Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝕎hen there's no one left to blame

"Giants?" Annabeth reached for her dagger, which of course wasn't there. "I thought their army was defeated!"

"It isn't the giants." Reyna's eyes seethed with rage. "You've betrayed our trust."

"What? No!"

As soon as she said it, the Argo II launched a second volley. Its port ballista fired a massive spear wreathed in Greek fire, which sailed straight through the broken dome of the Senate House and exploded inside, lighting up the building like a jack-o'-lantern. If anyone had been in there...

"Gods, no." A wave of nausea almost made Nicki's knees buckle.

Annabeth fought back a retch. "Reyna, it isn't possible. We'd never do this!" The metal dogs ran to their mistress's side. They snarled at Annabeth and Nicki but paced uncertainly, as if reluctant to attack.

"You're telling the truth," Reyna judged. "Perhaps you were not aware of this treachery, but someone must pay."

"I need to find Leo." Nicki practically shoved Reyna out of the way in her haste. The black-haired girl streaked down the hill ahead of them.

If weapons had been allowed in the city, Annabeth's friends would have already been dead. The Roman demigods in the forum had coalesced into an angry mob. Some threw plates, food, and rocks at the Argo II, which was pointless, as most of the stuff fell back into the crowd.

Several dozen Romans had surrounded Piper and Jason, who were trying to calm them without much luck. Piper's charmspeak was useless against so many screaming, angry demigods. Jason's forehead was bleeding. His purple cloak had been ripped to shreds. He kept pleading, "I'm on your side!" but his orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt didn't help matters—nor did the warship overhead, firing flaming spears into New Rome.

One landed nearby and blasted a toga shop to rubble.

Armed legionnaires were hurrying toward the forum. Two artillery crews had set up catapults just outside the Pomerian Line and were preparing to fire at the Argo II.

Two Romans tried to grab Nicki. She ducked past them, plunging into the crowd. As if the angry Romans, burning couches, and exploding buildings weren't confusing enough, hundreds of purple ghosts drifted through the forum, passing straight through the demigods' bodies and wailing incoherently.

The fauns had also taken advantage of the chaos. They swarmed the dining tables, grabbing food, plates, and cups. One trotted by Nicki with his arms full of tacos and an entire pineapple between his teeth.

A statue of Terminus exploded into being, right in front of Nicki. He yelled at her in Latin, no doubt calling her a liar and a rule breaker. "I don't care!" She pushed the statue over and kept running.

Finally, she spotted Percy. Percy, Ethan, and his friends, Hazel and Frank, were standing in the middle of a fountain as Percy repelled the angry Romans with blasts of water. Percy's toga was in tatters, but he looked unhurt. Nicki called to him as another explosion rocked the forum. This time the flash of light was directly overhead.

One of the Roman catapults had fired, and the Argo II groaned and tilted sideways, flames bubbling over its bronze-plated hull. Nicki noticed a figure clinging desperately to the rope ladder, trying to climb down. It was Octavian, his robes steaming and his face black with soot. Over by the fountain, Percy blasted the Roman mob with more water. Nicki ran toward him, ducking a Roman fist and a flying plate of sandwiches.

"Perseus!" Nicki cried, trying to reach him. Instead, Percy looked straight past her at someone behind the black-haired girl.

"Annabeth!" Percy called. "What—?"