annais min was the god among mortals, the death that came along with life. now more than ever, she knew the cost of her existence, of what hades had done when he chose to pursue her mother. everything came down to her and the four other min girls, t...
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN: DEAD MAN'S DECEPTION
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IT WAS DARK UNDERGROUND. Annais hadn't expected anything different, but the further they crept into the shadows, the harder it became to ignore the icy heaviness that weighed in her chest like a headstone. The tunnels were never-ending, splitting and weaving as Hazel navigated their path. Annais was certain they were lost, but Hazel's confidence was loud in the silent, cavernous space around them. It echoed in the rough-hewn chambers carved into the walls that once held bodies of the dead. Above each one were intricate paintings of black cows, poplar trees -- and eerily, owls.
"I thought the owl was Minerva's symbol," Jason muttered from somewhere on Annais' right. She could just make out the whites of his eyes and reached soundlessly for his hand in search of comfort. Those white spots widened before recognising her touch. He slotted their fingers together, one-by-one, until Annais knew she was at home again. No matter what was about to happen, Jason wasn't going anywhere.
"The screech owl is one of Hades' sacred animals," Nico explained, sounding somewhat like Annabeth when she'd list off facts. "Its cry is a bad omen."
"Oh, I love me a bad omen," Leo laughed uneasily from somewhere behind Annais.
"This way--" Impatient, Hazel pointed to one of the doorways. It looked the same as the other doors, but Hazel regarded the others with wariness. "It's the only one that won't collapse on us."
"A good choice, then," came Leo's next comment.
"Thank the Gods for you, Hazel," Hea declared, surprising her sister by pressing a smacking kiss to her cheek. "After you."
Rolling her eyes, Hazel stepped through the doorway. A shiver ran down Annais' spine as she followed after her. Standing in that doorway was eerie, like she'd stepped through the body of a ghost. Her skin burned. The shadows twisted into vague skeletal shapes, reaching for her in the narrow concrete space. It wasn't much better on the other side. Each of her friends had started to act strange. Hea was muttering to herself, eyebrows drawn into a harsh frown. Mel and Leo were sharing a heated whisper at the back of the group. Out of nowhere, Frank had moved to the front, bypassing Hazel with every determined step. His eyes were glazed like twin crystals in the darkness. They seemed to stare right through her, through Hazel as she cautiously laid a hand on his arm only for him to flinch.
Hades almighty. The last thing they needed was Frank to be possessed or some shit.
"This is the entrance to the second level," Hazel said. "I'd better take a look."
"Oh," Frank stumbled back, his face slackening. "Uh, yeah..."
For a boy his size and stature, he did a great job of shrinking back into the shadows, his expression returning to that vague whisper of fear from moments before. Annais wondered what he was hearing. If the shadows were beating their fists against his own subconscious, trying desperately for another way in that wasn't her.
