ENTRAPPED ₂

58

THE NEXT MORNING, MADELEINE AND ETHAN WOKE EARLY AS THEY USUALLY DID. Partially, they wanted to send Jason's party off. Partially, Madeleine needed to spar. Ethan did, too.

They fought while the sun rose over the ship. Jason and Leo appeared first. At first, they seemed a little worried. They quickly realized that sparring was a sport Madeleine and Ethan had been doing with each other for a long time.

They shared a bagel and watched them. Ethan hooked his knife under Madeleine's throat, but she kicked him in the knee and managed to grasp at a fistful of his short hair.

Neither of them ever won. They knew each other's moves too well. It was a game of raw anticipation and understanding. That was why Madeleine never got tired of it.

Frank came up next. He ate an apple for breakfast, and then he and Jason and Leo were off. Madeleine did not need to tell them to survive. They were all playing the same game.

By the time Percy, Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel had gathered, Ethan and Madeleine had long since finished their sparring. They shared a bowl of Cheerios, refilling until they were both full enough. Then they sent Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel off.

"I'm going to jump into the harbor," Percy decided, once they were gone. The gray streak in his hair rippled in the sea breeze, making him look older than he was. Madeleine recalled the same gray streak fluttering in her own hair. A matching one was tied up in Annabeth's curls.

Luke had had one, too. He was dead now.

"Have fun," Ethan told him stoically. "Madeleine and I will play lookout. If you hear screaming, someone is getting hurt."

Percy raised his eyebrows at Ethan. "I'm really glad I'm not part of the Roman legion chasing us down right now. You, Ethan Nakamura, are a formidable enemy."

Ethan smiled thinly and clasped Percy's hand in his. They had always had an odd relationship, but Madeleine knew they cared for each other. You couldn't survive the way Percy and Ethan did without caring for each other. It wasn't a gooey relationship. Ethan wouldn't give Percy the shirt off his back, but he would jump in front of a knife for the other boy. That was what counted.

Once Percy was gone, Madeleine and Ethan sat on the deck for a while, enjoying the cool air. Truthfully, Madeleine was glad that Ethan had decided to stay. Despite her revelations from yesterday, Ethan was still her favorite.

Also, she didn't know how the hell to man the ship. If it came down to that, her friends were all screwed. The ship was like a very complicated puzzle, and Madeleine had always hated puzzles.

Unfortunately for all of them, Leo's distraction with Buford hadn't been enough. Within half an hour, Madeleine spotted two large eagles coming toward the ship, followed by a flying chariot pulled by pegasi. It was a pathetic assault, but the Romans would have a chance because of how dispersed everyone was.

Ethan pointed down. Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel were sprinting toward the dock. They looked no worse for wear, but at the same moment, the eagles each deposited a rider. The boy in the chariot also jumped out to confront the three girls.

Madeleine's lips thinned. She would recognize his scrawny, stick-straight posture anywhere.

Octavian himself had come to say hello.

⎯⎯ ୨ entrapped ୧ ⎯⎯

Before Ethan or Madeleine could do much damage to the three Romans, Percy erupted from the harbor. Apparently, Annabeth had thrown her knife in.

"They invented love," Ethan decided on the spot.

"Shut up," Madeleine told him.

He saluted her.