𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 ! [jason grace]¹

C H A P T E R ⬩ E I G H T E E N

O C E A N U S

C H A P T E R   E I G H T E E N

( spankin' hot war machine ! )

⟶⬩⬥⬩⟵

          "JASON!"

Malia kept calling his name as she held him, though she'd almost lost hope. He'd been unconscious for two minutes now. His body was steaming, his eyes rolled back in his head. She couldn't tell if he was even breathing.

"It's no use, child." Hera stood over them in her simple black robe and shawl.

Malia hadn't seen the goddess go nuclear. Thankfully she'd closed her eyes, but she could see the aftereffects. Every vestige of winter was gone from the valley. No signs of battle, either. The monsters had been vaporized. The ruins had been restored to what they were before—still ruins, but with no evidence that they'd been overrun by a horde of wolves, storm spirits, and six-armed ogres.

Even the Hunters had been revived. Most waited at a respectful distance in the meadow, but Thalia knelt by Malia's side, her hand on Jason's forehead.

Thalia glared up at the goddess. "This is your fault. Do something!"

"Do not address me that way, girl. I am the queen—"

"Fix him!"

Hera's eyes flickered with power. "I did warn him. I would never intentionally hurt the boy. He was to be my champion. I told them to close their eyes before I revealed my true form."

"Um. . ." Leo frowned. "True form is bad, right? So why did you do it?"

"I unleashed my power to help you, fool!" Hera cried. "I became pure energy so I could disintegrate the monsters, restore this place, and even save these miserable Hunters from the ice."

"But mortals can't look upon you in that form!" Thalia shouted. "You've killed him!"

Piper shook her head in dismay. "That's what our prophecy meant. Death unleash, through Hera's rage."

"Come on, lady!" Leo said. "You're a goddess. Do some voodoo magic on him! Bring him back."

Malia half heard their conversation, but mostly she was focused on Jason's face. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her chest ached. She couldn't lose him, too. "He's breathing!" she announced.

"Impossible," Hera said. "I wish it were true, child, but no mortal has ever—"

"Jason," Malia called, putting every bit of her willpower into his name. She may not be a daughter of Aphrodite with charmspeak, but she would not lose him. Not after Percy. "Listen to me. You can do this. Come back. You're going to be fine."