𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑, percy jackson

CHAPTER 72! she didn't want to have to worry about being attacked

percy struggled to turn his pegasus around.

"percy, stop being a fucking cunt!" cherry yelled out, and his arm seemed to fall.

unfortunately, that was at the same time jason got to his feet.

a bolt of lightning arced out of the clear blue sky.

it ricocheted off his gladius and blasted percy off his horse. blackjack whinnied and fled into the wheat fields. jason charged at percy, who was now on his back, his clothes smoking from the lightning blast.

for a horrible moment, piper couldn't find her voice.

gaea seemed to be whispering to her: you must choose one. why not let jason kill him?

"no!" she screamed. "jason, stop!"

"percy, you too!" cherry agreed.

both boys froze, jason's sword was six inches from percy's face.

jason turned, the gold light in his eyes flickering uncertainly. "i cannot stop. one must die."

the voice wasn't gaea.

it wasn't jason.

whoever it was spoke haltingly, as if english was its second language.

"who are you?" piper demanded.

jason's mouth twisted in a gruesome smile. "we are the eidolons. we will live again. "

"eidolons..?" piper's mind raced.

"what is that?" cherry frowned.

"you're- you're some sort of ghost?" piper guessed.

"he must die." jason turned his attention back to percy, but percy had recovered more than either of them realized.

he swept out his leg and knocked jason off his feet.

jason's head hit the asphalt with a nauseating conk.

percy rose.

"stop it!" piper screamed again, but there was no charmspeak in her voice.

she was shouting in sheer desperation.

percy raised riptide over jason's chest. panic closed up piper's throat.

she wanted to attack percy with her dagger, but she knew that wouldn't help.

whatever was controlling him had all of percy's skill. there was no way she could beat him in combat. she forced herself to focus.

she poured all of her anger into her voice. "eidolon, stop."

percy froze.

"face me," piper ordered.

the son of the sea god turned. his eyes were gold instead of blue, his face pale and cruel, not at all like percy's.

his eyes flickered to cherry, who stood helplessly.

"you have not chosen, " he said. "so this one will die. "

"you're a spirit from the underworld," piper guessed. "you're possessing percy jackson. is that it?"

"i will live again in this body. the earth mother has promised. i will go where i please, control whom i wish. "

"leo.. that's what happened to leo. he was being controlled by an eidolon."

"too late you realize. you can trust no one."

jason still wasn't moving.

piper had no way to protect him. she eyed cherry, and the red-head followed her gaze.