PERI'S POV
Rule 1 of Peri's How To Rescue Demigods: Identify your surroundings.
After following te trail of burning chariot debris, I found myself at the entrance of a very large, very trashed building. Fort Sumter may have survived the Civil War, but it sure as hell wasn't built for parading demigods. The roof was on fire, and the glass entry doors were shattered. A group of screaming middle aged men and women ran out of the building.
My throat burned with the deadly combination of smoke and seawater invading my senses as I plunged into the wreckage. It wasn't until I'd pushed past them and jumped into the heat of battle that I remembered my very important Achilles' heel: when I'm too close to the ocean, I'm virtually powerless.
An arrow whizzed by my head, and I snapped back to attention.
Rule 2: Don't get distracted.
And if I was going to get those guys out of here safely, I had to focus. I ducked behind a shattered display case of an antique bronze cannon and surveyed the scene before me. Fort Sumter was in utter chaos.
There were about a hundred people moving around in a colorful, crowded blur. There were about a hundred people moving about like frantic ants. Screams of terror rang out among the sounds of carnage, and I was able to quickly identify the mortals from the demigods. I wondered vaguely what the Mist was allowing them to see and what their brains were actually coming up with on their own. Maybe they thought it was a terrorists? I watched as blood pooled onto the once white tile floors and bodies piled higher and higher into lopsided heaps. It's not very far from a terrorist attack, that's for sure.
Rule 2, Peri, Rule 2.
Sprinting from behind the tall trophy case and weaving through the crowd, I kept my head on a swivel for any of the boys. Any sight of blonde hair, and Jason's name left my lips. I snatched any buff guy I saw, searching for Frank. But I saw not one being with curly hair. My stomach felt heavy.
What if I'm too late?
The thought had been swimming in the back of my mind since I'd left the Argo II. What if there was actually nothing I could do? What if I couldn't be the hero? What if we lost? What if Gaea won?
My chest burst with a flood of emotion at the very thought. I grabbed the nearest Roman by his collar and held his face up to mine. My eyes narrowed into fatal slits. I shook him roughly, and his bright red hair flopped around his freckled face.
"Where are they?!" I demanded. "The boys who fell from the sky!"
To my surprise, the pale boy sneered at me. "As if I'd ever tell you anything, Omega-Blood!" And then the asshole spat in my eye.
I screamed and wiped furiously at my face, disoriented. And mad. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?! You-"
My face became acquainted with his Imperial Gold shield , and I fell to the ground, dazed and in pain. My tongue rolled over the inside of my cheek. I tasted blood. Stars danced behind my eyelids as the pressure on my head increased. The Roman loomed over me, his spatha trained at my heart.
Well this didn't go exactly as planned.
The Roman troop twirled his spatha expertly and grinned wickedly. "Reyna'll probably make me praetor for offing the Omega." His voice went dreamy. "Then she and I will be together- not her with that traitor Jason-"
I held up my hand. "Oh gag me. Dude. If you're gonna kill me, just do it now."
The ginger growled and lifted the blade into the air. "Say goodnight."
Before a flaming fist came out of nowhere and connected with his jaw, sending him flying into the throng of fighting and clashing weapons. I clutched the front of my shirt and gulped, trying to calm my beating heart.
I blinked my eyes as my savior came into view. Curly hair blew heroically in the wind coming from one of the many open holes in the brick framework of Fort Sumter. His shirt was torn and singed in multiple places making his light muscles bulge in just the right way and-
Ugh. Rule 2 could only be thrown out the window so quickly when one guy is present.
Valdez.
Leo shook out his hand like the force of his punch had caused harm to himself as well before looking down at me. His chocolate brown eyes scanned my face, and he grimaced.
His voice came out in a low growl. "The bastard left a mark." He held his hand out to me and jerked his head in a come on gesture.
Rule 3: Don't Let The Rescuee Rescue You
I slapped his hand away and scrambled to my feet, dusting myself off and clinging to my last thread of dignity before turning and scowling at him. "Gods dammit, Leo, I had that guy right where I wanted him!"
His eyebrows went so high they looked like they were trying to become one with his hairline. "Excuse me?! A freaking thank you would be nice right about now!"
"Thank you?" I scoffed. "For what?"
"Oh I don't fucking know maybe saving your life."
"Saving me? Oh please, that. . . that was all a part of my plan-"
"Getting smacked across the face with a ten pound shield was a part of your plan? Oh and lemme guess, phase two would be getting stabbed in the chest with a sword-"
"Kay, firstly it's a spatha, not a sword, get your facts straight. And second," I reared back and punched him hard on the arm, "that's for falling out of the goddamn sky and scaring the living shit out of me!"
"Yeah, because I definitely planned that shit," he cried, holding his arm. "That's right, Leo Valdez: hobbies include dangerous activities that cause bitches stress-"
"Just shut up!" I shrilled, holding my head.
I wanted to punch him and hug him at the same time, and it made no sense to me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. Why didn't he get it? Why didn't I get it? Why am I feeling so conflicted? Why does he make me feel so confused?
"Goddammit you're so fucking dense!" I screamed. "Why don't you get it? Why can't you understand that I. . . you. . . we. . . ugh! Just fucking forget it, okay? Save your own damn self next time!"
I pushed past him and began walking away as fast as I could with the pounding in my head and the room spinning, but Leo grabbed my hand and jerked me back to him. My face landed in his chest, and I struggled to break free from the grip of his strong arms.
"G'off me!" I slurred angrily, but he only squeezed me tighter.
Leo looked down at me. His mouth was a solid line, and his eyebrows were knit together.
"I don't get it?" He muttered. "Peri, since the first day I saw you, you've put yourself in harm's way- sometimes even to the point where you've gone unconscious. Having to watch that. . having to watch you hurt in such a way is one of the worst things I've ever witnessed. So don't tell me that I don't get not wanting someone I care about to get hurt." He released me. "Just don't."
My mouth opened and closed, but the only sound that came out was a small squeak.
! ! !
My hands flew up to cover my ears, and my attention was drawn elsewhere. Leo followed my gaze, also covering his own ears from the deafening sounds.
"Hey! Enough with all the sexual tension! We need to get out of here!" Jason was banging his gladius against an Imperial Gold shield that he probably stole from a fallen Roman soldier. There was a bit of dried blood in his blonde hair and a few scratches on his face, but he was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
Leo opened his mouth to fire off what I presumed to be incredibly crude language, but a spear was launched in our direction faster than I could even register it. However just as it was about to skewer us, a giant grey war elephant stomped into its path. The spear bounced off the elephant's golden armor like a toothpick. Yes. We were just saved by a fucking elephant.
I narrowed my eyes. "Frank?"
The beast trumpeted which I'm assuming meant yes because Leo snatched my hand and we took off after the animal, Jason on our heels. Frank the elephant barreled through the crowd of Romans towards the exit. I sprinted up behind him and grabbed his tail, using it to climb up onto his back. I turned and the guys were right behind me.
Before I knew it Frank was running down the dirt path back to the docks. Jason, Leo, and I bumped along roughly as he ran as fast as his little elephant legs could carry him.
"Oh shit!" I heard Jason say, and I immediately spun around.
A large crowd of Romans had followed us out of Fort Sumter and were marching after us in perfect sync and everything. Up in the skies, giant golden eagles were circling overhead, and archers were taking their marks at us.
Oh shit indeed.
"Can't this thing go any faster?" Leo demanded.
I glared at him. "Frank is not a thing."
Frank gave a snort of approval.
Jason turned around and faced the
He pressed his palm onto Frank's side. Blue sparks danced at his fingertips before he pulsed them into Frank's leathery hide. The animal let out a strangled cry and took off faster than before, leaving the Romans in the dust. I screamed wildly as Frank galloped down the wooden dock. Frank is an elephant. Elephants don't gallop.
The Argo II sat at the end of the dock and I saw our friends from the side of the ship. Bonnabelle was there as too which was good seeing as we were going to have to make a swift escape. The end of the dock was coming closer, but Frank wasn't slowing. Either we were going to go crashing into the side of the warship (which I highly doubted would give) or swerve off the dock into the ocean. And to my knowledge, elephants didn't belong to the fish family. And neither did Peri.
Before us, everyone on the ship was trying to lower the gangplank as fast as they could. But Frank was coming in too hot. We weren't going to make it. Unless. . .
I leaned forward onto those giant elephant ears. "Frank, jump!"
He trumpeted in protest as if to say: Girl ain't no way I'm getting this 3 tons of independent African elephant into the air.
"I know what'll make him jump." Leo grinned. He pressed one of his palms to Frank's hide as the last of the dock disappeared below us. I hadn't pieced it together until his hand burst into flame.
The sound that came from Frank the elephant was so primal and animalistic that when were flying through the air I couldn't tell if my stomach had dropped because of the free-fall or because of the massive guilt plaguing my chest.
Four bodies rolled onto the ship's deck, and even after I caught my breath I was still unable to stand to my feet. When I tried again to rise, a hand fell on my shoulder. I looked up to see Coach Hedge who, for once, was giving me a proud smile.
"Take it easy, kid." He muttered, putting an ice pack to my cheek. "You did good."