[delerium tremens]

A ripple of burgundy leaves raced past the lecture hall's wide windows, snagging Tessa's attention from the lecture at hand. She watched the outside world for a few moments, reveling in the bleakness of the sky, the chill of the wind that seemed to seep under her skin, and she wondered if the deterioration of the cheery summer weather was both a literal and metaphysical sign that things were changing in her life.

It had been nearly a week since Dale's discovery of their portal window, which left just over one more until it was time for action. Even if Tessa was against the plan from the start, she couldn't deny that it was as good as of an advantage as they were going to get. Who knew what the Regiment was planning on the other side? They needed to act; Tessa just wasn't sure if the outcome this early in the game would end up in their favor.

Tessa fidgeted in her seat, pulling the sleeves of her sweater down as another chill permeated through the airy hall. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror to her left—alert turquoise eyes, dark brown hair, and an expression somewhere between being cut from stone and being caught off guard. However, that wasn't what shook her as she gazed at her reflection.

What caught her attention was the fact that an exact replica of herself was leading the enemy forces, torturing her friend, and planning to destroy them all. Tessa wondered if on the other side, the General of the Regiment was watching their every move, waiting for them to fall into her trap to be conquered and destroyed.

The shiver down Tessa's spine wasn't caused by the chill in the room after that.

~~

At the end of her class, Tessa hopped down the steps of her building. She grit her teeth at the growing chill in the air, readjusting the strap of her backpack on her shoulders as she made her way through the quad. However, she wasn't free from interruption just yet.

"Tessa!" A voice called, causing the daughter of Poseidon to scan the area around her for the source of the voice. She found it in Ariel, jogging towards her.

At the sight of the caramel-haired girl, Tessa felt her senses sharpen. Instantly, her sea-green irises darted to the silvery ring on Ariel's finger, the information regarding its symbol coming to the forefront of her memory. But as Ariel approached, Tessa feigned a smile.

"Hey," Tessa greeted. "What's up?"

Ariel coughed, clearing her throat. "Well, I'm not sure if you noticed but I've been sick these past few days. I know we have that test coming up in English, and Calliope told me to get the notes and things from one of my classmates...so do you think you could help me out?" The doe-eyed girl bit her lip, as if expecting Tessa to say no.

Tessa weighed Ariel's words, remembering their teacher of a Muse's policy that they were to attempt to be independent when it came to completing assignments. Apparently, the Muse of Epic Poetry had more important things to do than catch a student up.

"Of course," Tessa decided with a courteous smile. "I'll send them to you as soon as I get a chance."

"Really? Thank you so much!" Ariel lit up, but the flare of excitement in her eyes quickly died as the redness in her cheeks grew. "Well, uh, thanks again!"

The tall girl turned on her heel to walk away, but as if cueing Tessa, a silver of autumn light caught on Ariel's ring. Before Tessa could stop herself, she spoke.

"Hey, Ariel? Can I ask you something really quick?" Tessa called, causing for Ariel to turn back to face her.

Maybe it was Tessa's imagination, but she thought she saw a flicker of panic fleeting behind Ariel's golden irises.

"What is it?" The girl hedged.

Tessa offered a sheepish laugh in order to lighten the tension. "I just noticed your ring, and the symbol it forms looks sort of familiar. I have a weird fascination with jewelry and accessories with hidden meanings—like my own hairpin becomes a sword—so I was wondering if there's a story behind yours." She smiled at Ariel innocently, hoping that this play of hers was enough to get the girl talking.

Ariel's dainty hand flew to her ring and she ran a finger along the silver pattern. "It's just a silly ring." She laughed.

Tessa tilted her head, pursing her lips. "Really? Because it reminds me of some symbol I read about a while ago. I don't know, I could be wrong."

Ariel bit her lip, avoiding Tessa's gaze. "It's a family heirloom. This ring...it's been in my family for ages, so if it has a meaning, I'm not sure what it means."

The daughter of Poseidon tried her best not to give Ariel her signature calculating look, but it proved to be an effort. Tessa knew that the ring was the emblem of Hyperion, one of the Titans condemned to Tartarus. So was Ariel telling the genuine truth, or was there something she wasn't saying?

"Oh, I see," Tessa nodded. "Is it your godly parent's?"

Another flare of panic behind Ariel's eyes, but she shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure." She met Tessa's gaze, and for just a split second, Tessa spotted a sort of aggression flickering behind her irises.

"I really have to go now. Sorry, Tessa! Talk to you later!" Ariel turned on her heel and darted down the cobblestone paths, disappearing from sight.

Tessa allowed her façade to fall away, revealing the slightly steamed reality beneath. She watched the empty path where Ariel had been, running through what Ariel had said. Everything could have added up, and Tessa's paranoia regarding the symbol could have just been exactly that, but it was the nerves lacing Ariel's words, the fidgeting, the tendencies that clearly showed that she had something to hide.

But what rattled Tessa even more was the aggression in the calm girl's eyes before she left, rising like flames before being quelled.

With a sigh, Tessa continued on her way. She dropped her bookbag off at her dorm, changed into athletic clothes, and headed to the gymnasium in New Rome. The walk wasn't a lengthy one, and while Tessa wished she had someone to work out with, all of her friends—Kaden included—had either their own classes to be in, work to do, or strategies to prepare.

The gymnasium was lightly populated, which Tessa didn't mind. She passed masses of demigods and veterans alike as they made their way down the halls of the building, gym bags and weapons in hand. Music played through the speakers, and if Tessa tried hard enough, she could almost imagine that she was in a gym back home in Chicago, where the only challenge was how to get through an aerobics class rather than being skewered by a sword or an arrow.

The daughter of Poseidon made her way to the indoor swimming pool, the chlorine in the air an alternate form of revitalization. Sea water energized her best, but water was water at the end of the day, and her father controlled it all.

Tessa stood at the edge of the deep end, taking a deep breath in as she shut her eyes. She spread out the field of her senses, allowing herself to get a mental grip on the water sloshing beneath her feet. Each ripple, each current, Tessa could feel it like her own heartbeat, in sync with her soul.

And then her eyes shot open, an electric look in her turquoise irises.

Tessa spread her hands, flexing them to assert her control over the water. The pool obeyed, and the water began to darken and churn like a sea reacting to a storm above. Soon enough, the pool water had turned into Tessa's own miniature ocean, a salty spray in the air and a navy hue in the water.

With a mental command, the water responded. Tessa found herself manipulating a tidal wave of her own creation. Its crest grew larger as Tessa added more and more strength behind the wave, feeling the pressure build up behind it like a volcano about to erupt.

For a split second, Tessa felt that darkness within her awaken, and she imagined herself standing in the center of a battlefield, watching as a tsunami at her control annihilated the opposing side. But was it herself who was in control, or the evil general on the other side?

Tessa's control slipped away, and the tidal wave deteriorated back into the pool water. She stumbled away from the edge, taking a deep breath.

That wasn't her. A result like that had to come from her doppelganger, the version of Tessa that had denounced her own father and cast him into Tartarus. Not this Tessa. That wasn't her.

Right?

~~

Tessa had a rather sour look on War Games. The last time she'd played, Reese had been shot with a poisoned arrow by Vinny, and had it not been for his Achilles Curse, the son of Apollo would have died. So now, as Tessa stood on the small platform at the rim of the valley as one of the honorary overseers, she could think of a thousand other things she'd rather do.

Kaden and Kaya sat atop their pegasi nearby, ready to serve as referees to the game. Their violet cloaks snapped in the wind, and both praetors looked to be in their element. On either side, they were flanked by Tessa, Reese, Sophia, and Madi. Imogen stood among them as well, but seeing as she was still centurion of the First Cohort, she was donning her armor and prepared to enter the game.

At Tessa's left, Madi folded her arms and wrinkled her nose. "This is just a glorified version of Capture the Flag."

Atop her Pegasus, Kaya glanced over at the youngest daughter of Poseidon. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Madi retorted, but smiled.

Kaya laughed, her dark hair billowing in the wind. "When all of this is said and done, we'll have to have a Greek versus Roman edition of both camp games."

"We'll take you guys down," Sophia chimed, an amiable glint in her eyes.

"Oh, please," Kaden scoffed, a haughty look in his green eyes. "We took down your empire way back in the day. I'm pretty sure we can keep that streak alive in Capture the Flag."

"Damn right we can," Imogen held her hand up to high-five Kaden, and Tessa only shook her head and laughed when they did.

Before more shade could be thrown, Luci, the augur, blew a whistle. The cohorts began to fall into ranks, and from Tessa's right, Imogen tossed her head back and groaned.

"Come on, Glaw, we were in the middle of a conversation here!" Imogen called to the daughter of Jupiter.

Luci met Imogen's gaze, an impish glint in the irises. "That's funny, Cadwell, you're acting like I care." And with that, she sauntered off into the battlefield to serve as medic.

Imogen frowned but before the daughter of Cupid could contemplate a response, Jett was spotted in the nearby distance. He was waving his hands at Imogen so rapidly to catch her attention that he looked like he was trying to achieve lift-off.

"I think you better go before Jett takes off into the stratosphere," Tessa turned to her friend.

Imogen sighed, but obeyed the commands. She drew her bow and hopped off the platform, sashaying her way over to where her cohort was waiting. Following her were Kaden and Kaya on horseback, issuing the rules of the game.

"Think something will go wrong this time?" Reese asked, his sapphire eyes honed on the horizon as if waiting for his words to ring true.

Madi frowned at Tessa's side. "This time?"

"Let's just say that I was target practice last time around," Reese grumbled, stretching his arms as if his old wound was flaring again.

Madi nodded in understanding, casting her gaze over to the battlefield. "Well, let's hope that history doesn't repeat itself."

"Don't jinx it," Sophia muttered under her breath, fiddling with the ends of her fiery hair.

And so the four Greeks watched from atop their platform as the legion broke formation, heading off to their starting position as the game began. Not before long, the air was filled with the sounds of battle cries, swords clanging, and shields bashing against one another. So in other words, Tessa felt right at home.

Tessa and her friends couldn't see much of the game from where they stood, given the expansive battlefield, but they did have a view of the central tower. Surrounding the building were various minor battles as either cohort tried to storm or defend it, while other parts of the legion were a part of the central pulpit. Kaden and Kaya soared above the tree-line, watching from above.

For a moment, everything felt normal. The game served as a distraction for her thoughts in the gymnasium earlier that day, and her encounter with Ariel. On the battlefield, even if she wasn't fighting, her mind was so much clearer.

And yet something felt wrong, as if a small noise atop a mountain was beginning to trigger an avalanche.

Tessa noticed the game begin to shift a little too late. The battles outside the tower were slowing to a stop, but more shouts and commands in Latin began to permeate the air. The other members of the legion began to approach, whispering among themselves. Tessa spotted Kaden's Pegasus drop its rider off at the top of the tower, and the son of Venus bolted inside.

Tessa turned to face her friends, and they all wore identical looks of confusion and anxiety. Then, on a silent act of resolution, all four demigods drew their weapons and marched into the pulpit.

~~

[Kaden Gray's Perspective]

As praetor, Kaden saw some pretty interesting things during War Games each time around. People had odd injuries, even odder penalties, but at the end of the day, the game was won and celebrated.

Not this time.

The shift in the game's tone radiated through Kaden's being, and his heart fell to his stomach. He'd grown accustomed to sensing the changes in the atmosphere where emotion was concerned, and the concentration and adrenaline of the legion morphed into fear and desperation.

That's when Kaden saw him leaning out the window of the tower, sardonic sapphire eyes set right on Kaden's emerald ones.

Fury began to pump through Kaden's veins. He spurred his Pegasus into action and flew towards the tower, towards Vinny who had disappeared into the tower's interior. He leapt off of his steed, shooting through the windows and landing inside.

A few members of the Third Cohort stood shell-shocked inside the tower, outside the shut door to its interior room. They all watched Kaden carefully, knowing that if Vinny was around, this wasn't going to be pretty.

"How did he get here?" Kaden demanded, his eyes blazing with rage.

The sentry nearest him, a girl named Hayley, shook her head rapidly. "He just appeared out of nowhere. We didn't see him coming." Tears welled in her eyes. "He took Collin."

At that, Kaden's wrath only grew. Collin was one of the younger members of the legion, despite being a skilled archer at the age of ten. The son of Apollo looked up to Kaden, and in Kaden's eyes, Collin reminded him of Landon. If Vinny had taken him hostage...

Kaden surged forward, his momentum building as he swung his leg forward and kicked the door down. The interior room was dim as always, but the glimmer of an Imperial gold sword at Collin's throat was difficult to miss in any light.

"Glad you could join us, Kaden," Vinny grinned a devilish smile. "Thought you wouldn't get the message."

Kaden took a deep breath, forcing himself in place. "Let Collin go. This fight is between you and me, and you know that. There's no need to put him between this."

His former best-friend shook his head. "You know, I considered that. I really did. But there's something I've been meaning to try so sit back and relax."

Kaden started forward regardless, but in the blink of an eye, the sniffling figure of Collin in Vinny's lock became Landon.

Kaden's sword arm dropped.

"Kaden," Landon croaked. "Help me! Please! Don't let him hurt me!"

The son of Venus blinked, trying to wipe the haze from his eyes. One second, he saw Collin with his fiery red hair. The next, he saw his late little brother. Both pleaded to be saved, but the more the voices melded together, ringing true as prominent as how Landon's words had been before the crash. He was frozen in place, his past coming back like a ghost from beyond the grave.

"Whatever shall the conquering hero do?" Vinny gave Kaden a mock look of pity. "Ah, well."

"Vinny, no!" Kaden bellowed, but he was too late.

The son of Victoria, swift as an adder, dragged the edge of his sword across Collin/Landon's throat. The boy fell to the ground, eyes unseeing, blood pooling from his throat.

"Too late," Vinny deadpanned.

Kaden felt the heartbreak well up inside of him. He watched as Landon—no, Collin—gasped for breath, blood replacing air. He watched as memories from the death of Landon and his father hit him full force like the crash that had taken their lives. Kaden couldn't breathe without feeling the pressure of the car seats back against his chest, the sickly feeling of death lingering over him.

"Why?" Kaden croaked through his tears. "WHY?!"

Vinny grinned his signature smile, laced with malevolent barbs. "See you later, Kaden."

And with that thetraitor dissolved into nothing, leaving Kaden with the tears on his face andthe body of another person he couldn't save lying at his feet.