Would that I ──── Leo Valdez [2]

12: Exorcisms and pickup lines

─────Piper had a gut sense they were still present, simply because no one had told them to go away.

When she was done explaining, the others looked at her uncomfortably. Vincent didn't like the idea of these eidolons being inside any one of them. It felt weird and downright creepy. Up on deck, Hedge sang something that sounded like "In the Navy" while Blackjack stomped his hooves, whinnying in protest.

Finally Hazel exhaled. "Piper is right."

"How can you be sure?" Vincent asked.

"I've met eidolons," Hazel said. "In the Underworld, when I was...you know."

Dead.

Vincent had forgotten that Hazel was a second-timer. In her own way, Hazel too was a ghost reborn.

"So..." Frank rubbed his hand across his buzz-cut hair as if some ghosts might have invaded his scalp. "You think these things are lurking on the ship, or—"

"Possibly lurking inside some of us," Piper said. "We don't know."

Jason clenched his fist. "If that's true—"

"We have to take steps," Piper said. "I think I can do this."

"Do what?" Percy asked.

"Just listen, okay?" Piper took a deep breath. "Everybody listen."

Her voice echoed inside the room and Vincent couldn't help but drop his fork and completely focus on her words.

Piper met their eyes, one person at a time.

"Eidolons," she said, using her charmspeak, "raise your hands."

There was tense silence.

Vincent felt like he was on the tallest edge of a rollercoaster, waiting for the drop. 

Leo laughed nervously. "Did you really think that was going to—?"

His voice died. His face went slack. He raised his hand.

Jason and Percy did the same. Their eyes had turned glassy and gold. Hazel caught her breath. On the other side of Leo, Frank scrambled out of his chair and put his back against the wall.

Vincent couldn't help the flurry of thoughts that popped into his mind. A thousand things made sense, but it also felt weird to think he'd slept in the same bed as an eidolon. 

An eidolon had the fucking audacity to control his best friend. That angered him even more. 

"Can you cure them?" Vincent asked, hands gripping the table to curb his anger.

Piper didn't look confident, but she focused on Leo.

"Are there more of you on this ship?" she asked.

"No," Leo said in a hollow voice. "The Earth Mother sent three. The strongest, the best. We will live again."

Without meaning to, Vincent's fingers travelled to his pendant. He wasn't sure what he intended to do with his sword if he summoned it, but he didn't like this eidolon inhabiting his best friend's body.

"Not here, you won't," Piper growled. "All three of you, listen carefully."

Jason and Percy turned toward her. Those gold eyes were unnerving, but seeing all three boys like that fueled Vincent's anger.

"You will leave those bodies," Piper commanded.

"No," Percy said.

Leo let out a soft hiss. "We must live."