𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 •| ⊱ Jason Grace¹

•| ⊱ 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

[ chapter five: hermia ]

° • ° • °

The biggest shock she felt was from the cold water. Being underwater left her feeling so disoriented Mia didn't know which way to swim. All she could think about was: This would be a stupid way to die. Not that she was going to let that happen. Not when she still had to find her boys.

When Mia opened her eyes she saw faces emerge in the green murk. They were girls with long black hair and glowing yellow eyes. They smiled at her, grabbed her shoulders, and hauled her up.

As they tossed Mia up, she couldn't help but gasp and shiver, onto the shore. Nearby, Butch stood in the lake, cutting the wrecked harnesses off the pegasi. Fortunately, the horses looked okay, but they were flapping their wings and splashing water everywhere. Mia could see Jason, Leo and Piper were already on shore. They were surrounded by kids giving them blankets and asking questions.

Somebody suddenly took Mia by the arms and helped her stand. When she looked up Mia heard gasps come from everyone that stood near her. Mia furrowed her eyebrows together as whispers took over the silence. Then a detail of kids ran up with big bronze leaf machines. Suddenly Mia was blasted with hot air; and in about two seconds her clothes were dry and her hair fell in a tangled mess.

Mia could see at least twenty kids around her. But instead of paying attention to them or listening to what they were saying she looked back at the water. That's when she saw those strange girls just below the surface. They waved goodbye and disappeared into the depths before Mia could say thanks. A second later the wreckage of the chariot was tossed from the lake and landed nearby with a wet crunch.

"Annabeth!" A guy with a bow and quiver on his back pushed through the crowd. For a second Mia hoped it'd be Lysander -he always preferred that choice in weapon- but it wasn't him. "I said you could borrow the chariot, not destroy it!"

"Aaron, I'm sorry," Annabeth sighed as Mia finally put a name to the blonde female. "I'll get it fixed, I promise."

Aaron scowled at his broken chariot. Then he sized up Piper, Leo, and Jason. "These are the ones? Way older than thirteen. Why haven't they been claimed already?"

When his gaze fixed on Mia he froze in place. Mia watched in confusion as Jason walked up beside her. He had noticed the change in mood around her and decided to walk up to her. He wanted the others to know that she wasn't alone.

But before Mia could even voice her confusion Leo asked, "Claimed?"

Mia looked around in question as everyone suddenly went quite. She didn't know what was going on, but she felt like this was all a waste of time.

Before Annabeth could explain, Aaron asked, "Any sign of Percy?" He obviously wanted to take the attention away from the fact that he had been caught staring at Mia.