BLOODSHOT . . . piper mclean

14.

Fire Boy cleared away the plates. "Maybe. But I'm telling you . . . it's not always a gift."

Perfect Jason fell silent. "You're talking about your mom, aren't you? The night she died."

Fire Boy didn't answer. He didn't have to. The fact that he was quiet — that told Eden enough.

"Leo, her death wasn't your fault. Whatever happened that night — it wasn't because you could summon fire. This Dirt Woman, whoever she is, has been trying to ruin you for years, mess up your confidence, take away everything you care about. She's trying to make you feel like a failure. You're not. You're important." Perfect Jason ranted. Fucking Jesus.

"That's what she said." Fire Boy looked up, his eyes full of pain. "She said I was meant to do something important —something that would make or break that big prophecy about the eight demigods. That's what scares me. I don't know if I'm up to it."

Fire Boy poked at the remnants of his fire, turning over red-hot coals with his bare hand. "You ever wonder about the other four demigods? I mean . . . if we're four of the ones from the Great Prophecy, who are the others? Where are they?"

"Do I have to be involved in this prophecy?" Eden groaned. "Was already involved in the other one because if Percy died, then I would be the person who would like, take over the world or some shit. I don't want to be involved in another one."

Fire Boy snorted. "Too bad, Water Girl."

"Don't ever call me that."

"I don't know," Perfect Jason said, interrupting whatever Fire Boy was about to say. "I guess the other four will show up when the time is right. Who knows? Maybe they're on some other quest right now."

Eden snorted. "I bet their sewer is nicer than ours."

The draft picked up, blowing toward the south end of the tunnel.

"Get some rest, Leo," Perfect Jason said. "Eden and I'll take first watch."

Eden scrunched up her nose, but didn't complain. Surprisingly. She took out her phone and began to text Connor.

"Don't phones attract monsters?" Perfect Jason frowned at her.

"Special phone," Eden spun it around effortlessly before reading Connor's text, frowning. "A prototype made by a friend. Me and my friend got three before he died."

"I'm sorry," Perfect Jason said to her. "Do you want to get some sleep?"

Eden stuck up the middle finger at him. "If you ask me that one more time, I will literally kill you. And I mean that."

Fire Boy and Pretty Girl had slept about four hours. They'd woke up and Eden snickered as she put on another swipe of lipgloss before deeming it shiny enough for her tastes.

Finally they broke camp and started down the tunnel.

It twisted and turned and seemed to go on forever. Eden wasn't sure what to expect at the end — a dungeon, a mad scientist's lab, or maybe a sewer reservoir where all Porta-Potty sludge ends up, forming an evil toilet face large enough to swallow the world.

Instead, they found polished steel elevator doors, each one engraved with a cursive letter M. Next to the elevator was a directory, like for a department store.

"M for Macy's?" Kaleidoscope guessed. "I think they have one in downtown Chicago."

"Or Monocle Motors still?" Fire Boy said. "Guys, read the directory. It's messed up."

"I'm fucking dyslexic, read it to me," Eden grumbled.

Parking, Kennels, Main Entrance: Sewer Level