Reconnected [Book 3]

9 - Screwdriver

Piper couldn't explain how she knew.

The more Piper learned about being a demigod, the more convinced she was that Cherokee legends and Greek myths weren't so different. These eidolons acted a lot like the spirits in her dad's stories.

Piper had a gut sense they were still present, simply because no one had told them to go away.

When she was done explaining, the others looked at her uncomfortably. Up on deck, Hedge sang something that sounded like "In the Navy" while Blackjack stomped his hooves, whinnying in protest.

Finally Hazel exhaled. "Piper is right."

"How can you be sure?" Annabeth asked.

"I've met eidolons," Hazel said. "In the Underworld, when I was...you know."

Dead.

Adelia had forgotten that Hazel was a second-timer. In her own way, Hazel too was a ghost reborn.

"So..." Frank rubbed his hand across his buzz-cut hair as if some ghosts might have invaded his scalp. "You think these things are lurking on the ship, or—"

"Possibly lurking inside some of us," Piper said. "We don't know."

"That's not invasive at all," Adelia said, downing the last bit of coffee, standing to get some more until Percy tugged her back down.

Jason clenched his fist. "If that's true—"

"We have to take steps," Piper said. "I think I can do this."

"Do what?" Percy asked.

"Just listen, okay?" Piper took a deep breath. "Everybody listen."

Piper met their eyes, one person at a time.

"Eidolons," she said, using her charmspeak, "raise your hands."

There was tense silence. Adelia let out a sigh of relief.

Leo laughed nervously. "Did you really think that was going to—?"

His voice died. His face went slack. He raised his hand.

Jason and Percy did the same. Their eyes had turned glassy and gold. Hazel caught her breath. Next to Leo, Frank scrambled out of his chair and put his back against the wall.

Adelia let out a small shout, shaking Percy, trying to get him to snap out of it.

"Oh, gods." Annabeth looked at Piper imploringly. "Can you cure them?"

Piper wanted to whimper and hide under the table, but she had to help Jason. She couldn't believe she'd held hands with...No, she refused to think about it.

She focused on Leo because he was the least intimidating.

"Are there more of you on this ship?" she asked.

"No," Leo said in a hollow voice. "The Earth Mother sent three. The strongest, the best. We will live again."

"Not here, you won't," Piper growled. "All three of you, listen carefully."

Jason and Percy turned toward her. Those gold eyes were unnerving, but seeing all three boys like that fueled Piper's anger. Adelia seemed to regain her sanity and let a wall of light in front of the boys to separate the Eidolons from everyone else. Frank seemed to calm down at that.

"You will leave those bodies," she commanded.

"No," Percy said, Adelia winced at his tone but focused on her walls of light.

Leo let out a soft hiss. "We must live."

Frank fumbled for his bow. "Mars Almighty, that's creepy! Get out of here, spirits! Leave our friends alone!"