annais min had everything to prove and no time to do it. as one of the five children of the underworld destined to lead the seven on their journey of death and destruction, annais had the fate of the universe resting on her shoulders, holding her do...
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN: GHOST
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RATHER THAN THE COLLISION of her cousin's palm against her cheek, the crackling of a roaring fire was what brought Annais back into consciousness again. The orange flames danced before her eyes as they blearily blinked open, taunting her with an upside-down version of the world, and not in a metaphorical sense. Annais was hanging in the air, thick metal chains looped around her ankles and strung up by the warehouse machinery. On one side of her was Piper, her face red and sweaty as she struggled to set herself free, and on the other was Jason. He was unconscious, blonde hair streaked with blood that seeped from a wound above his eyebrow. Annais hadn't seen him before the cyclopes knocked her out, she couldn't even be sure if he was breathing, but she'd have to worry about that later.
Two figures were circling the fire pit set up on the conveyor belt. Their backs faced where the four — Annais spied a knocked out Ezra swaying back and forth on Piper's other side — demigods were hung, and they spoke in furtive whispers that Annais struggled to understand through the ringing in her ears. Blinking once, twice, she couldn't help the strangled gasp that slipped from her throat when she finally recognised the big metal pole suspended over the flames. It was a spit, she'd realised, and she had a very bad feeling it was meant for her and her friends.
"Ahh, you're awake," a voice cooed. "I was beginning to think I killed you."
Annais groaned, the side of her head throbbing painfully as she tried to move. How hard had they hit her with that fucking bat? Her hands twitched at her sides, itching to press against the wound as she felt blood drip down her jaw, but she found she was unable to move them. Panic struck, her whole body swinging when she realised that the chains around her ankles also circled up to her shoulder-blades. How on earth were they going to get out of this?
Another laugh. "You won't get free, demigod."
Annais' head snapped up, ready and determined to fight her way out, only to come face-to-face with one of the cyclopes as he wandered over to her. He was easily ten feet tall, making his greasy hair brush the roof of the warehouse. He moved around in nothing but a chainmail loincloth. Her nose scrunched up at the sight of him, at the hairy torso she had no choice but to stare at. He definitely wasn't an attractive creature, to say the least. But like Zethes, he seemed to think he was.
"Scream, girl," he poked at her chains when she simply scowled at him. "I like funny screaming."
Beside Annais, Piper spoke up, her tone calm and reasonable as she glanced between her friend and their captor. "Oh, Mr Cyclops, you don't want to kill us. It would be much better if you let us go."
He scratched at his head in contemplation, turning to the other cyclops. This one was dressed in a fiberglass toga, standing at the same height of what looked to be his brother. Both of them had the same dopey expression on their faces. "She's kind of pretty, Torque. Maybe I should let her go."
