End of the Line

#31 - Almost, But No

Chapter 31 - Almost, But No
published: Wednesday, 21 August 2019

Annabeth's quiet breathing was the only noise to be heard. Night had fallen not long after Piper had fallen asleep, and the constellations twinkled mischievously in the dark sky.

Leo's hands gripped the steering wheel, steering them towards Crete, where they would present Mnemosyne with the five rings and hopefully, retrieve the scythe. His eyelids drooped, black flashes mixing with the black horizon.

"Leo," a quiet voice called.

Forcing himself out of his bleary haze, Leo blinked several times before he registered Hazel's concerned gaze. "Wha-Oh, hey."

She gave him a pointed look and proceeded to pry his fingers off the steering wheel. "Go. To. Sleep," she ordered firmly, her eyes telling him that she wasn't taking "no" for an answer.

Leo tried to show her the main controls, but he was pretty sure his sleep-deprived brain wasn't making much sense at this point, so he turned Festus to co-pilot before he staggered back to his cabin for a much-needed shut-eye.

Frank was the only person still in their right mind. He sat on the railing at the front of the ship, his legs dangling off the side as the sea breeze whipped his hair in every direction.

Despite the exhausting events of the previous day, Frank had never been more alert. Back in the cave, when Hazel had attacked him with a kiss, Frank had been so, so, so close to just pulling out the ring and popping the question then and there.

But he hadn't, and now it was with giddy fear that he fiddled with the silver band. Frank reminded himself that it was normal to be nervous.

This was a big decision — easily one of the biggest choices he would ever make. If she said yes, Hazel would be part of his family. She would be his anchor for the rest of their lives together. It also meant that, should he be killed in battle, someone else would actually be affected. It definitely made him less reckless when fighting. He had someone to go home to now.

The untouched piece of paper lying in his cabin refused to budge from Frank's brain.

Dear Hazel,

Frank cringed inwardly. He was asking her to marry him, not applying to a university.

Hazel, I've always loved you. Really. Took me a while to realise it — I'm dumb like that —

Frank immediately erased that. It sounded incredibly awkward. This had to be —

'Perfect' was the word Frank had in mind, but before he could finish another coherent thought, the lapping waves around the ship erupted into spiralling hands.

An indignant yell left his throat a moment before the water tightened around his body. The next thing Frank felt was the impact against the ocean.

It was like hitting solid ground. Frank didn't die, but he certainly had the breath knocked out of him.

Gasping for breath as he burst through the surface, Frank frantically flailed around. "Hazel!" His heart hammered wildly against his ribcage. "Hazel! Annabeth!"

A familiar shriek caught his attention. Frank's vision tunnelled on the sea creatures that had taken the two girls captive. Their forms shimmered between clear water and that of slim, young girls, around Frank's age.

These water naiads weren't like the friendly ones at Camp Half-Blood. Instead of the flirty giggles and sparkling green eyes, they had hands resembling claws and lips twisted into ferocious growls. Frank assumed they were under Pontus' control — not many water gods wanted them dead.