Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Rick Riordan

Chapter 2

Piper's POV

I needed a miracle, not a bedtime story. But right then, standing in shock as black water poured in around my legs.

I knew something like this was bound to happen.

I turn to Jason, "Listen Jason, I-"

"What did Hagno mean by 'keeping a dark secret from those you love?'" Jason asks me.

"It means exactly what it says," I answer.

Suddenly, I feel the water (if you can even call it that) touch my ankles, quickly moving up my legs and making it to my knees in a matter of seconds.

"Jason, you're going to see something that you've never seen before. But please, don't be scared," I say to him speaking very fast.

The water is up to my waist now.

"Let me search the bottom," Percy said. "If this place was built as a fountain, there has to be a way to drain the thing. You guys, check for secret exits." and with that, he disappeared into the water.

Sooner than I expected, Percy broke the surface, gasping and flailing.

"Couldn't breathe," he choked. "The water . . . not normal. Hardly made it back."

You think? I thought to myself.

Suddenly, something pulls me underwater. I can faintly hear Jason and Percy calling my name. The thirty seconds are almost up.

3 . . .

2 . . .

1 . . .

I feel myself changing, turning into water for a split second, then becoming a mermaid. My lungs being refilled with air. I swim to the top, with my orange tail pushing and giving me power. My head breaks the surface.

"Piper!" I hear Jason yell with relief in his voice. "Where did you-"

He didn't get to finish the question.

Jason's POV

I saw something orange in the water, it's a tail. And it's attached to Piper. I look up at her and notice that she was no longer in a shirt, but an orange looking bikini.

"What are you?" I ask with a small voice.

"I'm a-" She pauses. "I'm a mermaid."

"Is this what Hagno was talking about? The dark secret?" I say.

"Yes," she answers, looking afraid.

"Well, why didn't you tell me?" I ask, anger filling my voice.

"I was scared of what you might think." She answers looking down.

I could tell Percy was staring at her tail with an expression that screamed 'shocked'.

I hug Piper, telling her that it's okay, and that there's nothing to be afraid of. I can't believe it, Piper is a mermaid. Maybe this is why she doesn't go near water when people are around her.

I see Percy swim over to us, "How are you-"

"I'll explain later," she cuts him off.

Piper's POV

"I have an idea," I blurt out.

"What is it?" Percy asks, quickly getting over the fact that I'm a mermaid.

"Both of you think of clean water-a storm of water. Don't hold anything back. Picture all your power, all your strength leaving you."

"That's not hard!" Percy said.

"But force it out!" I said. "Offer up everything, like-like you're already dead, and your only goal is to help the nymphs. It's got to be a gift . . . a sacrifice."

They got quiet at that word.

"Let's try again," Jason said. "Together."

This time I bent all my concentration toward the horn, as I had it the whole time, of plenty as well. The nymphs wanted my youth, my life, my voice? Fine. I gave it up willingly and imagined all of my power flooding out of me.

I'm already dead, I told myself, as calm as the skeleton dog. This is the only way.

Clear water blasted from the horn with such great force, it pushed us against the wall. The raining changed to a white torrent, so clean and cold, it made me gasp.

"It's working!" Jason cried.

"Too well," Percy said. "We're filling the room even faster!"

He was right. The water rose so quickly, the roof was now only a few feet away. I could've reached up and touched the miniature rain clouds.

"Don't stop!" I said. "We have to dilute the poison until the nymphs are cleansed."

"What if they can't be cleansed?" Jason asked. "They've been down here turning evil for thousands of years."

"Just don't hold back," I said. "Give everything. Even if we go under-"

My head head hit the ceiling. The rain clouds dissipated and melted. The horn of plenty kept blasting out a clean torrent.

I pulled Jason closer and kissed him.

"I love you," I say.

The words poured out of me, like the water from the cornucopia. I couldn't tell what his reaction was, because then we were underwater.

I breathed underwater (as i'm a mermaid). The current roared in my ears. Bubbles swirled around me. Light rippled through the room, and I was surprised I could see it. Was the water getting clearer?

I poured my last energy into the cornucopia. Water continued to stream out, though there was no room for more. Would walls crack under the pressure?

My vision went dark.

I thought the roar in my ears was my own dying heartbeat. Then I realized the room was shaking. The water swirled faster. I felt myself sinking.

With my last strength, I pumped my tai upward. My head broke the surface. The cornucopia stopped. The water was draining almost as fast as it had filled the room.

Wth a cry of alarm, I realized that Percy and Jason's faces were still underwater. I hoisted them up. Instantly, Percy gulped and began to trash, but Jason was as lifeless as a rag doll.

I clung to him. I yelled his name, shook him, and slapped his face. I barely noticed when all the water had drained away and left them on the damp floor.

"Jason!" I tried desperately to think. Should I turn him on his side? Slap his back?

"Piper," Percy said, "I can help."

He knelt next to me and touched Jason's forehead. Water gushed from Jason's mouth. His eyes flew wide open, and a clap of thunder threw Percy and me backward.

When my vision cleared, I saw Jason sitting up, still gasping, but the color was coming back to his face.

"Sorry," he coughed. "Didn't mean to-"

I tackled him (still in my mermaid form) with a hug. I would have kissed him, but I didn't want to suffocate him.

Percy grinned. "In case you're wondering, that was clean water in your lungs. I could make it come out with no problem."

"Thanks man." Jason clasped his hand weakly. "But I think Piper's the real hero. She saved us all."

Yes, she did, a voice echoed through the chamber.

The niches glowed. Nine figures appeared, but they were no longer withered creatures. They were young, beautiful nymphs in shimmering blue gowns, their glossy black curls pinned up with silver and gold brooches. Their eyes were gentle shades of blue and green.

As I watched, eight of the nymphs dissolved into vapor and floated upward. Only the nymph in the center remained,

"Hagno?" I asked.

The nymph smiled. "Yes, my dear. I didn't think such selflessness existed in mortals . . . especially demigods. No offense."

Percy got to his feet. "How could we take offense? You just tried to drown us and suck out our lives."

Hagno winced. "Sorry about that. I was not myself. But you have reminded me of the sun and the rain and the streams in the meadows. Percy and Jason, thanks to you, I remembered the sea and the sky. I am cleansed. But mostly, thanks to Piper. She shared something bigger even better than clear running water." Hagno turned to me. "You have a good nature, Piper. And i'm a nature spirit. I know what i'm talking about."

Hagno pointed to the other side of the room. The stairs to the surface reappeared. Directly underneath, a circular opening shimmered into existence, like a sewer pipe, just big enough to crawl through. I suspected this was how the water had drained out.

"You may return to the surface," Hagno said. "Or, if you insist, you may follow the waterway to the giants. But choose quickly, because both doors will fade soon after I am gone. That pipe connects to the old aqueduct line, which feeds both this nymphaeum and the hypogeum that the giants call home."

"Ugh." Percy pressed on his temples. "Please, no more complicated words."

"Oh, home is not a complicated word." Hagno sounded completely sincere. "I thought it was, but now you have unbound us from this place. My sisters have gone to seek new homes . . . a mountain stream, perhaps, or a lake in a meadow. I will follow them. I cannot wait to see forests and grasslands again, and the clear running water."

"Uh," Percy said nervously, "things have changed above in the last few thousand years."

"Nonsense," Hagno said. "How bad could it be? Pan would not allow nature to become tainted. I can't wait to see him, in fact."

Percy looked like he wanted to say something, but he stopped himself.

"Good luck, Hagno," I said. "And thank you."

The nymph smiled one last time and vaporized.

Briefly, the nymphaeum glowed with a softer light, like a full moon. I smelled exotic spices and blooming roses. I heard distant music and happy voices talking and laughing. I guessed I was hearing hundreds of years of parties and celebrations that had been freed along with the spirits.

I quickly pulled my hand into a fist and used my heating power to dry myself off. The boys looked shocked for a moment, but got over it just as quickly.

"What is that?" Jason asked nervously (about what they were hearing and smelling).

I slipped my hand into his. "Ghosts are dancing. Come on. We'd better go meet the giants."