THE HOUSE OF MEMORIES [J. GRACE]

THIRTY-ONE

hedge scoffed in disbelief. "why do you think she looks this good? can't you smell the gatorade?"

thalia looked at leo for the first time, and of course it was an accusatory glare, like why did you let the goat be a doctor? as if that was his fault somehow. "you, and the satyr," thalia ordered, sounding an awful lot like their blonde friend. it was like being commanded by a female, alternative version of him , "take this girl to my friend at the entrance. phoebe's an excellent healer."

"it's cold out there!" hedge complained, giving her some attitude for trying to force them into the snow. "i'll freeze my horns off."

"i'll take them," chandler volunteered quickly, slipping a gold ring onto a slim finger, her sword disappeared completely. leo assumed she sensed they needed time alone, also. his sister beckoned them after her, tucking some of her curly hair away from her face once more, "come on, hedge. these two need time to talk."

"humph. fine," the satyr muttered in begrudging agreement, taking chandler's words as less of a suggestion ( as they were not ) and, more of an order ( it was an order ). "didn't even get to brain anybody."

hedge carried piper toward the entrance. leo, and chandler was about to follow when jason called, actually, man, could you, um, stick around? it was the exact same time thalia said, fire-starter, can you stay? the hephaestus boy saw something in jason's eyes he didn't expect: the blonde was asking for support. he wanted somebody else there. he was scared.

leo pasted on a smile, and nodded. "sticking around is my specialty."

chandler cleared her throat, "actually, thals, i need to make sure hedge isn't bothering piper too much. plus, i haven't seen phoebe since the whole centaur blood thing," she explained, but she clearly sent a look to the girl that said, you've got this, one of her warm, reddish brown eyes dropping into a clever wink, before she disappeared out into the snow.

thalia didn't look too happy about it, but the three of them sat at the fire. for a few minutes, nobody spoke. jason studied his sister like she was a scary device, one that might explode if handled incorrectly. thalia seemed more at ease, as if she was used to stumbling across stranger things than long-lost relatives. but, still she regarded jason in a kind of amazed trance, maybe remembering a little two-year-old who tried to eat a stapler.

leo took a few pieces of copper wire out of his pockets, and twisted them together. finally, he couldn't stand the silence. "so...the huntresses of artemis. this whole not dating thing, is that like always, or more of a seasonal thing, or what?"

thalia stared at him as if he'd just evolved from pond scum. yeah, he was definitely liking this girl. jason kicked him in the shin, a glance that said quit it clear on his features. "don't mind leo. he's just trying to break the ice," he told his older sister, then, his electric blue eyes went back to her, and way from leo, "but, thalia...what happened to our family? who told you i was dead?"

thalia tugged at a silver bracelet on her wrist. in the firelight, in her winter camouflage, she almost looked like khione the snow princess, just as cold, and beautiful. "do you remember anything?" she asked him hesitatingly, as if she didn't want bring back any unwelcomed, bad memories.

jason shook his head, an awkward smile on his face as he had to explain to yet another person his small problem with his goddess-induced amnesia, "uh, no, nothing actually. i woke up three days ago on a school bus with leo, and piper."

"which wasn't our fault," the hephaestus added on hastily, he would hate if jason's big, scary older sister thought they'd kidnapped the honey blonde, and she went nuclear on them all. leo noted the way she'd considered doing so when piper spoke to her so suddenly, had his sister safely behind her, and everything. "it was hera who stole his memories, and plopped him on our field trip."