The Argo II was now parked on a hill overlooking the city. 

Jason, Hazel, and Frank had returned to the scene of the catastrophe, hoping to dig through the rubble and find a way to save Percy and Annabeth, but they'd come back demoralized. The cavern was simply gone. The scene was swarming with police and rescue workers. No mortals had been hurt, but the Italians would be scratching their heads for months, wondering how a massive sinkhole had opened right in the middle of a parking lot and swallowed a dozen perfectly good cars.

Dazed with grief, we carefully loaded the Athena Parthenos into the hold, using the ship'shydraulic winches with an assist from Frank Zhang, part-time elephant. The statue just fit, though what they were going to do with it, I had no idea.

Coach Hedge was too miserable to help. He kept pacing the deck with tears in his eyes, pulling at his goatee and slapping the side of his head, muttering, "I should have saved them! I should have blown up more stuff!"

Finally Leo told him to go belowdecks and secure everything for departure. He wasn't doing any good beating himself up.The eight demigods gathered on the quarterdeck and gazed at the distant column of dust still rising from the site of the implosion.

"It's my fault," Leo said miserably.

We stared at him. Only Hazel seemed to understand. She'd been with him at the Great Salt Lake.

"No," she insisted. "No, this is Gaea's fault. It had nothing to do with you."

"Leo, listen to me." Hazel gripped his hand. "I won't allow you to take the blame. I couldn't bear that after—after Sammy..."

She choked up. 

"She's right Leo," I said. "If it's anyone's fault it's mine. I wasn't fast enough to reach them...and if I had just had a vision about it instead of other useless images then maybe I would've known to stop it.."

"It's not your fault. You can't control what you see and when." Jasper said placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You did everything you could to save them." 

Tears still prickled my eyes. Percy and Annabeth had fallen into Tartarus and I blamed myself.

Nico di Angelo shuffled over, leaning on his black sword. "They're not dead. If they were, I could feel it."

"How can you be sure?" Leo asked. "If that pit really led to...you know...how could you sense them so far away?"

Nico and Hazel shared a look, maybe comparing notes on their Hades/Pluto death radar.

"We can't be one hundred percent sure," Hazel admitted. "But I think Nico is right. Percy and Annabeth are still alive...at least, so far."

Jason pounded his fist against the rail. "I should've been paying attention. I could have flown down and saved them."

"Me, too," Frank moaned. The big dude looked on the verge of tears.

Piper put her hand on Jason's back. "It's not your fault, either of you. You were trying to save the statue."

"She's right," Nico said. "Even if the pit hadn't been buried, you couldn't have flown into it without being pulled down. I'm the only one who has actually been into Tartarus. It's impossible to describe how powerful that place is. Once you get close, it sucks you in. I never stood a chance."

Frank sniffled. "Then Percy and Annabeth don't stand a chance either?"

Nico twisted his silver skull ring. His ring reminded me of Jasper's. "Percy is the most powerful demigod I've ever met. No offense to you guys, but it's true. If anybody can survive, he will, especially if he's got Annabeth at his side. They're going to find a way through Tartarus."

Jason turned. "To the Doors of Death, you mean. But you told us it's guarded by Gaea's most powerful forces. How could two demigods possibly—?"

"I don't know," Nico admitted. "But Percy told me to lead you guys to Epirus, to the mortal side of the doorway. He's planning on meeting us there. If we can survive the House of Hades, fight our way through Gaea's forces, then maybe we can work together with Percy and Annabeth and seal the Doors of Death from both sides."

"And get Percy and Annabeth back safely?" Leo asked.

"Maybe."

I didn't like the way Nico said that, as if he wasn't sharing all his doubts.

Nico took a deep breath. "I don't know how they'll manage it, but Percy and Annabeth will find a way. They'll journey through Tartarus and find the Doors of Death. When they do, we have to be ready."

"It won't be easy," Hazel said. "Gaea will throw everything she's got at us to keep us from reaching Epirus."

"What else is new?" Jason sighed.

Piper nodded. "We've got no choice. We have to seal the Doors of Death before we can stop the giants from raising Gaea. Otherwise her armies will never die. And we've got to hurry. The Romans are in New York. Soon, they'll be marching on Camp Half-Blood."

"We've got one month at best," I added. "Ephialtes said Gaea would awaken in exactly one month."

Leo straightened. "We can do it."

Everyone stared at him.

"The Archimedes sphere can upgrade the ship," he said. "I'm going to study those ancient scrolls we got. There's got to be all kinds of new weapons I can make. We're going to hit Gaea's armies with a whole new arsenal of hurt."

At the prow of the ship, Festus creaked his jaw and blew fire defiantly.

Jason managed a smile. He clapped Leo on the shoulder.

"Sounds like a plan, Admiral. You want to set the course?"

We kidded him, calling him Admiral, but for once Leo accepted the title. This was his ship. He hadn't come this far to be stopped.We would find this House of Hades. We would take the Doors of Death. And by the gods, if I had to make Leo design a grabber arm long enough to snatch Percy and Annabeth out of Tartarus, then that's what I would do.

Nemesis wanted him to wreak vengeance on Gaea? I would be happy to oblige. I was going to make Gaea sorry she had ever messed with Eliana Corbyn.

"Yeah." Leo said.

I took one last look at the cityscape of Rome, turning blood red in the sunset.

"Festus, raise the sails. We've some friends to save."

***

I sat in my room staring at the wall. I was trying to think of something besides Percy and Annabeth. But I wasn't doing very well.

 I couldn't get the image of being so close to grasping Percy's hand and then watching him and Annabeth fall right before my eyes. 

There was a knock on my door that snapped me from my thoughts. The door opened and Jasper peaked his head through.

"Want some company?" He asked. I nodded and scooted over on my bed for him to join me. 

Jasper sat next to me and intertwined our fingers together. We sat in silence. I didn't mind it though, I was comfortable like this. 

"You're thinking about them, aren't you?" Jasper asked breaking the silence after a while. He didn't need a response to know he was right. "You know it's not your fault." 

"But it is." 

"But it's not." He looked me in the eyes. "You did not choose for them to fall into Tartarus , you are not the reason they are there." 

Tears prickled at my eyes again. "But I'm the reason they weren't saved. If I had just—"

"Eliana." He said cutting me off. "You did everything you could. Don't blame yourself for something that wasn't your fault." 

I stayed silent. I wanted to believe him so badly but I still felt as if I could've done more. Jasper stood up. He walked over to my desk and grabbed a book before sitting down next to me again. 

"What are you doing?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows. 

"Getting your mind off things." He said, opening my book. 

"By reading poetry?" 

He seemed to just now realize what book he'd picked but he continued on anyway. He cleared his throat and began reading off the page. 

"Beneath the veil of twilight's tears, 

Heartbeats whisper silent fears. 

In echoes of a silent plea, 

Soulful whispers, wild and free."

"Cheery." I said. 

"Let's try something else." He said closing the book and placing it back on my desk.

"And what's that?" 

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him. "Maybe kissing my girlfriend." 

"Oh, so I'm your girlfriend now?" I said smirking. 

"Are we not?" He was confused. "Is this not how this works?"

"I mean normally people ask but...wait have you never had a girlfriend?" I asked incredulously. 

"No.." He mumbled embarrassed. 

"How have you never had a girlfriend?" I was totally confused. Jasper shrugged. 

"I don't know...I mostly keep to myself so I guess no one's noticed me before..." 

Now I was even more confused. How could someone not notice a tall boy with a gorgeous face and body. I mean he was one of the first people I took notice of when I went to Camp Jupiter. 

"Is it a bad thing?" He asked. 

"No, I just...I would've thought you would have had a girlfriend by now. I mean you are 17 most guys would've had at least one girlfriend by now."

"Well you don't have to remind me of my lack of romance." He said, "Besides I bet you haven't had a boyfriend either!" 

"I have too!" I said defensively. 

He gave me a pointed look. 

"Oh really?" He said not convinced. "What's his name?" 

"It's..." I thought quickly. "Casper."

"Casper." He said, raising his eyebrows, "That's the best you could come up with?"

"Shut up!" I told him, crossing my arms. 

Somehow our small banter had brought a smile to my face. It was one of the things I liked about Jasper. I liked being able to talk so freely like this, most couples I had seen would get into a small fight and break up instantly. But it seemed fighting was one of the things that brought us together. 

"Would you be my girlfriend?" Jasper asked me as we fell into silence again. 

I grinned, "Only if I get to call you My Little War Noodle." 

"Call me that and I'll kill you." 

"Warlord jr."

"Absolutely not."

"Mini Mars."

"That's even worse."

"War Boy?" 

"Possibly." 

I smirked in victory. "In that case, I'd love to be your girlfriend." 

I wrapped my arms around his and snuggled into him. We laid together. My head was on his chest and his arms were wrapped around me.

"You're so cute"  He whispered.

"Hm?" 

"I said you look like a boot." He said quickly with a red tint to his cheeks.

 "What does that even mean?" 

"Just go back to sleep!" 

"I need to know why I look like a boot!" I argued. 

"I didn't even say that!"

 "Then what did you say?" 

"I called you cute." 

"..." 

"..."

"Could you repeat that again. I didn't quite catch that." I said smirking. 

Instead of answering he pressed his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck bringing myself closer to him. I had expected his kiss but I hadn't expected how he would hold me so soft and gently. He kissed me slowly and softly. When he pulled away his touch left me wishing for more.

If you had told me when we first met that we would end up together or even be friends..I would've thought you were mad. But now I couldn't think of any other possible outcome.

Jasper and Eliana. 

I liked the sound of that.