BLOODSHOT . . . piper mclean

84.

EDEN HATED IT HERE.

A wave the size of a skyscraper crashed over the forward deck, washing the front crossbows and half the port railing out to sea. The sails were ripped to shreds. Lightning flashed all around, hitting the sea like spotlights. Horizontal rain blasted her face.

Eden hated storms. When it was in the middle of the ocean, her second domain ( first being the battlefield ) it was even more annoying.

Leo had lashed himself to the console with a bungee cord harness. That might have seemed like a good idea when he rigged it up, but every time a wave hit he was washed away, then smacked back into his control board like a human paddleball.

Piper and Annabeth were trying to save the rigging. Since Sparta they'd become quite a team – able to work together without even talking, which was just as well, since they couldn't have heard each other over the storm.

Frank had turned into a gorilla. He was swinging upside down off the starboard rail, using his massive strength and his flexible feet to hang on while he untangled some broken oars. They were definitely trying to get airborne, but Eden knew it wouldn't be safe.

Even Festus the figurehead was trying to help. He spewed fire at the rain, though that didn't seem to discourage the storm.

Hazel and Perfect Jason were in the lower deck, the former because of her seasickness ( amateur, though Eden wasn't much better in the sky ) and Perfect Jason because his stab wound had gotten worse and he'd collapsed the other day, so naturally he was below.

Meanwhile, Eden had been put with her brother, because the world really fucking hated her. Every time the ship tilted, she had to push in the opposite direction so the hull stabilized. Percy summoned giant fists of water from the ocean to slam into the larger waves before they could reach the deck, so it looked like the ocean was hitting itself repeatedly in the face. Eden enjoyed looking at that.

Then she felt someone grab her shoulder and pull her further from Percy. She was about to thank the person, then realized it was Perfect Jason. His deathbed, then. Eden rolled her eyes and turned forward to wince and slap the incoming wave with another one.

Percy nodded like 'sup. He looked ridiculous. His dark hair was plastered to his face. His clothes were soaked and ripped. Eden totally looked better. Her dress wasn't ripped that badly. At least it wasn't white.

He shouted but Eden could only make out a few words that she basically understood what they'd been communicating for the past few minutes: 'THING . . . DOWN . . . STOP IT!"

Percy pointed over the side.

Perfect Jason asked something that was blown away by the wind. Fucking idiot.

Percy grinned and tapped his ears. He made a gesture with his hand like diving overboard. Then he tapped Perfect Jason on the chest and nodded toward Eden.

Perfect Jason shouted something, but Eden couldn't hear it. God, couldn't that dick take a hint? He was stabbed and all, but the power of hand signals worked wonders on everyone that wasn't him, apparently.

Eden rolled her eyes and then turned to where Piper was, but she was too focused on what she was doing, which was such a shame. Please don't leave me now, darling, Eden thought. You're my entire fucking future.

Then she ran to the rail, hopped over it, and promptly dived into the water.

God, why was the water so cold? She instantly turned it warmer, then opened her eyes.

Couldn't the water just be warmer? Jesus Christ. Eden didn't really care about what she was doing, swimming toward the darkest part of the ocean, and then the green light engulfed her vision, and naturally she swam toward that.