TERRIFIED . . . annabeth chase

sixty one.

VAL SHOULD NOT have gone on this mission.

She was still so weak, because of coming out from Tartarus, and from her curse. She'd literally slept for two days in a row, after they'd left the House of Hades until yesterday, when Annabeth had had to wake her up.

She still didn't know how she'd managed it; the next day or so, everyone thought that she'd been awake. It was only when Leo asked where she was that they'd realized that she was asleep, so they'd waken her up enough so she could listen to the rundown of what was happening.

"We're gonna go to the Palace of Odysseus tomorrow," Piper had said yesterday, and Val hummed as she ate her donut. "Me and Annabeth are dressing up as servants, and Jason's going to be under the Mist."

Val nodded. "Cool. Can I come?"

Percy frowned. "You just slept for two days. It's your curse, Val. Tartarus hasn't affected me and Annabeth like that."

"This isn't going to be the worst of it." Val couldn't look at him. She stared down at her half eaten donut. "I can go. I like dressing up, and I can act pretty well. At least, that's what Will's said to me."

She could feel more than see Annabeth frown. "Tina . . ."

"I watched my mother die from this curse." Val said, and the usual lightness in her voice had disappeared. "I watched as she turned paler and paler and the flowers get more bloodied before she died. I had to bring her food her last week and a half because she couldn't get up. And look at me now. I will be fine. Let me go on a mission or two before I can't get up and have to lay on bedrest and annoy you guys until we die."

She stood and stormed out of the room. Her stomach filled with roses, and the stained blood was like a joke to her.

Now? Now, Val was walking up a hill, her eyes and her body growing more tired each step she'd taken.

"Almost there." Piper smiled over her shoulder. "You're doing great."

But at least she wasn't Jason.

His legs shook as he hobbled up the hill. His face was a strange sight — all wrinkles and visible cheekbones. His fingers were gnarled and bony. Bulging blue veins webbed the backs of his hands. He smelled like an old man.

Why? Because he literally was an old man. Hazel had done some magic ( one thing Val had missed while being down in Tartarus ) to make him an old man.

Val, Annabeth, and Piper were disguised as lovely Greek serving maidens. Even in their white sleeveless gowns and laced sandals, they had no trouble navigating the rocky path. Except for Val, who sometimes had to stop to throw up, but at least she had Annabeth holding her hand.

Piper's mahogany hair was pinned up in a braided spiral. Silver bracelets adorned her arms. She resembled an ancient statue of her mom, Aphrodite. Val hated the image, but she just had to deal with it.

"Worst idea ever." Jason leaned against a cedar tree and wiped his forehead. "Hazel's magic is too good. If I have to fight, I'll be useless."

"It won't come to that," Annabeth promised. She looked uncomfortable in her serving-maiden outfit. She kept hunching her shoulders to keep the dress from slipping. Her pinned-up blonde bun had come undone in the back and her hair dangled like long spider legs. Val needed to fix those things.

"We infiltrate the palace," Val said. "We get the information we need, and we get out."

Piper set down her amphora, the tall ceramic wine jar in which her sword was hidden. "We can rest for a second. Catch your breath, Jason. Val."