𝟬𝟮𝟭. i'll hate you forever

ANYONE WITH A BEATING HEART knew Aera had Olympus high standards for love. There was a long list of things she liked and disliked about boys, girls, nymphs, satyrs, half-donkey, half-vampire cheerleaders, anyone who had the guts to pursue her. She didn't like it when they chewed obnoxiously at the dinner table or had poor hygiene. She liked it when they danced and had cute, snorty laughs that sounded like pigs. If their style didn't fit her tastes like a glove, she would put on a new one. Aera loved herself so much, she had to select the best of the best from her romantic partners.

To first qualify for her regime of romance, the potential amour had to have at least three checks in her list of turns on and no more than one on her list of turn offs. Then they had to pass a number of secret screening tests during the relationship itself, kind of like a performance evaluation, where Aera wouldn't tell them they were being quizzed and see if they could handle the pressure of not giving her the ick in certain simulated situations.

The only person who had flouted her system of romance was Luke Castellan, for reasons that need not be stated.

Everyone else had to show they were worthy of being her new beau through an endless series of random, unknown tests and check boxes, so it was only natural Aera would have a hunk like Lit put on a show for her.

Aera still had on her Chanel under-eye patches when the cornhusker came charging into the room.

He was dressed in loose pajama pants with a sleeveless shirt that said Cornhuskers on it. His arms had just the right amount of muscle to acquire Aera's attention. His ripped arms were covered in scars, as was his handsome face, which was framed by black curly hair (so hot and mysterious, right?) He hefted a large sword that Aera would love to get her hands on.

The old man who introduced himself as a king—King Midas?—she could care less about (Gold touch? Yawn. Eternal wealth? Yawn). It was his son Aera was more interested in.

"Lityerses?" Aera exclaimed, a firework exploding in her heart when she heard his name. "As in The Reaper of Men?"

Jason scowled next to her. "You know this guy, Aera?"

They were sitting on the sofas now while the king reclined on his gold throne. Aera hoped the old man knew how stupid he looked in his white bathrobe and old-fashioned sleeping cap. No wonder she couldn't take him seriously. His fashion was terrible. King Midas could turn anything he touched into gold, and yet boring Boreas was more iced out than him. Tragic.

Meanwhile, Lit stood behind the throne, both hands on his sword, glancing at Aera and flexing his muscular arms. His slightly yellow teeth could have looked a little less like corn and his curly hair could easily be frizz-less with any run-of-the-mill hair product, but he would do. Aera could fix him right up.

"Of course." Aera gave Lit her most pleasing smile, deciding then that he would be her next target. "He's number 9 on Cabin Ten's Top Ten Hero Hunks."

"This guy?" Piper raised her eyebrows dubiously. "He is?"

"Top Ten what?" Jason asked.

Aera ignored them. She leaned forward, twirling her hair with her finger and keeping eye contact with Lit. "Didn't you slay like ten, twelve men in your prime? You used to offer corn to those who wandered by then challenged them to a harvesting contest. When they lost, you beheaded them and wrapped their bodies in the sheaves. Talk about artsy."

Lit huffed and puffed out his chest. "You know much, girl—fortunately for your friends, or I would've run them through."

"Appreciate it," Leo mumbled, annoying as ever. "I try not to get run through before lunchtime."

"So he husked humans?" Jason crossed his arms. "That's...barbaric."

Ugh. Aera tried not to roll her eyes for formality's sake. She didn't get why Jason was calling other people barbaric after the night they just had.

Tragically, Aera did not look her best this morning; wearing two-day old clothes and having neglected her 11-step Korean skincare routine. Her hair was the town center of tangles and her stomach was bloated from skipping the cold rations dinner last night. Not to mention, her clothes were all wrinkled and messed up. She had also been sweating and breathing heavily throughout the night.

It was all Jason's fault. He did that.

After he hugged her and comforted her when she had that totally unglamorous, but totally needed crying sesh, Aera laid down to rest. Jason then decided to launch an assault on her innocent body and wrap her in a blanket cocoon like a baby butterfly (he called her a human burrito, but obviously he was wrong and illiterate because how could a human as beautiful and gorgeous as Aera be a burrito?).

Jason spent the whole night on the other couch and only got up to make sure she was still tucked in. Aera was suffocated with warmth in her swaddle. She fell asleep the second she closed her eyes and completely forgot about doing any of her pre-beauty-sleep routines. That was the best sleep she had in days. Well, before the screaming satyr got out of his cage swinging like it was bride wars.

So, duh. It was clearly Jason's fault if Aera faced any trouble pulling a hero hunk.

Aera forced a prettier smile at Lit. She wasn't going to have any trouble pulling a hero hunk because she was Aera Kim.

"Forgive him," she said sweetly. "He doesn't speak that well."

Jason furrowed his eyebrows. "You seemed pretty satisfied with what I said to you last night."

Aera's heart traitorously skipped a beat. That useless clump of tissue. Instead of deadpanning onto him, Aera's eyes darted from Lit to Jason. Bombastic side eye. Criminal. Offensive. Side. Eye.

"What?" Jason looked so unassuming and so purely unintentional about what he just implied that it was more aggravating than powdery makeup in humidity.

Aera glanced at everyone else's reactions so she wouldn't strangle him. Piper's jaw was still dropped. Leo was choking on his laugh and shaking his head while grinning and muttering, "Classic. Classic." Even Coach Bush's eyes widened.

"Alright, cupcakes," Coach interjected. He lined his club in between Aera and Jason like a divider. "Even if we are going to kill these people, let's keep it classy."

Jason had seen Aera in one of her most ugly moments and now he was coming after her position as the best flirter of the group? Unacceptable. He sucked at flirting.

"Anyway." Aera cleared her throat, trying her best not to kill Jason for what he just said (she couldn't show Lit how crazy she was this early on). "Your Majesty." She bowed her head respectfully at the old man, just eager to turn away from Jason, whom she could now tell was obnoxiously suppressing a smile. "Ignore that. And the killing talk. Coach is just a goat with homicidal rage."

Coach Bush demonstrated this by thwacking invisible enemies in the air multiple times. Leo and Piper dragged him back down into his seat.

Aera wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Thanks for that," she said humorlessly. She looked back at Midas who was looking a little perplexed but relatively unfazed. "As we were saying earlier, you're the second mortal we've met who should be—sorry—deader than dead. Or did you just pull an Alison DiLaurentis?"

"Interesting." The king gazed out the windows at the brilliant blue skies and the winter sunlight. In the distance, downtown Omaha looked like a cluster of children's blocks—way too clean and small for a regular city. "I do not know what it is, this Alison Dilaurentis you speak of, but I think I was a bit, as you say, deader than dead for awhile. It's strange. Seems like a dream, doesn't it, Lit?"

Thankfully, Lit didn't seem at all taken back by Jason's misunderstanding choice of words. In fact, he seemed interested in husking a lot more than corn now. He zeroed in on Jason like he was the biggest threat in the room and tightening his grip on his sword. Aera was jealous. She wished she looked more intimidating so she could be stared at intensely by Lit, too.

"A very long dream, Your Majesty," Lit answered, his eyes never leaving Jason.

"And yet, now we're here," Midas said. "I'm enjoying myself very much. I like being alive better."

"But how?" Piper asked. "You didn't happen to have a..." She gulped. "Patron?"

Midas hesitated, but there was a sly twinkle in his eyes. "Does it matter, my dear?"

"We could kill them again," Hedge suggested. Tempting, Aera thought. But not more than having number 9 on her list of conquests.

"Coach, not helping," Jason said, strangely impatient. "Why don't you go outside and stand guard?"

Leo coughed. "Is that safe? They've got some serious security."

"Oh, yes," the king said. "Sorry about that. But it's lovely stuff, isn't it? Amazing what gold can still buy. Such excellent toys you have in this country!" He fished a remote control out of his bathrobe pocket and pressed a few buttons.

"There," Midas announced. "Safe to go out now."

Coach Hedge grunted. "Fine. But if you need me..." He winked at Aera and Jason meaningfully. Then he pointed at himself, pointed two fingers at their hosts, and sliced a finger across his throat. Super subtle sign language.

"Yeah, thanks," Jason muttered. Aera wanted to hit him with a hairbrush. Why was he in such a grouchy mood when he almost ruined her chances with number 9?

After the satyr left, Aera tried another diplomatic smile, which was hard because a) she didn't want to be diplomatic with a senile creep like Midas, and b) Jason was basically hovering over Aera now like a dark, looming presence.

The King turned out to be, in fact, just as Aera predicted, a senile creep. Talking big about wise investments and how he turned his only daughter into a gold statue (who was in the back of the room and had watched Aera sleep, beteedubs.) Though Midas did turn Piper's empty backpack into a gold cage for the storm spirits so Aera would at least have to give him that (but very, very grudgingly because now that meant Aera's precious skincare products were scattered carelessly on the ground. She let it slide. For now.)

Then Midas pulled off his oversized sleeping cap and completely traumatized Aera's eyes. Midas had these long fuzzy gray ears sticking up from his white hair—like Bugs Bunny's, but they weren't rabbit ears. They were donkey ears.

"Oh, wow," Leo said, grimacing. "I didn't need to see that."

Aera tried not to throw up. She gagged and Jason patted her back.

"Terrible, isn't it?" Midas sighed. "A few years after the golden touch incident, I judged a music contest between Apollo and Pan, and I declared Pan the winner. Apollo, sore loser, said I must have the ears of an ass, and voilà. This was my reward for being truthful. I tried to keep them a secret. Only my barber knew, but he couldn't help blabbing."

Midas pointed out another golden statue—a bald man in a toga, holding a pair of shears. "That's him. He won't be telling anyone's secrets again." The king smiled but it was more of a cruel sneer. Aera didn't know how an elderly man with ass ears could pull off an evil villain smile but he did a pretty good job. His eyes had a merry glow to them; the look of a madman who knew he was mad, accepted his madness, and enjoyed it—which would have been fun, if only Aera wasn't trying to get with his son.

"Gold," Aera asked after she stopped wanting to vomit at the sight of his ears. "What else can you do with it?"

"Oh, my gold has many uses," Midas bragged. "I think that must be why I was brought back, eh, Lit? To bankroll our patron."

Lit nodded and flexed his arms. "That and my good sword arm."

Aera swooned. "Wonderful."

She was apparently the only one who thought that way. Aera glanced at her friends and suddenly the air in the room seemed much colder. Huh? What were they so scared of?

"So you do have a patron," Jason concluded, his shoulders tensing. "You work for the giants."

King Midas waved his hand dismissively. "Well, I don't care for giants myself, of course. But even supernatural armies need to get paid. I do owe my patron a great debt. I tried to explain that to the last group that came through, but they were very unfriendly. Wouldn't cooperate at all."

"The last group?" Jason slipped his hand into his pocket and Aera knew he was grabbing his gold coin. Ugh, could he stop stealing her thunder for two seconds and just relax?

"Hunters," Lit snarled. "Blasted girls from Artemis."

Jason went totally rigid. Aera watched a literal spark travel down his spine. She caught a whiff of electrical fire like he'd just melted some of the springs in the sofa. Now Aera was more puzzled than annoyed. What connection did Jason have to The Hunters of Artemis? Had he wanted to join and was shot down for being a boy? Aera would've paid to see that.

"When?" he demanded. "What happened?"

Lit shrugged. "Few days ago? I didn't get to kill them, unfortunately. They were looking for some evil wolves, or something. Said they were following a trail, heading west. Missing demigod—I don't recall."

"Percy Jackson," Aera said with a roll of her eyes. The Little Mermaid still hadn't been found? Had he swam into a sea on the other side of the universe or something?

"Yes, well, very unpleasant young ladies, those Hunters," he recalled, scratching his donkey ears (again, ew). "They absolutely refused to be turned into gold. Much of the security system outside I installed to keep that sort of thing from happening again, you know. I don't have time for those who aren't serious investors."

Jason stood warily and glanced at his friends. Did he want to leave? But Aera hadn't got a chance to talk to Lit yet.

"Well," Piper said, joining Jason on party pooper villa and forcing a smile. "It's been a great visit. Welcome back to life. Thanks for the gold bag."

"We're leaving?" Aera asked, refusing to budge from the couch. "Already?"

"Oh, but you can't leave!" Midas declared. "I know you're not serious investors, but that's all right! I have to rebuild my collection."

Lit was smiling cruelly now. Oh, he was so hot as a villain.

The king rose, and Leo and Piper moved away from him.

"Don't worry," the king assured them. "You don't have to be turned to gold. I give all my guests a choice—join my collection, or die at the hands of Lityerses. Really, it's good either way."

Piper tried to use her charmspeak. "Your Majesty, you can' t—"

Quicker than any old senile man should've been able to move, Midas lashed out and grabbed her wrist.

"No!" Jason yelled. But a frost of gold spread over Piper, and in a heartbeat she was a glittering gold statue. Leo tried to summon fire, but he'd forgotten his power wasn't working. Midas touched his hand, and Leo transformed into solid metal.

Everything happened so fast Aera had no time to even react. The only thing she could think of was, "Hey! I needed his tool belt for more skincare products!"

Jason yanked Aera off the sofa. He dragged Aera across and put the couch between them and Midas.

Midas smiled apologetically. "Gold trumps fire, I'm afraid." He waved around him at all the gold curtains and furniture. "In this room, my power dampens all others: fire...even charmspeak. Which leaves me only two more trophies to collect."

"Hedge!" Jason yelled, putting his arm in front of Aera as if to shield her. "Need help in here!"

For once, the satyr didn't come charging in hot.

"Maybe the lasers got him," Aera murmured to Jason in half horror, half amusement. "Fried goat."

Midas chuckled. "No goat to the rescue? Sad. But don't worry, my guests. It's really not painful. Lit can tell you."

"You'll make a fine statue for the collection," Lit purred at Aera. Ew.

She suddenly didn't think he was so hot anymore. Aera's beauty was meant to be marveled at, but not as an unmoving statue. Aera's skin tingled. That was a major ick of hers. Being reduced to an object. All the attraction she felt towards Lit was sucked out of her like a vacuum.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Aera announced, thinking something up on the spot. "How about we choose combat and Jason and Lit fight?"

Jason stared at her like she was crazy.

"Trust me," she whispered to him. Aera turned back to Midas. "They're both heroes. And hunks. Wouldn't it be fun to watch a good fight? Especially if it's over a maiden." Aera did a graceful maiden twirl for good measure.

Midas looked mildly disappointed, but he shrugged. "I said you could die fighting Lit. But of course, if you wish."

Midas and Aera both retreated toward the walls of the room to give them space. Aera nodded at Jason in an encouraging kind of way. She seriously hoped he wouldn't die. That would be awkward. And inconvenient.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Lit said, swinging his sword overhead. "I am the Reaper of Men!"

Hmm, it didn't sound as hot coming out of his mouth as Aera thought it would.

"Come on, Cornhusker." Jason summoned his own weapon. This time it came up as a javelin.

"Oh, gold weapon!" Midas praised. "Very nice."

"Whoo!" Aera cheered. "Go Jason!"

Lit charged. He was pretty light on his feet. He slashed and sliced, and Jason was on the defensive for the first few moments of their battle. He kept backing up as he was overwhelmed by Lit's onslaught. Jason wasn't hitting back. Why? Was he scared?

Aera concentrated on Jason's pulse. His heartbeat wasn't frantic. Jason was calm. Collecting himself. Was he holding himself back to analyze Lit's fighting style?

Aera soon realized that he was. Jason countered, sidestepped, and blocked every one of Lit's strikes with adept skill and an almost expert ease. Good swordsmanship? Now that was a turn-on.

"What is that style?" Lit growled. He seemed surprised to find Jason still alive. "You don't fight like a Greek."

"'Cause he's not," Aera said out loud.

"Legion training," Jason replied. "It's Roman."

"Roman?" Lit struck again, and Jason deflected his blade. "What is Roman?"

"News flash," Jason said. "While you were dead, Rome defeated Greece. Created the greatest empire of all time."

"Um, the Kardashians would beg to differ," Aera put in, "but carry on."

"Impossible," Lit snarled. "Never even heard of them."

Jason spun on one heel, smacked Lit in the chest with the butt of his javelin, and sent him toppling into Midas's throne. Ha. Loser. Aera knew she picked the right hero the moment Jason brought out his javelin.

"Oh, dear," Midas said. "Lit?"

"I'm fine," Lit growled.

A light bulb turned on in Aera's head.

"Oh, no!" she cooed, going for her best damsel-in-distress voice. "Lit looks kind of beat. You should help him up, Your Majesty."

Lit cried, "Dad, no!" Oops, too late. Better luck next time.

Midas put his hand on his son's shoulder, and suddenly a very angry-looking gold statue was sitting on Midas's throne.

"Curses!" Midas wailed. "That was a naughty trick, girl. Just you wait. I'll get you for that." He patted Lit's golden shoulder. "Don't worry, son. I'll get you down to the river right after I collect all these prizes."

Before Aera could even get into how misogynistic these old dead people were, Midas raced toward Jason first. He dodged him, but the old man was fast, too.

Aera glanced at Piper's golden statue. Anger washed over her. She wasn't going to let Midas turn Jason into gold, too. She brought out her lethal tube of lipstick and uncapped it, a gleaming celestial bronze sword springing to life in her hand.

"Touch him and I'll rip your heart out," she threatened.

Jason raised his eyebrows. "You just wanted me to fight to the death in front of you and now you're worried about me turning into gold?"

"I'm a rose gold girlie," she said plainly. "Duh. Cool-toned summer palette. Regular yellow gold looks too strong with my skin tone."

"A little busy right now."

Midas made a dive for Jason, who barely leaped out of the way in the nick of time. On the other side, Aera kicked the coffee table into the old man's legs and knocked him over, but Midas wouldn't stay down for long.

"Could really use your Pokémon powers right about now," she told Jason.

He didn't seem to get it. "What?"

"You know," Aera said, trying not to make her suggestion obvious to Midas. She made two peace signs above her head for ears and wriggled her fingers. "Pika. Pika."

Jason looked like he wanted to laugh, but pika pika, he seemed to get. He paused. Then the air pressure dropped so rapidly that Aera's ears popped.

Midas must've felt it too, because he stumbled to his feet and grabbed his donkey ears.

"Ow! What are you doing?" he demanded. "My power is supreme here!"

Aera rolled her eyes. "You are such a gatekeeper."

Thunder rumbled overhead. Outside, the sky turned black.

"You know another good use for gold?" Jason asked.

Midas raised his eyebrows, suddenly excited. "Yes?"

"It's an excellent conductor of electricity."

Aera took cover. Jason raised his javelin, and the ceiling exploded. A lightning bolt zapped through the roof like it was an eggshell, connected with the tip of Jason's spear, and sent out arcs of energy that blasted the sofas to shreds. Chunks of ceiling plaster crashed down. The chandelier creaked and snapped off its chain, and Midas screamed as it pinned him to the floor. The glass immediately turned into gold.

When the rumbling stopped, freezing rain poured into the building. Midas cursed in Ancient Greek, thoroughly pinned under his chandelier. The rain soaked everything, reverting the gold chandelier back to glass. Piper and Leo were slowly changing too, along with the many other statues in the room.

"Are you okay?" Jason helped Aera off the floor as it rained naiads and dryads. Oh, her hair was definitely ruined now.

She pouted as rain gushed down on them. "My hair...!"

Jason brushed her hair back, holding her face with both his hands. "We'll get it straightened out."

Aera watched the rain drip from his hair, down his face, past his lips, around the gape of his neck. Jason wasn't the slightest bothered by it. He seemed only concerned with Aera.

Jason kept brushing Aera's hair back and studying different areas of her face. She guessed he wanted to check if the shrapnels from the lightning blast had cut her face or not.

Even in a raging storm with the sky falling and angry gold statues lurking, Jason was more worried about Aera than himself. That thought made her head fuzzy and her chest feel funny.

Then the front door burst open, and Coach Hedge charged in, club ready. It was so abrupt Aera and Jason jumped away from each other.

"What'd I miss?" he asked, his beady, little eyes glaring around the room. His mouth was covered with dirt, snow, and grass.

"Where were you?" Jason demanded, the gentleness he had for Aera vanishing entirely as he faced Coach Bush. "I was screaming for help." He blinked slowly like he was dizzy. Must have been from summoning the lightning bolt, but now he looked like he wanted to summon another one to fry their satyr coach, too.

Hedge belched. "Getting a snack. Sorry. Who needs killing?"

"No one, now!" Jason snapped. Aera tried not to laugh. He really did not like Coach Bush, did he?

"Let's get Piper and Leo to the river," Aera suggested before Jason could show Aera why she should be vegetarian. "Or their skin will get ruined from the precious metal treatment."

"Don't leave me like this!" Midas wailed.

All around him the statues of his victims were turning back to flesh—his daughter, his barber, and a whole lot of furious-looking guys with some sharp-looking swords. Jason grabbed Piper's golden bag and his own supplies. Then he threw a rug over the golden statue of Lit on the throne to keep him from turning back to human. Aera held back another laugh. Jason could be so dramatic sometimes.

Aera's amusement didn't last for long. Her skincare products were nearly unsalvageable after being thrown on the ground and then blasted with a lightning strike. She was sad but she also wanted to get out of the pesky rain before it could do any real damage to her appearance.

"Hope you enjoy playing tag with your old friends!" She bid farewell to Midas who wailed under the weight of the chandelier. "Thanks for the gold prizes."

At the river, Jason had to dunk their friends repeatedly in the water. Leo was quick to ungoldify (Coach Bush carried him to their choice of cave bridal style, which Aera was set on never letting him forget about it when he woke up), but Piper's hands and feet were trickier.

Aera watched from the riverbank as Jason exercised brute force to carry Piper with enough strength not to hurt her as he plunged her into the freezing water. The water clung to his clothes, outlining the muscles on his abdomen and arms that she hadn't noticed before. Aera was foolish. How could she have been thirsting over Lit when the real hunk had been on their quest the entire time?

When Piper was fully back to human again, that's when Jason finally noticed Aera. She was lounging comfortably on a frozen log with her knee up. Her face was resting on her elbow which was propped on her knee.

"I thought..." Jason panted, knee deep in freezing water. "I thought you went back to the cave with Coach Hedge." He was breathless from the labor but Aera liked to think his breath had been stolen when he saw her there. His face was red from the cold, his efforts, and Aera's staring. "You...you've been watching me this whole time? And you didn't help me?"

"Well, you look like you had it handled so I stayed for the show," Aera answered with a suggestive smile. "What? Will you give me a special encore if I clap?"

Jason didn't make eye contact with her as he hoisted Piper onto his back, piggyback style. "Thought I already gave you a good show with The Reaper of Men."

Aera suppressed a grimace. When he got out of the water, Aera wrapped Piper in a blanket she got from Hedge. Piper was still unconscious but shivering madly in her sleep. As they slowly made their way back to the cave with Piper on Jason's back, Aera felt a strange sense of awkwardness between them. Jason was silent and his expression was the same amount of tight and calculating as it was when he was fighting Lit. It felt like...Jason was mad at Aera for something. Which was impossible because how could you be mad at someone who had a gorgeous face like Aera's?

Still, Aera had the random urge to tell him, "I suggested that you fight Lit because I knew you would win."

"Yeah." Jason scoffed but he kept staring straight ahead. "Yeah, okay."

"It's true," Aera insisted. "I never bet on the wrong demigod."

Jason raised his eyebrows.

"Okay, rude," she snapped. "What happened with Luke was a fluke." She rubbed her arms. It was so cold. "But I know a hero when I see one, and you, Jason Grace, have potential."

Jason stopped walking. "What number would I be then?"

"What?"

"On that top ten list thing you have in your cabin. What would I be ranked?"

"Well..." Aera dragged out, hearing her voice go higher at the end. "Cabin Ten's Top Ten Hero Hunks is a pretty competitive ranking system. There are so many heroes out there who are hunks. It takes into account all of the opinions of the most iconic siblings, your heroic deeds, how hunky your body is, and then—"

"What. Rank. Would. I. Be?"

"That's not important," Aera said quickly. It felt like a race to explain it to him before he reached the finish line which ended Zeus knows where. "What's important is you survived. Thanks to me. Believing in you. You're welcome."

Jason stalked right past her.

"Where are you going?" Aera protested. Jason sped up his pace, that barbarian. "Hey, you're the one who said I have to trust more freely."

He didn't stop but he did ask, pretty curtly Aera might add, "Since when did you ever listen to me?"

"Oh, so now you're getting mad at me for taking your advice?"

"I'm not getting mad at you."

"Then why do you look mad—"

"I don't."

"And talk like you're mad—"

"I'm not."

"And walk like it—"

Jason turned so sharply, Aera thought Piper was going to fall off his back. His gaze was so heavy, Aera averted her eyes and pretended to be busy fixing Piper's blanket.

"Sorry," he said to Aera's astonishment. "I keep forgetting."

She sneaked a glance at him. He was acting so weird. "Forgetting what?"

"That you work best when you have no obligations holding you back."

No obligations holding you back? What on Aphrodite's seashell was that supposed to mean?

Jason moved his eyes off Aera. Aera followed his gaze. What was so interesting about those barren trees?

"You liked him, didn't you?" Jason asked tartly. "That Lityerses guy."

Oh.

OH.

Was that what this was about?

"Lit is attractive," Aera admitted. "At first, I just wanted to hook up with him."

"Alright," Jason said sarcastically, starting up the hill again. "Didn't need to hear that."

"There are lots of attractive people in this world," Aera explained, following him. "But not all of them can step up when it counts. Lit can only do something if his father gives him the order. His daddy issues are strong. That's his weakness."

"Then what's mine?"

"Not knowing how to dress yourself?" Aera responded. "Wearing pants that are half a size too big?"

"That's fine," Jason said, taking the blow in a steadfast manner. Aera was at a loss now. He didn't take the bait as she intended. "I know your beauty is your weapon. Love is your trap. I'm strong enough because I don't fall for that."

Aera froze. Not because it was freezing outside and Jason was giving her an even colder shoulder but because a splinter of pain spiked up her skull. Why did his words sound kind of familiar?

A dim memory tugged the back of Aera's mind. She was holding onto Jason's wrist. The lighting was low and romantic. Candlelights. White tablecloths. Roses on the tables. Lots of busy people were flashing by in blurs. They were in the fancy restaurant of some fancy hotel that was always booked. Aera had used her convincing powers to make reservations for them but Jason had got up to leave after the first appetizer.

Aera was indignant. Not just about him being ungrateful but because she couldn't believe Jason was judging her for her vanity when he cared so much about the opinions of others, too. "You call me childish but you're the one putting on an act."

"An act?" he demanded, tilting his head at her. "Why would I be putting on an act?"

His blue eyes, which were usually kind and gentle, were filled with a subtle scorn that could only be felt by the most insecure people. The white scar on his lip glinted at her menacingly. It reminded Aera too much of Luke so she stared at his chest instead. Right above where his heart was beating.

"Because they made you believe being strong is the only way. That you need to bury your emotions to survive. Deep down, you want the same thing everyone does. You want to be loved."

Jason stared at her. One heartbeat. Two. Three. Then he shook his head at her in disbelief. But he didn't pull away.

"If being weak means loving me," Aera persevered, swallowing her pride, "how long will you choose to stay strong?"

Aera blinked and her link to the past seemed to cut off like scissors to her hair. It took a second for her to reconnect to her surroundings. To the present Jason staring at her indignantly.

"What?" he demanded, a note of impatience.

Aera's head was spinning. She had said that to Jason? Why? When? Aera was a master of flirting but she was never vulnerable. She never put power into the other person's hands even if she acted like they were stronger. It had cost her too much when she relied on a boy to solve her problems. Look where that got them.

Aera wouldn't have been so careless to do it again, no matter how urgently she wanted to charm someone. But that memory...was so...so... intimate. Who was he to her?

"Aera?" Jason asked again. He seemed less impatient and more concerned now. "Is something wrong?"

"Third place," Aera blurted.

"What?"

"Jason would be ranked third on Cabin Ten's Top Ten Hero Hunks."

Jason licked his lips. He seemed to be taking this into account. "Me? Or the original Jason?"

"Well," Aera said, not knowing how to answer, "that's between me and the rest of Cabin Ten."

She left Jason in the snowy dust this time.

"Who's one and two then?" he called after her, Piper bouncing up and down as he strode behind her. "At least tell me that."

"Luke and Percy Jackson."

"Percy Jackson?" Jason asked incredulously. "The guy you hate? That guy who's missing?"

Aera wanted to unleash another lake of insults towards that sea-dwelling hobo but she was getting tired. Jason was making her confused. And that memory had completely disoriented her senses...

All she could say was, "Percy Jackson and I have a long and complicated history."

"Meaning?"

"We have a long and complicated history."

"What about Luke?"

Aera ignored the thump in her chest. "What about him?"

"Was his sacrifice really enough for him to be on the list?"

A jab of hurt hit Aera in the chest, which couldn't be ignored. "He let me reap his soul, Jason."

"What about everything else he did?" he continued. "Did your cabin forgive him just because he's handsome?" Jason cut himself off. "I mean—" He realized his mistake too late.

"What's so wrong with that?" Aera snapped, thoroughly peeved now. "How else are they supposed to cope? The leaders of Cabin Ten were all wiped out in one day. There was no one left to guide them. And even if there were, they would still be crushed by the pressure of expectations. Forced to constantly put their lives in danger just to be pretty. Everyone else just thinks we're brainless ditzes who stare at a mirror all day. They have no idea what it's like to always keep up appearances. What that does to a person. Why can't Cabin Ten have this one thing?"

Jason went silent. Aera caught her breath. Part of her wanted to throw herself into that freezing river. She already looked a hot mess. Now she was acting like it, too. Trudging through the snow and screaming at Jason like a mad woman. It wasn't his fault things were so messed up in Cabin Ten. He had been at camp for what? 18 hours? Ugh, at this rate, Aera was going to be as embarrassing as the crying Kim Kardashian meme.

"Sorry," Jason said sheepishly. "I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me." The two continued up the path in an even more awkward silence. Delightful. Then he said, "For what it's worth...I don't think you're a brainless ditz who stares at a mirror all day. Your quick thinking back there got us out of a tough spot again. Thanks for that."

Aera felt so bad about her outburst now. She hoped Piper was actually knocked out and hadn't heard any of that. Aera didn't know if she could live through the utter humiliation.

"Don't thank me," Aera said stiffly. "You fought Lit and won. You summoned lightning. I couldn't have done it without you. We're team, aren't we?"

Jason seemed extremely pleased with that. And that was honestly the best Aera could do.

"Yeah," he said, grinning. "Yeah, we are."

"Just do me a favor and don't...don't try so hard, okay?" Aera pleaded. "Percy Jackson is the hero of Olympus and look at him now, no one can find that smelly eel. And...forget his death. Luke dedicated his life to what he believed was the greater good. He walked away from everything he had ever known for a chance to make things right. Luke couldn't rest until he changed the world. In the end, he died for it."

They were almost there now. Aera could see the faint light of the campfire just up ahead. But Jason wasn't smiling anymore. He looked deep in thought. Aera assumed it was starting to sink in for him how much she cared about Luke. It was starting to sink in for her, too...

"That's why I'll never forgive him," Aera concluded. "Even if he is first place."

Jason looked at her with a combination of apprehension, worry, and fear. Aera took a mental picture of it and wished he never looked at her like that again. It was much too intimate and too vulnerable, just like that memory. Someone like Aera didn't deserve that kind of care from another person, especially a person as kind as Jason.

"Don't make the list, Jason," Aera ordered. "Don't be a hero like them. I'll hate you forever."