Haunted || Leo Valdez

46 - Rebecca Threatens Some Speakers

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 nine of them. Maybe their presence should've reassured Anne, but seeing all of them in one place only reminded her that the Prophecy of Seven was unfolding at last. 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.

Happy stuff, thought Anne before she chastised herself for being so pessimistic.

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? (during which Anne wondered if she'd have enough time to grab her camera from downstairs and fumble with it before recording what was bound to be a fight), 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 for some reason was completely blue—filling, crust, even the whipped cream. "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."

That didn't improve the mood around the table.

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

Jason took her hand. "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?" Anne asked. "And no idea what really happened? Yeah, I don't see the Romans listening to us. Especially not that bum Octavian."

"I have to agree with Anne," Annabeth decided. "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."

"They're 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 Piper was pretty sure 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 post hac."

Piper stared at her own dinner. "You're right. We have to keep going. Not just because of the Romans. We have to hurry."

Hazel nodded. "Nemesis said we have only a few days to find Rebecca before the Magil — Malig — ugh. The evil ancient spirit either gives out or corrupts her. And only six days until Nico dies and Rome is destroyed."

Anne found it half hilarious, half childishly adorable how Hazel hadn't been able to pronounce "malignant."

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