Jɪɴx ➪ 𝙡. 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙯

Khaos

short chapter <3

chapter fourteen; Khaos

"I'M SORRY."

Jinx glanced at Jason. He stood straight and stared ahead, his eyes looking for something that wasn't there.

"For what?"

"I wasn't able to help in the fight with Khione."

Jinx shrugged, leaning on the railing. "No use crying over spilled milk."

He turned his blue eyes to stare at her own. She had never noticed how intense his gaze could be. Jason was a serious guy and he was seriously freaking Jinx out with the sudden conversation.

"He's going to be okay."

Jinx nodded, "I know," she said, wondering if that was true.

"Don't stress yourself out. Leo can look out for himself." Jason balled his hands into fists, "he's going to be fine." He whispered.

Jinx had passed the depression phase and entered the third stage; bargaining. The second stage had come in a blur of fury and back-and-forth fights with Piper. Jinx had a sneaking suspicion that Piper blamed her for what happened to Leo. Jason or Hazel often had to stop the arguments from escalating but the damage was done. Half of the crew was missing and the other half didn't trust each other. They all seemed to have something against each other.

Nico was giving Jinx the silent treatment. Hazel distrusts Jason the slightest bit and Piper acts like she hates everyone but Jason. Hedge is secretive and Frank is Frank. And the Argo II was badly damaged and no one knew how to fix it.

Nico walked out of the shadows, staring at Jason. He wanted to talk to him. Jinx couldn't tell what, but it was obvious that Nico was waiting until she left. 

Jinx gave one last look at the repairs everyone was making and walked below deck to Leo's cabin. He never slept in there but Jinx found comfort in it. She sat crisscrossed on the floor and closed her eyes.

This is where the bargaining came into play. She'd sit down in silence for an hour trying to reverse time to before she lost Leo, and if she was lucky, to before they all lost Percy and Annabeth.

But Lady Luck was not on her side.

"Fuck." A single tear rolled down her cheek when she failed again. Jinx remembered her words to Jason, but if she was anything it was a liar.

Jinx had shed many tears over said spilled milk.

She needed him here. With her.

Jinx didn't know where else she belonged other than by his side. She had never felt so at peace when he was with her.

Leo didn't solve all of her problems and he didn't promise to, but he silenced the noise in her head. Even if it was only for a split second.

Change is coming.

Jinx had come to identify the voice. It was usually her older sister Gaea if it came off as aggressive. If it was a bone-chilling whisper that held too many secrets, it was Khaos.

Khaos was making his moves. He was always there, lurking. He was interested for some reason she couldn't understand. Jinx chalked it up to her being his only sane child.

He won't be the same.

Khaos has been more active ever since Leo was flung away.

"Say something different for once, you bag of bones." Jinx's current form of entertainment was trying to make up insults for Khaos. She's realized that she needs work in that area.

Time is ticking.

Jinx hated it when people spoke in riddles, especially the gods.

"Just tell me what to do." Jinx closed her eyes, trying to envision Leo safe and sound. "Tell me and I'll kill a sheep in your name or something."

When he didn't say anything, she stood angrily throwing her shoe at the wall. Maybe she wasn't that over the second stage.

The cabin's door creaked open and Hazel hesitantly poked her head inside.

"Jinx?"

"What?" She didn't mean to snap, it just came out. Hazel was an understanding girl, she won't take it to heart.

"Do you want to talk?"

Hazel invited herself inside, walking slowly like Jinx was a wild animal that had fragile and dangerous written all over it.

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

Jinx imagined the clock's hand ticking slowly.

"We all miss him."

She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from crying. Her chest tightened and she felt the world crash around her.

"He's alright. You know Leo, he can whip something up." Hazel's voice broke her out of her trance. "He's probably looking for a way out right now."

Your time is coming.

Jinx rolled her eyes, not at Hazel but at Khaos. She had the urge to share Khaos' words with Hazel, but she figured Hazel might not trust her. Khaos was perceived as a bad guy.

Instead, Jinx scrounged up a smile and nodded.

"Leo's probably already figured out how to get back, he's just biding his time." Hazel's hand reached out for her own. She offered her a genuine smile and got up.

"When he gets back, it'll be like nothing changed."

Change is in the wind.

Jinx snorted, "talk about contradictory."

"What was that?"

"Hm? Nothing."

Hazel stopped at the door, "by the way, Jason's finally meeting with the Lord Auster. He's going to ask him about Leo."

Jinx nodded and watched her go.

Khaos' began to laugh, Change is in the wind.