Recap: “How do you know?” Jason asked.
Before Hazel could answer, the door opened, slamming into the wall. Standing in the doorway was Octavian, two knives in his hand and a teddy bear in the other.
He smiled, his crazy eyes glinting with anticipation. He cocked his head and asked, “Miss me?"
And he threw his knife directly at Percy’s chest.
Chapter 39
Annabeth
“No!” Annabeth shrieked at the top of her lungs. She saw Octavian’s Imperial gold knife fly through the air gracefully like a bullet. Everything went in slow motion. She tried to deflect the knife with her own knife. Her legs seemed to move sluggish, and that made her panic like crazy.
The knife dug into Percy’s chest.
He groaned, holding his chest. He dropped to his knees, instantly paling.
“No!” Annabeth repeated, tears falling from her eyes quickly. She looked at Octavian, hatred in her eyes. “Get out of here! If you kill him, the whole world may come to an end! Who do you think you are?”
He smirked. Before he could easily turn and stride away, someone who was willing to risk their life gave a battle screech and attacked the slimeball.
Piper took two strides before launching herself onto Octavian’s body. She dug her nails into his back. He bellowed in pain, thrashing around, trying to push her away, but she just gave a frightening snarl before holding him in a headlock. He managed to stumble out into the meadow. Jason and Leo instantly followed.
Annabeth found that she could move again. She rushed to Percy, propping up his weak head. His shirt was sticky with blood. His chapped lips moved, and he croaked out, “Ocean.”
“Ocean,” she whispered. She snapped her head up to Hazel. “Where’s your horse, Arion? Please!”
Hazel, who looked like she was going into shock, stuck two fingers in her mouth and gave a long whistle. In a second, the tan horse came running over, wisps of smoke clinging to his hooves. She rushed over, put her hands on his head, and whispered something softly to him. She turned and nodded. “He’ll take you.”
In a moment Annabeth was pulling Percy to his feet. She managed to get him on the horse. She scrambled behind him, putting her arms firmly around his waist, looking down at Hazel with wet eyes.
“Wish me luck,” Annabeth choked out. She looked at Arion and said, “Take us to the ocean! Go as fast as you can!”
The horse neighed before running. He was going so fast that Annabeth nearly fell off. She held Percy tighter and prayed to every god to keep him alive.
“Wise Girl,” he coughed out.
“Yes?” she whispered.
He touched the knife. “I love you.” His head drooped.
“Stay alive!” she screamed. She yelled to Arion, “Hurry!”
Every moment mattered. Her boyfriend’s life was on the line. If he died, she would die on the inside.
She choked at she thought that alternative. Her eyesight blurred from the tears. Her face stung with the cold wind slapping her face.
Soon Arion stopped so unexpectedly that she nearly fell. She gathered her balance, jumped down, grabbed Percy, and stumbled to the ocean.
She set him down in the water, knowing that he would heal in the water instantly because his father was Poseidon. Instead, he floated still in the water, the blood still on his chest, his body still.
“Percy?” she asked, her voice quivering. She put her hands on his chest, her fingers shaking in terror.
There was no heartbeat.
Her whole world seemed to fade into nothing. She leaned back onto her back and covered her face with her hands. Sobs rocked her body. Her boyfriend was dead. He was never coming back. Her whole world was crumbling around her, and she couldn’t stop it.
After about five minutes, someone asked, “Annabeth?”
Piper came rushing down the beach, kicking up sand behind her, the Argo II sitting on the sand a few yards away. “Are you okay?” She had slash marks that soaked her arms in blood, probably from Octavian, but she seemed unconcerned with her own health, looking over at Percy.
Weakly, Annabeth shook her head. “He’s gone.”
“Oh, gods, no,” Piper whispered. She walked over and put her arm around Annabeth. Her frame was shaking, tears streaking her pale face.
“What’s going on?” Jason asked, stepping out of the warship. His face took on a sick expression as he took in Percy’s limp body in the water and the two sobbing girls.
“No…” Piper shook her head. “We’re down to six.”
“NO!” Hazel had Octavian tied in Celestial bronze chains in her arms. Tears were welling up in her eyes. “No!” she repeated.
“He’s gone,” Annabeth moaned, her arm wet with Piper’s blood and face wet with tears falling rapidly from her eyes.
The others had joined her, with either tear-streaked faces or blank masks of shock.
“I-I should start making a shroud,” Leo stuttered out.
The bracelet on Annabeth’s wrist started to shudder slightly, her whole wrist glowing silver. Like magnets, the charm pulled her to Percy’s broken form in the water.
“Your bracelet,” Frank breathed.
“It’s the Mark of Athena,” Piper whispered.
It can heal him.
“Mother, is that you?” Annabeth whispered so softly that nobody could hear her.
Use the Mark of Athena… Athena’s voice faded like a soft rain shower turning into a cold mist.
Annabeth put her bracelet close to Percy’s still chest. She grunted and concentrated on making him breathe. His heart would pound; blood would rush in his veins.
And… and he would be her Seaweed Brain. His brains would be filled with kelp. His clueless thoughts would be written on his face. He would laugh. He would live. His smile would make her day bright. His lips would be soft on hers.
And she would be his Wise Girl. She would help him with things he didn’t know. When he was being idiotic, she would sigh and hit him. But when he was being cute and sweet, she would wrap her arms around him and give him a kiss.
His whole body glowed bright silver. Something seemed to crack with energy. His eyes opened. The ocean water wrapped him in a hug. The wound in his chest vanished. He gasped. His eyes glowed silver before settling back to green.
“Percy!” Annabeth yelled, throwing her arms around him.
“W-what happened?” he asked.
“You were dead,” Hazel answered. “Annabeth brought you back.”
“I remember a boat,” Percy said. “Charon asked me for a coin.”
Sobbing but now smiling, Annabeth grabbed his face and kissed him. All her worry was fading into nothing, happiness expanding in her chest like someone blowing up a hot air balloon. Her fingers tingled with electricity caused by her light feelings.
“How did you know the Mark of Athena would save him?” Piper asked, awed.
“My mother told me.” Annabeth smiled. “Apparently she didn’t want him to die.”
“She finally approved of me, eh?” Percy teased.
Struggling against the chains, Octavian made a distressed noise. He had a gag in his mouth. He looked like he had gotten a beaten, probably by Piper.
“Shut up,” Hazel snapped, kicking him.
Percy, who looked exhausted from dying and then coming back to life, lifted his hands, creating mist. Annabeth, knowing what he needed, fished a drachma from her pocket and handed it to him. He threw the drachma in and said wearily, “O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Reyna at Camp Jupiter.”
The image pulled together. Reyna was looking into her gold knife, her face perfectly smooth. She must have heard the shimmering noise, because she glanced up. She looked at Percy’s bloody shirt, Annabeth’s red eyes, Piper’s bloody arms, Jason, and then Octavian in chains with a gag in his mouth.
She asked finally, “What did he do?”
“He killed Percy!” Annabeth snarled, fury turning her vision red.
Reyna raised her eyebrow. “Is that why he’s alive?”
Annabeth, feeling like a total idiot, blushed. “I brought him back to life with the Mark of Athena. It was kind of like Piper bringing Jason to life last December.”
Stiff and looking at Reyna, Piper flushed with some pride.
“Octavian,” Reyna said dangerously. She stood up, her back stiff like she was lying on a wood board. “For endangering a praetor, I hereby say you will never set foot in New Rome unless you want to die instantly.”
Frank yanked the gag from Octavian’s mouth.
Octavian looked outraged. “You’re kicking me out of Camp Jupiter?” he yelled.
“Yes.” Reyna looked angry, strong… like a leader should. “Let him go. And if he touches any of you again, I will track him down and execute him.”
Leo unchained Octavian. With a sour look, the augur raced off. Annabeth had the feeling she would probably never see him again.
“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Jason suddenly said, looking at Piper.
She nodded. “Okay.”
As they walked into the warship, Reyna looked at Percy. “I’m glad you’re alive,” she said earnestly.
“Me, too,” he said as the others left. He quickly wiped his hand through the Iris message and faced Annabeth. “Did I ever mention I loved you, Wise Girl?”
A smile spread on her lips. “Yes.”
And he opened his arms right when she ran into them, kissing in a moment, relieved to be with each other again.
Annabeth was so glad that Athena finally accepted Percy.
If you had started to freak out at the beginning, sorry. While writing this, I had been crying, believe it or not. Behind my awesome and tough looking face, I have a soft heart.
Leo: *sobbing*
Me: ...Leo?
Ricky: Shh...
Me: You're still here?
Ricky: Why yes. I want to remind you I own these characters.
Me: I know.
Leo: *sobbing still* So... beautiful.
Me: I'm sorry...
Ricky: Only 25 days until my book come out!
Me: *jumping up and down* Mind giving me a sneak peek?
Ricky: I'm not giving you a sneak peek.
Me: Oh...
So, PERCABETH WILL NEVER END. Not even in death, bro.
This chapter is dedicated to LeannePaje. Man, she keeps answering correctly. What a smart girl!
Question: What did Jason say right after Piper got claimed: Hint: It was very funny. I nearly died of laughter!!
Thanks for reading, bros. The next chapter will be Jason's POV. Everything is going perfectly for him, right? Not anymore...