ichor - jason grace

II

The walk to the big house was uneventful, neither of them being particularly chatty, Jason was looking around the camp warily as though something was off. They rounded a corner and came to the porch of the big house. The big house was a four-story manor that had been painted baby blue, with white trim. The porch was decorated with lounge chairs, a card table and had an empty wheelchair stood. It all looked super ordinary, but Nell felt Jason stop dead next to her

"I am not supposed to be here," he said

"Look, I know it must be odd," Nell said, frowning at Jason "but it really is the safest place for us." Jason still looked uneasy but nodded.

"So what's going on with you and Piper?" Nell asked, trying to make Jason feel a little less nervous.

He hesitated.

"I have no idea." He shrugged "When I woke up on that bus, I was holding her hand. She thinks she's my girlfriend, and I feel awful because I don't even remember her."

Nell frowned, "That sounds a lot like the mist. Whoever put you at that wilderness camp knew what they were doing alright."

Jason frowned like he was trying to remember something before shaking his head and standing up straight as both teens heard the sound of hooves approaching. Jason backed up so fast he nearly tripped. Rounding the corner of the big house was a man on horseback. Except he wasn't on horseback, he was part horse. From the waist up he was human, with curly brown hair and a well-trimmed beard. He wore a t-shirt that said World's Best Centaur, and he had a quiver and a bow strapped to his back. His head was so high up he had to duck to avoid the porch lights because from the waist down, he was a white stallion.

"Hey Chiron, this is Jason" Nell called, waving to the figure.

Chiron started to smile at Jason. Then the colour drained from his face. "You..." The Centaur's eyes flared like a cornered animal's. "You should be dead."

Nell stared at Chiron in shock. Something was happening here, and Chiron knew something about it. The centaur invited Jason into the big house.

"Nell, please leave us. I need to have a private conversation with Jason." Chiron said.

"Sure," Nell muttered, glancing between Jason and Chiron.

She took one last look at Jason's face before she headed off, looking as though he'd rather be anywhere but here. She gave him a comforting smile, hoping it would reassure him somewhat before starting the trek to her cabin. 

She was just approaching the cabins when she heard a shout coming from Hera's cabin. She turned to look just in time to see Annabeth and Rachel dragging an unconscious Piper out.

"Woah!" Nell shouted, running over to help, "What the hell happened?"

They blew through the front door of the big house, dragging Piper between them.

"What happened?" Jason said, rushing over. "What's wrong with her?"

"Hera's cabin," Annabeth gasped. "Vision. Bad."

"I think..." Rachel gulped. "I think I may have killed her."

Together she and Annabeth carried Piper to the big house and set her on the couch. Chiron put his hand on her forehead and grimaced. "Her mind is in a fragile state. Rachel, what happened?"

"I wish I knew," she said. "As soon as I got to camp, I had a premonition about Hera's cabin. I went inside. Annabeth and Piper came in while I was there. We talked, and then- I just blanked out. Annabeth said I spoke with a different voice."