Chapter 21

[Lucian PoV]

It was now close to the end of November, when suddenly I was woken up by a feeling in my guts.

I sat up from the bed in the hotel room I was staying in and looked out the window. It was the middle of the night.

I tried looking in a different direction but my gut feeling was pointing me to the side. So whatever is going on is in that direction.

I got up from bed and changed what I was wearing and opened the window. I jumped out from the second story window and landed with a roll to stop my momentum.

I used my shadow blink ability and started making my way towards where the feeling was strongest.

Jump after jump I started making my way down from Emporia towards Petersburg.

When I arrived I had to catch my breath due to the long distance I just traveled. I summoned my trusty old pal Larry and had him carry me on his shoulder, where I started to direct him to where my gut feelings were pointing to.

I soon arrived near a 2 story house where I just knew this was the place. As I got closer I could hear the voice of a little girl.

"Please believe me! There's spiders everywhere!"

"Annabeth, stop trying to scare your little brothers, it's doing more harm than good." the voice of an older woman replied which was followed by the sound of the door closing.

I made Larry lift me up towards the second story window where I heard the voices and saw a little girl covering herself with a blanket trying to hide.

From the corner numerous little spiders started appearing from around the corner of her room.

Seeing this I decided to take action and make an impact for the first impression. I willed my shadow to slip through underneath the window and open the lock, once it was opened I sat on the frame of the window and summoned my scythe, making it lean on me.

(Pic)

"I see you could use some help" I said with a leg swaying side to side.

Annabeth quickly took off the cover and looked in my direction in shock, the shock on her face further increased when she saw me for some reason.

She then noticed the spiders in the room about to attack her once again, she looked towards me and in a pleading voice asked "You can see them too, right? Please help me."

I just nodded my head and willed my shadow to turn into tendrils and start skewering them, wrapping around them, just killing them all together.

"Arise" I said as about 156 small spiders came out from the shadows and got pulled into my own shadow.

"Just who are you?" Annabeth asked in awe as she saw me dispose of them so quickly.

I decided to play a prank on her as I let out a deep dramatic sigh. "You see Annabeth. Whenever a little kid dies and that little kid just so happens to be a demi-god, they are assigned a grim reaper to escort them towards the Underworld."

Annabeth then looked frightened, "H-How do you know my name?"

I put on a confused look and tilted my head, "It would be weird if I didn't know the one I was assigned to wouldn't it"

It looked like she almost believed me before she put on a pondering expression, she grabbed her pillow and threw it in my direction.

"Don't joke about that! I almost believed you" She said with a hint of relief in her voice, it looked like she figured it out. I still want to see how far I can take this.

I grabbed the pillow as it got close to me and started shaking my head, "How do you know I'm not telling the truth" I asked this in a challenging tone.

"For one I don't remember dying" Annabeth angrily.

Still in character I just shook my head, "Of course you don't remember, the state of being dead is so shocking you sometimes don't even remember it how it happened"

Annabeth looked scared slightly before shaking her head and composing herself. She looked at me unamused, which just made me sigh, as expected of the daughter of Athena I suppose.

She then looked at me nervous as she asked, "But seriously who are you and how do you know my name"

"Name's Lucian, Lucian Blackheart. As for how, I heard the woman heer earlier call you"

A look of realization and relief came over Annabeth. She then took the sheets away from her body and came over towards me.

"Please get me out of here. I can't stand it anymore." Said Annabeth sounding angry.

I looked at her with a raised brow as I asked, "And why would I do that?"

"Nobody wants me here. They think I'm just a burden. They didn't even believe me when I told them about the spiders and it's been three days already" she said as tears started forming in her eyes.

My hands naturally went towards her sandy blond hair, petting her head. "Fine I'll take you with me, but know it will be dangerous, we will likely encounter a lot of monsters on the way. Are you sure you're up for it"

Annabeth's expression turned serious and nodded her head, "I'll still be in danger if I just stay here, so it's better if I just leave. So take me away"

"Okay Rapunzel, relax a bit. You want to leave empty handed?"

Annabeth pouted slightly at the name calling but shook her head.

"Get your bag ready then, I doubt you want to stay in the same clothes you're wearing all the time."

Annabeth went into her closet and took out a small suitcase, she turned towards Lucian and gave him a thumbs up, I'm ready let's go"

"Seriously? You had a suitcase ready?" I asked, a bit shocked at how ready she was.

She nodded her head as she said "I was planning on escaping later on tonight but you appeared. I already have everything I will need.

Annabeth picked up her suitcase and was about to throw it out the window but I stopped her.

"Wait, give me that"

She looked confused but still handed it to me. I just shook my head and I willed my shadow to swallow it whole.

"Woah! How are you doing that, where did it go" She asked in amazement and great wonder.

"I'm the son of Hades. The shadows and darkness are what I most good at, I stored them inside my own shadow" I explained.

"I see, so that's the creepy feeling I was getting from you"

"Rude." I said giving her a side-eyes

"Sorry" she said with an awkward expression, "I didn't mean it in a bad creepy, like a mysterious creepy vibe. It's hard to describe, it's like the darkness, like it's creepy but you can't help but want to know more about it"

I started looking at her weirdly, "What are you on?"

She just sighed, "Just get me out of here already"

I offered my hand to her which she took with a smile. But as I did the door to her room opened, Annabeth's stepmother was looking at us in shock, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING"

I pulled Annabeth close and jumped out the window much to the stepmothers shock, "Sorry I'm kidnapping her now"

I grabbed Annabeth in a princess Carry and started shadow blinking away.

"WAIT STOP!" The step mother's voice quickly faded behind us…