You’re cute when you’re worried,” she muttered. “Your eyebrows get all scrunched together.” “You are not going to die while I owe you a favor,” I said. “Why did you take that knife?””You would’ve done the same for me.”It was true. I guess we both knew it. Still, I felt like somebody was poking my heart with a cold metal rod.”How did you know?” “Know what?” I looked around to make sure we were alone. Then I leaned in close and whispered: “My Achilles spot. If you hadn’t taken that knife, I would’ve died.”She got a faraway look in her eyes. Her breath smelled like grapes, maybe from the nectar. “I don’t know, Percy. I just had this feeling you were in danger. Where… where is the spot?”I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone. But this was Annabeth. If I couldn’t trust her, I couldn’t trust anyone. “The small of my back.”She lifted her hand. “Where? Here?”She put her hand on my spine, and my skin tingled. I moved her fingers to the one spot that grounded me to my mortal life. A thousand volts of electricity seemed to arc through my body. “You saved me.” I said. “Thanks.” She removed her hand, but I kept holding it. “So you owe me,” she said weakly. “What else is new?
You’re cute when you’re worried,” she muttered. “Your eyebrows get all scrunched together.” “You are not going to die while I owe you a favor,” I said. “Why did you take that knife?””You would’ve done the same for me.”It was true. I guess we both knew it. Still, I felt like somebody was poking my heart with a cold metal rod.”How did you know?” “Know what?” I looked around to make sure we were alone. Then I leaned in close and whispered: “My Achilles spot. If you hadn’t taken that knife, I would’ve died.”She got a faraway look in her eyes. Her breath smelled like grapes, maybe from the nectar. “I don’t know, Percy. I just had this feeling you were in danger. Where… where is the spot?”I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone. But this was Annabeth. If I couldn’t trust her, I couldn’t trust anyone. “The small of my back.”She lifted her hand. “Where? Here?”She put her hand on my spine, and my skin tingled. I moved her fingers to the one spot that grounded me to my mortal life. A thousand volts of electricity seemed to arc through my body. “You saved me.” I said. “Thanks.” She removed her hand, but I kept holding it. “So you owe me,” she said weakly. “What else is new?
