You'll Learn to Love Me (Leo Valdez x OC)

Chapter 46: Laylana DOESN'T Die

Laylana never thought she had a fear of drowning until that point. She was standing in shock as black water poured in around her legs. She looked around for an exit. Even her brother was looking panicked. The basin filled alarmingly quickly. Laylana dove for one of the walls and tried to use her dagger to dig at it, attempting to find some sort of weak spot she could tear out. 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 Laylana jumped and pulled herself up on a niche, the water was soon up to her knees. From the floor, it was probably eight feet deep and rising fast.

"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," Percy added.

"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." It was a desperate idea, maybe stupid, but plausible.

"Create an air bubble for me like you've done before. It's dark down there, I can help." Laylana was thankful for being able to see in the dark easily. She never used her night vision much, it was always somewhat lit where she was. But now seemed like a good time to use it.

Percy nodded, holding out his hand to his sister. Together, they jumped into the water. Laylana expected her brother to create the air pocket immediately, but she found nothing. She held her breath for as long as she could, trying to look for anything along the bottom of the water. She couldn't find anything out of the ordinary, just the darkness and the ground itself. Laylana kicked towards the surface as she released her breath, feeling small amounts of water fill her lungs. She surfaced shortly after Percy also broke. He was gasping and flailing around, and Laylana herself was coughing up the small bits of water she inhaled. Piper offered her hand to Percy, and Jason offered his to Laylana. The two almost pulled the couple in before they could pull them up to the niches.

"Couldn't breathe," Percy choked. "The water... not normal. Hardly made it back. Lana, I'm so sorry."

"Not your fault." Laylana gasped and sputtered, coughing up more water. 

As the water rose around her, Laylana felt it affecting her too. After she submerged herself in it, her leg muscles trembled like she'd been running for miles. Her arms felt weak like she had been lifting weights for hours on end. Her hands turned wrinkled and dry, despite being in the middle of a fountain. The boys and Piper 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. Laylana touched a strand of her own hair and found parts of it turning grey or white.

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

"Jason," Percy coughed, "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 Laylana's skin.

"Not what I wanted," Jason said.

The water was up to their necks now. Laylana swam close to her brother, the two of them ready to tread water if needed. For now, they held onto one another's arms for support. Laylana could feel her strength fading, and she began to lose hope. Her mind flashed back to Leo; what would he think when he and the others returned, only to find Jason, Piper, Percy, and herself gone? Him losing his best friends and girlfriend in one day, from one mistake they made. She imagined Nico in that bronze jar, dying, having lost any ounce of hope he had left.