The Harvest Trials

Chapter XXVIII

Frank

Katie and I walked quietly, somberly, to the tent we'd deemed the 'prison'. I personally was feeling sick at the conversation I was about to have, the words I was sure to hear. But as Praetor and only leader figure that wasn't otherwise busy, it was my job to endure.

I stood stiffly to the side as Katie inched forward, peeking first through the tent flaps before slipping through the opening.

I steeled myself, glancing at the beach behind me, and followed Katie.

Ross was sitting there, tied to the chair where Thalia left him. He was our only prisoner, the others either escaped the compound on their own or didn't.

His one good eye flicked to look at us as we entered the tent, but other than that, he remained stoic and still. The bandage that covered his right eye was gone and I cringed at the diamond sitting there. It hurt to look at, for I knew who put it there.

I didn't realize I was scowling until Katie elbowed me. I cleared my throat, turning my attention back to Ross.

"I know why you're here," Ross was the first to speak.

Katie raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're here to ask me why. To find reason in my story. Closure."

Katie and I stayed silent, arms crossed, staring him down. Katie offered earlier to be the one to speak and interrogate. I've got nothing to say to him.

We waited in tense silent for awhile until finally Ross sighed. "You know, Everette had roughly three hundred agents working for him." He paused. "Two hundred thirty-three of them where white males, myself included. Twelve were women. He was a very...close minded man."

"Why are you telling us this?" Katie asked.

Ross shrugged. "I'm just saying, not all of us though the way he did. There was doubt from the beginning. I should've know how horrible he was. I didn't see it right away. I didn't notice how utterly insane he was until it was too late to stop him."

I was staring at his eye. At the horrible, beautiful diamond lodged there. Katie must have seen me looking because she nodded at Ross. "Why do you keep it there?" She asked.

Ross's eye twitched around the diamond, the only indication of understanding he gave.

"I keep it there as a reminder," he said quietly. "Of the poor girl that was hanged for being brave and standing against the oppressor."

"Her name was Hazel," Katie said suddenly. "And she was very brave. This is the second time she's died. The second time she's died to stand against an oppressor. One of the bravest people I knew."

My eyes watered at this. We'd gotten what we came for. Or at least what I came for, so I turned to leave. Ross spoke again, though, stopping me.

"That Jackson kid. Perseus. He meant a good deal to all of you." It wasn't a question. My back still turned and tense, I nodded.

"I'm sorry." He said. I could tell by the way he said it that he meant for everything. For everyone. I turned to look over my shoulder and shook my head.

"They aren't yours to mourn," I said, and left.

I stopped outside the tent, eyes watering, just breathing. I heard Katie's voice from inside. "We've offered you a mercy you don't deserve. Leave this place and never come back. Never speak of this to anyone or we will find you. We never want to see your face again."

"I understand," Ross answered. I let out a shaky breath and walked away. I reached into my pocket and fingered the emerald there. I knew every dent and edge of the jewel. I knew every flaw and every beauty.

The day she died, she slipped it into my pocket. I remember the panic in her eyes as she lunged for me one last time before they took her away.

I brought the emerald to my lips and pressed a kiss to it, looking out at the golden sunset. Maybe it was a coincidence, but the golden hues were the exact shade of Hazel's eyes.

But being a demigod has taught me many things. And I know-

There's no such thing as a coincidence.

^*^*^*^
Leo

"Hey, are you alright?" Calypso asked me.

I blinked back into focus from staring at the flames of a huge bon fire. I turned to look at Calypso beside me.

I shook my head no, then changed my mind and nodded. "Yeah I'm fine," I said. She raised an eyebrow and squeezed my hand, resting her head on my shoulder.

"You don't have to pretend around me," she murmured.

"I know," I said, then, "I think I'm pretending for myself."

She didn't say anything to that, just snuggled into me a little more. I kissed the top of her head and glanced back to the big white rock standing on the beach, the starry sky and rolling ocean behind it.

Names were carved into it, too many to count. Too many names.

PERCY JACKSON was carved in big letters near the top. Hazel Levesque scrawled diagonally in the middle. REYNA AVILLA RAMIREZ ARELLANO was carved regally in a stack, RARA standing out like an acronym.

I could pick out other names that I recognized, names that I'd heard. Names like Charles Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, Zoë Nightshade, Bianca di Angelo, and Michael Yew. Names from before, names from after.

I could see Sherman Yang standing at the memorial, carving tool clinking as he carved the name Malcolm Pace.

A glance to my right confirmed that Annabeth was still sitting in the sand, staring out to sea. She hadn't moved for hours. Piper tried to sit with her earlier, but gave up on trying to get her to talk.

Hell, I even went and sat next to her for near to an hour and her eyes never strayed from the ocean.

But as I watched, with shaking muscles, she pushed herself to her feet and turned around slowly, joining Calypso and I on a log by the fire.

"How are you?" Calypso asked. Annabeth squared her shoulders, fingering the beads on her old camp necklace. Her fingers hovered over a piece of coral and she managed a small smile.

"I'll be alright," she said.

Not knowing quite how to handle this sort of situation, I stayed quiet, but Calypso smiled warmly, pulling Annabeth into a side hug.

"I'm glad," she said.