Jason's mother didn't step foot out of the car. She stayed with her old hands clenching her seatbelt, her blue eyes wide as she stared up at that old house for the first time in years.
"Mom?" Jason leaned next to the car to look into the open window. "Are you coming in?"
She shook her head, the streaks of white in her hair having become more prominent. "Jason...you never should have bought this house. All it's done has caused you trouble."
"I know."
"You should move." she looked down at her lap. "You should take your family somewhere else, Jason. Get out of here while you still can."
"Mom, just tell me what's wrong." Jason glanced over at his sister who was in the passenger's seat, her eyes glued to her phone as her nimble fingers flew over the screen. "What's here? Is it Nico like Reyna said?"
Beryl shook her old head. "No, no... It's not him."
"Then who is it?" Jason questioned.
"What is it?" she corrected. "And that...is a hard question."
"Demon?"
She nodded. "Most probably. Get your family out of that house, Jason. Before it attaches to them."
Jason looked up at the mansion he had claimed as home over the years, the place where he had raised his kids. "How'd it get here? Did something happen? Was it me?"
Beryl reached through the open window to grasp her son's hand. "Jason... Now's not the time to worry about that. It was deliberately brought in. If you had done it, you would have known... You need blessings. You need a priest. I can't help you with this one."
"And why not?" he demanded.
"Reyna won't let her in the house." Thalia finally spoke up, shooting her brother a soft glare. "She's turning-"
"I know my mother's age, Thalia." Jason scowled. "Are you calling her old?"
"I'm calling her fragile." Thalia corrected. "Go get someone else to help you."
"Thalia." Beryl placed a hand on her daughter's arm. "That's enough. Now...I'll help him find a priest but I'm not going in that house. That means we need to find a hotel nearby."
Thalia looked to Jason. "Is there one in town?"
"I can call down there and have it paid for." Jason stepped back from the car. "I have to go talk to Piper... You two can go get going. If things go bad I might take my family over there, too."
Thalia saluted him before driving off, the car working its way down that long driveway. The trees soon covered it from sight, leaving Jason standing in the lawn wondering how exactly he would tell Piper that they weren't safe in their own house.