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Chapter Seventeen

Percy

Immediately, Percy fell to his knees and cradled Annabeth's head in his arms. She relaxed into his arms, and Percy felt happy, in a twisted way.

The first thing Percy said to Annabeth was, "Hey, Wise Girl."

"Seaweed Brain," she sighed.

Percy was careful not to touch her splinted wrist or cloth-covered leg. "I'm so sorry," he said gesturing to them.

"It wasn't you," Annabeth said weakly. "Besides, you managed to get out of his control for at least a little while."

Percy's mouth twitched up at the corners, and a smile barely noticeable crept up on his face.

Percy opened his mouth to reply but he was cut off my Neculai's odd voice.

"You will serve me, or the girl dies."

Percy whipped his head around, staring at Neculai's face in horror. "Never. She will live, and I will not join you."

"I'll give you the rest of the day to think about it," Neculai chuckled.

Guards stepped forward from the sides of the room and gathered Percy and Annabeth in rough arms. They dragged them to what looked to be holding cells underneath the castle.

Well, Percy thought. If Hazel comes to rescue us, it'll be easier to do so.

Percy and Annabeth were placed into cells next to each other, but as Annabeth reached through the bars for Percy, he crept to the corner of his cell.

"Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said. "Come here, please."

"I can't," Percy replied. "What if he possess me again while I'm holding you. I could kill you! I just can't risk that."

"I trust you, Kelp Head," Annabeth assured him. "Now, come here."

Reluctantly, Percy crawled over to the side of his cell she was reaching through and took her hand in both of his.

He felt something be pressed into his hands, and when he opened he found a crushed square of ambrosia.

Annabeth winked and stuffed a piece of the godly food into her own mouth. "Eat it, quickly!" she ordered.

Percy obeyed. The food tasted of home, something he longed for deeply at the time.

"What will we do?" Percy asked after the silence became too much.

"I have faith in everyone else," Annabeth muttered. "Especially Thalia. I suspect they'll come to rescue us before the end of today."

As if on cue, the shadows rippled in front of the bars to their cells and a grinning Nico stepped out with Leo behind him.

"You were saying?" Leo said smugly.

There was a loud CRACK!, and all of the wizards were standing in front of them. Finally, after two more trips, the rest of Percy's friends were there.

"Let's go," Jason said as he unlocked their cells from the ring of keys he had taken from the guard they had defeated.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Percy agreed.

Percy insisted on getting everyone back first before he allowed himself to return. Just as Nico started for the shadows to take them back, more guards appeared and one shouted, "Stop them!"

Percy pushed Nico so that he couldn't stop himself from crashing into the wall. Just as Percy suspected, he shadow-traveled away so that he didn't get injured.

As Percy was dragged to Neculai again, he smiled to himself. He may still be in captivity, but at least his friends weren't.

Neculai pointed his wand at a guard and growled, "Avada Kedavra!"

A burst of green light shot from his wand and into the man. He crumpled to the floor.

Another of Neculai's guards dead, Percy cheered. That's one less to deal with later on.

"The girl may be gone," Neculai said turning to Percy, "but there are other ways for me to convince you! Crucio!"

Again, pain coursed through Percy's body, and again, he did not yield to the pain.

Percy would rather go to Hades the hard way instead of become Neculai's pawn.

Percy knew, that even now, his old demigod friends and his new wizard friends would be formulating a new plan to save him. He could only hope that none of them would get injured along the way.

But alas, life is never easy for a son of Poseidon.

A/N They were that close to escaping, but of course Percy is still there. ;)

Question 18=Who is the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince?

Professor Snape; Severus Snape