CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE:
LOVE AFFAIR

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THAT NIGHT, ANNAIS DREAMED of her mother again. Areum didn't look dead, but even in one of Annais' favourite memories of her, a memory tainted by loss, Areum was already a ghost. Annais hadn't understood it, then, what the dark shadow was that surrounded a person when the Grim Reaper decided it was time. She was only four. How was she expected to understand it? To prevent the inevitable from happening? Even thirteen years later, Annais barely understood the intricacies of her abilities.

As Areum sang her daughter to sleep, tucking the covers beneath Annais' chin, she knew. When you are my sunshine came to an end and Annais begged Areum to sing it again, she knew. When she leaned down to kiss her youngest daughter's forehead before pulling away with a strange black shadow seeping from her skin like mist, she knew.

And the next day, Areum was gone. It wasn't until years later that Annais came to learn what that shadow meant. She never told anyone she'd seen it that day, though she had a feeling her sisters had figured it out. It would change everything, she'd decided, and if there was one thing Annais Min was sick of, it was change (loss) and how she always ended up the unlucky one, the one who lost the most.

Dreaming of her mother was beginning to feel normal, like part of her daily routine she completed without question. She knew it was draining her. The bags beneath her eyes were always prominent nowadays, but so were everyone else's so no one even stopped to think that maybe Annais was beginning to struggle.

Well, no one but Jason. Damn him. His hands were soft, hesitant against her bare shoulders, squeezing once as he murmured her name. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, barely registering Jason's touch as she smiled sleepily at him. Areum had disappeared for another day, though Annais knew she'd be back come nightfall.

"Hey, the others are waiting for you," Jason said, forcing himself to let her go. She sat up with a yawn, her shoulders cold without the pressure of his hands. "Do you want me to tell them you're not up for it? You look exhausted, Annais..."

Annais shook her head, stubborn as always. "I'm fine." When his eyes narrowed in doubt, she added, "I don't have a choice, Jason. I need to go."

Jason sighed but decided it was best not to argue, merely watching the Min girl leave her bed to get ready for the day. He averted his gaze as she disappeared behind a thin partition to change, face flushing pink even then. Annais would've grinned had the air not felt so thick with tension (and not the good kind.)

"Look, Jason--"

"I'm sorry--"

Both of them paused, caught off guard. Jason shook his head. "I'm the one who should be sorry," he insisted, lifting his eyes when Annais returned dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a sports tee to match. She sat down beside him to tie her shoes, subconsciously erasing the space between them when she shifted closer to nudge her shoulder against his own. He smiled, encouraged by the small action. "What I said was cruel. He's your brother. Of course we're going to help him. I was just being--"

"Dumb," she declared for him.

Jason nodded. "More so than usual, yeah."

Annais laughed. Jason took it as progress. The air started to lift, no longer as suffocating.

"Can you forgive me?" he asked with those blasted puppy-eyes of his. Annais felt herself caving already. "I promise I'll make it up to you." In a way that was very unlike Annais and a lot like Ezra Min, Annais smirked cheekily. Jason flushed pink at the insinuation, hastily correcting himself. "I-I didn't mean it like that..."

Annais hummed and smiled. "Like what?"

"... Never mind."

She knew it was easier to forgive him and move forward. Their quests forced them to interact with each other. Both the seven and the Mins couldn't afford them to be at odds when, without the other, their quests would surely fail. Still, a tiny part of her relished in the fear that flickered across his face when she made a show of doubting him.

"Of course I'll forgive you," she said at last, sighing when Jason's shoulders slumped with relief. "As much as I hate it, and you sometimes, I don't think I could ever stay mad at you."

Slowly, Jason reached for her hands, surprised that she didn't react angrily as his fingers intertwined with hers. Part of him expected an Ezra Min-worthy reaction, perhaps biting off his fingers or threatening his life with a weapon. When Annais merely caved, an emotion he might've described as longing on her face -- longing for love, for affection -- he pulled her just that bit closer.

"I really like you, Annais," he admitted into the silence of her bedroom. "That kiss meant a lot to me."

It meant a lot to her, too. She would've told him, but a sharp knock on her door followed by Annabeth calling her name interrupted what could've been. She kissed his lips once, hoping that would be enough to convey everything she couldn't put into words. From the way he chased her lips when she leaned back, he seemed to have heard her loud and clear.

"Come on," she murmured, dragging him over to the door. "We have quests to complete, people to save..."

"Including Nico," he said, squeezing her hand before she could let go. "I promise we'll find him, Annais."

Find, not save. Jason couldn't promise Annais they'd save Nico's life. Not even Hades could promise Annais that. But at least he was on her side now. Dead or alive, he'd reunite Annais -- and Hazel -- with her brother.

Everyone else was waiting on the deck when Annais and Jason joined them. Annabeth released an impatient scoff when she noticed them drawing closer, her furrowed brows stark in the sea of amused smirks the others wore. Leo made a show of winking at Jason, patting Annais' shoulder like he was congratulating her. Annais scowled and smacked him away.

"About time," she heard Annabeth mumble, unphased by Ezra's arm around her waist or Percy's pointed look. "Are we ready to go?"

Annais nodded, separating from Jason to join Annabeth, Piper and Hazel beside the rope ladder. She was about to follow Annabeth down when Mel grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a hug that Annais awkwardly reciprocated.

"You be safe, okay?" her sister muttered in her ear.

Annais laughed. "I always am, Mel." The daughter of Melinoe shot her a disbelieving look, prompting Annais to grimace. "Alright, alright. As long as you promise the same, okay?"

"Okay," Mel nodded easily. "I'll see you soon..."

With that, she released Annais, allowing the girl to join Annabeth, Piper and Hazel on the ground. The four girls immediately set off on their mission -- which, at first, felt more like a tour of the city than an actual life-saving kind of quest. The sun was warm but not unpleasant on their backs, the sky a soft shade of blue without a cloud in sight. The air smelled of sea-salt from Charleston Harbour; to the North, strips of land enclosed the bay, its roads and pathways lined by old Civil War cannons and bronze statues of Charleston's important historical figures.

"This... is not what I expected," she admitted, the girls humming in agreement.

The further they walked, the more... Roman the Harbour seemed to become. Its neighbouring park was fenced in by Colonial mansions. Their marble walls were covered in thick vines of ivy, and the facades had soaring columns that were distinct in their Roman style. To top it off, the icing on the cake, the front gardens were bursting with beautiful -- professional, even -- flowers; roses, blossoming bougainvillaea. It looked like something out of one of those architecture magazines Annabeth was sometimes spotted reading; picture-perfect, like something created by the mind of a God...

"Kind of reminds me of New Rome," Hazel echoed Annais' thoughts. "All the big mansions and the gardens... the columns and arches..."

Whatever else Hazel was going to say went forgotten when Piper gasped, latching onto Annabeth's arm and preventing her from walking on ahead. Annais and Hazel also froze, the former looking around instinctively for some kind of danger. When she found nothing, she frowned.

"There," Piper interjected, pointing across the Harbour where a strange, shimmering figure floated across the water. Each step it took was smooth and graceful, creating miniscule white waves on the surface like a fish parting the sea. It was heading right for them, closer and closer, until Annabeth breathed out, "The ghost."

Hazel shook her head stubbornly. "That's not a ghost," she insisted, feeling confident despite Annabeth's doubtful look. "No kind of spirit glows that brightly."

"Then what is it?" Annais frowned.

"I don't know," Piper murmured. "Let's find out."

Before any of them could even think to stop her, she jogged across the street, narrowly dodging the wheels of a horse-drawn carriage that came rolling down the road. Annabeth gasped her name in vain, Hazel sighing, "We'd better follow her." But Annais was already long gone, forcing the other two to run in order to catch up. By the time the four were reunited, the 'ghost' was only metres away, its features slowly sharpening into focus.

"It is her," Piper groaned, much to the rest's confusion.

"Is who?" Annais asked.

"Her."

As Jason had described, the... apparition was dressed in the clothes of a Southern Belle; her gown a low-cut bodice of pink silk and a hoop skirt covered in white, frilly lace. Her matching gloves covered the smooth skin from her fingertips to her elbows, dotted with the feathers also covering the pink-and-white fan she gripped in her right hand. The only difference was her face. Her features continued to change; one second, her eyes were brown, then a crystal blue reminding Annais of Jason. Her heart swooped, and the woman's hair went red, brown, a distinct golden shade...

"Oh, Gods," she groaned. "It can't be..."

"Aphrodite," Annabeth confirmed. Like Annais, she found herself searching around for Hea... If Aphrodite was in Charleston, Annais' sister would only be so far away.

"Venus?" Hazel frowned, clearly shocked by the revelation.

But none were as shocked -- or dismayed -- as Piper McLean. "Mom..."

"Girls!" Aphrodite beamed at them. She spread her arms open like she expected them to hug her. When none of them did, her smile dropped, voice taking on a serious tone. "I'm so glad you're here. War is coming. Bloodshed is inevitable. So there's really only one thing to do."

"Uh... and that is?"

"Why, have tea and chat, obviously," Aphrodite giggled like it was obvious. Already twirling her way down the street, she paused for a brief second to call over her shoulder, "Come with me, girls! Oh, Hea's going to be so excited to see you, Annais..."

In total honesty, if Hea wasn't around, Annais wouldn't have even considered following Aphrodite. The thought of sitting down and having tea with Drew Tanaka's mother, of all people, made Annais feel positively queasy. She frankly had no idea what Hea saw in Aphrodite. Hephaestus, she could understand to a degree, but the Goddess of love? Not to mention her friend's mother... It was embarrassing enough knowing her sister was dating Leo's dad, as if he'd ever let her live it down.

Almost like she sensed her wandering thoughts, Annabeth grabbed onto her wrist, "Don't even think about it," she said, huffing when Annais grumbled to herself. She lowered her voice so only Annais could hear, "You're not going anywhere. Not without me, at least."

But alas, they had arrived at a pavilion of some kind, and all it took Annais was one glimpse of Hea's gleaming eyes to know she wouldn't be going anywhere. The two sisters paused and regarded each other for a moment, but it didn't take Hea much time to drop her pretences. She didn't hesitate to throw her arms around Annais, squeezing so tight that Annais was sure she felt one of her ribs crack.

"Aphrodite told me you would visit," she murmured, pulling away after a second. "I missed you. Where's Mel and Ezra?"

"With the others," Annais replied. Part of her already missed her sister's embrace. For a moment, she could fool her heart into believing that none of this was happening, that she was just a girl, and Hea was just her sister, and Gaea had never risen or existed in the first place. "We have a lot to tell you, Hea."

"Then let us sit down and talk," Aphrodite encouraged, eagerly ushering them into the chairs beside hers.

Annais sighed but obliged when Hea beamed at her. She left the others no choice but to do the same, filling up the empty spaces opposite them. No one spoke for a moment. Hea handed Annais a delicate-looking plate housing a scone covered in jam and cream. With it was a matching cup filled with jasmine-scented tea Annais knew she wouldn't drink. Still, she accepted it, listening grudgingly when Aphrodite began her chatter.

"Oh, my sweet girls, I do love Charleston! The weddings I've attended in this gazebo... why, they bring tears to my eyes! And the elegant balls in the days of the Old South. Ah, they were lovely! Hea, you would've loved them, my darling." Annais wanted to point out that Hea Min was definitely not the type to adore an elegant ball, but refrained with a bite of her scone. At least the food was decent. "You know, many of these mansions have statues of me in their gardens, though they called me Venus then."

"Which are you?" Annabeth pondered curiously. She regarded Aphrodite like a riddle she was trying to solve. "Venus or Aphrodite?"

Aphrodite regarded her with the exact same look, eyes sparkling with a kind of mischief that reminded Annais of Hea. It seemed the two had rubbed off on each other a lot more than Annais expected. "Annabeth Chase, you've grown into quite a beautiful young lady. You really should do something with your hair, though. And Hazel Levesque, your clothes--"

"My clothes?" Hazel frowned, subconsciously straightening the rumpled denim jacket she'd stolen from Frank. "What about them?"

But Aphrodite was already moving onto Annais. "Why, dearest, you are the spitting image of your sister here."

"So, beautiful?" Hea teased. "Drop-dead gorgeous?"

"Perfect," Aphrodite nodded, dragging her eyes over Hea's face with an abnormally soft look. "But you knew that already."

"Mother!" Piper exclaimed, her face burning bright, and not because of the sun. "You're embarrassing me!"

"Well, I don't see why," Aphrodite frowned, getting back to the matter at hand. "Just because you don't appreciate my fashion tips, Piper, doesn't mean the others won't. I could do a quick makeover for Annabeth and Hazel, and Annais if she really wished, perhaps silk ball gowns like mine..."

"Mother, no!"

"Fine," Aphrodite sighed, her disappointment evident. "To answer your question, Annabeth, I am both Aphrodite and Venus. Unlike many of my fellow Olympians, I changed hardly at all from one age to the other. In fact, I like to think that I haven't aged a bit. Love is love, after all, whether you're Greek or Roman. This Civil War won't affect me nearly as much as it will the others."

She said it with such certainty. A strange kind of silence -- dread -- festered in Annais' chest. She shared a grim look with the others, Hazel piping up nervously, "We're not in a war yet, my lady."

Aphrodite regarded her with a look that would've been pity, had Goddesses bothered with such emotions. "Oh, dear Hazel... such optimism, yet you have heartrending days ahead of you. Of course war is coming. Love and war always go together--" She spared Hea a pointed glance. Hea grimaced and averted her gaze to her cup. "They are the peaks of human emotion! Evil and good, beauty and ugliness..."

"What do you mean," Hazel tested the words with caution. "Heartrending days?"

Aphrodite laughed. Hea subconsciously smiled at the sound. It was a strange sight to behold for Annais. Her sister was truly happy. She hated to ruin it like this, but she knew, and she had a feeling Aphrodite did too, what she needed to ask when this was all said and done. "Well, Annabeth could give you some ideas. I once promised to make her love life interesting, and didn't I?"

Annabeth's jaw visibly clenched. "Interesting is a mild way of putting it."

Aphrodite's smile wavered just barely. "Well, I can't take credit for all your troubles," she sighed like the admittance alone pained her. "But I do love twists and turns in a love story. Oh, all of you have such excellent stories -- I mean, girls, you do me proud! Especially you, Annais. Why you and--"

"Mother," Piper scowled. "Is there a reason you're here?"

"Oh, you mean besides the tea?" Piper rolled her eyes, but only Hea noticed. She glared at the girl, prompting Annais to huff. As she said. Awkward. "I often come here. I love the view, the food, the atmosphere -- you can just smell the romance and heartbreak in the air, can't you? Centuries of it. This is where I took Hea for our first date. Don't you remember, darling?"

"I do," Hea nodded.

"And if you look over there." Aphrodite pointed to a nearby mansion. "Do you see that rooftop balcony? We had a party there the night the American Civil War began. The shelling of Fort Sumter."

"That's it," Annabeth gasped as realisation hit her. "The island in the harbour. That's where the first fighting of the Civil War happened. The Confederates shelled the Union troops and took the fort."

"Oh, such a party!" Aphrodite cried, oblivious to the glares of the girls opposite her. Even Hea seemed caught off guard, shoulders tensing as her back straightened. "A string quartet, and all the men in their elegant new officers' uniforms. The women's dresses... oh, you should've seen them! I danced with Ares -- or was he Mars? I'm afraid I was a little giddy." Hea was also glaring now, something sour in the harsh set of her brow. "And the beautiful bursts of light across the Harbour, the roar of the cannons giving the men an excuse to put their arms around their frightened sweethearts!"

Annabeth looked absolutely disgusted, and Annais couldn't fault her. She dropped her half-finished scone onto the table, curling her arms around her stomach like she was going to be sick. "You're talking about the beginning of the bloodiest war in America's history. Over six hundred thousand people died, more Americans than in World War One and World War Two combined."

Aphrodite didn't seem to hear Annabeth at first. "And the refreshments! Ah, they were divine. General Beauregard himself made an appearance. He was such a scoundrel. He was on his second wife, then, but you should have seen the way he looked at Lisbeth Cooper--"

"Mother!" Piper looked ready to toss her own scone at Aphrodite's head.

"Yes, sorry," the Goddess sighed. She reached for Hea's hand and frowned when Hea nudged her away. "Well, then. To make the story short, I'm here to help you, girls. I doubt you'll be seeing Hera much. Of course she abandons her daughter like this. How typical. Your little quest has hardly made her welcome in the throne room. And the other gods are rather indisposed, as you know, torn between their Roman and Greek sides. Some more than others." Aphrodite fixed her gaze on Annabeth, prompting Annais to do the same. "I suppose you've told your friends about your falling-out with your mother?"

Piper and Hazel both made sounds of confusion. Annais was the only one who stayed quiet as they badgered Annabeth with their questions. Aphrodite was quick to pick up on this, beaming knowingly.

"You already knew, didn't you, Annais?"

Annais remained tight-lipped, stubbornly quiet even when Hea nudged her arm. Annabeth looked at her gratefully. "It was just an argument," she cut in over Hazel. "It's nothing."

"Nothing!" Aphrodite gave a scoff of disbelief. "Well, I don't know about that. Athena was the most Greek of all us Goddesses. The patron of Athens, after all. When the Romans took over... oh, they adopted Athena after a fashion! She became Minerva, the Goddess of crafts and cleverness. But the Romans had other war gods who were more to their taste, more reliably Roman, like Bellona--"

"Reyna's mom?"

"Yes, indeed," Aphrodite nodded, one of her shifting curls falling in front of her eyes. She clucked distastefully and nudged it behind her ear, flashing her blue eyes at Annais again. Annais' stomach twisted uncomfortably. "I had a lovely talk with Reyna a while back, right here in this park. And the Romans had Mars, of course. And later, there was Mithras -- not even properly Greek or Roman, but the legionnaires were crazy about his cult -- I always found him crass and terribly nouveau dieu, personally. At any rate, the Romans quite side-lined poor Athena. They took away most of her military importance. The Greeks never forgave the Romans for that insult, and neither did Athena."

"The Mark of Athena," Annabeth murmured, slowly putting the pieces together. "It leads to a statue, doesn't it? It leads to the statue."

Aphrodite smiled, delighted. "You are clever, like your mother. Understand, though, your siblings, the children of Athena, have been searching for centuries. None have succeeded in recovering the statue. In the meantime, they've been keeping alive the Greek feud with the Romans. Every civil war... so much bloodshed and heartbreak... has been orchestrated largely by Athena's children."

"That's..."

"Romantic?" Aphrodite offered with a giddy sigh. "Yes, I do suppose it is."

"I was going to say concerning," Annais voiced into the sudden silence. "But I suppose romantic works, too."

Aphrodite laughed like the daughter of Hades had told the funniest joke she'd heard in a while. "Oh, she's got a great sense of humour," she commented, turning her loving gaze onto Hea. "Just like you, my dear."

Annais had to give her credit. Both Aphrodite and Hephaestus loved her sister. At least Hea had people who cared about her, even if some of them got on her sister's nerves. And as awkward as it was, Annais would live with it if she got to see Hea smile like everything was alright in her heart.

"But... the Mark of Athena, how does it work?" Annabeth cut in, seemingly oblivious to the shift in conversation. "Is it a series of clues, or a trail set by Athena--"

"I don't believe Athena created the Mark consciously. If she knew where her statue was, she'd simply tell you where to find it. No... I'd guess the Mark is more like a spiritual trail of breadcrumbs. It's a connection between the statue and the children of the Goddess. The statue wants to be found, you see, but it can only be freed by the most worthy."

"And for thousands of years," Annabeth said. "No one has managed."

"Hold on," Piper frowned at the two of them. "What statue are we talking about here?"

"Oh, I'm sure Annabeth -- and Annais, I suppose -- can fill you in. At any rate, the clue you need is close by; a map of sorts, left by the children of Athena in 1861, a remembrance that will start you on your path once you reach Rome. But as you said, Annabeth Chase, no one has ever succeeded in following the Mark of Athena to its end. There you will face your worst fear, the fear of every child of Athena. And even if you survive, how will you use your reward? For war or for peace?"

Annabeth swallowed thickly, her face paling so slightly that Annais wouldn't have noticed had she not known Annabeth so well. It was getting easier and easier to tell when Annabeth -- or any of the seven, really, though not so much Hazel or Frank just yet -- was bothered by something. Perhaps it was a good thing. It meant working together on this quest just that bit easier. But it also made it harder to accept. That, if something went wrong, losing any of them would feel like losing a limb; painful, inconsolable, life-changing...

"This map," Annabeth let out. "Where is it?"

Hazel released a sudden, sharp gasp that had Annais lurching out of her seat almost immediately. One hand reaching for her sword, the other for Hea's hand, she grimaced at the sight of two large eagles circling above the treeline. Just behind them was a chariot pulled by two pegasi, holding who could only be Octavian and his men.

Oblivious to their panic, even to Hea's confused but terrified stare, Aphrodite sipped her tea and took her time answering Annabeth. "Oh, the map is at Fort Sumter, of course," she declared with a dreamy look into the Harbour. "Well, it looks like the Romans have arrived to cut you off. I'd get back to your ship in a hurry if I were you. Hea, love, would you like some tea cakes to take with you?"

"With me?"

"Why, back to the ship, of course," Aphrodite blinked at her. "You are going with them, are you not?"

Hea whirled on Annais then, who was caught between eyeing the eagles and listening to her sister's exchange with the Goddess. When Annais merely sighed, Hea turned on Aphrodite with a frown. "You knew about this?"

"I don't see what the problem is."

"You didn't tell me!" Hea exclaimed, wrenching her hand from Annais' to take a step closer to her lover. "Aphrodite..."

"Love, you are just as much a part of this quest as they are," she sighed, the tiniest bit of her façade dropping as she reached for Hea's hands. "It's time you played your part. I know we'll see each other again soon."

"As much as I hate to break this up, we need to go," Piper exclaimed, tugging at Annais' arm as Annabeth and Hazel ran on ahead. But Annais wouldn't move, not without her sister. "Hea, are you coming or not?"

With one last look back at Aphrodite's fading form, Hea joined them.

In the end, however, they didn't make it to the ship.

Several yards out, three eagles descended in their path. On their backs was a Roman commando in purple, their golden armour, swords and shields glimmering beneath the fading sunlight. Just behind them, the chariot landed, depositing Octavian's impossibly annoying face.

Annais sighed as he shrieked, "Surrender to Rome!"

"Come now, Bear Boy," she shook her head. Octavian's nostrils flared like a dragon ready to breathe fire. Much to the others' disbelief, Annais had to hold back a laugh, lips twisting into an amused smirk. "Is this really necessary?"

"Bear Boy?" Hea echoed with a grin.

"Yes," Annais nodded. "He burns bears."

"Makes sense," Hea nodded back, not oblivious to the way Octavian eyed them like he was recognising the similarities between them and hating it. "He does look like the type to burn bears, wouldn't you agree?"

"Enough!" Octavian shrieked. "Or I'll--"

"You'll what?" Hea raised her eyebrows, challenging him with a pointed scoff at his sword.

Before he could muster up the last of his wavering courage, Piper raised her hands in a placating gesture, her soothing voice ringing out across the dock, "Octavian, what happened at camp was a setup. We can explain."

"Can't hear you!" he exclaimed, turning his head left and right so the girls could see the wax clumps hastily shoved into his ears. "Wax in our ears. Standard procedure when battling evil sirens. Now! Throw down your weapons and turn around slowly so I can bind your hands!"

"Let me skewer him," Hazel muttered as Annais and Hea shared a look. "Please."

"Definitely a daughter of Hades," Hea noted.

Hazel didn't seem to hear her. She was too busy eyeing the men on either side of Octavian, who brandished their swords in their direction threateningly. "Well?" Octavian exclaimed, his tone asking 'what are you waiting for, fools?'

No one moved. Eventually, Annabeth drew her dagger. However, instead of dropping it like Octavian demanded, she turned and tossed it into the water with a small, barely noticeable grin. Octavian screeched as Annais and the rest of the girls blinked at her in confusion.

"What was that for?" he exclaimed. "I didn't say toss it! That could've been evidence. Or spoils of war!"

Annais' eyes narrowed when Annabeth pulled a classic dumb-blonde smile. Octavian fell for it, but not Annais, not anyone else. Annabeth Chase was not dumb. She was smart, and smart people like Annabeth Chase always had a plan. Slowly, the pieces came together for Annais, confirmed when the entire Harbour suddenly erupted in a violent whirlwind of water. The wave easily captured the Romans in its hold, dragging them into the Harbour and keeping them there as Percy hurtled towards the dock with Ezra in his arms. In one of Ezra's hands was Annabeth's dagger. The other was smacking Percy over the head as she screamed profanities at him.

"What the..." Hea blinked at the scene in amazement. Clearly wondering, like Annais, how on earth Percy managed to convince Ezra to get in the water with him.

"You dropped this," Percy grinned at Annabeth, unphased by Ezra's shouts as he lowered her to her feet then handed Annabeth her dagger. "Ez, come on, you can't deny you liked it."

Despite Ezra's grumbles, Annabeth threw her arms around both of them, muttering words none of the others were able to hear. When Annabeth finally stepped away, Percy was smirking and Ezra was blushing. Annais snickered under her breath, pausing to narrowly dodge a hit from her infuriated sister.

"Guys," Hazel intervened, smiling when Annais shot her a grateful look. "We need to hurry." She pointed down at Octavian and the Romans, capturing Octavian's attention. He screamed up at them, "Get me out of here! I'll kill you!"

Ezra scoffed, ready to give him a piece of her mind when Percy retorted mockingly, "Gee, that's tempting!"

With wax still in his ears, Octavian wailed, "What?"

"Nothing!" Percy turned back to the others, one hand holding onto Ezra's wrist while his other arm curled around Annabeth's waist. "Let's go, guys."

Hazel hesitated. "We can't let them drown, can we?"

"Sure we can," both Annais and Hea muttered.

Percy shot them an amused smirk, looking like he agreed with them, but to placate Hazel's moral compass, he said, "They won't. I've got the water circulating around their feet. As soon as we're out of range, I'll spit them ashore.

Piper grinned at him. "Nice."

At the same time, Ezra smirked and reached around to nudge Annabeth. "That's hot. Don't you agree, Annabeth?"

Annabeth's face went bright red as the rest of the group groaned in disgust.

"I've gotta get out of here," Annais exclaimed, beginning to lead the way towards the boat.

"Why?" Ezra hurried after her, looping her arm through Annais' and holding on tight, much to Annais' chagrin. "So you can go back to smooching my favourite brother-in-law?"

"Brother-in-law?" a wide-eyed Hea interjected as she joined them on Annais' other side. "What about Hephaestus?"

Ezra sighed like it pained her to admit such a thing, "Look, as annoying as he is, Jason had grown on me--"

"Jason Grace?" Hea screeched, prompting Annais to groan. She tried to bury her face in her hands but had no luck with Ezra's death grip on her. "Oh, I knew it. Aphrodite was right."

"There's a sentence I never thought I'd hear," Piper muttered from where she, Hazel, Percy and Annabeth amusedly listened from behind the Mins.

Hea, fortunately, was too busy badgering Annais to hear her. "So. When were you going to tell me, hm?"

Was it too late to send her back to Aphrodite? Surely not...