El Héroe Perdido (Alma del Olimpo Libro 1)

III - If The Shoe Fits

I just need my earrings! "Piper!" Sol yelled.

Piper turned towards Sol and threw her earrings. It was clear that she didn't know what they were for, but she knew they must have been important. Sol caught them and connected the two seashell halves. Suddenly , she held a shining bronze sword with a seashell engraved in the hilt surrounded by doves. Piper's eyes widened.

"Not so tough now, are you, Dylan?" Sol taunted.

Jason rose unsteadily to his feet. "Stop," he croaked. Sol whipped towards him. How was he not dead, or at least severely wounded?

Dylan was clearly thinking the same thing. "How are you alive?" His form flickered. "That was enough lightning to kill twenty men!"

"My turn," Jason said.

He reached in his pocket and pulled out the gold coin.
He flipped the coin in the air, caught it in his palm, and then he was holding a sword, a wickedly sharp double-edged weapon. The ridged grip fit his fingers perfectly, and the whole thing was gold- hilt, handle, and blade.

Dylan snarled and backed up. He looked at his two comrades and yelled, "Well? Kill him! I'll take Sol!"

The other storm spirits didn't look happy with that order, but they flew at Jason, their fingers crackling with electricity. Dylan trained his sights on Sol. "My mistress wants the others alive, but not you. She's been very welcome towards the idea of killing you, as well as the one who brought you into my mistress's plans, but of course, that's impossible. Still, the least I can do is make sure you don't interfere with our plans again!"

Sol adjusted her grip on her sword uneasily, but tried not to let her discomfort show on her face. "So, you know who sent me on my quest, do you?"

Dylan scoffed. "Like I would tell you! Although, you'll be dead soon anyway, even if I did."

Just then, a puff of golden dust exploded beside them.

Jason had already dispelled the other two venti. Dylan wailed in outrage. He looked down as if expecting his comrades to re-form, but their gold dust remains dispersed in the wind. "Impossible! Who are you, half-blood?"

Piper was so stunned she dropped her club. "Jason, how...?" Then Coach Hedge leaped back onto the skywalk and dumped Leo like a sack of flour.

"Spirits, fear me!" Hedge bellowed, flexing his short arms. Then he looked around and realized there was only Dylan.

"Curse it, boy!" he snapped at Jason. Didn't you leave some for me? I like a challenge!"

Leo got to his feet, breathing hard. He looked completely humiliated, his hands bleeding from clawing at the rocks. "Yo, Coach Supergoat, whatever you are- I just fell down the freaking Grand Canyon! Stop asking for challenges!"

Dylan hissed at them, but Sol could see fear in his eyes.

"You have no idea how many enemies you've awakened, half-bloods. My mistress will destroy all demigods. This war you cannot win."

Above them, the storm exploded into a full-force gale.
Cracks expanded in the skywalk. Sheets of rain poured down, and Jason had to crouch to keep his balance.

A hole opened in the clouds a swirling vortex of black
and silver.

"The mistress calls me back!" Dylan shouted with glee. "And you, boy, will come with me!"

He lunged at Jason, but Piper tackled the monster from behind. Even though he was made of smoke, Piper somehow managed to connect. Both of them went sprawling. Leo, Jason, Sol and the coach surged forward to help, but the spirit screamed with rage: He let loose a torrent that knocked them all backward. Jason and Coach Hedge landed on their butts. Jason's sword skidded across the glass. Leo hit the back of his head and curled on his side, dazed and groaning. Sol fell back, her knee slamming down on an area of the bridge that was webbed with cracks. The floor collapsed under her, and she fumbled, trying to grab the edge of the new hole. She gasped as the jagged glass cut into her hands. Piper got the worst of it. She was thrown off Dylan's back and hit the railing, tumbling over the side until she was hanging by one hand over the abyss.