ONE LAST TIME . . . heroes of olympus

67

THE BASIN FILLED with alarming speed. Kat, Piper, Jason, and Percy pounded on the walls, looking for an exit, but they found nothing. They climbed into the alcoves to gain some height, but with water pouring out of each niche, it was like trying to balance at the edge of a waterfall. Even as Kat stood in a niche, the water was soon up to her calves. From the floor, it was probably eight feet deep and rising fast. Yikes dot yikes.

"I could try lightning," Jason said. "Maybe blast a hole in the roof?"

"That could bring down the whole room and crush us," Piper said.

"Or electrocute us," Kat added helpfully.

"Not many choices," Jason said.

"Let me search the bottom," Percy said. "If this place was built as a fountain, there has to be a way to drain the thing. You guys, check the niches for secret exits. Maybe the seashells are knobs, or something."

Percy jumped in the water.

What the fuck kinda idea was that? Nonetheless, Kat joined Jason and Piper in climbing from niche to niche, kicking and pounding, wiggling seashells embedded in the stone; but they had no luck.

Sooner than Kat expected, Percy broke the surface, gasping and flailing. Piper offered her hand, because Kat didn't give a shit, and he almost pulled her in before she could help him up.

"Couldn't breathe," he choked. "The water . . . not normal. Hardly made it back."

Well, that's wonderful, Kat thought. If the water boy can't swim, how could they survive?

As the water rose around her, Kat felt it affecting her too. Her leg muscles trembled like she'd exhausted herself out from running. Her hands turned wrinkled and dry, despite being in the middle of a fountain.

"Cortana," Kat talked to her sword, which probably made her look batshit insane, but at this point she didn't care.  "Is there a way out of this?"

Her sword flew around the room before promptly disappearing into its sheath.

"Well that's reassuring," she muttered.

Everyone else moved sluggishly. Jason's face was pale. He seemed to be having trouble holding his sword. Percy was drenched and shivering. His hair didn't look quite so dark, as if the color was leaching out. Piper had this terrified look of realization on her face, but her expression was slightly dulled, probably from the water.

"They're taking our power," said Piper. "Draining us."

"Milaya," ordered Kat, "do the lightning."

Jason raised his sword. The room rumbled, but no lightning appeared. The roof didn't break. Instead, a miniature rainstorm formed at the top of the chamber. Rain poured down, filling the fountain even faster, but it wasn't normal rain. The stuff was just as dark as the water in the pool. Every drop stung Kat's skin.

"Not what I wanted," Jason said.

The water was up to their necks now. Kat could feel her strength fading.

In all her ( sixteen ) years of living, she never expected to die by drowning, considering she's been swimming for a majority of her life. But here she was, probably going to drown to death by the next hour.

Percy started pushing the water away with the back of his hand, like he was shooing a bad dog. "Can't — can't control it!"

"We can't fight this," Piper realized, clutching her cornucopia. "If we hold back, that just makes us weaker."

"What do you mean?" Jason shouted over the rain.

The water was up to their chins. Another few inches, and they'd have to swim.