A Family's Love (Gladiators Sequel)

Chapter Ten

"Who has them?" Annabeth screamed, twisting Piper's knife, which was buried in Octavian's thigh. His blood was flowing out of his leg, but not yet gushing. Octavian was screaming in pain and deathly pale from the blood loss. Percy stood against the wall, watching. He watched the blood flowing from Octavian's leg. No, he wasn't just watching it. He could feel it. He could feel it like he could feel his own heart beating.

Suddenly, a horrible, cruel notion came to him as he watched Annabeth try to get Octavian to talk.

"Step back," Percy said, moving forward. Annabeth yanked the knife out with hatred, smirking as Octavian cried out again. She wished she could kill him slowly. She most likely would.

Percy focused more than he ever had on the flow of Octavian's blood. He could feel the liquid flowing through Octavian, and he knew what to do. Percy caused Octavian's own saliva to enter his air passage, causing him to begin choking. He kept coughing, trying to get the water out of his lungs. Percy made the blood rush to his head, giving him a migraine, before rushing back down. He made all of the water around them and in the air fly into Octavian's air passageway through his open mouth, and Octavian began to make gurgling sounds. He was drowning on dry land.

"Talk, pig." Percy growled, suddenly taking away the saliva and releasing his blood to flow normally. He could feel the augur's pumping, desperate to right the damages rendered by Perseus.

Octavian gasped and took in great big gulps of air, relief covering his face as he was able to breathe again.

"I-I never found out their names. Just that they wanted me to capture your families. Promised they'd help me take over Rome," He coughed out, still struggling to regain his breath.

"Where are they?" Annabeth held Piper's blade to his throat, pressing the tip into his throat. A droplet of blood blazed a trail down his throat, soaking into his shirt. The blonde girl craved to make more of it appear, to make Octavian's shirt be soaked in his own blood. The once-crisp, white shirt was stained with blood now, and a satisfied smirk crossed her lips for a moment.

"I-I don't know..." He trailed off, voice quivering in fear. She pressed the knife harder against him.

"I swear, I'm telling you the truth!"

They left him then, cowering in his cell and wondering when death would greet him as an old friend. He'd threatened so many with that same friend; would this be how he met him? A wealthy augur who'd lived in the palace was reduced to a filthy, damp cell. Oh, how I had fallen from grace, Octavian thought to himself in the darkness of his cell and his mind.

"Useless boy," Hedge grumbled upon their return to the strategy room and hearing the news.

"We need a different strategy. We need to discover who has them." Percy ran his fingers through his unkept hair.

"Not to mention the fact we still have to ensure the safety of the guards' families. We don't know if Octavian had been bluffing," Reyna reminded, her woolen stola covering most of her bandages. Reyna did possess silk stolas, but she only wore them on ceremonial occasions. She preferred the comfort and functionality of wool over the badge of wealth that silk was.

"I've sent the majority of the Hunters to check on the families," Zoë interjected, standing close to her huntress-sister, Thalia. Thalia glanced to Zoë, nodding approval. Thalia had become Zoë's second-in-command after a short year of being a Hunter, the two becoming close despite their early rivalry.

"Only Phoebe and I stayed with you all," Bianca, who stood next to her immortal sisters, chimed in, Nico standing close to her and looking up to her as if he was a puppy. Hazel was trying to decide if she should introduce herself, explain that they were sisters, but she wasn't sure if it was her place.

However, she couldn't help but wish it was. Hazel had dreamed of having siblings- a sister to brush her hair and tell her secrets and form conspiracies with. A best friend who loved her without end, and who in turn Hazel could love no matter what. Family, besides her greedy, dead mother and her absent father. Family who would take care of her. Hazel had spent her childhood looking after her mother. When would someone take care of her?

Hazel soon reluctantly abandoned those thoughts, knowing Bianca and Nico owed her nothing.

"That's taken care of. Should we pick out those who were truly loyal to you, Jason? Fear and love are strong motivators, and some of those men were good, loyal men," Frank said, earnest in his almost-plea.

Everyone turned to Jason then, wondering if he had such humility, mercy. Percy, months ago, would've instantly said no- was still hesitant to say yes. However, he'd seen the spark of humanity in the cold, fierce Roman Prince's eyes, and he hoped he'd see it now. Nico, though he'd only known him for a few months, believed there was good in him. He knew there must be; Percy, perfect Percy, wouldn't love him if there wasn't. Nico, in fact, had seen it. How Jason spoke softly when Percy was agitated. How Jason held Nico when nightmares had taken hold, reminding Nico of all those he'd lost, who he'd failed.

Reyna knew Jason could be cruel, heartless, and ruthless. However, Jason was fair, and he cared for his men. Hedge remembered teaching Jason about mercy and war. The two didn't normally mix, but sometimes they did- more often than the old emperors thought. No one wanted to follow a cruel, vicious leader. Thalia remembered the two-year-old brother she'd lost, and she didn't think she could ever truly mend the image of the hardened Prince and the innocent child, but she was trying. This, however, definitely couldn't be her brother that showed no mercy. She hoped it wasn't. She prayed it wasn't.

The others waited with baited breath, wondering.

"Frank, Hazel, Reyna, pick out the ones you believe to be loyal. Anyone who obviously took joy in hurting you, Reyna, will not be released. Anyone who fanned the flames of discontent or rebellion, quickly following Octavian, will not be released. Only the most loyal," Jason ordered, eyes fierce and blazing. Thalia smiled.

That was the look of her brother.