LEO'S POV

We flew on the Celestial Bronze plate faster than I would've liked.

Peri stood at the very front, her eyes trained on the Argo II in the distance. Hazel was at the back of the plate, and she looked like she was about to blow chunks all over the place.

I felt so bad.

The two of them looked like the walking dead.

No pun intended, Hazel.

Glancing back at our golden haired pilot, I saw how completely drained she was. Her face was shining with sweat, dirt and sand covering her clothes. Her brown eyes seemed duller, lifeless. As she flew us to safety, I saw her form wobbling as she struggled to remain standing.

I knit my eyebrows in concern. As much as I wanted to approach her, I was worried that if I stood, I would be blown away.

Instead, I called out to her.

"Peri. Peri!"

But it seemed as though my words were lost in the wind.

Suddenly the gale picked up speed, and I noticed our surroundings zipping by even faster.

I gripped the grooves in the bronze plate, desperately trying to stay aloft. We were almost to the Argo II.

Then, it happened.

Hazel's face turned a greenish color to rival that of the nymphs' complexions. On reflex, her hands flew up to her mouth to keep from puking.

And she fell off the plate.

"HAZEL!" I screamed in horror, watching helplessly as her small body tumbled down towards the icy blue water below.

The deck of the warship zoomed below us, and I lost sight of her.

Then, it was like we hit an invisible wall, the Celestial Bronze plate crashing to a stop in mid-air.

I swear it felt like I just shat out my heart! I looked up to see what had happened, and my stomach leapt up into my throat.

Peri was teetering over the edge of the plate, her eyes fluttering closed. Then her body went slack, and she fell.

Without a second thought, I leapt for her. In free-fall, I grabbed her arm and pulled her limp body to mine. Flipping over onto my back, I clutched her even tighter. Her golden hair flew wildly in the downward wind. Squeezing my eyes shut, I braced for impact.

That never came.

I blinked my eyes open in confusion to find myself face to face with Arion. My shirt was buried in his mouth as he gripped me with his horsey teeth.

On closer inspection, I saw a familiar curly haired Roman girl splayed out on the horse's tan hide, her face still sickly green.

It dawned on me what had happened.

Arion had saved us. He'd caught Hazel before she fell into the lake, then rescued Peri and I with his supernatural speed and agility.

I let go of a breath I didn't even realize I was holding in relief.

"I love this horse." I murmured and petted his nose graciously with my free hand.

Arion whinnied proudly, dropping Peri and I in the process. We landed with a harsh thump, but I would gladly take that over being a bloody mess on the deck of the ship.

I looked down at Peri's lifeless body in my arms. For a horrifying moment, she made no sounds or movements, and several thoughts passed through my mind at once.

Did she overdo it? Had she used up all her energy to save us from the nymphs? When will she wake up? Will she wake up?! Is she. . . dead?

The thought made me sick to my stomach, and I felt fear creeping into me.

Then her chest heaved, and she took a large, albeit shaky breath.

But a breath.

And a breath meant life.

Sighing in relief, I carefully rose with Peri's weakened form cradled in my arms.

Never letting go of the unconscious girl, I followed Hazel belowdecks.