Wild ― Piper McLean

―xxvii. enjoy the show

THEY SET DOWN IN KANSAS earlier than Verona wanted to be awake. It was wholly unfair that on top of all this life-and-death quest stuff, they had to keep waking up at the crack of dawn as if sleep wasn't vital for demigod health. Somnus would be devastated.

Despite her exhaustion, though, Verona perked up the moment she set foot on the deck. The air smelled of irrigation, warm plants, and freshly tilled earth. It smelled like summer and life and home, and she breathed it in as deeply as she could without choking. 

Piper was right behind her, handing Verona a chocolate chip bagel with cream cheese. Verona grinned, thanking her with a kiss before she took a big bite. 

"So!" Annabeth plucked Piper's bagel out of her hand and took a bite before handing it back. "Here we are. What's the plan?"

"I want to check out that highway," Piper said. "Find the sign that says Topeka 32."

Leo lowered the sails. "We shouldn't be far," he said. "Festus and I calculated the landing as best we could. What do you expect to find at the mile marker?"

Piper explained the visions she'd seen in her knife—a man in purple with a goblet, with a hat decorated with what she thought were grape vines. 

"Purple shirt?" Jason asked. "Vines on his hat? Sounds like Bacchus."

"Dionysus," Percy muttered disdainfully. "If we came all the way to Kansas to see Mr. D—"

"Bacchus isn't so bad," Jason said. "I don't like his followers much..." 

Verona grimaced. She, Piper, Jason, and Leo had had a bit of a run-in with the maenads a few months ago, and she still had nightmares. 

"But the god himself is okay," Jason continued. "I did him a favor once up in the wine country."

Percy looked appalled. "Whatever, man. Maybe he's better on the Roman side. But why would he be hanging around Kansas?" 

"He likes wheat?" Verona threw out. 

He frowned. "Why would a wine god care about wheat?"

Verona shrugged. "Why did Princess Diana marry Charles? The world's full of unanswered questions." She shook her head with a sigh. "I'm just glad they ended up getting divorced." 

Annabeth frowned. "But didn't she d—" 

"What were we talking about again?" Piper interrupted. "Wine gods in Kansas? What's up with that?"

Percy looked from Piper to Annabeth to Verona, but ultimately seemed to decide it wasn't worth asking. "Didn't Zeus order the gods to cease all contact with mortals?"

Frank grunted. "The gods haven't been very good at following that order," he noted. "Besides, if the gods have gone out of control like Hazel and Verona said—" 

"And Leo said," Leo added. 

Frank scowled at him. "Then who knows what's going on with the Olympians? Could be some pretty bad stuff out there."

"Sounds dangerous!" Leo agreed cheerfully. "Well... you guys have fun. I've got to finish some repairs on the hull. Coach Hedge is gonna work on the broken crossbows. And, uh, Annabeth—I could really use your help. You're the only other person who even sort of understands engineering."

Annabeth looked apologetically at Percy. "He's right. I should stay and help."

"I'll come back to you." He kissed her on the cheek. "Promise." 

Frank slid his bow off his shoulder and propped it against the rail. "I think I should turn into a crow or something and fly around, keep an eye out for Roman eagles."