~ { Shadow and Beauty } ~

We Talk A Lot

   "Blackjack," Piper said.

   "What?"

   Piper tried to explain while Coach Hedge and Kiara applied some healing paste to the boys' heads. She'd never been impressed with Hedge's nursing abilities before, but he must have done something right.

   Either that, or the spirits that possessed the boys had also made them extra resilient, or Kiara was the one who healed the boys because they both groaned and opened their eyes.

   Within a few minutes, Jason and Percy were sitting up in their berths and able to talk in complete sentences. Both had fuzzy memories of what had happened. When Piper described their duel on the highway, Jason winced.

   "Knocked out twice in two days," he muttered. "Some demigod." He glanced sheepishly at Percy. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to blast you."

   Percy's shirt was peppered with burn holes. His hair was even more disheveled than normal. Despite that, he managed a weak laugh. "Not the first time. Your big sister got me good once at camp."

   "Yeah, but... I could have killed you."

   "Or I could have killed you," Percy said.

   Jason shrugged. "If there'd been an ocean in Kansas, maybe."

   "I don't need an ocean—"

   "Boys," Kiara interrupted, "I'm sure you both would've been wonderful at killing each other. But right now, you need some rest." She pushed back Jason and Percy on their beds.

   "Food first," Percy said. "Please? And we really need to talk. Bacchus said some things that don't—"

   "Bacchus?" Annabeth raised her hand. "Okay, fine. We need to talk. Mess hall. Ten minutes. I'll tell the others. And please, Percy... change your clothes. You smell like you've been run over by an electric horse."

Leo gave the helm to Coach Hedge again, after making the satyr promise he would not steer them to the nearest military base "for fun."

   They gathered around the dining table, and Piper explained what had happened at TOPEKA 32—their conversation with Bacchus, the trap sprung by Gaea, the eidolons that had possessed the boys.

   "Of course!" Hazel slapped the table, which startled Frank so much, he dropped his burrito. "That's what happened to Leo too."

   "So it wasn't my fault." Leo exhaled. "I didn't start World War Three. I just got possessed by an evil spirit. That's a relief!"

   "But the Romans don't know that," Annabeth said. "And why would they take our word for it?"

   "We could contact Reyna," Kiara suggested. "She would believe us." She paused for a second. "Maybe she would trust Jason more, though."

   Jason turned to her with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "You could convince her, Pipes. I know you could."

   Piper felt like all the blood in her body was draining into her feet. Annabeth looked at her sympathetically, as if to say: Boys are so clueless. Even Hazel winced and Kiara cringed her face.

   "I could try," she said halfheartedly. "But Octavian is the one we have to worry about. In my dagger blade, I saw him taking control of the Roman crowd. I'm not sure Reyna can stop him."