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 TWENTY-TWO: HOMEBOUND
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JASON WAS STILL OUT of it even after several minutes had passed. Annais and Thalia tried their best to give him space, but every wince of pain that crossed his face had Annais frowning in concern.
"How are you feeling?" she asked at some point, hands subconsciously reaching out for him.
"Hot," replied Jason, looking red in the face. "Mouth is dry. And I saw something... really terrible."
Ezra smirked, seemingly thinking the same thing when Thalia scoffed out, "That was Hera... Her Majesty, the Loose Cannon."
"Oh, that is it, Thalia Grace," Hera boomed in rage. "I will turn you into an aardvark, so help me..."
"Wow, real creative, mother," Ezra snorted.
"Can everyone just stop it?" Piper snapped, glowering at the three of them in particular. Much to Annais' surprise, they listened, though none of them seemed happy about it.
"Do you want to stand?" Annais asked Jason once she was sure they were done. He nodded. "Right. Well, give me your hands."
Slowly, she helped him to his feet, gripping his arms as he struggled to regain balance. It was only after he ate the remainder of their ambrosia (which he was very reluctant to do after seeing Annais' bloody arm) that his eyes sharpened, far more alert than he had been only minutes before. Annais felt relief swelling up in her chest, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"I'm so glad you're okay," she murmured before she could think twice about it.
Jason smiled. If he was surprised by the affectionate tone, he didn't say it. "I'm alright, Annais," he assured her, just as his grin shifted into a smirk. "It's nice to know you care about me, though."
"Oh, shut up."
Still, she didn't deny it, and both of them had noticed. How could she when she had tear stains on her face?
The bickering of Hera and Thalia caught their attention again. It hadn't even been a minute since Piper stunned them into silence, and already they were back at each other's throats. With an impatient huff, Piper stepped between them, hands raised in warning. "Look, Hera, your Majesty... we couldn't have rescued you without the Hunters. And Thalia, you never would've seen Jason again, none of us would've met him, if it weren't for Hera. So you two play nice, because we've got bigger problems, okay?"
This time, they stayed quiet, until Thalia eventually spoke up. "You've got spirit, Piper," she conceded, Annais watching on curiously as she pulled a silver card from her jacket which Annais knew was imprinted with the symbol of Artemis. Wearing a hopeful smile, Thalia handed it to her. "You ever want to be a Hunter, just call me. We could use you."
