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Piper XLIV

"Piper XLIV," Zeus read.

Hoping there were no more detours, the readers listened impatiently.

THE BASIN FILLED WITH ALARMING SPEED. Piper, Jason, and Percy pounded on the walls, looking for an exit, but they found nothing.

The readers tensed.

"Of course," Poseidon said miserably with a pained expression.

Aphrodite's face fell. She worriedly rung her hands.

They climbed into the alcoves to gain some height, but with water pouring out of each niche, it was like trying to balance at the edge of a waterfall. Even as Piper stood in a niche, the water was soon up to her knees. From the floor, it was probably eight feet deep and rising fast.

"I could try lightning," Jason said. "Maybe blast a hole in the roof?"

"No!" Thalia protested immediately, tightening the grip on her bow. "That can bring down the whole roof and crush you!"

"And electrocute Piper and Percy!" Will exclaimed, posture tense.

"Not many choices," Jason said.

"Find a drain!" Annabeth hurriedly suggested, squeezing her necklace as if it were a lifeline. "This place is built like a fountain, there has to be a drain somewhere around, maybe it's clogged."

"I could search the bottom," Percy volunteered.

Poseidon stiffened, eyes wide in alarm. "Don't!"

...Percy jumped in the water. Jason and Piper climbed from niche to niche, kicking and pounding, wiggling seashells embedded in the stone; but they had no luck.

Sooner than Piper expected, Percy broke the surface, gasping and flailing. She offered her hand, and he almost pulled her in before she could help him up.

The demigods listened in disbelief.

Percy blinked, slowly registering what was happening.

"Couldn't breathe," he choked. "The water...not normal. Hardly made it back."

Once he found his voice, Percy said a soft: "How...?"

Poseidon shook his head. It was just as he feared. "The water is too chaotic and corrupted for you to control it, let alone breathe under."

Percy felt his breath hitch. "Wh-What?"

Throughout her chapters, Piper had said again and again that she saw the three of them drowning. He had even listened to a description of the vision when Piper had seen it from the dagger, but he had refused to believe it. He's had moments when the water was unresponsive to his persuasion (practically every chapter with him in this book is proof of that), but it never hurt him like this. He was helpless in the nymphs' mercy and at the worst possible moment. Now he and his friends were going to drown and it would be all-

No, he stopped his train of thought. We're going to make it. I don't know how, but we're going to meet Leo, Frank, and Hazel at the Colosseum.

Still, the thought didn't stop his throat from feeling dry or his hands from shaking. Percy gulped and quickly shoved his hands in his pockets, hoping no one saw his loss of composure.

Unfortunately for him, Annabeth did. She leaned on his shoulder and whispered low enough for him to hear, "You okay?"

Percy tried to give her a reassuring grin, but it came out like a grimace.