━━━pretty girl
.・゜゜・───・゜゜・．
Cal sneezed.
The wind coming off the ocean flew into Cal's eyes and nose, and she sneezed again. Besider her, Percy snorted.
"You ok?" He asked, eyes mirthful.
She nodded and rubbed at her nose, wrinkling it. "Yeah, just tickles."
He smiled at her, his arm across Annie's shoulders. The two of them were dressed in Camp Half-Blood shirts, looking like they had never left the Greek side. Annie's sunshine hair was up in its regular ponytail, and Cal focused on her jawline and slim throat. Her chest rumbled and walked forward, wrapping her arms around the girl's waist.
She smiled, "you're really pretty." she whispered into the blonde's ears, and watched as a blush spread across her cheeks.
Callahan turned to Percy and raised a brow. The boy smirked, nodding.
"Very pretty, Lucky." his arm tightened around Annie's shoulders, "you put the world to shame." He whispered in her other ear.
Annie's face was fire truck red by the time the eight of them convened on the deck. Callahan couldn't stop giggling, and Jason was staring at the lipstick on Annie's neck like it was a bullet wound. Hazel squeaked at Percy's ruffled hair and vicious grin.
Cal winked at the two as she moved to her spot beside Frank, and Annie and Percy blushed.
"So," Jason said, clearing his throat, "What's the plan?"
"I want to check the highway," Piper said, "Find the sign that says Topeka 32."
Leo grinned, winking at Cal as he answered Piper, "We can do that. We're not far, and Festus and I calculated the landing as best we could. What do you expect to find at the mile marker?"
Piper explained what she'd seen in the knife—the man in purple with a goblet. She kept quiet about the other images, though, like the vision of Percy, Jason, and herself drowning. Callahan hummed under her breath, staring hard at the floorboards.
"Purple shirt?" Jason asked. "Vines on his hat? Sounds like Bacchus."
"Dionysus," Percy muttered. "If we came all the way to Kansas to see Mr. D—"
"Bacchus isn't so bad," Jason said. "I don't like his followers much...."
"But the god himself is okay," Jason continued. "I did him a favor once up in the wine country."
Percy looked appalled. "Whatever, man. Maybe he's better on the Roman side. But why would he be hanging around in Kansas? Didn't Zeus order the gods to cease all contact with mortals?"
Frank grunted. "The gods haven't been very good at following that order," he noted. "Besides, if the gods have gone schizophrenic as Hazel said—"
"And Leo said," added Leo.
Frank scowled at him. "Then who knows what's going on with the Olympians? Could be some pretty bad stuff out there."
"Sounds dangerous!" Leo agreed cheerfully. "Well...you guys have fun. I've got to finish repairs on the hull. Coach Hedge is gonna work on the broken crossbows. And, uh, Annabeth—I could really use your help. You're the only other person who even sort of understands engineering."
Annabeth looked apologetically at Percy and Callahan. "He's right. I should stay and help."
"I'll come back to you." He kissed her on the cheek. "Promise."
Cal smiled and nodded, grabbing her hand and kissing the back of it. "Promise."
Frank slid his bow off his shoulder and propped it against the rail. "I think I should turn into a crow or something and fly around, keep an eye out for Roman eagles."
"Why a crow?" Leo asked. "Man, if you can turn into a dragon, why don't you just turn into a dragon every time? That's the coolest."
Frank's face looked like it was being infused with cranberry juice. "That's like asking why you don't bench-press your maximum weight every time you lift. Because it's hard, and you'd hurt yourself. Turning into a dragon isn't easy."
"Oh." Leo nodded. "I wouldn't know. I don't lift weights."
"Yeah. Well, maybe you should consider it, Mr.—"
Hazel stepped between them.
"I'll help you, Frank," she said, shooting Leo an evil look. "I can summon Arion and scout around below."
"Sure," Frank said, still glaring at Leo. "Yeah, thanks."
Callahan stepped forward, resting a hand on Frank's broad shoulders. She squeezed once, and the big man stepped back and returned to Hazel's side. The brunette sighed and stared at Frank for a second, her eyes narrowed.
Hazel turned to Percy. "Just be careful when you go out there. Lots of fields, lots of crops. Could be karpoi on the loose."
Percy and Cal nodded, and nobody asked any questions.
.・゜゜・───・゜゜・．
The hair on the back of Cal's neck stood up the second Bacchus left. All of a sudden everything felt alive; the plants turned to stare and the wind grew hostile. A cold feeling ran up Cal's spine and her mouth went dry. Annie had described a cold feeling right before...
"Guys, Bacchus is right." Piper spoke into the stillness, "we need to leave."
Too late, little heroes. A rich and sleepy voice rolled over the open fields, feminine and ancient. The ground beneath Cal shook like even it didn't like that they were there.
She drew one of her swords and stepped close to Piper, eyes glaring at the field around them. Gaea was everywhere, in the pollen that swam through the air, the weeds that seeped through the cracks of the asphalt. Cal shivered.
Welcome to my party, children. Gaea murmured. Her voice sounded like the forest when the leaves were rustling and dried plants cracked beneath your feet. It sounded everywhere and deep in Cal's bones.
What did Bacchus say? the goddess mocked. A simple, low-key affair with organic snacks? Yes. For my snacks, I need only two: the blood of a female demigod, and the blood of a male. Piper, my dear, choose which hero will die with you.
"Gaea! Show yourself! Stop hiding in the wheat!" Jason yelled into the wind.
Such bravado. But Percy Jackson has such appeal. Gaea whispered in Cal's ear and she whipped around to face the horizon behind them. All around her the world was alive, and the ground continued to resonate beneath her feet.
Choose, Piper McLean, or I will.
Callahan gulped and stepped closer to Percy, the hair on her arms standing up. Behind her, Piper yelled,
"You're insane! I'm not choosing anything for you!"
Suddenly Jason gasped and sat up ramrod straight in his saddle. Cal swallowed with a dry throat.
"Jason?" Cal whispered before she turned to face Percy. The boy was making his way back on top of Blackjack, and he stared at her with blank eyes. "Percy?"
His eyes flashed before he galloped away. The boy stopped thirty feet away from them and wheeled back around, pointing the razor tip of Riptide at Jason.
"One must die." His voice wasn't the ocean breeze Cal knew, soft and soothing and full of life. Instead, it was hollow and deep, ancient and cold, like something for the bottom of the ocean or worse.
"I will choose," Jason answered in the same hollow voice.
Beside her, Piper shivered like a leaf, her eyes dancing between the two boys in front of them. Cal's honey eyes remained fixed on Percy, hoping against all else that he would be ok.
"NO!" Piper yelled.
Around them, the grass hissed like Gaea was laughing, and she whispered all around them.
Choose, Piper McLean, or Callahan Lee dies.
An eight-foot-wide fissure opened up beneath Cal's feet, and she fell down onto the ground beneath it. Around her, the walls shook like they were laughing, and the ground was soft and wet, sliding between her fingers like mud.
Choose, my dear, before I swallow their love whole. Above Cal, the fissure started to stitch close.
━━━pretty girl
.・゜゜・───・゜゜・．