Descending the stairs back into the entry hall, I see Leo's eyes following Khione. He looks like he got cleaned up, with freshly washed clothes and everything. Festus is back in his normal dragon form, snorting fire on his scales to keep them defrosted. Leo combs his hair back with his hands as we approach. Theodora scowls. I wonder what that's about.
At the bottom of the stairs, Khione turns 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. As for you, Theodora, don't think your gifts will protect you. Hera was the one who cared about you. The other gods couldn't care less whether you live or die. I wouldn't put as much weight behind that as you are."
Theo looks her up and down. "Boreas is right. You're a spoiled kid. See you around, ice princess."
Kind of a bold move, but if any of us are going to fight Khione, I give Theo the best odds.
Her eyes flash pure white, and for a second, I think she's going to blast her. But she seems at a loss for words. She storms up the stairs- literally. Halfway up, she dissolves into an angry blizzard and disappears.
"Be careful, pretty girl." Zethes warns her. "She never forgets an insult."
Cal grunts in agreement. "Bad sister."
"She's the goddess of snow. What's she gonna do, throw snowballs at us?" I say it lightheartedly, and I'm glad to back up Theo, but I get a feeling she could do much worse.
Leo looks devastated. "What happened up there? You made her mad? Is she mad at me too? Guys, that was my prom date!"
Theo grumbles something under her breath. She got really tense when Boreas changed into Aquilon. And call me crazy, but I get a feeling that she's jealous of how Leo looks at Khione.
"We'll explain later." Piper says, clearly lost in thought as well.
"Yeah..." I'm completely confused as to what is going on. "We'll explain later."
"Be careful, pretty girl, and used-to-be-pretty girl." Zethes nods his head to Theo and 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 lovely ice statues, in which I could check my reflection."
"Thanks." Theo replies curtly. "But I'd sooner play hockey with Cal." I don't know what's gotten into her. She's on a roll insulting everyone.
Cal's eyes light up. "Hockey?"
"She's joking," Piper shoots her a weird look. "And the storm winds aren't our worst problem, are they?"
"Oh, no." Zethes replies. "Something else, something worse."
"Can you tell me?" Piper flashes them a smile, but it doesn't work. The Boreads shake their heads in unison. The hangar doors above us open, revealing a starry night sky. Festus stomps his feet, ready to go.
"Ask Aeolus what is worse." Zethes tells us. "He knows. Good luck."
Theo mounts the dragon first, clearly anxious to go.
Cal pats Leo on the shoulder, as if he's saying goodbye to an old friend. "Don't get destroyed. Next time- pizza, hockey."
I climb up too. "Come on guys," I'm anxious to get out of here too. "Let's go to Chicago and try not to get destroyed."
After takeoff, Piper and I fill Leo in on what he missed. Theo stays silent, focusing just on Festus. Something really bothered her in there.
About an hour into the flight, Leo passes out sandwiches. "I still can't believe Khione." He says. "She looked so nice."
I hear Theo scoff into her sandwich.
"Trust me man," I tell him. "Snow may be pretty, but up close, it's cold and nasty. We'll find you a better prom date."
We ride in silence. I finish my sandwich, not having noticed how hungry I was. I think about what Boreas had said to us. An uneasy feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. Theo has a death grip on Festus's reins. I think Aquilon is what really shook her. She seemed better before then. Then she went insulting Khione and the Boreads. Probably not a good idea.
"Theo, you alright?" I ask her. She jumps at the sound of my voice.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She grumbles. "Just... thinking."
"Yeah, you seem fine." Leo tells herr sarcastically. He puts a hand on her shoulder. "Jeez, you're tense."
"I'm fine. Really." She insists. "That Aquilon thing just freaked me out is all."
"It freaked us all out." Piper tells her. "He said some scary stuff."
"No, I get that." She sighs. "Something about his Roman form, it made me really uneasy. Like, really uncomfortable. Sorry Jason, but I get the same feeling when you speak Latin. I'm not freaked out by you though, I promise."
Well, that doesn't make me feel great. I'll have to try and watch my Latin. It just comes so naturally to me. "Sorry." I try.
She looks back at me. "Don't be sorry. I promise you don't make me uncomfortable. I think it's... I don't know. I'm so... Greek."
"That could make sense." Piper offers. "You were created by the gods in their Greek forms. You were given life by a Greek god."
I remember what Chiron had told me about her. "If you're purely Greek, maybe the Roman forms are threatening to you?"
She shrugs, finishing the sandwich that Leo gave her. "If you guys want to sleep, go for it. I've got this for now."
Something tells me she wants some time to herself.
Piper almost immediately leans back on my chest and closes her eyes. I don't mind.
