"HOW OLD IS THALIA NOW?" he asked.
"Hard to say," I said. "She was a tree for a while. Now she's immortal."
"What?"
His expression was so shell-shocked, I couldn't help but laugh. I decided messing with Jason was fun. I should do it more.
"Don't worry. It's not something all children of Zeus go through. It's a long story, but ... well, she was out of commission for a long time. If she'd aged regularly, she'd be in her twenties now, but she still looks the same as in that picture, like she's about ... well, about our age. Around sixteen."
Jason frowned. "What's her last name?"
"Grace," I said. "Thalia Grace. You know, in a weird way, she's your sister."
Suddenly Jason's fingers seemed to go numb. The picture fluttered to the floor.
I immediately knelt down to face him, worry slipping through the mask I really didn't have to keep around him. "You okay?" I asked.
It wasn't hard to see the thoughts flashing through his mind. The realization along with doubt. A hint of darkness. What could he possibly know about my best friend, Thalia?
"What is it?" I pressed.
When he finally shifted his focus to me, I could see the trust in his blue eyes. It struck me, and I was surprised though I didn't let it show. How could he trust me? But didn't it make sense? He did after all, jump off the Grand Canyon skywalk without a second thought, just to save me.
But he's just like that. He is a good person, down to the bone. I wondered if anyone had ever taken advantage of it.
Jason grabbed my hands, seemingly without thinking. "You have to swear not to tell anyone else," he said.
"Jason—"
"Swear it," he urged. "Until I figure out what's going on, what this all means—" He rubbed the burned tattoos on his forearm. "You have to keep a secret."
I nodded, not hesitating, "All right. Until you tell me it's okay, I won't share what you say with anyone else. I swear on the River Styx."
Thunder rumbled, even louder than usual for the cabin. Jason picked up the photo from the floor. "My last name is Grace," he said. "This is my sister. We had the same mom."
My mask slipped back on, like a defense mechanism. His eyes searched mine, trying to see the reaction that I locked away. Jason looked regretful that he told me. Did he think I was upset?
Inside, I was really just confused and a tad dismayed. What did this mean? Zeus had another child behind the other god's backs? How come Thalia never told me?
"Angelique, say something," he whispered.
"I—"
Then the doors of the cabin burst open. Half a dozen campers spilled in, led by the bald guy from Iris, Butch. "Hurry!" he said, and I could tell that his expression was a mix of excitement and fear. "The dragon is back."
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THE DRAGON SWOOPED down from the blue sky. Carrying someone on it. A smiling latino that couldn't be anyone else except Leo.
There he was, sitting atop a giant bronze death machine and grinning like a lunatic. Even before he landed, the camp alarm went up. A conch horn blew. All the satyrs started screaming, "Don't kill me!" Half the camp ran outside in a mixture of pajamas and armor. The dragon set down right in the middle of the green, and Leo yelled, "It's cool! Don't shoot!"
Hesitantly, the archers lowered their bows. The warriors backed away, keeping their spears and swords ready. They made a loose wide ring around the metal monster. Other demigods hid behind their cabin doors or peeped out the windows. Nobody seemed anxious to get close.
I couldn't blame them. The dragon was huge. It glistened in the morning sun like a living penny sculpture —different shades of copper and bronze—a sixty-foot-long serpent with steel talons and drill-bit teeth and glowing ruby eyes. It had bat-shaped wings twice its length that unfurled like metallic sails, making a sound like coins cascading out of a slot machine every time they flapped.
"It's beautiful," I murmured. The other demigods stared at me with disbelief.
The dragon reared its head and shot a column of fire into the sky. Campers scrambled away and hefted their weapons, but Leo slid calmly off the dragon's back. He held up his hands like he was surrendering, except he still had that crazy grin on his face.
"People of Earth, I come in peace!" he shouted. He looked like he'd been rolling around in the campfire. His army coat and his face were smeared with soot. His hands were grease-stained, and he wore a new tool belt around his waist. His eyes were bloodshot. His curly hair was so oily it stuck up in porcupine quills, and he smelled strangely of Tabasco sauce. But he looked absolutely delighted. "Festus is just saying hello!"
I jutted my chin toward Leo and spoke to Annabeth- who had just came over- and Jason. "Let's get closer." Nyssa joined us, needing to see it for herself too. I pushed through the anxious crowd, the three flanking me.
I could tell everyone was getting more and more apprehended.
(Apprehended: the feeling of anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen)
"That thing is dangerous!" an Ares girl shouted, brandishing her spear. "Kill it now!"
"Stand down!" I ordered, the authority ringing through my voice. I finally got through the last of the crowd, and stood facing Leo and the dragon.
Jason gazed up at the dragon and shook his head in amazement. "Leo, what have you done?"
"Found a ride!" Leo beamed. "You said I could go on the quest if I got you a ride. Well, I got you a class-A metallic flying bad boy! Festus can take us anywhere!"
"It—has wings," Nyssa stammered. Her jaw looked like it might drop off her face.
"Yeah!" Leo said. "I found them and reattached them."
"But it never had wings. Where did you find them?"
Leo hesitated, and I could obviously tell that he was hiding something. But I let it slide.
"In... the woods," he said, his lying only apparent to me. "Repaired his circuits, too, mostly, so no more problems with him going haywire."
"Mostly?" Nyssa asked.
The dragon's head twitched. It tilted to one side and a stream of black liquid—maybe oil, hopefully just oil—poured out of its ear, all over Leo.
"Just a few kinks to work out," Leo said.
"But how did you survive... ?" Nyssa was still staring at the creature in awe. "I mean, the fire breath..."
"I'm quick," Leo said. "And lucky. Now, am I on this quest, or what?"
Jason scratched his head. "You named him Festus? You know that in Latin, 'festus' means 'happy'? You want us to ride off to save the world on Happy the Dragon?"
The dragon twitched and shuddered and flapped his wings.
"That's a yes, bro!" Leo said. "Now, um, I'd really suggest we get going, guys. I already picked up some supplies in the—um, in the woods. And all these people with weapons are making Festus nervous."
Jason frowned. "But we haven't planned anything yet. We can't just—"
"Go," Annabeth said. She was the only one beside me who didn't look nervous at all. Her expression was sad and wistful and I knew this reminded her of the better times. "Jason, you've only got three days until the solstice now, and you should never keep a nervous dragon waiting. This is certainly a good omen. Go!"
Jason nodded. Then he smiled at Piper and me. "You ready, partners?"
Piper looked at the bronze dragon. "You bet," she said.
Annabeth handed me my pack and I grimly nodded at her. She looked over me, her eyes crinkling with sorrow. She just had me back after all.
Before she could say anything, I pulled her into a tight hug. "Find him," I whispered in her ear. "I know you will."
"Go kill some bad guys," she replied back breathlessly.
I let go and looked toward Leo who was already getting Jason and Piper situated. I glanced at the crowd around us and wished I could see Khian one last time before I left. I turned the other direction and headed toward my new crew.
"Wait!"
My head whipped around faster than lightning. The moment I whirled around, Khian was already there, grabbing my waist then wrapping his arms around me in a heartbreaking embrace.
My eyes threatened to water with tears but I restrained. My voice was so quiet, even he could barely hear me. "I'm sorry."
When Khian disentangled his arms around me, he gave me a wry smile though it didn't show in his eyes. "It's okay. I can't keep you from saving the world again." He hesitated then said, "Farewell. Until I see you again. Angelique."
"Khian," I said, my voice lined with firmness. I gazed deep into his eyes so that he wouldn't look away. "Don't wait for me."
He bowed his head, unable to look at me and say that he would. Like all those years ago. Khian then pressed a kiss to my forehead, his lips rough and cool. "I can't promise."
Khian offered me one cheeky grin before dashing away and disappearing into the crowd. My eyes narrowed a tiny fraction. That cheeky bastard.
══════════════════════════
Flying on the dragon is the most amazing experience ever, I thought with a grin. I closed my eyes and felt the cool gales of wind on my face. It was such a freeing feeling.
Up high, the air was freezing cold; but the dragon's metal hide generated so much heat, it was like they were flying in a protective bubble. Talk about seat warmers! And the grooves in the dragon's back were designed like high-tech saddles, so they weren't uncomfortable at all. Leo showed us how to hook our feet in the chinks of the armor, like in stirrups, and use the leather safety harnesses cleverly concealed under the exterior plating. We sat single file: Leo in front, then Piper, then me, and Jason.
Leo used the reins to steer the dragon into the sky like he'd been doing it all his life. The metal wings worked perfectly, and soon the coast of Long Island was just a hazy line behind them. We shot over Connecticut and climbed into the gray winter clouds.
Leo grinned back at them. "Cool, right?"
"What if we get spotted?" Piper asked.
"The Mist," I explained. "It keeps mortals from seeing magic things. If they spot us, they'll probably mistake us for a small plane or something."
Piper glanced over her shoulder at me. "You sure about that?"
"Yes, Piper," I reassured her.
Then she asked. "Where are we heading?"
"To find the god of the North Wind," Jason said. "And chase some storm spirits."
"Hell yeah," I crowed.
A/N - THERE WILL BE A HUGE TIME-SKIP TO THE MARK OF ATHENA