Camp Half Blood: One "Salty" Adventure

Camp Half Blood: A Salty Sequel//Chapter Thirty-Six

Nathan's POV:

I reluctantly let Rose go with Myra, Ben, and Cole. I turned away from everyone and took the door on the right. Myra didn't seem to show any recognition, but this was where she had "trained" me how to fight. The door quietly creaked open as I crept into the room. High up, windows let in light that reflected off a bunch of ice sculptures. Sculptures that weren't here before... The room was dead silent other than the sound of my heavy breathing and footsteps. I walked up to one of the sculptures, hoping I was wrong. I wasn't. A demigod, they all were. Dead. My promise to Myra to save them all vanished before my eyes. What was Myra going to say? What was Rose going to say? My one job... the only thing I had to do. I'm going to disappoint Rose! That was the last thing I wanted to do. My thoughts were soon interrupted. "Nathan! You're back! How... exhilarating." The sarcasm was practically spit directly in my face.

"Khione." I said facing her in a battle stance, my axe gripped tightly in my hand.

"Like what I did with the place? I've been meaning to 'get' more sculptures. I think it gives the place life... don't you think?" She said with a wicked laugh. Her words made me feel sick to my stomach.

"You're sick, Khione." I replied, my voice thick with poison.

"Now now, child. Is that the best way to speak to a goddess? I wouldn't say it is, especially since your lover's life is in my hands." I felt anger build up inside of me.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" I screamed, practically shaking with rage. Khione laughed again, it was an awful noise, like nails on a chalkboard. I started to switch into panic mode. I had just put Rose in danger...

"I'll do whatever I want to and you can't do anything to stop me." She snarled. Blinded by rage I charged at her with my axe, Khione made a patch of ice in front of me and I slipped mid-charge, crashing to the ground. She picked me up by the back of my shirt and held me up, so my feet couldn't touch the ground. Khione stalked off into the next room. The door shut behind us. She dropped me onto the cold icy floor and sat on her throne. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something moving behind one of the columns.

"N-Nathan?" A familiar voice squeaked out nervously. I ran over to see Knox who was hiding from Khione. The little boy was shivering. I gently picked him up. Even if I couldn't save everyone else, Knox meant so much to Myra.

"Knox, are you okay? We'll get you out of her soon. Hailstorm is coming back for you." I cooed softly to him. Knox seemed to trust me and rested his head against my chest. I rubbed his back and stayed with Knox behind the column where Khione couldn't see us.

After a while, a noise sounded from outside the grand doors. "They're here." Khione grinned. Knox and I rushed into the center of the room. I made sure he was safely behind me. The three of them looked like they had fought a war while I was away. I looked Myra in the eye and let Knox run to her before immediately taking care of Rose, Khione momentarily forgotten. All of her wounds had been healed, so I pulled her closely against my chest, hiding my face in her hair.

"Are you okay?" I whispered to her. Rose shook her head at me and gave me a weak smile. Suddenly, Khione spoke up.

"Pity you all had to come in so... disheveled. I thought children of prophecy were supposed to be strong." She glared down at us. I glanced at Myra, expecting some kind of witty response. Myra didn't say a word, her eyes were trained on Knox, who was sitting in her lap. Khione noticed this and looked annoyed. "Well? Which one of you brats wants to die first?" She snapped. Myra still didn't look up. None of us spoke. Khione summoned a whip in her hand and cracked it. At first I had no idea what the point of it was, until I saw Myra. She had gone completely rigid, shielding Knox and whimpering. Rose was furious. Before she could say anything, Knox was grabbed by an invisible force and ripped out of Myra's arms. She wailed and chased after him, right into the center of the room. I hugged Rose tighter out of nervousness.

"Don't touch him!" Myra yelled at Khione. She was wobbling on her feet. Cole stayed where he was, carefully watching her every move.

"I'll give you a choice, Myra." Khione said, an evil smirk appearing on her face. "You can have Knox, or you can have them." Khione gestured to us.

"N-No... You... you can't do this to me." Myra looked as though she'd been shot.

"Choose." Khione snapped.

"P-Please! I'll do anything! Anything else! Just let them all go!" Myra sank to her knees, but I wasn't sure if she was begging or if she was too weak to stand. Khione didn't seem to care.

"You have thirty seconds. If you don't choose they all die." Rose and I watched on in horror as Myra seemed to collapse in on herself, wailing and hiding her face in her knees.

Myra's POV:

Knox was standing innocently in front of me. He had started smiling as soon as he saw me and hadn't stopped. Across the room by Khione stood Rose, Ben, Nathan, and Cole. Nathan, Rose, and Ben were sending me pleading looks. Cole just had a vacant look on his face. The same one he had when he first left the room he'd been sent into. For a moment we made eye contact and I could see a tear rolling down his cheek. "You have ten seconds." Khione snapped, getting impatient. My heart was pounding sickeningly fast in my chest; it was loud enough that I could hear it. The steady thump thump thump making me want to throw up.

"Hey, Knox?" I forced myself to focus on him. "Remember when you told me that you never got to go to school and learn your abc's? And then I taught you how?" I asked softly, my voice projecting loudly across the hall. I noticed Khione watching us intently with a disgustingly happy look on her face. Her harsh blue eyes piercing into mine. I refocused my attention to the small boy in front of me.

"Mhm!" Knox nodded his head and sent me an enthusiastic smile. One of his front baby teeth had fallen out. As I talked I could see him poking at the spot with his tongue.

"Could you close your eyes and sing them for me? P-Please, sweetie?" My voiced cracked with restrained emotions, Knox seemed to sense this.

"I didn't forget them, Hailstorm! I promise." He closed his eyes and started singing. His voice was high pitched and squeaky. I couldn't help but smile through my own tears. "Abcd..." I grabbed his tiny hand in mine. Knox grinned and opened his eyes.

"Keep them closed, Knox." I instructed, running my hand through his hair one last time.

"Qrstuv..." He sang. I let my powers surge and build up within me. I used my inner turmoil to power them. "Y and..." I channeled all of my power into the hand holding his. The little boy froze over within seconds, his mouth frozen in the shape of the letter "Z". I sobbed at his feet, losing control of my emotions. I could faintly hear Khione's laughing in the background.

"Finish him." She taunted. "Finish him or I'll kill the rest of them." I looked up through blurry vision to see Cole halfway across the hall already, rushing to my side. I pushed myself into a sitting position, tears still streaming down my face. I ran a hand down Knox's icey cheek. It used to be so soft, so filled with life. I could see my own reflection. It brought a sudden painful realisation. No matter what I tried to do. No matter how much I tried to change, I would always be like my mother. A murderer. A monster. Knox was so young and innocent. He... he had so much to live for... I pushed him over just like I did with Aaron in what seemed like ages ago. Cole was pulling me into his chest when I heard the shattering of ice on the floor. My heart shattered with it. I felt myself being picked up, but kept on wailing and crying out for Knox. My poor, innocent, little Knox.

Nathan's POV:

Cole held Myra in his arms while she screamed and cried. Rose was still looking at the remains, but I couldn't bring myself to. Khione laughed at her daughter's misery. Rose pulled herself out of my grasp and walked over to Myra, going to check on her so we could get out of here. "You think I'm letting you finish this quest?!" Khione hissed. Before we could react, she shot a massive icicle at Rose, who was frozen in horror. I instantly bolted toward her, time seemed to slow down around me. There was only one thought on my mind. I will never let anyone or anything hurt my Rose.