04 The Mark of Athena

They didn’t slow down until they reached the crest of the hill.
Piper felt silly, but she kept breaking down and crying as she told Jason what had happened while
he was struggling underwater.
“Piper, you had no choice.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “You saved my life.”
She wiped her eyes and tried to control herself. The sun was nearing the horizon. They had to get
back to Hercules quickly, or their friends would die.
“Achelous forced your hand,” Jason continued. “Besides, I doubt that lightning bolt killed him.
He’s an ancient god. You’d have to destroy his river to destroy him. And he can live without a horn. If
you had to lie about not giving it to Hercules, well—”
“I wasn’t lying.”
Jason stared at her. “Pipes…we don’t have a choice. Hercules will kill—”
“Hercules doesn’t deserve this.” Piper wasn’t sure where this rage was coming from, but she had
never felt more certain of anything in her life.
Hercules was a bitter, selfish jerk. He’d hurt too many people, and he wanted to keep on hurting
them. Maybe he’d had some bad breaks. Maybe the gods had kicked him around. But that didn’t
excuse it. A hero couldn’t control the gods, but he should be able to control himself.
Jason would never be like that. He would never blame others for his problems or make a grudge
more important than doing the right thing.
Piper was not going to repeat Deianira’s story. She wasn’t going to go along with what Hercules
wanted just because he was handsome and strong and scary. He couldn’t get his way this time—not
after threatening their lives and sending them to make Achelous miserable for the sake of spiting
Hera. Hercules didn’t deserve a horn of plenty. Piper was going to put him in his place.