Book 3: Chapter 60: Annabeth
Book 3: Chapter 60: Annabeth
Annabeth
The next few weeks passed in a busy blur. Meetings. Training. More meetings. Sleep. Repeat. Everything felt rushed. There was an urgency that I wasn't sure actually matched the situation at hand, but I attended, nonetheless. We were so busy with preparing things to protect us from Vivian, setting up a new camp, Lexy and I portalled to other countries, building relationships and alliances.
"Are you okay?" Jake asked, holding out his hand to me.
"Yea. What's next?"
"Council meeting in 20 minutes. Austin has informed us that he will be there."
It took all I had to keep moving. I didn't want to see Austin. I didn't want to be anywhere near the guy after how he reacted when we realized he had an Allasigh stone. He was supposed to be my boyfriend, and he had acted like I'd kicked a puppy.
"Is Lexy coming?" I asked.
She never came back to Calina with me. She never attended any meeting with my parents. She didn't ever want to be a part of council meetings. She just pretended they didn't exist. I didn't blame her... But I had thought that we had been on track for rebuilding our relationship, and she was pulling further and further away. I wondered if she even realized what she was doing.
"She was at training last I saw," Jake answered honestly.
I immediately started to use the Mydem that Alex had taught us to send a little hologram to her.
I could see her before she could see me. She was still training, just like Jake had said.
"Lex?" I called to her.
"Annabeth?" She answered, finally seeing the hologram and moving away from everyone. They could see my shape, but she was the only one who could hear me. "What's wrong?" She was completely out of breath. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but her flyways were standing up in all directions. Her green eyes were sharp, more focused than I'd seen her in weeks, and that was saying something since she always seemed to be focused on something.
"Nothing, I just didn't want to walk," I admitted. "I want you to come with me to the council meeting."
She paused; I could read her hesitation like a book. "Like on Calina soil?"
"Yes."
"Annabeth, I really don't think that's a good idea." She said after a long moment.
"Why not?"
"You banished me." She answered.
"I shouldn't have."
"I know." She said softly. "But it will look bad."
"You know you deserve a spot on the council more than anybody else." I argued, annoyed that she was fighting me on it. I really didn't think I could get through a meeting with both Jake and Austin in attendance without her and Kris.
"Annie," There was a plea in her tone. "It's not about that. It's about appearances. You've made no statement about my return or what actually happened. People are going to have thoughts."
"Please?" I tried. "I need you there today."
She nodded with a sigh. "Okay, fine. But I need to get ready."
"Thank you!" I told her before ending the connection between us.
"Why did you want her there so bad?" Jake asked uneasily.
"Because she's been pulling away again." I admitted. "We were finally starting to rebuild, and she's been avoiding me."
"You've been on several missions with her this week."
"Forced proximity." I smirked. "She'll forgive me, eventually. She always does."
Jake gave me an uncertain look, but I ignored him.
"By the way, you need to be on your best behavior with Austin. No taunting him. No baiting him. No fights."
Jake and I may have been sharing a tent, but that didn't mean we were together again, despite how it might look from the outside. He was my guard, and it was safer to always have him close... At least that's what I told myself.
"Beth-" He groaned.
"I mean it." I told him as I turned to meet his eyes. Those eyes that I could be lost in if I let myself.
He had pulled away from me after his time in prison. He hadn't leaned into me, like I did him in tragic events. He hadn't wanted me. But the look in his eyes in that moment told me otherwise.
I forced myself to look away, knowing that betrayal would now cloud them.
I had a country that was falling apart more and more every day. I didn't need boys or besties to distract me.
We walked to the portal zone in silence and waited for the others. Matt and Lexy came from the west, crossing the border from Gala. Rae came from the south, looking a little worn. Alex and Simon came from the north with Aiden blindfolded between them.
My stomach churned a little. Aiden had been the reason they had found our camp before. He was a double agent. It had always been an option before. Now, he didn't want to know where we were, so he could protect us. At least a little bit. Not that I had any doubt that Vivian didn't know exactly where we were. She always seemed to be two steps ahead of us.
Kris and Seth were the last to approach, and I couldn't help but feel for Kris. Her eyes were red like she'd been crying, like maybe they'd been fighting again. I knew that Seth was pulling away from her, and if he let himself, he would pick Lexy. I knew the feeling. So, as soon as she was close enough, I linked arms with her, and she leaned into me gratefully.
"Lexy, you're coming?" Seth asked, barely containing his excitement.
Kris tensed beside me. Lexy gave a single nod, and I couldn't help but notice that her jaw was set and her face was a little pale.
"We'll be late if we wait any longer," Alex growled.
Jake began to set up the portal as if it was second nature now. A part of me wondered if that night we went to that random party and had walked what felt like a million miles if we could have just portalled there. As if sensing my thoughts were about him, he looked up with a smirk, and I felt my cheeks heat. Everyone was in some kind of mood, and I couldn't help but wonder how exactly this meeting was going to go, and that wasn't even adding Austin to the equation.