lightning in a bottle » jason grace

five

CLARION

   Kayla pressed the alcohol wipe gently to Clarion's hairline. "Looks like you've got some sand in there before it healed properly, so expect some painful acne. Keep it clean."
   Clarion gagged. She'd had infected acne before, and there was nothing her healing could do about it.
   "I'm going to check your vitals. You know what to do," Kayla said.
   Clarion rolled her eyes. "You know I'm usually the one to do this," she sassed, but she took deep breaths anyways as Kayla pressed the stethoscope to her chest. Clarion took that chance to analyze her sister. Even if it had only been four days since they'd seen each other, the always missed each other like crazy.
   The thirteen year old had recently put more bright green in her ginger hair. Her blue eyes were bright as ever, but there was an edge of sleeplessness in them.
   "Nightmares, again?" Clarion asked softly. Kayla put the stethoscope down, keeping her eyes on her hands in her lap.
   "It was Michael," her voice cracked, but Clarion heard her clearly. Her stomach dropped as Kayla's lips trembled and she pulled her into a hug.
   Clarion looked to the ceiling of the cabin, blinking back tears as Kayla shook in her arms. Kayla, while sassy and sarcastic at any provided opportunity, was hit hardest by Michael's death. Their brother was funny, caring, and always seemed to light up anywhere he went. He, like many campers, were called to Elysium too soon in the Titan War.
   "He was drowning," Kayla hiccuped into her shoulder. "I was ten feet from him and I couldn't move." She pulled away from Clarion, her blue eyes oceans with tears. "I watch him die almost every night, Clary."
   Clarion took a piece of cloth, dabbing Kayla's freckled cheeks. It broke her heart to see her like this, almost as much as it did when Michael died. That had been the second most significant pain she'd ever felt in her life.
   "He's in a better place, Kay. No monsters. Just music, sunshine, and all you can eat peanut butter cups," she comforted. It was for both of them. She smoothed out Kayla's hair, placing a kiss on her hairline. "I'm gonna shower, okay?" Kayla nodded, rubbing her nose with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. Clarion stood, grabbing some clean clothes and her towel.
   Tiredly making her way to the showers, she heard the familiar clash of swords, joyful shouts of victory, and guttural battle cries. The smell of strawberry fields calmed her senses. Once under the water and peeled out of her dirty clothes, she let out a long sigh.
   "Been a long day, huh mom?" She asked the sky. Hot water cascaded down her body, making streaks in the dirt. Cinnamon and shea filled her nostrils as she scrubbed her head, careful of the tender spot in the corner of her face. Suds absconded across her skin. She wondered what Chiron was saying to Jason right now, and vice versa. Was he okay? Closing her eyes, she wondered briefly why she cared.
   "Clarion," the voice was abrupt in the silence of the showers, causing Clarion to shriek. She whirled in the shower, her surprised expression turning into a nasty scowl.
   "Hera," she snarled. If there was something she hated more than heights and Drew Tanaka combined, it would be Hera, the queen of the gods. Steam from her shower had molded itself into the shape of a woman, but Clarion would recognize that witch in any form she took. "You really have no concept of privacy, do you?"
   "Watch your mouth, child. I was there when you were born."
   Clarion curled her lip in disgust. "You were also there when my mother died. Your presence in any point in my life holds no significance to me." She leaned her head back and continued to wash the soap out of her hair.
   "You need to help me," Hera said, looking and sounding like she wanted literally anyone else.
   Dark eyes widening, Clarion let out a dark laugh. "I don't have to do jack-shit for you." She rubbed the facial scrub into her pores and turned her back to the queen of the skies.
   "You'll do it if you want your precious Jason to gain his memories back."
   The words caused the demigod to pause, but she resumed in her rinsing. She could get more out of the woman. "Oh yeah? Don't care."
   "If I fall, so does Olympus."
   Under her eyelids, Clarion rolled her eyes. "Still don't care." The world was a shit-show anyways.
   Hera let out an exasperated growl-sigh mix. "What about Percy? Do you want to see him again?"
   Clarion froze. See Percy? She shut off the water, turning to face the goddess who had a smug smirk. "See Percy? How would you—" she cut herself off with a gasp. Her eyes turned hard. "You switched them, didn't you?"
   Hera just smiled.
   "When we save you, I'm going to throttle you," the demigod growled.
   Hera waved her hand dismissively. "Four days, child. You must hurry."
   Clarion switched the water back on, a deadly glare in her eyes. "I'm finishing my shower first." She whipped a hand through the shower steam, scrambling the image of the goddess. The girl had a feeling she'd regret it eventually, but she didn't care. Right now, she just wanted to soak until her fingers and toes looked like little raisins. So that's what she did.
   Drying off, she dressed in high-waisted skinny jeans and a camp shirt. She tied her dark hair in a braid down her back. She put some special ointment on a bandage and placed it on her head wound. Upon exiting the bathhouse, she saw Annabeth and Jason headed towards the cabin area. Clarion quickly entered her cabin and tossed her stuff onto her bed. She found the blonde duo headed towards the Hypnos Cabin.
   She placed herself on the other side of Jason. "Beth, how was Piper's tour?" Jason startled at her appearance and the sound of her voice, but calmed quickly. She had to admit to herself that the nervousness she'd been feeling dimmed as he smiled down at her.
   Annabeth scowled. "You know the wench who shall not be named?"
   Clarion's jaw dropped. "Voldemort?" Upon seeing Annabeth's unamused expression, she schooled her features. "Yeah, she interrupted my shower. Totally not cool."
   "You think this is my parent's cabin?" Jason questioned.
   "Sometimes I really wish it was mine, but before I get third degree sunburn, I wish it very rarely," she muttered, feeling sleepy just looking at the place.
   "No," Annabeth said. "This is the cabin for Hypnos, the god of sleep."
   "Then why—"
   "You've forgotten everything," Annabeth cut him off.
   Clarion stepped in front of the door and gestured to it with a wave. "If there's any god who can help us figure out memory loss, it's Hypnos. Speaking of, I know—" she cut off, choking on nothing. "I know—" she choked again.
   "You know what?" Jason asked. "What's wrong?"
   Clarion glowered at the ground. That stupid royal pain in the ass had blocked her from saying anything about Percy. "Hera blocked me from saying what I know. I'm definitely throttling her next time I see her."
   "Isn't that a little dangerous to be saying?" He asked, visible concern for her evident in the way he leant slightly over her bent frame. Annabeth watched the altercation with narrowed eyes.
   Clarion stood abruptly, clearing her face of any emotion and giving a small cough. "There's not much she could do to me anymore." She looked up into his eyes and swallowed. Turning around, she pushed into the cabin.

A/N: hi demigods, how are we doing? how do we like this chapter? y'all ever see two people that just radiate soulmate energy right off the bat???? yeah I can't wait for these bbs to thrive together.

is there anything you'd like to see or any comments you'd like to give? let me know and I hope you enjoy

Xoxo,
Hadley