ANTI-HERO, j.grace

ELEVEN

Zethes seemed to have it out for Klein Maddox, and she could only assume it was because she prevented him from turning Leo into some sort of shish-kebab. Every couple of seconds the point of hiss sword would poke into her bag, leaving bursts of frost against the back of her - Will's - jacket that made it even harder for her to find any sort of warmth.

She was shivering, Jason noticed. Her hands were clenched into fists at her side though he wasn't sure if it was for warmth, to contain the little flickers of light that he spotted every so often, or to keep herself from punching the Boread in the face. Whatever the answer, Jason fell into step directly behind the Maddox girl to separate her from the sword much like she had done with Leo.

She didn't seem to notice, or maybe Jason just hadn't realized that she did because now every couple of steps Zethes was poking him in the back with the sword instead.

They followed the ice princess down the hallway until they reached a set of oaken doors with a map of the world carved into the outside, each corner decorated with the picture of a bearded man blowing wind and snowflakes across.

The princess turned to face them once more, sparing yet another displeased look towards the daughter of Apollo before focusing her gaze on Jason like he was her newest Christmas present. "This is the throne room. Be on your best behavior, Jason Grace. My father can be... chilly. I will translate for you and try to encourage him to hear you out." She hummed, "I do hope he spares you - we could have so much fun."

"Wanky."

"Uh, okay. But really, we're just here for a little talk. We'll be leaving right afterwards." Jason said.

The princess grinned, "I love heroes. So blissfully ignorant."

Klein wasn't sure how every room they passed through seemed to get colder, but she was on the verge of turning on her heel and running back out to Leo so she could beg him to let Festus blow some fire her way. The throne room was like a meat locker form hell (or not hell, because hell wasn't this fucking cold), decorated with purple tapestries and life sized ice scriptures of warriors: some donned Greek armor, some wore togas, some even wore modern day camouflage and were frozen mid attack.

The Maddox girl at least hoped they were sculptures, but the chill that ran down her spine did nothing but encourage her nerves, especially when she went to step into the room and two of the Greek sculptures crossed their javelins down to block her paths - joints cracking and ice crystals spraying out as they moved with surprising speed.

Not sculptures. So not ice sculptures.

Jason had grabbed her arm and yanked her backwards as soon as the spearmen moved, Klein now eying they area where she'd almost been skewered with wide eyes before looking up to meet Jason's. From the opposite end of the room a man's voice rang out in a language that Klein didn't understand, and suddenly the sculptures snapped backwards with their javelins.

"It's fine. My father has ordered them not to kill you." Khione dismissed, "Yet."

"Super."

With the ice warriors now back along the wall, the demigods finally walked through the throne room, mist parting in front of them to reveal the purple winged man sitting on a throne of what appeared to be solid ice.

"Bienvenu." He greeted. He looked nice than his daughter, though Klein didn't account that to much of an assurance as the princess looked about as warm as dry ice. "Je suis Boreas le Roi. Et vous?"

Piper, almost unconsciously, stepped forwards before Khione could, "Votre Majeste - je suis Piper McLean, et c'est Jason, fils de Zeus, et Klein, fille de Apollo."