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EIGHT LETTERS

CHAPTER FIVE
[ N A T A L I A ]

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JASON GRACE IS an idiot.

No matter how much Natalia liked him (well, loved, but that was for another time), she couldn't deny that he was clueless sometimes. Getting hit in the head with a brick? He really needed to be aware of his surroundings.

But one problem nagged her mind; would he be okay when he woke up? They had given him nectar and ambrosia, but that brick hit him pretty hard. He had memory loss before, but if it happened again — that would be the worst thing that'd ever happen to him.

Natalia sat by his side in his cabin, gently rubbing her thumb back and forth on his hand, a thought appearing in her head. She was completely bored out of her mind, and Piper had told her that her blade, Katoptris, could show visions. The two had a close bond — not as close as the one she shared with Annabeth, but they were close enough to tell each other their problems. After Natalia had kissed Jason in front of the entire Camp, she had a long talk with Piper about her old crush on Jason. Piper had reassured her that she didn't like Jason like that anymore and that she definitely supported them. Natalia would be forever grateful for that.

She cleared her throat, making up her mind. "Hey, Pipes, can I see your knife?"

The girl, sitting on the opposite side of the cabin, looked up at her with a worried expression. "Nat, you never know what it'll show—"

"It's okay," Natalia said. She'd had worse visions lately. "Please."

Piper sighed and stood up, walking across the room and sitting next to the girl. She unsheathed her blade and handed it to Natalia. Natalia took the wooden handle, it feeling extremely unfamiliar to her. She liked her bow and arrow much better.

At first, all she saw was her and Piper's reflection. Then, light rippled across the metal. She saw a crowd of Roman Demigods gathered in the forum. That annoying kid Octavian was speaking to the mob while shaking his fist, probably yelling We need to kill those Greeks!

Reyna, the Praetor, stood to one side, her face tight with a suppressed emotion. Bitterness? Anger? Natalia didn't know.

She had an open mind about Reyna. Jason spoke very highly of her, and Natalia wanted to like her. Reyna lived up to her expectations, and Natalia admired how she kept her emotions in check.

Natalia knew how much Reyna liked Jason. Anyone could see that — well, except him — and Natalia thanked her for giving the Greeks a fair chance . . . until the Argo II fired on the Camp.

However, they had messed up their chance for peace. Natalia wanted Jason to remember his old life, have his childhood there back, maybe with her in it. Now, that one chance had slipped away. He was lying in his cabin hurt from a stupid brick, and that dumbass Octavian was preparing the Romans for war.

The scene suddenly shifted on the blade. There was a rapid series of images; Jason riding into battle on horseback, his eyes gold instead of the blue she admired; a woman in an old-fashioned Southern belle dress, standing in an oceanside park with palm trees; a bull with the face of a bearded man, rising out of a river; and two Giants in matching yellow togas, hoisting a rope on a pulley system, lifting a large bronze vase out of a pit.

Then came a vision that made her sick to her stomach: Natalia saw herself with Jason, Piper, and Percy, standing waist-deep in water at the bottom of a dark circular chamber that looked like a well. Ghostly shapes moved through the water as it rose rapidly. Natalia tried to climb up the wall, but there was nowhere to go. The water reached their chests. Jason was pulled under. Percy stumbled and disappeared. Piper was clawing at the wall, trying to escape. Natalia let out a scream before being dragged under.

Percy drowning? How that was even possible, Natalia didn't know.

Piper glanced over at her with a worried expression. Natalia took a shaky breath, shaking her head before glancing down at the blade again.

This time, she saw an empty highway cutting between fields of wheat and sunflowers. A mileage marker read: Topeka 32. On the shoulder of the road stood a man in khaki shorts and a purple Camp shirt. His face was lost in the shadow of a broad hat, the brim wreathed in leafy vines. He held up a silver goblet and beckoned to Natalia and Piper. Somehow she knew he was offering her some sort of gift.

Natalia recognized him. Mr. D?

"Hey," Jason croaked out.

Natalia's head snapped up, and she smiled at the cute state of her boyfriend. She stood up and walked closer to his bed, leaving Katoptris by Piper. She kept her hand in his, and used the other to brush the hair away from his forehead.

"Hey, Sparky," Natalia chuckled.

"Glad to see you're still your usual self," Jason said, a small smile on his face. He then touched his bandaged head and frowned. "What . . . what happened? I remember the explosions, and—"

"You remember who we are?" Piper asked.

Jason tried to laugh, but it turned into a painful wince. "Last I checked, you were my cool best friend Piper, and you were my badass girlfriend Natalia. Unless something had changed since I was out?"

Natalia helped him sit up. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, Jay."

She then gave him some nectar, and her and Piper explained what was happening. When they had just begun to explain Leo's plan to fix the ship, they heard horse hooves clomping across the deck over their heads.

Moments later, Leo and Hazel stumbled to a stop in the doorway, carrying a large sheet of hammered bronze between them. Once Natalia's gaze settled on them, her eyes widened.

"Gods of Olympus," Piper said, staring at Leo. "What happened to you?"

His hair was greased back. He had welding goggles on his forehead, a lipstick mark on his cheek, tattoos all over his arms, and a t-shirt that read HOT STUFF, BAD BOY, and TEAM LEO.

"Long story," he said. "Others back?"

Natalia shook her head. "No, not yet."

Leo cursed. Then he noticed Jason sitting up, and his face brightened. "Hey, man! Glad you're better. I'll be in the engine room."

He ran off with the sheet of bronze, leaving Hazel in the doorway.

Natalia raised her eyebrow at her. "So, Team Leo, huh?"

"We met Narcissus," Hazel said, though Natalia was still confused. "Also Nemesis, the revenge Goddess."

Jason sighed. "I miss all the fun."

"Yeah, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't get hit with a brick next time," Natalia said to him.

On the deck above, something went THUMP, as if a heavy creature had landed. Annabeth and Percy came running down the hall. Percy was tiring a steaming five-gallon plastic bucket that smelled horrible. Annabeth had a patch of black sticky stuff in her hair. Percy's shirt was covered in it.

Natalia's eyebrows raised, and they looked so ridiculous she almost laughed. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that's roofing tar."

Annabeth pointed a finger-gun at her. "Correct."

Frank stumbled up behind them, which made the hallway pretty jam-packed with Demigods. Frank had a big smear of the black sludge down his face.

"Ran into some tar monsters," Annabeth said. "Hey, Jason, glad you're awake. Hazel, where's Leo?"

She pointed down. "Engine room."

Suddenly the entire ship listed to port. The Demigods stumbled. Percy almost spilled his bucket of tar.

"Uh, what was that?" he demanded.

"Oh . . ." Hazel looked embarrassed. "We may have angered the Nymphs who live in this lake. Like . . . all of them."

"Great." Percy handed the bucket of tar to Frank and Annabeth. "You guys help Leo. I'll hold off the water spirits as long as I can."

"On it!" Frank promised.

The three of them ran off, leaving Hazel at the cabin door. The ship listed again, and Hazel hugged her stomach like she was going to be sick.

"I just . . ." She swallowed, pointed weakly down the passageway, and ran off.

Natalia blinked, trying to take everything that just happened in.

Jason, Natalia, and Piper stayed below as the ship rocked back and forth. Natalia felt pretty useless right then and there, but she knew that she would just be in the way. Percy was the only one who could control the water spirits, so her arrows would have no use. Plus, there were three people in the engine room, and having a fourth would just be too much chaos. So, instead, she sat and listened.

Waves crashed against the hull as angry voices came from above deck — Percy shouting, Coach Hedge yelling at the lake. Festus the figurehead breathed fire several times. Down the hall, Hazel moaned miserably in her cabin. In the engine room below, it sounded like Leo and the others were doing an Irish line dance with anvils tied to their feet. After what seemed like hours, the engine began to hum. The oars creaked and groaned, and Natalia felt the ship lift into the air.

The rocking and shaking stopped. The ship became quiet except for the drone of machinery. Finally Leo emerged from the engine room. He was caked in sweat, lime, dust, and tar. His t-shirt looked like it had been caught in an escalator and chewed to shreds. The TEAM LEO on his chest now read: AM LEO. But he grinned like a madman and announced that they were safely under way.

"Meeting in the mess hall, one hour," he said. "Crazy day, huh?"

After everyone had cleaned up, Coach Hedge took the helm and the Demigods gathered below for dinner. It was the first time they'd all sat down together — just the eight of them. Their presence calmed Natalia down a bunch, but seeing all of them in one place only reminded her that the Prophecy of Eight was actually happening. No more waiting for Leo to finish the ship. No more easy days at Camp Half-Blood, pretending the future was still a long way off. They were under way, with a bunch of angry Romans behind them and the ancient lands ahead. The Giants would be waiting. Gaea was rising. And unless they succeeded in this quest, the world would be destroyed.

Shut up, Natalia, she said to herself.

The others must've felt it too. The tension in the mess hall was like an electrical storm brewing, which was totally possible, considering Percy's and Jason's powers. In an awkward moment, the two boys tried to sit in the same chair at the head of the table. Sparks literally flew from Jason's hands. After a brief silent standoff, like they were both thinking, Seriously, dude?, they ceded the chair to Annabeth and sat at opposite sides of the table.

The crew compared notes on what had happened in Salt Lake City, but even Leo's ridiculous story about how he tricked Narcissus wasn't enough to cheer up the group.

"So where to now?" Leo asked with a mouthful of pizza. "I did a quick repair job to get us out of the lake, but there's still a lot of damage. We should really put down again and fix things right before we head across the Atlantic."

Percy was eating a piece of pie, which was completely blue — filling, crust, even the whipped cream. Typical, Natalia thought. "We need to put some distance between us and Camp Jupiter," he said. "Frank spotted some eagles over Salt Lake City. We figure the Romans aren't far behind us."

"Fantastic," Natalia mumbled, putting her chin in the palm of her hand.

Piper sighed. "I don't suppose we should go back and try to reason with the Romans? Maybe — maybe I didn't try hard enough with the charmspeak."

Jason shook his head. "It wasn't your fault, Pipes. Or Leo's," he added quickly. "Whatever happened, it was Gaea's doing, to drive the two Camps apart."

Piper still looked uneasy. "Maybe if we could explain that, though—"

"With no proof?" Annabeth asked. "And no idea what really happened? I appreciate what you're saying, Piper. I don't want the Romans on our bad side, but until we understand what Gaea's up to, going back is suicide."

"She's right," Hazel said. She still looked a little queasy from seasickness, but she was trying to eat a few saltine crackers. The rim of her plate was embedded with rubies, and Natalia was almost positive they hadn't been there at the beginning of the meal. "Reyna might listen, but Octavian won't. The Romans have honor to think about. They've been attacked. They'll shoot first and ask questions posthac."

Natalia stared down at the plate that came from her home. The magical plates could conjure up any food, but she didn't have the appetite to eat anything at all.

She thought about the visions she'd seen in Piper's knife: Jason with golden eyes; the bull with the human head; the two Giants in yellow togas hoisting a bronze jar from a pit. Worst of all, she remembered herself drowning in black water, screaming as her best friends and boyfriend drowned.

Natalia was from New Jersey: she had gone to the shore with her dad as much as she could during the summer when she wasn't at Camp. They would swim in the water together, and Natalia loved the feeling of bobbing in the waves. However, ever since she'd seen that vision, she started thinking about the evil water spirits in the old Greek myths.

"Hazel's right," Natalia finally said. "We have to hurry. And not just because of the Romans."

Hazel nodded. "Nemesis said we have only six days until Nico dies and Rome is destroyed."

Natalia's heart broke. Six days until Nico dies. She always had a special connection with the boy since his sister Bianca joined the Hunters for a short amount of time, and she went on a quest with her. He had told her one time that having Natalia around was like having a little piece of his sister again. That made them have a close bond, and Natalia stuck around him.

Jason frowned. "You mean Rome Rome, not New Rome?"

"I think," Hazel said. "But if so, that's not much time."

"Why six days?" Percy wondered. "And how are they going to destroy Rome?"

No one answered.

"There's more," Piper announced. "Nat and I've been seeing some things in my knife."

The big kid, Frank, froze with a forkful of spaghetti halfway to his mouth. "Things such as . . . ?"

"They don't really make sense," Piper said, "just garbled images, but we saw two Giants, dressed alike. Maybe twins."

Annabeth stared at the magical video feed from Camp Half-Blood on the wall. Right now it showed the living room in the Big House: a cozy fire on the hearth and Seymour, the stuffed leopard head, snoring contentedly above the mantel. Natalia's eyes softened at the view. She missed her home.

"Twins, like in Ella's Prophecy," Annabeth said. "If we could figure out those lines, it might help."

"Wisdom's daughter walks alone," Percy said. "The Mark of Athena burns through Rome. Annabeth, that's got to mean you. Juno told me . . . well, she said you had a hard task ahead of you in Rome. She said she doubted you could do it. But I know she's wrong."

Annabeth took a long breath. "Reyna was about to tell me something right before the ship fired on us. She said there was an old legend among the Roman Praetors — something that had to do with Athena. She said it might be the reason Greeks and Romans could never get along."

Leo and Hazel exchanged nervous looks.

"Nemesis mentioned something similar," Leo said. "She talked about an old score that had to be settled—"

"The one thing that might bring the Gods' two natures into harmony," Hazel recalled. "'An old wrong finally avenged.'"

Percy drew a frowny face in his blue whipped cream, and Natalia tried not to smile at his childish behavior. "I was only a Praetor for about two hours. Jason, you ever hear a legend like that?"

Jason was still holding Natalia's hand. His fingers had turned clammy, and she lightly squeezed it.

"I . . . uh, I'm not sure," he said. "I'll give it some thought."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "You're not sure?"

"Percy," Natalia said sternly, giving her friend a harsh look, making him wince.

Jason didn't respond. Natalia squeezed his hand again, noticing he had a worried expression on his face. The two caught eyes, and he pleaded silently, Later. She nodded subtly at him.

Hazel broke the silence. "What about the other lines?" She turned her ruby-encrusted plate. "Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death."

"Giants' bane stands gold and pale," Frank added, "Won through pain from a woven jail."

"Well, the first line is clear to me," Natalia announced. "Twins snuffing out the angel's breath who holds the key to endless death? That means Nico. His last name, di Angelo, means angel in Italian. And he can control death, being the son of Hades. However, I don't know who the twins are."

The group was silent before Leo spoke up.

"And the other line, Giants' bane," Leo said. "Anything that's a Giants' bane is good for us, right? That's probably what we need to find. If it can help the Gods get their schizophrenic act together, that's good."

Percy nodded. "We can't kill the Giants without the help of the Gods."

Jason turned to Frank and Hazel. "I thought you guys killed that one giant in Alaska without a God's help, just the two of you."

"Alcyoneus was a special case," Frank said. "He was only immortal in the territory where he was reborn — Alaska. But not in Canada. I wish I could kill all the Giants by dragging them across the border from Alaska into Canada, but . . ." He shrugged. "Percy's right, we'll need the Gods."

Natalia took another look at the wall. At this moment, she really wished Leo hadn't enchanted them with images of Camp Half-Blood. It was like a doorway to home that she couldn't ever walk through. She watched as the hearth of Hestia burned, all of the Cabins turning off their lights for curfew. Her heart broke as she watched Will Solace stare at the Artemis Cabin from the Apollo Cabin for a few moments, finally shutting off the light.

She wondered how the Roman Demigods, Frank and Hazel, felt about those images. They'd never even been to Camp Half-Blood. Did it seem alien to them, or unfair that Camp Jupiter wasn't represented? Did it make them miss their own home?

The other lines of the Prophecy swirled around Natalia's mind. Woven jail? She had an idea about what that could be, but she didn't want it to be true.

"So . . ." Leo pushed his chair away from the table. "First things first, I guess. We'll have to put down in the morning to finish repairs."

"Someplace close to a city," Annabeth suggested, "in case we need supplies. But somewhere out of the way, so the Romans will have trouble finding us. Any ideas?"

No one spoke. Natalia then remembered the vision in Katoptris: Mr. D wearing a purple shirt, beckoning to her with a goblet. He'd been standing in front of a sign that read Topeka 32.

Natalia locked eyes with Piper for a moment, and the two nodded. "I have an idea. What about Kansas?"

»»---------------------►

NATALIA WISHED SHE could sleep.

It didn't help that Coach Hedge had continued to yell at them a half-hour after curfew.

Her room was comfortable, thanks to Leo programming it that way. However, there were too many things running through her mind that she just couldn't fall asleep.

Finally, she felt her eyelids get heavy and she fell asleep.

It seemed like only a few seconds had passed before she woke to the breakfast bell.

"Natalia!" Leo's voice called out, knocking on the door. "We're landing!"

She groaned, rolling over in her bed. "Fuck off, Leo."

"That's not a very nice thing to say."

Natalia sat up and glared at the door.

Leo opened her door and poked his head in. His eyes were closed, which would have been a nice thing to do, but he kept one of them open. "You good?"

Natalia's eyes narrowed, making Leo flinch as she threw the covers off of her.

"Sorry." He grinned. "Hey, nice Harry Potter pajamas."

Natalia blinked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She was wearing a gray t-shirt and maroon pajama pants with the black Harry Potter scar and glasses logo on them.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. So, we're set down a few miles from Topeka, like you and Piper requested. And, um . . ." He glanced out in the passageway, then leaned inside again. "Thanks for not hating me, about firing on the Camp yesterday."

Natalia gave him a small smile, even though being in New Rome felt like eons ago. "It wasn't your fault, Leo. You weren't in control."

"Yeah, but still . . . you didn't have to stick up for me."

"Not stick up for you?" Natalia asked incredulously, and then scoffed. "Please, Leo. You're like the annoying little bitch of a brother I never had. I'll always stick up for you."

"Uh . . . thanks?"

From above, Coach Hedge yelled, "Thar she blows! Kansas, ahoy!"

"Holy Hephaestus," Leo muttered. "He really needs to work on his shipspeak. I'd better get above deck."

After he left, Natalia took a quick shower, placing her hair in a side braid afterwards. She put on a simple black t-shirt, blue jean shorts, and her white high-top converse. Natalia made sure her bracelet was strapped on her wrist before walking out. After grabbing apple slices from the mess hall, she climbed on deck and joined the others as the Argo II settled in the middle of a field of sunflowers. The oars retracted. The gangplank lowered itself.

Percy was the first to notice her, and he smiled. "Morning, Nat."

"Hey, Percy," she greeted, ruffling his hair.

Natalia's smile widened as she saw he was wearing faded jeans and a fresh orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, as if he'd never been away from it. The new clothes had probably helped his mood — and of course the fact that he was standing at the rail with his arm around Annabeth.

She then bumped her hip against Annabeth's. "Morning, Anna."

"Good morning, Nat."

Natalia was happy to see Annabeth with a sparkle in her eyes again, because all she wanted was for her best friend to be happy. For months, Annabeth had been tormenting herself, her every waking moment consumed with the search for Percy. She had too, but not to the extent that Annabeth had. Now, despite the dangerous quest they were facing, at least she had her boyfriend back.

"So!" Annabeth took an apple slice from Natalia, who playfully glared at her. "Here we are. What's the plan?"

"I want to check out the highway," Piper announced, appearing besides Natalia. "Find the sign that says Topeka 32."

Leo spun his Wii controller in a circle, and the sails lowered themselves. "We shouldn't be far," he said. "Festus and I calculated the landing as best we could. What do you expect to find at the mile marker?"

"Uh, well," Natalia chuckled. "There was a man standing there in a purple shirt and vines on his hat. I have a hunch on who he is." Her eyes trailed over to Percy and Annabeth.

"Purple shirt?" Jason asked, also appearing next to Natalia, and wrapped an arm around her waist, making her smile as he kissed her cheek. "Vines on his hat? Sounds like Bacchus."

"Dionysus," Percy muttered, looking straight at Natalia. "Nat, I swear, 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."

Natalia shuddered. Her, Jason, Leo, and Piper had an encounter with the Maenads a few months ago and almost gotten torn to pieces. "I hate those girls."

"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 big guy was wearing a blue tracksuit this morning, like he was ready to go for a jog in the sunflowers.

"The Gods haven't been very good at following that order," he noted. "Besides, if the Gods have gone schizophrenic like 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."

Natalia gaped at him. "I take offense to that, Valdez."

"Sorry, One Shot."

Annabeth looked apologetically at Percy. "He's right. I should stay and help."

"I'll come back to you." He kissed her on the cheek. "Promise."

Natalia's heart warmed as she watched the two. They were just so cute, she wanted to scream. They reminded her a lot of her and Jason, even if he could be distant at times. However, she respected that. They knew each other's boundaries.

Frank slid his bow off his shoulder (which Natalia thought his bow was totally awesome) 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.—"

Natalia's eyes widened as 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."

Things were getting heated between those three. Frank and Leo were both showing off around Hazel, trying to one-up the other. Natalia understood that, they both liked her. It was obvious. However, it almost seemed as Hazel and Leo had history, even though they had only met a few days ago.

Hazel turned to Percy. "Just be careful when you go out there. Lots of fields, lots of crops. Could be Karpoi on the loose."

"Karpoi?" Piper asked.

"Grain spirits," Hazel said. "You don't want to meet them."

Natalia didn't see how a grain spirit could be so bad, but Hazel's tone convinced her not to ask.

"That leaves four of us to check on the mile marker," Percy said. "Me, Jason, Nat, and Piper. I'm not psyched about seeing Mr. D again, and I'm assuming Nat isn't either. That guy is a pain. But, Jason, if you're on better terms with him—"

"Yeah," Jason said. "If we find him, I'll talk to him. Piper, Nat, it's your vision. You two should take the lead."

Natalia looked over at Piper. The two locked eyes, and sent each other looks as to say, You ready?

"Of course," Piper said, trying to sound upbeat. "Let's find the highway."

Leo had said they were close. His idea of close needed some work.

After trudging half a mile through hot fields, getting bitten by mosquitoes and whacked in the face with scratchy sunflowers, they finally reached the road. An old billboard for Bubba's Gas 'n' Grub indicated they were still forty miles from the first Topeka exit.

"Correct my math," Percy said, "but doesn't that mean we have eight miles to walk?"

Jason peered both ways down the deserted road. He looked better today, thanks to the magical healing of ambrosia and nectar. His color was back to normal, and the scar on his forehead had almost vanished. The new gladius that Hera had given him last winter hung at his belt. Most guys would look pretty awkward walking around with a scabbard strapped to their jeans, but on Jason it seemed perfectly natural. Natalia's heart did a little jump at the sight of him.

"No cars . . ." he said. "But I guess we wouldn't want to hitchhike."

"No," Piper agreed, gazing nervously down the highway. "We've already spent too much time going overland. The Earth is Gaea's territory."

"Hmm . . ." Jason snapped his fingers. "I can call a friend for a ride."

Percy raised his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah? Me too. Let's see whose friend gets here first."

"Oh boy," Natalia said, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

Jason whistled. Natalia knew what he was doing: he was summoning Tempest. He'd succeeded in summoning the storm spirit three times since they'd met him at the Wolf House last winter. With the sky so blue, Natalia doubted it would work.

Percy simply closed his eyes and concentrated. Natalia also knew what he was doing: calling Blackjack, his Pegasus.

Natalia looked at him for a moment. She had liked him once. Percy was cute, she would admit. However, she saw how well him and Annabeth worked. They balanced each other out in the most perfect way.

Thunder crackled in the clear sky.

Jason smiled. "Soon."

"Too late." Percy pointed east, where a black winged shape was spiraling toward them. Natalia's face broke out in a grin.

"A black Pegasus?" Piper asked. "Never seen one like that."

The winged stallion came in for a landing. He trotted over to Percy and nuzzled his face. Blackjack then walked over to Natalia, also nuzzling her face. She laughed, petting him a bit. He then turned his head inquisitively toward Piper and Jason.

"Blackjack," Percy said, "this is Piper and Jason. They're friends."

The horse nickered.

"Uh, maybe later," Percy answered.

Natalia chuckled, knowing exactly what Blackjack wanted.

"What does Blackjack want?" Piper asked.

"Donuts," Percy said. "Always donuts. He can carry all four of us if—"

Suddenly the air turned cold. Natalia's ears popped. About fifty yards away, a miniature cyclone three stories tall tore across the tops of the sunflowers like a scene from The Wizard of Oz. It touched down on the road next to Jason and took the form of a horse — a misty steed with lightning flickering through its body.

"Tempest," Jason said, grinning broadly. "Long time, my friend."

The storm spirit reared and whinnied. Blackjack backed up skittishly.

"Easy, boy," Percy said. "He's a friend too." He gave Jason an impressed look. "Nice ride, Grace."

Jason shrugged. "I made friends with him during our fight at the Wolf House. He's a free spirit, literally, but once in a while he agrees to help me."

Percy and Jason climbed on their respective horses. They both inquisitively looked at Natalia, trying to get her to choose. Her eyes widened as she looked between them. Suddenly, she made up her mind.

Natalia smirked at her boyfriend. "I have to apologize, Sparky, but I also want donuts, so I have something in common with Blackjack."

She accepted Percy's hand and pulled herself up, watching as Piper got on Tempest. Jason caught eyes with her, and she arched an eyebrow. When Percy high-fived her, Jason merely shook his head.

Tempest raced down the road with Blackjack soaring overhead. Fortunately, they didn't pass any cars, or they might have caused a wreck. In no time, they arrived at the thirty-two mile marker, which looked exactly as Natalia had seen it in the vision.

Blackjack landed. Both horses pawed the asphalt. Neither looked pleased to have stopped so suddenly, just when they'd found their stride.

Blackjack whinnied.

"You're right," Percy said. "No sign of the wine dude."

"I beg your pardon?" said a voice from the fields.

Tempest turned so quickly, Natalia saw Piper almost fall off.

The wheat parted, and the man from her vision stepped into view. He wore a wide-brimmed hat wreathed in grapevines, a purple short-sleeved shirt, khaki shorts, and Birkenstocks with white socks. He looked maybe thirty, with a slight potbelly, like a frat boy who hadn't yet realized college was over.

"Did someone just call me the wine dude?" he asked in a lazy drawl. "It's Bacchus, please. Or Mr. Bacchus. Or Lord Bacchus. Or, sometimes, Oh-My-Gods-Please-Don't-Kill-Me, Lord Bacchus."

Percy urged Blackjack forward, though the Pegasus didn't seem happy about it.

Natalia patted her best friend on the back. "How about you take this one, buddy?"

Percy glared at her.

"You look different," Percy told the God, turning back around. "Skinnier. Your hair is longer. And your shirt isn't so loud."

"That's not what I meant by taking this one," Natalia said, giving Percy an incredulous look.

The wine God squinted up at him. "What in blazes are you talking about? Who are you, and where is Ceres?"

"Uh . . . what series?"

"No, dummy," Natalia said rolling her eyes. "Ceres. The Goddess of agriculture. We know her as Demeter."

Jason then nodded respectfully to the God. "Lord Bacchus, do you remember me? I helped you with that missing leopard in Sonoma."

Bacchus scratched his stubbly chin. "Ah . . . yes. John Green."

Natalia snorted into her hand.

"Jason Grace."

"Whatever," the God said. "Did Ceres send you, then?"

"No, Lord Bacchus," Jason said. "Were you expecting to meet her here?"

The God snorted. "Well, I didn't come to Kansas to party, my boy. Ceres asked me here for a council of war. What with Gaea rising, the crops are withering. Droughts are spreading. The Karpoi are in revolt. Even my grapes aren't safe. Ceres wanted a united front in the plant war."

"The plant war," Percy said. "You're going to arm all the little grapes with tiny assault rifles?"

The God narrowed his eyes. "Have we met?"

"At Camp Half-Blood," Percy said, "Natalia and I know you as Mr. D — Dionysus."

"Agh!" Bacchus winced and pressed his hands to his temples. For a moment, his image flickered. Natalia saw a familiar person — fatter, dumpier, in a much louder, leopard-patterned shirt. Then Bacchus returned to being Bacchus. "Stop that!" he demanded. "Stop thinking about me in Greek!"

Percy blinked. "Uh, but—"

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to stay focused? Splitting headaches all the time! I never know what I'm doing or where I'm going! Constantly grumpy!"

"That sounds pretty normal for you," Percy said.

"Percy," Natalia said, a warning tone on her voice.

The God's nostrils flared. One of the grape leaves on his hat burst into flame. "If we know each other from that other Camp, it's a wonder I haven't already turned you into a dolphin."

"It was discussed," Percy assured him. "I think you were just too lazy to do it."

"Percy," Natalia said sternly, and he turned to look at her. The rims of her eyes were turning silver. "You are not helping. Plus, if I bring you back as a dolphin, Annabeth will not be happy with me."

"Lord Bacchus!" Piper interrupted, slipping off Tempest's back.

"Piper, careful," Jason said.

She shot him a warning glance, as to say: I've got this.

"Sorry to trouble you, my Lord," she told the God, "but actually we came here to get your advice. Please, we need your wisdom."

The God frowned, but the purple glow faded in his eyes. "You're well-spoken, girl. Advice, eh? Very well. I would avoid karaoke. Really, theme parties in general are out. In these austere times, people are looking for a simple, low-key affair, with locally produced organic snacks and—"

"Not about parties," Piper interrupted. "Although that's incredibly useful advice, Lord Bacchus. We were hoping you'd help us on our quest."

She explained about the Argo II and their voyage to stop the Giants from awakening Gaea. She told him what Nemesis had said: that in six days, Rome would be destroyed. She described the vision reflected in her knife, where Bacchus offered her a silver goblet.

"Silver goblet?" The God didn't sound very excited. He grabbed a Diet Pepsi from nowhere and popped the top of the can.

"You drink Diet Coke," Percy said.

Natalia frowned. "Oh my Gods, Percy, you need to stop talking."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Bacchus snapped, ignoring Natalia's comment. "As to this vision of the goblet, young lady, I have nothing for you to drink unless you want a Pepsi. Jupiter has put me under strict orders to avoid giving wine to minors. Bothersome, but there you have it. As for the giants, I know them well. I fought in the first Giant War, you know."

"You can fight?" Percy asked.

"For fuck's sake, Percy," Natalia said.

Dionysus snarled. His Diet Pepsi transformed into a five-foot staff wreathed in ivy, topped with a pinecone.

"A thyrsus!" Piper said, trying to distract his attention away from Percy's uncontrollable comments. "Oh, what a mighty weapon!"

"Indeed," Bacchus agreed. "I'm glad someone in your group is smart. The pinecone is a fearsome tool of destruction! I was a Demigod myself in the first Giant War, you know. The son of Jupiter!"

Jason flinched. He probably wasn't thrilled to be reminded that the Wine Dude was technically his big brother.

Bacchus swung his staff through the air, though his potbelly almost threw him off balance. "Of course that was long before I invented wine and became an immortal. I fought side by side with the Gods and some other Demigod . . . Harry Cleese, I think."

"Heracles?" Natalia asked in her most polite tone.

"Whatever," Bacchus said. "Anyway, I killed the Giant Ephialtes and his brother Otis. Horrible boors, those two. Pinecone in the face for both of them!"

Natalia stiffened. Apparently, Piper has the same thought

"Lord Bacchus," Piper said. "Those two Giants, Ephialtes and Otis . . . would they happen to be twins?"

"Hmm?" The God seemed distracted by his thyrsus-swinging, but he nodded. "Yes, twins. That's right."

Piper turned to Natalia. They locked eyes, following the same though: Twins snuff out the angel's breath. That one vision showed two Giants in yellow robes, lifting a jar from a deep pit.

"That's why we're here," Piper told the God. "You're part of our quest!"

Bacchus frowned. "I'm sorry, my girl. I'm not a Demigod anymore. I don't do quests."

"But Giants can only be killed by heroes and Gods working together," she insisted. "You're a God now, and the two Giants we have to fight are Ephialtes and Otis. I think . . . I think they're waiting for us in Rome. They're going to destroy the city somehow. The silver goblet I saw in my vision — maybe it's meant as a symbol for your help. You have to help us kill the Giants!"

Bacchus glared at her, and Natalia flinched at her poorly chosen words.

"My girl," he said coldly, "I don't have to do anything. Besides, I only help those who give me proper tribute, which no one has managed to do in many, many centuries."

Blackjack whinnied uneasily.

Yeah, I don't blame you, buddy, Natalia said to herself.

Percy voiced the question everyone was scared to ask. "What kind of tribute?"

Bacchus waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing you could handle, insolent Greek. But I will give you some free advice, since this girl does have some manners. Seek out Gaea's son, Phorcys. He always hated his mother, not that I can blame him. He didn't have much use for his siblings, the twins, either. You'll find him in the city they named after that heroine — Atalanta."

Piper hesitated. "You mean Atlanta?"

"That's the one."

"But this Phorcys," Jason said. "Is he a Giant? A Titan?"

Bacchus laughed. "Neither. Seek out the salt water."

"Salt water . . ." Percy said. "In Atlanta?"

"Yes," Bacchus said. "Are you hard of hearing? If anyone can give you insight on Gaea and the twins, it's Phorcys. Just watch out for him."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

The God glanced at the sun, which had climbed almost to high noon. "It's unlike Ceres to be late, unless she sensed something dangerous in this area. Or . . ."

The God's face suddenly went slack. "Or a trap. Well, I must be going! And if I were you, I'd do the same!"

"Lord Bacchus, wait!" Jason protested.

The God shimmered and disappeared with a sound like a soda-can top being popped.

"This is just fucking fantastic," Natalia said.

Suddenly, a cold feeling washed over her. Her eyes widened.

"We gotta go," she said quickly. "Mr.— I mean, Bacchus is right."

Too late, said a sleepy voice, humming through the fields all around them and resonating in the ground.

Natalia slid off Blackjack as Percy and Jason drew their swords. She tapped her silver bracelet, notching an arrow as she walked up to a scared Piper. The power of Gaea was suddenly everywhere. The sunflowers turned to look at them. The wheat bent toward them like a million scythes.

Welcome to my party, Gaea murmured, her voice giving Natalia the creeps.

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. Natalia, my dear, choose which hero will die with you. You have an important role in this Great Prophecy, but I wouldn't mind giving you up.

"What the fuck?" Natalia asked, but her mind was spinning with the whole important role thing. "I'm not doing that."

"Gaea!" Jason yelled. "Stop hiding in the wheat. Show yourself!"

Such bravado, Gaea hissed. But the other one, Percy Jackson, also has appeal. Choose, Natalia Flynn, or I will.

Natalia's heart was beating at a million beats per minute. Gaea was going to kill her, but making her chose between the two of the most important people in her life? That had to be a trap.

"If you think I'm choosing something for you, you're wrong," Natalia said.

Suddenly Jason gasped. He sat up straight in his saddle.

"Jason?" Natalia asked. "What's—"

However, she stopped mid sentence as he looked down at her, his expression deadly calm. His eyes were no longer blue. They glowed solid gold. Her breath hitched. He was scaring her.

Natalia turned towards the other boy. "Percy . . ."

But Percy galloped away from them. He stopped thirty feet down the road and wheeled his Pegasus around. He raised his sword and pointed the tip toward Jason.

"No . . ." Natalia whispered to herself.

"One will die," Percy said, but the voice wasn't his. It was deep and hollow, like someone whispering from inside the barrel of a cannon. He was also scaring her.

"I will choose," Jason answered, in the same hollow voice.

"No!" Piper yelled.

"You're a fucking psycho, Gaea!" Natalia screamed.

All around her, the fields crackled and hissed, laughing in Gaea's voice as Percy and Jason charged at each other, their weapons ready.

★彡

natalia getting annoyed by percy's comments to mr. d is probably my favorite thing I've ever written
+ tom holland is a cutie