.

I heard the shower turn on upstairs and assumed Charlie must be up.  I decided making him breakfast as well would be good because it would get him out the door faster. Leaving my oatmeal in the microwave, I made quick scrambled eggs and some toast for Charlie and if Bella decided to leave her room.

As I got myself a coffee and was reheating my oatmeal, Charlie emerged from the staircase. By now, he wasn't surprised to find me up early in the morning, seeing as I hadn't been sleeping much. I sat down at the counter and started eating as he grabbed his coffee.

"I made you some eggs and toast. Hopefully, Bella will come down and get breakfast herself, but I highly doubt it." I said, pointing towards the stove while drinking my coffee.

He thanked me alongside a small, awkward smile. 

Once we both finished eating, it was nearing 7 o'clock, and Charlie had to go to work. 

Putting the dishes in the sink, he gathered his things while I brought a plate of food up to Bella, who looked like she hadn't slept last night. 

Walking back downstairs, I said goodbye to Charlie. But as soon as Charlie was out of the driveway, I rushed upstairs.