CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
SEEN BETTER DAYS

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

ANNAIS DREAMED OF HER father's onyx eyes glinting murderously with the fiery embers of the underworld. Lower demigods who whispered about the Min daughters sired by the God of death would say that the youngest reaped the same dangerous stare, as if death itself flowed beneath her skin like the River Styx. Annais didn't understand them, for it wasn't often that demigods laid eyes on Hades to know what appearance he bore — that is, until she met him for the first time.

She was fourteen. Percy, Annabeth, Ezra and Grover had returned to Camp Half-Blood earlier that day with the news that Bianca Di Angelo was dead. Annais hadn't known her for long. Not like her younger brother, Nico, who tore apart the earth with his fists to summon his own vengeful skeletal army. Still, Annais mourned. She laid awake for hours in the Hades Cabin with Nico sleeping fitfully and the other beds remaining empty. Undoubtedly, the news would soon reach Hea in Olympus, that a sibling she never met was dead. The fourth bed remained untouched, as it always would, for a young girl who never got to know where she came from.

It was then that Hades appeared. He crawled out of the shadowed hearth like the monsters created in childish nightmares. It surprised Annais, but it did not scare her. Like called to like, and part of her recognised her father regardless of what form he took.

"Hello, Hades," she murmured, careful not to wake up Nico.

Hades contemplated her for a moment, standing tall in the centre of the cabin, before he spoke. "My daughter, in the flesh."

Annais sat up properly at the silent command. The floorboards were cold against her bare feet but she resisted the urge to complain as she moved to stand opposite him. She refused to sit as the lesser of the two, when he was nothing but a stranger to her. His face was hers, and yet she failed to recognise him apart from the haunted glint in his eyes. Annais recognised them in her own reflection. She could just make out her face in the mirror hanging over his shoulder.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Your sister has died."

Annais let out a sigh, finally allowing her head to hang. "I know. It's a shame you didn't claim her sooner, so I could've known her as my blood."

The blow struck right where she wanted it to. The flames roared in his eyes, the shadows closing in, before his senses seemed to return and everything froze. Hades heaved a mortal sigh, turning to the boy beside them. Annais was shocked that Nico hadn't woken yet. She'd noticed he was a light sleeper, but perhaps that was Hades' doing. Now was not the best time for a grieving boy to meet his absent parent, the reason he had lost his beloved sister.

"You'll protect him." This was not a question or a request. Hades would not let Nico Di Angelo die like Bianca. Annais would watch over him, as Hea watched over her.

Her jaw clenched as she nodded. "Yes. But not for you."

The shadows welcomed Hades as he retreated, but he paused at the last moment. Fire met fire, a deadly combination.

"You are going to die soon." Soon for immortals was years, decades even, but something in Annais knew that was not what Hades meant. If any of the remaining sons and daughters of the Death God was to die, it would be Annais next. She bowed her head as the cabin went silent, so quiet she wasn't sure if Hades had left. But she could feel him watching her pensively. "There are troubling times ahead, Annais. Remember this warning."

The cabin bled like paint on a canvas as Annais left her dreams behind. Hades was long gone, though he lingered in her blood, in the way her heart pumped, as a constant cursed reminder. She was made of death, just as he was. And death was not designed for a beating heart.

Jason was unconscious in her arms, his chest slowly rising and falling with every breath. Where Annais Min was death, Jason Grace was made of life. For a second, she felt the urge to fling herself away, for death and life were like oil and water. And yet, she did not move, not as he turned over in his sleep and hooked an arm around her waist to keep her there. An opposing force refusing to let go despite the odds.

Her father had answered her when she called to him last night. She had a feeling he'd also guided Leo, a distant but deliberate swoop of death. Annais Min would die one day at the hands of her own existence, but the Underworld wasn't ready for her just yet.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

JASON WAS OUT FOR about an hour before he finally came to with a shout of 'cyclops!'

"Calm Down, Blondie, before we fall off this thing again," Annais grunted as he thrashed around in her arms.

When reboarding Festus, she'd been left to hold onto him as Leo and Piper sat up front and Ezra and Mel travelled on Eddie. Annais wasn't sure where the pegasus had come from but Ezra had freaked out as they neared Leo's metal dragon, refusing to even try to lift herself up onto him as she clutched her ribs delicately. Annais had a feeling she was more injured than she was letting on, but she didn't say anything as she focused on helping Jason. Ezra could do what she wanted. So long as she played her part in the quest, Annais didn't care.

"Detroit," Jason stammered, attempting to sit up. He winced, a shaky hand reaching up to smooth over the back of his head as he laid back down. "Didn't we crash-land? I thought—"

"It's okay," Leo cut him off as his voice started to rise with confused panic. "We got away, but you got a nasty concussion. How are you feeling?"

Jason was quiet for a moment, struggling to comprehend his surroundings. The last he remembered, he was being bashed on the head by a monster with Annais not far behind him. Now there were no monsters in sight and they'd seemingly escaped relatively unscathed. It didn't make sense to him.

"How did you— the cyclops—"

"Leo ripped him apart," Piper said with pride. "He was amazing. He can summon fire—"

"It was nothing," Leo laughed uncomfortably, still not used to his friends knowing the whole truth. It was like he expected them to turn on him at any given second, and it saddened Annais. They all had their fair share of demons, things they didn't like to talk about. Heck, Annais had a whole list of powers and problems far worse than Leo being able to summon fire, but she'd come to accept them where he hadn't yet.

Piper laughed, failing to notice his tense frown. "Shut up, Valdez. I'm going to tell him to get over it."

They spent the next few minutes catching Jason up to speed. How Leo had single-handedly defeated the trio of cyclopes, the monsters almost immediately beginning to reform as they freed Jason and Ezra. Then, how Leo had replaced the dragon's wiring and gotten them back into the air alongside Ezra and Mel's pegasus. Jason hadn't noticed their absence and he shifted his head on Annais' arm to see them a couple metres ahead of Festus. Ezra was ranting about something to a subdued Melanie. Annais was glad she had space from the two. As much as she loved Mel, it was a lot to be around her family for every second of the day.

Piper went on to explain to Jason about the other boy Ma Gasket had claimed to have eaten. The one with the purple shirt who spoke Latin. The way Jason's face brightened made Annais feel uneasy.

"I'm not alone then," he said. "There are others like me."

"Jason." Piper and Annais wore matching frowns. "You were never alone. You've got us."

His smile dampened as he blushed. "I know... but something Hera said — I was having a dream..."

He told them about the Goddess trapped inside a cage, held down by iron not designed to restrain a Goddess. And yet she was stuck, waiting for them. Annais pictured her otherworldly face behind bars and felt sick satisfaction, but the feeling was quick to fade when Jason explained the rest of his encounter.

"An exchange?" Piper repeated his words incredulously. "What does that mean?"

Jason just shook his head. "I don't know. But Hera's gamble is me. Just by sending me to Camp Half-Blood, I have a feeling she broke some kind of rule. Something that could blow up in a big way."

The rest of his words faded for Annais. She was back in the Hades Cabin, sitting awake in her bed while she waited for the sun to rise and chase the shadows away. Nico had risen not long after, and she sprang into action, forcing him outside and towards the pavilion despite his deep-set scowl. They sat in silence at their father's table when Annais spotted Percy across the room. He was watching them, frowning dejectedly at Nico's back before he noticed Annais returning his stare. He smiled sheepishly before looking away. Annais had rolled her eyes, unsure just what Ezra actually saw in him.

Now, she knew. Hera had seen it too. Everyone had. And that was why Jason had taken his place when he went missing... leaving a place open with the Romans...

"I think I know what it means," she said, cutting off whatever Leo was saying, something about porta-potty sludge.

"What?" Jason frowned, peering up at her.

It made so much sense that Percy Jackson and Jason Grace would be switched. How they hadn't seen it — that one powerful figure disappeared only for another one to appear — Annais wasn't sure. But she knew now. Hera had reached the point of a last resort. Whatever was coming, they needed both sides, and what better way than to put an outsider within their ranks to earn their trust and loyalty?

As Annais looked down at Jason, at the way he smiled confusedly and made no move to lean away from her, she decided to keep it to herself. There was nothing that could be done right now. So she just played it off with a shrug, whispering for them to continue.

"Why are they toying with us?" Piper sighed. She watched as Jason smiled only for Annais, her eyes lit up with envy. "Who is this lady, and how is she connected to Enceladus?"

"Enceladus?"

"I mean," her voice wavered anxiously. "That's one of the giants. Just one of the names I could remember."

Annais didn't believe her and neither did Jason. Fear replaced Piper's envy as she turned away, though fortunately for her, Leo captured their attention before they were able to push her.

"Well, I dunno about Enchiladas—"

"Enceladus," Piper corrected with a roll of her eyes.

"Whatever. But Old Potty Face mentioned another name. Porpoise Fear, or something."

"Porphyrion? He was the giant king, I think," Piper said as Annais scoffed at him, "Where on earth did you get Porpoise Fear from?"

"I'm sorry I'm not fluent in Greek, Annais," he pouted at her while she just shook her head. Before she could retort, Jason had sat up and left an undeniable coldness behind. "I'm going to take a wild guess. In the old stories, Porphyrion kidnapped Hera. That was the first shot in the war between the giants and the Gods."

"You're right," Annais confirmed. "But those myths are really garbled and conflicted. Like most versions of our history, it's almost like nobody wanted that story to survive."

"Heroes and Gods had to work together," Jason said. "That's what Hera told me."

"Kind of hard to do if the Gods won't even talk to us," Leo grumbled.

Annais sighed. "You do get used to it."

Silence ensued. Now that Jason was caught up, they had no reason to speak. Annais wasn't sure how long they had travelled for, she just knew that a break in the clouds had come, and below them, in the light of the glittering Winter sun, were tiny buildings dotted along an endless expanse of water. A crescent of skyscrapers lined the shore and behind them were neighbourhoods upon neighbourhoods, the first signs of mortal life.

"Chicago," Jason whispered, his breath creating a puff of white smoke in front of his lips.

"One problem down. We got here alive," Leo said, surveying the roads below. "Now, how do we find the storm spirits?"

Annais hadn't thought that far ahead. She sighed as Ezra and Melanie's pegasus slowed ahead of them, eventually flying alongside Festus much to Eddie's chagrin. When they left Monocle Motors behind, their only thought was the city waiting for them ahead. Now, they'd reached a dead end.

"How about we follow that one," Jason suggested suddenly, eyes locked on something that Annais wasn't able to see. She wasn't the only one — the others also stared at the empty air around them in confusion. There were no storm spirits in sight but Jason was convinced. "And see where it goes?"

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

ANNAIS DIDN'T REMEMBER SEWERS looking so nice. According to the plaque on the stone wall, it was named Crown Fountain, a further indication that it was fancier than most drains Annais and her siblings had found themselves sleeping in from time-to-time. Whether it was during the weeks it had taken for Hea to get them to Camp Half-Blood, or the hard nights on quests with no other options, the Mins had gotten used to sleeping in a variety of places. The Crown Fountain was paradise compared to some drains out there, and so the three girls found themselves silent as they followed Jason, Piper and Leo out of the cold air.

"Are all sewers this nice?" Piper wondered aloud as Jason helped her hobble around.

"No," Leo and Annais said in unison. They shared a look, Leo grinning to himself as he added, "Trust me — well, us."

Jason frowned and tilted his head like a confused puppy. "How do you—"

"I ran away six times," Leo shrugged. "I've slept in some weird places, okay?"

When they looked at Annais for her answer, she just smiled grimly. "Another part of the demigod life you'll have to get used to."

"Gods, does the demigod life ever end?" Leo sighed.

"It's either the sewer or you freeze to death," Ezra muttered as she shoved past them to lead the way. She hadn't liked leaving Eddie up above to wait, but they hadn't had a choice with how bad Piper's ankle was getting from the icy wind. They needed warmth, even if it set them off track for a bit. "Are you coming or what?"

"Shouldn't it be Jason guiding us?" Leo asked, though at the glare she shot in his general direction, he winced and backed away. "Forget I said anything."

"No, he's right," Annais insisted. "Jason's the only one who can see these things. Let him lead."

Ezra clearly didn't like it but she listened anyway, slowing down so that Jason could take over. Instead, she and Mel took over his job helping Piper, allowing him to move at a proper pace.

"We need to go that way," he said and pointed South of the sewer.

"How can you be sure?" Mel asked. It would only be a waste of time if they ended up in the wrong place but Jason seemed confident.

"There's a draft blowing South. Maybe the venti went with the flow."

Ezra heaved a sigh. "Is there even a point to correcting you anymore?"

Jason only grinned and patted her on the shoulder. Annais smothered a laugh as she went ahead to join him at the front. Interacting with Ezra Min in such a way was like petting a snake without fear, incredibly stupid but worth it if you made it out with your limbs intact.

"So, Superman, what's the plan for when we find these spirits?" she asked as they trudged through patches of icy water. Fortunately, most of it had dried up but a few puddles remained due to the poor weather.

"I don't know," he said truthfully. "I haven't thought that far ahead."

She opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by a high-pitched cry. Jason looked at her instinctively but frowned when he realised the sound hadn't come from her. They turned around to find Piper half on the ground with Ezra frowning at her and Melanie struggling to help her back up.

"Stupid ankle," Piper moaned as she clutched the offending limb.

"Let's rest," Jason decided. Ezra went to protest but he shook his head. "We could use it. We've been going nonstop for over a day. Leo, can you pull any food from that tool belt besides breath mints?"

Leo smiled eagerly. "I thought you'd never ask. Chef Leo is on it."

"Someone better help Chef Leo or else we're going to end up with food poisoning," Annais said despite his offended stare.

Mel sighed and moved to stand but Ezra stopped her with a tap on her shoulder. "I've got it."

Well, this was new. Annais watched the girl warily, wondering just what her plan was, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary as she sat down opposite a pale-faced Leo, placed her cane beside her and demanded that he let her help somehow.

"They'll be fine," Jason chuckled as he wandered over to stand with her. "Come sit down. You need to rest too."

"I'll rest when I'm dead."

"Come on," he repeated with a stubborn glint in his eyes.

She let out a sigh. "Fine. Five minutes but that's it. And I'm on first watch."

"Make it ten minutes and you've got yourself a deal," he grinned at her cheekily.

"Sit down before I change my mind, Jason," she grumbled, though she couldn't deny the small smile that tugged at her mouth.

It was nice to see him happy after the events of that day. Unfortunately, the good mood didn't last long. As they sat opposite Piper and Mel, a frown replaced his bright look. Annais caught him staring at Piper's injured ankle with regret, like a soldier who had let down his army.

"It wasn't your fault," Piper said, sensing what he must've been thinking.

He looked at her blankly, a muscle in the sharp line of his jaw twitching. "What?"

"Getting jumped by the cyclopes. You couldn't have done anything."

He looked down at his hands with a sigh. "I was stupid. I left you alone and walked into a trap. I should've known..."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Annais huffed, digging her elbow into his ribs when he shook his head again. "I mean it, Jason. I was with you too when the cyclopes' attacked. So if you're going to blame yourself, you'll need to blame me too."

"None of us are perfect, Jason," Mel said softly. In the dull glow of the fire Leo had created a few metres away, her hair looked almost blonde. "Even Annais and I make mistakes, and we have our memories to help us. It's okay if you slip up sometimes."

"I don't know how you do it," he admitted, though the words were strained, like they pained him to say. "It's so much pressure..."

"It's not like we have a choice," she shrugged. "But at least we have each other."

Annais couldn't resist a smirk. "That was sweet of you, Mel."

"Don't get used to it. I'm just saying it for Jason."

They laughed at that. Annais leaned her head against the wall, allowing her eyes to flutter shut for a second. Leo and Ezra were cooking some sort of tofu, which Annais didn't normally eat but it smelled good when her stomach was practically empty. For a moment, she longed for the food at Camp Half-Blood. The warmth of the dining pavilion with the other demigods packed in around her.

She imagined herself sitting at the Hades table, alone if Nico was out doing his own thing, but surrounded by people nevertheless. Ezra used to sneak over to sit with her regardless of the looks that Chiron would give her. They'd eat to their hearts content and curse the Gods internally as they made up their offerings. A different time. Jason leaned his head back too, moving closer until their shoulders touched. Annais flitted back to the present.

"Back in the factory," Jason was saying. It took her a second to realise he was addressing Piper and not her. "You were going to say something about your dad."

Piper's face went deathly pale. "Was I?"

Annais and Mel shared a wary glance, the latter slowly reaching out to squeeze Piper's hand as it clenched into a fist. "Piper, if he's in some sort of trouble, you can tell us."

"I can't," she whispered, on the verge of tears. "Mel, I can't talk about it."

"We're your friends," Jason insisted. That only seemed to make her feel worse but Jason pushed on. "Let us help you."

"I wish I could but—"

"And bingo," Leo shouted.

Annais' eyes darted over to him as he came over with three plates stacked on his arms like some sort of waiter. Ezra was not far behind him, also carrying three plates. She stopped to hand one to Annais, waiting to receive a quiet 'thank you' before she nodded dismissively and followed Mel's voice complimenting Leo for 'a job well done.' Annais didn't hesitate before digging in, only half-listening to Leo's chatter as she focused on filling her stomach. Once she'd shovelled down her food, she sat back with a content sigh, half-heartedly accepting the canteen of powdered lemonade that Jason offered to her.

"Good, huh?" Leo grinned as she took a swig and sighed.

"Hm, I've had better," she teased. He just laughed and nudged her foot with his.

The group began to doze as the warmth of a crackling fire and full stomachs washed over them. Piper was the first to fall asleep, her head lowering onto Ezra's lap. She seemed more prepared for this than she had been on Festus, absentmindedly running a hand through Piper's hair as she also fell asleep. Mel and the boys were much more awake. Even Annais was feeling the effect of the flames.

"You can sleep, you know," Jason whispered in her ear as he amusedly watched her eyes droop before she snapped them open. "I'll take first watch."

"That wasn't part of the deal."

"You can take first watch another time, okay?"

She was too tired to protest so she just nodded, leaning her head back and not fighting it when her eyes slid shut again. She felt Jason guide her head onto his shoulder as her breathing started to slow, and then she was out, the faint murmurs of Leo and Mel fading into the background.

She dreamed of cyclopes tearing them apart, limb by limb, and scattering the pieces around Chicago.