"NO!" I screamed, falling backwards onto my already broken arm. "What do want?" I yelled, finally stopping to talk.
Choose your curse, Jason Jackson
I could feel the dagger in my hand. I knew I would die if I raised it to fight. What would my mom do? She must have held this very dagger a million times in battle, what did she do then? She could come up with a way out of everything.
Choose your curse, Jason Jackson
I was the grandchild of Olympian gods. My parents are the strongest demigods in history. They saved the world before it ever had a chance to end. I'd killed monsters older than mankind itself. I've lead large scale battles since I was eleven years old. I was trained by the greatest teacher ever to exist. I'd survived this long, I wasn't going to give up now.
You're going to die, choose your curse or we shall choose it for you
Bob and Damasen had left us no more than a day ago, and I promised them we'd live to see them again. I needed to get up, stand my ground. I needed to find Charlie. But how? The arai were stronger than anything I'd ever faced.
You will die
"Can, not will," I muttered. I couldn't kill them. I couldn't fight them. What else did I have besides fighting?
Choose a curse, Jason.
My thoughts went back to my mom. She didn't have powers. When she couldn't fight, she used her brain. She was the smartest person I'd ever met. I'm sure she'd know what to do.
Choose a curse or we will
I listened this time. Choose a curse. They wanted me to choose how I die. No, that's not what they said. They said to choose a curse, so I just needed to find a curse that didn't result in death. But how would I know what I've been cursed with?
Choose your curse!
Casey. When we were preparing for battle, she'd jokingly cursed me. Did that count? I thought back to what she had said, "I'd curse you to have to talk to your enemy instead of just killing." That curse would keep me from killing the arai, but it would also keep the arai from killing me. They would have to talk to me. I didn't like the idea, but it was the only one I had.
"I choose the curse of Casey Jackson!" I said loudly and confidently. Did the curse have an actual name or could I just say the name of the one who cursed me? The arai stopped coming towards me. They looked to each other. It was the first time I'd seen them react to anything, so I hoped I'd said the right thing.
We will talk.
So it worked. Now what? How was I supposed to come to reason with these things? I took a deep breath and set my sword down, trying to show a sign of peace. I held my abdomen and tried not to cry in pain. Everything hurt. I couldn't walk because of my legs and I could barely see. Blood oozed past my fingers from the stab wound in my stomach, and my arm was immobile and in too much pain to even look at. I had nothing else to give. I was as good as dead anyway, and I had to get Charlie back.
"What do you want from me?" I finally asked.
To curse you
The arai's mouths didn't open when they spoke. I couldn't even tell where the voice was coming from. I had to remind myself that they couldn't kill me while we were talking.
"Well, this is my curse. What can I do to make this go away?" I just wanted this to be over. I wanted to go home and I never wanted to think about this place again. I wanted to just forget this whole experience. "How do I get Charlie back? I want Charlie and I want to go. What can I do to make that happen?"
The arai seemed to be thinking. They finally settled on something but none of them seemed to like it. If possible, they looked solemn. I'd chosen a curse that forced them to go outside their comfort zone. They had to find something new.
They nodded and the wispy light that sent me into a state of fear came again. It faded as quickly as it had come, and Charlie's body was revealed. I scrambled to him before I could recognize the pain of moving. I took his cold head and placed my lips slowly to his forehead, whispering words of encouragement.
You must take the curse in order to take him
I clung to his shirt. I was scared that they'd take him away again. "What curse?" I asked nervously. Charlie was awake, I could tell by the way his fingers curled around my own.
If you want him, you must take the curse of the arai
The arai have a curse? It couldn't be anything good. I didn't want to admit how terrified I was. Charlie opened his eyes. There were small snowflakes on his eyelashes. I took his hand as he shook his head and held me tightly.
"Don't do it. Don't agree," was the first thing he said. He knew something about this curse, something I didn't know. I turned to the arai.
"What is this curse?" I asked. I'd like to know what I'm getting into before I agree.
You take the curse or we take your life
I glared at them. There wasn't much of a life left for me, I was probably going to die from my injuries anyway.
We will also take Charlie Valdez
I glared even harder and noticed my hand starting to shake in a combination of fear and anger.
Take the curse or we -
"Fine! I'll take your bloody curse!"
Charlie shook his head frantically. I had to look away. Something scared him about me taking this curse, and it scared it me too. But they were going to take Charlie, let alone kill me.
"I said I'll take it!" I shouted.
You already have
They suddenly disappeared, leaving me in a state of confusion. I was scared, don't get me wrong. But I was more confused than anything. The Athena in me wondered why there was nothing to the curse yet.
"I don't get it!"
We're coming, Jason. And we'll never stop.
I felt hollow. Their words hit me in a bundle, just fear and terror. I understood what the curse was. The arai took your worst fear and made it a reality. My worst fear was that I would never leave Tartarus. Now, a part of it would always be with me. The arai had just ensured that even if I escaped, which wasn't likely, I would never be free of Tartarus.
Your dreams, your every waking hour. We're coming. In the back of your mind. In the corner of your eye. When you think you're safe, remember we're here, and we're coming.
They were gone but I could still hear their voices. "Charlie, do you hear that?" They must still be here somewhere, just out of sight.
He can't hear us, Jason.
I spun around to try to find the source of the sound but there was nothing there. They were in my head. I closed my eyes, but I could see them in my mind.
"Jase, open your eyes!" Charlie cupped his still-cold hands around my cheeks. When I finally looked at him he only pulled me into his arms. I was in so much pain, everything hurt. And I was terrified. I felt like I was going to pass out from the pain I was in. We'd only been sleeping for an hour or so when the arai attacked.
"Go to sleep. I'll keep watch," Charlie said softly.
I shook my head. "No," I argued. "What if something happens?"
"Then we're screwed," Charlie shrugged. I stared at him with wide eyes and he chuckled. "I'm joking! If something happens, I'll wake you up. Simple." He smiled reassuringly. "I'm going to clean out your wounds and try to use Damasen's herb things."
