DIVINE » l. valdez

xx

❝they're breaking your heart? then try to hear it pound ❞

Hina was startled awake by a banging on her door. 

"Hina, are you in there?" 

It was Jason. 

She unlocked the door unsure what was so important he had to wake her. Hina's hair was a rat's nest on top of her head, and her face was covered in lines from her pillow. Despite the horrible news Jason had, he let out a small chuckle. 

Hina frowned, starting to close her door. "If you came to laugh, I'm going back to bed."

"Wait!" Jason grabbed the closing door and pushed it back open. "We have a problem. A big one. Annabeth and Percy are missing."

"You should have started with that!" Hina scolded, rushing out of her cabin. 

The entire ship was being searched furiously. Everyone ran around the Argo II, fears of the worst possibilities in their minds: Annabeth and Percy were the blood sacrifices.

The group split up, everyone taking a section of the ship.

As soon as the chaos started, it was over. Frank had found the missing demigods asleep in the stables together.

When everyone was gathered in the mess hall, there was a whirlpool of emotions. Hazel's face was red, and she kept fanning herself in shock- the notion of Annabeth and Percy together too much for her to cope with. Jason and Piper were relieved. Hina had a small frown on her face, but forgave the two. In contrast, Leo couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he mumbled, "Classic, classic."

Naturally, Coach Hedge was ballistic. He was jumping up and down, waving his fists in the air.

"Never in my life!" Coach bellowed, waving his bat and knocking over a plate of apples. "Against the rules! Irresponsible!"

"Coach," Annabeth said, "it was an accident. We were talking, and we fell asleep."

"Besides," Percy said, "you're starting to sound like Terminus."

Hedge narrowed his eyes. "Is that an insult, Jackson? 'Cause I'll—I'll terminus you, buddy!"

"It won't happen again, Coach. I promise. Now, don't we have other things to discuss?"

Hedge fumed. "Fine! But I'm watching you, Jackson. And you, Annabeth Chase, I thought you had more sense—"

Jason cleared his throat. "So grab some food, everybody. Let's get started."

Since the previous night, Hina was doing what she did best: avoiding her problems. She wedged herself between Piper and Annabeth at the table, instead of her usual spot beside Leo.

Their meeting was a tense discussion with a plate of donuts circling the room. Percy told everyone of his dream about twin giants in an underground parking lot, planning a reception for themselves. He talked about Nico di Angelo trapped in a bronze jar, slowly dying from asphyxiation surrounded by pomegranate seeds.

Hazel choked back a sob. "Nico... Oh, gods. The seeds."

"You know what they are?" Annabeth asked.

Hazel nodded. "He showed them to me once. They're from our stepmother's garden."

"Your step... oh," Percy said. "You mean Persephone."

"The seeds are a last-resort food," Hazel explained. She must have been nervous because all the silverware was slowly creeping towards her. "Only children of Hades can eat them. Nico always kept some in case he got stuck somewhere. But if he's really imprisoned—"

"The giants are trying to lure us," Annabeth said. "They're assuming we'll try to rescue him."

"Well, they're right!" Hazel looked around the table, her confidence apparently crumbling. "Won't we?"

"Yes!" Coach Hedge yelled with a mouthful of napkins. "It'll involve fighting, right?"

"Hazel, of course we'll help him," Frank said. "But how long do we have before... uh, I mean, how long can Nico hold out?"

"One seed a day," Hazel said miserably. "That's if he puts himself in a death trance."

"A death trance?" Annabeth scowled. "That doesn't sound fun."

"It keeps him from consuming all his air," Hazel said. "Like hibernation, or a coma. One seed can sustain him one day, barely."

"And he has five seeds left," Percy said. "That's five days, including today. The giants must have planned it that way, so we'd have to arrive by July first. Assuming Nico is hidden somewhere in Rome—"

"That's not much time," Piper summed up. She put her hand on Hazel's shoulder. "We'll find him. At least we know what the lines of the prophecy mean now. 'Twins snuff out the angel's breath, who holds the key to endless death.' Your brother's last name: di Angelo. Angelo is Italian for 'angel.'"

"Oh, gods," Hazel muttered. "Nico..."