Anyone who knows Arya Jackson for more than five minutes knows her opinion of the world, and demigods not so fair place in it. Unfortunately, since the war Arya isn't that easy to get to know. To most she's little more than a legend.
Arya is fine w...
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13.
Freezing Point
THE SECOND NIGHT AFTER THE INCIDENT on Spit, Ace was sure that no one actually slept for more than a few hours.
Sure they had all said that they were going to bed. Arya had told Ace that she would be down soon, so he went and showered, and then he wrote for a little bit. Eventually he was a little concerned that he had missed an attack so he went back up on deck.
Piper and Hazel were standing by the helm talking quietly, deeply. Ace put his hands in his pockets and looked around the deck, unable to find the girl he was looking for. When he looked back at the girls, he caught eye-contact with Piper who nodded her head slightly upwards and to the right.
Ace followed it and distantly saw two figures sitting at the top of the mast, far from everyone else and in their own little world.
Nico and Arya.
He smiled at the idea that they were reconciling. Or maybe it was that for once, they were getting a break from an oncoming attack of some kind and the quiet gave them the time to make-up.
Ace looked back at Piper and nodded in appreciation before making his way back down the ship. Walking along the corridor of rooms, all of them were shut but Jason's, who was sitting with his back against the wall, flipped a coin again and again, until he caught Ace staring.
Jason had been disturbed since he got back from Spit. He hadn't told the other's much, only they had a run in with the god of love and it had done a number on all of them. Ace kept an eye on him, knowing he was beating himself up about bringing them there in the first place.
They had tried to press for more details but Jason shut them down and made it very clear that what had happened on that island was going to stay on that island. It hadn't been brought up since.
Ace made his way to the doorway and Jason forced a smile. He was sure they were all feeling heavy. This part of the quest would be done in a matter of days. Percy and Annabeth would either be back on the ship, or stuck in Tartarus for good. The doors of death would either be closed, or monsters would inevitably take over the world for their inability to die.
All of that ahead of them and Ace felt like he was on the verge of a breakdown every time he was left alone. Not only from that but from his overwhelming feelings for Arya that felt like they were going to burst at the seams every time they were together. Also at the news that Cato had been willing to give up everything he had spent ten years cultivating just to help the quest that he had practically disowned Ace for a week ago. Not to mention the inability to talk to the people he had spent every day with for years. He had tried to make an Iris message to camp multiple times but it wouldn't go through, not to Max, not to Skylar, and not to Cyrus who Ace desperately wanted to talk to just so he could have his dad's comfort, words of wisdom.
