Rockland - Jason Grace

3. Chrion the centaur, the not so helpful mentor

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Chapter 3
Chiron the centaur, the not so helpful mentor

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Tessa had rushed to get the medical bag from the infirmary as soon as the situation became clear and the shock had worn off. "Here," she rushed to Chiron with the leather pouch.

Piper had been laid onto the couch. She looked pale and it was almost as if she weren't breathing. Whatever had happened, it was bad. She looked as though she were in a coma.

"What happened back there—I've never seen anything like it," Annabeth was saying from where she had crouched next to Piper. "I've heard Rachel's prophecy voice. This was different. She sounded like an older woman. She grabbed Piper's shoulders and told her—"

"To free her from a prison ?" Jason guessed.

"Wait, you guys too ?" Tessa demanded.

Annabeth looked between them in confusion. "How did you know that ? What do you mean 'too' ?"

Chiron made a three-fingered gesture over his heart, like a ward against evil before taking the pouch the daughter of Demeter was holding out to him.

"Jason, Tessa, tell them."

"You're it," the girl immediately dumped the responsibility onto him.

He shot her a look. "Thanks," he deadpanned.

She wanted to wink with a cheeky smile but a new memory surged.

"One of us needs to distract them," Jason mumbled.

"You're it," Tessa immediately deflected.

The boy sent her a deadpan look. "Thanks."

The young girl sent him a sarcastic smile which she punctuated by puckering up her lips and kissing the air in his direction, like a flying kiss.

She blinked back, her hand holding Jason's arm to steady herself. "You okay ?" He asked with concern.

Tessa nodded, easing her slightly pained expression. "I'm good," she promised.

Jason knew there was more but didn't press her. As Chiron trickled drops from a medicine vial into Piper's mouth, Jason explained what had happened when the room froze—the dark misty woman who had claimed to be Jason's patron.

When he was done, no one spoke, which made him more anxious.

"So does this happen often ?" he asked. "Supernatural phone calls from convicts demanding you bust them out of jail ?"

"No, thank the gods for that," Tessa breathed.

Annabeth thoughtfully looked at the boy. "Your patron," Annabeth clarified. "Not your godly parent ?"

"No, she said patron. She also said my dad had given her my life."

Annabeth frowned. "I've never of heard anything like that before. You said the storm spirit on the skywalk—he claimed to be working for some mistress who was giving him orders, right ? Could it be this woman you saw, messing with your mind ?"

"No," Jason said. "If she were my enemy, why would she be asking for my help ?"

"Cause she's a bitch who gets off by playing with innocent kids ?" Tessa offered.

Annabeth turned to her friend. "What do mean, Tessa ?"

"It was Hera," the girl said with a long and annoyed sigh, rubbing at her temple scar. "She's imprisoned. She's worried about some enemy getting more powerful. Something about a king rising from the earth on the solstice—"