annais min had everything to prove and no time to do it. as one of the five children of the underworld destined to lead the seven on their journey of death and destruction, annais had the fate of the universe resting on her shoulders, holding her do...
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: DYING LIGHT
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HEA STOOD AT THE mouth of the cave, the hood of a thick woollen parka pulled over her plaited hair. Behind her, the snow was beginning to thin out into a light mist, like her presence had scared away whatever was trying to overcome Annais and Ezra. She had her own sword out in defence, and at the sight of Ezra's glowing weapon, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. But she managed to bite her tongue for the moment, forcefully meeting Annais' gaze as the younger girl lowered her sword, a smile spreading wide across her face.
"You're here..." she breathed out. "How are you... how are you here?"
Hea winked and grinned. "I have my sources."
Before she could change her mind, Annais surged forward and hugged her. Hea let out a laugh, dropping her sword to the ground with a clatter and hooking her arms around Annais' neck. In the embrace of her older sister, her predestined protector, Annais Min was a child again, a girl of blood and bone, love and loss. Hea's hand ran through her dirty hair once, then she stepped away to greet Ezra, awkwardly hugging the girl for a second before taking up her position in the cave entrance again.
"So you got separated from Mel and your demigods, huh?"
"Unfortunately," drawled Ezra. At the same time, she gathered up her scythe and returned it to pendant form, reattaching it to her bracelet like she hadn't just wielded Kronos' mighty weapon, the scythe that took Penelope's last breath. Annais wanted to ask her how she got her hands on it, and yet again, why she'd kept it from them. But at Hea's pointed gaze settling on her glare, she schooled her expression into cold neutrality, just like her sister had taught her.
"You two never make things easy," Hea sighed, brows furrowing in contemplation. Annais didn't really want to rely on her for help, but she was at a loss for what to do. They'd broken the compass so they had no way of knowing where Jason and the others had ended up, not to mention Eddie was exhausted and would need a break before he could transport anyone on his back. It was all down to Hea now. "Fortunately for you, I think I know how to help. Aphrodite's been tracking her daughter ever since you guys left Camp Half-Blood. If things go as planned, she'll have them at a cafe you can join them at."
"Just like that?" Ezra frowned. "It's that easy?"
Hea huffed. "Well, things don't always have to be life endangering, Ezra. You just have a bad habit of getting yourself into shit." Ezra's mouth opened instinctively to retort, but both she and Annais knew the older girl was right. Hea took her hesitation as a sign to continue. "Look, we don't have much time. Take ten to clean yourselves up, then we'll head out."
But in true Hea Min fashion, 'take ten' actually meant 'we're leaving in thirty seconds with or without you, so hurry up.' Annais and Ezra had just enough time to change into dryer clothes and force down some ambrosia to heal the aches and pains before Hea was marching back into the cave, the hood of her parka settled back over her head again.
