orenda [leo valdez]

xxviii. Getting Chased by Dead Confederates

Leo docked the ship at a pier in Charleston Harbor, right next to the seawall in the morning. Along the shore was a historical district with tall mansions, palm trees, and wrought-iron fences. Antique cannons pointed at the water.

Kira had been rudely woken up by Jason. He had woken her in the middle of her nightmare, so she accidentally almost punched the boy, thinking he was a giant.

"No one else is even up," Leo grumbled, but Jason only told him to shut up. His mood seemed to get better once he caught sight of Kira, but he still looked disheveled and tired.

Not that Kira looked any better. She barely had time to brush her hair and tie it into a ponytail. She was wearing a Camp Half Blood shirt and sweatpants again, and she defended herself when Jason told her she looked like she was pajamas. She had told him that she was.

She wished she could be going with the girls. She hadn't been able to bond with Annabeth recently, and she wanted to get closer to Hazel. But she was stuck with Leo, Jason, and Frank. This would be fun.

They made their way to the confederate museum, after a lot of bickering.

They found nothing there except racist, complaining ghosts.

Frank had tried to control them before Kira got a chance to.

That was their first mistake.

The confederate ghosts didn't seem to like Frank. They began chasing them through Charleston.

"Kira!" Leo yelled as they ran. "Your turn!"

After how well Frank had done, Kira was nervous, but Clarisse had taught Kira how to do it. If only she could remember how, that would be great, but she tried her best.

She closed her eyes as she ran, focusing on the angry spirits.

She channeled her anger, her face grimacing in concentration. She thought of every moment that she had ever been angry, trying to use it as a weapon.

"They're slowing down!" Jason screamed. "Keep going, Kira!"

Kira clenched her jaw, continuing to channel her anger. She thought of any extreme emotion.

She turned, to the see the spirits very confused. She skid to a stop, her group falling behind her.

She turned to the spirits, glaring. She took a deep breath as they charged, holding out her hand.

As she outstretched her hand, a burst of power seemed to come out of her palm, and hit the ghosts.

Most of them fell over and evaporated, and the ones who didn't, stood straight up, unmoving like they were awaiting directions.

She put her hands on her knees, exhausted.

"That's what you get, racist pigs!" Leo shouted.

"Piper!" Jason yelled, and Kira turned to see an Iris message.

"You guys need to get to the ship now!" She yelled. "We're under attack!"

"We're trying!" Leo told her.

"Do we leave the ghosts here?" Frank asked.

"No, they can help fight the Romans," Kira offered. "Right?" She asked darkly, glaring at the confederates.

They nodded quickly. She gave them a sarcastic smile, but it only seemed to scare them more. Good, she thought.

Leo and Kira rode on Frank, who had turned into a giant eagle. Jason flew next to them.