A Pirate's Life For Me

It All Catches Up

The next few days were very quiet, because Percy came down with a raging illness that just refused to break. Will was with him almost constantly, and the rest of the crew took shifts as his assistant, fetching anything he needed for himself or for Percy.

After almost a week, Reyna began to worry more. "Demigods shouldn't get sick like this, it's not normal."

"It's got to be something mythological." Hazel suggested. The two ships had met up at another port a few miles down the coast from the town that the demigod bloodbath had taken place in.

"It could be the Fates." Nico said quietly.

"Shut up."

"Reyna, at some point you have to think about whether or not that might be part of the problem."

"Shut up, Nico!" Reyna snapped.

"No!" The son of Hades retorted. The daughter of Enyo whirled to face him, but he crossed his arms and stood his ground, glaring at her.

"You cheated the Fates and you know it! Eventually you have to accept whatever consequences that come with it because they always know and they will come for you because of it!"

"You were the one who sewed my compass in place! You cheated the Fates for me, they should be taking it out on you!"

"That's not what I was talking about!" Nico snapped. "Your deal with them was one life for one! You took Percy, Frank, Leo, and Calypso off that island!"

"What was I supposed to do, leave them?"

"I never said that, I'm just saying the Fates think you cheated them and they are going to get revenge in the way they see most fit. You have to realize that it's a distinct possibility, and of course they would see fit to take from you the only thing you wanted in the first place."

Reyna growled and turned away.

"The son of Hades is right, demigod girl...." A hissing, grating voice sneered.

All demigods on deck went into defense mode. Reyna whirled, sword already out.

The Fate standing in front of her stepped back, laughing cruelly.

She looked different when she was by herself, not as old as she always was when her sisters were with her. 

"Atropos." Reyna tipped her chin up defiantly. "What do you want?"

"Watch your tone, daughter of Enyo. You are young and nowhere near being in my good graces at the moment."

"Did you do this to Percy?"

"I said the son of Hades was correct, did I not?"

"Why?" Reyna demanded. "Why him?"

"Because he is precisely what you bargained everything for. You changed your end of the deal, so I am taking your precious Poseidon boy's life. He will not wake."

"No! You can't! Not- not after everything I went through to get him back!"

"You have a choice in this, young demigod, do not fear quite yet."

Reyna narrowed her eyes, gripping her sword tightly. "What do you want me to do?"

"For Perseus to live... someone must die." Atropos bared rotten and broken teeth in a horrifying approximation of a smile. "A life for a life, Miss Reyna, you are the one to make the deciding choice here."

"I'll kill you before I let that happen!"

"You cannot kill Fate! I will be back in two days time. If you have not decided by that time, he dies regardless. Choose wisely."

Reyna slipped a knife from her boot and whipped it at Atropos, but the deity disappeared, leaving behind a painfully mocking cackle that echoed through the air.

She turned immediately and ran down into the ship.

"Reyna you can't-"

Reyna shoved Piper out of the way and burst into Percy's quarters.

Will was sponging her lover's forehead off softly. Reyna stumbled over to the bed and grabbed the son of Poseidon's limp hand, feeling it.

"It's cold- oh gods, he's so cold- no!"

She pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, forcing down tears. No. She refused to cry about this. She was going to make it out of this and so was he, they were going to live to get through it and they were going to live a life together, they were going to be okay-

"Reyna...." Nico said quietly.

"Get out."

"Reyna-"

"I said get out, Nico!"

He started to say something else, then stopped. Reyna didn't bother to look up when she heard the door move again. She squeezed Percy's hand and prayed to every god of luck and victory she could think of, every god of blessing, every deity that could help her in this.

Give us a way out of this together.