SANITY; heroes of olympus

01.3

[act one; chapter three     -     cabin fifteen]

Jason and the second redhead, who introduced herself as Rachel, put Piper on the couch while Annabeth rushed down the hall to get a med kit. Meanwhile, Andromeda was sitting on the couch with Piper's head in her lap, doing what she could to help. The girl was still breathing, she just wouldn't wake up.

"We've got to heal her," Jason insisted. "There's a way, right?"

Seeing her so pale, barely breathing. Andromeda glanced up at him and it was like they were able to communicate without even speaking. She nodded lightly and looked back down at Piper. Her hands were cupping her head as she murmured hymns to Apollo.

Chiron put his hand on Piper's forehead and grimaced. "Her mind is in a fragile state. Rachel, what happened?"

"I wish I knew," she said. "As soon as I got to camp, I had a premonition about Hera's cabin. I went inside. Annabeth and Piper came in while I was there. We talked, and then—I just blanked out. Annabeth said I spoke in a different voice."

"A prophecy?" Chiron asked.

"No. The spirit of Delphi comes from within. I know how that feels. This was like long distance, a power trying to speak through me."

Andromeda's head perked up at that. "What kind of voice? Like Kronos old?"

Rachel nodded warily.

The daughter of Dionysus looked back down, her brows furrowed.

Annabeth ran in with a leather pouch. She knelt next to Piper. "Chiron, what happened back there—I've never seen anything like it. I've heard Rachel's prophecy voice. This was different. She sounded like an older woman. She grabbed Piper's shoulders and told her—"