Jɪɴx ➪ 𝙡. 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙯

The Dolphin Men

chapter twelve; the Dolphin Men

JINX STRUGGLED to breathe, her fingers digging into the figure that turned into something more real.

"You'll be terminated. Right now."

"Bro..." She rasped out, "who are you?"

Jinx watched as the figure took an appearance that was more familiar.

"Mom?"

Her foster mom's hand tightened around her throat. "You don't deserve to be a child of Khaos."

She tried to laugh but it turned into a strangled cry.
That's when she felt the strange warmth crawl up her neck.

Jinx wrapped her hands around her foster mom's wrist, and lifted her own body up enough to kick her in the chest. She didn't move.

So much for being a child of Khaos. She thought bitterly.

But the warmth became an unbearable hotness that she felt the urge to strip everything off of her.

Except instead of warming her up, it was scorching her.

Involuntarily, her eyes flew open. Jinx awoke from the nightmare with a loud gasp, breathing heavily, deciding that she'd try to decipher whatever she dreamt up later.

As soon as she woke up, she was drenched with water. Jinx angrily wiped the liquid from her eyes, sitting up. Smelling smoke, she made eye contact with Leo.

"You put me on fire again!" Jinx shoved him.

He frowned. "You were choking!"

"I was dreaming."

Jason wiped sweat off of his forehead and Piper stared at the horn she held in amazement. Leo, Percy, and Annabeth sat next to her.

"So, you're fine now right?" Percy questioned, putting away his pen. "Not on the verge of dying or anything?"

Jinx brought the burnt ends of her hair to her eyes. "Oh, I'm on the verge of committing murder." She said glaring at Leo.

"I just saved your life and you want to kill me?"

Annabeth stood, "she's fine. I'm going back to my room to study the map."
She turned and left with Percy at her heels.

The other two left shortly after that.

"You're welcome." Leo muttered when they were alone.

Her eyes shot to his, "for what exactly?"

"Saving your life." He mentioned it for the tenth time.

She rolled her eyes, gently touching the bruise that had formed around her throat.

"You burned my hair." Jinx said monotonously.

"Yeah, but I still saved your life. And the crew's too. You were weirdly, subconsciously controlling time in your sleep. Or trying to."

Jinx didn't recall ever falling asleep, but she most definitely did not remember stopping specific time frames or setting them on repeat.

"But you burned my hair." She lifted a strand to emphasize her point.

Leo turned his back, shaking his head. "You could've died if I didn't. That was the only way I knew how to wake you. Percy even slapped you a few times. Piper tickled you, too."