ENTRAPPED ₂

59

NONE OF THE NINE DEMIGODS WERE IN PARTICULARLY UPBEAT SPIRITS AS THE SHIP SAILED AWAY FROM CHARLESTON HARBOR.

Leo stood at the wheel, his fingers white, his eyes glued to the horizon. Hazel had disappeared downstairs with Frank about half an hour ago, and Madeleine could hear her vomiting even from abovedeck. Percy and Jason were slumped against the mast, eyelids fluttering, as Piper tried to force-feed them nectar and ambrosia. A few feet away, Ethan and Annabeth were talking intently, heads together.

Madeleine sat next to Jason and Percy, letting the wind whip her hair around. She was still feeling shaky after her encounter with Reyna and Octavian. Her head pounded like someone had hit her.

Finally, Annabeth joined them. She exchanged some words with Percy, then went to go talk to Leo for a bit.

The ship swayed. Ethan sat next to Madeleine on the deck, picking at the toes of his steel-toed combat boots. His expression was grave as he studied the horizon.

"What happened?" Madeleine asked him.

He wrapped an arm around her, his forearm pressed against her ribs. He didn't say anything, but that simple form of communication was enough.

It seemed like they would be this way forever, but eventually, the sea calmed and the winds died. Madeleine noticed that Leo was still at the wheel, body as stiff as a board, and she gently untangled herself from Ethan.

"Leo," she said. "Let me take over. You've been steering for two hours."

Leo didn't look at her. "Two hours?"

"Yeah," she agreed.

"You don't even know how to drive this thing," he said.

"Fuck you," she told him, without heat.

"Madeleine?" Leo said.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"I can't unclench my hands."

Madeleine thought about laughing at him, then decided against it. They had all had a long day. With great care, she managed to pry Leo away from the wheel. He showed her the basics for steering, and she manned the ship while Leo went to collapse next to his semi-conscious boyfriend.

Since they were all crowded fairly close, Madeleine could still listen to everyone. Ethan remained on the deck, looking around at all of them; but his eyes seemed faraway. Annabeth was sitting next to Percy, their hands together. Piper was saying something to Jason, who was staring at Madeleine. Leo was watching Frank and Hazel. The two had emerged from belowdecks, and they were having an argument that involved a lot of arm-waving and head-shaking. Madeleine didn't know what they were talking about, but it couldn't be good. She had never seen those two argue.

Eventually, everyone gathered around the mast for a conference meeting. Frank scowled like he might be trying to turn into a bulldog. "No sign of pursuit," he said.

"Or land," Hazel added. She looked a little green, though Madeleine wasn't sure if that was from the rocking of the boat or from arguing.

Madeleine scanned the horizon. Hazel was right about one thing. For miles in every direction, there was simply ocean. The last time Madeleine could remember being so isolated out at sea had been when she was sixteen, on her quest with Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson to find Grover. The idea seemed so faraway now that it made her throat hurt a little. How young she had been then. How young they had all been.

Leo looked at Annabeth. "Did you find the map you wanted?"

She nodded, glancing at Ethan. While Ethan's face just seemed completely void of feeling, like his mind had transported a few hundred miles out of his body, Annabeth seemed completely in touch with her sense of self. She looked pale, like she might start puking, too.