Eleutheromania

10)

I WOKE UP ON THE FLOOR and Leo was on the coach. I had sweatpants on and no shirt. I groaned sitting up feeling my back soaked. I looked at the floor and it was moist. I gagged. I sweat so much.
I kissed Leo's cheek and went to shower. I noticed that Jason and I were usually always the first ones up. We both showered at the sometime and it always gave us time to talk. I felt like I knew so much about Jason that its crazy he doesn't know everything about me. But that's the thing about him, he won't ask if I feel uncomfortable. And I did.
"You don't have to tell me," I faced Jason brushing my teeth as he was putting his shirt on. "What did the eidolon mean when he said that you made a bargain?"
I stopped brushing my teeth for a moment, then I quickly kept going.
"You don't have to tell me," he quickly added.
I shook my head cleaning my mouth. "Well, you already know I made a bargain with Gaea, and she gave me her powers during the summer for the titan war. But, since a bargain with gods are very difficult—" I looked at Jason my eyes narrowing. "You can not tell anyone. The only people that know are Annabeth and Percy and now you, I would like to keep it that way."
Jason nod slowly. "Okay, I won't tell anyone."
I stared at him still not saying anything, then I shrugged. "I still have her powers. She kept it in me so I can join her."
Jason nods slowly again. He opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly closed it when Frank walked in. His hair was all over the place. "Percy and Annabeth have disappeared."
"What!"
After, searching for Percy and Annabeth for a while, I just gave up and went to the mess hall. Leo and I would talk about what we thought happened to them. I also shoved ambrosia down Leo's throat because he had hickeys in some places that were noticeable.
Soon all of us gathered in the mess hall. Percy and Annabeth finally appeared. Jason and Piper were mostly relieved. Leo couldn't stop grinning and muttering, "Classic. Classic." Only Hazel seemed scandalized, maybe because she was from the 1940s. She kept fanning her face and wouldn't meet Percy's eyes.
I smirked at them, "unexpected, but expected."
Annabeth frowned at me. "That makes no sense."
"Whatever, wise candy."
Naturally, Coach Hedge went ballistic.
"Never in my life!" Coach bellowed, waving his bat and knocking over a plate of apples. "Against the rules! Irresponsible!"
"Coach," Annabeth said, "it was an accident. We were talking, and we fell asleep."
"Besides," Percy said, "you're starting to sound like Terminus."
Hedge narrowed his eyes. "Is that an insult, Jackson? 'Cause I'll—I'll terminus you, buddy!"
I tried not to laugh, key word try. I covered my mouth trying to breathe.
"It won't happen again, Coach. I promise. Now, don't we have other things to discuss?"
Hedge fumed. "Fine! But I'm watching you, Jackson. And you, Annabeth Chase, I thought you had more sense—"
Jason cleared his throat. "So grab some food, everybody. Let's get started."
The meeting was like a war council with donuts. Then again, back at Camp Half-Blood we used to have our most serious discussions around the Ping-Pong table in the rec room with crackers and Cheez Whiz, so I felt right at home.
Percy told us about his dream—the twin giants planning a reception for them in an underground parking lot with rocket launchers; Nico di Angelo trapped in a bronze jar, slowly dying from asphyxiation with pomegranate seeds at his feet.
Hazel choked back a sob. "Nico... Oh, gods. The seeds."
"You know what they are?" Annabeth asked.
Hazel nodded. "He showed them to me once. They're from our stepmother's garden."
"Your step... oh," Percy said. "You mean Persephone."
I had met the wife of Hades once. She hadn't been exactly warm and sunny. I had also been to her Underworld garden—a creepy place full of crystal trees and flowers that bloomed bloodred and ghost white.
"The seeds are a last-resort food," Hazel said. I could tell she was nervous, because all the silverware on the table was starting to move toward her. "Only children of Hades can eat them. Nico always kept some in case he got stuck somewhere. But if he's really imprisoned—"
"The giants are trying to lure us," Annabeth said. "They're assuming we'll try to rescue him."
"Well, they're right!" Hazel looked around the table, her confidence apparently crumbling. "Won't we?"
"Yes!" Coach Hedge yelled with a mouthful of napkins. "It'll involve fighting, right?"
"Hazel, of course we'll help him," Frank said. "But how long do we have before... uh, I mean, how long can Nico hold out?"
"One seed a day," Hazel said miserably. "That's if he puts himself in a death trance."
"A death trance?" I scowled. "That doesn't sound fun."
"It keeps him from consuming all his air," Hazel said. "Like hibernation, or a coma. One seed can sustain him one day, barely."
"And he has five seeds left," Percy said. "That's five days, including today. The giants must have planned it that way, so we'd have to arrive by July first. Assuming Nico is hidden somewhere in Rome—"
"That's not much time," Piper summed up. She put her hand on Hazel's shoulder. "We'll find him. At least we know what the lines of the prophecy mean now. 'Twins snuff out the angel's breath, who holds the key to endless death.' Your brother's last name: di Angelo. Angelo is Italian for 'angel.'"
"Oh, gods," Hazel muttered. "Nico..."
I bite my lip. Nico and I haven't been the best of friends, but he always was good and came to fight. Now thinking about it, I miss that emo kid.
"We'll rescue him," Percy promised her. "We have to. The prophecy says he holds the key to endless death."
"That's right," Piper said encouragingly. "Hazel, your brother went searching for the Doors of Death in the Underworld, right? He must've found them."
"He can tell us where the doors are," Percy said, "and how to close them."
Hazel took a deep breath. "Yes. Good."
"Uh..." Leo shifted in his chair. "One thing. The giants are expecting us to do this, right? So we're walking into a trap?"
Hazel looked at Leo like he'd made a rude gesture. "We have no choice!"
"Don't get me wrong, Hazel. It's just that your brother, Nico... he knew about both camps, right?"
"Well, yes," Hazel said.
"He's been going back and forth," Leo said, "and he didn't tell either side."
Jason sat forward, his expression grim. "You're wondering if we can trust the guy. So am I."
Hazel shot to her feet. "I don't believe this. He's my brother. He brought me back from the Underworld, and you don't want to help him?"
Frank put his hand on her shoulder. "Nobody's saying that." He glared at Leo. "Nobody had better be saying that."
Leo blinked. "Look, guys. All I mean is—"
I pinched Leo.
"Ow!"
"Quiet," I pinched him again and this time he kept quiet.
"Hazel," Jason said. "Leo is raising a fair point. I remember Nico from Camp Jupiter. Now I find out he also visited Camp Half-Blood. That does strike me as... well, a little shady. Do we really know where his loyalties lie? We just have to be careful."
Hazel's arms shook. A silver platter zoomed toward her and hit the wall to her left, splattering scrambled eggs. "You... the great Jason Grace... the praetor I looked up to. You were supposed to be so fair, such a good leader. And now you..." Hazel stomped her foot and stormed out of the mess hall.
"Hazel!" Leo called after her. "Ah, jeez. I should—"
"You've done enough," Frank growled. He got up to follow her, but Piper gestured for him to wait.
"Give her time," Piper advised. Then she frowned at Leo and Jason. "You guys, that was pretty cold."
Jason looked shocked. "Cold? I'm just being cautious!"
"Her brother is dying," Piper said.
"I'll go talk to her," Frank insisted.
"No," Piper said. "Let her cool down first. Trust me on this. I'll go check on her in a few minutes."
"But..." Frank huffed like an irritated bear. "Fine. I'll wait."
From up above came a whirring sound like a large drill.
"That's Festus," Leo said. "I've got him on autopilot, but we must be nearing Atlanta. I'll have to get up there... uh, assuming we know where to land."
Everyone turned to Percy.
Jason raised an eyebrow. "You're Captain Salt Water. Any ideas from the expert?"
"I'm not sure," Percy admitted. "Somewhere central, high up so we can get a good view of the city. Maybe a park with some woods? We don't want to land a warship in the middle of downtown. I doubt even the Mist could cover up something that huge."
Leo nodded. "On it." He raced for the stairs.
"When we land, I'll scout around in Atlanta," Percy said. "Frank, I could use your help."
"You mean turn into a dragon again? Honestly, Percy, I don't want to spend the whole quest being everyone's flying taxi."
"No," Percy said. "I want you with me because you've got the blood of Poseidon. Maybe you can help me figure out where to find salt water. Besides, you're good in a fight."
That seemed to make Frank feel a little better. "Sure. I guess."
Percy gave me a lot and I rolled my eyes. "Not like I have a choice."
"Great," Percy said. "We should take one more. Annabeth—"
"Oh, no!" Coach Hedge barked. "Young lady, you are grounded."
Annabeth stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language. "Excuse me?"
"You and Jackson are not going anywhere together!" Hedge insisted. He glared at Percy, daring him to mouth off. "I'll go with Frank, Alister and Mr. Sneaky Jackson. The rest of you guard the ship and make sure Annabeth doesn't break any more rules!"
Wonderful, I thought. A boys' day out with Frank, Percy and a bloodthirsty satyr, to find salt water in a landlocked city.
"This," I grumbled, "is going to be so much fun."

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