xxxiv. false gods

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR:
FALSE GODS

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ANNAIS FELT LIKE SHE'D only just closed her eyes to rest when she was woken by the unexpected roar of a ship's horn blasting. The harsh sound ripped through the dream she'd been having -- a dream that starred her mother, of course -- and had her up and reaching for her sword in seconds.

Only there were no physical enemies to be slain.

Not in her room, not in the hallway, not even on the deck when she and the others raced out of their cabins to locate the sound. Their 'enemy' so to speak was actually a boat-load of tourists. About a hundred or more mortals on a cruise ship crossing paths with an Ancient Greek trireme housing eleven demigods and a satyr.

Nothing described a tourist attraction like some teens dressed in pyjamas holding weapons.

"Do they have to be so loud?" Hedge shrieked as the blasted ship blew its horn again.

Annais grimaced and covered her ears, shooting daggers at the tourists who continued to smile and wave at them obliviously. Screw the mist and whatever it was showing them, it was only early, for Hades' sake. What kind of people got up at the crack of dawn to wave at a passing ship?

The mist had messed with their brains. That was the only way to explain it.

"They're just saying hi," Annais heard Frank comment as she un-plugged her ears a moment later.

"I can also say hi," Ezra grumbled with her hair spiked up in all its untamed glory. Mel snorted and started running her fingers through some of the locks, though she only succeeded in making Ezra's hair look more like a bird's nest than it did before. "With my fists."

"So violent," Percy chuckled and kissed her on the cheek.

Ezra scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Uh, morning breath? Hello?"

By then, the ship had edged past them and was disappearing out to sea. Even when it was a mere dot in the distance, Annais could just make out the tourists still waving at them.

What weirdos.

"Alright," she yawned with her sights set on the staircase. "I'm going back to bed. See y'all at dinner maybe--"

"Wait a second!" Hea grabbed hold of her arm and redirected her back to the group. "Not so fast."

Annais scowled, a retort ready on the tip of her tongue, when she realised her sister wasn't looking at her. Rather, she was staring at something over Annais' shoulder, forcing the younger girl to turn and follow her gaze across the glittering green water.

She let out a grudging sigh, her shoulders sagging in disappointment.

So much for that sleep-in.

Without the cruise ship blocking their view, the group could easily see the mountain jutting from the earth less than half a mile away. On one side, the sun casted light rays on the water surface, forcing Annais to squint so she could take in the rest of the begrudgingly beautiful sight. On the other side, the mountain sloped down into thick, green forestry that stretched inland for miles.

To Annais, it was just a giant rock and some plants.

To Annabeth, on the other hand... "The Rock of Gibraltar," the daughter of Athena gasped in pure awe. "At the tip of Spain. And over there--" With all the eagerness expected from a child of the wisdom Goddess, Annabeth gestured South where yet another mountain loomed, this one a stretch of red and ochre hills. "That must be Africa! We're at the mouth of the Mediterranean right now."

The Mediterranean. The Mare Nostrum.

That much, Annais managed to understand.

"So..." Hea trailed off into the silence. She glanced at each of them with a sense of impatience, but also a strange kind of eagerness. Hea couldn't wait to explore the land, see what secrets it hid beyond a first glance. "What now?"

"I don't know," Annabeth admitted, blinking owlishly when Hea echoed her words in disbelief. "Well, should we just sail in?"

Leo thought about it for a second, then shrugged carelessly. "Why not? It's a big shipping channel. Boats go in and out all the time."

Annais frowned at the back of his head.

There was something about the way he said it that Annais just knew meant he'd jinxed them.

"You know, in the old days," Annabeth began, unable to resist pointing out her extensive knowledge on, well, anything. "They called this area the pillars of Hercules. The Rock was supposed to be one pillar, and the other was one of the African mountains. Nobody is sure which one, though."

"Huh," Ezra muttered with the enthusiasm of someone who was ready to head back to bed. "How interesting."

If there was anything to be remembered about the Mins, it was that none of them were morning people. If Annais' memory served her properly, her mother was much the same, grasping at every last minute of sleep her children would allow her. No, the Mins were beasts in the morning, except maybe Melanie, but she'd always been the freak of nature amongst the Min girls. Said lovingly, of course.

"Hercules, huh?" Percy grinned. "That guy was like the Starbucks of Ancient Greece. Everywhere you turn -- well, there he is."

Ezra let out a disappointed sigh. "That was weak at best, Percy. Come on. I expected better from you."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Percy scoffed, and in instant, he had his arms wrapped around Ezra's waist. Ezra grimaced as he tickled her sides, swatting at his hands until he released her.

Annais caught Hea's eyes and mimed a vomiting gesture. Hea grinned, the two of them feigning innocence when Percy glared suspiciously. He didn't have a chance to comment on it, though, before getting distracted by Ezra again.

"You're a nuisance," she grumbled.

"Nuisance," echoed Percy. He sounded vaguely impressed that she knew what the word meant. "That's a new one."

Whatever Ezra was going to say back was interrupted by a sudden thunderous boom shaking the Argo II. Annais reached for Jason's arm as the deck tipped beneath them, looking around frantically for a sign of attack. When she came up blank, no boats or anything in sight, the confusion settled in.

"What..."

"Uh, these Pillars of Hercules," Piper let out a nervous huff of laughter as she watched the mountain ahead. "Are they dangerous?"

"Well, for Greeks, the pillars marked the end of the known world," Annabeth replied, which wasn't quite the answer Annais was hoping to hear. "The Romans said the pillars were inscribed with a Latin warning--"

"Non plus ultra."

Annabeth whirled on Percy with an expression of shock. His grin from teasing Ezra was long gone, hands releasing her hips as he joined Annabeth at the railing. "Yeah," the daughter of Athena spoke at last. "Nothing Further Beyond. How did you know?"

"Because I'm looking at it."

Confused, Annais followed his hand as he pointed at the mountain. Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, an island now floated in the middle of the straits. Ringed by a white sandy shore that eventually became thick, green forestry to match the mountain looming behind it, the island was marked by two ancient and obviously Grecian columns reaching for the clouds. Between these columns written clear as day in the sandy bottom of the shallows were three glittering words in giant capital letters.

NON PLUS ULTRA.

Annais had a horribly familiar feeling that they were heading right into a trap.

"Guys, do I turn around, or...?"

No one answered Leo, but Annais had to fight the urge to take over the wheel herself when she spotted a lone figure waiting on the beach. Dressed in the deep purple robes of the Romans, he was no one that Annais recognised, but with muscled arms crossed firmly across his chest and his brows pulled into a harsh glare, she didn't trust him for a second.

Frank inhaled sharply. "Could that be--"

"Hercules," Jason confirmed with a vaguely awe-struck but nonetheless cautious nod. "The most powerful demigod of all time."

"Guys, I need an answer," Leo muttered as the ship continued to travel closer. Any second now, they would reach the shore and there'd be no turning back. "I can turn, or we can take off. The stabilisers are working again. But I need to know quick."

"We have to keep going," Annabeth insisted, though even she didn't seem certain in her answer. "I think he's guarding these straits. If that's really Hercules, sailing or flying away wouldn't do any good. He'll want to talk to us."

"But won't Hercules be on our side?" Piper asked with a foolish sense of hope. Annais regarded her with a raised brow, as if to say; seriously? "I mean... he is one of us, right?"

Jason sighed. "He was a son of Zeus, but when he died, he became a God. You can never be sure with Gods."

"Great," Percy muttered. "Eleven of us against Hercules."

They wouldn't stand a chance.

"And a satyr," Hedge added with an affronted glare in Percy's direction. He seemed off-put by their dismal expressions. "Guys, we can take him."

"Or die trying," Hea nodded her agreement. She wielded her scythe in front of her in preparation.

"No thanks," Ezra deadpanned, arms crossed stubbornly. "I think I'm good living."

"I've got a better idea," Annabeth interjected. She was still watching Hercules like she expected him to lose his patience and fly over to them instead. "We send ambassadors ashore. A small group, one or two at most. Try to talk with him."

"I'll go," Jason was the first to volunteer. Annais rounded on him with wide eyes. He winced but continued with a determined clench of his jaw, "He's a son of Zeus. I'm the son of Jupiter. Maybe he'll be friendly to me."

"Jason, sweetie..."

"Or maybe he'll hate you," Percy suggested in the same doubtful tone. "Half brothers don't always get along."

Jason scowled at the both of them, seeming almost betrayed that Annais hadn't immediately agreed with him. "Well, thank you, Mr and Ms Optimism."

"It's worth a shot anyways," Annabeth shrugged. "At least Jason and Hercules have something in common. And we'll need our best diplomat. Somebody who's good with words."

"I volunteer Piper," Ezra voiced what everyone was already thinking. "If things go South, she can charmspeak him and run like hell."

"Fine," Piper glared at the side of her friend's face. "As long as Ezra is the Min who comes with us."

Both Percy and Annabeth opened their mouths to argue, as predicted, while Ezra just laughed like Piper was the next big comedian. They'd have to drag her to the island kicking and screaming and everybody knew it.

"I'll go," Hea said when no one else budged; that was, before Annais could even think of volunteering herself. She caught Jason's eyes and smirked, waving her scythe at him in a taunting gesture. "I think it's my turn for some sister-in-law bonding time."

Jason's face went deathly pale. When no one protested -- and rest assured, Jason's expression was all-but pleading for someone to protest -- the three of them were left to wait for Leo to anchor the Argo II between the pillars.

"Well, Jason," Ezra waltzed over to smack him on the back. "Best of luck to you."

Jason grimaced, swatting her away and grumbling when she just laughed and ruffled his hair instead. Pausing only to squeeze Annais' hand in a promising gesture, Jason offered his arms to Piper and Hea, allowing the two of them to latch onto him. Then he summoned the wind to carry them ashore, leaving the others to disperse to different areas of the ship with no choice but to wait in anticipation.

Ezra turned to smirk in Annais' direction. "Best of luck, Annie. Hea's gonna kill your boy-toy."

With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared down the stairs to the cabins, a giggling Mel following after her as Annais spluttered in shock. As blood rushed to her cheeks, she chased after the two, "Ezra! Get your ass back here!"

Meanwhile, just a couple hundred yards away, their friends were causing trouble.

(What else was new?)

To cut a long story short, Hercules hated them. Annais wished she got to see it, but as Jason flew himself, Hea and Piper back to the ship, the scorned son of Zeus hurtled coconuts at their heads. Then, to add insult to injury, Percy knocked him down with a giant wave, and the ship of demigods left him in the dust with his prized cornucopia on board.

But victory wasn't their's for the taking.

Not for long.

Something had changed. Annais wasn't sure what, but she could feel it in the uneasiness amongst the Mins. Hea suddenly refused to be in the same room as Ezra, not that Ezra seemed that bothered. If anything, she clung to Annais and Melanie even more than usual -- well, for Annais, the abrupt interest in 'Min time' was rather surprising. The three of them, upon Ezra's insistence, decided to have a 'sleep-over' in Annais' cabin, a very strange phenomenon indeed. Annais wanted to ask why Hea wasn't with them, not that her sister seemed to care as she took watch up above with Jason.

The night, for the first time in a long time, was completely and utterly happy. Laughing until their stomachs hurt, gossiping about boys (and girls); Annais wasn't all that sure how to act like a teenager, but she supposed this was the closest she'd ever get to normalcy. For once, she fell asleep content. Sure, she was crammed in her double-bed with Melanie hogging up most of the space and Ezra perched on the edge, but her mother didn't visit her. Annais couldn't even remember dreaming.

And then, the ship was invaded.

But before shit hit the fan, Annais woke up to find Jason being held at the end of the bed by knife-point.

Sitting up with a startled gasp, she reached for the lamp on her bedside, the room lighting up to reveal Ezra's hand wielding the weapon.

"Ezra!" she exclaimed, her sister's face remaining eerily calm as she hummed in acknowledgment. "Are you out of your mind? Put the knife down!"

"He's interrupting Min time."

Annais gaped at her, Mel groaning beside her, not quite awake but coherent enough to mutter in confusion at the strange sight she'd woken to. "So you know it's Jason?"

"Duh," Ezra scoffed. "Who else would want to sneak into your cabin?"

At last, she removed the knife from Jason's neck. His entire face, from his ears to his cheeks, were coated in crimson blush. He couldn't quite look Annais in the eye as Ezra regarded the sudden silence with a grin.

"Well, then," she cackled. "Annais, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Me?"

"From the sounds of it, this isn't the first time Jason's snuck into your room," she heaved a faux sigh of disappointment. Annais glared, unamused by Ezra's laughter echoed by Melanie's slowly rousing form. "Don't get me wrong, I'm impressed. Sneaking around behind Coach's back like this..."

"Oh, my God," Annais groaned. "Please don't word it like that."

"Don't worry, kiddies, I'll keep your dirty little secret--

She was cut off by the ear-splitting roar of something colliding with the ship. Annais cried out as she tumbled off the bed, landing awkwardly on her shoulder as the room struggled to right itself. Seconds later, the door slammed open.

Mel shrieked at the sight of four abnormal dolphin anomalies staring back at them.

One had flippers for feet, another held a sword between webbed fingers. All four of them bore dolphin snouts for heads. They charged before anyone could even think to reach for their weapons. Jason was knocked unconscious with a harsh blow to the head. Annais thrashed around but was eventually pinned to the floor with a sword to her throat, her eyes catching Mel in a similar state. Ezra was the only one to get one good swipe in with her knife before she, too, was overpowered and bound with rope.

"What the fuck is happening?" she all-but screeched as they were dragged out onto the deck.

Pure carnage awaited them. Part of the hull had splintered open from the impact of another boat ramming them head-on. On the opposing ship, black sails painted with a gorgon's head flew against the dark night sky. Dozens of other dolphin-warriors had crowded at the front of the boat in Greek armour, their swords and spears pointed at the rest of their friends who kneeled in the middle of the deck.

Pacing back and forth in front of them was what looked to be their latest enemy's leader. Much to Annais' surprise, he appeared to be fully human, no abnormal fins or dolphin snout in sight. He was dressed in the combat armour of Ancient Greece; sandals, a kilt, and breastplate decorated with an elaborate sea monster pattern. The most notable difference, however, was the pure gold sword he clutched in his hands.

"Excellent!" he beamed once the last of them had been lined up. Frank was the only one missing. Annais wasn't sure whether to worry or not. "The boys are no use to me. But we have an understanding with the witch, Circe. She will buy the women -- either as slaves or trainees, depending on their skill. But not you, lovely Annabeth."

Annabeth immediately began to fight. "You're not taking me anywhere."

The golden warrior shook his head. "Oh, sadly, Annabeth, you will not be staying with me, though I would love that. But you and your friend, Percy, are spoken for. A certain Goddess is paying a high bounty for your capture -- alive, if possible, though she didn't say you had to be unharmed." For the briefest moment, Percy had glanced over at Ezra, looking her over for injuries. But that second was enough for Chrysaor, who whirled around to face Ezra with an unveiled expression of interest. "You must be Ezra. Yes, you must be, I've heard a lot about you. Gaea has decided to reject your blood."

"What?" Ezra gasped at that, sounding ridiculously offended. "Why?"

"Well, she insists she wants Annabeth and Percy only. You just won't do." That confirmed it. Ezra was genuinely offended. Her mouth dropped open in shock, oblivious to the disbelieving looks on her sisters' faces. Chrysaor regarded her with an amused smirk; like a moth to a flame, his onyx eyes caught a glimpse of gold glinting in the darkness. His face lit up gleefully. "And I'll be taking this--"

Annais watched with baited breath as he plucked Penelope's hairpin right out of Ezra's bun. Dark hair fell around her face in messy waves, reminding Annais of the girl from The Ring as she snarled and thrashed in her captor's grip. Chrysaor turned his back on her dismissively, tucking the pin into his pocket for safe-keeping.

"As I was saying--"

Annais' heart dropped as Piper let out a pained shriek, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. She slumped against the nearest dolphin-man, the weight of her body knocking his flippers out from underneath him. For a split second, she genuinely believed Piper had fainted, and then Hazel started wailing and kicking her legs like she was having some kind of fit.

Annais had to smother a grin.

Piper, you beautiful genius.

Percy used their distraction attempt to his advantage, drawing Riptide and slashing at Chrysaor's neck without hesitation. The golden warrior barely managed to dodge the blow. He moved on quick feet, parrying with a grin that heightened Annais' nerves. She had the sinking suspicion that Chrysaor had been prepared for this when none of the dolphin men rushed to his rescue, their chattering squeaks almost sounding like excited cheers.

Still, their grip on Annais and the others was much too tight. Annais twisted and turned in every possible angle, but the ropes that pinned her hands behind her back were nothing if not vigilant.

Annais grimaced as Chrysaor suddenly cackled in delight, Riptide tumbling from Percy's hands with one easy blow. The sword sank beneath the waves and took Annais' hopes along with it.

"A good try," Chrysaor conceded as he pressed the tip of his gold sword against Percy's sternum. Percy wasn't looking at him, not that Chrsaor noticed any change in his demeanour like the others did. "But now you'll be chained and transported to Gaea's minions. They are quite eager to spill your blood and wake the Goddess."

"Fine!" Percy scowled, and the harshness of his tone took Annais by surprise. Beside her, Ezra started to struggle again. "Take us away, if our captain will let you. . ."

Chrysaor sneered. "What captain? My men searched the ship. There is no one else."

"The God appears only when he wishes. But he is our leader. He runs our camp for demigods. Doesn't he, Annabeth?"

It wasn't possible... surely he couldn't be thinking about--

"Mr D!" Annabeth declared, fuelled by the abrupt uneasiness of the dolphin-men. "The great Dionysus!"

Beneath his mask, Chrysaor's eyes flashed dangerously. "Stand fast! There is no God on this ship. They are trying to scare you!"

"Are we, though?" Hea spoke with a grin.

"You should be scared," added Percy in total seriousness. He smiled, suddenly apologetic, like he genuinely didn't wish to share the news with the dolphin-men. Despite the heat of Chrysaor's glare rooting them in place, they continued to chatter in a crescendo of nervous squeaks. "Dionysus will be severely cranky with you for having delayed our voyage. He will punish all of us. Didn't you notice the girls falling into the wine God's madness?"

No one moved. The ship was so silent that one could've heard a pin drop. Percy coughed and repeated his words with more force than was probably necessary.

And Annais didn't hesitate. She'd look back on it later with embarrassment, but as Hazel and Piper -- now joined by Melanie and a very reluctant, glowering Hea -- resumed their shaking fits, Annais toppled into Ezra with the intensity of a fish out of water. She gasped like she was struggling for air, Annais trying not to laugh when Ezra's limbs started to move in a mess of her own.

To the horrified dolphin-men and a furious Chrysaor, it would've looked like six girls consumed by madness. But to their friends, no one could've missed the affronted look on Ezra's face, or the way her 'shaking fit' was her trying to free herself from Annais' body. If one even listened close enough, they would've heard her cursing Annais' name like she couldn't imagine why her sister had given up their last bit of dignity in front of the enemy.

Even if it was a matter of life and death.

"Fakes!" Chrysaor roared, the tips of his ears flushing red with rage. "Shut up, Percy Jackson! Your camp director is not here. He was recalled to Olympus. This is common knowledge."

"So you admit Dionysus is our director?" Percy grinned, like the victory was already his for the taking.

Chrysaor scowled. "He was. Everyone knows that."

But not the dolphin-men.

Their squeaks grew higher in pitch, like they were crying. Percy caught their eyes and gestured to Chrysaor like he'd just revealed the worst kind of betrayal. "You see? We are doomed. If you don't believe me, let's check the ice chest!"

No one tried to stop him, not even Chrysaor, as furious as he was. Percy stormed across the deck to the cooler Leo kept beneath the control panel. Wrenching the door open, he was quick to brandish the can of soda in the air like it was a dangerous explosive.

"Behold!" he shouted as the dolphin-men ran around in a panic. "The God's chosen beverage. Tremble before the horror of Diet Coke!"

It was all so ridiculous that Annais couldn't help but laugh.

"The God will take your ship," Percy warned; he, too, had to hide his smirk. "He'll finish your transformation into dolphins, or make you insane, or transform you into insane dolphins! Your only hope is to swim away now, quickly!"

"Ridiculous!" Chrysaor shrieked, then stomped his foot like an oversized toddler. All he needed was a binky and a diaper and he'd have the complete look.

"Save yourselves!" Percy was shouting now, his voice easily overpowering the golden warrior's. "It is too late for us! Just look for yourselves! Frank is turning into a crazy dolphin!"

Annais scanned the deck in confusion. Had she somehow missed Frank earlier in her search of the ship? No, she couldn't have. He was nowhere in sight...

"I said," Percy repeated. "Frank is turning into a crazy dolphin!"

Out of nowhere, Frank stumbled out of the shadows, clutching at his head with his attempt at a pained expression. In Annais' opinion, he looked constipated. "Oh, no," he cried. "I am turning into a crazy dolphin!"

Like magic, his body twisted and turned in a blur of morphing limbs. His nose elongated into a snout, skin becoming sleek and grey.

That was more than enough for the dolphin-men, who all-but dropped their weapons and fled overboard. With Chrysaor distracted shouting over the edge, Annabeth darted across the deck and cut through the bonds around the girls' wrists, starting with Ezra.

Quickly, the daughter of Hera marched towards the railing, snatching up a discarded sword and pressing the tip between Chrysaor's shoulder blades. Slowly, the golden warrior turned to them with his hands raised in surrender.

Ezra's lips stretched into a sneer as she snapped, "My pin. Now."

Chrysaor said nothing. Annais could see the blade of the hidden weapon glinting in his pocket. She crept closer, judging the speed and strength she would need to snatch it from him before he could get his hands on her.

Ezra was losing her patience.

"This isn't over, Jackson," Chrysaor growled at the boy standing beside her. "I will have my revenge--"

Ezra brandished the sword at the same time as Frank appeared, shifting into a towering grizzly bear with razor sharp claws. Annais lunged through the chaos, her fingers brushing against the metal as Ezra stabbed the sword into his leg and Frank swiped his claws across Chrysaor's face. The golden mask the monster wore splintered in two, revealing a pale flash of skin before Chrysaor covered his face and up-ended himself over the railing.

He collided against the water with a splash.

And then nothing.

He was gone.

Ezra's face went deathly pale.

For a second, Annais wondered if she was going to cry. Her whole body seemed to shake with emotion.

Until Annais pressed Penelope's hairpin into her palm, a silent exchange that none of the others noticed in the midst of their joyous cheers. Ezra pulled Annais into a hug, her arms fierce on her back. Annais gripped onto her for a moment, and then Ezra pulled away with a strangely pained expression.

She turned her back on Annais without another word.

But Annais knew.

She understood better than anyone, except for maybe Hea and Mel.

Meanwhile, the last of their friends' cheers died down as Percy addressed the issue at hand. "We need to get rid of this pirate trireme."

"Burn it?"

"Or keep it," Hea suggested with an almost wistful gleam in her eye. "I've always wanted my own ship."

Percy said nothing at first, staring down at the soda still clutched in his hand. "No. I've got another idea."

As it turned out, he wanted to sink it with diet coke, in a tribute to Dionysus no less. Everyone eagerly got to work -- even Hea, who initially grumbled about the lost opportunity of owning her own boat. Annais busied herself by cleaning the Argo II, returning their stolen belongings to their rightful places. She was just attempting to upend Leo's knocked over work bench when Jason joined her. Together, they lifted it with ease.

"That was a brave thing you did back there," he commented.

Annais frowned. "Huh?"

Jason smiled fondly at her, though he almost immediately winced at the pressure it put on the growing bruise marring his jaw. "Getting Ezra's pin back."

"It was Penelope's pin, actually."

"Penelope?" Jason echoed the name curiously.

Annais smiled wrly. "My cousin. Ezra loved her."

"What about you?"

Annais shrugged. It wasn't that she didn't love Penelope; rather, she loved her more like a friend. She used to feel horrible about it, and then guilty. Penelope's death destroyed Ezra, whom Annais could admit she loved like family. So how could Annais hold Penelope Min in such low esteem when she was someone who shared her blood?

"I loved her too," Annais mumbled.

She felt like the worst kind of liar.

"I just did what I had to do," she continued before Jason could notice anything amiss. "It's the anniversary tomorrow. Of her death. Ezra needs her small comforts, even if she won't admit it."

Annais waited for Jason to comment it again. What about you? By some miracle, they were interrupted by Percy taking centre stage with half of Chrysaor's mask in his hands. He brandished it in the air as the enemy ship began to sink.

"Dionysus," he began. "Or Bacchus -- whatever. You made this victory possible, even if you weren't here. Your enemies trembled at your name... or your Diet Coke, or something. So, yeah, thanks."

Ezra snickered. "Truly heart-warming, Percy."

"Thanks, I try," he smirked before continuing his obviously unplanned and rather unconvincing speech. "We give this ship to you as tribute. We hope you like it."

"Six million in gold," Leo muttered, prompting Annais' brows to furrow in confusion. "He'd better like it."

"Shh," Hazel scolded him with a sharp nudge of her elbow against his ribs. "Precious metal isn't all that great. Believe me."

Deciding he had nothing else to add, Percy chucked the mask onto the other ship's retreating deck, summoning a giant wave to push the last of it under. For a moment, everyone watched the water in stunned silence.

"Isn't that polluting?" Piper frowned, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I wouldn't worry," Jason told her. "If Bacchus likes it, the ship should vanish."

Piper still didn't seem convinced, but was swayed from arguing when a yawned slipped past her lips. Subconsiously, the sound was echoed by everyone else, who decided to leave Hedge on watch just in case Chrysaor and his wounded pride attempted another attack. Annais found herself crammed back in bed alongside Ezra and Melanie. Hea had also joined them, though she was quiet as she curled up on the couch in the corner and closed her eyes. She and Mel were snoring within minutes, but not Ezra. And once Annais caught wind of Ezra's uneven breaths, she couldn't shut off her mind.

About an hour after everyone retreated to their cabins, she slipped out of bed and crossed the room. She was much too loud, seeming to find the loudest creaking floorboards she was trying her best to avoid. When neither Hea or Mel woke up, Annais followed her.

She was sitting on the deck where she'd held Chrysaor at knife-point. Hedge was frowning at her back, like he was debating whether or not to scold her for leaving her cabin, but he turned away and pretended not to notice once Annais sat down beside her.

Neither of the girls said anything. Ezra clung to her pin like she was terrified it would disappear for good. Together, they sat in silence until the sun started to rise in the morning that marked Penelope Min's sacrifice for her sister.

Then, they got up and went back inside to get ready like it was just another normal day.

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