CHAPTER NINETEEN:
CLOSING IN

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

"I'M HAPPY YOU'VE ARRIVED," Enceldaus informed Piper, laughing as he circled the clearing like a lion herding its prey. "And I see you've brought me prizes!"

Annais' eyes hardened. She was holding her sword in front of her as she inched towards a frozen Piper and Melanie. Enceladus must've seen the uneasiness in her expression, for he laughed again, then nodded like he wasn't about to murder them. "That's right, daughter of Hades. I didn't expect you all to stay alive this long, but it doesn't matter. By bringing the other demigods here and goading you and Ezra Min into following them, Piper McLean has sealed the deal. If she betrays you, I'm as good as my word. She can take her father and go. What do I care about a movie star?"

Much to Annais' surprise, the boys and Mel didn't seem surprised by the sudden revelation. Piper must've admitted it to them after the events with Medea. At least they knew what they were getting themselves into.

"Dad," Piper cried, eyes locking on the groaning man on the other side of the fire. 

Tristan McLean looked out of it as he weakly raised his head, trying his best to focus on the sound of his daughter's voice, "Pipes...? Where?"

He was exhausted, terrified, and it tugged at Annais' heartstrings. No doubt, Aphrodite hadn't told him who she was when they were together. He probably had no idea what Enceladus was, let alone who his own daughter was becoming. The thought seemed to register with Piper too. She drew her dagger and shouted at Enceladus, "Let him go!"

"Of course, dear," the giant cackled. "Swear your loyalty to me, and we have no problem. Only the others must die."

Piper froze, glancing between the girls at her side and her dad's sobbing figure. Annais' stomach plummeted. At first, she thought they had a plan, that Piper had told them where her dad was and agreed to double-crossing Enceladus. But now, she wasn't so sure. Why did she hesitate if they had it figured out? What was going through her head?

"Piper, he'll kill you," Leo warned. "Don't trust him."

"Oh, come now," Enceladus rolled his eyes. "You know, I was born to fight Athena herself? Mother Gaea made each of us giants with a specific purpose, designed to fight and destroy a particular God. I was Athena's nemesis — the anti-Athena, you might say. Compared to some of my brethren, I am small but I am clever. And I keep my bargain with you, Piper McLean. It's part of my plan."

Piper didn't react, her face ashen, causing Enceladus to sigh in frustration. From the corner of her eye, Annais caught a flash of blonde and instinctively glanced over at Jason as he held up his lance. But before he could act and she could even think of trying to help him, Enceladus let out a roar and pounded a fist against his chest. A second later, the sound was returned by several ogre-like creatures who rose out of the earth, formed by the mud and rock itself. They were a lot smaller compared to Enceladus but ridiculously overpowered with six arms each and seven feet of height. As stupid as they looked, Annais knew they were going to have trouble with them.

"Uh, what are those?" Leo asked as he scrambled over to where the girls stood. 

Piper gripped onto her dagger for dear life. "Gegenees."

The name sounded familiar to Annais but with Jason so far away — and so close to Enceladus and his creatures — she couldn't bring herself to sort through their history to figure them out. Besides, from the looks of it, Piper already knew and nothing good would come from them either way.

"The Earthborn," she elaborated. "Six-armed giants who fought Jason — the first Jason."

"Very good, my dear," Enceladus complimented. He knew he had the advantage. Annais couldn't wait to wipe that stupid smirk from his face. "They used to live in a miserable place in Greece called Bear Mountain. Mount Diablo is much nicer! They are lesser children of Mother Earth, but they serve their purpose. They're good with construction equipment—"

The giant was interrupted by the Earthborn wheeling their arms around like tyres spinning on a car, chanting, "Vroom, vroom!" over and over again.

"They also have a score to settle with heroes," said Enceladus once they finally quieted down. "Especially anyone named Jason."

Seriously, it was just their fucking luck they kept running into monsters with a grudge. It was so much easier when they were simple and quick to take out. Now they had a desire for revenge, and motivation like that always came with a challenge.

"Yay-son!" the Earthborn screamed in one echoing voice. If they weren't picking up clumps of earth and forming them into pointed stones with their hands, Annais probably would've laughed. "Where Yay-son? Kill Yay-son!"

"Man," Ezra sighed. "The Gods really need to switch up the names they give their kids."

Across from them, Enceladus bared his teeth. "You see, Piper, you have a choice. Save your father, or try to save your friends and face certain death."

Certain? Clearly, he'd never met Ezra Min before. Nothing was ever certain when it came to her.

"You aren't going to take the people I love," Piper shouted, words rippling across the clearing with such force that even the Earthborn retreated like scolded dogs. "None of them."

Annais' eyes widened, letting out a shocked laugh as she reached out to squeeze Piper's hand. But just as quickly as the victory came, it went. Enceladus screamed in rage, easily regaining control of the Earthborn. "Stand your ground, fools!" he yelled at them, then snarled at Piper like he had no choice but to respect the power radiating from her. "This is why we wanted you alive, my dear. You could have been so useful to us. But as you wish. Earthborn, I will show you Jason."

Annais couldn't control the panic that washed over her. She surged forward, sword raised, only to pause alongside the others when Enceladus lifted a meaty finger and pointed it at Tristan McLean instead. "This is Jason. Tear him apart!"

"Yeah, like that's going to happen," Ezra scoffed. 

Despite the few days they'd spent apart — and the fact the group barely knew each other in the first place — everyone knew what they needed to do. With one parting nod, Leo grabbed Mel's hand and tore across the clearing towards what looked to be a tree harvester. They climbed inside, the engine roaring to life and capturing the attention of a few of the Earthborn.

Meanwhile, Piper sprinted towards her dad, leaving Annais to tug Ezra along towards Jason. It had been a long time since she and Ezra fought side-by-side like this, tethered to the other, standing against one common enemy. Annais was nothing if not brutally stubborn, but with Tristan McLean's life in her hands and Jason needing them more than ever, she and Ezra fell back to what they used to be. One fighting force of pure reckoning.

"Let's kick monster ass, Ezra," she recalled her cousin's earlier words.

They collided with Jason, the three facing off against an amused Enceladus, who watched them like he had all the time in the world to make them suffer. Jason couldn't help but gape at Annais. One of his hands reached for hers like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"How are you alive?" he asked. "I thought you—"

"Not the time for a romantic reunion, guys," Ezra cut in with a scowl.

Just as soon as she said that, the sky lit up like molten lava. Ezra tackled the two aside as Enceladus spewed fire at them, the heat boiling against their backs and leaving Annais feeling light-headed. Still, she forced herself onto her feet, sharing one last look with Jason before the trio charged. 

Hit, dodge the flames, then strike again. She, Jason and Ezra fought like a well-oiled machine, repeating these same three steps. It made sense for her and Ezra. Even after all this time, they understood each other, knew where to strike where the other couldn't. But Jason was their wildcard. Annais had seen it with him and Leo. They worked well together. And now her and Ezra...

Another bolt of fire cut through the air, lighting up a cluster of trees as Annais quickly rolled out of the way and struck the side of Enceladus' leg with her sword. He scowled but didn't seem bothered as he flung her away, forcing her to yank back Ezra with the tether pulling between them.

They pushed themselves up once again. Annais eyed the growing fire with wariness. If they didn't defeat him soon, the whole side of the mountain would go up in flames. There would be no way out. Festus was nowhere to be seen. They couldn't trust Eddie to get six of them out, not including Piper's dad. They had to do something, and fast.

Suddenly, the sharp crunch of a weapon snapping echoed through the clearing. Annais and Ezra charged for Jason, Ezra lodging Kronos' scythe into Enceladus' ankle while the blonde boy grabbed one half of his now shattered lance and aimed for the giant's other foot. Ichor pooled around his feet, prompting him to howl and blow fire, again. Annais and Ezra were forced to dodge the blaze, separated even further away from Jason, who fought like he had nothing to lose. The two Mins landed hard against the dirt, and almost immediately Annais could feel the ground closing around them. Ezra's whole foot seemed to sink beneath the earth as Annais managed to push herself up and away from the hold.

"Ezra," she began, unsure what to do. If she stayed, Jason would be on his own to fight Enceladus. But if she left, Ezra would be open to attack, and while most of the Earthborn were gone because of Leo, Melanie and Piper, that was a risk Annais wasn't sure she could take. 

"Just go, Annais," Ezra insisted, knowing what she was thinking. "I'm fine."

"But—"

"Go!"

Sighing, Annais unclipped her tether, trying not to look back as she sprinted towards Enceladus and struck him hard behind the knees. It was a good thing, too, for Jason had fallen, clinging to one of his shoulders as blood sprayed down his arm due to a hard hit from the giant. The moment Annais saw the injury, she froze, completely missing the spear that came spinning towards her. She yelped as the edge struck her right bicep, sending her back several feet with a spear wedged into her skin.

Everything burned — the heat of fire bearing down on her, the muscles in her arm, the feeling of molten earth pulling her down. She tried to get up but a scream tore through the air. It took her a second to realise it came from her own throat as she collapsed back down, the ground rising up over her ankles. Her arm felt broken, like Enceladus had stomped on the bone then ripped it straight out of her body. It wasn't a deep wound, Annais knew that, but she could feel herself fading as fire danced just inches away from her eyes.

What would happen if she let it consume her? If she just closed her eyes and let Gaea drag her down? Would her father be waiting in the Underworld, as he had once predicted? Would Penelope also be there? Or Hea? Hea Min with her guiding hand. Had she known her sister was going to die? That Annais Min was just another soul ready to pass on with her help...

Subconsciously, Annais' eyes fluttered shut. She didn't know how much time had passed. Was it seconds? Hours? She didn't know if she cared anymore.

This isn't so bad, she thought. Death was easy when she'd been fighting from birth.

The ground was shaking but Annais didn't open her eyes to look. The sound was getting louder and louder, like lifting your head out of water and hearing the roar of life rushing back at once. Annais groaned, the sound transforming into a scream when the point of the spear was ripped out of her bicep. Her eyes snapped open to find Enceladus with his back to her as he faced off against Jason, his spear safe in his grasp once again.

The next few moments happened in flashes. One second, he and Enceladus were shouting at each other, then Jason sprinted towards Annais, ripping her out of Gaea's hold and tumbling aside as fire burned where she had just laid. Their clothes were smouldering. Annais felt like her lungs had closed up as she tried to gasp for air, clinging to Jason when he scrambled to his feet and dragged her along with him. Everything hurt. Her arm throbbed where blood continued to pour. Her back felt stiff, like being thrown around had cracked her spine in two. But she was alive, and Jason was there, and maybe — just maybe — Annais Min could hold on for a little longer.

"Together?" she heard Jason whisper in her ear.

She laughed but almost immediately regretted it when her ribs panged. "Yeah, whatever, Jason."

Nevertheless, she linked her hand with his and the two of them charged at the giant. But Annais was too slow and sluggish. Where Jason managed to fake a strike and roll between the giant's legs, she only just missed her mark, squealing when Enceladus swung hard at her side with his spear and sent her sprawling several metres away. Her head smacked against a rock, vision blurring as the sound of a javelin snapping was heard followed by an explosion. Annais' uninjured arm slumped to cover her head from debris but nothing seemed to harm her or Jason. Annais could already feel herself slipping away, even when she tried to hold on. The last thing she heard was Enceladus screaming to the heavens as he raised his spear above Jason's chest.

"And now, my first sacrifice to Gaea!"

With that, Annais Min was gone.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

WAKING UP IN A helicopter with her head in Jason's lap was not what Annais expected when she regained consciousness. For a second, she thought she was dreaming, that her version of the afterlife was taunting her with the things she knew she couldn't have. But when she tried to move, agony erupted, and she realised she was still very much alive. 

"Hey," Jason breathed out, head hovering over hers. "Hey, you're alright."

The last thing she remembered properly was him being inches from death. But he seemed fine now — covered in ash from various explosions with some dried blood on the sleeve of his shirt, but alive all the same. Opposite him was Piper, Ezra and Gleeson. Oh, and Piper's dad. The older man had tears streaming down his face. Annais doubted he even noticed she was awake. And with a look down the bench that she and Jason inhabited, Annais found Leo and Melanie, also unharmed.

Everyone was okay.

"What happened?" she croaked out, wincing when she moved her arm and the limb throbbed in protest. 

Someone had secured a gauze around her wound. There were already spots of blood threatening to seep through, but they'd otherwise done a pretty good job. It just hurt like a motherfucker, had her groaning and sinking into Jason's hold looking for some kind of comfort. A pressure on the top of her head tightened, and it made her realise that while one of Jason's hands had been gripping her torso so she didn't roll from the bench, the other had gotten tangled in her hair. His fingers massaged against her scalp when he noticed the pained grimace in her eyes. 

"Guys?" she said when no one answered her. "Where are we? Is Enceladus—"

"It's okay, Annie," Leo said, tapping her feet that were resting in his lap. "We defeated him."

They vaguely explained bits and pieces, clearly exhausted, but it was enough to leave Annais thoroughly confused. Still, she didn't push, just happy to know they'd gotten Piper's dad out when they did.

Now for Hera...

Admittedly, Annais had forgotten about her. And from the looks of it, so had the others. The fight, yet again, wasn't over. Annais would have to get up even when all she wanted was to fall back asleep to the feeling of Jason playing with her hair. 

Speaking of Jason, he leaned forward suddenly and peered through the helicopter doorway. "What is that?" he frowned, pointing down at a winding road.

"Where?" Piper asked as she followed his gaze.

"That road," he said again. "The one that goes through the hills."

With a wary glance at the others, Piper picked up the headset the pilot must've given her and repeated Jason's question. "She says it's Highway 24," she relayed once the woman's answer came through. It wasn't exciting, but it left Jason frowning uneasily, fingers only half-heartedly resuming their movement when he noticed the worry on Annais' face. "That's the Caldecott Tunnel. Why?"

Even then, he said nothing, simply watching as the road disappeared from view. Opposite them, Tristan McLean whimpered and another tear trailing his cheek.

"Monsters. I live in a world full of monsters."

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

JUST AS SOON AS sleep came for Annais, they arrived at Oakland Airport. It took them a second to land, but after Piper got on the radio and had a chat with air traffic control, the rest was smooth sailing. They dropped onto the tarmac, and with all the reluctance in the world, Annais allowed Jason to lead her outside. Everyone was waiting for Piper's next move, knowing they couldn't continue when her dad was with them. She had to make a choice, and the realisation seemed to be eating her alive.

"What now?" Jason asked once the silence only continued to linger.

Piper sighed, but she knew what she had to do. "First thing, I have to get my dad home. I'm sorry, guys."

"Oh," Leo frowned, failing miserably to hide his disappointment. "I mean, absolutely. He needs you right now. We can take it from here."

But Tristan McLean — while terrified of this new world he'd been dragged into — knew enough to recognise where his daughter was truly needed. Before any of the Mins could even think to convince her themselves, Tristan did their job for them.

"Pipes, no," he shook his head. "You have a mission, a quest. I can't—"

"I'll take care of him," announced Gleeson. Even Annais found herself gaping at him in surprise. Gleeson Hedge willingly giving up a fight? Were they sure they'd found the right satyr? "I'm a protector. That's my job. Not fighting. Of course, I'm good at fighting, too."

"Oh, of course," Melanie nodded along.

"Absolutely terrifying," Leo added with a not-so-convincing shudder.

"Eh, you could be better," Ezra said, but fortunately for her Gleeson didn't hear. They never would've heard the end of it otherwise.

"But I'm a protector, and I can do this," he insisted. "Your dad's right, Piper. You need to carry on with the quest."

"But..." Her eyes glossed over. She turned to her dad one last time. "Dad..."

He held out his arms, prompting her to rush into them. Annais dipped her head, feeling like she was intruding on a moment too soft for her eyes.

"Let's give them a minute," she heard Jason suggest, then a second later, his arm curled around her waist and started helping her a few yards down the tarmac with everyone except for Piper and Mr McLean right behind them.

"So," Leo began the moment they were far enough away. "How did you two come back from the dead?"

Ezra scoffed at the same time as Annais rolled her eyes. "Father dearest resurrected me," the latter deadpanned.

Leo — ever the oblivious idiot — gasped in delight. "Really?"

"No," she said. "We never died, idiot."

"Oh."

"So what happened then?" Mel asked, throwing her arm around Ezra's tense shoulders. "I tried asking Ezra but she only said 'Hea and Apollo,' which doesn't explain much."

Annais sighed. Of course Ezra hadn't told them anything.

"It's a long story," she said. "Basically, Apollo gave us a compass that was meant to lead us to Jason. But I ended up breaking it when we got caught in a snowstorm. That's when Hea shows up out of nowhere and brings us to that café down in Walnut Creek, and the barista told us you caught a taxi up Mount Diablo."

"Wait," Leo frowned at her. "The compass led you to Jason? What about the rest of us? What are we, chopped liver?"

"Jason is the leader of the quest, genius," Ezra said, stepping in when Annais' words suddenly failed her.

"Oh."

"Hey, guys," Jason spoke for the first time since they left Piper. "We might wanna head back over there."

Looking over her shoulder, Annais found Piper holding up her dad's unconscious body. As they got closer, she spotted the empty bottle of memory potion clutched in Piper's hand, and realisation seemed to hit. She hung back as Jason and Leo came forward to help her, passing Mr McLean over to Gleeson upon his insistence.

"I got him," he promised Piper. "I already asked our ranger friend to call up his plane. It's on the way now. Home address?"

Piper thought about it for a moment before checking her dad's pocket and pulling out a BlackBerry. "Everything's on here," she said to him. "Address, his chauffeur's number. Just watch out for Jane."

At the thought of a possible fight, Gleeson's eyes glinted. "Who's Jane?"

Piper sighed, repeating the story that Annais and Ezra had overheard with Medea. By the time she was finished, an expensive looking private plane had landed beside the helicopter and an impatient flight attendant had come down to help Gleeson carry Mr McLean upstairs. After a minute, Gleeson came back down to bid them one last goodbye.

"Now, you cupcakes take care of this girl, you hear?" he scowled, pulling Piper into a shocking hug. "Or I'm gonna make you do push-ups."

"Yeah, okay, Coach," Ezra scoffed.

"I mean it, Min," he insisted. "And I'll give you ten extra for every time you give me attitude."

"Then she'd be at it all day," Mel giggled.

Just as quickly as the amusement came, it went. With one last hug, Piper said, "Thank you, Gleeson. Take care of him, please?"

"I got this, McLean," he told her. "They got root beer and veggie enchiladas on this flight, and one hundred percent linen napkins... yum! I could get used to this."

With that, he turned around and disappeared onto the plane again. The flight attendant closed the door behind him and the plane soared down the runway. Before they knew it, Mr McLean and Gleeson were gone, and Piper had started to cry in a surprised Ezra's arms while Leo patted her blotchy cheeks with Kleenex.

"Hey, you don't have to cry," Ezra stammered, incredibly uncomfortable with the girl clinging to her. "Gleeson won't let anyone hurt your dad. Right, Annais?"

"Right," Annais nodded, smirking at Mel's wide eyes glancing between Piper and Ezra. "I know it's not easy, but try not to worry too much, Pipes."

Before Piper was able to respond, the air beside Jason formed a shimmering rainbow. Annais lurched forward, stomach sinking when Thalia appeared in the Iris message, holding a bow and arrow and looking around with panic in her eyes.

"Thalia?" Jason cried, and Annais wondered when the two met up again.

"Thank the Gods," Thalia sighed, though her voice was hard to make out over the sound of clashing weapons and shouting. "We've found her. Where are you?"

Her? 

"Oakland," Jason replied. "Where are you?"

"The Wolf House," Thalia exclaimed. "Oakland is good, you're not too far. We're holding off the giant's minions, but we can't hold them forever. Get here before sunset or we're screwed!"

"We can do that," Annais confirmed after a nod from a deep-in-thought Jason.

"Annais?" Thalia gasped at the sight of her. "You and Ezra are alive?"

"I'm starting to notice a pattern here," Ezra mumbled as Annais reassured their friend.

"Look, Jason," said Thalia. "It's worse than I realised. Porphyrion is rising. You need to hurry."

"But where is the Wolf House?" he asked desperately, just as Thalia's message began to fade into mist.

"Our last trip," she prompted. "The park. Jack London. Remember?"

Jason didn't have a chance to reply before she disappeared completely. Everyone else was confused — including Annais — but Jason was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice the soft touch of her hand stroking his bicep, trying to snap him out of it.

"Bro, are you good?" Leo frowned. "You know where she is?"

"Yes," Jason said at last, leaning into Annais' lingering touch. He was troubled, but she couldn't figure out why. "Sonoma Valley. It's not far, not by air."

All eyes turned to Piper and the helicopter pilot waiting behind her in a daze. "Ma'am," Piper began, sighing at the thought of compelling her again but knowing they had no other options. "You don't mind helping us one more time, do you?" 

"I don't mind," she shrugged, yet the others weren't so sure.

"Piper, it's not safe to bring a mortal with us," Mel pointed out. "She could die."

"Then what do we do?"

"Well, what if Leo flies it?" Ezra suggested much to Annais' surprise. Almost like she knew they were gaping at her, she scoffed. "What? It's either that or we sacrifice the mortal."

"We're not doing that," Jason snapped.

"Then it's settled," she said. "Leo, do your thing."

Before Annais knew it, Jason was helping her back onto the helicopter once Piper had convinced the pilot to wait on the tarmac. The seat was uncomfortable beneath her but Jason was quick to shuffle them around, gently pressing her back against his chest. Annais let her muscles slacken, her eyes fluttering shut as the helicopter wobbled into the air. Jason's fingers carded through her hair again, almost like he knew she needed the comfort of a softer touch. Annais was aware of Piper watching them but she couldn't bring herself to care. She just wanted him to hold her, to help her focus on anything but the pain.

"Hey, are you okay?" Piper asked Leo.

The son of Hephaestus laughed. "Aces. So what's the Wolf House?"

Beneath Annais' head, Jason's chest vibrated as he spoke. "An abandoned mansion in the Sonoma Valley. A demigod built it — Jack London."

Mel fixed her lip between her teeth. "Why is that name familiar?"

"He was a writer," Piper explained. "Adventure stuff, right? Call of the Wild, White Fang..."

"Yeah," Jason nodded. "He was a son of Mercury — I mean... Hermes. He was an adventurer, travelled the world. He was even a hobo for a while. Then he made a fortune writing. He bought a big ranch in the country and decided to build this huge mansion: the Wolf House."

"Named that 'cause he wrote about wolves?"

"Partially. But the site — and the reason he wrote about wolves — he was dropping hints about his personal experience. There're a lot of holes in his life story. How he was born, who his dad was, why he wandered around so much. Stuff you can only explain if you know he was a demigod."

"So Jack London went to Camp Half-Blood?"

Ezra shook her head. "I'd know if he did."

"Then where?" Annais asked, voice muffled by the soft fabric of Jason's shirt. He tensed, prompting her to angle her head so she could see his face. "Jason? Do you remember something?"

"Pieces," he admitted. "None of it good. The Wolf House is on sacred ground. It's where London started his journey as a child, where he found out he was a demigod. That's why he returned there. He thought he could live there, claim that land, but it wasn't meant for him. The Wolf House was cursed. It burned in a fire a week before he and his wife were supposed to move in. A few years later, London died and his ashes were buried on the site."

"So..." Piper muttered, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "How do you know this?"

"I started my journey there too," he said with a surprising amount of certainty. "It's a powerful place for demigods. A dangerous place. If Gaea can claim it, use its power to entomb Hera on the solstice and raise Porphyrion, that might be enough to awaken the earth Goddess fully."

"Oh, great," sighed Ezra. "Sounds like a blast."

"That's one word for it."

It went quiet again. Annais could feel herself beginning to drift off to sleep. She knew they didn't have much time left but she longed for a moment's rest, a second to regather her thoughts.

"Thirty minutes out," she heard Leo say not long after. "If you want to get some rest, now's a good time."

Thirty minutes would be better than nothing. So she let herself relax, sighing when Jason's fingers continued to play with her hair. Her arm was really beginning to ache — like every jolt of the plane was plunging a knife back into the wound — but she tried not to let it show on her face. She mustn't have succeeded. Just before everything went black, she felt Jason pause before lips ghosted her temple soothingly. Almost immediately, Mel started to giggle, relaying what had happened to Ezra for her to tease him, but Annais was too tired to listen.