Warriors || Leo Valdez [2]

9

The wind rustled through the sunflowers. The horses paced in agitation. Despite the dry, hot day, Alex shivered. A cold feeling... Annabeth and Leo had both described a cold feeling...

"Bacchus is right," she said. "We need to leave-"

Too late, said a sleepy voice, humming through the fields all around them and resonating in the ground at their feet.

Percy and Jason drew their swords. Piper stood on the road between them, frozen with fear. The power of Gaea was suddenly everywhere. The sunflowers turned to look at them. The wheat bent toward them like a million scythes.

Welcome to my party, Gaea murmured. 

What did Bacchus say? the goddess mocked. A simple, low-key affair with organic snacks? Yes. For my snacks, I need only two: the blood of a female demigod, and the blood of a male. Piper, my dear, choose which hero will die with you or the daughter of Poseidon.

"Gaea!" Jason yelled. "Stop hiding in the wheat. Show yourself!"

Such bravado, Gaea hissed. But the other one, Percy Jackson, also has appeal. Choose, Piper McLean, or I will.

Alex's heart raced, what did Gaea mean? What did Piper have to chose? And why?

"You're insane!" Piper shouted. "I'm not choosing anything for you!"

Suddenly Jason gasped. He sat up straight in his saddle.

"Jason!" Piper cried. 

"What's wrong-?" Alex asked.

He looked down at them, his expression deadly calm. His eyes were no longer blue. They glowed solid gold.

Then Alex's vision clouded. She felt herself fighting for control in her own body as if something wanted to use her as a puppet. 

Her eyesight cleared, but she knew she had lost control of herself. She saw it in Piper's expression, her mouth hung open in shock. 

"Two of you must die" Jason said, but his voice wasn't his anymore. It was deep and hollow, like someone whispering from inside the barrel of a cannon.

"A boy and a girl, choose who dies and who lives Piper McLean and Percy Jackson" Alex wasn't saying the words, something else was and she was disgusted by it. 

"Allie, what's happening" Percy asked. 

Jason got off Tempest and faced Alex, his gold eyes unnerving. He drew his weapon and Alex flicked her wrist, her sword came into her hand and Piper cried out in desperation. 

But nothing worked to snap them out of their trance. The two best friends charged each other. 

The two crossed swords, bronze against gold. Sparks flew. Their blades blurred-strike and parry-and the pavement trembled. The first exchange took only a second, but Alex couldn't believe the speed of their sword fighting

Of course she didn't want to hurt Jason, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop herself. 

"Stop it!" Piper yelled. 

For a moment, Jason heeded her voice. His golden eyes turned toward her, and Alex charged unwillingly. She put all her willpower into turning her sword and slammed his blade into Jason, but the impact was still enough to knock Jason off his feet. 

Then Percy joined the fight too. He kept the two from fighting each other and Alex thought it was worse- fighting her brother. She let out a yell and the ground underneath Percy shook. He took a couple steps back in confusion and Alex made the cracks circle her and Jason.

"Alex!" Piper yelled. "Jason's your friend. Drop your weapon!"

Alex's sword arm dipped. Piper might have been able to bring her under control, but unfortunately Jason got to his feet.

Jason roared. A bolt of lightning arced out of the clear blue sky. It ricocheted off his gladius and blasted Alex ten feet back.

Blackjack whinnied and fled into the wheat fields. Jason charged at Alex, who was now on her back, her clothes smoking from the lightning blast. It hadn't hurt as much as she thought it would, but she could already feel her sore muscles.

"No!" she screamed. "Jason, stop!"

He froze, his sword six inches from Alex's face.

Jason turned, the gold light in his eyes flickering uncertainly. "I cannot stop. One must die."
Something about that voice... it wasn't Gaea. It wasn't Jason. Whoever it was spoke haltingly, as if English was its second language.

"Who are you?" Piper demanded.

Jason's mouth twisted in a gruesome smile. "We are the eidolons. We will live again."

"Eidolons... ?" Piper asked. "You're-you're some sort of ghost?"

"She must die." Jason turned his attention back to Alex, but she had recovered more than either of them realized. She swept out his leg and knocked Jason off his feet.

Jason's head hit the asphalt with a nauseating conk

Then the eidolon inside her realised it had made a mistake in forgetting about her brother. Percy flipped Alex over his back and slammed her hard on the road, but she didn't lose consciousness. 

"Allie, please.. stop" Percy pleaded. 

"Eidolon, stop." Piper's voice carried to Alex. She was very grateful for her friend.

Alex froze.

"Face me," Piper ordered .

Alex turned. Her eyes were gold instead of green, her face pale and cruel, not at all like Alex's.

"You have not chosen," the eidolon said. "So this one will die."

"You're a spirit from the Underworld," Piper guessed. "You're possessing Alex Jackson. Is that it?"

Alex sneered. "I will live again in this body. The Earth Mother has promised. I will go where I please, control whom I wish."

"Leo, that's what happened to Leo. He was being controlled by an eidolon." Percy realised. He had dropped his sword somewhere and just stood beside Piper.

The thing in Alex's form laughed without humour. "Too late you realise. You can trust no one."

"Percy- knock her out" Piper spoke. Too late the Eidolon remembered that riptide always appeared in Percy's pocket. Before she could raise her sword- Percy hit her hard on her head and for the second time in less that two days, the world dissolved into darkness.