Dancing with Death

Eidolons in Topeka

Eliza blinked as the light stabbed her eyes, fading back to consciousness. Her vision slowly focused on the ceiling, wooden planks with thick beams supporting the deck above. She tried to sit up, but her arms were restrained and she felt a rough rope digging into her chest.

"Sorry about the restraints." Hazel sat beside her bed with her spatha resting on her knees. "We had to be sure you couldn't..." she didn't finish that thought.

"Make sure I wouldn't hurt anyone." Eliza finished.

Hazel hung her head. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't." Eliza interrupted. "I don't deserve an apology, not after what I did."

Hazel's head snapped up. "You remember?"

Eliza clenched her fists and closed her eyes, pressing her head back into the pillow. "I remember enough."

Hazel sheathed her spatha. "It wasn't your fault." She clasped her hands and leaned her elbows on her knees. "At least nobody got hurt."

Eliza scoffed. "This time."

Hazel sighed. "You can't blame yourself. We don't know what happened."

"Exactly!" Eliza snapped, meeting Hazel's gaze. "Who's to say it won't happen again." She took a shaky breath, squeezing her eyes shut. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You won't." Hazel tried.

"You don't know that." Eliza countered. "It wouldn't be the first time." She stared at the ceiling.

"Is that why they call you the Angel of Death?" Hazel's voice finally broke the silence. "Because you hurt people?"

Eliza felt her fists clench and her jaw set.

Hazel seemed to notice her tense up. "I'm sorry I brought it up. It's just... ever since I got to Camp Jupiter, I've been hearing people talk about the 'Angel of Death'. I just... want to understand why."

Eliza looked away, locking her gaze on the opposite wall. She could feel the ropes digging into her wrists as her arms tensed. "They think I'm a bad omen, that I bring death wherever I go." She took a deep breath. "They're right. On every quest I've ever been on except one, someone has died. The only exception was the one where I had no idea who I was."

Hazel couldn't stop herself from asking her next question. "How many quests have you been on?"

Eliza buried her face in her shoulder, trying to stop the tears before they started. "Nine." She choked back a sob. "That's eight people dead, eight legionnaires, on my watch."

Hazel stumbled over her words. "Half-bloods die on quests... all the time. You can't take the blame for that."

Eliza took shaky breath and met Hazel's gaze. "I didn't take it. They gave it to me." A spark of anger ignited in her golden eyes, quickly quenched by the tears.

Hazel hung her head. "I'm sorry. I wish I could say I understood, that they treated me as badly as they treated you, but I can't." She curled her fingers on her knees. "By comparison, I had it easy." She sighed and stood, a knife in her hands. Kneeling, she sliced the bonds from Eliza's wrists and walked out of the room.
* * *
Eliza looked up as Jason groaned, fading back into consciousness. She released a long breath, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "We have to stop meeting like this."

It took a minute for his eyes to focus on her. "Eliza."

She felt her smile widen. "Welcome back, Airhead."

He gritted his teeth as he sat up. "Hate to burst your bubble, but there's definitely something in there."

She chuckled. "Maybe there was. Would you rather I call you Mush Brain?"

He shot her an annoyed look. "Let's stick with Airhead."

Another laugh shook Eliza's shoulders. "Leo wanted us all to meet in the kitchen for a briefing."

He sighed. "That sounds like a headache."

She couldn't hold back a smirk. "Then it's a good thing we'll have someone with experience there."

He rolled his eyes as he swung his legs out of bed. "Liza, sometimes you're impossible."

She shrugged. "I'll take that as a compliment. Come on. They're waiting."
                                     *   *   *
Everyone sat around the table as Piper finished catching the others up on what had happened in Topeka.

"So... the boys were being controlled by... evil spirits?" Eliza summed up.

"Basically." Piper seconded. "They said they were called... Eidolons."

"And Bacchus told you that our next stop should be Atlanta... to talk to this Phorcys guy." Leo clarified.

"Yes." Piper confirmed.

"In that case, I'll get to the helm." Leo stood to leave. "I should be able to get us there by tomorrow morning."

"Wait!" Piper stiffened as the others moved to leave. "They're still here."

"What?" Percy gave a weird look. "Who?"

Piper didn't move. "The eidolons. Don't ask me how I know. I just do."

"Well, what do we do?" Annabeth squeezed Percy's hand.

Piper took a deep breath to calm herself. "I could try to use my charmspeak to lure them out."

Eliza felt her chest constrict. "That's probably our best chance to get rid of them for good."

Everyone else nodded.

"Do it." Annabeth said with finality.

Piper took a deep breath and locked eyes with each of her companions in turn. "Eidolons, show yourselves."

For a moment nothing happened. Leo laughed and was about to crack a joke, when his eyes glazed over and he stilled. Jason and Percy's eyes turned gold and they froze. Finally, Eliza's mind went fuzzy. She couldn't understand what anyone was saying. It felt like strong hands were holding her down, shoving her out of the way. She had no control.

Suddenly, she felt the presence lifting. She could feel her body again, hear all the noises rippling through the room. It was gone.

That's when she realized she was on her back on the floor. Leo had taken a nosedive into his meal and Percy and Jason had slumped into their chairs.

She took a long breath. It was over. They were free.