ROSE

We picked up our loot from Caucus' large stack and headed back to the ship. We traveled in quietude, none of us wanting to or able to muster a single word. Waves of emotions crashed through me, as it did for most of my friends. Amethyst was silently sobbing while Alexander looked like he'd seen a ghost, his face unmoving. Geneva was trying to hold it together and when Oman saw Kai's limp body, he began bawling on the ground.

Guilt built up inside of me as I stared at Kai once again. Everyone else began going back to their cabins, defeated and sad. I stayed behind though, unable to contain or stop my rampant thoughts.

This was all my fault. I had brought Kai on this quest despite what the prophecy had said. If I had just ignored Kai and chosen someone else, he would be back at camp, safe and sound.

I was the worst.

You're the best, a voice said inside my head. It was Kai's voice.

The memory came back to me. Kai and I were both in our pegasus riding class. We were preparing to ride the horses, and then Kai had asked for my help, so I reluctantly said yes. I remembered his terrible positioning on his horse, and laughing at him about it. After fixing his posture, I taught him how to hold the reins properly. After we raced each other - a race I won in a landslide - he thanked me for teaching him and said I was the best, with us sharing a few laughs before splitting.

Then, I flashed back to reality. A reality in which memories like that would never be made again. Despite what Kai had said, I was not the best. Those dreams I had had earlier, the ones where Kai ridiculed mercilessly, were all true now. His death, along with every other important, meaningful person such as Marianne or the campers that died during the fight with Ares, was because of me.

Kai - and Amethyst - had changed my life. Three months ago, right after Marianne had died at the hands of an empousa, I was brought to camp by the Birchwood twins and my life was completely changed. I found a new family, had friends, and finally felt content for the first time in four long years. The twins' kindness and willingness to help me carried me to where I am today, and I'm eternally grateful for what they did for me.

But now I would never be able to express my gratitude to Kai. I understood so much more of what Geneva was going through now, about not being able to get closure with someone really important to you.

That made me feel even more guilty. Not just because of the deaths of Kai, Arthur, Marianne, all the campers lost in the fight with Ares, or my dad. Because of the idea that I didn't help Geneva enough with what she was going through even despite all the adversity I've faced with loss and grief. That I had not only failed Kai and failed Marianne, but that, even now, I was failing Geneva.

A shaky breath parted from my mouth as I looked back at Kai's corpse, holding back more tears. I prayed to Olympus that Kai would end up in a good place and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

I then headed down to the bottom deck, wanting to bury myself in my blanket and just weep.

As I walked down the stairs, slowly going step by step, I heard faint cries from Amethyst's room and the beating down of a pillow from Geneva's. Everyone's doors, apart from Kai's and mine, were closed.

A voice behind me then said, "Boo."

I suddenly whirled around, punching at whatever had spoken. When I saw who I had just punched, I gasped.

It was Kai. He was alive - though he was now on the floor and had a bloody nose.

"Guys, come! Kai is alive!" I exclaimed with happiness, surprise, and anger at him for scaring me.

Everyone rushed down to where I was and began bombarding Kai with hugs and comments.

When we gave him space, Kai groaned and said, "Oh my gods, I have the worst headache. Did someone happen to explain Inception to me? I will never understand that movie."

Amethyst laughed shakily as she embraced her brother again. She then pulled away and asked, "Ew, why is your nose all bloody?"

"Um, he kind of scared me, so I instinctively punched him," I said. "Sorry about that."

"No worries," Kai said. "I probably deserved it."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Well you didn't all have to agree with me, but okay." Kai grinned.

Amethyst then escorted a reluctant Kai back to her cabin to fix up his nose, while the rest of us went back to our cabins, feeling a lot better.

As I got into my bed, something nagged at me; Shouldn't Kai have died?

Don't get me wrong, I was glad that Kai was fine. In fact, I was ecstatic.

But the prophecy had said that one would die by their own fire. It had basically described Kai and his curse, but he was still alive. Maybe it didn't mean Kai's fire, but rather someone else's? Or maybe Kai was supposed to die and it just wasn't his time yet, which would be a truly cruel twist.

Which was technically true. It's easy to forget that the guy is destined to die at some point in his life, with his jolly attitude and constant optimism, dumb quips and puns, and his general personality.

I decided to put the notion away. I was thinking about death way too much as a sane human being. At least now I could enjoy my friend's company before my inevitable death.

Oops. I did it again.

It had been a pretty long day, filled with pirates, monsters, and a greedy kleptomaniac with fire powers, so I headed to sleep.

Just as I was about to fall into a nice, deep sleep, visions began to plague me.

I dreamt that I was in the creepy dark cave. Things looked much the same, including my mother, Hecate, being trapped in a metallic cage.

"Olivia, status report," Erebos commanded.

The blond, prissy demigod known as Olivia, aka my half-sister - again, my mother disappoints me - walked out from the shadows of the cave. "Lord, please forgive me. Our group was unable to capture the demigods in Maine and they took one of ours as prisoner."

"Gah!" Erebos spat. "Again, Olivia, you and your GHOSTs fail me."

"I'm very sorry, Master Er-"

Erebos interrupted. "Were they able to cross the Sea of Monsters?"

"According to Aldric's spy falcons, yes, they were," Olivia answered, trembling in fear.

"How disappointing. Move on to Phase Two of the plan," Erebos demanded. "We may need the supplier's help on this."

My vision then transformed again as I was now in the metallic cage my mother was in. It seemed to have way more space though, like it could fit five people instead of one.

Hecate turned towards me. "Hello, Rose."

Wait, what?

"You know I'm here?" I asked slowly.

I then realized I had just spoken. This was no ordinary dream.

"I do, yes. However, no one else knows that you're there nor who I'm talking to. Call it the trick of the Mist," Hecate answered.

"Isn't the Mist gone?" I asked.

Hecate bit her lip. "Yes and no. For everyone else, it seems that way, but the Mist isn't really gone. I still have some control over it, but my power is slowly waning."

"Why is it waning, exactly?"

"Because those two sorceresses-" Hecate pointed to the two magicians that stood by the cage, who I knew as Circe and Pasiphae, "-have been performing some kind of spell that's draining away my godly essence. Within a week or so, all my powers will be gone and I'll be a hopeless mortal."

My eyes widened at that realization. "Gods can be turned into mortals?"

Hecate nodded sadly. "Yes, dear. Gods may seem invincible, but there are still many ways to kill them or disconnect them from their immortality. Fading, destroying their source of power, and taking away their godly essence are the three most known ways, but there are still many more."

"How did you even get yourself here?" I asked.

I then realized I had been bombarding her questions and felt a little bit bad.

As if Hecate had read my mind, she said, "Don't worry, dear. Ask me as many questions as you want. I know I have a lot of explaining to do. As for how I got myself here, I was captured and chained. Three months ago, while I was in my cave down in the Underworld, I was ambushed by Circe, Pasiphae, and Clytius. I was powerless to stop them as they brought me here and chained me up."

"Last I heard, isn't Clytius dead? I thought that you and that Hazel girl had killed him a year or so ago," I said.

"He was, but Erebos brought him back. I don't know how exactly, but Erebos has been bringing back multitudes of dead monsters, Titans, and Giants to do his bidding."

I nodded slowly as I asked again, "So, how exactly am I here? I've never been in a dream where I can speak or communicate with the people inside of it."

"I sort of called you here," Hecate responded. "I wish I had done it earlier, before you had to go on this entire quest and everything, but I didn't think you would want to talk to me. This is only the second time I've been able to reach out to you via the Mist, the first when you called for me from San Francisco."

I went silent. She was right. Three months ago, I definitely would've rejected the notion of talking to my mother. I was still angry at her, but seeing her in this state, I decided not to let it be known.

"Hold on," I said, coming to a sudden realization. "Three months ago, on my quest, someone or something had told me that some kind of magic had possessed Ares and his other friends. Was it you?"

Hecate's eyes diverted to the side, trying to avoid mine.

"How could you?!" I screamed into my mother's face.

"I only used my magic on them because they were going to hurt you, Rose!" Hecate explained. "Do you remember the empousa that took the form of the jogger and tried to kill you?"

"Yes?"

"They sent that because I refused to use my magic at the very first time of asking," Hecate finished. "I'm so sorry your sister died because of it, but now you know. Every single thing I've done for Erebos was to protect you."

The reference to my sister almost sent me spiraling. Marianne had died three months ago, and although I'd like to say I'd gotten over it, I really hadn't. Now I knew that the empousa had been sent to kill me because my mother refused to work for Erebos, and my sister had paid the price.

"Then you know what? Stop protecting me. I don't need your help. Some good it did Marianne."

Before my mother could say anything, the vision ended.