Sanctum

On Coercion

My friends piled around me, sitting on the foot of my bed and beds nearby, swinging their legs over the edges.

For a while we just talked, like normal people. Callista curled up next to me while I sat cross legged, and she absently braided my hair- a comforting feeling.

"You started the party without us?" A cheery voice startled us, and we all lit up upon turning to face the door.

Jason smiled, that scar on his lip disappearing, and Nico glared sullenly at the rest of us.

It wasn't long before we were all running to the entrance, crowding the two just out of solitary into a huddle they couldn't escape.

"Jordan," Nico sighed, glaring at the ceiling as I crushed him in a much needed hug, Percy and Annabeth right behind me. Callista sort of watched me with a smile, unwilling to join the mass of bodies. Leo and Piper clung to Jason, smiling and chattering in his ears.

All eight of us in one place.

"What did I say about being too loud! You are not the only patients in here!" Athena reminded us with a scowl.

We quieted, rushing back to my designated bed and crowding around it again.

"Hold on," I remembered, as Jason sat beside me on the bed they had pulled closer. "I have new information to sort out."

"Brace yourselves," Callista muttered. "This could take a while."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"Schizophrenic," I reminded them. "Nothing up here makes any sense, so I sort it out out loud."

"What new information do you have?" Piper wondered.

"I have loads." I whispered. "First off, Jason." I decided, looking over to the blonde. "You heard me, in my flash to your past." I accused.

"I remember that." Jason admitted. "You sang to me." He continued.

"Thalia heard me too." I continued.

"You saw Thalia's past?" Percy asked, confused.

"No, I saw Jason's." I said simply. "Jason is Thalia's brother."

"What?" Annabeth demanded.

"I know, all of these related people keep showing up at this asylum." Leo muttered, bewildered himself.

"There are more related people?" Piper wondered.

I quickly changed the subject.

"I've also discovered that the demons are contagious." I announced.

"What?!" Callista demanded, her eyes wide.

"Only by blood." I explained. "There's no way any of you could've gotten it. Well," I sighed. "Except Nico. Which is how we discovered it." I explained.

All eyes turned to Nico, and he grunted, pulling up his sleeve to show off the pitch black marks on his wrists.

"No wonder she's crazy." Nico muttered. "I don't know how she takes all of this."

"Does anyone else have it?" Piper wondered.

"Yes." I continued. "Spencer."

Nico growled under his breath.

I decided now was the time to change the subject again.

"The same electronic device keeps showing up in all of your pasts. High tech looking and palm sized... Percy stole it from his father, Dylan had it in the car with Piper, Jason's mom had it right before... the incident, Annabeth's mother had it in her office..." My voice was below a whisper now, making sure Athena couldn't hear us.