This Cold Year ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase²

―xiii. another enemy, another battle, another war

NAOMI WOKE UP IN A DRESS—which was probably one of the most normal things to happen so far on this quest—sitting at a table at some quaint little downtown café with a view of the mountains spread out around her.

"What the—" She sat up quickly, like all the adrenaline she'd had escaping Aeolus's palace surged back in an instant.

She smelled eucalyptus trees, and while she'd only ever been here once, she recognized the smell and the memories that accompanied it.

California.

Everyone seemed to have woken up just as abruptly, struggling to get their bearings back. Jason looked at Piper and made a little choking sound. "What are you wearing?"

Piper's face flushed. She was in a turquoise dress with black leather boots, with a snowboarding jacket, which matched the outfit surprisingly well. Her hair was done up, too, shiny and frizz-free.

"It's nothing," she said. "It's my—" She stopped herself. "It's nothing."

Leo grinned. "Aphrodite strikes again, huh? You're gonna be the best-dressed warrior in town, beauty queen."

"Hey, Leo." Jason nudged his arm. "You look at yourself recently?"

"What... oh."

All of them seemed to have gotten a makeover. Leo was wearing pinstriped pants, black leather shoes, a white collarless shirt with suspenders, and his tool belt, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and a porkpie hat.

"God, Leo," Piper snickered. "I think my dad wore that to his last premiere, minus the tool belt."

"Hey, shut up!"

"I think he looks good," said Coach Hedge. "'Course, I look better."

The satyr was wearing so much gaudy pastel that it gave Naomi a headache. He had on a baggy zoot suit with two-tone shoes that fit over his hooves, with a matching yellow broad-brimmed hat, a rose-colored shirt, a baby blue tie, and a blue carnation in his lapel, which Hedge sniffed and then ate.

Naomi was almost afraid to look, but she grabbed the metal napkin dispenser and took a look at herself. She was wearing a bit of makeup, her lips a familiar shade of... was it Myra Crimson or Janet Rust? She couldn't remember which one she'd chosen the first time she met the goddess of beauty.

She was in a dress, like Piper, but was black with a floral pattern of dark pink roses and lighter pink peonies. She could feel that she had bicycle shorts on underneath (thank gods) and there were black boots on her feet that reached a little above her ankle. Thankfully, she also had a jacket—one she was pretty sure was Annabeth's, since it smelled like her lavender perfume.

"Well," Naomi said. "This is definitely a weird turn of events."

Piper swallowed, looking away from Jason (she'd definitely been staring). "Yeah," she agreed. "How did we get here?"

"Oh, that would be Mellie," Hedge said, chewing happily on his carnation (Naomi scowled at the blatant disrespect). "Those winds shot us halfway across the country, I'd guess. We would've been smashed flat on impact, but Mellie's last gift—a nice soft breeze—cushioned our fall."

"And she got fired for us," Leo said. "Man, we suck."

"Ah, she'll be fine," Hedge said. "Besides, she couldn't help herself. I've got that effect on nymphs. I'll send her a message when we're through with this quest and help her figure something out. That is one aura I could settle down with and raise a herd of baby goats."

"I'm going to be sick," Piper said. "Anyone else want coffee?"

"Coffee!" Hedge's grin was stained blue from the flower. "I love coffee!"