MΛЯK ӨF ΛƬΉΣПΛ

THE BASIN FILLED WITH ALARMING SPEED. Piper, Jason, Percy, and Lucia pounded on the walls, looking for an exit, but they found nothing.

"Why does this keep happening!" Lucia couldn't control her frustration, she struck off some seashells, her knuckles splitting and causing blood to dribble down her wrist.

They climbed into the alcoves to gain some height, but with water pouring out of each niche, it was like trying to balance at the edge of a waterfall.

Even as Lucia stood in a niche, the water was soon up to her knees. From the floor, it was probably eight feet deep and rising fast.

"I could try lightning," Jason said. "Maybe blast a hole in the roof?"

Lucia protested."That could bring down the whole room and crush us Sparky,"

"Or electrocute us," Percy added.

"Not many choices," Jason argued.

"Let me search the bottom," Percy said. "If this place was built as a fountain, there has to be a way to drain the thing. You guys, check the niches for secret exits. Maybe the seashells are knobs or something."

It was a desperate idea, but Lucia was glad for something to do.

Percy jumped in the water.

Lucia, Jason, and Piper climbed from niche to niche, kicking and pounding, wiggling seashells embedded in the stone; but they had no luck.

Sooner than Lucia expected, Percy broke the surface, gasping and flailing. She offered her hand, and he almost pulled her in before she could help him up.

She brought him close to her, her hands rubbing his back as he coughed and leaned into her embrace. His forehead rested on her shoulder as he tried to catch his breath.

"Couldn't breathe," he choked. "The water... not normal. Hardly made it back."

"What." Lucia frowned, "How the hell is that—"

The life force of the nymphs, Lucia thought, answering her own question. It was so poisoned and malicious, that even a son of the sea god couldn't control it.

As the water rose around her, Lucia felt it affecting her too. Her leg muscles trembled like she'd been running for miles. Her hands turned wrinkled and dry, despite being in the middle of a fountain. The light around her was dimming, Her fear spiked as the room became darker. She felt her body get weaker. Spots filled up her vision.

She was a being made out of pure light, she wasn't meant to endure so much darkness...

The boys moved sluggishly. Jason's face was pale. He seemed to be having trouble holding his sword. Percy was drenched and shivering, Lucia couldn't even share her heat. She was starting to feel a level of cold that was unnatural to her.

Lucia frowned, Percy's hair didn't look quite so dark, and his eyes didn't look as green, as if the color was leaching out.

"They're taking our power," Piper said. "Draining us."

"Jason," Percy coughed, "do the lightning," he demanded in desperation.

Jason raised his sword. The room rumbled, but no lightning appeared. The roof didn't break.

Instead, a miniature rainstorm formed at the top of the chamber. Rain poured down, filling the fountain even faster, but it wasn't normal rain. It was just as dark as the water in the pool.

Every drop stung Lucia's skin like acid.

"Not what I wanted," Jason said.

Lucia felt herself getting more lightheaded, the pressure of the rain caused her to sink. There was no source of power for her to even borrow from. She was being drained rapidly. The light was being snuffed out, enveloping the others in darkness. "I-I can't."

"Luz!" Percy dove for her as she tumbled. He pulled her close to him before she could completely submerge into the water. Cradling her chin upward to make sure she kept breathing in air.

"No sun," She tried to explain in ragged breaths, "No light, No power... I can't..."

The water was up to their necks now.

"We'll survive," Lucia heard Piper murmur to herself, but she couldn't charmspeak their way out of this. Soon the poisonous water would be over their heads. They'd have to swim, and this stuff was already paralyzing them.

Percy started pushing the water away with the back of his hand like he was shooing a bad dog. The other hand was gripping onto Luz.

"Can't—can't control it!"

"Leave me." Lucia cried, her eyes were fastened shut. She focused on not thinking of that night, she tried to think of happy moments. Of her favorite sounds, her favorite music. Not of the gun—

Lucia recalled the first and only time she agreed to lead the campfire sing-along.

Percy was next to her, watching with a dreamy look in his eyes.

Annabeth sat across from her beside Grover—both smiling and impressed at their friend's raw talent.

Will strummed his guitar on the other side of her. Her siblings and the rest of the camper's voices rang in the background.

All as she sang her heart out. Allowing her voice to be heard in a safe place, in a space she considered home...

Her head lolled into his shoulder. She felt shame at her helplessness. She was being drained a lot faster than the others. It was overwhelming how weak she felt. She couldn't do anything, nothing but sink, she felt like a heavy weight dragging them all down...

"I'm not doing that Luz!"

The water was up to their chins. Another few inches, and they'd have to swim. But the water wasn't halfway to the ceiling yet.

"I've got you okay?" Percy whispered into her ear. "I'm here. We won't drown—We won't."  She could hear the fear in the tremble of his voice. Lucia had a sudden feeling that he was trying to convince himself more than her.

"We can't fight this," Piper said. "If we hold back, that just makes us weaker."

"What do you mean?" Jason shouted over the rain.

"The horn of plenty," Piper said. "We have to overwhelm the nymphs with fresh water, give them more than they can use. If we can dilute this poisonous stuff—"

"Can your horn do that?" Percy struggled to keep his head above water, which was obviously a new experience for him. He looked scared out of his mind.

"Only with your help," Piper said with confidence. "I need you both to channel everything you've got into the cornucopia," she said. "Percy, think about the sea."

"Salt water?"

"Doesn't matter! As long as it's clean. Jason, think about rainstorms—much more rain. Everyone come hold onto the cornucopia."

They huddled together as the water lifted them off their ledges. Lucia's legs felt like lead. The rising water swirled, threatening to pull her under.

"No good!" Jason yelled, spitting water.

"We're getting nowhere," Percy agreed.

"You have to work together," Lucia murmured, hoping she was right. She felt Percy's grip trying to adjust on her. She wanted to argue but there was no time. "Don't hold anything back. Picture all your power, all your strength leaving you."

"That's not hard!" Percy said.

"But force it out!" Piper continued. "Offer up everything, like like you're already dead, and your only goal is to help the nymphs. It's got to be a gift...a sacrifice."

They got quiet at that word.

"Let's try again," Jason said. "Together."

This time Lucia focused all her concentration on the horn of plenty as well. The nymphs wanted her beauty, her light, her life, her voice. Then she would give it up willingly, she imagined all of her power flooding out of her like a river of gold.

Clear water blasted from the horn with such force, that it pushed them against the wall. The rain changed to a white torrent, so clean and cold, it made Lucia gasp.

"It's working!" Jason cried.

"Too well," Percy said. "We're filling the room even faster!"

He was right. The water rose so quickly, that the roof was now only a few feet away. Lucia could've reached up and touched the miniature rain clouds.

"Don't stop!" Piper ordered. "We have to dilute the poison until the nymphs are cleansed."

"What if they can't be cleansed?" Jason asked. "They've been down here turning evil for thousands of years"

Lucia coughed, choking on the water "Just trust Piper—"

Her head hit the ceiling. The rain clouds dissipated and melted into the water. The horn of plenty kept blasting out a clean torrent.

Lucia pulled Percy into a kiss. He reciprocated immediately.

A natural call and response that they'd grown to have.

When they broke away, Lucia gave him a weak smile. "I have never felt more loved than when I'm with you...My Ocean Eyes."

She couldn't tell what his reaction was, because then, they were underwater.

She held her breath. The current roared in her ears. Bubbles swirled around her.

Her lungs were about to burst, and then she felt the darkness consume her completely.

༄

PERCY REFUSED TO NOT HAVE HER IN HIS ARMS. So when she regained consciousness, it was right after Jason sent them across the room with a thunderclap. Which ended with her using Percy as her landing pad.

"What the—" She gasped,

"Ow!" He groaned. "Luz, get off of me."

"You've never complained before, don't start now." Lucia teased but climbed off the poor weakened boy. She held out her hand and he hobbled up.

He was blushing when they came face to face, but somehow that ridiculous (-ly hot) grin of his managed to return to his lips.

When Lucia's head stopped spinning, she saw Jason sitting up, still gasping, the color was coming back to his face.

"Sorry Guys," he coughed. "Didn't mean to—"

Piper tackled him with a hug. "You're okay!"

Percy grinned. "In case you're wondering, that was clean water in your lungs. I could make it come out with no problem."

"What? Did you give him mouth-to-mouth?" Lucia grinned mischievously, "Can't believe I missed that...Should I be feeling threatened?"

"You're so not funny." Percy poked her side.

"Yes, I am." She scoffed "I'm hilarious."

"Thanks for your help, man." Jason clasped Percy's hand weakly. Chuckling at Lucia's antics. "But I think Piper's the real hero. She saved us all."

Yes, she did, a voice echoed through the chamber.

The niches glowed. Nine figures appeared, but they were no longer withered creatures. They were young, beautiful nymphs in shimmering blue gowns, their glossy black curls pinned up with silver and gold brooches. Their eyes were gentle shades of blue and green.

As Lucia watched, eight of the nymphs dissolved into vapor and floated upward. Only the nymph in the center remained.

"Hagno?" Piper asked.

maiden-no now She thought, but she figured it wasn't the time.

The nymph smiled. "Yes, my dear. I didn't think such selflessness existed in mortals.. especially in demigods. No offense."

Percy shrugged. "How could we take offense? You just tried to drown us and suck out our lives."

Hagno winced. "Sorry about that. I was not myself. But you have reminded me of the sun and the rain and the streams in the meadows. Percy and Jason, thanks to you, I remembered the sea and the sky. Lucia because of you I remembered the beauty and warmth of a summer day. I am cleansed. But mostly, thanks to Piper. She shared something even better than clear running water." Hagno turned to her. "You have a good nature, Piper. And I'm a nature spirit. I know what I'm talking about."

Hagno pointed to the other side of the room. The stairs to the surface reappeared. Directly underneath, a circular opening shimmered into existence, like a sewer pipe, just big enough to crawl through. Lucia suspected that was how the water had drained out.

"You may return to the surface," Hagno said. "Or, if you insist, you may follow the waterway to the giants. But choose quickly, because both doors will fade soon after I am gone. That pipe connects to the old aqueduct line, which feeds both this nymphaeum and the hypogeum that the giants call home."

"Ugh." Percy pressed on his temples. "Please, no more complicated words."

Lucia patted his back.

"Oh, home is not a complicated word." Hagno sounded completely sincere. "I thought it was, but now you have unbound us from this place. My sisters have gone to seek new homes...a mountain stream, perhaps, or a lake in a meadow. I will follow them. I cannot wait to see the forests and grasslands again, and the clear running water."

"Uh," Percy said nervously, "things have changed up above in the last few thousand years."

"Nonsense," Hagno said. "How bad could it be? Pan would not allow nature to become tainted. I can't wait to see him."

Lucia frowned, she wanted to say something, but she stopped herself. She couldn't help but feel bad for the nymphs. They had no idea what was waiting for them up there...

"Good luck, Hagno," Lucia politely smiled. "And thank you."

The nymph smiled one last time and vaporized.

Briefly, the nymphaeum glowed with a softer light, like a full moon. Lucia smelled exotic spices and blooming roses. She heard distant music and happy voices talking and laughing.

She guessed she was hearing hundreds of years of parties and celebrations that had been held at this shrine in ancient times as if the memories had been freed along with the spirits.

"What is that?" Jason asked nervously.

Piper led them this time. "The ghosts are dancing. Come on. We'd better go meet the giants."