When You're Gone

Chapter 24

They were supposed to be wary of the monsters lurking in every depth and corner in Tartarus.

LOL, nah.

On the way down to the river of fire, they encountered demons so old that they didn't have proper names. They shirked at the sight of them, but didn't dare attack.

"My hand hurts." Leo raised his arm and it sported blisters. He stared at his scrawny hand, without the hope of muscle in mixed shock and curiosity. "That cannot be good for my skin!"

"It's not," Calypso agreed.

Hazel licked her dry lips. They were starting to crack, and in theory, drinking liquid fire should not help. But it's the only way, tested by Annabeth and her ex-boyfriend.

More demons screeched from above, circling them like vultures. The last time she sat on a dragon - Frank - he died. She was not going to let that happen to Festus.

Stay away, she sent the message to the monsters. She didn't know how she knew the trick, but it must have been familiar territory for children of the god of Death.

She questioned it. Couldn't she only control jewels? Were the monsters rubies? Or were they gems to Gaia?

Festus landed next to the fire.

"Who volunteers?" Calypso asked.

The group looked at each other and started a low-key debate. Leo settled himself to go first, since he was immune to flames. That still didn't convince anyone, since they were not. Finally Reyna stepped out.

"Got a cup? Or do I have to use my hands?" she asked.

Calypso stared at her.

"Hand it is."

The Roman praetor cupped a fistful of liquid fire, looking wary. With a breath, she chugged it down and started having a seizure. But soon enough, she looked better than her best days.

"I'm never doing that again," she rasped.

"Me next," Hazel said warily. "Don't tell me how bad it tastes."

"Ghost chilis times a thousand!"

"Thank you!" She drank from the river. Indeed, it was worse than Reyna's description. Hazel never liked spicy foods, and here she was, inhaling flames. She swore she would never call chili sauce spicy again.

Every pore on her face popped, her body felt like magma. But the next breath came easier than the last, and she opened her eyes to see her friends drinking spontaneously, all having similar reactions like panic attacks on steroids and crack.

One by one, her friends recovered. Octavian tried to hide his laughing sounds, but he was doing a poor job in disguising his faults.

"That was disgusting," Piper muttered, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.

"Of course. It's fire," Leo said. "I don't think I want to burst into flames anymore."

"Do you swear?" Hazel muttered.

"Nope!" He grinned mischievously. "Fire's my jam, man!"

"This is going fantastic," Calypso grumbled. "Let's move on before we waste too much time. I want to return to the Overworld so I can finish my sophomore year."

"The nymph is correct," a voice said across the river. "There is no time left."

They turned to see a hag that looked like she'd been run over a tank. Her cheeks were scratched with long, bloody lines. Tears poured out of her eyeball-less sockets and nostrils. (Or was that snot? Ew.)

"Akhlys, is that your name?" Reyna asked. "I heard from Annabeth. You're the goddess of misery. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be near the House of Night?"

The goddess of poison and misery made a hissing sound. Her voice was raspy and scratchy like a lost spirit's. "I fear not, young demigod."

Octavian spoke up. "Shroud us in Death Mist! Now!"

The goddess's empty glance shifted to him. "You dare speak to me that way?"

"Shut up, you Octopus!" Piper hissed with her charmspeak. "Go away."

"He can't. He's bound to us unless we leave," Hazel said sourly. She was not enthusiastic that the fact that he was stuck with them, but it's not like they have any choice.

Akhlys made a sound like the howling wind. Colorful flowers bloomed by her feet, the sickly intoxicating smell causing drowsiness in Hazel's consciousness.

She wasn't the only one affected. Leo leaned on Festus for support, his face green.

"Stop that!" Reyna demanded. "Why are you here!"

Akhlys' smile looked grieving and almost sad. Hazel couldn't feel sorry for her, since she'd tried to murder her friend Annabeth.

"Your fffrrieend," she wisped, "Perseussss Jackssson. Hhhee has taken oveeerr the House of Niiight."

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