Rising Heroes Book One: When Angels Met Gods

Chapter Seven: Garnet

Disclaimer: I don't own Heroes of Olympus or Violet Eden

Chapter Seven: Garnet

Piper staggered backwards as she clutched at her belly. "No," she whispered. "it's all coming true."

Jason placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Pipes. He said a child will die. Not ours."

"So you're hoping that it's our child?" Violet shot back. "Because I could say the same thing about you and Piper. But I won't, because I don't want anyone to die."

Violet gave one last glare and strode angrily out the door.

Lincoln flashed them an apologetic look. "I'll go talk to her."

Jason nodded. "Thanks."

As soon as Lincoln was gone, Piper punched his shoulder.

"Ow! Pipes, what the heck?!" Jason exclaimed.

Piper glared at him. "How dare you! Saying that Violet and Lincoln's child will die!"

"I didn't mean it like that," Jason said. "I only meant that maybe it won't be either of your children. It might be a different child."

"Well, that's comforting," Violet said as she walked back in. She glared at Jason for a moment, but her stare softened. "I'm sorry that I got mad. I just want both of our children to be safe."

Jason nodded. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to imply that I wanted your child to die."

"Either way, a child is going to die," Lincoln said.

"Let's just get this task done and figure it our from there," Piper said.

"Well," Tiresias said as he hobbled towards them, "I'm sure that you would like to begin your task," he cleared his throat. "I am a prophet, but a blind one. I do not wish to see, but only wish for a companion to guide me. You will find this creature on Frances Lane, in a shop that specializes in such creatures."

Violet raised her eyebrows. "You want us to go buy this... creature... and bring it back? That's all?"

"Yes," Tiresias said. "Although you will encounter more resistance than you think."

"Is there a time limit?" Jason asked. "There's always a time limit."

"No," Tiresias shook his head. "Simply bring back the creature and I will give you the information you seek."

"Got it," Piper said. Turning to Jason, she whispered, "Let's leave before he tells us that if we don't finish in a day he will kill us,"

Jason grinned. Violet and Lincoln just looked confused.

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"A seeing-eye dog?" Violet asked. "That seems..."

"Too easy?" Piper shook her head. "It is."

They were standing in front of the store Tiresias had told them to go to, which happened to be a store for seeing-eye dogs.

"They're going to need paperwork," Lincoln said. "and proof that one of us is blind. Or someone else we know."

"I can charmspeak them," Piper said. Jason turned to look at her in surprise. "What? It's for a good cause. And it's kind of sweet- Tiresias is lonely."

"Okay, okay," Jason said. "Let's just get this done."

The group entered the shop, and Piper immediately began speaking to the people working there. Within half an hour, Piper was holding the leash to a young golden retriever and they were on their way back to Tiresias.

"Let's get out of here," Lincoln said.

"I don't think so," a voice said from behind them.

They turned to see a girl about sixteen years old, with pale skin and long, stringy black hair. She studied them carefully, her dark black eyes shifting from them to the dog.

"How precious," she said. "But I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave alive."

"Who are you?" Violet asked as she drew her dagger.

The girl smiled. "I am the person responsible for the siege of Camp Jupiter. I have stolen the Immortality and united exiles and monsters to fight a common enemy. I am Garnet, daughter of Hades and Lilith."

"That's impossible!" Lincoln said. "There's no way..."

Garnet laughed. "Well, here I am. And I will be the end of you."

Jason swung his sword at her, only to watch as Garnet reached a hand upwards, and was grabbed by the talon of a griffin. They watched as she flew away, her long black hair whipping in the wind.

"Like obsidian," Violet muttered. "That must be her stone."

Jason and Piper looked at her, confused, by Lincoln just sighed.

"Her hair," Violet explained. "Lilith, Phoenix, Garnet- their hair all represent a stone. Hers must be obsidian."

Suddenly, a growl came from the alley beside them. The group turned, weapons raised, to find a dozen hell hounds emerging from the shadows.

The golden retriever whimpered as Piper swiped at one of the monsters.

"Piper, get the dog out of here," Jason said. "We'll handle the hell hounds."

Piper opened her mouth to argue, but instead just nodded and ran towards Tiresias. The monsters ran towards the Grigori and demigod.

Lincoln and Violet stood back-to-back, with Violet using her mist to stop the monsters while Lincoln took them out. Jason called on lightning strikes that took out about half the hell hounds.

Within a few minutes, the monsters were gone and the three of them were coated in a fine layer of dust.

"She'll have to try harder than that to kill us," Lincoln said.

"But now she won't underestimate us again," Violet sighed and tried to brush the dust off of her. "This isn't going to come out, is it?"

Jason laughed. "Probably not."

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"Are you okay?" Piper rushed to Jason as they entered Tiresias' building.

"I'm fine," Jason said. "Where's Tiresias?"

"He's in the back room, playing with his dog," Piper said. "But he gave me the address."

She unfolded a piece of paper to show two scribbled words- Mount Whitney.

"That's not far," Violet said. "It's right here in California."

"But we'll need pegasi to get to the peak," Lincoln said.

Jason grinned. "Not necessarily," he said. "have any of you ever seen me fly?"