Sunflower

7

No tw :)

Aelia has to steady herself on the bookcase as she studies the different titles in front of her. She pulls a few down, before carefully putting them in her bag. Somehow she made it all the way to the Hades cabin, against Will's wishes for her to stay in bed. Aelia really didn't see the point if she was going to die anyways. Over the past few days her health has been declining quickly. She sees the way Will and her friends look at her.
Things really aren't looking good for the girl. But on the bright side her wound finally started closing up. But the poison has just gotten worse.
She knows she shouldn't be in Nico's cabin but she figured if she was on bed rest she could get herself some books. Her one goal before she dies or gets so sick that she can't move is to bring Jason back. So she's collecting a series of books from Nico's cabin to help her create this spell. Her next step is the Hecate for some of their books.
But before she has the chance to leave Nico walks in. "What in the Hades are you doing Lia? You're supposed to be in the med cabin!"
She pulls one last book down before putting it into her bag, "I'm fine. I just needed to borrow some books, if you don't mind that is."
            "You could have asked me to bring them to you.'
"Yeah but I need some from a different cabin so I just came here myself." She coughs, her whole body shaking.
            Nico comes over, "Let me get them for you."
"You don't know which ones I need. Nico I'll be fine walking to the Hecate cabin and back." She pats him on the back when she walks past him.
"Girasole that's on the other side of camp! At least let me help you, otherwise Will will kill us both." Nico follows her out of the cabin as she keeps walking.
"You're free to join me by all means, but I don't need help."
Nico follows close behind her and goes into the Hecate cabin with her. He watches as she grabs a few books and small samples of things. Most of the book covers are in Ancient Greek or Latin, making it easy for him to read. Most are just summoning the dead, letting Nico know she's still going to try to summon Jason even in her poor health. Some are opening portals into the underworld and he raises his eyebrows, "That's hard magic."
"I know, it has to be. It's a hard ritual." She leaves the cabin but stops out front. She braces herself against the wall and Nico hears her breath catch.
           Nico reaches out for her but she pushes his hand away, "I'm fine."
She steps away from the wall and strides back to the medical cabin. She drops the many books from her bag and spills them onto her bed, "Let me know if you need any of these back."
           Nico shrugs, "I think I'll be alright without them."
           She sets down the bag and Will comes storming into the cabin. Aelia glances up and smiles sweetly, "Hello brother."
           "You left." He said.
           "Good observation." She replies swiftly.
           "You let her leave." Will turns on Nico.
"Woah, he did nothing. It was my choice, he tried to bring me back." Aelia steps in between them.
          "Why did you leave? You know you're getting worse so why are you pushing it?"
           She shrugs, "I need some things. Besides, if I'm going to die anyways I would rather speed it up."
           "Don't say that. You aren't going to die!" Will snaps at her.
"Keep telling yourself that. See how it turns out for you. It's better to accept it before it happens, trust me."
Nico frowns, he knows Aelia has a point. Aelia coughs again, and quickly turns away. She wipes at her face and he sees the blood on her sleeve. She curses in Ancient Greek. "Aelia-" Nico starts.
            "I'm fine." She dismisses him.
"Stop saying that." Will hisses, "You aren't fine."
"What is it with you? One minute you're refusing to accept the fact that I'm dying and the next you're basically shoving it in my face! I know I'm dying Will, I know I'm not fine. But I need to be fine for Leo and Piper." Aelia moves toward Will.
"You think they don't see it? They do, they see you suffering."
"I'm not suffering gods. You're making it sound like I have a hoard of curses on me."
"Curses... That's it! It's a poison curse!" Nico snaps his fingers.
Will and Aelia stop fighting and look back at Nico. "Will you've tried everything to help with the poison but nothing has worked. It's because it's an underworld curse."
"The sword was cursed, not poisoned...." Will mutters, "But how would we reverse it?"
"It's like poison. You had to test different things to see what kind of poison it was. It would basically be the same thing, except for the fact that these tests hurt a lot more. I'll try to narrow it down without testing. But eventually we'll need to." Nico says mostly to Aelia.
She wastes no time on agreeing, "Let's do it. How long will it take you?"
            Nico shrugs, "I honestly don't know. A week at most."
            Will shakes his head, "That's too long.
Nico grimaces, "I know. I'll go as fast as I can but it's the best shot she's got."
Nico quickly leaves the cabin, leaving the two siblings alone. Aelia sighs before sitting back on the bed, "Will, I am fine. You need to understand that I can't stay in that bed all day."
"I know. I just want you to be okay."
"You think I don't want that?" Aelia laughs lightly, "You all look at me like I'm a wounded dog, which I guess I kind of am. But I hate it."
"Sorry."
"You don't need to be sorry about anything. I appreciate what you're doing for me." Aelia whispers. "You should go to sleep, Will."
    "Is that your way of telling me I look tired?" He smiles.
    "I didn't want to say anything. I know how fragile you are." She calls after him as he leaves.
    Aelia is left alone in the cabin with her books. She makes herself comfortable on her bed and starts scanning through the books.
    She knows she needs to be able to summon Jason, make a portal into the underworld, and bring him back to life. All without passing out midway through.
    By the time she opens the second book some of her friends come in. She glances up and smiles, "You guys come here a lot. If I didn't know any better I'd say you missed me."
    Leo jumps onto her bed, "We're just bored."
    "Are you saying I'm the reason camp isn't boring?" She pushes the books aside before Leo lays over them.
    "Maybe." He replies, picking up a book. "You're still going through with this?"
    Aelia shrugs, "Why wouldn't I be?"
    "You found another way?" Piper asks.
    Aelia nods slowly, "I'm in the middle of finding one. I know what I need to do, I just need to figure out how to do it."
    "Well why is it that you need to do? Maybe we can help." Piper suggests.
    "Can either of you read Latin?" Aelia looks at her friends, "Yeah I didn't think so. I need a way to summon Jason, create a portal to the underworld, and actually bring him back. But the issue is that when Nico summoned him, he lost his energy quickly. I can't do that, so I need a way to summon him and not pass out. I'm already planning a small energy spell, but I'll need more than that."
    "Sounds fun. What do you need us to do?" Piper mutters.
    Leo whines, "Do we have to do work?"
    Piper elbows him but Aelia smiles, "No you don't I can figure this out later."
    "No, we're going to help you." Piper glares at Leo.
    "Are you sure? You really don't have to-"
    "We're sure. What can we do?" Piper reassures her.
    "Well since neither of you can read Latin, I'll do that part of it. But a few of these are in Greek so maybe read over those for bringing back the dead?"
    Piper holds out her hand and Aelia hands over a book, "I expected Nico and Will to be here."
    "I told Will to leave and Nico figured out what's wrong with me." Aelia replies quietly.
    "He did? Well what is it?" Leo abandons his book.
    Aelia looks down at her book, "It's a curse. We don't know what kind it is though. That's what he's trying to figure out right now."
    "Well that's good right? That he figured it out?" Piper asks as she sees the sad look on Aelia's face.
    "He said it would take a while."
    "How long is a while?" Leo asks.
    Aelia sighs, "At the most a week."
    Leo and Piper exchange a glance. "I know." Aelia sees them.
    "It'll be fine. He'll figure it out." Piper says quickly.
    "Mm-mm." Aelia hums before starting on her book once more.
    For the rest of the day Leo and Piper help her come up with a plan to bring Jason back. Both of her friends are extremely worried for the girl, even if it only takes Nico a few days to figure this out, Aelia will already be in a bad state. Both of them are scared they're going to lose another friend. But Leo is dealing with a lot of stuff mentally. He knows if Aelia dies it will be his fault. He's the one who stabbed her, therefore it would be his fault.
    When the sun sets and the dinner alarm rings out through camp, Aelia tells them to go eat with the others, "Go on. Don't worry about me."
    Piper looks down at Leo as they walk through camp, "Stop that."
    Leo looks up, "Being this good looking? Sorry Pipes, it's all natural."
    "I can see your mind turning. You need to stop thinking it's your fault. How many times do we have to tell you it's not before you believe us?" Piper stops him.
    "Hermana, you do not know what my brain does. It's a very confusing place." Leo smiles.
    "I'm being serious Leo."
    "No you're being a Piper. Look I appreciate your worries but I don't need them. Now can we go get food? All that reading made me hungry."