The Selection

Never Let Go

"Stop dreaming!" Metals clash. "She is not going anywhere. She will be here, safe, in the castle and away from you."

"That we will see." He says with a crooked smile. He attacks and I defend his move. He raises his weapon again, not a good move. I stab him in his stomach with the hem of my sword. He droops. I punch him in the face. How could he grip her hair and push her? How could he force her to marry him against her will? How could he plan such an act of kidnapping her in my own castle, in front of me? I will not let that happen. Anger starts bubbling inside me. I kick him, punch him, stab him. 

Still, he stands up. "Grace, do you think you can overpower me?" He winks. For a minute, I thought he was looking at someone behind me, but I shrug it off. And then I hear something. I spin around.

A person is standing with his weapon raised high, but he is not moving. He falls with a dull thud on the ground and behind him stands, proudly, Piper. She smiles at me after all the things we have been through. Suddenly, her smile fades. She gestures to me but I am not able to understand. She looks worried. She rushes towards me, I stand there confused.

She standing in front of me. Dylan raising his knife. In a split second, everything around me changes. 

"Piper!" Her once wonderful sky blue dress changes to blood red. Her once gorgeous face becomes pale. She is falling, the color in her eyes is fading, they are closing. I catch her.

"Piper! No!" Events shape up the same way, they happened in my dream. I shake her. No response. "Piper, open your eyes. Please. For God's sake don't do that"

A tear falls from my face to hers. She opens her eyes. "Piper..." She opens her mouth but nothing comes out. "Why did you do that?" I say, quietly, expecting no answer.

 She lifts her hand and runs it through my face, wiping my tears. How could she, after what I have done to her? I am a liar, not a good friend. All this is happening because of me, just because of me. 

And then, her eyes close, again. Nothing but darkness is there. Only gloom. Tears cover my face, my heart becomes heavy. I clutch her closer to my chest. She can't leave me. I won't let her go, no, never. Suddenly, I hear something, her heartbeat. I look at her, sweat glistering over her brows. She looks more gorgeous than ever. At that moment, I realized what I actually felt about her. 

THIRD PERSON'S POV

"Grace, it is enough, give her to me or else...." Dylan's voice trails. He is shaking. He does want Piper but alive. And knowing that time is flowing faster than ever, he wants her. He drops the knife in his hand and grabs a stick.

"No! She will stay here, here in this palace, with me, safe." Jason pulls Piper's body closer and clutches it tightly. He will not listen to anyone now. But Dylan has its own ways. 

He hits the prince with the stick, not once but twice, thrice, four times. But grip doesn't loosen. Jason is too stubborn to let go of her. Dylan's blood bubbles and now he is getting mad. He strikes Jason hard, very hard on his head. This seems to make an effect.

Jason's vision starts to get blurred but still, he is holding her. He will never let her go even he dies trying. That rascal won't reach her. Her Sparky will protect her, whatever happens.

But, sometimes things don't happen the way one wants. One blow after the other. The bond starts to weaken. It loosens and finally, everything breaks apart.

"Piper!" 

"What did you say, stop dreaming, huh?" Dylan mimics, picking Piper. "Poor Prince. Now your treasure is mine. Now Piper will be mine and you, stay in this so-called palace of yours. Without Piper."

Every single muscle yells in Jason's body. His head. His limbs. Everything. But his heart aches the most. It seems as if an important fragment of his life is snatched away from him, forever and ever. He wants to cry out for her. He wants to stand and fight. But his body does not let him. He is left there, helpless, full of anguish and pain. His eyes don't support him now and everything around him blacks out.

~~~~~~~~

JASON'S POV

Without Piper. Without Piper. Without Piper.

"No!" I wake up, abruptly. Instantly, a sudden throbbing starts in my head. I touch it to find bandages covering the upper part.

"Jason! " Says a voice. Annabeth's voice. Thalia comes out of nowhere and asks me to lie down. I have never seen her that worried.

"What-?" The pain stops me from continuing.

"It is not the right time to discuss the things that happened today, brother. Please relax." Thalia says.

I can feel the agony returning when I remember what happened. Annabeth seems to be anxious, almost on the verge of tears. 

"Sorry, Annabeth." I couldn't hold it anymore.

"No, Jason, no. It is not your fault." She says in a small voice. She smoothes the strands of hair off my face as a mother does to her son when she tucks him to sleep. My eyes moisten.

"Hey, Jason, come on. You are my strong baby brother, right?" Thalia says with a weak smile.

"Don't call me 'baby'!" I say, quietly.

She hugs me, tightly, so tightly, that I wince in pain. "We will find her, we surely will."

"I know."

"He is awake!" I hear two new voices in the room. Both of them are familiar.

"Leo and.....Will"My voice trails in the air. Thalia pulls apart so that I can see them.

Not only they both are there, but there is someone else too.

"Brother, how are you?" He says. My eyes fill with tears of joy. 

Nico smiles at me.