Chapter 9
I watched as Damasen plodded about the hut, throwing things in the cauldron. I knew he would be able to find the cure for the gorgon's blood. He had a look of concentration on his face that made me giggle. He was in his element. He heard me laugh and looked at me.
"Isabella,what is so funny?" He asked.
"Nothing. It's just... it's been years since I've seen you. I'd forgotten about some of the little things
you do."
"What little things?"
I went to reply with 'It doesn't matter',but Annabeth interrupted me.
"Look, I'm sorry to sound rude, but do you have the cure yet? His temperature's through the roof. He can't die." I heard her voice crack on the word 'die'. Damasen sighed.
"So impatient, you are. But yes, it's ready." He scooped a ladle of liquid out of the cauldron, and made a start towards Percy.
"You're going to feed him that?" Annabeth asked, incredulously.
"Annabeth," I cut her off gently "Let him. Trust me, he knows what he's doing." I watched as Damasen poured the liquid into Percy's mouth.
There was a tense wait as Percy sipped more and more of the broth. Each time he took a sip, a little more colour returned to his cheeks. I held my breath, waiting for him to say something. He finished the ladle of broth, turned to Annabeth, and said with a drunk look on his face "Feel great." Then he fell unconscious. I saw Annabeth move toward him, but Damasen held his hand out to stop her.
"A few hours of sleep and he'll be good as new." Damasen pronounced. Annabeth sobbed, then took three deep breaths and said
"Thank you."
"Oh, don't thank me," Damasen said, as he looked at her mournfully, "You're still doomed."
"Damasen!" I hissed, raising my eyebrows at him. He looked at me as if to say 'What? It's the truth.'. He sat down and said
"It's going to be a wait." Annabeth nodded and sat down too.
After a couple of minutes, all of us sat in silence, I noticed Annabeth stealing glances at me. "Are you alright?" I tried to ask in a way that I hoped didn't offend her.
"Yeah." She said, quickly looking away, then looking back at me again, "It's just, who's your godly parent? You've got to be a demi-god, to have survived this long." There was that word again. Demi-god.
"What's a demi-god?" I asked her. She looked surprised.
"You don't know you're a demi-god?" She looked thoughtful, then said "Well if you didn't know you're a demi-god, you definitely won't know your godly parent. Which parent did you have, back up there? Mother or father?"
"Mother." I replied.
"Ok, that narrows it down a little. Means your godly parents a guy. Judging from your blonde hair, and blue eyes,I'd place abet on Apollo. It's not great to guess these things on looks, but his children often have that combination."
"Apollo... he's the sun god, right? And, like, the god of music and stuff?" Annabeth nodded.
"Have you ever healed faster than normal?" She asked. I thought of all the wounds I'd survived while down here.
"I never really thought about it, but I guess I do heal pretty quickly." I told her.
"Yeah," she said, and tugged at her braid thoughtfully, "Then I'd say Apollo's a pretty safe bet. We can't know for sure though, not until you've been claimed.
"Claimed?" I repeated back to her.
"Yeah," she said, stifling a yawn, "Claimed. It's when your godly parent tells everyone you're theirs. It's like this... this holographic sign that appears above your head." She yawned as she said it.
"Holographic?" I asked, then shook my head as she stifled yet another yawn. "Forget it. You need to rest. Sleep now. Damasen, Bob and I will keep watch." Annabeth looked doubtful,but then must have decided that she needed the sleep, because she turned onto her side and shut her eyes. Soon, she was asleep. I turned and lent against Damasen, looking out of the entrance of the hut and waiting for Percy to wake up.