chapter thirty-nine

─── seasickness 1, hazel and frank 0

          𝔖ometimes, I forgot that other people got sea sick. As far as I knew, I'd never got seasick and I assumed that was something to do with my dad being the god of the sea. At least I could add, can't get seasick, to the list of benefits that came with having him as my dad.

By the time we left the harbour, Hazel and Frank both looked a little green, swaying to and for in time with the rocking of the boat. Each bump made them groan, and I was sure that Frank was about to break the seat in half from how hard he was clinging to it.

We reached the Golden Gate Bridge and turned north, still not many words being spoken between the three of us. I think the others were trying to sort their thoughts out, calm their nerves at being away from camp for the first time properly, and also trying not to be sick. I appreciated that, because if one of them was sick on me, I might scream.

Blood, guts, monster dust, all of that I could deal with. Vomit? I couldn't deal with that.

It didn't help that the entry into the Pacific currents around Marin County was a harsh one and every bump and change in wave pattern had the others wincing and clutching their stomachs.

"You okay?" I checked. "You both look a bit sick."

"Seasickness." Frank was opening his pack, pulling something out as I hummed.

"I didn't think it would be this bad." Hazel admitted, rubbing her stomach. For me, the rocking of a boat was comforting in a way, but I wasn't sure whether that was a new thing or something that had calmed me for years.

Hazel and Frank were muttering between themselves, but I turned back to the shoreline. That voice in my head, the dead fish rising to the surface, all of it had put a sour taste in my mouth. The sight of a lone mountain rising above green hills didn't help. I pointed over to it, causing Hazel and Frank to follow my gaze.

"That looks familiar." I narrowed my eyebrows. I could have sworn that I'd been there, but with my current memory situation, who knew?

"Mount Tam." Frank explained. "Kids at camp are always talking about it. Big battle happened on the summit, at the old Titan base."

Something was rattling around in the back of my mind as I tugged on the streak of grey in my hair. I had apparently had a very stressful life for a twenty-one year old because not only was most of my body covered in scars, including three claw marks along my chest that looked like I'd wrestled a lion, but I had a streak of grey running through my hair that I couldn't hide.

Nice to see signs of stress at my young age.

"Were either of you there?"

"No." Hazel shook her head, still looking a little green. "That was back in August, before I got to camp. Heard the story from Dakota and Cressida. The legion destroyed the enemy's palace and about a million monster. Apparently Cressida battled Krios, the Titan, hand to hand combat. She won."

My cousin had been a force to be reckoned with them. It made me proud in a sense, before I ran a hand through my hair and pushed the grey streak, the cousin situation and the troubling lack of memories, to the back of my mind. I had other things to worry about. I had to keep us on the straight and narrow as we headed into night time.

The sunset was beautiful but the sea was quiet.

"Get some sleep." The two kids turned to look at me.

"We can stay up." Frank offered, but I shook my head.

"Sleep. You're gonna need it."

"What about you?" Hazel questioned, eyebrows furrowed but I winked and waved her off.

"I'll wake you up when it's your turn to keep guard." That settled them enough, both of them collapsing into a heap in moments. They were exhausted, more so than me, and I'd rather they slept.

Leaning back, I looked up at the stars, tracing the constellations and naming each one methodically as best I could. The boat would keep following the trail that I needed it to, so I wasn't too worried, happy to count stars and name the ones I knew.

I wondered if my mom was looking at the same stars, wondering where I was and begging for me to come home. Hopefully, she'd understand that I had to do this, to make sure that these kids were safe. There didn't seem to be any other adult soldiers who were willing to step up and do it, and I wasn't counting Reyna and Octavian, who were barely adults.

Surely, my mom and Luke and Grover, and whoever that Mrs O'Leary was, would get that. 

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It was an hour or so later when I noticed Hazel twitching. She'd gone pale, her body fidgeting as I leant over to her.

"Hazel?" I touched her hand gently, finding her freezing to the touch. "Hazel, come on, wake up."

There was no response, and I nudged Frank.

"Frank, get up." The teenager opened his eyes with a start, yelping as he saw me leaning over him.

"Romy?" It took him a moment to work out who I was.

"Hazel's not waking up. See if you can get her up, I'm going to bring the boat ashore." Frank began to tap and shake Hazel gently, urging her to get up as I commanded the boat to change directions, spotting a lighthouse in the distance.

"Hazel!" Frank sounded panicked now, shaking her a little more harshly. "She's not waking up."

"Shit." I muttered, as we drew close to shore. I beached the boat. "Get her up and out of the way of the water, up there by the field." 

Frank picked her up with ease, hurrying towards the fields of grass as I hauled the boat further up onto the shore, beaching it quickly. As soon as I did, I grabbed their packs and rushed after Frank.

By the time I reached them, Frank had got her up and was looking incredibly relieved. I was too. I didn't think it was a great omen for the quest if one of us died before anything had really happened.

"Where are we?" Hazel was muttering as I leant over the top of her.

"Thank the gods, you're awake!" Frank exhaled, looking pale. I was praying that he didn't pass out. I don't think I could handle two ill demigods at once.

"We're in Mendocino, about a hundred and fifty miles north of the Golden Gate." I explained, ruffling through their bags until I found water for the pair.

"A hundred and fifty miles?" Hazel groaned, her hand on her head. "I've been out that long?"

"Yeah." I nodded, placing a hand to her forehead as I tested her temperature. No fever and she wasn't green, so most likely not seasickness. Had she fainted in her sleep?

"We couldn't wake you. We brought you ashore, thought it might be seasickness." Frank explained.

"It wasn't seasickness." Hazel cut him off, taking a deep breath. "I-I haven't been honest with you. What happened was a blackout. I have them once in a while."

"A blackout?" Frank and I shared concerned looks. That didn't sound good. "Is it medical? Why haven't I noticed before?"

"I try to hide it." Hazel admitted, not meeting either of our eyes as I sat back on my knees. "I've been lucky so far, but it's getting worse. It's not medical, well not really. Nico says it's a side effect from my past, from where he found me."

I was confused. What was she talking about?

"Where exactly did Nico find you?" Hazel stumbled to find words to answer my question, she watched me helplessly for a moment.

"I'll explain." She promised as a shiver went down my back. Now we weren't on the water, I was feeling defenceless, like anything could get me. "Is...Is there anything more to drink?"

"Yeah, down in the boat. I grabbed your bags not mine." I cursed quickly, before rocking back up.

"Never mind, I can walk." She grabbed her pack and word, making to stand as Frank made a noise of protest.

"Don't even thing about it." Frank hissed, taking the pack and sword back off of Hazel as I agreed. "Not until you've had some food and water."

"I'll get it." I patted her hand. "You two stay right here. I mean it, right here. I'll be back in about two seconds."

"You sure?" Hazel's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't want you to-"

"It's alright." I stopped her. "Frank, just keep your eyes open."

I twisted, scanning the landscape as best I could, though there wasn't much light for me to do it. I huffed.

"There's something about this place..." I trailed off, grabbing onto Riptide. "I don't know, maybe I'm paranoid."

"I'll keep her safe." Frank promised with a nod as I dashed back towards the boat. I felt bad leaving them there, but we needed all of our supplies and I needed my pack. I reached into the boat, grabbing on it and pulling it out, before turning and heading back to the others.

When I got back, I found a frantic Frank and no Hazel.

"Two seconds." He spun to look at me. "I left you for two seconds."

"Grass took Hazel." Frank spluttered out, and I blinked a few times. "I'm not lying."

"Grass, as in the plant?"

"Yes!"

"Right." I nodded, before turning to look at the field of very conveniently tall grass. "Which way to the kidnapping plant?"

"That way!" Frank pointed as I motioned for him to go first, doing my pack up. 

"Of course there's grass that can kidnap people, I should have known." I muttered, starting to feel like I was going crazy. "Lead the way. Let's go get Hazel from the killer grass."

I was beginning to feel like I was a bit too old for this.

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Hiya,

So, we're back. Hazel and Frank are not having fun at all, Andi is now experiencing what Luke experienced whenever he went on a quest with her, and they're all having a great time. Killer grass is here as well and I'm sorry it's not as good as normal, I've started my new course and it's all been a bit mad. This is the first time I've been able to sit and write something.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx