They weren't as close as Leo claimed.

It became evident very quickly that they were in for quite a walk. Emilia wished she'd consumed a few more pancakes. They reached the road only after trudging half a mile through hot fields, where mosquitoes and scratchy sunflowers were ready to attack.

"Correct my math," said Percy, once they saw a billboard that indicated they were still forty miles from the first Topeka exit, "but doesn't that mean we have eight miles to walk?"

Jason peered both ways down the deserted road, carefully hovering his hand over the new gladius that hung from his belt. "No cars... but I guess we wouldn't want to hitchhike."

"No," agreed Piper, gazing nervously down the highway. "We've already spent too much time going overland. The earth is Gaea's territory."

"It's a little early in the day but I could shadow-travel us there," offered Emilia, though she knew she didn't sound particularly enthusiastic about it.

"Hmm..." Jason snapped his fingers. "I can call a friend for a ride."

Percy raised his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah? Me too. Let's see whose friend gets here first."

Emilia wondered, too. Jason had successfully summoned Tempest three times since they'd met, but it worked best when it was stormy. Percy, however, had Blackjack. Emilia had met him a few times, and while pegasi weren't very fond of children of the Underworld, Percy insisted that Blackjack thought Emilia was pretty 'cool.' She'd admired the pegasus's undying loyalty to Percy– it was adorably unexpected.

Jason whistled while Percy simply closed his eyes and concentrated. Emilia and Piper waited patiently. Thunder crackled in the sky, prompting Jason to smile and say, "Soon."

"Too late." Percy pointed east, where a black winged shape was spiraling toward them.

"A black pegasus?" said Piper in disbelief. "Never seen one like that."

The winged stallion came in for a landing. He trotted over to Percy and nuzzled his face, then turned his head inquisitively toward the others. "Blackjack, this is Piper and Jason– they're friends. And of course you remember Emilia."

Emilia held out her hand, smiling as Blackjack tapped his nose against it, nickering happily. "Uh, maybe later," said Percy.

"What does Blackjack want?" asked Piper.

"Donuts," said Percy. "Always donuts. He might be able to carry all four of us if–"

Suddenly, the air turned cold. Emilia covered her ears as they started to pop. About fifty yards away, a miniature cyclone three stories tall tore across the tops of the sunflowers, touching down on the road next to Jason and taking the form of a horse– a misty steed with lightning flickering through its body.

"There he is," said Emilia, some of the shadows at her feet being sucked into Tempest's mane.

"Tempest," said Jason, grinning broadly. "Long time, my friend." The storm spirit reared and whinnied, leaving Blackjack to back up skittishly– it was probably weird for him to see a horse that wasn't really a horse.

"Easy, boy," coaxed Percy. "He's a friend, too." He gave Jason an impressed look. "Nice ride, Grace."

Jason shrugged. "I made friends with him during our fight at the Wolf House. He's a free spirit, literally, but once in a while he agrees to help me."

Piper and Emilia shared a smirk, the two thinking something along the lines of, Boys. Percy and Jason had become 'bros' about as quickly as they might've expected. Emilia wondered how much nicer it would've been for them to have met in a normal setting, like a chemistry class. They probably would fail with flying colors and maybe blow up their lab bench, but both of them just needed a chance to be boys.

Percy and Jason climbed on their respective horses, each offering their hands to the girls. Emilia carefully slid onto Blackjack, holding Percy's shoulders and using the shadows to form a seatbelt for herself. Piper did the same with Tempest, though it looked a lot less secure with a storm spirit that could vaporize at any moment.

Tempest raced down the road with Blackjack soaring overhead. In no time at all, they reached the thirty-two-mile marker and put down– Blackjack landed smoothly and Tempest slid to a halt, both horses pawing at the asphalt. Neither looked pleased to have stopped so suddenly, just when they'd found their stride.

"You're right," said Percy as Blackjack whinnied. "No sign of the wine dude."

"I beg your pardon?" said a voice from the fields.

The wheat parted, and a man stepped forward. He wore a wide-brimmed hat wreathed in grapevines, a purple short-sleeved shirt, khaki shorts, and Birkenstocks with white socks. He looked maybe thirty, with a slight potbelly, and not all that different from how Mr. D usually appeared.

"Did someone just call me the wine dude?" he asked in a lazy drawl. "It's Bacchus, please. Or Mr. Bacchus. Or Lord Bacchus. Or, sometimes, Oh-My-Gods-Please-Don't-Kill-Me, Lord Bacchus."

Emilia couldn't help but cringe. Percy urged Blackjack forward, though the pegasus wasn't happy about it. "You look different," he said. "Skinnier. Your hair is longer. And your shirt isn't so loud."

One thing about Percy was that he never knew when to stay quiet. The wine god squinted at him. "What in blazes are you talking about? Who are you, and where is Ceres?"

"Not... here..." said Emilia blankly.

Jason nodded respectfully to the god. "Lord Bacchus, do you remember me? I helped you with that missing leopard in Sonoma."

Bacchus scratched his stubbly chin as Emilia thought of Seymour. "Ah... yes. John Green."

"Jason Grace."

"Whatever," said the god. "Did Ceres send you, then?"

"No," said Emilia bluntly. "Wouldn't she have told you she was sending us?"

The god snorted. "Well, I didn't come to Kansas to party, my girl. Ceres asked me here for a council of war. What with Gaea rising, the crops are withering. Droughts are spreading. The karpoi are in revolt. Even my grapes aren't safe. Ceres wanted a united front in the plant war."

"The plant war," said Percy. "You're going to arm all the little grapes with tiny assault rifles?"

The god narrowed his eyes, the too-comfortable tone Percy had very obvious. "Have we met?"

"At Camp Half-Blood," said Percy. "Emilia and I know you as Mr. D– Dionysus."

"Agh!" Bacchus winced and pressed his hands to his temples. For a moment, his image flickered and he looked just like Mr. D– a bit heavier with a much louder, leopard-patterned shirt. Then Bacchus returned to being Bacchus. "Stop that! Stop thinking about me in Greek! Do you have any idea how hard it is to stay focused? Splitting headaches all the time! I never know what I'm doing or where I'm going! Constantly grumpy!"

"That sounds pretty normal for you," said Percy honestly.

The god's nostrils flared. One of the grape leaves on his hat burst into flame. "If we know each other from that othercamp, it's a wonder I haven't already turned you into a dolphin."

"It was discussed," Percy assured him. "I think you were just too lazy to do it."

Nothing could make him forget which gods he hated. Absolutely nothing. Piper and Emilia each slipped off their respective animal to try and diffuse the situation. Emilia just tried to focus on the fact this was sort of Pollux's father– she hadn't seen him since before she befriended Pollux, so she didn't want to disrespect him now.

"We have other things to discuss," said Emilia tightly. "The dolphin talk can wait."

"Sorry to trouble you, my lord," said Piper kindly, "but actually we came here to get your advice. Please, we need your wisdom."

The god frowned, but the purple glow faded in his eyes. "Advice, eh? Very well."

Piper took the lead on explaining their quest so far. Emilia took her turn to speak on Nemesis's warning and how Rome would be destroyed in six days– she even added in her suspicions of his banes, Otis and Ephialtes, being involved in it. Last, Piper described the vision reflected in her knife, where Bacchus offered her a silver goblet.

"Silver goblet?" The god didn't sound very excited. He grabbed a Diet Pepsi from thin air and popped the top of the can.

"You drink Diet Coke," observed Percy.

"Not the time," said Emilia as Bacchus shot him a stink eye, snapping, "I don't know what you're talking about. As to this vision of the goblet, young lady, I have nothing for you to drink unless you want a Pepsi. Jupiter has put me under strict orders to avoid giving wine to minors. Bothersome, but there you have it. As for the giants, I know them well. I fought in the first Giant War, you know."

"You can fight?" asked Percy incredulously.

"Of course he can fight," hissed Emilia as Bacchus snarled, the Diet Pepsi transforming into a five-foot staff wreathed in ivy, topped in a pinecone. "Um– that's why–" She tried to think of what her aunt would say to diffuse such a situation. "That's why we're asking for his advice! Lord Bacchus, tell us more about this battle– we need your, um, wisdom if we are to face them."

Bacchus thankfully did not turn Percy into a dolphin. "Well, of course that was long before I invented wine and became an immortal. I fought side by side with the gods and some other demigod... Harry Cleese, I think."

"Heracles?" suggested Piper politely.

"Whatever," said Bacchus. "Anyway, I killed the giant Ephialtes and his brother Otis. horrible boors, those two. Pinecone in the face for both of them."

"Then that means you're part of our quest," said Piper.

Bacchus frowned. "I'm sorry, my girl. I'm not a demigod anymore. I don't do quests."

"But giants can only be killed by heroes and gods working together," insisted Piper. "You're a god now, and the two giants we have to fight are Ephialtes and Otis. I think... I think they're waiting for us in Rome. They're going to destroy the city somehow. The silver goblet I saw in my vision— maybe it's meant as a symbol for your help. You have to help us kill the giants!"

Unfortunately, this wording only annoyed Bacchus. He glared at her and spoke coldly, "My girl, "I don't have to do anything. Besides, I only help those who give me proper tribute, which no one has managed to do in many, many centuries."

'Tribute' didn't seem like it boded well. Percy blurted out, "What kind of tribute?"

Bacchus waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing you could handle, insolent Greek. But I will give you some free advice, since the girls have some manners. Seek out Gaea's son, Phorcys. He always hated his mother, not that I can blame him. He didn't have much use for his siblings– the twins– either. You'll find him in the city they named after that heroine—Atalanta."

"Echidna's father," murmured Emilia. "Wonderful."

"Yes," said Bacchus dismissively. "Seek out the salt water."

"Salt water..." said Percy. "In Atlanta?"

"Yes. Are you hard of hearing? If anyone can give you insight on Gaea and the twins, it's Phorcys. Just watch out for him."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

The god glanced at the sun, which had climbed almost to high noon. "It's unlike Ceres to be late, unless she sensed something dangerous in this area. Or..." The god's face suddenly went slack. "Or a trap. Well, I must be going! And if I were you, I'd do the same!"

"Lord Bacchus, wait!" protested Jason. But by then, the god had shimmered and disappeared. The wind rustled through the sunflowers, horses pacing in agitation. It was suddenly cold despite the dry heat, cold like... what Annabeth and Leo had described.

"Bacchus is right," said Piper, sounding panicked. "We need to leave–"

Too late, crooned a sleepy voice, humming through the fields all around them and resonating in the ground at their feet. The boys drew their swords as all the sunflowers turned to them, the wheat bent like a million scythes. Welcome to my party. What did Bacchus say? 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. Emilia, my dear, choose which hero will die with Piper.

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

Such bravado, hissed Gaea. But the other one, Percy Jackson, also has appeal. Bring them to me, Emilia, it is what I made you for. You alone have the strength to deliver them both to me.

She reached into the air and tightened the shadows to summon her spear. "That also seems to mean I have the strength to give you nothing but a painful death, you Dirt-Faced Bitch."

Suddenly, Jason gasped, sitting straight in his saddle. "Jason!" cried Piper worriedly. "What's wrong–?"

He looked down at her, his expression deadly calm, eyes glowing a solid gold. Emilia turned to Percy, who galloped away from them. He stopped thirty feet down the road and wheeled his pegasus around. He raised his sword and pointed the tip toward Jason.

"One will die," said Percy, voice deep and hollow.

"I will choose," answered Jason in the same hollow voice.

Around them, the fields crackled and hiss, laughing in Gaea's voice as Percy and Jason charged at each other, their weapons ready.

"Charmspeak!" yelled Emilia to Piper, wishing it wasn't so hot and sunny. "I'll try to pry them away from each other!"

They'd barely made it out of the way as the boys reached each other, crossing swords– gold against bronze. Sparks flew, their blades blurred, the pavement trembling. The horses tried to pull away from each other, Tempest thundering in protest and Blackjack flapping his wings.

"STOP IT!" yelled Piper as Emilia swirled her spear over her head, summoning as many shadows as she could to form a barrier between them, the swords colliding into a dark wall of energy that kept them from being able to cut each other.

Jason heeded Piper's voice fastest, turning away as Percy pushed with such force that the wall shifted just enough to knock Jason off his mount. Blackjack cantered away as Tempest reared into confusion. The spirit horse charged into the sunflowers and dissipated into vapor.

Piper turned to Percy, "Percy, Jason's your friend, drop your weapon!"

Percy's sword arm dipped, allowing Emilia to fling the shadows at his hand and knock the sword away just Jason got to his feet and sent a bolt of lighting off his gladius that blasted Percy off of Blackjack, who whinnied and fled into the wheat fields.

Weaponless, Percy stood in defense as Jason charged, but Emilia was ready, sweeping the shadows at the sword like hands and ripping it downward, forcing Jason to trip into Percy as Piper cried for them to stop again.

Jason turned, the gold light in his eyes flickering uncertainly. "I cannot stop. One must die."

"It's how Leo was talking," said Emilia nervously, sweat beading down her forehead as she forced the shadows to make the boys sit down, dark black tendrils holding them away from each other. "My mother... she made him more susceptiblebut she wasn't controlling him."

Piper narrowed her eyes, glancing uncertainly at the boys. "Who are you?"

Jason's mouth twisted into a gruesome smile. "We are the eidolons. We will live again. He must die."

"Keep going," said Emilia nervously to Piper. The eidolons were responding directly to her– maybe she could charmspeak them specifically.

"You have not chosen," sneered Percy, gesturing to Jason with his head. "So this one will die. I will live again in this body. The Earth Mother has promised. I will go where I please, control whom I wish."

"Oh, gods," said Emilia, rolling her eyes. "Her and her empty promises. She won't deliver on them."

"Your mother believes differently," said Jason, lips curled in a cruel smirk. "You have a purpose to serve, Daughter of Strife. You will close the loop, you will sacrifice the demigods for the Earth Mother and repay the debt you owe her. She let you be made and you will bring her back. If you won't choose, we will."

Emilia glanced at Piper. "We need to get out of here. Sorry about this, guys..." She pushed the shadows into each other, the two slamming heads and knocking each other out. "Blackjack–"

He whinnied, lowering himself to the ground so that Piper and Emilia could load them onto his back. They climbed on, much to Blackjack's dismay, securing the boys with more shadows and their arms, then asking Blackjack to return them to the ship.

"We need to find a way to keep the eidolons out of everyone's heads," said Emilia shakily once they landed on the empty deck. "They probably can't affect us because... I don't know, maybe our emotions can't be manipulated so easily when we can do it to others."

"Emilia," said Piper softly as Blackjack knelt for them to lower Percy and Jason to the deck. "What it said about you choosing the sacrifices..."

"Gaea can't kill me," said Emilia slowly. "She loses her connection here. I bet... that sacrifice would give her a new connection. She'd come back and I'd have served my purpose. Closed the loop. She won't need me anymore. My life here..."

She didn't want to finish the sentence. Would she simply die as soon as Gaea's needs were met? Was this what Gaea wanted Eris to make her daughter do? Serve as a high priestess to resurrect her?

The eidolon had mentioned her mother. Had Emilia managed to convince her of anything?

As the others arrived on deck, Piper and Emilia gave silent nods, promising not to speak of it anymore, at least not until they were alone again. Annabeth and Leo had to help them carry the boys to the sick bay while Frank and Hazel tended to Blackjack, everyone confused as to why they'd showed up with two unconscious demigods.

Leo set course for Atlanta while Coach Hedge applied some healing paste to the boys' heads and dripped some ambrosia into their mouths. Within a few minutes, Jason and Percy were sitting up in their berths and able to talk in complete sentences, both with fuzzy memories of what'd happened.

"Knocked out twice in two days," muttered Jason once Piper and Emilia had recounted the events for them. "Some demigod." He glanced sheepishly at Percy. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to blast you."

Percy's shirt was peppered with burn holes. His hair was even more disheveled than normal. Despite that, he managed a weak laugh. "Not the first time. Your big sister got me good once at camp."

"Yeah, but...I could have killed you."

"Or I could have killed you," said Percy.

Jason shrugged. "If there'd been an ocean in Kansas, maybe."

"I don't need an ocean—"

"Boys," interrupted Annabeth as Piper and Emilia made faces, wondering what exactly Percy had in mind for killing Jason without an ocean. None of it would be good. "I'm sure you both would've been wonderful at killing each other. But right now, you need some rest."

"Food first," said Percy. "Please? And we really need to talk. Bacchus said some things that don't—"

"Bacchus?" Annabeth raised her hand. "Okay, fine. We need to talk. Mess hall. Ten minutes. I'll tell the others. And please, Percy... change your clothes. You smell like you've been run over by an electric horse."

No one had anything good to say at the table. Even after another recounting of what'd happened, no one knew anything else about the eidolons. Frank and Hazel had seen eagles again, closing fast. Octavian would be on them soon.

Though they were sure at this point Reyna knew they weren't at fault (everyone was a bit more insistent about Emilia asking Hylla to relay the eidolon discovery as a message this time), it didn't seem like it would stop Octavian. They had to keep going and complete their quest. Jason assured them that once they were over the Atlantic, they'd be safe from the legion.

"How can you be sure?" asked Piper. "Why wouldn't they follow us?"

He shook his head. "You heard Reyna talking about the ancient lands. They're much too dangerous. Roman demigods have been forbidden to go there for generations. Even Octavian couldn't get around that rule."

Frank swallowed a bite of burrito like it had turned to cardboard in his mouth. "So, if we go there..."

"We'll be outlaws as well as traitors," confirmed Jason. "Any Roman demigod would have the right to kill us on sight. But I wouldn't worry about that. If we get across the Atlantic, they'll give up on chasing us. They'll assume that we'll die in the Mediterranean—the Mare Nostrum."

Percy pointed his pizza slice at Jason. "You, sir, are a ray of sunshine." He sighed. "So let's plan ahead and make sure we don't die. Mr. D– Bacchus– ugh, do I have to call him Mr. B now? Anyway, he said he 'fought–'" He made sure to add air quotes, "the twins Emilia mentioned the other day. The twins Piper saw in her blade."

Annabeth ran her finger along the rim of her cup. "I remember a story about twin giants. They tried to reach Mount Olympus by piling up a bunch of mountains."

Frank nearly choked. "Well, that's great. Giants who can use mountains like building blocks. And you say Bacchus killed these guys with a pinecone on a stick?"

"Something like that," said Percy. "I don't think we should count on his help this time. He wanted a tribute, and he made it pretty clear it would be a tribute we couldn't handle."

"Still, Piper saw something in her knife," argued Emilia. "Unless Gaea somehow implanted the vision and lied... he's still involved somehow. We just don't know why."

Piper hesitated. "Emilia..." She realized what they had to talk about. "She wants two of us. Today on the highway, Gaea told us she needed the blood of only two demigods– one female, one male. She wanted Emilia to choose which boy would die with me."

"She wanted me to deliver them to her," said Emilia. "A sacrifice... for her rebirth."

Leo whistled softly. "Guys, remember at the Wolf House? Our favorite ice princess, Khione? She talked about spilling Jason's blood, how it would taint the place for generations. Maybe demigod blood has some kind of power."

"Oh..." Percy set down his third pizza slice. He leaned back and stared at nothing. "Oh, bad... bad, bad." He looked across the table at Frank and Hazel. "You guys remember Polybotes?"

"The giant who invaded Camp Jupiter," said Hazel. "The anti-Poseidon you whacked in the head with a Terminus statue. Yes, I think I remember."

"I had a dream," said Percy, "when we were flying to Alaska. Polybotes was talking to the gorgons, and he said—he said he wanted me taken prisoner, not killed. He said: 'I want that one chained at my feet, so I can kill him when the time is ripe. His blood shall water the stones of Mount Olympus and wake Earth Mother!'"

"And we don't know how to stop that from happening," muttered Emilia. "I don't intend to give anyone up. I have..." She hesitated, "I have a mission assigned to me by Rhea. I have to get my mother to go back to Tartarus. I don't know why, all she said was that if my mother doesn't return to the Mansion of Night, all will be lost because discord will be on Gaea's side and she will surely emerge victorious. I don't know if it has to do with my connection here, the reason Gaea needs me to..." Her mouth felt dry. "Present the sacrifice and... give her a stronger anchor..." She shook her head. "Doesn't matter right now, we know nothing else. We have someone to find in Atlanta."

"Right," said Piper helpfully, placing her hand on Emilia's as a sign she didn't need to say more if she didn't want to. "Bacchus told us to seek out... what was his name?"

"Phorcys," said Percy.

Annabeth looked surprised, like she wasn't used to her boyfriend having the answers. "You know him?"

Percy shrugged. "I didn't recognize the name at first. Then Bacchus mentioned salt water, and it rang a bell. Phorcys is an old sea god from before my dad's time. Never met him, but supposedly he's a son of Gaea. I still don't understand what a sea god would be doing in Atlanta."

Leo snorted. "What's a wine god doing in Kansas? Gods are weird. Anyway, we should reach Atlanta by noon tomorrow, unless something else goes wrong."

"Don't even say that," muttered Annabeth. "It's getting late. We should all get some sleep."

"Wait," said Piper suddenly. "There's one last thing. The eidolons, they're still here, in this room."