𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 - jason grace

21. FAST TIMES

MAIA'S FRIENDS WERE REALLY worried about her, and that actually broke her heart. They had bigger things to worry about, but here they were, making a fuss about her wellbeing.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Cassie asked from beside her, giving her a bit of nectar.

"I'm fine, Cass. Really. I don't know what happened."

"I'll tell you what happened." Percy said, leaning against the ship's rails. "You used too much power at once and your body couldn't take it. You were exhausted but you still tried saving us, Maia. As grateful as I am, I also want to smack you right now."

"He's right," Jason said, at her other side, "I can't be mad at you, Maia, cause you saved my life, but, I worry."

"Don't." She said. "I'm fine, and that's what matters, right?"

Her friends frowned at her, but they didn't say anything else as they made their way toward Annabeth. Maia hadn't been out for long, only a couple of minutes, but it was long enough to worry everyone around her.

All around the Piazza del Colosseo, traffic had come to a standstill. A crowd of mortals had gathered, probably wondering about the strange lights and sounds that had come from the ruins.

The demigods gathered around the helm. Jason kept his eyes on Maia the entire time, and, had they been under different circumstances, she probably would've melted at the thought.

Across from them, Cassie bandaged Piper's sprained shoulder while Hazel sat at the stern, feeding Nico ambrosia. The son of Hades could barely lift his head. His voice was so quiet, Hazel had to lean in whenever he spoke.

Frank and Leo recounted what had happened in the room with the Archimedes spheres, and the visions Gaea had shown them in the bronze mirror. They quickly decided that their best lead for finding Annabeth was the cryptic advice Bacchus had provided: the Emmanuel Building, whatever that was. Frank started typing at the helm's computer while Leo tapped furiously at his controls, muttering, "Emmanuel Building. Emmanuel Building." Coach Hedge tried to help by wrestling with an upside-down street map of Rome.

"I think I did it," Maia said softly, catching Jason's attention.

"Did what?" He asked, taking a step closer to her.

"Complete my part of the prophecy." She crossed her arms, looking anywhere but at him.

"What do you–" Before he could ask, though. Hazel brought up something important Nico was talking to her about.

"Thank you," Nico rasped. His eyes darted nervously around the group. "I'd given up hope."

"You knew about the two camps all along," Percy said. "You could have told me who I was the first day I arrived at Camp Jupiter, but you didn't."

Nico slumped against the helm. "Percy, I'm sorry. I discovered Camp Jupiter last year. My dad led me there, though I wasn't sure why. He told me the gods had kept the camps separate for centuries and that I couldn't tell anyone. The time wasn't right. But he said it would be important for me to know..." He doubled over in a fit of coughing.

Hazel held his shoulders until he could stand again.

"I—I thought Dad meant because of Hazel," Nico continued. "I'd need a safe place to take her. But now...I think he wanted me to know about both camps so I'd understand how important your quest was, and so I'd search for the Doors of Death."

The air turned electric—literally, as Jason started throwing off sparks.

"Did you find the doors?" Percy asked.