Finding the place was easy. Percy led us 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.
"I'll go first," Jason said.
"No!" I yelped.
The boys turned toward me.
"Lains, what is it?" Jason asked. "That vision you told us...you've seen it before, haven't you?"
I gave a wary glance toward Jasper. He seemed to put the pieces together. He gave me an encouraging nod. It was time I told them the truth.
I nodded, my eyes stinging. "I didn't know how to tell you. I saw the room down there filling with water. I saw the five of us drowning."
Piper, Jason and Percy frowned.
"I can't drown," Percy said, though he sounded like he was asking a question.
"Maybe the future has changed," Piper speculated. "In the image you described to us, there wasn't any water."
I wished she was right. But I knew we wouldn't be so lucky.
"Look," Percy said. "I'll check it out first. It's fine. Be right back."
Before I could object, he disappeared down the stairwell.I counted silently as we waited for him to come back. Somewhere around thirty-five, I heard his footsteps, and he appeared at the top, looking more baffled than relieved.
"Good news: no water," he said. "Bad news: I don't see any exits down there. And, uh, weird news: well, you should see this...."
We descended cautiously. Percy took the lead, with Riptide drawn. Piper followed, and Jason walked behind her, guarding the middle and I followed him with Jasper behind me guarding our backs.
The stairwell was a cramped corkscrew of masonry, no more than six feet in diameter. Even though Percy had given the "all clear," I kept my eyes open for traps. With every turn of the stairs, I anticipated an ambush. My fingers fiddled with my bracelet.
As we wound their way underground, I saw old graffiti gouged into the stones: Roman numerals, names and phrases in Italian. That meant other people had been down here more recently than the Roman Empire, but I wasn't reassured. If monsters were below, they'd ignore mortals, waiting for some nice juicy demigods to come along.
Finally, we reached the bottom.
Percy turned. "Watch this last step."
He jumped to the floor of the cylindrical room, which was five feet lower than the stairwell. Why would someone design a set of stairs like that? I had no idea. Maybe the room and the stairwell had been built during different time periods.
I wanted to turn and exit, but I couldn't do that with Jasper behind me, and I couldn't just leave Percy, Piper and Jason, down there. I clambered down, and Jasper followed.
The room was just like I'd seen it in my vision, except there was no water. The curved walls had once been painted with frescoes, which were now faded to eggshell white with only flecks of color. The domed ceiling was about fifty feet above.
Around the back side of the room, opposite the stairwell, nine alcoves were carved into the wall. Each niche was about five feet off the floor and big enough for a human-sized statue, but each was empty.
The air felt cold and dry. As Percy had said, there were no other exits.
"All right." Percy raised his eyebrows. "Here's the weird part. Watch."
He stepped to the middle of the room.
Instantly, green and blue light rippled across the walls. I heard the sound of a fountain, but there was no water. There didn't seem to be any source of light except for Percy's and Jason's blades.
"Do you smell the ocean?" Percy asked.
I hadn't noticed at first. I was standing next to Percy, and he always smelled like the sea. But he was right.
The scent of salt water and storm was getting stronger, like a summer hurricane approaching.
"An illusion?" Piper asked. All of a sudden, I felt strangely thirsty.
"I don't know," Percy said. "I feel like there should be water here—lots of water. But there isn't any. I've never been in a place like this."
Jason moved to the row of niches. He touched the bottom shelf of the nearest one, which was just at his eye level.
"This stone...it's embedded with seashells. This is a nymphaeum."
My mouth was definitely getting drier. "A what?"
"We have one at Camp Jupiter," Jasper said, "on Temple Hill. It's a shrine to the nymphs."
I ran my hand along the bottom of another niche. Jason was right. The alcove was studded with cowries, conches, and scallops. The seashells seemed to dance in the watery light. They were ice-cold to the touch.I had always thought of nymphs as friendly spirits—silly and flirtatious, generally harmless. This place, though, didn't feel like the canoe lake back at Camp Half-Blood, or the streams in the woods where I normally met nymphs. This place felt unnatural, hostile, and very dry.
"I don't like this place.." I said, taking a step back and looking toward the exit. Jasper placed a hand on my shoulder. A gesture to tell me to relax.
Jason stepped back and examined the row of alcoves. "Shrines like this were all over the place in Ancient Rome. Rich people had them outside their villas to honor nymphs, to make sure the local water was always fresh. Some shrines were built around natural springs, but most were man-made."
"So...no actual nymphs lived here?" I asked hopefully.
"Not sure," Jason said. "This place where we're standing would have been a pool with a fountain. A lot of times, if the nymphaeum belonged to a demigod, he or she would invite nymphs to live there. If the spirits took up residence, that was considered good luck."
"For the owner," Percy guessed. "But it would also bind the nymphs to the new water source, which would be great if the fountain was in a nice sunny park with fresh water pumped in through the aqueducts—"
"But this place has been underground for centuries," Piper guessed. "Dry and buried. What would happen to the nymphs?"
The sound of water changed to a chorus of hissing, like ghostly snakes.
I paled. I hated snakes. If somewhere in here...
The rippling light shifted from sea blue and green to purple and sickly lime. Above us, the nine niches glowed. They were no longer empty.
Standing in each was a withered old woman, so dried up and brittle they reminded me of mummies—except mummies didn't normally move. Their eyes were dark purple, as if the clear blue water of their life source had condensed and thickened inside them. Their fine silk dresses were now tattered and faded. Their hair had once been piled in curls, arranged with jewels in the style of Roman noblewomen, but now their locks were disheveled and dry as straw. If water cannibals actually existed, I thought, this is what they looked like.
"What would happen to the nymphs?" said the creature in the center niche.
She was in even worse shape than the others. Her back was hunched like the handle of a pitcher. Her skeletal hands had only the thinnest papery layer of skin. On her head, a battered wreath of golden laurels glinted in her roadkill hair.
She fixed her purple eyes on Piper. "What an interesting question, my dear. Perhaps the nymphs would still be here, suffering, waiting for revenge."
I refused to ever listen to one of my visions ever again. Sure, I'd seen myself drowning. But if I'd realized that nine desiccated zombie nymphs would be waiting for me, I never would've come down here.
I considered bolting for the stairs, but when I turned, the doorway had disappeared. Naturally. Nothing was there now but a blank wall. I suspected it wasn't just an illusion. Besides, I would never make it to the opposite side of the room before the zombie nymphs could jump on them.
I shook my arm and my bow appeared in my hand. Jasper stood by my side with his spear at the ready. Jason and Percy stood to either side of Piper, their swords ready.
But I suspected our weapons wouldn't do any good. I'd seen what would happen in this room. Somehow, these things were going to defeat us.
"Who are you?" Percy demanded.
The central nymph turned her head. "Ah...names. We once had names. I was Hagno, the first of the nine!"
I thought it was a cruel joke that a hag like her would be named Hagno, but I decided not to say that.
"The nine," Jason repeated. "The nymphs of this shrine. There were always nine niches."
"Of course." Hagno bared her teeth in a vicious smile. "But we are the original nine, Jason Grace, the ones who attended the birth of your father."
Jason's sword dipped. "You mean Jupiter? You were there when he was born?"
"Zeus, we called him then," Hagno said. "Such a squealing whelp. We attended Rhea in her labor. When the baby arrived, we hid him so that his father, Kronos, would not eat him. Ah, he had lungs, that baby! It was all we could do to drown out the noise so Kronos could not find him. When Zeus grew up, we were promised eternal honors. But that was in the old country, in Greece."
The other nymphs wailed and clawed at their niches. They seemed to be trapped in them, I realized, as if their feet were glued to the stone along with the decorative seashells.
"When Rome rose to power, we were invited here," Hagno said. "A son of Jupiter tempted us with favors. A new home, he promised. Bigger and better! No down payment, an excellent neighborhood. Rome will last forever."
"Forever," the others hissed.
"We gave in to temptation," Hagno said. "We left our simple wells and springs on Mount Lycaeus and moved here. For centuries, our lives were wonderful! Parties, sacrifices in our honor, new dresses and jewelry every week. All the demigods of Rome flirted with us and honored us."
The nymphs wailed and sighed.
"But Rome did not last," Hagno snarled. "The aqueducts were diverted. Our master's villa was abandoned and torn down. We were forgotten, buried under the earth, but we could not leave. Our life sources were bound to this place. Our old master never saw fit to release us. For centuries, we have withered here in the darkness, thirsty...so thirsty."
The others clawed at their mouths.
I felt my own throat closing up.
"I'm sorry for you," Piper said, trying to use charmspeak. "That must have been terrible. But we are not your enemies. If we can help you—"
"Oh, such a sweet voice!" Hagno cried. "Such beautiful features. I was once young like you. My voice was as soothing as a mountain stream. But do you know what happens to a nymph's mind when she is trapped in the dark, with nothing to feed on but hatred, nothing to drink but thoughts of violence? Yes, my dear. You can help us."
Percy raised his hand. "Uh...I'm the son of Poseidon. Maybe I can summon a new water source."
"Ha!" Hagno cried, and the other eight echoed, "Ha! Ha!"
"Indeed, son of Poseidon," Hagno said. "I know your father well. Ephialtes and Otis promised you would come."
I put my hand on Jasper's arm for balance.
"The giants," I said. "You're working for them?"
"They are our neighbors." Hagno smiled. "Their chambers lie beyond this place, where the aqueduct's water was diverted for the games. Once we have dealt with you...once you have helped us...the twins have promised we will never suffer again."
Hagno turned to Jason. "You, child of Jupiter—for the horrible betrayal of your predecessor who brought us here, you shall pay. I know the sky god's powers. I raised him as a baby! Once, we nymphs controlled the rain above our wells and springs. When I am done with you, we will have that power again. And Percy Jackson, child of the sea god...from you, we will take water, an endless supply of water."
"Endless?" Percy's eyes darted from one nymph to the other. "Uh...look, I don't know about endless. But maybe I could spare a few gallons."
"And you, Piper McLean." Hagno's purple eyes glistened. "So young, so lovely, so gifted with your sweet voice. From you, we will reclaim our beauty."
She turned to me and Jasper.
"You, Eliana Corbyn." She gave me a wicked smile. "From you we will heal ourselves back to the youth we once were! With you we will glisten in the sunlight once again."
She turned to Jasper.
"The son of the war god." she snarled. "With you we will reclaim our strength. We have saved our last life force for this day. We are very thirsty. From you five, we shall drink!"
All nine niches glowed. The nymphs disappeared, and water poured from their alcoves—sickly dark water, like oil.
I felt my breath quicken. This was going to be our death. My bow turned back into it's bracelet form. The dark waters rose to my waist.
The Basin filled with alarming speed. Jasper, Piper, Jason, and Percy pounded on the walls, looking for an exit, but they found nothing. I stayed back. I knew our fate, it was useless.
We 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 I stood in a niche, the water was soon up to my 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?"
"That could bring down the whole room and crush us," Piper said.
"Or electrocute us," Jasper added.
"Not many choices," Jason said.
"Let me 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." It was a desperate idea, but I was glad for something to do.
Percy jumped in the water. We climbed from niche to niche, kicking and pounding, wiggling seashells embedded in the stone; but we had no luck.
Sooner than I expected, Percy broke the surface, gasping and flailing. I offered my hand, and he almost pulled me in before I could help him up.
"Couldn't breathe," he choked. "The water...not normal. Hardly made it back."
The life force of the nymphs, I thought. It was so poisoned and malicious, even a son of the sea god couldn't control it.
As the water rose around her, I felt it affecting me too. My leg muscles trembled like I'd been running for miles. My hands turned wrinkled and dry, despite being in the middle of a fountain.
The boys moved sluggishly. 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. Piper's bright eyes seemed dimmer. Jasper's broad strength seemed weaken and his arms were shaking.
"They're taking our power," I said. "Draining us."
"Jason," Percy coughed, "do the lightning."
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 my skin.
"Not what I wanted," Jason said.
The water was up to their necks now. I could feel my strength fading.
"We'll survive," I murmured to myself.
We'd have to swim, and this stuff was already paralyzing us.
We would drown, just like in the visions I'd seen.
Percy started pushing the water away with the back of his hand, like he was shooing a bad dog. "Can't—can't control it!"
I glanced toward Jasper. His skin was very pale and he looked very worn and tired. Nothing like the strong, commanding boy I had met. My eyes ran over his face.
I had quit denying it by now. I did have a thing for him. My heart ached as I thought this would be the last time with him. I brushed a wet piece of hair from his face. His stared at me, his eyes soft.
Who knew brown eyes could be so mesmerizing.
"We can't fight this," Piper said, catching both our attentions now. "If we hold back, that just makes us weaker."
"What do you mean?" Jason shouted over the rain.
The water was up to our chins. Another few inches, and we'd have to swim. But the water wasn't halfway to the ceiling yet. I hoped that meant that we still had time.
"The horn of plenty," she 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.
"Only with your help."
"I need you both to channel everything you've got into the cornucopia," she said. "Percy, think about the sea."
"Salt water?"
"Doesn't matter! As long as it's clean. Jason, think about rainstorms—much more rain. Both of you hold the cornucopia."
I hoped what they were doing would work.
Nothing happened. The rain came down in sheets, still dark and acidic.
My legs felt like lead. The rising water swirled, threatening to pull me under. I could feel my strength fading.
"No good!" Jason yelled, spitting water.
"We're getting nowhere," Percy agreed.
"You have to work together," Piper cried, hoping she was right. "Both 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!" Piper 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," Jason said. "Together."
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 made me gasp.
"It's working!" 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. I could've reached up and touched the miniature rain clouds.
"Don't stop!" Piper said. "We have to dilute the poison until the nymphs are cleansed."
"What if they can't be cleansed?" I 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—"
The rainclouds dissipated and melted into the water. The horn of plenty kept blasting out a clean torrent.
Piper pulled Jason closer and kissed him.
"I love you," Piper said. And then the three disappeared under the water.
It was just me and Jasper now.
He struggled to keep his head above the water. "I'm sorry!" He said between breaths.
I gave him a look of surprise. Sorry for what?
"I'm sorry I was mean to you back when we met! I'm sorry I forced anger on you so I could know what your visions were. I'm sorry I-"
I placed my hand on his cheek. "It's okay. I forgive you." Despite our circumstances he smiled. Like he actually smiled. I felt my stomach do turns and my heart began speeding up. If this got him to smile, I'd do it every day just to see it.
"I never hated you." He continued.
"Neither did I." I said. "I actually quite liked that you followed me around like a lost puppy."
He took his hand and brushed a loose strand of hair out of my face so I could fully see him.
"You know that girl Aphrodite talked about.." He said.
Oh. Her. I had forgotten he liked someone.
"It was you."
"Huh?!"
I could see a faint blush on his cheeks. "The girl I like is you. I-I think you're really pretty and when you smile..." He smiled at the thought of me. "And those eyes." He seemed to melt. "They're the prettiest shade of green I've ever seen."
He...likes me?
He shook himself out of his trance remembering our situation. "Anyway..I just didn't want to die without telling you how much I love you—"
"I like you too." I interrupted. His eyes had been trained on the water but they shot back up and met mine. "I...I guess you have a nice face.."
He smiled and bit his lip to keep from laughing.
For being the daughter of the god of poetry, I was horrible with words.
But that smile...I'd do anything to see it again.
Our heads hit the ceiling. Our time was out.
I put my forehead to his. Everything I wanted to say he seemed to understand at that moment. He ran his fingers through my wet hair, soaking up the final seconds with me and I with him.
"Together?" I asked, taking his hand. His squeeze my hand tightly.
"Together."
Then we were submerged under water.