ENTRAPPED ₂

53

AFTER PIPER WAS DONE EXPLAINING HER THEORY, THE ONLY SOUND WAS BLACKJACK STOMPING HIS HOOVES ON DECK. It echoed through the dining hall, a firm clip-clop.

Madeleine reappraised Piper. She thought she had hated her more than Jason or Leo in the beginning. It didn't matter what Drew had said. In fact, Drew liking Piper had made things worse for Madeleine. Silena had been Drew's best friend, second only to Madeleine. Silena was part of the reason they all had been through so much hell.

Madeleine tried not to assign blame when those she was close to died. If she did, she would have ended up dead a long time ago. Her father; Zoe. In a way, those had both been her fault. Her very existence has twisted those knives.

Beckendorf's death was a little her fault, of course. But mostly, it had been Silena's.

Madeleine never forgave her for that. Dead or not, it didn't matter. Madeleine never forgave her for that.

Silena had a way of shifting her features. One year, she had been platinum blonde. Sometimes, her eyes were brown. When she had died, she had been dark-haired and blue eyed. Her skin had been a few shades lighter than Piper's. They had the same smile.

Madeleine hated Piper for existing. It was an unfair thing to do. If Madeleine hated Piper for existing, then she would have to hate herself for all those deaths: Zoe and Luke and Charlie. She would never win.

Madeleine reappraised Piper. She had not had to speak up. If she were Silena, she wouldn't have said a thing until someone around that table had died.

Something eased in Madeleine's throat.

Hazel exhaled, as if she understood Madeleine's relief. "Piper is right."

"How can you be sure?" Annabeth asked.

"I've met eidolons," Hazel said. "In the Underworld, when I was... you know."

"So..." Frank rubbed his hand across his buzz-cut hair as if some ghosts might have invaded his scalp. "You think these things are lurking on the ship, or―"

"Possibly lurking inside some of us," Piper said. "We don't know."

Jason clenched his fist. "If that's true―"

"Don't punch yourself, Grace," Ethan said coolly. He surveyed the table, and Madeleine could see the lines around his eyes tightening. "Piper, I hope you have an idea on how to stop the eidolons."

Piper nodded. "We have to take steps. I think I can do this."

"Do what?" Percy asked.

"Just listen, okay?" Piper took a deep breath. "Everybody listen."

Piper met their eyes, one at a time. Her irises were deep blue now, the same color as the ocean's depths. The same color Silena's had been when she died.

"Eidolons," Piper said, and Madeleine could sense her charmspeak. "Raise your hands."

There was tense silence.

Leo laughed nervously. "Did you really think that was going to―?"

His voice died. His face went slack. He raised his hand.

Jason and Percy did the same. Their eyes had turned glassy and gold. Hazel caught her breath. Next to Leo, Frank scrambled out of his chair and put his back against the wall.

Ethan surveyed the scene morosely, his lips a thin line. Madeleine wasn't close enough to Jason or Leo to feel sorry for them, but the sight of Percy's blank face unnerved her.

"Oh, gods." Annabeth looked at Piper imploringly. "Can you cure them?"

Piper's lower lip quavered like she might cry. Still, she turned to look at Leo. "Are there more of you on this ship?"