𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐢━━Nico di Angelo

54

"Try it now" Ajax yelled.

Hedge and Ajax were on the dock. A week after they'd been marooned near the palace of the lord of the south wind, and Ajax was not ready to give up.

Hazel and Frank pulled some of the levers. The port oars went crazy, chopping up and down and doing the wave. Coach Hedge tried to dodge, but one smacked him in the rear and launched him into the air. He came down screaming and splashed into the bay.

Ajax almost jumped in after him. The air was so hot and dry, it sucked the moisture right out of his lungs.

Over the last week, his skin had gotten darker. His hair turned a slightly lighter brown. All of them had a wild, empty look in their eyes. It reminded Ajax of Nico after he was let out of the jar. He tried not to think about the night before.

They looked like they'd been through hell. But they hadn't. They hadn't done much of anything. But they had to hurry and help those who did in fact go through hell.

The palace stretched out behind him—a honeycomb of halls and tunnels, balconies, colonnades, and cavernous rooms carved into the sandstone cliffs, all designed for the wind to blow through and make as much noise as possible.

Coach waded out of the water and Ajax lent him a hand to help pull him out. Once he was on the dock, Coach fell back onto the wood, as if he was giving up.

"Coach, come on" Ajax tried to encourage him, "We're so close, I can feel it"

It was true. They had been working on the Argo II for all the five days they had been stranded. The main sail had been repaired, the rigging replaced. Now they were mending the oars. Without Leo, they were unable to repair the more complicated parts of the ship, even with the help of Buford the table and Festus (who was now permanently activated thanks to Piper's charmspeak—and none of them understood that). But they kept trying.

Hazel and Frank stood at the helm, tinkering with the controls. Piper relayed their commands to Coach Hedge, who was hanging over the side of the ship, banging out dents in the oars. Hedge was well suited for banging on things.

Ajax observed from the dock, helping out with his magic wherever he could.

They didn't seem to be making much progress, but considering what they'd been through, it was a miracle the ship was in one piece.

Ajax's eyes travelled to the balcony railing where Jason was leaning. Beside him stood the son of Hades.

Ajax clenched hsi teeth.

He hated Nico. He decided. He hated him. He wanted to yell at him, to scream, to hurt him as much as what he had said last night hurt Ajax. Now look at him, all chummy with Jason.

Maybe he should've kissed Jason.

Ajax turned away. Even the thought sent jealousy through him like a lightning bolt.

Was it Jason Nico really wanted? Someone on board, Cupid had said. Jason? Or Frank?

The girls were apparently out of the equation.

Ajax didn't care who it was that Nico liked on board. It wasn't him. That's all he knew. And it hurt. He didn't like admitting it, but it hurt because how dare Nico kiss him and make him feel all those things, only to run away?

What did Jason have that Ajax didn't? A dick? Blond hair? Maybe Nico was really into blue eyes. Maybe Nico was into tall guys.

Maybe Nico liked everything Ajax didn't have.

Coach had gotten up next to him. Ajax held on to the satyr's shoulder for support.

It was later, much later, that Jason stumbled out of the Wind god's palace hodling onto ropes made of wind, attached to which four very angry looking wind horses tried to fly away. Piper ushered the demigods below deck, but Ajax stubbornly asked to stay.