In Pursuit of Lost Echoes

008

                                                                                           Astraea

Jason and Rachel set Piper on the couches, while Astraea fawned over Annabeth. Chiron left the room to get his medical kit, running so fast that the only thing Astraea could hear was her pulse was the click of Chiron's hooves down the hallway. 

"We've got to heal her," Jason insisted. "There's a way, right?" 

Astraea put her palm on the girls forehead and grimaced. "Her mind is in a fragile state. Rachel, what happened?" 

"How do you know?" Jason asked, skeptically. 

"Chiron taught me some of his tricks, what's it matter now?" Astraea said, shrugging off the questions . In reality she developed a new fear after watching so many of her friends die in the Titan War while she stood helplessly. Astraea begged Chiron to teach her how to heal, at least some basics. 

Rachel interrupted their conversation, "I wish I knew," she said. "As soon as I got to camp, I had a premonition about Hera's cabin. I went inside. Annabeth and Piper came in while I was there. We talked, and then- I just blanked out. Annabeth and I spoke in a different voice." 

"A prophecy?" Chiron asked, walking back in with his medical bag hand. 

"No. The spirit of Delphi comes from within. I know how it feels. This was like a long distance, a power trying to speak through me." 

Chiron handed Astraea the medical bag and she knelt next to Piper. 

"Chiron," Annabeth started. "what happened back there- I've never seen anything like it. I've heard Rachels prophecy voice. This was different. She sounded like an older women. She grabbed Pipers shoulders and told her-" 

"To free her from prison?" Astraea guessed, looking up from Piper and the medical bag. 

Annabeth stared at her. "How did you know that?" 

Chiron made a three-fingered gesture over his heart, like a ward against evil. 

"Jason tell them." Astraea said. "Chiron which one is better?" asked Astraea showing Chiron three vials. 

Chiron pointed at the left vial and continued looking at Rachel, trying to understand what is going on. Astraea trickled drops from a vial into Piper's mouth while Jason explained what had happened when the room froze- the dark misty woman who had claimed to be Jasons patron. 

When he was done no one spoke, expect from Astraea who was mumbling stuff under her breath and mixing different medical liquids. 

"So does this happen often?"asked Jason. "Supernatural phone calls from convicts demanding you bust them out of jail?" 

"Your patron," Annabeth said, ignoring his question. "Not your godly parent?"

"No, she said patron. She also said my dad had given her my life." 

"Well that's a good dad," mumbled Astraea, continuing to mix vials and herbs. Then she frowns again, "but I've never heard anything like that, have you Annie?" she said turning to Annabeth. 

Annabeth sighs, "You said the storm spirit on the skywalk- he claimed to be working for some mistress who was giving him the orders, right? Could this be the woman you saw, messing with your mind?" 

"I don't think so," Jason said. "If she were my enemy, why would she be asking for my help? She's imprisoned. She's worried about some enemy getting more powerful. Something about a king rising from the earth on the solstice-"