BLOODSHOT . . . piper mclean

61.

ONCE EDEN WENT to starboard after changing and doing her extensive skincare routine ( not the normal one, the extensive one ) Piper dragged her out for a picnic, which she didn't complain about.

They spread their blanket under a willow tree next to a pond. Piper turned over her cornucopia and spilled out an entire meal — neatly wrapped sandwiches, canned drinks, fresh fruit, and a cake.

"Have I ever told you that you're the best?" Eden laid down on the blanket, smiling up at her girl.

"You could stand to say it more," Piper put her head in her lap as she ate a sandwich.

Eden sighed blissfully. "I'll make it up to you later."

Her mind drifted off to Hercules — horrible as he was, she had to admit that he had a point that they were eerily similar, and of course Eden didn't like that. She was already turning out to be like him, thoughts and all. What if she actually did?

"Cake?" Piper prompted.

"Yeah, thank you," Eden rolled out of her lap, and she could practically feel her rolling her eyes as she cut the cake.

They ate in silence, and Eden thought about how this was the first moment of peace she'd gotten in a while. She wouldn't trade this moment for anything. Not even immortality.

"What's up with you and Percy?" Kaleidoscope asked her, and Eden choked on her cake. "Come again?"

"You've been avoiding him and Annabeth," Piper looked at her inquisitively. "What's up?"

Eden sighed. "I just . . . we had a talk. After Shrimpzilla hit. It wasn't a big deal."

Kaleidoscope raised an eyebrow at her.

"I told him everything I felt," Eden said angrily, before letting out a breath. She couldn't be mad at her girl. "Sorry. It wasn't a big deal. All of the resentment came out. Everything I'd hidden from him, even from Annabeth, for the past five or so years were in that speech. Why? Has he been staring at me weirdly?"

"Mhm." Piper nodded, chewing on her cake. "I'm proud of you, babe."

"Thanks," Eden leaned in for a kiss, that quickly lost its innocence. "So how about—"

Her voice faltered. Her imbecile brother was running toward them, and Eden could tell from his expression that he brought bad news.

They gathered on deck so that Coach Hedge could hear the story. When Percy was done, Eden still couldn't believe it.

"So Annabeth was kidnapped on a motor scooter," she summed up, "by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn."

"Not kidnapped, exactly," Percy said. "But I've got this bad feeling . . ." He took a deep breath, like he was trying hard not to freak out. "Anyway, she's — she's gone. Maybe I shouldn't have let her, but—"

"You had to," Piper said. "You knew she had to go alone. Besides, Annabeth is tough and smart. She'll be fine."

His shoulders relaxed a little. "Maybe you're right. Anyway, Gregory — I mean Tiberinus — said we had less time to rescue Nico than we thought. Hazel and the guys aren't back yet?"

Eden looked up at the sun. She hadn't realized how late it was getting.

"It's two in the afternoon. We said three o'clock for a rendezvous." Kaleidoscope put her head on Eden's shoulder.

"At the latest," Perfect Jason said.

Percy pointed at Piper's dagger. "Tiberinus said you could find Nico's location . . . you know, with that."