Frank stared at the ground and took a deep breath. They should have been celebrating their victory. They should have been happy that they found everything. Instead, the Golden Fleece was still missing. The Hunter had disappeared without a trace, and Darriah was dead. Frank didn't know how things could get any worse.
Looking at the corner of the room caused Frank's heart to break. Livia was sitting with her knees brought to her chest, and she was crying into her knees. There was one bandage around her shoulder and another around her wrist. The first thing Livia tried to do after killing her mother was end her own life. Annabeth stopped her, and Frank came into the room in time to pull Livia back and try to calm her down.
"Darriah was possessed then," Reyna whispered. She was leaning against the wall and not looking up at any of them. Her guilt was on her face. Frank's emotions with his fellow praetor were all over the place. He was suppose to support her, but how could he support what she had done?
Thalia was sitting on a bed and seemed to be stuck in a cycle of movements. She would stare at Reyna for a few moments. Then, she would turn to stare at Annabeth's arm. Thalia would then look back at Reyna and look ready to murder her. The murderous look would disappear for one of confusion until she turned her head and seemed to get lost in thought.
Percy was sitting on Annabeth's other side and just staring at the ground. He was clearly upset but not saying a word. Frank wanted to say something that would make everything better, but what could he even say?
"This goddess is wrecking havoc," Reyna whispered. Everyone turned to look at her. "I'm sorry."
"It's too late for sorry," Percy said. He shook his head. "How did this goddess jump from you to Darriah?"
"I don't know," Reyna whispered. "I don't remember."
"That's pretty convenient," Thalia said. Reyna crossed her arms but didn't say a word. "What if Astraea and Praxidike are working together?"
"Praxidike said that she has been with Themis," Reyna whispered. She closed her eyes and rubbed her face. "I can't remember anything that happened with Darriah."
"Do you remember torturing Annabeth?" Thalia asked, and she stood. Frank stepped in between the two, but Thalia didn't move any closer. "Do you remember that, Reyna?"
"I do," Reyna whispered. She swallowed painfully. Reyna looked like she wanted to leave the room again, but she didn't move an inch. Was this way of punishing herself for what she had done? "I also remember a brick slamming into my head. I didn't come back to full focus until Darriah was dragging me to the Senate. I'm sorry."
"Sorry isn't going to make up for anything," Thalia snapped. Reyna nodded her agreement. Frank walked towards Reyna and studied her. She studied him for a moment and then finally looked down. Frank grabbed her shoulder.
"We're going to get through this together," Frank whispered. Reyna didn't look up to meet his eyes. Frank tightened his grip on her shoulder but tried to do it in a comforting way. "You have to trust me, Reyna. I don't approve what you did, but we have to be unified."
"We do," Reyna agreed quietly. Frank glanced around. Percy and Thalia were crowding Annabeth, and the only thing Annabeth did was stare at the ground. She hadn't talked to Reyna like she said that she wanted to, but she could have rethought it. Livia had stopped crying, but she wasn't looking up. Frank looked back at Reyna. "I'll get my resignation letter ready."
"No," Frank said quickly. Reyna slowly looked up at him. She didn't say anything, but the question was in her eyes: why. Frank didn't know why though. Was it because he needed his fellow praetor at his side? Could he not handle this situation alone? Or, did he not believe that Reyna was completely at fault for this? Sure, she done all of those terrible things, but there was a goddess inn her head. Frank just couldn't bring himself to believe that Reyna would have done anything like this after just being convinced and nothing else.
"Reyna, do you know where the Golden Fleece could be?" Annabeth asked. Reyna shook her head. "Are you sure? You knew this girl. Do you have any ideas?"
Reyna looked at the ground and seemed to think about it. She spoke, "I know that Junia and her sister were in a shipwreck that washed them aboard Circe's island, and their parents were killed. There is no home for her to go back to, and Blackbeard salted the land at Circe's island. I don't have any idea."
"But, you know enough about Junia that you could probably find out?" Annabeth asked. Reyna shrugged. Frank rubbed his face.
"Are we sure the goddess is gone?" Livia asked quietly. Frank slowly turned to look at the centurion. Livia was watching them quietly. Her eyes were red from crying. "I know you said that Lady Diana told us we were in the clear, but are we sure? If that bitch is still in the camp, she is going to pay for what she did."
"How did the goddess jump from Reyna to Darriah in the first place?" Percy asked. He looked at Reyna. "Do you know at what point everything was clear?"
"I don't," Reyna said. She sounded like she was getting frustrated. "When Annabeth hit me with the brick, everything got really fuzzy. I think Darriah checked on me, but I don't remember."
"It's a touch then," Livia said. Her eyes focused on the ground. "The goddess wanted to kill Annabeth. It would be easiest to jump to Percy or Frank to do the deed, but she didn't. Reyna also didn't touch them. My mother was the only one who touched Reyna. But, the goddess had to jump to someone else."
It only took a few moments for everyone in the room to share the same thought, and they all looked at Livia. The centurion glared and slowly stood. Frank looked away. There was only two people that had been in the room with Darriah, and there was no reason for the goddess to jump to Annabeth. She had to jump to Livia.
"Would I really have tried to kill myself if the goddess was in my head?" Livia snapped. She looked down at her arm and started to shake in rage. "Do not disrespect me or my mother."
"Livia, calm down," Frank said. He walked towards Livia and gently grabbed her shoulder. She pulled away from him. Frank looked around. "This is what the goddess wants. She wants us all to be divided, but we cannot allow that. We have to work together and figure this out."
Frank slowly looked around. He figured that Livia was correct with her thought that the goddess could only transfer with a touch, but what if the goddess had jumped to Livia just to use as an in between to the person she wanted. Frank didn't feel any different. There was no voice telling him what to do.
Frank glanced over at Percy, but he seemed to be focused on Annabeth. His worry broke Frank's heart, and there was no way that could be mimicked if Percy wasn't in full control of himself. Thalia had just gotten there and hadn't gone near Livia. Had Reyna though? Or, had the goddess jumped from Livia to Frank to Reyna? He slowly looked at his fellow praetor.
"I don't," Reyna said. She definitely noticed Frank's look. "She's not back in my head. I swear."
After a few moments of studying Reyna's face, Frank turned to look at Annabeth. She was staring at the ground. By her feet, there was a small vial. A frown came to Frank's face. Annabeth looked up and spoke, "Frank is right. We should not be divided."
Annabeth slowly stood. Both Percy and Thalia tried to help her, but she simply brushed them off and walked towards Reyna. After a few moments, Reyna looked up at her. Annabeth spoke, "It's okay."
"It's not," Reyna said. She buried her face in her hands. "Nothing that I did is okay. I'm sorry."
Annabeth placed one hand to her belt, and her other hand clasped Reyna's shoulder. Annabeth spoke, "Are you sure that you have no clue where the Golden Fleece could be."
"I guess I could put down some locations that Junia could have gone to," Reyna said. She took a few steps away from the wall and rubbed her forehead. Annabeth didn't move an inch, and she eyed Reyna's back. Without armor or her cape, Reyna didn't look like the fearless leader that Frank was use to seeing. She still wore the black cloak that she had worn while torturing Annabeth.
"No one can ever learn where the Golden Fleece is," Annabeth said. She moved faster than the eye could track, and she stabbed a dagger directly into Reyna's back. Reyna gasped in pain, and Frank rushed forward. He caught Reyna as she collapsed to her knees, and his gaze slowly moved to Annabeth.
Annabeth blinked, and her eyes turned into an odd shade of silver. A smile came to her face, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Annabeth collapsed, and a silver mist slowly left her mouth. Percy rushed to Annabeth's side.
The silver mist slowly floated upwards and started to trickle into dust. The dust quickly formed the image of a woman. Frank stared at the goddess as she fully formed. Her eyes were a bright silver, and as she studied Frank, her eyes seemed to shine like stars. Her black hair hung loosely, and a grin was on her face.
"Astraea," Thalia said. The woman slowly looked at her and grinned wider. "Why are you doing all of this?"
"Frank," Reyna wheezed. She coughed out blood and green liquid a moment later. Frank's gut twisted as he realized it was the same poison that had affected Alfred. It was also the same way that Alfred had been attacked."When Junia's sister was dying, Junia promised she wouldn't let her die. Golden Fleece. Healing."
Reyna went into another coughing fit. Frank didn't have any medical supplies on him. He looked back at the goddess. Astraea simply looked around the room, as if admiring her handiwork. Annabeth wasn't moving, and Percy was staring down at her.
"I told you, boy. Blood must be repaid in blood," Astraea said. Frank felt Reyna go limp against him. He knew they needed to get her help, but at the same time, it wouldn't matter. Frank knew that the blood used to make the poison wasn't Annabeth's. It had to be Junia's, and it was another fail safe. "You must soak yourself in blood."
Astraea suddenly turned and caught Livia's wrist. Livia's hand gripped a dagger that was only a few inches from the goddess' face. Percy slowly stood and drew his sword. Thalia had her bow out. Astraea didn't seem to care. She stared at Livia and spoke, "Do you want to pray for vengeance, girl? I can tell you who you should blame."
"I know exactly who to blame," Livia hissed. Astraea studied her for a few moments. She finally shoved Livia backwards and started to glow brightly.
"My work is done. I will leave your camp alone," Astraea said. As she started to glow so brightly that Frank was forced to look away, he heard a gasp. A glance back showed that a hunting knife was sticking out of Astraea's chest. Diana shoved Astraea against a wall. "Lady Artemis, stand aside."
"No," Artemis said. She twisted the knife and didn't let Astraea move. Another goddess knelt by Frank and examined Reyna. Frank slowly picked his fellow praetor up on his shoulders and walked towards a bed. He laid her down and pulled the dagger from her back.
Frank's gut twisted as he saw the blade of the dagger had completely dissolved. Thalia moved to their side and poured some of her canteen into Reyna's mouth. Then, she poured some of it on Reyna's back. Thalia nodded to Frank and hurried to Annabeth's side.
"Lady Themis, tell them to let me go. I only did my job," Astraea said. The other goddess turned to look at her. "I only delivered justice, like you asked."
"This is not justice," Themis snapped. She motioned around the room. "How many lives are you going to destroy?"
"How many lives were destroyed when Annabeth Chase unleashed those pirates? How many young girls were taken captive, and how many people would wash upon the shores and die because there was nothing left of the island? I was asked to enact vengeance, and I did. A home was destroyed by Annabeth, so it is only fair that her home is destroyed in return," Astraea said.
"You will tell us where the Golden Fleece is," Diana ordered. Astraea just smiled. "Where is it?"
"I don't know. The girl never told me," Astraea said. Themis walked towards her and whispered something in another language. Frank didn't know what she said, but he did see both Thalia and Percy tense. They exchanged looks. "I only know that she talked about bringing her sister back."
"Her sister is dead. She has been dead for years. That is what Reyna said," Frank began. He stared down at his fellow praetor. "But, Reyna mentioned the Golden Fleece and healing. Does Junia think it can bring back her sister?"
"It's possible," Percy muttered. "It brought Thalia back, but I don't think it can bring anyone back to life, if they've been dead for that long."
"That doesn't mean Junia wouldn't try," Livia muttered. She glanced down at her wrist. "If I thought I could bring my family back, I would do anything. It doesn't matter how insane it sounds."
"Reyna said that Junia jumped overboard with her sister and that they were close to an island. It's a starting point," Frank said. He looked down at Reyna. "But, we don't know where the island is."
"Reyna wasn't the only one on the pirate ship. Hylla was as well," Percy said. He stood. "We need to head there immediately."
"We do," Diana agreed. She let go of Astraea, and Themis grabbed Astraea tightly. "I will take you to the outskirts of the Amazon base, and you will have to get an audience with the queen. Find out where Junia may be."
"I'll get a medic," Livia said. She studied Reyna a few moments. Then, she turned and left the room. Frank looked down at Reyna for a moment and sighed deeply. They didn't have a good lead, but it was a lead. Percy laid Annabeth on the bed.
"I'm going with," Percy said. He took a deep breath. "And, we are going to end this once and for all."
