Chapter 18
Piper
Piper hated Annabeth's idea. The other girls dragged her into her room after Annabeth kissed Percy quickly before going to the part of her closet she wished didn't exist.
While Hazel and Annabeth hunted for clothes, Piper leaned back on her bed. She closed her eyes. Gods of Olympus, Jason loved her! His face had been nervous but with that smile that made the scar on his lip turn up. And he had kissed her for real. Instead of Piper wanting to kiss again, it was Jason. Instead of her heart racing, his was.
"Do you like this?" Annabeth suddenly demanded, holding up a frilly white dress with silver flats. "I never wear this stuff, and Percy would have a heart attack."
"No." Piper grinned. "I hate all of those clothes. But that's fine."
Annabeth smiled in relief. "Thanks. Try it on and go show Jason!"
"Ah..." Piper muttered. "No thank you."
Before she knew it, the dress was on; the flats were stuffed on her feet, giving her toes no air. She had eye shadow, mascara, lip gloss... Ugh. She hated being so girly.
"Let's go," Hazel whimpered with a grin. Annabeth took Piper's back and began to push while Hazel towed Piper along. "The guys will be amazed."
Piper touched her straight hair that still felt hot from the flat iron. She felt sweaty. There were butterflies in her stomach. She felt ready to throw up.
Hazel danced on ahead. "We made Piper very unhappy but extremely beautiful. After this she will kill me and Annabeth for giving her makeup."
Someone whistled. Piper gritted her teeth. Leo.
"I present Piper McLean!"
Annabeth shoved Piper forward, so she had to step out. She walked out shyly. She peeked from under her long lashes.
The boys looked shocked. Piper analyzed their faces.
Frank looked like he was staring at the sun. It was like he couldn't find a way to blink. His eyebrows were raised, but he looked impressed. Gah...
Percy looked stunned, like someone announced that we were all dreaming and that there were no gods. But his mouth was turned up in a grin, and he gave her a thumbs-up. He mouthed: You hate it, but let Annabeth have some pride.
For once, Leo didn't joke. His mouth was opened slightly, and he was gasping. His brown eyes were totally bugging out. It pleased Piper that he was so tongue-tied.
Finally, her eyes rested on Jason. His mouth was wide open. His blue eyes were warm, and surprisingly pleased.
"Ugh..." Piper managed to say, her face turning red. "Ta da," she added, going into a small curtsy. "I look like a Barbie doll." She pointed to the two girls grinning from across the room. "It was their fault." She stomped out of the room, but not fast enough. She heard Leo burst out laughing.
"Aw, come on Piper!" Annabeth yelled from down the hall. "Keep the dress on!"
Piper shut her door loudly and quickly changed into shorts and her Camp Half-Blood shirt. She kicked off her flats and went to her mirror to wipe off the makeup. She wet the washcloth and began to scrub her eyes.
The door opened quietly. "Go away, Annabeth," Piper grumbled.
"I would, but I'm not a girl."
As usual, Piper's heart did a little tap dance. She turned around to see Jason leaning against her door, looking like a god. He was grinning as her discomfort for girly things.
"Then you can stay," Piper muttered, turning back to the mirror. She scrubbed the last of the makeup off before throwing the washcloth down with too much force. "I hate this stupid outfit. I hate charmspeaking. I just hate this quest." She hung her dress up, threw her shoes in her closet, and stared in the mirror in despair as she touched her straight hair.
Jason spun her around. "You're our secret weapon. Nobody will see it coming."
She shook her head. "That Cyclops obviously knew I'm a secret weapon."
"Ha! You can't even lie to yourself, Piper. He doesn't know you're a charmspeaker. He just knows Gaea wants you." Jason was grinning again.
"I will skewer you," Piper muttered. She hugged Jason.
"I doubt that," he said with a laugh. "Not the way you look at me. You would never skewer me, Piper McLean."
"Stop being so sarcastic," she snorted. She jumped away and put her hand on the sheathed Katoptris. His eyes widened in surprise.
Before Piper could pretend to skewer him, someone spoke in her mind. It made her freeze and she dropped her knife.
You're in my terrain now, Piper McLean. The giants were right. They will torture you, Gaea whispered. When my sons spill your blood at the entrance to the Doors of Death, it will ignite a war between the six remaining demigods. Join Nico di Angelo. You'll both die soon enough.
The voice faded. Piper got her vision back and she began to breathe again. How long had she held her breath?
"What was that?" Jason asked. "You got seriously pale and you stopped breathing."
She found it difficult to swallow. "Gaea found me. She said the giants will spill my blood at the entrance to the Doors of Death."
The two looked at each other for a long time. Piper held out her arms, needing comfort. Jason instantly hugged her. They stood like that for a few minutes.
"Let's do something exciting," Piper suddenly suggested. "Let's go outside."
Jason rolled his eyes. "You have another crazy idea? You're going to get killed one day from these plans."
Piper kissed him before he could ramble about her stupidity. "If I die, I'm dragging you down with me."
Before they could even get out of the room, the ship gave a lurch down. For a second, Piper thought they were still in the air. That's when she realized the ground was rising. The ground was swallowing them up.
"Jason!" Piper screamed, getting knocked off her feet by the shaking. "Only a few of you can save us! Get Hazel and Percy! It's up to you guys!"
"No!" Jason insisted, on the ground as well. "I'm not leaving!"
"Go," Piper whispered, seeing his pain. "You'll save me, Superman."
Even though he looked ready to argue, he nodded and rushed out of her room. When she heard screams, she knew she had the find the others. So she crawled to the main room.
She found Annabeth, Leo, and Frank holding onto the steering wheel with white faces. As Piper tried to crawl to them, the ship lurched to the side, and she slid down as far as she could go. She slammed into the guiderail, and when she could see, she found herself on the outside catwalk. She was in pain. She held her side and groaned. She rubbed her head where the metal bar had whacked her.
Suddenly, Annabeth held her wrist and screamed. It wasn't like the scream when Piper and Jason were fighting Leo. No. This scream was a scream of agony. The daughter of Athena was in torture and couldn't escape. The pain on her wrist must have been too much for Annabeth, because she lost her grip and went sliding, slamming into the guiderail next to Piper.
"Annabeth," Piper screamed past the noise of the screaming of the three demigods trying to get the warship up. "What's wrong?"
"The prophecy," Annabeth muttered, tears running down her cheeks. "Wisdom's daughter walks alone, the Mark of Athena burns through Rome." She held out her wrist, and there was a silver charm bracelet with an owl hanging. "This is the Mark of Athena. In a fight, I can bring peace. And also I get stronger in battle. The fight at Camp Half-Blood must be starting!" She sobbed out, "Percy... he's the only one who knows."
Piper bit her tongue. She'd forgotten Octavian had been leading an army to attack camp! She was so stupid.
Before she could react, a piece of the earth began to swallow the guiderail. Piper screamed at the top of her lungs. In the moonlight, someone turned. It was Hazel. In a yell of defiance, some gems shoved the earth back down.
Annabeth screamed again in pain.
Leo was cursing in Spanish.
Frank was the only quiet one. His face was oddly angry, like he knew this was going to happen soon enough, but he was angry at the earth.
Hazel ran off. Right when she left, the earth began to swallow the guiderail. Piper cried out again. Annabeth was doubled over in pain, howling about how her wrist was hurting. Her whole arm was glowing silver.
Something wrapped around Piper's ankle. She looked down, and part of the earth was swallowing her up. She screamed out loud. She was getting dragged down. The rocks were cold. After a few seconds, the earth was up to her waist.
"Ugh!" she cried out, trying to twist around. "I need help!"
She looked up, hoping to see someone. Jason was floating on top and zapping lightning at the ground. Hazel was using her gems to bat the earth down. Percy was making the water from the pond make the earth too squishy to swallow up the Argo II. Despite their efforts, nothing was happening.
If Piper didn't yell anything soon, she knew she would die. The earth would swallow her up and suffocate her. So she threw back her head and yelled, "Help me!"
Jason came to her rescue. He heard her and looked down before flying downwards. He hovered inches off the ground.
"Curse Gaea," he said angrily. "We're going to get you out."
The earth was up to her chest and making it hard to breathe. "Do something now!"
His blue eyes filled with horror. "Piper... there's nothing I can do."
"What?" she asked in disbelief. "There has to be! Jason, you have to get me out of this! You always save me!"
"I can't, but you can. Charmspeak the earth to stop," he whispered. He was upset but trying not to show it.
"I can't fight fire with fire. This is Gaea." Piper tried twisting away. The earth was now at her shoulders.
"Piper..." Jason pressed his hands to the earth and zapped it with electricity. The earth lost an inch but grew even higher. She was now covering up to her neck.
"Save the ship," Piper commanded. "I'll be fine."
Jason shook his head. In the night, his electric blue eyes were even bluer. "I can't just leave you to die."
She couldn't answer. The earth swallowed her up. Chills ran up her spine. She could barely breathe. Her breaths came out in little gasps. She was falling down. The floor under her stopped her. She was in a cavern. The air was cold and thin. She was so cold.
"Piper, is that you?"
She looked where the voice came from. Sitting in the corner was a girl with spiky black hair and Jason's electric blue eyes. Her clothes were silvery, and she held a bow. Her shaft was full of arrows. It was Thalia.
"Thalia," Piper called. "Were you hunting the giants?"
"Yeah," Thalia grumbled, plucking her bowstring. "I got swallowed by the earth. I've been in here for like a day. How did you get down here?"
"The warship was getting sucked up," Piper said, sitting down on the cold rocks. "So the ground decided it wanted me, too." She put her head on her knees and stared at the dark cavern around her.
Thalia chuckled. "I have cold rations in case we don't get found any time soon."
The few seconds of silence were unbearable. Piper leaned her head against the wall of rock and strained to hear the outside noise.
"It's safe!" Leo cried from above. "Thanks!"
"We lost Piper," Hazel murmured. "I can sense a cavern right beneath us."
Thalia looked up. "They're going to find us." She looked at Piper warmly. "You're a gift from the gods. Jason's right for liking you so much."
Piper's cheeks warmed at the compliment. "Thanks, Thalia."
A few minutes passed, but a hole in the roof opened. Jason floated down, his blue eyes frightened.
"Jason!" Piper yelled, throwing herself into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and had no intention of letting him go. "You did save me."
"Thalia, what are you doing here?" Jason asked, sounding shocked.
"The same reason how Piper got stuck down here, baby brother. Gaea trapped me." Thalia stood up and dusted the dirt off her shoulders. "I have to lead the hunt. But I can't hunt down these giants. That's your job." She looked at her brother. "Take care of this girl, Jason. She's the only reason I'm free."
The daughter of Zeus squeezed Piper and Jason in one hug before gracefully scaling the wall like a spider before jumping out.
Piper turned to hug Jason again, but he kissed her. His lips were soft on hers, but had some force she didn't recognize. When he pulled away, she took a deep breath.
"You are my Superman," she said with a giant smile. "I knew you'd save me."
He took her hand. His hand was hot. "You are a bad luck charm, but my good luck charm."
Her heart felt like it was swelling with pride. "Thank the gods I'm good luck for someone."
He took her in his arms and flew upwards. When her feet touched the ground, the demigods rushed forward and sandwiched her in a hug.
"You still look good," Annabeth said with a smile, touching Piper's hair. "It's still straight."
"I want it in a braid, if you will," Piper grumbled. "I still don't want to charmspeak tomorrow, but if I don't, you two will kill me."
Hazel laughed easily. "Gods, you're so picky!"
The two girls dragged Piper away. Leo was laughing at her, and Percy was calling to them not to kill Piper.
"Ouch! Careful with me," Piper grumbled as Annabeth was braiding her hair.
"Ooh, Piper, your hair is so long." Annabeth grinned. "My hair could never be that long. It would become tangled and then Percy would tease me. But I like him teasing me."
Piper brought her hair over her shoulder. Hazel had insisted for side bangs, and the style was messy. Piper was pleased.
"Well, this is better than getting swallowed by earth," she admitted. "Now get out of my room."
The girls left. The ship was oddly quiet after the dangerous ordeal with the earth. Piper was tired, so she climbed into bed early. Every once in a while, Annabeth cried out in pain from the Mark of Athena, and Percy was explaining it to everyone. Since Piper already knew, she didn't want to hear the story again.
The dreams followed her. She dreamed that she was chained to a steep cliff. Her wrists were hurting. She was cold, injured, thirsty, and tired. Two giants loomed over her.
If your friends do not come soon, you will join Nico di Angelo inside, the taller one said. It was Porphyrion. Prepare to die, Piper McLean.
Piper woke up screaming.
That was a nice cliffhanger. Not too big, but not too small. Anyway, I have to warn you: the next few chapters will have MAJOR cliffhangers. And I'm not dropping any hints whatsoever. :)
Leo: DISCLAIMER!
Me: Disclaimer: I'm not Ricky, so please. Give him the credit.
That's all for now, guys!