Where You Go ― Jason Grace

x. jason takes a mid-flight nap (and almost dies)

Ophelia looked from Hazel to the coach, wondering what was going on with the satyr, and how Hazel knew about it.

Frank drummed his fingers on the table. "I don't suppose Reyna has a cell phone...? Nah. Never mind. She'd probably have bad reception on a pegasus flying over the Atlantic." 

Ophelia thought about the Argo II's journey across the ocean, the dozens of near-fatal encounters they'd had. Thinking about Reyna making that journey alone—she couldn't decide if it was terrifying or awe-inspiring. 

"She'll find us," Jason said confidently. "She mentioned something in the dream—she's expecting me to go to a certain place on our way to the House of Hades. I—I'd forgotten about it, actually, but she's right. It's a place I need to visit." 

"And where is this place?" Ophelia asked. 

"A town called Split," he answered. 

"Split? Never heard of it." 

"Yeah," Jason said. "In fact, we should be getting close. Leo?" 

Leo punched the intercom button. "How's it going up there, buddy?"

Festus the figurehead creaked and steamed. 

"He says maybe ten minutes to harbor," Leo reported. "Though I still don't get why you want to go to Croatia, especially a town called Split. I mean, you name your city Split, you gotta figure it's a warning to, you know, split. Kind of like naming your city Get Out!" 

"Wait," Hazel said. "Why are we going to Croatia?" 

Ophelia noticed that most of the crew seemed reluctant to meet her eyes. Since her Mist-trick against Sciron the bandit, everyone seemed a little nervous around her. Ophelia understood, even if she didn't agree. She'd pulled off some serious magic on the cliff, and according to Hazel, Pluto himself had appeared to her, which was what Romans typically called a bad omen. 

But Ophelia was decidedly pro-whatever Romans decided were superstitions, mostly because the last time she'd watched someone get treated like a bad omen, it nearly killed her—twice. 

Superstitions were bullshit anyway. 

Leo pushed his chips and hot sauce aside. "Well, technically we've been in Croatian territory for the past day or so. All that coastline we've been sailing past is it, but I guess back in the Roman times it was called... what'd you say, Jason? Bodacious?" 

"Dalmatia," Nico said, making Jason jump, his fingers locking around Ophelia's thigh in his flinch.

Ophelia covered her laugh with a cough. 

Nico stepped forward out of the shadows, his dark eyes fixed on Jason. "Croatia used to be Dalmatia," Nico said. "A major Roman province. You want to visit Diocletian's Palace, don't you?" 

Coach Hedge managed another heroic belch. "Whose palace? And is Dalmatia where those Dalmatian dogs come from? That 101 Dalmatians movie—I still have nightmares." 

Frank scratched his head. "Why would you have nightmares about that?" 

Coach Hedge looked like he was about to launch into a major speech about the evils of cartoon Dalmatians, but thankfully Jason jumped in. 

"Nico is right," he said. "I need to go to Diocletian's Palace. It's where Reyna will go first, because she knows I would go there." 

Piper raised an eyebrow. "And why would Reyna think that? Because you've always had a mad fascination with Croatian culture?"