Hope y’all enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Quote:

“Invisible threads are the strongest ties.” 

~Friedrich Nietzsche

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Chapter 6

Bryn 

The exhausted group pulled into a motel about six hours away from Cincinnati.  Rachel had driven since she’d done the least amount of fighting and wasn’t aching in every place possible on her body.  Silena and Derek had taken the backseat.  Bryn had taken the passenger seat.  They grabbed their bags before stumbling inside the lobby to check in.  Rachel did everything for them.  Within ten minutes, the four of them were inside a small but comfortable hotel room.

“Derek, Silena, you two share a bed.  Just don’t do anything or else Luke will kill me because he’ll find out.  I’ll take the couch.  Rachel, you get the other bed,” Bryn ordered, curling up into a ball on the couch.  She caught the blanket Derek tossed her and wrapped it tightly around herself.  She fell asleep within seconds.

Bryn found herself in a jail cell furnished with a simple wooden bed.  The floor was damp, the temperature chilled her to the bones, and the light made it difficult to see since it only came from a small window on the door.  A person lay in the bed, attached by shackles that were rusty and worn.  The person groaned, rolling over to reveal crystal blue eyes.

Bryn screamed his name.

Luke flinched before turning to face her.  Realizing it was Bryn rather than someone else, he gave a smile of relief.  She tried to get to him, to hug him, possibly kiss him because she desperately wanted to, but something anchored her to the spot she stood in.

“Oh my gods, you’re okay,” Bryn breathed.

“What are you doing here?” Luke demanded weakly. “Get out.  Get away from here, get away from me.”

She stared at him, attempting to hide her disappointment that he didn’t want her near him.  Not that she could necessarily get close to him.  Bryn wasn’t stupid; Bryn realized this was a dream. But that didn’t stop her from wanting to throw herself into Luke’s arms.  Not that she could or would ever admit it, but the grandson of Poseidon had snaked his way into heart, and she was madly in love with him.

“Bryn, don’t get me wrong.  I’m so happy you’re alive and that I can see you, but it’s a trap for you.  Hannah is a lot more powerful than she looks.  I think she can control the earth which is probably why she always stays-” Luke stopped himself.  The look on his face told Bryn he didn’t want to give her any clues as to where he was.

“Underground.  I’m not blind Luke.  I have Derek, Silena, and Rachel with me.  We’re coming to get you.  I’m not going to rest until you’re safe and sound.  I dare Hannah to get in my way.”

“You’re not unstoppable, Bryn!  Everyone has their limits.  You don’t know what you’re dealing with, who you’re taking on.  I don’t even know and I’ve been trying to find out!  Let my parents come get me.  This is only a trap for you.”

“No, Luke, you don’t understand.  No one does, but I need to do this.  I have to rescue you,” Bryn said frantically.  It seemed everyone was against her in this and they couldn’t be.  She needed their support if she was going to pull off what she had planned.

“My parents are on their way.  Just let them handle this, please, I’m begging you,” Luke whispered.

“Your parents are what?” she demanded.

“They’re on the way.  They’re worried about you.  They think you’re being too brash.  Go back to camp Bryn.  Leave me be.  Leave me here.  I’m going to die anyway.”

“What do you mean you’re going to die?  Don’t speak like that,” she chided.

“I’m cursed!  Hannah placed a curse on me.  My life force is tied to Olympus.  It lives, I die.  It dies, I live.  I’d rather die and make sure the gods continue to rule rather than watch that psycho witch run the world.”

The color drained from her face.  This… this changed everything.  All her plans were swept away and a new one already started formulating in her head.  Luke couldn’t die, nor could Silena, or Derek.  Bryn knew she was expendable, even being the only child of Zeus currently at camp and taking part in the demigod war.  Her half-brother Jason was living somewhere in California with his wife Piper.  Thalia was serving Artemis and didn’t get involved in the affairs of demigods.

Bryn had to get to Luke, and fast.

“Hannah has no idea who she’s messing with.  I’m going to get you out of there and I’m going to take her down.  Where are you?” Bryn asked firmly.

“No, not telling you,” he argued.  She growled before putting every ounce of Charmspeak into the question.  This time he involuntarily answered, “Garden of the Gods.”

“I know that, the prophecy said that.  But where is this garden of the gods?”

“No, that’s all I’m saying.  I’ve said too much.  I won’t forgive you if come and get me.”

“Then it looks like we’ll be arguing once again because me not coming to get you is out of the question.  Now, be careful, be as safe as you can, and I’ll see you soon,” she promised.  Bryn didn’t wait for him to say anything else.

She opened her eyes.  Derek stood over her, the lightning from the storm outside lighting up his face, showing his concern.  He didn’t need to ask her.  His look said it all.

She informed, “I talked to Luke.  He’s underground in garden of the gods.  I don’t know which garden it is.  I need to find out.  Now.  His parents are coming.”

She started to get off the couch but Derek placed his hands on her shoulder, keeping her firmly there. “You get some sleep.  I’ll do the research.”

Bryn wanted to argue but her body went against her.  The minute she closed her eyes, she fell asleep.

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Rachel

The kids were all sacked out.  Derek and Silena were facing each other in the bed, holding hands.  Bryn slept on the couch, curled up in a ball that didn’t seem possible considering her size.  Rachel felt depressed, knowing the future of what was to come.  The problem with being the Oracle, she couldn’t tell people their future, no matter how much she wanted to.  With what these kids were about to face… well, Rachel didn’t even want to think about it.

She left the room quietly to go to the Dunkin Donuts down the street.  While she was walking, her phone rang.  The number didn’t register familiar with her, but Rachel picked it up anyway.

“Hello?” she queried.

“Rachel?  It’s Percy.  How are you?”

“I’m good.  I’m alive so that’s a plus.  What about you and Annabeth?”

“We’re good.  How are the kids?  Have you had any problems?”

“The kids are asleep right now, but they’re okay.  We’ve had an encounter with two monsters,” Rachel informed before going in-depth about their escape. “Silena saved us.  Then Bryn drove like hell out of there.”

“So they’re holding up pretty well, then?”

“Overall.  The girls got into a rather nasty argument with each other, but they seem to be ignoring it right now.  Bryn’s the worst off of any of them.  Listen, Percy, something major is going to happen.  I don’t know exactly what it’s going to be, but you have to be prepared, because it involves the kids.”

“You don’t mean they’re going to- no, they’re all a part of the Great Prophecy!  It can’t… no, if any one of them dies, the others will be distraught.  Rachel, what’s going to happen?” he demanded.

“I don’t know Percy!  All I know is something big is going to happen and it involves the kids.  I don’t know if someone’s going to turn against us, or if someone’s going to get severely injured, or if someone’s going to…” She trailed off.  She didn’t even want to think about that. “But just prepare yourself.  Annabeth too.  This war is unlike the other two you’ve been a part of.  You fought a physical war.  Hannah is going for mental warfare too.  It’s like… Tartarus for the mind if you can even imagine.  She knows they’re young, she knows that they follow their emotions more than rationalizing things, and that’s what she’s going to toy with.  That’s all I’ve figured out.  The kids are smart, but Hannah’s quite literally an evil genius.”

“You have to warn them, Rachel.”

“Bryn’s already figured it out.  If I say anything, Silena and Derek will just think I’m trying to scare them out of going to get Luke.  If Bryn says anything, Silena will think Bryn believes she and Derek are too weak which Derek will get caught in the middle of that squabble and that will cause a butt-load of fighting.  They have to learn on their own.”

“What if Bryn speaks to Derek privately?”

“She doesn’t have a chance.  Silena and Derek are inseparable.  I think they’re both fearing Bryn at the moment.  I’ve seen people do crazy things for love, but Bryn is unstoppable.  I mean, what she’s trying to accomplish is kind of suicidal, but with her tenacity, it wouldn’t surprise me if she pulls off rescuing Luke.”

“Watch her.  Gods, if she dies on this quest… I don’t even want to think about it.  Then again, like you said, it’s Bryn.  She’s unstoppable.  Try to detain them so we can catch up.  If she won’t let us handle this, then we’re going to join her.  I’ll talk to you soon okay?”

“Right.  Be careful.  Stay out trouble as much as you can.”

“It’s me, Rachel.  Trouble tends to find me whether I like it or not.”

“I know; that’s why you worry me.  Now shut up and hurry up.  Call you later.”  The two friends hung up, and the Oracle continued walking to her destination.

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Derek 

“Should we wake her?” Silena asked quietly.  She and Derek were both staring at Bryn who kept jerking in her sleep.

“I would but I’m scared she’ll freak out and zap one of us into fried demigod.  I’d rather not die that way,” he retorted.

“Get a stick,” she suggested.

“Where am I going to get a stick?!”

“Use your sword or something.”

“Tais-toi,” Bryn groaned.  Derek and Silena glanced at each other before turning back to their friend.

“English please?” Derek remarked hesitantly.

“It means ‘shut up’ in French.  I’m awake.  There’s no need to find a stick to poke me with.  Derek, did you find anything last night?” Bryn inquired, sitting up and stretching.

“I think I found something.  There’s two options: the Garden of the Hesperides, and a place actually called Garden of the Gods.   It’s in Colorado Springs, Colorado,” he informed.

“Garden of the Gods.  That’s what Luke said!  That has to be it!” Bryn exclaimed, scrambling up and dashing to the computer.  She Googled the destination, looking for… something. “We’ll have to figure out how to get to him when we get there.  These pictures tell me nothing.  Let’s get go- where’s Rachel?” All three demigods stood up immediately, looking around for the fiery Oracle.

“Rachel?” Silena called out.

“She’s gone.  You stay here.  I’m going after her,” Bryn declared as she grabbed her jacket.  Derek stopped her.

“No.  I’ll go after her.  You go shower and change clothes.  I know personal hygiene isn’t your prime concern at the moment, but if you don’t clean up, monsters will be able to smell us from a hundred miles away.  Go.  Shower,” Derek ordered.  The daughter of Zeus punched him rather hard on the arm but she conceded, grabbing a new outfit out of her backpack.  He watched her go, a smirk appearing on his face.

“Come on, let’s go find Rachel,” Derek said, taking Silena’s hand.  They smiled at each other before grabbing their backpacks and leaving the hotel.  The couple didn’t go far before three figures appeared, wearing purple tee shirts that read: Camp Jupiter.

Derek had heard of the Roman camp.  Overall, the relationship between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter had improved greatly since the last war.  But the camps had gone back to their own business, hardly communicating with each other.  Who knows how the Romans felt towards the Greeks now.

Derek had a sneaking suspicion the Romans were slowly reverting back to their old sentiments, as they had an unconscious Rachel being supported between two of them while the tallest camper, obviously the leader, stood in front.

“We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way,” he said in an English accent.  The guy stood about six-foot, slightly taller than Derek.  He had dirty blonde hair, ice blue eyes, and an angular face.  He looked dangerous, acted dangerous, and oozed the aura of being dangerous.  Derek understood immediately he and Silena wouldn’t be able to take this kid on their own.  They had a reason to fight, but only one person in their group had the ultimate ability to take down this guy, because her reason, whatever it happened to be, was greater than Derek, Silena, Percy, Annabeth, and Rachel’s goals combined.  Bryn, from the very beginning, had had this indescribable passion to rescue Luke that Derek figured stemmed from more than just the fact she hadn’t been able to stop him from being kidnapped.  Something ran deeper to her convictions on this quest, something no one but her understood.  No one could understand unless she told them.

But, deciding to stall for time for Bryn to get the memo that they were in trouble, Derek did what he did best.

He stalled.

“You’re English,” he said.

The guy rolled his eyes. “No, I’m Russian.  Honestly, it’s shocking how often that is the first thing that comes out of your American mouths.”

“What do you want us for?” Silena demanded, standing up straighter and taking her hand out of Derek’s.  He wanted to take it back but realized for them to stand even the smallest of chances, they had to portray that they could hold their own.

“Straight to the point.  I like that in a person.  I don’t like sugar-coating things so, to make matters simple, we’ve been told to collect you.  You hold vital information the Greeks have apparently been withholding from us.  Now, all we have to do is wait for my soldiers to get your leader because, let’s admit it, it’s obviously not you two.”

“How can you be so sure?” Derek queried casually, taking out his sword. “I mean, we may not be leaders, but at least we don’t use the most cliché lines in the history of cliché lines.  I mean really, ‘we can do this the easy way or the hard way?’ What is this, an interrogation by five year olds?”

“Looks like your leader is not all knowing,” the guy commented, peering around the two demigods.  Silena and Derek whirled around to find Bryn being carried by her arms and legs by six other Roman campers.  The daughter of Zeus, although beaten bloody, still struggled violently.

“I will kill… all of you,” she threatened between gasps for air.

The Roman leader looked outraged. “I told you not to harm her!”

One of the guys stepped forward, holding his hands up. “If we didn’t, she would’ve killed us.”

“I’m going to kill you later.  You’re only prolonging your death.  And Mr. English Accent guy, if you truly told them not to hurt me, then I’ll go easy on you,” Bryn spat.  The Roman leader looked almost… worried?  At the sight of Bryn, his whole demeanor had changed.  Derek wondered why.

“My name is Bradley.  We were told to collect you.  We’re going to bring you back to our camp.  We will figure out what to do from there.  Now, tie them up and let’s get going.” The Roman leader entered their hotel room, hopefully to get their stuff.  But that was the last thing Derek saw because someone knocked him unconscious.

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