Reconnected [Book 3]

8 - Choices

If not for the horses, Piper would've died, Adelia as well.

Jason and Percy charged each other, but Tempest and Blackjack balked long enough for Piper to leap out of the way, dragging her distraught friend with her.

She rolled to the edge of the road and looked back, dazed and horrified, 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 Piper 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!" Adelia yelled. "Jason's your friend. Drop your weapon!"

Percy's sword arm dipped. Adelia might have been able to bring him under control, 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.

Adelia let out a scream, trying to run to her boyfriend but Piper held her back, "PERCY!"

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.

For a horrible moment, Piper couldn't find her voice. Gaea seemed to be whispering to her: You must choose one. Why not let Jason kill him?

"No!" she screamed. "Jason, stop!"

He froze, his sword six inches from Percy's face. Piper felt Adelia nearly collapse under her hold.

Jason turned, the gold light in his eyes flickering uncertainly. "I cannot stop. One must die."

Something about that voice...it wasn't Gaea. It wasn't Jason. Whoever it was spoke haltingly, as if English was its second language.

"Who are you?" Adelia demanded, light flickering in the palm of her hand.

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

"Eidolons... ?" Piper's mind raced. She'd studied all sorts of monsters at Camp Half-Blood, but that term wasn't familiar. "You're—you're some sort of ghost?"

"He must die." Jason turned his attention back to Percy, but Percy had recovered more than either of them realized. He swept out his leg and knocked Jason off his feet.

Jason's head hit the asphalt with a nauseating conk.

Percy rose.

"Stop it!" Piper screamed again, but there was no charmspeak in her voice. She was shouting in sheer desperation.

Percy raised Riptide over Jason's chest. Adelia broke free of Piper's hold, grabbing the back of Percy's arm trying to tug it down, he shook her off and with a growl, "Stay back, insolent girl."

Adelia froze and panic closed up Piper's throat. She wanted to attack Percy with her dagger, but she knew that wouldn't help. Whatever was controlling him had all of Percy's skill. There was no way she could beat him in combat. Adelia could but she seemed to distraught by what was going on to even think properly.