Once we're all cleaned up, Coach Hedge takes the helm while us demigods gather below for dinner. It's the first time we've sat down together, just the eight of us. Their presence should reassure me, but all it does is remind me that the Prophecy of Seven is unfolding. No more waiting for Leo and Theo to finish the ship. No more easy days at Camp Half-Blood pretending the future is way off. We're underway, with a bunch of angry Romans behind us and the ancient lands ahead. The giants will be waiting. Gaea is rising. And unless we succeed on this quest, the world will be destroyed.
The others must feel it too. The tension in the mess hall is like an electrical storm brewing, which is totally possible, considering Percy, Theo, and Jason's powers. In an awkward moment, the two boys tried to sit in the same chair at the head of the table. Sparks literally fly from Jason's hands. After a brief silent standoff, they cede the chair to Annabeth, and leave the chair at the other end of the table to Theo, choosing to sit on opposite sides instead.
The crew compares notes on what happened at Salt Lake City, but even Leo's ridiculous story about Theo's idea to trick Narcissus isn't enough to cheer up the group. They both have faded sharpie marks still on their arms.
"So, where to now?" Leo asks with a mouthful of pizza. He's sat himself dutifully next to Theo. "We did a quick repair job to get us out of the lake, but there's still a lot of damage. We should really put down again and fix things right before we head across the Atlantic."
Percy is eating a piece of pie, which for some reason is completely blue. Filling, crust, even the whipped cream. "We need to put some distance between us and Camp Jupiter." He says. "Frank spotted some eagles over Salt Lake City. We figure the Romans aren't far behind us."
That doesn't improve the mood around the table. I don't want to say anything, but I feel a little obliged, and a little guilty. "I don't suppose we should go back and reason with the Romans? Maybe...maybe I didn't try hard enough with the charmspeak."
Jason takes my hand, and Theo gives me a soft smile. Her plate is full with rice and beans and what looks like empanadas. "It wasn't your fault." She tells me. "Or Leo's. Whatever happened, it was Gaea's doing, to drive the two camps apart."
I'm grateful for her support. I consider Theo to be my best friend. I mean, Jason is my boyfriend and all, and I'm probably closer with him, and I've known Leo longer, but since I've known Theo, she's always been someone I can depend on, talk to, and she seems to get me. Despite what she says, I'm still uneasy. "Maybe if we could explain that, though-"
"With no proof?" Annabeth asks. "And no idea what really happened? I appreciate what you're saying, Piper. I don't want the Romans on our bad side, but until we understand what Gaea is up to, going back is suicide."
"She's right." Hazel agrees. She still doesn't look like she's feeling too great, but she's trying to eat a few saltine crackers. The rim of her plate is encrusted with rubies, which I'm sure were not there before. "Reyna might listen, but Octavian won't. The Romans have honor to think about. They're been attacked. They'll shoot first and ask questions posthac."
I stare down at my own dinner. The plates can conjure up a great selection of vegetarian stuff, I especially like the avocado and grilled pepper quesadilla, but unlike Theo, I don't have much of an appetite tonight.
I think about the visions I saw in my knife while I was waiting for Jason to wake up. Jason with golden eyes, a bull with a human head, two giants in yellow togas hoisting a bronze jar from a pit. Worst of all, I remember seeing myself drowning in black water.
"You're right." I decide. "We have to keep going. Not just because of the Romans. We have to hurry."
Hazel nods. "Nemesis said we have only six days until Nico dies and Rome is destroyed."
