EMMA

His howl dies away and Arias' scream fills the air, his rage beating at us. My name echoes off the walls. I peer into red eyes glowing brightly like beacons, "Jason?"

He stumbles to me and pushes me away from the barrier and Arias. I glance over my shoulder at the man who is stealing everything from me. Smiling, I turn my back on him. He is meaningless, nothing to me. The journey back to the fire takes us a long time, my stupid foot, and he keeps stopping, panting heavily. Once we are settled, I study the arrow.

"It needs to come out. I'm worried though. I'm not sure I can stop the bleeding." My hand is shaking as I reach toward the arrow. I went hunting with daddy enough to recognize this is bad, although I also wonder why Arias missed the kill shot. I'm sure he is capable of making it. The only answer is even in his rage, he wanted to make Jason suffer. Running my fingers along the feather I follow the shaft down to the entrance wound, a soft growl comes from his mouth. Laying my hand on his side, I stare at his face, lips curled back and white teeth gleaming at me. His tongue lolls out as he pants.

"Shh, it's ok, Beastie. This is going to hurt, but it needs to come out. I'm going to count to three, then jerk it right out. I'd done it before with deer. Daddy made sure I could feed myself- you know, in case of an apocalypse or invasion. I'll tell you all about my weird childhood someday." I grab the shaft and stand up, praying I'm strong enough. "One, two..." Jerking it as hard as I can, I fall back, arrow in hand. I glance up and red eyes are leveled on me. I smile. "Daddy always said it hurts less if you're surprised."

Looking back at the wound, I rip off my shirt and press it hard, trying to stop the blood from flowing out. It isn't long before the warm wetness soaking it is on my skin. His breaths are coming slower and slower. Tears are streaming down my face. He's dying. The blood isn't slowing, and I don't understand why. Burying my face in his neck, I sob. Warmth glides along my cheek as his tongue licks away my tears.

"I can't lose you. I never even had a chance to really meet you. Selfish I know, but still." Glancing around, my gaze falls on the large stone tablet. Arias’ words echo through my head. He had said this was where his life with human started started, where he was thrown away. I try to remember the story he told me on the beach, what temple is this. Gasping, I peek at my beast. His eyes are closed, and his breath is shallow, scarcely coming.

"Now or never, Emma. Be epic or not," I whisper to myself. I rise, grabbing the arrow in my hand. Crossing to the table, I try to remember everything I learned about the Greek Gods. They seem to like sacrifice. Okay, here it goes. Climbing up, I think of the GIF I sent to Aislin. Of course it would be me on the table. A growl startles me, and I see my beast struggling to rise. "Don't worry, I'm going to find you help."

All I got to sacrifice is me. I hope my blood is enough to break through the barrier. "Hades, if you can hear me, save him please." I speak clearly, locking eyes with his red ones before I draw the arrow head across my wrist. Gasping at the pain, I glance down at the blood flows out onto to stone. A howl rings out and I jerk my eyes to him. Blood still flows steadily from his wound. I glance down at my wrist and then back at him.

"Does he usually take a while? I hope not because we might not have a while. I can't die for nothing." Sliding off the table I hobble over to him, blood dripping off the ends of my fingers. I lean on him, head on his stomach. Holding my wrist with my hand, I try to at least slow the blood.

"God, I'm so stupid. It had something on it, didn't it?" He rumbles a little noise of agreement. How long does it take to bleed out, I wonder. We are covered in blood minutes later, and my eyes start to slide closed.

"I don't think he is coming." Looking at his face, I reach out and run my bloody fingers over his ears. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save you, save us. I wish we met somewhere else. I'm going to tell you something okay. Great, well, ever since that first night, the one when Aislin introduced us on the video, I thought of you, dreamt of you. Silly really, I don't know anything about you but you felt... Important to me." I pretty sure that last was a bit slurred, spots fill my vision and I slip into darkness. A howl is the last thing I hear.

* * *

Hades raises his head. Someone made a sacrifice. His brows draw down tight. No one has done that in hundreds of years. Dressing in modern jeans and a black t-shirt, he sifts to his temple and hits a ward. Anger courses through him and his eyes burn bright as he draws his powers to him and blasts through the ward. Striding to the offering chamber, he stops, freezing, taking in the scene in front of him. A human female is draped over his hunter, her blood spilled on the stones, calling to him. Her prayer whispers to him 'Save him please.' His eyes land on Jason, his hunter, his son, who dared do this. Crossing to them, he probes Jason's mind, finding him locked deep within the hellhound. Spelled by a witch. He shatters the spell with his power, and in an instant, Jason lays before him.

"Save her, Father." He says those three words before he passes out, one of which Hades never heard him utter before. Laying his hands on them both, he sifts them all to the Underworld, to his lab.