DON'T BLAME ME! (p. jackson) (#2) (ON HOLD)

- ten

ROSE'S DAD USED TO SAY that being in the airport didn't count as visiting a city. rose felt the same way about sewers.

from the port to the acropolis, she didn't see anything of athens except dark, putrid tunnels. the snake men led them through an iron storm grate at the docks, straight into their underground lair, which smelled of rotting fish, mould and snakeskin.

the atmosphere would have made it hard for rose to sing about summertime and cotton and easy living, but piper kept it up. if she stopped for longer than a minute or two, kekrops and his guards started hissing and looking angry.

"i don't like this place," annabeth murmured. "reminds me of when i was underneath rome."

kekrops hissed with laughter. "our domain is much older. much, much older."

rose slipped her hand into percy's, who leaned into her touch.

piper's voice echoed through the tunnels. as they travelled further into the lair, more snake people gathered to hear her. soon they had a procession following behind them– dozens of gemini all swaying and slithering.

they passed through crude stone chambers littered with bones. they climbed slopes so steep and slippery it was nearly impossible to keep their footing. at one point, they passed a warm cave the size of a gymnasium filled with snake eggs, their tops covered with a layer of silver filaments like slimy christmas tinsel.

more and more snake people joined their procession. slithering behind fuel, they sounded like an army of football players shuffling with sandpaper on their cleats.

rose wondered how many gemini lived down here. hundreds, maybe thousands.

she thought she heard her own heartbeat echoing through the corridors, getting louder and louder the deeper they went. then she realized the persistent boom ba-boom was all around them, resonating through the stone and the air.

i wake. a woman's voice, as clear as piper's singing.

rose froze. "oh, that's not good."

"it's like tartarus," percy said, his voice edgy. "you remember... his heartbeat. when he appeared—"

"don't," rose said shakily. "please."

"i'm sorry." in the light of his sword, percy's face was like a large firefly– a hovering, momentary smudge of brightness in the dark.

the voice of gaea spoke again, louder: at last.

piper's singing wavered.

finally they reached the top of a steep slope, where the path ended in a curtain of green goo.

kekrops faced the demigods. "beyond this camouflage is the acropolis. you must remain here. i will check that your way is clear."

"wait." piper turned to address the crowd of gemini. "there is only death above. you will be safer in the tunnels. hurry back. forget you saw us. protect yourselves."

the fear in her voice channelled perfectly with the charmspeak. the snake people, even the guards, turned and slithered into the darkness, leaving only the king.

"kekrops," piper said, "you're planning to betray us as soon as you step through that goo."

"yes," he agreed. "i will alert the giants. they will destroy you." then he hissed. "why did i tell you that?'

"listen to the heartbeat of gaea," piper urged. "you can sense her rage, can't you?"

kekrops wavered. the end of his staff glowed dimly. "i can, yes. she is angry."

"she'll destroy everything," piper said. "she'll reduce the acropolis to a smoking crater. athens– your city– will be utterly destroyed, your people along with it. you believe me, don't you?"

"i— i do."

"whatever hatred you have for humans, for demigods, for athena, we are the only chance to stop gaea. so you will not betray us. for your own sake, and your people, you will scout the territory and make sure the way is clear. you will say nothing to the giants. then you will return."

"that is... what i'll do." kekrops disappeared through the membrane of goo.

rose shook her head in amazement. "piper, that was incredible."

"we'll see if it works." piper sat down on the cool stone floor. rose followed. she figured she might as well rest while she could.

the others squatted next to her. percy passed around a canteen of water.

until she took a drink, rose hadn't realized how dry her throat was. "thanks."

percy nodded. "piper, you think the charm will last?"

"i'm not sure," she admitted. "if kekrops comes back in two minutes with an army of giants, then no."

the heartbeat of gaea echoed through the floor. strangely, it made rose think of the sea– how the waves boomed along the beaches of long island back home.

"do you guys ever think about your families?" piper asked.

percy's gaze became unfocused. his lower lip quivered. "my mom... i– i haven't even seen her since hera made me disappear. i called her from alaska. i gave hedge some letters to deliver to her. i..." his voice broke. "she's all i've got. her and my stepdad, paul."

"and tyson," annabeth reminded him. "and grover. and—"

"yeah, of course," percy said. "thanks. i feel much better."

rose's eyes welled up. "my siblings. our siblings," she corrected, with a glance at piper. "i've only called mitchell once since we left, to let him know i had made it out. god, i told silena i'd take care of the kids, and then i disappeared. fuck, what kind of sister am i?"

rose hated the idea of disappointing her sister, even if she was dead. silena and luke had taught rose half of the things she knew. she'd promised silena.

"hey," percy said gently. "they all love you. anybody can see it."

"i didn't know silena," piper said, "but i'm sure she'd be proud. lacy adores you. you look out for all of us. tina talks about you all the time."

"yeah," rose sniffled. "i guess you guys are right. what about you, annabeth? when's the last time you talked to yours?"

"my dad... my stepmom and stepbrothers." she turned her dagger in her lap. "and my dad's relatives... i haven't thought about them in years. i have an uncle and cousin in boston."

percy looked shocked. "you, with the yankees cap? you've got family in red sox country?"

annabeth smiled weakly. "i never see them. last time i talked to magnus was right before the first time i ran away. my dad and my uncle don't get along. some old rivalry. i don't know. it's stupid what keeps people apart."

rose nodded.

at the top of the tunnel, the green membrane rippled.

piper grabbed her sword and stood, prepared for a flood of monsters.

but kekrops emerged alone.

"the way is clear," he said. "but hurry. the ceremony is almost complete."