•as the sky falls•

•two•

Piper McLean realized that Coriane wasn't fully into the tour. Sure, she was telling her about all this amazing stuff the camp offered, but she wasn't excited and was just going through the motions.

Annabeth did a lot of the explaining while Coriane gave short, few word sayings.

"That's the rock wall."

"That's the stables."

"Big house."

Annabeth glanced to Piper while Coriane looked to the beach. "You're taking this awful calm for someone who found out her mother is a Greek goddess."

Piper shrugged but she couldn't look away from Coriane, the way she hadn't seen her smile at all and how now she was staring at the beach. "After this morning it's easier to believe. Who's my mom?"

Annabeth went on explaining how it would all go and Coriane let it all go in one ear and out the other. A few weeks ago, Coriane would've excitedly told Piper everything about camp, but she wasn't excited and she couldn't even fake it.

Coriane didn't understand why Hera had sent her to Jason and his friends, but she was crushed that Percy wasn't there, she had wanted it too much to get too little.

"You should hear how much trouble Percy got into." Annabeth said but grimaced when Coriane snapped over. "Sorry."

Coriane looked away but listened as Piper explained how as a child and to now, she would ask for something and was simply given it, but everyone believed she was stealing. Coriane knew what that probably meant but she wasn't going to say that before Piper was claimed.

They led Piper to the caves where the camp dragon laid with the Golden Fleece.

"So..." Piper said. "How long have you been searching for Percy?"

"Three days, six hours, and about twelve minutes." Coriane said and her voice trembled at saying it out loud. "We were so excited because we were starting winter break early, we would have three weeks together. We took our walk on the beach like we always did, he kissed me and made the same jokes he always did, and then the next morning he was gone."

Coriane shook her head and shoved her palms into her eyes. "I gotta go to my cabin, I'll meet up with you in a second."

So Coriane ran off to her cabin to try to compose herself. She knew she was a total mess and she knew nobody expected anything different from her, but she wanted to at least try. She took her deep breaths and looked at the photo on her bulletin board.

It was her and Percy, her smile wide in a mid-laugh while Percy kissed her cheek. Coriane had told him to pose while she was trying to fix the setting on her camera and when she had finally done it and was pressing the button, he quickly kissed her cheek. It was a sweet moment.

She looked at it a moment longer. "I'll find you, I swear."

Coriane walked out to see Annabeth and Piper, Coriane tried to smile. "Welcome to the best cabin at camp. I'm the head counselor even if Drew pretends she is."

Piper genuinely smiled at the girl. It was the first time she seemed to be in anything that she'd seen so far. "Annabeth was just mentioning the old counselor-"

"Nope!" Annabeth quickly said. "We weren't saying anything!"

Corianes shoulders dropped and Piper could tell something had happened but she knew not to press it. Piper listened as Annabeth explained some small things and she closely watched Corianes reactions, she figured she could tell more by seeing when she tended up at certain names, especially Hera.

"You don't like her." Piper noted.

Coriane scoffed. "I thought we made peace, but then Percy went missing. I got this vision from her, but it just led to you." She looked to Piper. "No offense."

"None taken." Piper nodded. "I get it. So... who goes in there?"

"Nobody."

"Then why is there a foot print?"

•.•.•.•

Hera's cabin was cold. Coriane wanted to leave the moment she stepped inside, but when she Rachel sitting in the corner, she knew she had to figure out what was happening.

"Rachel?" Coriane asked, and when the red head came running to her, she embraced her quickly. "When did you get here?"

Rachel pulled back. "Not too long ago, I came as soon as I heard."

Annabeth cleared her throat. "Piper, this is Rachel, our Oracle. Rachel, this is Piper, one of the half-bloods we rescued."

Rachel smiled. "Yeah, hi. So, I had this hunch with Percy disappearing and the silence from the gods."

"They gods are what?" Piper asked.

Coriane sighed. "For the last month the gods have been silent. We don't talk to them much, at least, most don't, but it's not normal to have this much silence. Annabeth and I spent practically all semester at Olympus helping rebuild. Well, Annabeth at least, I was busy being an ambassador."

"Why do the gods need an ambassador? Why are you rebuilding Olympus?"

"Long story." Coriane said.

"Really long." Rachel laughed.

"Like, five years long." Annabeth said.

"Yeah, anyways, they just stopped talking. My mom normally checks in once a week, since Sil-" Coriane paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Since the war, she's been extra protective. But she hasn't in forever and the gods haven't allowed us back. Then Percy disappeared and Jason showed up and Hera is suddenly contacting us, the goddess who has the worst help, don't care if she hears that, who contacts me, her least favorite demigod. It doesn't make sense."

"Something bad is happening." Rachel agree when Coriane was done rambling. Rachel went to continue but she seized and when her mouth opened again, a new voice, an older woman, spoke. "Free me. Free me, Piper McLean, or the earth shall swallow us. It must be by the solstice."

And then Piper passed out.