Daughter of Wine

Piper

The others are a little surprised when I come back on a pegasus with two unconscious demigods. While Frank and Hazel tend to Blackjack, Annabeth, Leo, and Calli help me get the boys to the sickbay. 

"Please tell me it wasn't Bacchus who did this." Calli grunts as she helps Annabeth carry Percy. 

I chuckle. "He wishes. Percy really doesn't like him." 

"I know." Calli raises her eyebrows. "Believe me." 

"At this rate, we're going to run out of ambrosia." Coach Hedge grumbles as he tends to their wounds. "How come I never get invited on these violent trips?"

I sit myself at Jason's side. I feel fine after a swig of nectar and some water, but I'm still worried about the boys. 

"Leo," I say, "are we ready to sail?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Set course for Atlanta. I'll explain later."

"But... okay." He hurries off. 

Annabeth and Calli don't argue with me either. Annabeth is busy examining the horseshoe shaped dent on the back of Percy's head. Calli is pacing the sickbay thoughtfully. 

"What hit him?" Annabeth asks me. 

"Blackjack." I reply. 

"What?"

I try to explain while Coach Hedge applies some healing paste to the boys' heads. I've never been impressed with Hedge's nursing abilities before, but he must do something right. Either that, or the spirits that possessed the boys also made them extra resilient. They both groan and open their eyes. 

Within a few minutes, Jason and Percy are sitting up in their berths and able to talk in complete sentences. Both have fuzzy memories of what happened. When I describe their duel on the highway, Jason winces. 

"Knocked out twice in two days." He mutters. "Some demigod." He glances sheepishly at Percy. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to blast you." 

Percy's shirt is peppered with burn holes. His hair is even more disheveled than normal. Despite that, he manages a weak laugh. "Not the first time. Your big sister got me good once at camp."

"Yeah, but... I could have killed you."

"Or I could have killed you." Percy offers. 

Jason shrugs. "If there'd been an ocean in Kansas, maybe." 

"I don't need an ocean-"

"Guys." Calli interrupts. "I'm sure you both would have been wonderful at killing each other. RIght now you need to rest." She turns to Jason. "That's way more of an apology than I got when you blasted me. I actually died." 

Jason winces and Percy raises his eyebrows. "When'd you blast Calli?"

"How do you think I got this?" Calli holds up her scarred arm, the pink lines looking like a miniature lightning bolt snaking down from her shoulder. 

"When we fought Midas." Jason groans. "Sorry again, Calli." 

"Whatever." Calli says, reminding me of her dad. "Either way, rest." 

"Food first." Percy says. "Please? And we really need to talk. Bacchus said some things that don't-"

"Bacchus?" Annabeth raises her hand. "Okay, fine. We need to talk. Mess hall, ten minutes. I'll tell the others. And please, Percy, change your clothes. You smell like you've been run over by an electric horse." 

Leo gives the helm to Coach Hedge again, after making him promise he will not steer us to the nearest military base "for fun."

We gather around the dining table, and I explain what happened at Topeka 32. Our conversation with Bacchus, the trap sprung by Gaea, and the eidolons that possessed the boys.