Chapter 14

ANNABETH

The sun was bright and blinding as Annabeth's eyes snapped open. She coughed up sea water—the taste was bile and made her want to vomit again.

She tried to get a handle on her surroundings. She was on wet, muddy sand that squelched beneath her body. Her face burned, most likely because of the sun. She was achy and sore, her head pounded, and her stomach was twisted into knots.

"Percy?" she groaned weakly. She carefully sat up, all her muscles tense and throbbing. "Percy?" she said more forcefully.

Where am I? she thought. Obviously this was a beach…but where?

She stood up carefully, limping through the sand that tried to encase her feet. She looked around frantically, and then saw him.

"Percy!" she yelled, limping to his side. He was laying on his stomach, half his face in the sand. He was totally motionless.

She rolled him to his back. "Percy, can you hear me? Percy!" she set her palms on his sternum and pounded. Arms straight, one, two, three, and pause. She did the best she could to remember the maneuver. Tilt his head back, carefully, pinch nose, open mouth, and blow. She breathed hard into his mouth. "C'mon Seaweed Brain!" she sobbed, pounding on his chest again. She pressed her mouth to his, blowing more forcefully.

He choked and spluttered, coughing up water. Annabeth dove to the side and vomited, carefully avoiding him. They both retched. Panting, she wrapped her arms around him. "Never, ever do that to me again."

"I won't," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead.

They both struggled to their feet. Annabeth leaned against him for support. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. She stared at her hand. "My…my…"

"Relax, I've got it." He reached into the pocket of his cargo pants and pulled out a sparkling ring. "Mrs. Jackson, do you take me, Seaweed Brain to be your husband?"

She smiled as he slipped the ring onto its rightful place on her finger. "I do." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Forever and always, Perseus Jackson."

"Now," he asked. "Where are we, exactly? And what is a coffee table doing in the middle of nowhere?"

She spun around and saw a deep mahogany table, like the ones at CEFI. On it was a silver laptop. "What the heck?" She ran towards it. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the glowing blue Greek Delta "Δ" symbol on it. "That's impossible. Daedalus's laptop was lost in Tartarus years ago. It can't be here. How did it get here?"

She lifted up the top and pressed the on button. The computer hummed to life. Annabeth laughed giddily. Percy stared at it amazed. Slowly but surely it booted up. And then the screen blinked to life.

"Do you get Wi-Fi?" Percy muttered. "It wouldn't seem likely to get connection here…Annabeth?"

She stared in horror at the date in the bottom right corner. No. That's gotta be wrong. There's no way.

"Annie, what's wrong?" Percy asked, shaking her shoulder. Her gaze remained fixed on the screen.

"Percy, it is 9am in the morning and I'm late." The words tasted sour and she almost heaved again.

"Late for what?"

"Every two seconds I feel like throwing up, and I feel emotionally unbalanced and insecure, and I'm late."

He stumbled back as if hit with a bag of bricks. "Don't say that. We've been through a lot, it's probably just nerves and stress and…and…"

"Percy…my monthly cycle should have begun two weeks ago. It's the morning and I'm feeling sick. What if I'm…if I'm…?"

"No, Annabeth! Don't even think it! You can't be…you're not."

Tears started rolling down her cheeks, and she laughed nervously. Percy stared at her with wide, fearful eyes.

"What if I'm pregnant?"

PIPER

"People don't just…steal bodies!" Hazel exclaimed.

Piper laid her head down on the ping-pong table in the Rec Room. It had become the infirmary since the actual infirmary was full and stank of death. Around the table sat Chiron, in wheelchair form, Hazel—bandages wrapping her arm and shoulder, as well as a gash on her head, Frank and Reyna.

"It's not plausible, no," said Chiron, "But I believe the bigger issue is the fact that Camp is in battle. Now, we have a small window of opportunity to prepare for a second strike, for I'm sure they'll be back. And even though we were not prepared the first time, we must be ready now. I don't know how they did it, but we're going to be in big trouble if they catch us off guard again."

"But," Piper whispered, "What if he's alive? What if he faked his death…or…or…"

"Peace, child," Chiron chided. "There is no point in getting your hopes up. It has us all perplexed, but we have bigger things to worry about."

Piper nodded, and politely excused herself. It was all too much, and she could feel herself wearing down. She plopped down on a makeshift cot, across from her sister Kristen. "Hey. How's the leg?"

Kristen grimaced. "Fine. It should be better in a couple of days."

"And…how are you after all that's happened?"

Kristen just shook her head, wisps of hair flying around her face. "I don't know yet. I…just don't know."

Piper stood up, and sat next to Kristen, wrapping her arm around her. Kristen was so much younger than Piper. Nine years younger. She was too young to experience an army of monsters and injuries and deaths. It wasn't fair. The life of a demigod isn't glorious and isn't easy and isn't fair. Piper held Kristen close. Neither said a word, both too exhausted to cry. They just huddled together in the momentary security of companionship and friendship and sisterhood, it total silence.

"Miss McLean?"

Piper woke with a start, her arm still around Kristen, who slept soundly. She looked up to see a son of Apollo standing over them.

"Miss McLean, I need to check the patients."

"Oh, sure. I was just leaving." Piper stood up, and Kristen stirred.

"Where are you going?" Kristen asked groggily.

"Outside. I'll be back later."

As soon as she left the Big House, she collapsed on the porch. Everything. She had lost everything. Jason was dead; Annabeth and Percy could be anywhere, injured or dying, with no guarantee that Nico would return. So many campers hurt, so many lives lost. And for what? Why did they keep fighting? Why wouldn't the world just leave them in peace for once? Unashamedly she wept. Lizzie Milan, not even a demigod and yet pulled into this mess, having to pay the ultimate price in a fight that wasn't hers. And now Lindsey was alone and hurting from a loss that shouldn't have happened.

Would things have been different if they hadn't trusted Elanna Wythe? Would the attack never have occurred? Would…

She stopped. An attack would've happened no matter what. Troubling herself with what-ifs did nothing to improve her situation.

"McLean!" a gruff voice called. She looked up, wiping away her tears. Coach Gleeson Hedge galloped up the stairs.

"Piper, are you all right? Did someone hurt you? Who needs a whopping?" he brandished his baseball bat.

She allowed a small smile. "No one, I'm fine, really."

She took his hand and got to her feet. He smiled at her sadly. "We're all suffering. But we're not beyond hope; we've been in much worse a bind than this."

"Yeah. But those times I had Jason by my side…and now I'm alone. Alone and afraid and where's the hope in that?"

Hedge sighed. "Not alone, m'dear, you're far from alone. You've got friends here. You've got an overprotective, star-struck brother looking after you. You've got me, and boy I am ready to kick some—"

"I get the picture. Let's keep it clean for Aspen's sake."

He went scarlet. "Ah, yes."

She smiled, slightly, then leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You've been good to me. You always have. Thank you, I really…I can't even explain how much you mean to me."

"Ahem. This is getting far too sentimental for my taste. I've gotta go…places to go, people to see, monsters to blow to kingdom come. Nice chat." Awkwardly he headed inside.

Still smiling to herself in spite of her wet cheeks, she started down the steps. "I'll go to see Rachel…maybe stop by Grover and Juniper's place…" realizing she was talking to herself, she bit her lip. "Maybe I am going mad. Ha. Talking to myself," she let out a small laugh. She laughed again and campers started to stare. Yep, she'd lost it. The thought make her laugh more.

She staggered a bit, walking along with no destination in mind. She was still laughing for no apparent reason.

"You alright Pipes?" she heard one of the campers say. "You look drunk or something. People are going to get the wrong idea."

She turned to face him, nearly losing her balance. "Nah, I'm fine. Exhausted to the point of insanity—perhaps…" She looked up at him, and her jaw dropped.

Sandy blonde hair. Stunning eyes. Lips curled into a smirk, a tiny scar in the corner. This was…he is…no…no…what?

"Surprised to see me?" Jason asked, grinning.

She stumbled back. What? No. Jason Grace died. This cannot be Jason.

"Hey, it's okay. I realize this is a shock and there is lots of explaining to do but—"

His words were cut off by a sharp slap from Piper. She didn't even mean to do it…she blamed reflexes. But he was there. He wasn't a figment of her imagination. The redness of her hand and the swelling of his cheek confirmed that.

"Let me just…" he began.

"Dead," she whispered hoarsely. It was the only word she could muster.

He took a step towards her, grabbing her hands, and pressing his forehead to hers. "Never, Piper McLean. Did you think you'd get rid of me so easily?"

It suddenly didn't matter how he did it. All that mattered was him and her and this moment, this point in time, this instance of complete absurdity that anchored her to reality. Piper pressed her lips to his, wrapping his arms around him. He pulled her into his arms, kissing her hard and long. Her fingers curled into his hair, tears streaming down her cheeks. Jason. Her Jason.

"I love you," she breathed against his ear. He kissed her cheek, kissing away her tears. This was what it was supposed to be.

He pressed her back against a tree, and she wrapped her arms around him. For the first time in eons she stared into his eyes, his beautiful eyes that were full of life.

A vision flashed in her mind. This same Jason was dead. No life in his eyes. How can he be here? How can he be alive when she saw his dead, lifeless corpse?

"Never let me go again," she whispered, kissing his forehead. "Please, I don't know how you're here but it doesn't matter, just never leave me Jason. Please. Please."

"Piper, I'm sorry it had to end this way," he responded, caressing her cheek.

"End? No…I don't like endings…what do you mean?" she sobbed. "You're here with me and that's everything! That's every—"

A sharp pain pierced her abdomen. Jason stepped back from her. "I'm so very sorry Pipes."

She looked down and saw an arrow through her side. Blood pooled. She fell to her knees. Why? Jason would never hurt her. He would never…

She looked up at him, a million questions in her eyes. He looked down at her and smirked. "Don't worry, my archer has excellent aim. Goodbye, Piper McLean."

His body vanished, just as the army had hours ago. She wanted to scream, but it hurt too much. She grabbed the arrow, but she didn't have the strength to pull it out.

Her fingers found a piece of paper tied to the shaft. With shaking hands she untied the string and unrolled the letter. Her vision blurred as she tried to read Jason's scribbled text in the dim light of dawn.

Piper—

This is only the beginning. The battle begins now. I have returned. My legacy is far from over.

J.G.

She crumpled the letter in her hand, slumping against the tree.

This is only the beginning.

Red crept into her vision, and stars danced across her line of sight. Her entire body felt numb.

The battle begins now.

Jason is somehow alive. But whose side is he on?

I have returned.

She stared at the sun coming up over the strawberry fields in the horizon. This was the dawn of a brand new day in an ever-changing, unforgiving world.

She shut her eyes, and she succumbed to the darkness closing in around her, a final thought echoing in her mind.

My legacy is far from over.