kaleidoscope gold ● jason grace

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 They'd only traveled a few hundred yards when Daria began to hear voices.

She was in turmoil, staying determined because she couldn't afford to be anything else. But really, this was all her fault. If she had just been a split second faster, then maybe Jason wouldn't have been pulled down. She wondered how Jupiter had just let it happen, but then again, he had never really cared about his son.

Gods, she felt awful. If Jason died, his blood was on her hands. Everytime he fretted over her, she wanted to grab his shoulders and scream: it's not me Gaea wants, idiot. It's you! If Jason died, her Jason, then Daria would kill him.

She herself wasn't doing much better; despite having filled their stomachs with fire water, her throat was still dry and her stomach kept growling. The river wasn't about making you feel good, Daria guessed. It just kept you going so you could experience more excruciating pain.

That was when they heard the voices. Daria yanked Jason's torn shirt, pulling him down behind the nearest boulder. She steadied her breathing, not understanding how the monsters hadn't sniffed them out yet. They were good at that, and Jason, being the son of Jupiter, attracted more than enough monsters for the both of them.

"Soon?" one of the monsters asked in a raspy voice, as if she'd been gargling in the Phlegethon. If Daria had to guess, she'd say they were empousa.

"My gods," purred another voice. "It's better if you stop asking."

This one's tone was much deeper, although it was definitely a woman. In fact, Daria knew exactly who it was, and she wasn't particularly thrilled about it. She glanced back at Jason to see if he'd recognized her. His eyes were wide, but he nodded back grimly. Lamia.

They had come across Lamia on Daria's third or fourth quest. They were trekking across the Nevada desert when they had stumbled into a mirage of paradise, and in effect, Lamia. The vampire was known to seduce demigods and then drink their blood. Fun stuff.

Last time, they had beaten her and her cronies, but Jason had dealt the final blow. There was no doubt in Daria's mind that Lamia wanted to kill him, in a very painful way.

"When we get to the mortal world," Lamia continued. "Demigods will tremble at my name! Come, my followers, to the other side!"

The creatures stalked off, Lamia's confident stroll standing out amongst the mismatched gait of the empusae. There was another part to the tale, the part that embarrassed Daria the most. Last time, Lamia had charmed Daria and Reyna, and Jason had been fine. Now that Jason didn't have a weapon, she couldn't let it happen again.

Jason rose. "They're heading for the Doors of Death," he murmured. "You know what that means?"

Daria didn't want to think about it, but sadly this squad of flesh-eating women might be the closest thing to good luck they were going to get in Tartarus. They needed to follow them

Tartarus was barren, they let the group of vampires stray a few hundred yards in front of them, hiding behind rocks when they slowed. Instead of speaking in their normal voices, they whispered, the act making Daria's already raw throat burn. At least they had the fire river, Daria thought. They would've been dead without it.

"I can't believe I finally get my memory back and we end up down here," Jason said lowly.

"What triggered it?" Daria asked. "Your memory, I mean."

"Okeanos," Jason sighed. "Seeing you almost die, I think." He shot her a knowing look, "can't think of why that would jog my memory, miss I-rush-into-situations-without-regard-for-my-wellbeing."