ENTRAPPED ₂

52

F NOT FOR A COMBINATION OF MADELEINE, BLACKJACK, AND JASON'S WEIRD SPIRIT HORSE, EVERYONE WOULD HAVE DIED. As it was, Blackjack and Tempest balked long enough for Madeleine to grab Piper by the shirt and throw the two of them to the edge of the road.

When Madeleine looked back, her body shivering with adrenaline, she saw the boys crossing swords, gold against bronze. Sparks flew. Their blades blurred―strike and parry―and the pavement trembled. The first exchange took only a second, the fighting so fast that for a moment, Madeleine saw Luke. Then the horses pulled away from each other―Tempest thundering in protest, Blackjack flapping his wings.

"Stop it!" Piper yelled.

Shockingly, Jason actually heeded her voice. For a moment, his golden eyes turned toward Piper, and Percy charged, slamming his blade into Jason. The good news: Percy had turned Riptide, so the flat of it hit Jason's chest instead of impaling him. Still, the impact was enough to knock Jason off his mount.

Blackjack cantered away as Tempest reared in confusion. The spirit horse charged into the sunflowers and dissipated into vapor. Percy struggled to turn his pegasus around.

"Right," Madeleine said. She grabbed Piper by the arm. "You charmspeak Jason. I think he's more likely to listen to you. I'll deal with Percy."

"Let me try," Piper said, as Percy turned to face Jason. She yelled, "Percy! Jason's your friend. Drop your sword."

Surprisingly, Percy's sword arm dipped. Piper might have been able to bring him under control, but unfortunately Jason got to his feet.

Jason roared. A bolt of lightning arced out of the clear blue sky. It ricocheted off his gladius and blasted Percy off his horse.

Madeleine's vision went absolutely, completely red. As Percy crumpled to the ground, landing with a sickening sound, his clothes smoking, Madeleine saw Luke on the throne room floor. His entire body steaming.

Piper was just standing there, and in that moment, Madeleine knew. She knew that Piper would stand by and let Jason kill Percy. If it came down to it, that was who she would choose.

Madeleine knew, because she would have let Jason and Piper die over Percy Jackson any day.

She screamed. As Jason advanced on Percy, sword raised for the kill, the sunflowers extended from the sides of the road. They swarmed Jason, wrapping around his body, pulling him every which way. Choking him.

"No!" Piper screamed, suddenly. "Gaea, stop!" She didn't seem to realize that it was Madeleine who was doing this. Maybe she didn't want to believe it.

The sunflowers hissed like scythes. Percy was still on the ground, unmoving. Madeleine's pulse was a distant roar in her ears.

She wanted Jason to hurt. She wanted Jason to die.

He looked just like Luke.

In the distance, someone was laughing. It took Madeleine a moment to focus on reality, but then she realized it was Gaea.

Yes, Madeleine, the goddess hissed. Show me how worthy you are. The gods manipulate you by putting you next to Percy Jackson. They know you will always save him. They know how to exploit your weaknesses.

Piper was open-mouthed. She stared at Madeleine, a tear glimmering on her cheek. She looked just like Silena had looked when she died, the shocked face, the hurt all over her body.

The sunflowers receded. Jason collapsed on the ground, rasping for breath. He was bruised and cut in a dozen places.

Madeleine was shaking.