CHAPTER SIX:
DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS

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DESPITE JASON'S CONFIDENCE IN himself, the rest of camp wasn't so sure. A common feat that night, everything burst into chaos... Everyone was asking questions at once, even turning to argue with each other before an infuriated Annais shuffled past Jason and raised her fingers to her lips to whistle. The sound was sharp and piercing, bursting through the chatter and silence immediately followed.

Annabeth took this opportunity to step forward, gaping at Chiron in disbelief. "How can he be the son of Zeus? The Big Three... their pact not to have mortal kids... how could we not have known about him sooner?"

Chiron said nothing, just pressed his lips into a bloodless line and bowed his head. Once again, the silence from him was disconcerting, and Annais was ready to vent out her anger when Rachel stepped forward to diffuse the tension. "Look, the important thing is that Jason's here now. He has a quest to fulfil, which means he will need his own prophecy."

Annais watched closely as she shut her eyes, swaying into two nearby campers' arms. A third ran to the side of the amphitheatre and came back with the oracle's three-legged bronze stool, placing it beneath her and assisting her in sitting down. Once she was situated, they retreated into the crowd and waited like everyone else. They didn't have to wait for long, though, as the classic green mist of the oracle began to pool around Rachel's feet in a wave. At its presence, she inhaled sharply and slowly, eyes opening to reveal bright white pupils.

"Child of lightning, beware the earth. The giants' revenge, the seven shall birth. The forge and dove shall break the cage, and death unleash through Hera's rage."

On the last word, the emerald smoke that was emitting from her throat faded into a transparent mist and the glow died from her eyes. They rolled into the back of her head, Rachel's body falling again until her helpers rushed over to guide her away.

"Is that normal?" Piper asked from a few flags away. She had a frown on her face as she looked at Rachel but her expression quickly faded into a humiliated blush when she realised everyone was looking at her. "I mean, does she spew green smoke a lot?"

"Gods, you're dense," Drew chuckled cruelly. "She just issued a prophecy. Jason's prophecy to save Hera! Why don't you just—"

"Why don't you just sit down and shut up like Annais told you to?" Ezra hissed in frustration.

"Piper asked a fair question, Drew," Annabeth said in agreement with her. "Something about that prophecy definitely isn't normal. If breaking Hera's cage unleashes her rage and causes a bunch of death, why would we free her? It might be a trap, or maybe Hera will turn on her rescuers. She's never been kind to heroes."

"I don't have much choice," Jason protested. "Hera took my memory, I need it back. Besides, we can't just not help the Queen of the Heavens if she's in trouble."

"Oh, we can," Annais muttered, though not loud enough for him to hear.

Others agreed too, like Nyssa. "Maybe, but you should listen to Annabeth. Hera can be vengeful. She threw her own son — our dad — down a mountain just because he was ugly."

"Oh, real ugly," a boy from the Aphrodite clan snickered crudely.

"Shut up," Nysa growled in their direction, other Hephaestus children making noises of agreement. "Anyway, we've also got to think. Why beware the earth? And what's the giants' revenge? What are we dealing with here that's powerful enough to kidnap the Queen of the Heavens?"

No one said anything for a while. Nyssa was right. Annais didn't like it but she also couldn't deny it. Hera annoyed her to no end but she had to admit the Goddess was powerful. It would take something even stronger to trap her and force her into turning to demigods for help.

"Look, it's Jason's quest," Annabeth sighed. "So it's Jason's choice. Obviously, he's the child of lightning. According to tradition, he may choose any two companions."

From the Hermes group, someone yelled out, "Well, you obviously, Annabeth. You've got the most experience."

"No, Travis," she shook her head. She wasn't about to save Hera after all the trouble Hera had caused her. For all she cared, Hera could stay there even if the quest had been issued to her. "First off, I'm not helping Hera." As Annais suspected. "Every time I've tried, she's deceived me, or it's come back to bite me later. So forget it, no way. Secondly, I'm leaving first thing in the morning to find Percy."

Ezra turned to the girl beside her but Annais didn't have a chance to hear what she said as Piper suddenly blurted out, "It's connected! You know that's true, don't you? This whole business, your boyfriend's disappearance. It's all connected."

"How?" Drew sneered. "If you're so smart, how?"

Annais just about had it with the dark-haired girl. One more word and Annais would challenge her to a duel. But she never had the chance for Annabeth stepped in to save Piper from answering. "You may be right, Piper. If this is connected, I'll find out from the other end. By searching for Percy. As I said, I'm not about to rush off to rescue Hera, even if her disappearance sets the rest of the Olympians fighting again. But there's another reason I can't go. The prophecy says otherwise."

"It says who I pick," Jason spoke up before anyone else could protest. "The forge and the dove shall break the cage. The forge is the symbol of Vul— Hephaestus."

The crowd turned to the hammer flag. Nyssa's shoulders were slumped and her face had gone pale under their scrutiny. As Head Counsellor, people would expect her to go with Jason even if she didn't want to. She heaved a sigh before standing again, army jacket hanging around her elbows as it slipped from her bony shoulders. "If you have to beware the earth, you should avoid travelling overland. You'll need air transport."

"What are you thinking, Nyssa?" Annais asked. It wasn't like they had a private jet on hand to use whenever it was needed.

"Well, the flying chariot's broken," she pointed out. "And the pegasi, we're using them to search for Percy. But maybe the Hephaestus cabin can figure out something else to help? With Jake incapacitated, I'm senior camper. I can volunteer for the quest."

It was clear as day that she did not want to volunteer for this quest. Cabin Nine was being stretched thin under the pressure of finding and capturing the dragon that was on the loose in the woods. To lose their senior camper would be a big loss that would set them back even more, thus creating more problems with the impatient Ares cabin. It was a lose-lose situation, but just when things were looking down, Leo pushed in front of his new sister. He'd been incredibly quiet that evening, so quiet that Annais had almost forgotten he was there, which wasn't something she said often.

"It's me!" Around him, his brothers and sisters shook their heads and tried to yank him back into his seat, but he resisted their attempts. He knew in his heart that he was the one that was meant to go on this quest with Jason. He just had to make everyone else see the vision. "No, it's me! I know it is! I've got an idea for the transportation problem, just let me try and I can fix this."

There was silence for a long moment. Jason was looking at him with furrowed brows, uncertain, but then a smile overtook his features and he nodded. "We started this together, Leo. Seems only right you come along. You find us a ride and you're in."

Leo pumped his fist into the air and cheered. "Yes!"

From a few feet away, Annais heard Mel giggle and shook her head. Mel was so quick to crush on people, it was almost amusing. Her heart just had a lot of love to give. But Leo seemed to like the attention. He shot her a wink through the pale flames.

"It'll be dangerous," Nyssa warned him. "Hardship, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive."

"Way to crush his spirit, Nyssa," Annais snorted.

"Oh." Leo's face had paled, his smile dropping. He clearly hadn't thought about the downside of quest life. But he didn't allow his expression to falter for long as he glanced from Mel and back to everyone else watching him expectantly. "I mean... oh, cool! Suffering? I love suffering! Let's do this."

"Gods, you're a strange one, Leo," Annais shook her head.

"Then, Jason, that means you only need to choose the third quest member," said Annabeth. "The dove is—"

"Oh, absolutely!" Drew was on her feet and gushing happily before Annabeth could even finish speaking. Jason heaved a heavy sigh at the thought of enduring Drew's presence, but how could he say no when nobody else was volunteering? "The dove is Aphrodite. Everybody knows that. I am totally yours."

Annais didn't like the sound of that. "Jesus, pathetic much."

Piper seemed to agree. She looked between her two friends desperately before also standing up. "No."

Drew rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Dumpster Girl. Just back off."

"I had the vision of Hera, not you! I have to do this!"

"Anyone can have a vision," she pointed out, her voice thick and sweet like honey. Annais felt the sensation of shivers down her spine but fought against it, scowling deeply at Drew. Using charmspeak to get her way. How typical of Drew Tenaka, yet the lowest of lows. "You were at the right place at the right time. Look, fighting is fine, I suppose. And people who build things... well, I guess someone has to get their hands dirty. But you need charm on your side. I can be very persuasive, I could help a lot."

Much to Annais' surprise, her fellow campers started murmuring in agreement with her. She gaped at them in disbelief, especially when Annabeth nodded along with them. She stepped forward, moving to stand beside Piper with narrowed eyes. "Drew, if you don't cut that out."

"I don't know what you mean, Annais," Drew fluttered her eyelashes at her. "I'm just stating the truth."

"Right, that's it," Ezra hissed, but she was interrupted by Piper's persistent shouts.

"No! I'm supposed to go!"

Suddenly, everyone was agreeing with her. Annais and Ezra faltered at the sound, Annais glancing over to see Ezra's face turned in her general direction, prompting them to share a look of shock. Piper had convinced them, just like Drew... but that could only mean...

"Oh, get over it! What can Piper do?" Drew snapped. When the girl in question said nothing, her confidence slowly slipping away, she smiled smugly. "Well, I guess that settles it."

"Like hell it does."

There was a collective gasp. A pale pink glow filled the pit, casting Piper's face in beautiful shadows as every 'imperfection' faded away. Instead of her jeans and t-shirt, she now wore a floor-length gown made of the finest silk. Her hair was clean and neatly curled around her shoulders. Even her uneven cut had changed so that the ends of her hair matched. Her face washed and covered in a light shade of makeup. Annais stared in awe at her. She'd always known her friend was a pretty girl but Piper McLean looked absolutely stunning under Aphrodite's spell.

She didn't seem to know what happened, though, for she was frowning at everyone's dazed expression. "What?"

And then she realised.

She gave a yelp of shock then a groan of despair as realisation hit her hard. Like Drew and every other airhead sitting under the dove emblem, Piper was a daughter of Aphrodite. All three of Annais' demigods had been claimed in the same night.

"No!" Drew wailed in horror. "This isn't possible!"

"Oh, but it is, Barbie," Ezra cooed, looking awfully smug at the thought of Drew's disgusted face.

"No, this isn't me," Piper shook her head. "I don't understand..."

Chiron stepped into action then, folding his front legs into a bow and gesturing for everyone to follow his example. Annais dropped to a knee by Piper's side, looking up at her in pride as she stood the centre of attention. She might've been unhappy about it but Annais knew she would do just fine regardless of who her Godly parent turned out to be.

"Hail, Piper McLean, the daughter of Aphrodite; lady of the doves, Goddess of love!"

No one said anything for a while. They just watched in awe as Piper protested her parentage in vain. Once you were claimed, there was no going back. However, just as they began to disperse, there was a yelp from the corner of the pit and Rachel stumbled back into view. She looked out of it as she approached where her helpers had left her stool, ignoring everyone's concerned questions as she dropped into the chair and green mist appeared again. Annais stepped forward, effectively capturing the oracle's attention. She latched onto her wrist and drew her in so close that Annais could see the golden flecks that captured Rachel's usually green pupils with an iron fist.

"Daughters of darkness, destined to protect," she hissed, the words engraving themselves into Annais' brain. "The five guide the seven, though one shell defect. As the offsprings of death bring ice to its knees, the spawn of Hera is left with demons to please." Silence. Rachel's eyes flickered before Annais' own. In her normal voice, she declared for everyone to hear, "The Min prophecy has begun. They shall guide the seven."

Then she slumped forward and her forehead collided with Annais' shoulder.

"What the fuck?" she shouted. "Can someone get her off me please?"

Rachel's helpers guided her away, making sure to give Annais her space as she stumbled back in fury. Rachel had just issued Annais, Ezra and Melanie a quest... and mentioned another one? What the fuck was the Min prophecy? Guiding the seven? She turned to glare at Chiron, finding his own eyes wide with pure terror and something akin to guilt. He wasn't about to get out of explaining this. Annais wouldn't allow it.

"Chiron, what's going on?"

Whispers had erupted around them. People were quick to decode this new prophecy, already piecing together who belonged in this quest and what Rachel might've meant by 'guiding the seven.' But one line in particular seemed popular amongst the group.

The spawn of Hera.

Soon enough, everyone was shouting over each other once again, demanding answers from Annais that she didn't have.

And through the chaos, Ezra finally cracked.

"It's me!" she shouted so loud that Annais' ears rang. "I'm the daughter of Hera."

There was no way.

But as she stood before the crowd, facial features ablaze in pure anger, a golden glow shone down on Ezra's frame and a diadem with a peacock feather appeared on top of her blonde — no, brunette — hair.

Ezra Min was the daughter of Hera.

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"DO YOU WANT TO tell us what's going on or are we just supposed to guess?"

The snarky question hung heavy in the air once Annais broke the tense silence. After Ezra's declaration by the fire pit — what in Hades name had provoked her to say she was the daughter of Hera, and why on earth did Hera agree to that by claiming her? — the Mins plus Annabeth and Jason had followed a horrified Chiron back up to the Big House. Everyone gave them a wide berth as they went, eager on one hand to know everything there was to know about this new prophecy but also knowing on the other that when the Mins were angry, it was best to stay out of their way.

"Chiron," Ezra said, staring in his general direction with a half-confused/half-furious frown. "What have you been keeping from us?"

After a moment, the centaur gave a sigh, his shoulders slackening in defeat as he moved away from the hearth. Just like in the fire pit, the flames danced along his skin to create a deep shadow across his face. He looked guilty with the darkness holding him captive but also haunted, like he was looking at a room full of people who were already dead.

Annais didn't like that look. Her back turned to face him so she could stare out the window. Jason was close by, appearing confused but determined not to move. She didn't know what to make of the lost puppy act but she didn't care. At least someone was there next to her for when shit inevitably hit the fan.

It always did when it came to the Mins.

"Chiron, I swear to Hades—"

"There is a prophecy," he said, effectively cutting off Ezra before she could resort to storming at him with a dagger in hand. "There is a prophecy which you heard tonight, in which the five key children of the underworld... the Mins... guide the seven in saving the world."

In the hazy reflection of the window, Annais caught Ezra's hand dropping limp at her side in shock, an ornate dagger glinting in the dim lights of the Big House. Annais didn't know where it had come from but she didn't really care as she searched next for Mel. The youngest Min with her doe eyes — far too young for a save-the-world kind of prophecy — was sitting not too far behind Annais with her head in her hands. Annabeth had reached for Ezra's arms while Jason remained stubbornly at Annais' side. He was watching her already, their eyes meeting for a lingering second as she turned slightly to the left.

Jason was one of the seven. She could tell simply by looking at him, at everything he'd been through in a day, that he was important. Annabeth, undoubtedly, would be one of them too. And Percy, wherever he was. That boy just couldn't catch a break. But what about the other four? Who else was Annais supposed to protect from harm?

"And why didn't you tell us, Chiron?" Mel's breath hitched. "You act like you've known about this for months. So why are we only finding out now?"

"I didn't want to burden you," he admitted, making Annais' shoulders bunch up. She had a feeling she knew what he was about to say and she didn't like it one bit. "Penelope had just—"

"Don't you dare use her as an excuse," Ezra exploded. "You chose to keep us in the dark at your own free will! Penelope had nothing to do with it."

Annais finally turned around. She hadn't heard Ezra so angry since, well — since it happened and the world had collapsed around them. Her lower lip was trembling but apart from that one tiny weakness, Ezra Min looked like a warrior about to defeat her latest enemy. Chiron knew it too. He backed up slowly as Annabeth looped a strong arm around Ezra's waist and whispered soothing words into her ear.

"What's the prophecy, Chiron?" Mel asked when it became clear that Annabeth had managed to calm down Ezra enough for her not to kill him. Yet. "What Rachel said tonight didn't sound right. It only mentioned three of us."

"The prophecy tonight is about Jason's quest with Leo and Piper," he said slowly, like he was unsure how to explain everything. "I suppose the fates need you to protect them now in order for them to even join the rest of the seven."

"So Leo and Piper are also part of the seven?" Annais' brows knitted. She didn't want that for them. It was bad enough they were going on Jason's quest.

Chiron said nothing, simply bowing his head as he crossed the room to where a large chest of drawers sat. He took the key from around his bare neck, unlocking the bottom draw to bring out a stack of neatly kept papers. Once he found the one he wanted, he brought it back to Mel, pushing it across the table for her to read. Her eyes raked over the words, breath hitching before she cleared her throat and sealed their fate.

"Time taken by mortality's grasp. She rules from the shadow, guides the sun from his trap. The imposter delved into fate's cruel hand. Sins of the wicked, she has demons to withstand. Death guides two hearts down a path unroamed; one delivers the killing blow, the other freeing souls unhomed. From hidden monsters who refuse to tire, the spirit daughter must protect the sea, sky and fire. Five daughters of the underworld cursed to lead the seven. Outrunning their fate will become their greatest obsession."

Time. The imposter. Two hearts afflicted by death. The spirit daughter.

Penelope. Ezra. Hea. Annais. Melanie.

"I'm sorry," Chiron murmured. "I should've told you."

"Yes, you should have."

Then, like earlier that day, Ezra stormed out of the room before anyone could stop her. Annabeth sighed before following her, leaving the remaining four to linger in silence for a moment. Eventually, Annais shook her head and went to leave too.

Not again. This couldn't be happening again.

"Annais," Jason called out her name. "Hey, wait up!"

She slowed, allowing the boy to shut the Big House door behind him and jog down the wooden porch steps. He was frowning as he neared her but he tried his best to keep his eyes bright as he stopped at her side. Annais hated looking weak, being weak is what got you killed, but she couldn't help it as the lines from the prophecies repeated over and over in her head. Jason seemed to sense this. He said nothing about what had just happened. Instead, he nudged her shoulder with his own and pointed down the pathway that led to their respective cabins.

"Let me walk you back," he said. "It's dark out."

"I don't need protection," she rolled her eyes, beginning to set off on her own.

"I know," he hurried to catch up with her. "I just thought you might like some company."

Annais sighed but didn't disagree. They were quiet for the rest of the walk, which wasn't that long to be fair, but it seemed to take forever as the shadows of the night pushed in. They showed her Penelope, bright eyed and smiling, then motionless and cold. A shudder ran down her spine and she picked up the pace as they eventually reached the Hades cabin.

Jason looked it over but didn't openly react, merely smiling thinly and saying, "I'll see you tomorrow? We can talk more about what we're going to do."

"Okay," she nodded.

Silence. It seemed ever-present that evening. Annais usually loved the quiet but it was deafening with an empty cabin at her back and Jason about to leave. With a half-hearted grimace that Jason supposed was an attempt at a smile, Annais turned away from him and unlocked her cabin door.

Just as she was about to disappear inside, he called out, "It'll be okay, you know?"

Annais laughed. Clearly, his lack of memories had given him too much optimism. "Nothing about this is okay, Jason."

She shut the door, allowing the constrictive clutches of death to welcome her back home.