The other Grace/HoO fanfiction

(13) Pikes Peak

The smell of burgers filled the air. Leo handed them the food he had made and, damn he knew how to cook. Layla almost felt sad she hadn't been woken up to try his tacos.

"We need to talk." Piper said breaking the silence. "I don't want to hide anything from you guys anymore. Three nights before the Grand Canyon trip I had a dream vision- a giant, telling me my father had been taken hostage. He told me I had to cooperate, or my dad would be killed."

The three others looked at her unsure of what to do with this new piece of information.

Finally Jason spoke. "Enceladus? You've mentioned that name before."

Layla winced as she remembered his name from mythology. "Big giant. Breathes fire. Impossible to be killed. We are so not lucky."

"Piper, go on. What happened next?" Jason said giving his sister a shut up look.

"To get my dad back, I had to sabotage this quest. I didn't realize it would be the four of us. Then after we started the quest, Enceladus sent me another warning: he told me he wanted Jason and Leo dead. He wants me to lead you to a mountain. I don't know exactly which one, but it's in the Bay Area- I could see the Golden Gate Bridge from the summit. I have to be there by noon on the solstice. An exchange."  The daughter of Afrodite's gaze wouldn't meet theirs.

"Gods, Piper. I'm so sorry." Jason said after a while. Layla wanted to make the girl feel better but had no idea what it say so she just patted her back confortingly. 

"No kidding. You've been carrying this around for a week? Piper we could've helped you." Leo said.

Piper glared at them. "Why don't you yell at me or something? I was ordered to kill you!"

"Aw, come on," Jason said. You've saved us all on this quest so many times. I'd trust my life in your hands any day." Jason said.

"Me too." Layla agreed.

"Same," Leo said. "Can I have a hug, too?"

"You don't get it!" Piper seemed to be in the verge of tears. "I've probably killed my dad, telling you this."

"I doubt it." Layla said. "Your dad is still useful to the giants. He won't do anything until he gets what he wants. Unless, off course, you don't show up 'till the deadline which is," She counted the days in her finger. "Tommorow."

"Wow," Leo said. "You are very good at encouraging people."

Layla glared at the boy before continuing. "The point is, if Enceladus is trying to lead out quest at that mountain, that means that Hera is kept somewhere else. We have to choose who are we going to save, your dad or Hera. If we go for Hera, Enceladus will take care of your dad. But I don't think that if we go to the mountain he will let us go. We are part of the second great prophecy, after all."

"So we have no choice," Piper said miserably. "We have to save, Hera, or the giant king gets unleashed. That's out quest. The world depends on it. And Enceladus seems to have ways of watching me. He isn't stupid. He'll know if we change course and go the wrong way. He'll kill my dad."

"He's not gonna kill your dad." Leo assured. "We'll save him."

"We don't have time!" Piper cried. "Besides, it's a trap."

"We are your friends beauty queen," Leo said. "We're not going to let your dad die. We just gotta figure out a plan."

"It would help if we knew where this mountain was. Maybe Aeolus can tell us. The Bay Area has a bad reputation for demigods. Mount Orthys, old home of the Titans sits over Mount Tam, where Atlas holds up the sky. I hope that's not the mountain you saw." Layla said.

"I don't think so. This was inland. "Piper replied.

Jason frowned. "Bad reputation... that doesn't seem right. The Bay Area... "

"You think you've been there?" Piper asked.

"I..." Jason as if he remembered something but then immediately forgot it. "I don't know. Layla what happened to Mount Orthys?"

"Well, Kronos built a new palace there last summer. Big nasty place was going to be his headquarters for his knew kingdom and all. I've work-" I've worked there, she was about to say. Fortunately, she stopped herself. She took a breath and continued. "Anyway, after he was defeated in Manhattan, the whole place just crumbled on its own or something."

"No." Jason argued.

"What do you mean, 'No'?" Layla raised an eyebrow. "I was there, I know the story."

"That's not what happened. I-" Suddenly he stopped. "Did you hear that?"

It took Layla a while to realize what he was talking about. Once she focused she could hear wolves howling in distance. They seemed to be getting closer and closer. And they certainly weren't friendly.

Words couldn't describe how much she hated Wolves. Perhaps even more than Magnus Chase did.