Goddess of the Sea

Chapter 8

ALL RIGHTS TO THE CHARACTERS (except Celeste, she's mine) BELONG TO RICK RIORDAN! I DO NOT OWN THE PJO/HoO OR KANE CHRONICLES SERIES!!!

Chapter 8 - Hazel

Hazel still couldn't get the thought of the new prophecy through her head.

Even though the longer she tried to figure out what it meant, it got harder, she still continued to ponder.

They had just left the infirmary to talk about a plan when Hazel made a turn and walked to the shore of the lake.

She sat down, cross-legged, and closed her eyes.

"Hazel?" A voice said from behind her.

She whirled around to see Frank looking down at her with a concerned expression.

"Are you alright?" He asked, moving to sit beside her.

Hazel gave him her best smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just can't stop thinking about the prophecy that Rachel told us."

"I noticed. It's all you've been talking about." Frank said with a teasing smile.

"I just wish we could have a normal life. After the war with Gaea, I thought everything would be okay. I guess I was wrong." Hazel sighed.

Frank put his arm around her and she snuggled closer to him, glad for his company.

"I feel terrible about Celeste. Poor girl. She finally gets to talk to her brother for the first time in years and now...well, you know." Frank said quietly.

Hazel tried for a smile, but it didn't come. "In sure she'll be fine. Carter and Sadie are helping us right?" Hazel said.

"Yeah, but like you said. The prophecy said "three sides each despised". That has to mean something other then us working together." Frank said.

Hazel nodded solemnly.

Suddenly, a scream broke out from the infirmary.

Hazel and Frank both jumped up and rushed back to the infirmary, charging inside.

Celeste was sitting up in bed, her eyes still closed, and she was screaming as if someone was murdering her.

"Get help!" Hazel called to Frank.

Frank didn't hesitate as he bolted out the door. However, he didn't need to go far because everyone could hear the scream.

Hazel got to Celeste's side and tried to calm her. "Celeste, it's okay. You're alright. Wake up, it's okay."

It had taken a few seconds for Hazel to realize Celeste was still asleep, so now, her main goal was waking her up.

"No! No! Please! No!!!" Celeste screamed, thrashing in the bed and lashing out at Hazel constantly with her hands.

Hazel ducked out of the way countless times until Percy burst into the room.

The minute he walked in, Celeste fell onto the bed; her screams stopped abruptly.

"What happened!?" Percy asked incredulously.

Hazel shrugged, still panting from the effort of trying to calm Celeste down. "No idea. She just started screaming."

Then, Celeste's eyes flew open and she bolted upright. Hazel expected her to start screaming, but she remained silent.

Percy rushed over to her, concern all over his features.

Soon, everyone else had come inside, including Carter and Sadie.

When Celeste was asked what had happened she shrugged, the strange sickness that was gradually killing her draining her energy.

"I-I don't know. I just had a nightmare. I don't remember screaming in the nightmare." Celeste explained.

"What was the nightmare about?" Percy asked.

Celeste hesitated before she spoke. "It was me. Well, more like a clone of me. But the other me was evil and trying to get me to help her rule the world, you know since I'm so powerful and everything."

"What did you say?" Jason asked.

Celeste shot him a cold glare which made him take a step back. "I said no, of course! Do you take me for a backstabbing traitor!?"

Hazel heard rain start to pour down in buckets outside and the wind lapping at the infirmary walls.

Celeste's eyes were like icy daggers.

Percy grabbed Celeste by the hand. "Celeste, calm down. No one's blaming you for anything. Did you see anything else in the nightmare?"

Celeste relaxed a little, but the rain continued to pour outside.

Which was strange because Camp Half-Blood had a protective layer from any nasty weather. Celeste was powerful enough to go through it of course.

"Well, basically...it's kind of personal. But the reason Poseidon cursed me was to block out the evil darkness inside of me. That's why I have the strong powers, the other me kind of possessed me when I was born, making me really powerful. I know it's something we never fought before and it's as powerful as me...but there is a way to kill her." Celeste explained.

"How do we do that?" Carter asked, choosing his words carefully, as Hazel noticed, since he had seen Celeste's powers in action.

Celeste sighed, cast a glance at Percy and then looked back at everyone else. "Kill me."