Leo Returns: After Blood of Olympus [COMPLETE] [#Wattys2015]

Chapter 16: Piper

PIPER

Piper couldn't tell how many days had passed. Her prison had no windows, so she had no way to tell what was going on outside.

Since Khione had left gods know how long ago, two Boreads had come and stood about ten feet away from Piper. She had tried charm speaking them dozens of times, but just like Khione had promised, it had no effect.

Piper received bread and water occasionally, with decreasing frequency. Pipers head throbbed 24/7, and she was pretty sure one of her ribs was broken.

As Piper squinted into the darkness, she heard footsteps come down the staircase. Piper strained her eyes, and she saw Khione approach her. Piper groaned, imagining what Khione was going to do. But surprisingly, Khione walked straight to her, and unlocked her chains without a word. She grabbed Piper's wrist roughly in a death-grip. Piper flinched. Khione's hand was so cold it burned.

Khione turned and dragged Piper up the stairs. Piper stumbled behind her, trying to figure out what was going on. As they emerged into the palace, Piper squinted, blinded by the harsh glare after so long in the darkness.

Khione threw Piper to the ground, and then muttered something under her breath. As Piper regained her vision, she saw Cal and Zethes come toward her, and she sighed. Khione turned to them, and muttered under her breath again. Khione turned back to Piper, and a cold grin spread across her face. She leaned in close to Piper, and whispered, " I've worked out a spell to render your pathetic charm speak useless, so don't even try anything" Khione was smiling like she won a million dollars, and Piper hated it. She glared at Khione, and spat,"If my charmspeak is so pathetic then why bother with a spell? Could it be, that the great Khione is afraid of a puny daughter of Aphrodite?"

Khione's eyes turned to chips of ice. "You are not in a position to be insulting me Piper McLean. The only reason you are still alive is because I haven't decided what to do with you yet. Should I turn you into an ice statue for eternity? Or should I just let you rot in the dungeon for the rest of you life?"

The two Boreads had come closer to Piper while Khione was speaking, and now stood at her shoulders. Zethes was looking as horrible as ever, with terrible acne and hideously tight spandex pants. Cal was wearing a hockey jersey, and was munching on a muffin. Zethes, Piper noted with disgust, eyeing her up, with a small smile on his face.

Piper scowled, and said, "You know my friends are on their way right now to save me? The great seven that defeated the FREAKING earth goddess? You don't stand a chance."

Khione threw her head back and laughed. Zethes and Cal started laughing too, but looked a bit uneasy to Piper's satisfaction. Khione recovered and said, "That is your threat? The only one of the 'great seven' as you put it that I even remotely considered to be a threat is dead. But you know that don't you? You are used to bluffing, waiting for help to come. You are and always were the weakest of the demigods."

Piper's head spun. She knew better than to retort, even though she longed to. Khione's words struck home though. Leo was dead. She and Jason wanted to believe he was alive, but after almost six months she lost almost all hope. Leo was the one that could save her, and he was dead.

The word struck her heart and shattered it. Piper desperately tried to blink tears out of her eyes before Khione noticed. Piper tried for a defiant expression, and said, "Why wait all this time? Why didn't you kidnap me earlier?" Khione hesitated before replying. "Boras is on Olympus now, trying to make amends for siding with the earth mother. He will not be back anytime soon."

"So that's why you chose now? Afraid of getting yelled at by your boss?" Piper taunted, probably not the best idea considering her situation, but right now Piper didn't care.

Khione's eyes turned as cold as chips of ice. Cal and Zethes behind her shifted uneasily, like they were waiting for an explosion. Khione slapped Piper across the face and turned to Zethes. "Take this one back to her cell. And remember what I said, she is not worthy to be even your prize. Do not try anything."

As angry as Piper was at Khione, she was relieved at Khione's last instruction, she had seen the way Zethes had been looking at her.

Zethes looked a bit disappointed, but he nodded and grabbed Piper to haul her back to her cell. Piper had no strength to resist. As she was dragged along, she heard Cal shuffle behind her, and heard him mutter "No muffins from the pretty girl."

Piper suppressed a smile at the statement, remembering the last time they had tangled.

As Piper was chained back to the wall and the door slammed distantly, she tried to regain her composure. Getting angry would not help her at all, she need to think. Piper noticed that her bonds were a bit rusted, so with determination she began sawing away at the chains.

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A/N: FSLDK:JGN:OIEWSMJFAO:WRJM!!!! 3K READS AND OVER 200 VOTES!!!LJSDNOVESJFLDSJF!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

OK, getting that out of the way, I have a couple things to say.

First of all, in the media I put the most feel-wrenching amazhang beautiful song about Leo. I swear, I was sobbing when I watched it. It's called Embers in the Sky by Gio( I forget her last name )and I swear it will break all your feels.

Second order of business, I was thinking of making a HoO one shot book, I have a bunch of scenarios in my head and I wanted to get them down. would you guys read it? Or is it a bad idea. Let me know!

And last thing I think, I want to get to know my ama-zhang readers, so in the comments just put down anything or your works you want me to read and I will try to read them.

This chapter is dedicated to Rachel_Fredendall for our conversations and for helping me out! Good work!