ONE LAST TIME . . . heroes of olympus

52

IF NOT FOR the horses, Kat probably would've died. Then again, she's ready to go to hell, why not?

Jason and Percy charged each other, but Tempest and Blackjack balked long enough for Kat to tackle Piper out of the way.

"Hey," Kat breathed out.

"Not the time, Kat!" Piper went to shove her, but she was already rolling off of her, staring as the boys crossed swords, gold against bronze. Sparks flew. Their blades blurred — strike and parry — and the pavement trembled. The first exchange took only a second, but Kat couldn't believe the speed of their sword fighting. The horses pulled away from each other — Tempest thundering in protest, Blackjack flapping his wings.

"Stop it!" Piper yelled.

For a moment, Jason heeded her voice. His golden eyes turned toward her, and Percy charged, slamming his blade into Jason. Thank the gods, Percy turned his sword — maybe on purpose, maybe accidentally — so the flat of it hit Jason's chest; but the impact was still enough to knock Jason off his mount.

Blackjack cantered away as Tempest reared in confusion. The spirit horse charged into the sunflowers and dissipated into vapor.

Percy struggled to turn his pegasus around.

"Percy!" Piper yelled. "Jason's your friend. Drop your weapon!"

Percy's sword arm dipped. Kat went to say something to help out Piper, but unfortunately Jason got to his feet.

Jason roared. A bolt of lightning arced out of the clear blue sky. It ricocheted off his gladius and blasted Percy off his horse.

Blackjack whinnied and fled into the wheat fields. Jason charged at Percy, who was now on his back, his clothes smoking from the lightning blast.

"Hey!" Kat shouted. "Both of you, stop."

Jason froze, his sword six inches from Percy's face. Both of their faces went slack. Kat outstretched Cortana and weaved her influence through their minds, narrowing her eyes and focusing intensely.

Piper realized what she was doing. "Rina—"

Face me, Kat told the boys. Drop your swords. And talk to me.

Jason turned, the gold light in his eyes dimming as he dropped his sword to the ground. "I cannot stop. One must die."

"Who are you?" Kat demanded. "Respond."

Jason's mouth twisted in a gruesome smile. "We are the eidolons. We will live again."

"Eidolons . . . ?" Kat looked to Piper for guidance, because all of her braincells were going toward keeping Jason and Percy in line. Unluckily for her, Piper didn't have any guidance for her. "You're — you're some sort of ghost?"

"He must die." Jason turned his attention back to Percy.

"Actually, no," Kat snapped, her years of learning finally coming back to her. "You're spirits from the Underworld. You're possessing Jason Grace and Percy Jackson. Right?"

Percy sneered. "I will live again in this body. The Earth Mother has promised. I will go where I please, control whom I wish."

Jason hissed in agreement.

"Leo . . ." Piper gasped from beside Kat. "That's what happened to Leo. He was being controlled by an eidolon."

The thing in Jason's form laughed without humor. "Too late you realize. You can trust no one."

"Including you two." Kat's head was starting to pound, which didn't seem like a good sign. "Fall unconscious. Just . . . stop possessing them."

Jason and Percy's eyes rolled up in their heads, then they collapsed in sync. Kat's knees buckled just after they fell.