[ophidia in herba]

Tessa took a sip from her mug of coffee, peering out the rain-splattered window as she did. New York City was as bustling as always, with people hurrying to and from various locations, in a constant state of flux. The chaos was comforting to Tessa, a reminder to keep moving, keep going. Especially now.

A waiter hovered at the end of Tessa's booth, and Tessa watched him in the reflection of the window. He was tall, dark-haired, bronze-skinned. Probably around her age. Judging from the look on his face, he was either intimidated by Tessa or frustrated with her. Most likely both.

"Would you like a refill?" He asked.

Tessa turned her head to face him, her turquoise eyes calculating. She nodded, setting her mug down and sliding it towards the waiter. He refilled it and turned around, ready to leave. Then, he cast one more look over her.

Tessa arched an eyebrow. "Yes?"

The waiter shook his head; Tessa saw his nametag read Jack. "Sorry, it's just...have I seen you somewhere? You look familiar."

Tessa made a face, a lazy smile on her face. "Isn't that an overused line?"

Jack chuckled nervously, using his free hand to scratch the back of his head. "It is. But, I, uh..."

Tessa sighed, lacing her hands together and setting them on the table, flashing Jack a thin smile. "Let me warn you now, Jack. You don't want anything to do with me."

Jack's smile dissolved a bit. "Can I at least get your name?"

Tessa blinked, unfazed, but before she could send Jack off, her attention caught on the TV on the wall. It had shifted from a muffled sitcom to breaking news, and a waitress behind the bar was turning up the volume at another customer's request. Normally, Tessa would have ignored it, but as the news anchors flashed an image of one of the Masks, she snapped into attention.

Tessa got to her feet, walking past Jack and heading over to the small crowd gathered in front of the TV. Her heart pounding with each step, she watched in terror.

"Officials report that this is the third murder following the sightings of a masked culprit in the past forty-eight hours. Thirty minutes ago, the body of 28-year-old Alice Mercer was found in an alley nearby her apartment in Greenwich Village. Eyewitnesses caught this photo of the killer, which matches the reports of a masked culprit. While we do not have an official identity..."

The image of the Mask flashed again on the screen, inciting remarks of horror and disgust from the café. Tessa tuned out the rest of the news report, the sound of her heart racing like thunder in her ears. She threw down some dollar bills to pay for her drink, then stormed out into the rainy day outside.

Tessa, trench coat billowing in the wind, hurried down the street, tapping on her phone. She had about a million missed calls and texts, but she ignored them all, calling up Reese. She held her phone to her ear, eyeing the streets as she bustled amongst the city-goers.

"Where the actual hell have you been?" Reese exclaimed by way of greeting.

"I'll explain later, now listen, do we have any updates on the Masks?" Tessa asked, coming to a stop at a crosswalk.

"Aside from the fact that Aether launched an attack on Camp Jupiter—"\

"What?"

"Maybe if you'd answered my calls, you'd know. But we're in the Principia now, trying to figure everything out. What's wrong?"

Tessa swept her hair out of her face, hurrying across the street when the light changed. "I just saw the news. The Masks are killing people. Mortals."

Reese was silent on the other end for a moment. A shuffle sounded on the other end. "You're on speaker, Tessa. What's going on?"

Tessa huffed a breath, repeating the news. "We need to launch a counterattack before anyone else gets hurt. The Masks haven't killed before, so what's changing that?"

"Tessa, you need to get back here," Mark spoke. "We've got a problem."

"I heard," Tessa exhaled. "Any casualties?"

"None," Kaya answered. "But that's not necessarily a good thing either. Where are you? I'll make a portal for you."

Tessa looked around for a discernable landmark, and started jogging for the marquee of Radio City Music Hall. She reported her location to Kaya and slowed to a stop amid the tourists seeking shelter from the rain. When a glowing stream of light began to form near the door, Tessa leaped through it to the shining room beyond.

"Now that you're here," Reese said as Tessa took a step into the Principia's basement headquarters. There was a bandage around his forearm, and his hair looked like a tornado had attacked it. "Where have you been?"

Tessa sighed, casting a quick look around the room. Kaya was seated in a chair on top of the central platform, looking weary; Mark was chatting with Imogen, who looked steamed; Kaden was hunched over a filing cabinet, rifling through it like his life depended on it.

"I needed some time," Tessa managed to Reese, giving him a look. "I'll explain later."

"Don't worry," Imogen piped up, glancing over her shoulder at Tessa. "We know."

Tessa knit her eyebrows together, but immediately averted her attention to Kaden, who didn't look up from his work.

"I can feel you glaring at me," He said lazily.

"Good," Tessa huffed, returning her focus to the group. "What happened here?"

Kaya shook her head, sighing. "Everything was fine. We were going about War Games when suddenly the northern boundary was breached."

"The Masks?" Tessa's eyebrows raised in anticipation.

"Nope," Mark chimed. "Storm spirits."

Tessa made a face of confusion. "What do storm spirits want with Camp Jupiter?"

Kaya got to her feet, waving her hand. Instantly, the screens began to play footage of what had happened. Tessa watched as miniature vortexes ravaged the Roman training ground, sweeping up everything in their paths. Eventually, the spirits would manifest into something tangible, and the legion would strike. And then after about a half hour of fighting, the storm spirits just...disappeared.

"Why'd they just decide to up and leave?" Tessa tore her gaze from the screen, flicking her gaze between her friends.

Reese leant against a cabinet, drumming his fingers along it. "We think that the Masks sent them as a distraction. But to what, I don't know."

"I do," A voice sounded as the elevator doors hissed open. Eli Allistairs marched into the room, a sullen look in his icy blue eyes.

Kaya's eyes widened, and she sauntered towards Eli. "Did you see something?"

Eli huffed a sadistic laugh. "Not something. Someone." He met Tessa's gaze from across the room. "Your friend Dale? She was here. In this very room, stealing confidential information from us."

A chill permeated the room, settling on top of everything and everyone like newly fallen snow. Frost clung to Tessa's bones, her nerves, freezing her ability to piece things together. What was Dale doing here if she was prisoner in Aether's mansion?

Mark shook his head slowly, a skeptical look in his dark eyes. "No. No, that can't be right."

"It is," Eli asserted. "I caught her and she sent me flying across the room so she could escape."

"What'd she steal?" Kaden asked, standing up straight from where he was crouched over the filing cabinet.

Eli looked at Kaden, matching his distraught look. "I'm not entirely sure but from the looks of it, she took your report on the New Rome Earthquake."

Kaden set his jaw, slamming the cabinet shut. "That...we're in trouble."

"Why?" Tessa asked.

Kaden met her gaze, dragging a hand through his hair. "While you were gone, Adhara came to us and gave us more information. We were able to figure out that the Masks' endgame will be in the Garden of the Hesperides, on Mount Tamalpais. But part of their plan regards the implementation of Project Maelstrom."

Imogen drew out a breath in realization. "And if they have information on how we handled Project Maelstrom the first time around—"

"—Then they'll know how to use it against us." Kaya stared daggers at the screen, replaying the footage of the battle as if it could show her the battle that was to come. "What do we do?"

"Adhara said that if Project Maelstrom was launched, it would be the end of life as we knew it," Reese stressed, his blue eyes blazing. "We can't fight something like that without knowing how to stop it."

"How can we stop it without knowing what it is?" Eli countered. "No offense, but we still don't even know how the Masks operate and we want to try and tackle Project Maelstrom?"

"Eli's right," Kaden concurred. "We need to stop the problem at its root. If the Masks are outgunned and outmanned, then they won't be able to launch Project Maelstrom."

"Vinny did it last time," Imogen chimed. "Who says he won't do it again?"

Mark shook his head. "I don't think Vinny has the authority to launch it. If anything, it'll be Aether, so we should work on stopping him."

Tessa tensed, eyes locked on the screen as she watched the storm spirits fly over the Field of Mars. She could feel everyone watching her, could feel Aether watching her from his mansion. How will his half-sister fall?

"Aether's not a god," Tessa began, her voice gravelly. "He's entirely mortal. His powers come from a curse from Menoetious, the Titan of violence."

"How do you know?" Kaya asked, an air of skepticism to her voice.

"Because," Tessa turned around, her expression sharp enough to split stone. "He's my half-brother."

Kaya's eyes widened. "What?"

And so Tessa explained everything as her mother did, sharing with her friends everything she knew about the curse, the Titan, the villain they were trying to fight. Because without the light, without the powers, Aether was nothing but a mortal. Luke was nothing.

"That's how everything's connected," Tessa concluded. "Luke is the son of my mother and Jared Knight. Artemis took Luke away when he was small, hence destroying Jared's sanity in the process, and I will somehow be the one to return Luke to Jared. Hopefully in a coffin."

Mark inhaled sharply at that. "Wow, Tessa. A little harsh for someone in your family."

Tessa glowered at Mark, but she had to appreciate his trying to make light of the situation. She sighed, closing her eyes. "If Luke has Dale running missions, this plan of theirs is probably entering a new phase. We need a way to know what's happening on the inside."

"We have Adhara," Kaden offered. "She's the one who controls when the Masks move."

Reese shook his head. "Something tells me that if things are moving quickly, she won't risk coming to tell us their plans. It'd risk her cover, and Dale's."

"We need another way inside," Mark said. "But what?"

As if on cue, the chime of an intercom sounded through the basement. "Kaya? Are you there?"

Kaya closed her eyes at the sound of the muffled voice, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Yes, Julius, what is it?"

"I've got a kid here."

"That sounds like a you problem, Julius."

"No, not like that. Guards found him snooping around the Principia. He's not a Roman."

Suddenly, all the Greeks in the room met one another's gazes. Who would be a stowaway at a time like this?

Kaya sighed. "Did you ask for his name, Julius."

"He says his name's Chase." Julius reported.

Mark snapped to attention, inhaling sharply. "Son of a—"

"Mark," Kaden stressed, trying to fight a smile. "Let's not call the goddess of victory names, shall we? Especially when we're hoping for one."

The son of Iris huffed a breath and ran for the elevator, and seeing as no one but Mark wanted to see Chase Ferguson maimed, they all ran after Mark as well.

~~

"Okay, Chase," Kaden paced the floor, stopping in front of the son of Nike. "I'm going to ask you one more time. Why are you here?"

Chase narrowed his dark eyes at Kaden in answer, then looked away. Kaden made a gesture like he was going to strangle the son of Nike, and Tessa bit back a laugh.

"He likes to get on everyone's nerves," Mark huffed a breath. "He caught news of a battle and naturally, tried to get himself killed."

"I wouldn't have gotten myself killed!" Chase rebuffed, fire in his words.

Tessa was taken aback. She blinked a few times, then took a step forward. "Chase," She said softly. "Why are you here?"

Chase met Tessa's gaze, and through the venom and the fury, Tessa could see a shattered façade behind it all. As if he knew that Tessa knew, some of the tension in his frame began to ease. "I...Yesterday, I found out that my dad had been killed by the Masks. I was so mad that I didn't know what to do. I wanted revenge. So when I heard that the Masks were attacking Camp Jupiter—"

"You followed in hopes of getting justice for your dad," Kaya inclined her head in understanding.

Tessa chewed on her lip, turning to face her friends. "That's what I was calling about earlier. The Masks have resorted to killing mortals now."

"Why though?" Reese asked. "Why kill when they can just add to their army?"

"They're trying to make some sort of point," Eli said from where he leant against the wall. "Either Aether's getting crazier, or their plan is really close to fruition."

"In which case, we need more answers," Tessa dragged a hand through her hair in exasperation. "Because right now, we hardly have any."

"Let me help you," Chase got to his feet. "Please."

"Chase," Imogen began, but Chase interrupted her.

"No. I know what you're going to say. They're dangerous and I'm too young and I've barely fought in any real battles, so fighting the Masks would be suicide. But I don't care. Because you all were barely older than me when you went off on quests and risked your life and became the legacies you are now. So, don't try and make me out to be weak. I'm a demigod, just like you all. And I will fight with or without your permission." Chase concluded, his eyes blazing.

Tessa smirked, glancing from Chase to her friends. "I like this kid."

Mark's eyes widened, and he wiped a hand over his face in a half-hearted facepalm. "How stealthy can you be, Chase?"

Kaden whirled around, disbelief on his face. "You can't be serious."

Mark pinned Kaden with a look. "He wants to fight? Then we'll let him fight." He turned back to Chase. "How stealthy?"

Chase blinked, but nodded. "Pretty stealthy."

"Good," Mark managed, and despite his gruff tone, Tessa could see the begrudging impression evident in his eyes. "Then come with me. I've got a lot to debrief you on before you infiltrate the Masks."

And so Mark turned on his heel, stalking back towards the elevator. Chase hesitated for a moment, but followed the son of Iris away. Eventually, the two boys disappeared behind the golden doors.

"Are we going to regret this decision?" Imogen asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Probably," Reese answered with a slight shrug. "But what else is new?"

Tessa sighed, starting for the door. Her friends dispersed, headed to go work on their various tasks, but Tessa needed some air. She emerged from the Principia, bracing herself against the immaculate railings.

It still haunted her. Whenever Tessa closed her eyes, she could still see the storm raging on around her. She no longer felt like the storm was inside of her, igniting every nerve and every inch of her power. Now? She just felt numb. The aftermath of the chaos had left her gasping for air, grasping for an inch of solidarity.

When Tessa opened her eyes, however, she was met with possibility. Camp Jupiter stretched before her, glittering in gold and violet, and Tessa found herself elsewhere, as if Aether had whisked her away again. But now, she found herself reliving every memory of this camp, when things seemed simpler.

A fanfare from Kaden's return celebration played muffled in her memory, and a soft smile laced her face. They were all together then. Save Mark, he was the only thing they had to worry about. What Tessa would give to go back on the quest to stop Deimos, go back through the Labyrinth, to when everything was alright.

The fanfare got louder. Tessa blinked, and realized that she wasn't imagining it. She watched and listened as suddenly, people nearby got up from what they were doing and started running towards the noise. She could hear cheers and screams of joy, but why?

The doors of the Principia opened, and her friends emerged, all wearing matching expressions of confusion.

"Should we be worried?" Reese asked, a hand reaching towards his quiver.

Kaya shook her head, her eyes trained on a point in the distance. "That's...that's a fanfare for the return of a member of the legion. When someone lost returns."

"Who have we lost?" Kaden asked. "There's no way that the Masks would have let our people go."

Their answer came in the form of a boy, donning a dark, ragged outfit. His dark shaggy hair hung over his eyes, but despite his disheveled appearance, he walked with the aura of a king.

Tessa's eyes widened. "It can't be..."

"It is," Eli blinked, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Alex?" Imogen whispered, her jade eyes watering.

And so Alexander Deven stopped at the foot of the Principia, looking up at them with a determined look in his eyes. He was no longer ghostly, flickering with the light that the Lares often radiated. He looked whole, healthy...alive.

"Hey, Gen," Alex smiled softly. He addressed the others, his familiar aura of authority reflecting onto them all. "We need to talk."