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Piper XLII

"Piper XLII," the satyr said.

FINDING THE PLACE WAS EASY. Percy led them right to it, on an abandoned stretch of hillside overlooking the ruined Forum.

Getting in was easy too. Jason's gold sword cut through the padlock, and the metal gate creaked open. No mortals saw them. No alarms went off. Stone steps spiraled down into the gloom.

The demigods stiffened.

"I hate when things start becoming too easy, that's how you know you're screwed." Percy said, earning a wince from his father.

"Gaea knows you're heading there, you think that this might be a trap?" Annabeth said, playing with her necklace.

"Maybe," Percy frowned, it would make sense. She already captured Leo and the others. "But we don't have a lot of options. My future self doesn't even know he's supposed to be at the Colosseum."

"I'll go first," Jason said.

"No, it's better that I go first." Percy said. "Piper's vision said there'll be water and I'm the best person to go in front."

"No!" Piper yelped.

Both boys turned toward her.

"Pipes, what is it?" Jason asked. "That image in the blade...you've seen it before, haven't you?"

She nodded, her eyes stinging. "I didn't know how to tell you. I saw the room down there filling with water. I saw the three of us drowning."

"I'll be fine, I can't drown." Percy reminded, noticing the grimaces on Poseidon and Annabeth's faces.

..."Maybe the future has changed," Jason speculated. "In the image you showed us just now, there wasn't any water."

"I don't think so, Jay." Thalia said, crossing her arms. "That could have just been another part of the vision, not the same thing changed."

"Look," Percy said. "I'll check it out first. It's fine. Be right back."

Percy nodded his head, but his father frowned.

"Are you sure you should leave the group?" Poseidon said worriedly, thinking back to what happened with Hazel and the others.

"Dad, I can do this." Percy assured. "I'm only looking around. It'll be quick." 

Before Piper could object, he disappeared down the stairwell.

Poseidon tightened his grip on his trident.

The readers anxiously waited for any trouble to start.

She counted silently as they waited for him to come back. Somewhere around thirty-five, she heard his footsteps, and he appeared at the top, looking more baffled than relieved.

"Good news: no water," he said. 

Everyone frowned in confusion.

"How can there be no water?" Katie said skeptically.

"Maybe there's some kind of trigger that sets off a flood, like in the movies?" Travis suggested. 

"Bad news: I don't see any exits down there. 

That the readers stared at the book in disbelief.

"You're kidding me," Connor said.

"There has to be more than it seems," Annabeth said. "There's no way Piper's dagger would create two visions about this place if it was just a dead end."