created →jason grace

thirty-six

{Lina}

LINA WAS ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS at the sight in front of her. How dare this stupid ice princess showoff her friends frozen body to them. Her blood boiled as she glanced back and forth between them, she completely ignored the fact that they had been surrounded by the monsters that had come in.

Her burning hate for the ice princess only grew as she witnessed the smile on Khione's face grow as she watched their reactions, the two locking eyes as her eyes glittered, a spear of ice formed at her hands.

"What've you done?" Jason's voice demanded as Khione set her eyes on him once again.

"Oh, so many things," her voice sounded like a soft snowstorm, soothing but with the chill still there. "Your sister's not dead, if that's what you mean. She and her Hunters will make fine toys for our wolves. I thought we'd defrost them one at a time and hunt them down for amusement. Let them be the prey for once."

The wolves snarled appreciatively.

"Yes, my dears." Khione kept her eyes on Jason. "Your sister almost killed their king, you know. Lycaon's off in a cave somewhere, no doubt licking his wounds, but his minions have joined us to take revenge for their master. And soon Porphyrion will arise, and we shall rule the world."

"Traitor!" Hera shouted. "You meddlesome, D-list goddess! You aren't worthy to pour my wine, much less rule the world."

Khione sighed. "Tiresome as ever, Queen Hera. I've been wanting to shut you up for millennia."

She waved her hand, and ice encased the prison sealing the spaces between the earthen tendrils.

"That's better," the ice priss said. "Now demigods about your death—"

"You're the one who tricked Hera into coming here," Jason spoke up again. "You gave Zeus the idea of closing Olympus."

Lina narrowed her eyes even more at the girl in front of them, a smirk appearing on her face as she brought her hands to a slow clap. "Wow, you really get around don't you."

Khione went to snarl an insult back, when the wolves interrupted her snarling impatiently, the storm spirits whinnied, ready to attack at any time. "Patience, my loves. If he wants to talk and she wants to throw insults, it's no problem. The sun is setting, and time is on our side."

Her gaze traveled across at demigods, her eyes flickering again as she met Lina's, and settled back at Jason. "However, you're quite right Jason Grace. Like snow, my voice is quiet and gentle, and very cold. It's easy for me to whisper to the other gods, especially when I am only confirming their own deepest fears. I also whispered in Aeolus's ear that he should issue an order to kill demigods. It is a small service for Gaea, but I'm sure I will be well rewarded when her sons the giants come to power."

"You could've killed us in Quebec," Jason said. "Why let us live?"

Lina raised an eyebrow at the boy, was he trying to get Khione to launch into a villain monologue? He didn't have any other reason to play 20 questions with her other than that.

Khione wrinkled her nose, speaking before Lina could say anything. "Messy business, killing you in my father's house, especially when he insists on meeting all visitors. Plus I wanted to see if Lina had... changed. I did try, you remember. It would've been lovely if he'd agreed to turn you to ice. But once he'd given you guarantee of safe passage, I couldn't openly disobey him. My father is an old fool. He lives in fear of Zeus and Aeolus, but he's still powerful. Soon enough, when my new masters have awakened, I will depose Boreas and take the throne of the North Wind, but not just yet. Besides, my father did have a point. Your quest was suicidal. I fully expected you to fail."

"And to help us with that," Leo said, "you knocked our dragon out of the sky over Detroit. Those frozen wires in his head—that was your fault. You're gonna pay for that."

Lina gasped as Leo spoke, she knew full well how much Festus meant to him and found herself getting angry for him.

"You're also the one who kept Enceladus informed about us," Piper added. "We've been plagued by snowstorms the whole trip."

"Yes, I feel so close to all of you now!" Khione said.

"Oh yes, so close. Like a rash that's annoying and we can't seem to get rid of." Lina swung her saber a bit, feeling restless at the fact that everyone just kept talking.

Choosing to ignore the blonde, she kept speaking. "Once you made it past Omaha, I decided to asked Lycaon to track you down so Jason could die here, at the Wolf House." Khione smiled at him. "You see, Jason, your blood spilled on this sacred ground will taint it for generations. Your demigod brethren will be outraged, especially when they find the bodies of these two from Camp Half-Blood. They'll believe the Greeks have conspired with giants. It will be ... delicious."

This confused Lina, she knew Jason had never really thought he belonged at Camp Half-Blood, but what did Khione mean by brethren being outraged by the two Camp Half-Blood bodies? She thought she saw the solution there somewhere but whenever she tried to really work it out in her head it became murky and faded. It was all really confusing.

"You'll set demigods against demigods," Jason exclaimed, sounding pained.

"It's so easy!" said Khione. "As I told you, I only encourage what you would do anyway."

"But why?" Piper spread her hands. "Khione, you'll tear the world apart. The giants will destroy everything. You don't want that. Call off your monsters."

Khione hesitated, then laughed. "Your persuasive powers are improving, girl. But I am a goddess. You can't charm-speak me. We wind gods are creatures of chaos! I'll overthrow Aeolus and let the storms run free. If we destroy the mortal world, all the better! They never honored me, even in Greek times. Humans and their talk of global warming. Pah! I'll cool them down quickly enough. When we retake the ancient places, I will cover the Acropolis in snow."

"The ancient places." Leo's eyes widened. "That's what Enceladus meant about destroy the roots of the gods. He meant Greece."

Greece. For some reason that revelation made Lina nervous, it made her stomach churn and she didn't know why. She hated how much she felt like she was in the dark.

"You could join me, son of Hephaestus," Khione said. "I know you find me beautiful. It would be enough for my plan if these other two were to die. Reject that ridiculous destiny the Fates have given you. Live and be my champion, instead. Your skills would be quite useful."

The silence between the demigods stretched throughout the building they were in. Lina wasn't worried, as far as she knew Leo would never do something like join the enemy, no matter how.... pretty the one offering was.

Then Leo laughed so hard, he doubled over. "Yeah, join you. Right. Until you get bored of me and turn me into a Leosicle? Lady, nobody messes with my dragon and gets away with it. I can't believe I thought you were hot."

Khione's face turned red. "Hot? You dare insult me? I am cold, Leo Valdez. Very, very cold."

She shot a blast of wintry sleet at the demigods, but Leo held up his hand. A wall of fire roared to life in front of them, and the snow dissolved in a steamy cloud. The blonde whistled in appreciation and slight surprise.

Leo grinned. "See, lady, that's what happens to snow in Texas. It—freaking—melts."

Khione hissed. "Enough of this. Hera is failing. Porphyrion is rising. Kill the demigods. Let them be our king's first meal!"

"Damn, its about time. Thought you were gonna talk us to death. Glad we have some action." Lina took a fighting stance a grin full blown on her face, as her saber glinted dangerously— and that's when the first monster attacked.

hi babes !
short chapter but
bc my writing block
seems gone i should
be able to write another
chapter today or
tomorrow. so look
out for a double update <3
and thank you for always
supporting !!