CHAPTER TWELVE:
LIKE REAL PEOPLE DO

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UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN KHIONE'S BODY turned to dust, so did her head. The only sign the Goddess and her minions had ever been on board was the sudden overpowering gust of wind that blasted them halfway across the Mediterranean. If it wasn't for Piper directing the sphere... By the time the ship settled in the rocking waves and Annais remembered how to breathe over the erratic hammering of her heart, they were well and truly knocked off course. The ice around Jason melted. The others ventured above deck in various states of shock and horror to discover that not only were they off course, but Leo was missing and they had no idea where Khione had sent him.

A place he could never return from.

Mel hadn't come out of her room in three days. Five days had passed since Annais' stand down with Khione, and she couldn't quite believe it. So much had changed now, for the prophecies but for her too. With Khione pinned beneath her and rage blooming in her chest like a bruise, something had unlocked in her. She didn't dare name it, that feeling of anger that burned like fire, that threaded the shadows of Death she'd spent her whole life seeing into a weapon that could be wielded in the physical realm. Her shadows were supposed to be confined to her brain. No one else was supposed to see them, to feel them.

It scared her.

And no one but Piper knew.

Sure, she promised to keep it a secret beneath the heat of Annais' stare, but she urged the daughter of Hades to confide in the others. We can help, she said before Annais silenced her with a glare. If you just let us.

She didn't understand.

Now more than ever, Annais had become a stranger to her own body's limitations. She feared what her hands could do, the destruction she could cause. She hadn't even hesitated in killing Khione. What if one of her friends, her sisters, Jason... she couldn't even bear the thought. It hung over her head like a noose that swung every time Jason kissed her, every time her friends snapped at each other as they tried and failed to repair the damage the blast across the Mediterranean had caused.

In the present, with that noose still swinging, Annais was shouting orders from her vantage point at the mainmast. She sat with her legs hanging over the edge, eyes scanning the rows of oars. Several were smashed beyond repair, but most of the dents could be fixed with some care.

Of course, they put Hea and Gleeson on the job.

"Hea, that's Coach's leg," Annais called down as her sister narrowly avoided shattering Gleeson's shin with the club he'd given her. The two of them were balanced on the other side of the railing, feet dangling over the glistening waters of the bay they'd landed in. Hea either didn't hear Annais or just decided to ignore her. Her bat only skimmed the satyr's right leg but he still let out a howl in response. "Hades, kill me now."

"It's no use telling her, Annais," Hazel chuckled from below her. "I think she's doing it on purpose at this point."

"I am not," Hea barked, caught between rolling her eyes at Gleeson's grumbles and glowering at her sisters. Her face was red from exertion, her plaited hair stuck to her sweat-slick neck. "This is harder than it looks. Why don't you try it?"

Frank, who was sitting beside Hazel as she tried to decode Leo's control panel, was quick to rebuke her with a shake of his head. "You volunteered."

Hea huffed. "Touché, Frank Zhang."

"Gleeson, you got something?" Annais called over the conversation below.

She was practically melting sitting so high up, the sun's rays sweltering on her back, but she'd already stripped down to her sport's bra and leggings and she wasn't about to give the South Wind a free show. She knew Jason was above them somewhere, waiting for Lord Notus to see him at his palace for the fifth day in a row. So far, it hadn't done them any good. They were waiting for his permission to leave the bay, but were also hoping for guidance on where they might find Leo if Boreas' winds took him. As for the Southern venti, they were slow and lazy on their good days. On their bad ones, they were gusty and angry, but they seemed to tolerate the Argo II's presence in their bay. Today was supposed to be a good day.

"I think so," Gleeson yelled in reply. "Try it now!"

Hea's eyes blew wide. "Wait--"

It was too late. Frank pulled one of the levers and the oars started rotating too fast to keep the boat steady. Hea managed to dodge them, but one caught Gleeson, smacking him on the backside and launching him into the air. On his way down, he latched onto Hea and dragged them both kicking and screaming into the water.

Annais let out a surprised laugh at the sight of them. When they surfaced, Hea spat water into Gleeson's face as he tried to swim after his hat.

"Gleeson," Hea shouted. "You did that on purpose!"

"Get my hat," he barked as it floated past her. Stubbornly, Hea ignored it, leaning back to dip her hair into the water. "My hat, Min!"

Annais sighed and descended from the mast as they continued to argue. She found Piper watching them on the safe side of the railing; materialising beside her was Nico, who must've shadow travelled to speak to Jason while he waited for Lord Notus. He had Diocletian's sceptre gripped with a shaking fist. Before Annais could even open her mouth to greet him, he shoved past her and disappeared below deck.

"What was that about?" Piper frowned while staring at the back of Nico's bowed head.

Annais sighed. "I don't know."

She had an idea, but that was beside the point. Together, the two girls leaned on the railing and watched as Hazel lowered down the rope ladder to help Hea and Gleeson out. Gleeson tried to climb up first only to get knocked down by Hea with the club she'd managed to cling to when they fell. He hissed and swallowed a mouthful of water she accidentally (or was it on purpose? Annais could never tell) kicked in his face.

Piper, who was grinning at their antics, then glanced at Annais with thinly veiled concern. Annais rolled her eyes just as Piper asked, "Have you thought about what I said?"

"I have."

"And?" Annais' scowl was enough of an answer. "Come on. Not even Hea or Nico?"

She gestured at the stairs Nico had just disappeared down with a scoff. "You think he's willing to listen to me right now?"

"As if that's ever stopped you before," Piper pointed out, stubborn as ever. Finally noticing the tension that pulled Annais' shoulder muscles taut, some of the fight left her words. "I'm worried about you, Annais."

"Don't be," she insisted, standing up straight when she spotted a shape in the distance moving towards them. "I can handle myself."

That shape turned out to be her boyfriend; him, and a half-dozen fiery horses controlled by invisible ropes of wind. Jason's eyes were wide as he flew towards them. "Get below deck," he shouted when he was near enough for them to hear him. When he saw Annais hesitate, he scowled. "Now."

Sighing, she bit her tongue for the time being and followed Piper towards the stairs. Behind them, Hazel and Frank finally managed to drag Gleeson overboard after Hea. The two sopping wet figures trailed water down to the cabins. Annais' first thought at the sight was to clean it up before Leo could see. Then, her heart remembered. Swallowing around the sudden lump in her throat, she mumbled an excuse the others surely noticed and disappeared into Mel's cabin.

Melanie was sitting up in bed when the door opened. Despite her sunken eyes, some of the colour had returned to her face.

"Hey," she mumbled, watching Annais as she crawled onto the bed beside her. "Everything okay out there? I heard shouting."

Annais forced a smile. "Hea and Hedge went for a swim."

"Voluntarily?" she arched an eyebrow.

"What do you think?"

Mel huffed out a laugh. "Wish I got to see it."

Annais was quiet for a moment. Methodically, Mel picked at a stray thread of the woollen blanket she had strewn over her legs. Annais watched her for a while, unsure how to approach the subject without shattering the last shreds of composure Mel had managed to grasp.

"Mel..."

"I know," she cut her off suddenly. "I'm doing this to myself. But I'm scared, Annais."

"Of what?"

The silence seemed to stretch and snap like a rubber band. "That I'm never going to see Leo again. Or Ezra. If I go upstairs, if I keep moving forward, part of me feels like I'm leaving them behind." The words struck Annais right in the chest. Her jaw clenched, biting down on the desperate words that wanted to escape. Mel's face paled. "Not that I think you or the others are doing that."

"I know," she muttered. "It's okay."

Mel's eyes glossed over then. She let them fall shut in denial, but Annais saw the steady line of water that dripped down to her jaw. "Maybe I'm too sensitive. I feel so much sometimes that it's hard to breathe."

Death begged for fear, and Melanie Min was His latest victim.

Annais reached for her hand and squeezed.

"I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all," she insisted, nudging Mel's side when she didn't reply. "Wouldn't you?"

When Mel eventually drifted off to sleep again, Annais peeled herself off the bed and ventured out of the cabin. Closing the door behind her with a soft click, she hesitated at the stairs for a second, wondering if it was safe to approach Jason and his steaming horse companions. She could feel the boat moving quickly. No doubt, the African coast line was nothing but a shape on the horizon now. Then, just as that thought came, the boat rocked and slowed down.

"Jason?" she called out, the first step creaking beneath her feet. "Is it safe to come up?"

Her boyfriend's exhausted reply came a moment later. "Yeah... I think so."

"You think?" Annais chuckled as she stepped out into the sunlight. She had to squint to see Jason leaning against Festus' neck. His shirt stuck to his torso like a second skin, providing Annais with a view she normally would've stopped and admired had Jason not looked utterly wrecked. His hair was windswept, face flushed and sweaty like he'd been running a marathon. He could barely stand up straight. He all but threw himself onto Annais when she was close enough to hand him a square of ambrosia. "Here, babe. You need to eat."

With his arms around her waist, she got a better look at the horrible blisters that scarred his skin. She let out a gasp, but the marks were quick to fade back to a warm tan as he chewed on the ambrosia. Some of his strength slowly returned; enough, at least, that he could stand without looking queasy. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks," he murmured, squeezing her waist. "How long was I--"

Annais glanced down at her watch, then up at the slowly setting sun. "A few hours, at least," she replied, to which he blinked in amazement. "I went in to see Mel before lunch."

"And the others?" he asked. Part of Annais wanted to move so he could sit down, but he seemed content leaning against Festus where he could hold her close. "What are they up to?"

"Not sure, I haven't seen any of them since Hea and Gleeson's swim," her lips twitched with a grin at the memory that Jason matched; perhaps in shared amusement, or maybe just because Annais was smiling. "I bet they're tired of being stuck downstairs, though. Should I tell them it's safe to come up here now? No fiery horses are going to melt them?"

"No horses," Jason agreed, but then he shook his head at her previous question. "Not just yet. I need a second."

He seemed anxious to even admit such a thing to her. Annais let out a soft laugh, one she reserved for her boyfriend and, sometimes, her sisters. "Is this your way of getting me alone?"

Jason managed a smirk. "Damn, you caught me."

Instinctively, he leaned down and kissed her, and more of his strength seemed to return at just the graze of her mouth on his. Even when drained and defeated, he couldn't get enough of her, and Annais' body warmed until she was sure the horses had returned to set her alight. "I'm so lucky to have you."

Annais hummed and gently threaded her fingers through his hair. "Keep talking."

Normally, he would've teased her and refused to feed her ego. But this time, he kissed her again, murmuring, "And I love you so much."

"Okay, now I'm worried," her brows tugged into a frown. "What have you done?"

She wasn't genuinely worried, but any momentary fears she may have had pretty much deserted her when Jason leaned back and clutched his chest in mock disbelief. "Ye of little faith."

Annais nose scrunched up. Jason laughed. "Never say that again. You sound like Leo."

"I wouldn't let him hear you say that," he said, confusing her. Briefly, she wondered if he somehow hit his head again and forgot the past several days of stress and worry. Then he smirked and spun them around, pointing across the glittering sea to where an island formed in the distance. "Somewhere in there, we're going to find Leo."

Annais' heart clenched. "Please tell me you're not joking."

She hated how much hope filled her at the thought of seeing that gremlin again. She longed for some of Mel's life to return to her, but as much as she despised admitting it, she'd missed the son of Hephaestus even if he did spend a lot of his time annoying her.

"How do we get the ship to the docks?"

"Good question," some of Jason's glee dimmed into a frown. "I dunno."

"Helpful."

"Sorry if I don't have the strength to fly us over there..."

All of a sudden, his tone soured into something resentful; not quite at Annais, but at himself and the existence of his own human limitations. "Hey," she swatted his arm gently. "I don't expect you to. You did amazing getting us here. It's just working out a plan now."

"Let's ask Festus," came a voice from behind them.

Piper snickered as the couple gasped and whirled around. Annais was more amazed than disturbed that she hadn't even heard her creaking her way up the old, rickety stairs. She was leaning up against the prow a few feet behind them, scanning their surroundings with wide-eyed awe. The island had a rocky shoreline, above which a mediaeval city loomed. Annais recognised old church spires, domes and ominous buildings paved in one matching golden tone. The whole city seemed to glow in the late sun, a beacon in the darkness of impending night.

"It's beautiful," Piper commented as she approached to rest a hand on Festus' head. "Think you can get us there?"

Festus snorted a plume of fire then, as if to say are you seriously asking me that? In a blink, the ship's engine roared to life, lurching them towards the harbour. As they drew closer, Annais swore she saw a glint of bronze tied to the end of the longest dock, a makeshift mast fluttering in the breeze. The sight seemed to encourage Festus to pick up the pace. One-by-one, the others ventured above deck.

"Good dragon," Piper said with pride.

"Leo's going to be so hurt when he learns you've stolen his bestie," Annais snorted, something light releasing the weight in her chest.

"He seems different since you woke him up," Jason added, taking note of the dragon's beady ruby eyes gleaming. "More... alive."

"It's terrifying."

"It's good for us," Piper corrected. "And it's the way he should be. I guess once in a while we all need a wake-up call from somebody who loves us."

Annais grimaced. She pretended not to notice Piper's scrutinising stare on her face as she left Jason to sling an arm around the other girl's shoulders. "We really need to get you a partner if you're turning to the dragon for companionship."

"Ugh," Piper groaned. "You sound like my mum."

"Aphrodite's here?" Hea gasped hopefully. She was one of the last to join them above deck, her wet hair now dried into a messy wave of curls.

"No, but someone else is," Jason grinned. With everyone's eyes on him, he took stage at the front of the ship, mustering up every bit of his strength to puff up his chest and point out the unmistakable raft belonging to Leo Valdez. "Someone better get Mel. Leo is here."

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THE SECOND MEL SPOTTED Leo waiting at the café, she burst into tears. Leo's smile was empty as he gazed at her. Annais couldn't help but watch on in concern. Mel was like a storm-drain, the flood-gates opening as she collided with him and threw her arms around his shoulders. A moment later, his thin arms curled around her. Mel sobbed for their second chance, holding him tighter and whispering 'I was so sure I'd lost you' until the excitement in the air from finding Leo faded into despondency.

Annais wasn't sure what would've happened if Leo truly died. He was a key root that made up the tree of their rag-tag family. Who would bug her by calling her Annie? Who would tinker with random bits of metal and leave gifts in her cabin for her; a miniature Festus, a bird with one of its wings missing. She always overlooked them. When it was her turn to hug him, she squeezed him tight then smacked him over the head.

"Hey," he frowned. "Missed you too, Annie."

"Valdez!" Gleeson exclaimed before Annais had a chance to retort. For once, the satyr seemed happy to see him, though he was quick to force his grin into a scowl as Leo gaped at him in surprise. "You ever disappear like that again, you little punk, I'll knock you into next month!"

"I'll help," Hea piped up, though for once, there was no bite to her words. She smacked him on the shoulder then ruffled his hair. "Don't worry, kid, I took care of your ship for you."

Leo grunted. "I'm surprised you didn't blow it up."

"I won't lie, the thought crossed my mind."

"Of course it did."

Hazel was one of the last to greet him. After Jason, Frank and even Nico shook his hand, she surged forward and kissed his cheek, reaching out to rub Mel's back assuringly at the same time. "We thought you were dead."

Leo mustered a faint smile. It seemed waxen at the edges, fading as quickly as it came. "Nah, nah, I'm good."

Are you? Annais contemplated asking. It definitely didn't seem like it. His face was pale despite the obvious tan on his arms. Dark purple bags scarred the skin beneath his eyes, a clear sign of stress or lack of sleep. His hair was messier than usual, and whenever he looked at Mel, he seemed to hesitate. But in the end, Annais didn't push it. The others seemed content with his reply -- except Jason, who wore a frown she was sure matched hers -- and she didn't want to scare Mel when she wasn't even sure something was amiss. Her sister seemed so happy. She didn't want to ruin this for her. So she bit her tongue and forced herself to stay quiet, curling up in a seat between Jason and Hea as the whole group commandeered a few of the nearby tables.

"Hey, man," Jason leaned in to whisper to their newly returned friend. "What's happened?"

Leo glanced at Annais, noting that she was listening, then at Mel beside him. She was flicking through a menu curiously, eyes darting between the coffee options and the pristine ocean view. He shook his head. Not here. "I got marooned," he said instead, deliberately leaving his answer vague. "Long story. How about you guys? What happened with Khione?"

Feeling the burn of a pointed stare on the side of her face, Annais turned and frowned at Piper. She felt the sudden shift in the air; tension rippled in the undertones, leaving Annais with an ultimatum that made her nauseous. Before Piper could say anything, though, Gleeson let out a snort.

"What happened?" he echoed. "Piper and Annais happened! I'm telling you, the girls have skills."

"Coach..." Piper sighed.

"Gleeson, you weren't even there," added Annais with a bemused scoff.

Either the satyr really didn't hear her or he pretended not to. He launched into a truly ridiculous tale where Piper was a kung fu assassin and Annais somehow summoned an army of dead sea monsters. There were dozens more Boreads present, and in a display of true heroism, the two girls had decided to go down fighting. It was straight out of one of Gleeson's shitty action movies and Annais was surprised to laugh in genuine amusement as he began to throw his arms around like he was fighting the monsters off himself. Leo could barely keep up.

"And then -- get this, Valdez -- Min did a somersault off McLean's back, and--"

"Okay, Coach," Hea rolled her eyes. "I think he gets it."

"I hope not," Piper protested with a glare. "Coach, that's not how it happened at all. I couldn't have done anything without Festus, or..."

"Or?" Hea raised an eyebrow at her just as Piper glanced at Annais.

Great. Now everyone was looking at her.

"Annie?" Leo managed another weak grin. "Don't tell me Coach is right and you actually did a somersault."

But Annais couldn't laugh. Her heart had seized in panic. What if she scared them? Annais had never been ashamed of being a daughter of Hades. She took the punches and returned them twice as hard. But this... this was different. Fear soaked her lungs like a wet sponge. She sighed and let her gaze drop to the table.

"Whenever someone is close to dying, I see this shadow appear around them," she relayed what pretty much all of them already knew. She felt Jason squeeze her hand, urging her to continue. "I've never been able to do anything with that shadow before, and I don't know how I did it..."

"Did what?" Nico was looking at her like he already knew.

She swallowed thickly. "I... summoned the shadows off Khione's body. They formed this... blade. I used it to decapitate her."

"Holy fuck," Hea's eyes blew wide as similar sentiments echoed around the table.

Annais wouldn't look at Jason, even when he squeezed her hand again. She was frowning at Piper. Happy now? her expression seemed to ask. Piper merely sighed. Annais knew she had her best interests at heart, but she couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. Like Piper had stuck a knife in her back and was playing it off as a simple mistake.

"I've heard of that before," Nico murmured, tilting his head like he could see right through her; down to the bone marrow and sinew, every fear lined in the making of her laid bare. "It's not uncommon for some children of Hades. Like shadow-travelling. You learn to control the shadows."

"But this was different," she insisted, leaning forward slightly. "I didn't know it on purpose. It was like my body knew what it had to do."

"Do you think you could do it again if you tried?" Hazel asked.

Annais shook her head. "I really don't know."

In the silence that followed, Piper began to explain their version of events. What Khione had told them, then Piper waking up Festus, Annais killing Khione followed by the wind blowing them sky-high. Everyone listened, occasionally glancing at Annais with a mix of curiosity and wariness. By the time Piper was finished, Annais was sure they had more questions than answers. Leo was anxiously tapping his fingers on the table, a familiar sight Annais had long taken for granted.

"It shouldn't be possible," he said in reference to Festus. "Unless the upgrades let him respond to voice commands. But if he's permanently activated, that means the navigation system and the crystal..."

Jason's brows furrowed. "Crystal?"

Leo's eyes widened in a flash of panic he quickly hid with a lazy grin. "Um, nothing. Anyway, what happened after the wind bomb went off?"

The stories continued, but Annais found herself tuning out as the others began to offer sandwiches and sodas. She scanned the menu for a while, though in truth her mind was miles away, caught somewhere between home and here. She was bought out of her thoughts by Jason murmuring her name and offering her a juice and a turkey wrap. A peace offering, she thought as she smiled hesitantly and accepted it.

"So then Jason harnessed the venti," Hazel was finishing up when Annais decided to listen in again. "And here we are."

At that, Leo let out an impressed whistle. "Hot-air horses? Dang, Jason. So basically, you held a bunch of gas together all the way to Malta, and then you let it loose."

Hea cackled in delight at the analogy while Jason frowned, his face flushing with vague embarrassment. "You know, it doesn't sound so heroic when you put it that way."

"Yeah, well, I'm an expert on hot air," Leo shrugged. All too soon, his joking mood faded back into seriousness. "I'm still wondering, why Malta? I just kind of ended up here on the raft, but was that a random thing, or..."

"If there's one thing I've long realised," Mel piped up as she sipped her iced tea. "Things like this are never random."

"Hm," Leo frowned, still unsure.

"Maybe it's because of this," Frank waved a brochure at them.

"A tourist trap?" Hea blinked.

"Well, it says here Malta was where Calypso lived."

Annais watched closely as the blood drained from Leo's face. He stammered out gibberish in reply. The name meant something to him. But what, Annais didn't know, and she feared finding out. Mel continued to sit obliviously at his side as Frank elaborated.

"According to this, her original home was an island called Gozo just North of here. Calypso's a Greek myth thingie, right?"

"A myth thingie," Hea snickered. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

"Maybe we get to fight her," Gleeson murmured, already rubbing his hands together in preparation. Annais sighed. "Do we get to fight her? 'Cause I'm ready."

"Well, last I checked, you lost a fight with a broken ship ore, so are you really?"

"Hey!"

Leo, who was yet to say anything, looked ready to be sick as he hung his head in his hands. Piper reached out to pat his shoulder but Leo was quick to shoot to his feet.

"Leo?" she frowned. "What's wrong? You look--"

"Nothing's wrong," he insisted as, for the first time, Mel gazed at him for a second too long. She looked troubled now, turning to her sisters for help. Annais just bit down on her lip while Hea shrugged.

"Babe..."

"We should get going," he stepped out of her reach. "We've got work to do."

But the others weren't quite ready to give in just yet. "Where did you go?" asked Hazel. "Where did you get those clothes? How--"

"Jeez, ladies! I appreciate the concern, but I don't need three extra mums."

"Three?" Mel's brows furrowed. She let out a huff as Gleeson whistled at the sudden iciness. "Excuse me for worrying about you. Next time, I just won't give a shit."

Leo sighed. "Mel..."

But Mel had already stood up and moved to stand beside Nico. He murmured something in her ear to which Mel shook her head and stubbornly kept her back turned in Leo's direction. This meant she didn't see it, the look of sadness. But Annais did. Something was very, very wrong. Maybe Mel was cursed with happiness that wasn't meant to last.

"Leo is right," Jason broke the silence. He stood up and clapped him on the shoulder. Leo seemed grateful for this show of support. "We should get going."

Annais was already planning how she'd confront Leo once they were safely on deck when Hazel let out a shocked gasp.

"Guys, look!"

She pointed to the Northeast horizon, and Annais followed her line of sight uneasily. At first, they saw nothing but pale blue sky and its reflection on the ocean's surface. The day seemed idyllic, peaceful, and then darkness formed in the sky like a slash of black paint on a canvas. It tore through the clouds like night time had come early, then just as quickly disappeared.

"Oh, fuck."

"You see that?" Hea had taken a step back.

"Unfortunately," Mel muttered.

The others, however, were slow on the uptake.

"I don't see anything," Hedge grumbled.

"Me neither," Piper frowned.

There it was again. The sky seemed to open to the Heavens, to a galaxy of dormant planets, the unknown. Or maybe the Heavens and the Underworld had switched places, and their time had come to an end at long last.

"It can't be..." Nico shook his head, staring at his sisters in dread. "Greece is still hundreds of miles away."

The dark flashes were frequent now. Soon, the blue sky seemed as pale as snow. Annais shuddered at the thought, curling her hand around her ring just in case.

"You think it's Epirus?" Jason asked. Annais was more surprised that he could see it, too. Maybe it was something to do with how the shadows looked like lightning. The Jupiter part of him recognised the warning and was left reeling.

"Has to be," Hea grunted.

"The House of Hades is officially open for business," added Annais grimly.

"It's begun," said Hazel.

Like messengers of Death, Hades' children bore the weight of the news like the world on their shoulders.

"What has?" Leo seemed almost afraid to ask.

"Gaea's final push," Hazel muttered, the flashes echoing in her eyes like twin fires of obsidian. "The Doors of Death are working overtime. Her forces are entering the mortal world en masse."

"In other words, we're royally fucked," Hea let out a shallow laugh.

"We'll never make it," Nico despaired, rounding on Jason, who was the nearest to him. "By the time we arrive, there'll be too many monsters to fight."

"We've got no choice, Nico," Mel frowned.

Annais was surely thinking the same thing. Ezra. If their roles were reversed, she'd fight every last monster even if it meant just one last goodbye.

"We'll defeat them," Jason insisted, setting his jaw in a determined glare. "And we'll make it there fast. We've got Leo back. He'll give us the speed we need." Somehow, despite the odds, he turned to Leo with a smirk. "Or is that just hot air?"

"Dude," Hea whined. "You totally just stole my line."

Jason shrugged. "Too slow, Min."

Leo managed a crooked grin. "Time to fly, boys and girls. Uncle Leo's still got a few tricks up his sleeves!"

Hea let out a retch of disgust. "Okay, please, never call yourself that again..."

For a second, it was almost like he'd never left.