EDEN HATED IT HERE.
The basin filled with alarming speed. Eden, Piper, Perfect Jason, and Percy pounded on the walls, looking for an exit, but they found nothing. 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 Eden 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," Perfect Jason said. "Maybe blast a hole in the roof?"
"That could bring down the whole room and crush us," Piper said.
"Or electrocute us," Percy added.
"Not many choices," Perfect Jason said.
"Let me and Eden search the bottom," Percy said. "If this place was built as a fountain, there has to be a way to drain the thing. You guys, check the niches for secret exits. Maybe the seashells are knobs, or something."
"God, I fucking hate you," Eden groaned.
Percy jumped in the water. She dove in after him.
Which was a mistake and a half. Eden tried breathing and instantly water came up her nose. The water was weakening her, making her feel like shit. She tried swimming down, but then she couldn't stand it anymore. Her head broke the surface and she gasped.
"Holy shit," Eden coughed, taking Perfect Jason's hand to help her up onto the niche.
Not that it would help. Her body still felt weak as the water rose.
Piper's body looked as if she was sagging. She moved sluggishly like the boys were. Perfect Jason's face was pale. He seemed to be having trouble holding his sword. Percy was drenched and shivering. His hair didn't look quite so dark, as if the color was leaching out.
If Eden looked a single bit like her brother, she'd dive into the water right now.
"They're taking our power," Kaleidoscope said. "Draining us."
"Jason," Percy coughed, "do the lightning."
Perfect Jason raised his sword. The room rumbled, but no lightning appeared. The roof didn't break. Instead, a miniature rainstorm formed at the top of the chamber. Rain poured down, filling the fountain even faster, but it wasn't normal rain. The stuff was just as dark as the water in the pool. Every drop stung Eden's skin.
"Oh, fuck you," Eden shivered.
"Thanks," Perfect Jason said.
The water was up to their necks now. Eden could feel her high amount of strength fading.
Percy started pushing the water away with the back of his hand, like he was shooing a bad dog. But dogs were good. Good doggie. "Can't — can't control it!"
"Yeah, no shit," Eden snapped.
"We can't fight this," Kaleidoscope said. "If we hold back, that just makes us weaker."
Eden wanted to snicker. Holding back. Haha. God, she loved her mind.
"What do you mean?" Perfect Jason shouted over the rain.
The water was up to their chins. Another few inches, and they'd have to swim. But the water wasn't halfway to the ceiling yet.
"The horn of plenty," Piper said. "We have to overwhelm the nymphs with fresh water, give them more than they can use. If we can dilute this poisonous stuff—"
"Can your horn do that?" Percy struggled to keep his head above water, which was obviously a new experience for him. He looked scared out of his mind. Eden totally wasn't that scared, no.
"Only with your help." Piper held the thing out. "I need you guys to channel everything you've got into the cornucopia," she said. "Darling, Percy, think about the sea."
"Salt water?" Percy asked. As if it was a relevant question.
"Doesn't matter! As long as it's clean. Jason, think about rainstorms — much more rain. All of you hold the cornucopia."
They huddled together as the water lifted them off their ledges. Water. Water. Right. Eden loved water. She absolutely adored it.
Nothing happened. The rain came down in sheets, still dark and acidic. Fuck water.
Eden's legs felt like lead. The rising water swirled, threatening to pull her under. She could feel her strength fading.
"No good!" Perfect Jason yelled, spitting water.
"We're getting nowhere," Percy agreed.
"I fucking hate water." Eden grumbled.
"You have to work together," Piper cried. "All of you think of clean water — a storm of water. Don't hold anything back. Picture all your power, all your strength leaving you."
"That's not hard!" Percy said.
"But force it out!" Kaleidoscope said. "Offer up everything, like — like you're already dead, and your only goal is to help the nymphs. It's got to be a gift . . . a sacrifice."
They got quiet at that word.
"Let's try again," Perfect Jason said. "Together."
Eden groaned. "This was not my idea."
This time Eden bent all her concentration toward the horn of plenty. She gave her strength up willingly and imagined all of her power flooding out of her.
I'm already dead, she told herself. Fuck living. Fuck immortality. Fuck the sweet scent of smoke as she burned down a place, screw coffee, and, god, music was a bitch that she didn't want anymore.
Clear water blasted from the horn with such force, it pushed them against the wall. The rain changed to a white torrent, so clean and cold.
"It's working!" Perfect Jason cried.
"Too well," Percy said. "We're filling the room even faster!"
He was right. The water rose so quickly, the roof was now only a few feet away. Eden could've reached up and touched the miniature rain clouds. She did.
"Don't stop!" Kaleidoscope said. "We have to dilute the poison until the nymphs are cleansed."
"What if they can't be cleansed?" Perfect Jason asked. "They've been down here turning evil for thousands of years."
"Just don't hold back," Piper said. "Give everything. Even if we go under—"
Eden's head hit the ceiling. The rainclouds dissipated and melted into the water. The corn of whatever kept blasting out a clean torrent.
Piper suddenly gripped Eden's jacket, pulling her closer and kissing her.
"I love you," she said.
Eden opened her mouth to respond, but then she went under.
She held her breath. The current roared in her ears. Bubbles swirled around her. Light still rippled through the room, and she was surprised she could see it. Was the water getting clearer?
Eden sunk to the bottom, without a care in the world.
Until all of the water disappeared, and suddenly she was tackled by a blur of brown and blue.
"You scared me," Piper held her face in her hands. "Don't do that to me ever again, Eden Victoria Achilles-Fairchild. You hear me?"
"Yeah, yeah, of course I do." Eden blinked at her statement. "I know. I'll try not to do it again, babe. I promise on—"
Suddenly, a clap of thunder threw them back. Eden looked over to see Perfect Jason gasping for air.
"Sorry," he coughed. "Didn't mean to."
"You just ruined the moment entirely," Eden scoffed. "God, what was in you to make you do that?"
Percy grinned. "In case you're wondering, that was clean water in your lungs. I could make it come out with no problem."
"Ah, of course, salt water," Eden muttered.
"Thanks, man." Perfect Jason clasped his hand weakly. "But I think Piper's the real hero. She saved us all."
Yes, she did, a voice echoed through the chamber.
The niches glowed. Nine figures appeared, but they were no longer withered creatures. They were young, beautiful nymphs in shimmering blue gowns, their glossy black curls pinned up with silver and gold brooches. Their eyes were gentle shades of blue and green.
As Eden watched, eight of the nymphs dissolved into vapor and floated upward. Only the nymph in the center remained.
"Hagno?" Kaleidoscope asked.
The nymph smiled. "Yes, my dear. I didn't think such selflessness existed in mortals . . . especially in demigods. No offense."
Eden got to her feet. "How could we take offense? You just tried to drown us and suck out our lives."
Hagno winced. "Sorry about that. I was not myself. But you have reminded me of the sun and the rain and the streams in the meadows. Eden, Percy, and Jason, thanks to you, I remembered the sea and the sky. I am cleansed. But mostly, thanks to Piper. She shared something even better than clear running water." Hagno turned to her. "You have a good nature, Piper. And I'm a nature spirit. I know what I'm talking about."
Hagno pointed to the other side of the room. The stairs to the surface reappeared. Directly underneath, a circular opening shimmered into existence, like a sewer pipe, just big enough to crawl through. Eden suspected this was how the water had drained out.
"You may return to the surface," Hagno said. "Or, if you insist, you may follow the waterway to the giants. But choose quickly, because both doors will fade soon after I am gone. That pipe connects to the old aqueduct line, which feeds both this nymphaeum and the hypogeum that the giants call home."
"Ugh." Percy pressed on his temples. "Please, no more complicated words."
"Oh, home is not a complicated word." Hagno sounded completely sincere. "I thought it was, but now you have unbound us from this place. My sisters have gone to seek new homes . . . a mountain stream, perhaps, or a lake in a meadow. I will follow them. I cannot wait to see the forests and grasslands again, and the clear running water."
"Uh," Percy said nervously, "things have changed up above in the last few thousand years."
"Nonsense," Hagno said. "How bad could it be? Pan would not allow nature to become tainted. I can't wait to see him, in fact."
Eden looked at Percy. They agreed not to say anything. Wow, for once they agreed on something.
"Good luck, Hagno," Kaleidoscope said. "And thank you."
The nymph smiled one last time and vaporized.
Briefly, the nymphaeum glowed with a softer light, like a full moon. Eden smelled exotic spices and blooming roses. She heard distant music and happy voices talking and laughing.
Eden laughed and grabbed Piper's hand, lifting their arms above their heads so Eden could spin her girl around.
"Let's go meet some giants, so I can dance with my girl," Eden said, leading them down the goddamn pipe.