Reyna and Jason: The Praetor's of New Rome - Sacrifice

The Angels

"You'll see. She won't answer. She never answers." Nico told Percy while throwing some of the stuffed peppers into a hole in the ground.

Calypso held a pitcher of red liquid. "I made those to feed the living, not the dead. You could have just said you didn't like them."

Percy stuffed an entire stuffed pepper in his mouth while he did his best to stay still while standing behind Nico. "Their great, Calypso." He said with food in his mouth. "But if Nico says we need it, we need it."

Nico was sniffling, wiping his nose while he poured red liquid into the hole from a glass Calypso had handed to him. "If she even responds."

I floated overhead, watching from above. I could have flown down and joined them, but I'd rather not distract Nico while he summoned Bianca. This was an important moment for himself and Percy.

Calypso glanced up towards the sky and noticed me. I raised my finger to my lips, hoping she got the message. Calypso nodded and slowly backed away from the two of them. "I'll leave you both too it. I'll go find Jason and wait for you by the campfire."

The boys muttered something under their breath, their focus towards the pit full of stuffed peppers and red liquid I hoped was fruit punch. Calypso approached me from below, waving her hands for me to come down. When I descended in front of her, she wrapped her arms around my neck. "Rise again," She whispered in my ear. "I want to watch."

My cheeks were red hot while I used the winds to raise us above the trees to watch Nico and Percy below. Nico had begun chanting in a low tone. The air became colder and the shadows darkened.

"We should leave them alone." I whispered.

Calypso rolled her eyes. "Shut it. You know your curious too. Besides, their alliance is tentative. If Nico and Percy begin fighting again, we'll need to step in."

"Fight? They were fighting?" I asked, but Calypso hushed me.

Nico spoke clearly. "Let the dead taste again. Let them rise and take this offering. Let them remember."

Fog began to roll from the tree ahead of Nico and Percy and towards them. Blueish silhouettes began emerging from the fog towards the pit Nico and Percy had dug up. Calypso hands became sweaty at the sight of the ghosts, forcing her to wrap her arms around my neck so that our cheeks were nearly touching while we watched from above.

I was usually immune to seeing ghostly figures. Afterall, Rome was populated with countless lares that intruded on our business, but these were different. The air grew colder by the second, my breath now visible. Their voices cascaded over each other, making it impossible to pin point a specific voice. They gathered around the pit with great speed and in even greater numbers.

Nico drew his black blade, which immediately stopped the ghost in their tracks. "Stop. One at a time." He commanded, trying to keep his voice steady. When a few brave ghost made an attempt to take from the hole, Percy drew his own sword. His bronze sword gleaming in the night light. This was enough to discourage even the bravest of ghosts. Nico glanced at him and Percy shrugged in response. "One at a time." Nico repeated, his voice stern.

The ghost pushed against each other, or at least, I think they did. The ghosts began blurring between each other as they tried to drink from the well. Finally, after sometime, a bluish figure managed to push past the crowd and kneeled in front of the pit. The ghost cupped its hand and drank from the well below.

"Blah, stuffed peppers mixed with fruit punch?" Calypso whispered. "Gross."

"Their dead." I whispered back at her. "I don't think they care."