reflection ● jason grace

Atticus is back, and this time, it's personal.

"Atticus," she breathed out. "You can't keep doing this."

The boy in front of her looked much older now; crueler. He was 17, and yet acted like he was immortal. Daria should have felt angry at him, after all, he was surely the one who kidnapped her friends, but there was always something about Atticus that made her lose her train of thought.

It was the worst type of adoration, when you knew someone was awful and yet you wanted to be in their presence anyway. Daria could refuse to join Krios's army, but that was where her willpower stopped.

"You'll find," he placed a hand on her shoulder which she brushed off. "I'm much more persuasive now."

"And you'll find that I'm much smarter," she fired back. "You kidnapped my friends, in what world did you think I'd be okay with that?"

He shrugged, dark hair curling over his cheeks. "In a world where joining me is your only choice to save them."

She raised her eyebrows, taking a step back as he took one forward. "You still underestimate me."

There was silence, just for a moment, just long enough for Daria to wonder if her statement was even true. Atticus broke her down like a house of paper cards when everyone around her told Daria that she was made of steel.

"I taught you everything you know," he replied, a fond look on his face that Daria wanted to punch off him. "I know how you think, Dars."

"Don't call me that," she replied instinctively. "And you know nothing. I'll save my friends and then Jason will defeat your stupid army."

"You can't even persuade Leila to let you go on a quest. You're not as powerful as you think you are."

Ouch. That was definitely a blow to Daria's ego. She was fine with letting Jason be the child of the prophecy, but to be told that she couldn't be the leader of camp if she wanted to, that hurt.

"Then why do you want me on your team?" She asked uncertainly.

"Because you can be." He offered her his hand. "You could lead armies, have hoards of monsters and immortals listen to your every word. You could become a goddess, if you wished. All you have to do is join me."

Daria thought about Jason, wherever he was, waiting for her to come and save him. Her best friend. She wouldn't break that trust for anybody. "Go to hell."

His calm demeanor turned stormy fast. He scowled at her and the wind around them picked up. "You'll regret this," he promised her.

Daria scoffed. No matter what he threw at her and her friends, she somehow didn't think she would.

Then she woke up to the sound of screaming.

Daria couldn't quite believe her eyes.

She'd raced on deck only to find a dragon, possibly the biggest monster she had ever seen. It was bright red (some might call it Cherry Kool-Aid flavored) with wings spanning the width of the entire ship. And it could fly. Daria hated things that could fly.

"Come on," she hauled Dakota to their feet where they'd stumbled. After the encounter with the sea monster, there were barely any arrows left in their quiver, but Daria didn't trust the clumsy child of Bacchus to get close to the dragon with only a dagger.