This Cold Year ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase²

―vii. naomi trips over a root vegetable

BY THE TIME JASON AND PIPER RETURNED from their audience with Father Winter, Naomi was about three seconds away from punching Leo in the face.

"So, just so I understand," he said, leaning back against a now fully-formed Festus, "both of your first kisses with your partners were right before some super dangerous, potentially fatal battle or event, right?"

Naomi sighed, regretting answering Leo's grilling questions. That'll teach her to try to bond with new people. "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up."

"So... if we end up on the verge of some super dangerous, potentially fatal battle or event..."

"Not a chance, Valdez," Naomi said. "I'm full-up in the romance department."

"Well, can your boyfriend fix a cool mechanical dragon?" Leo asked.

"My girlfriend probably could," Naomi said. "My boyfriend would probably just figure out a way to accidentally blow it up like most of his schools."

"Boyfriend play hockey?" Cal asked hopefully.

"He's more of a swim-team guy," Naomi said. "And skateboarding."

Leo brightened. "I can skateboard!"

Naomi stared at him. "Somehow I doubt that."

"Okay, maybe I've never tried, but I'm pretty sure it's not that—"

Jason and Piper chose that moment to relieve Naomi from the chore that was being forced to wait with a flirt with an apparent death wish and a Boread obsessed with hockey. Zethes and the pale girl (Khione, Cal had called her) descended the stairs right behind them, Khione looking miffed and Zethes looking slightly bored.

At the bottom step, Khione turned to Piper. "You have fooled my father, girl. But you have not fooled me. We are not done. And you, Jason Grace, I will see you as a statue in the throne room soon enough."

"Boreas is right," Jason said. "You're a spoiled kid. See you around, ice princess."

Naomi sighed. What was it with her quest companions and pissing off gods? First Percy and Ares, then Annabeth and Hera, now Jason and Piper and this Khione lady?

Was it Naomi? Did she have some weird let's-pick-fights-with-gods energy she didn't know about?

Khione's eyes flared pure white, then she stormed back up the stairs—literally. Halfway up, she turned into a blizzard and disappeared.

"Be careful," Zethes warned. "She never forgets an insult."

"She's the goddess of snow," Jason said. "What's she going to do, throw snowballs at us?"

Leo looked devastated. "What happened up there? You made her mad? Is she mad at me too? Guys, that was my prom date!"

"We'll explain later," Piper promised, looking at Jason, clearly expecting him to explain.

Jason looked slightly unnerved. Naomi wondered what had happened up there. "Yeah," he agreed, "we'll explain later."

"Be careful, pretty girl," Zethes told Piper. "The winds between here and Chicago are bad-tempered. Many other evil things are stirring. I am sorry you will not be staying. You would make a lovely ice statue, in which I could check my reflection."

"Thanks," Piper said, "but I'd sooner play hockey with Cal."

"Hockey?" Cal's eyes lit up.

"Joking," Piper said. "And the storm winds aren't our worst problem, are they?"

"Oh, no," Zethes agreed. "Something else. Something worse."

"Worse," Cal echoed.

"Can you tell me?" Piper gave them a smile.