Jazz was feeling great, she had just gotten back together with Duke. Training was going well and she was making friends at camp. She was just headed back to her cabin when she realized James wasn't at training that day. Jazz had thought he was feeling better...
She headed over to the Morpheus cabin and knocked on the door frame, "...James?"
He was still curled up in his bed, and looked up when she entered, "Hey, Jazz."
"What's wrong, Little Brother?" She sat on the edge of his bed.
"Stuff with Ethanael...it's nothing." James looked away from her gaze, and curled up more under the blankets.
Jazz pet his hair gently, "What did he do?"
"Why is it that he automatically did something?"
"Because..." She sighed, "I just...What happened?"
"We had a date. He had it all planned out, and everything was great, and then his ex showed up. He started telling Ethanael that he's just using me, and the he doesn't really like me."
I knew it. "Anything else?"
"He told Ethanael that he loves him..." James curled up more, "Ethanael was denying everything! He kept reminding this guy that Ethanael broke it off in the first place. And...I don't know. It just made me feel weird..."
"I'm going to talk to this Ethanael kid." She stood and walked out of the cabin to look for the boy who hurt her brother. Jazz headed to the arena and walked over to Ethanael. He wasn't training, but sat on the bench glaring at anybody who came too close, and playing with one of his throwing stars.
"What in the Hades did you do to James?!" She growled and stood in front of him. No one hurt her little brother and got away with it.
"I didn't do anything!" He nearly yelled back. Ethanael's hands were trembling, and his breathing was shallow. The rest of his answer was more to himself than to her, "Stupid Jonathan, just wants to destroy everything good I get."
"Who's Jonathan?" Her tone made it clear she wanted answers and was in no mood for screwing around.
"My ex. The asshole." Ethanael hissed back, his grip on the star tightened threateningly.
Jazz shook her head, this kid was too young to have an ex already, "What did he do?"
He glared daggers at her, clearly not going to answer.
The look didn't faze her at all. Being in the Hades Cabin changed her a lot. She wasn't as girly as before, she was a better fighter, and she didn't take crap from anyone. Camp had changed her. "Ethanael, whatever happened, it destroyed James. He's hurting. So you better give me answers before I get pissed."
"He hasn't touched James. I'm not going to let him." Again, the last part of his response was more to himself than her, "If James would just let me explain, he would understand that Johnny is just insane."
Jazz glared at Ethanael, "If he hurts my brother I'm blaming you."
"I'm not letting him touch, James."
"I won't either. But you better tell me what Jonathan did." Jazz was two seconds away from grabbing Ethanael and ripping his throat out. Ethanael didn't answer, instead he pulled his knees up to his chest, and glared at nothing behind her. Jazz was fed up with this kid. She grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him to the ground, at the same time she pulled a knife from her boot and held it to his throat, "Dammit! Tell me what the Hades happened! I need to know so I can protect James too!" This was a new Jazz. Anger danced in her eyes, she was furious. She had never been this angry before. Ever.
Ethanael gasped, trying to pull her off but lacking the strength as his lungs seemed to give out on him. He gasped for breath as one hand gripped her arm at his neck loosely, the other still clutched the cool celestial bronze of the throwing star his panicked mind couldn't use.
Jazz saw the sun glint off of the star out of the corner of her eye. She quickly disarmed him then glared at him, "What happened? Why would this crazy ass kid want to hurt James?"
He didn't answer, he couldn't as his breathing grew rapidly more ragged. More useless, panic filling his eyes from the lack of oxygen.
James' sister let him up but still held the knife close to his throat, "Now, I'm gonna ask you again. What happened? Why would Jonathan want to hurt my little brother?"
Try as he might, Ethanael couldn't calm himself down. He'd had this kind of attack before, but never this bad. The sides of his vision were getting fuzzy and dark. He couldn't breathe. His now freed hands went to clutch at his hair as he fell to his knees.
Jazz growled and walked away from him, it was obvious he wouldn't be helpful. So she walked away from him. She'd have to get her answers elsewhere. The scary thing was, Jazz would have killed him to protect James.