Hazel paced back and forth outside of Pluto's shrine. The occasional diamond popped up in her path, but she squished it into the dirt as quickly as it came. She wished she could squish all her problems like that.
"Hey!" Frank said, jogging up behind her.
"Oh thank god." Hazel yanked Frank into the shrine and closed the door. "We need to talk to Percy right now."
Frank frowned. "Why?"
"You haven't heard?"
"I've been taking care of Hannibal all afternoon. We went for a nice walk through the gardens and-"
"Percy killed Gwen!" Hazel burst out.
Frank's mouth fell open. "He couldn't have."
"That's what I said. But the other legionnaires confirmed it. I don't know if-if they were lying, or this is to make us hate the Greeks, but we need to know for sure."
"My god." Frank slumped down onto the lone bench. "You're right. Are Annabeth and the others okay?"
Hazel rubbed her temples. "I think so. I know Reyna got them to help, and I can imagine how. But we have to talk to Percy before doing anything."
"You're right. You gonna bring up the rock?"
"Yeah." Hazel closed her eyes and locked onto the slab of agate. And carefully, she pulled it from the depths, shaking the shrine as it rose. Hazel stepped back with a grin satisfaction. It was easier each time.
Frank shook his head. "Every time you do that is just amazing. Got the drachma?"
Hazel slipped the warm coin out of her pocket and turned it over in her fingers for a moment. Then she tossed it into the rainbow. "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept this offering and show me Percy Jackson."
The rainbow shimmered for a moment, then gradually transformed. Hazel and Frank were in the backseat of a car racing down an interstate, shrubs dotting the desert landscape. Percy sat in the passenger seat staring out the window, and a woman drove, her fingers tapping to the beat of the music on the radio.
Hazel took a second to get her bearings. "Um, Percy?"
"Ahh!" Percy and his companion jumped, nearly swerving off the highway.
"Jesus Christ! the woman yelled as she yanked the car back on track.
Percy whipped around in his seat, his eyes widened when he saw them. "Hazel! Frank! It's so good to see you!" Percy's eyes were red and he looked pale.
The woman driving adjusted her mirror to make eye contact. "Who the hell is in my car?"
"Clarisse, this is Hazel and Frank," Percy said. "Hazel and Frank, this is Clarisse, a daughter of Ares and a friend."
Clarisse snorted at the word friend. "So you're the son of Mars then?"
Frank blinked. "Um, yes."
"You look too nice."
"Thank you?"
Hazel shook her head. "Sorry to interrupt, but Percy, we have to talk."
"About Gwen, right?" Percy looked miserable. "I swear I didn't mean to, there was this eagle, and I wasn't going to hurt anyone, it was an accident!"
"He won't shut up about," Clarisse added. "I had to turn on the radio to drown him out."
"Gwen was my friend, and I- I didn't-"
"Percy." Hazel reached to touch his shoulder, then remembered it was an Iris message. "I'm not going to pretend it's okay, but I know it was an accident."
Percy looked up at her. "I'll regret this forever." Hazel felt a pang of sympathy. Over the last month she'd gotten to know Percy really well, she knew he would never purposefully kill a demigod in cold blood.
"Well, Reyna's on the warpath now," Frank said. "You're being hunted."
"That's why we're getting out of here," Clarisse said. "And also why I brought my crossbow. I'm in the mood to hunt some eagles."
"Wait is Annabeth okay?" Percy asked, suddenly alarmed.
Hazel grimaced. "Reyna is making Annabeth spill Camp Half-blood secrets and Leo beef up the Roman military."
Percy's eyes went cold. "Making her?"
Hazel shivered at Percy's expression. "She's not torturing her if that's what you're thinking. But I'm sure she threatened her in some form."
"I-you have to get her out of there!"
"Percy, it's too dangerous. Rome is on high-alert, they'll catch us."
"Don't underestimate Annabeth. I bet she already has a plan. She always has a plan," Percy said.
Clarisse flipped off the truck that just cut her off. "Motherfucker!"
Frank winced.
"There's something else," Hazel continued. "We snuck into their room, and she told us to tell you to find Thalia, and someone named Grover who's in Southern California. With your dog?"
Percy's eyes brightened. "Mrs O'Leary!"
"Oh god, not the hellhound," Clarisse muttered.
Frank frowned. "Hellhound?"
"Long story," Percy said. "But that sounds like a good plan. I can't go back to California but I'll send word to Grover."
Hazel glanced behind her, they'd been in the shrine too long. "Good. Listen, Reyna and Jason's plan is to force the Greeks to attack New Rome, then wipe the Greeks out. In doing so they think it'll eliminate the gods' issues and help them fight Gaea."
"I respect the aggression," Clarisse said, "but that's kind of psychotic."
"If I thought it would work," Hazel said, "I might support it. But there's no way. We have to unify, not destroy each other."
"I agree," Percy said, though he looked at Hazel. Maybe she shouldn't have said that. She couldn't support wiping out half of the demigods, but if it came down to it what choice was there really? Gaea had to be destroyed.
"Frank and I will do our best to get Annabeth and the other two out," Hazel said. "But where can they go?"
Percy frowned. "I'll tell Grover to hang around. He's a satyr so no one will care." Percy sounded a little bitter, and Hazel got the sense he wasn't a fan of how the romans treated their fauns.
"Great. And what about the war?"
Percy sighed. "I don't know what to do. If you can get Annabeth, Leo, and Piper out, I don't think camp will attack. But then Camp Jupiter will just attack, won't they?"
"Yes. But it will give us more time," Hazel said. "I think once Reyna grieves she'll be open to peace. I just don't know about Jason."
Percy sat back in his seat. "He seems to be the mystery, doesn't he?"
"Yeah. Look, Frank and I need to get out of here, is there anything you want us to tell Annabeth?"
"That I love her," Percy said. "And that I will see her again even if I have to tear New Rome down brick by brick."
Hazel swallowed. "Noted."
Percy's eyebrows knitted. "That's not quite what I meant. Obviously you and Frank aren't part of that."
"New Rome is my home, Percy. And it was yours too at least for a little while. You don't really intend to destroy it, do you?"
"They took Annabeth from me. And worse, they're forcing her to give up camp. You're not all bad, but you are enablers."
"Is that what Gwen was?"
It was like she punched Percy in the face. "I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean that!"
Hazel grimaced. "Look, I'll get Annabeth out for you. But I won't help you destroy my home. That will only make this schism worse."
"And when you do, New Rome will come to destroy my home," Percy said softly. He and Hazel made eye contact and they realized the inevitable truth. If no agreement was reached, they would be enemies next time they saw each other.
"Not if I can convince Reyna," Hazel said. But even her words sounded hollow.
"We have to go," Frank said. "Goodbye, Percy! And uh, Clarisse."
Percy smiled a little. "Goodbye Frank. Goodbye Hazel. I'll see you on the other side." And Percy slashed a hand through the rainbow.