(Madi's POV)
Leo fell asleep on Festus' neck. I looked at him, and smiled. He was incredible, he let me sleep last night with his jacket while he worked restlessly on Festus. I felt horrible that I didn't help. But riding Festus was so much fun now! I was gripping the reins tightly and glanced at Leo every now and then.
"Someone's in love," Piper cooed from behind me.
"I am not!" I protested. But of course, it was true. I doubted he felt the same way though. When we got there I was told to wake Leo up so I did. In the way Piper forced me to do so.
"Wake up Prince Charming." I said. Leaning down next to his face, he stirred slightly. And Piper motioned for me to do the thing. She spent the last few minutes convincing me to confess to Leo. I told her I don't want to. But she's making me wake him up with a kiss anyway.
"Hey! Prince Charming! Wake up!" I pouted. But leaned in closer, and kissed his cheek. I sat up as soon as his eyes flung open and he gained his bearings.
"Huh? What?" He asked. I handed him the reins. We made eye contact and he touched his cheek in shock.
"We're here." Piper said simply. I glared at her, WHY!? I mouthed. Because you would've had to do it sooner or later! She mouthed back and I grabbed Leo's waist for support again. I looked ahead and saw a giant building. It was a hotel I think.
"Tell me that's Quebec and not Santa's workshop." Leo said, nervous.
"It's Quebec city." Piper said.
"Your dad do a movie on that too?" Leo raised an eyebrow. I pinched him.
"I read sometimes okay?" Piper replied, "Just because I'm Aphrodite's daughter doesn't mean I'm an airhead."
"Right." I said, "But then what's the building? A hotel?" Piper nodded.
"No way, the North Wind is staying at a hotel?" Leo laughed.
"Hang on guys." Jason warned, "We got company."
The new guys were winged figures, like angels but angry and they had nasty looking swords. Festus didn't seem to like them. He stopped suddenly and got ready to blow fire.
"Steady boy," Leo said to the dragon.
"I don't like this," Jason said, "They look like storm spirits." I nodded. They did slightly resemble the form Dylan had taken on at the canyon. YUCK! But as the angel dudes got closer, I could tell they were more solid than the venti from before. They appeared to be normal teenagers, just with a more icey appearance. They pulled up in front of Festus with their swords drawn.
"No clearance." One said. He had a mullet and was VERY ugly.
"No! Clearance!" The other one repeated. He looked like a buff hockey dude from TV. I hated those types.
"S'cuse me?" Leo asked, probably annoyed.
"You have no permission to land here." Mullet said. On top of everything else, he had a HORRIBLE french accent. It was insulting for someone who had French heritage. Which I did.
"This is restricted airspace," Mullet added.
"Destroy them?" Hockey dude prompted. Jason summoned his sword and I went to my sides, where Annabeth had given me twin daggers to fight with. I put my hand around the one on my left, keeping my other hand around Leo's waist.
"Hold it!" Leo shouted, "Let's have some manners here boys! May I at least know who gets the honor of destroying me and my friends?"
"I am Cal!" Hockey dude grunted.
"That's short for Calais." Mullet explained, "Sadly my brother cannot pronounce words with more than two syllables–"
"Pizza! Hockey! Destroy!" Cal grunted. Proud of himself.
"–Which includes his own name." Mullet finished.
"I am Cal!" Cal repeated, "And this is Zethes! My brother!"
"Good job man!" Leo said
"Yeah Cal! That was almost three sentences!" I added. Giving Cal my classic thumbs up. Cal looked proud of himself and grinned.
"Fool! They tease you! But I am Zethes, which is short for Zethes. But the ladies here," he winked at me and Piper, "can call me anything they'd like." I resisted every urge to barf.
"That's..." Piper coughed, "...is a truly horrifying offer. What do you think Madi?" Leo put his hand on my hand. Like he was telling Zethes to stay away. I didn't understand but looked Zethes dead and the eye,
"That is one disgusting offer." Then leaned into Leo to make a point. He winked at Piper and me again anyway. It looked like he was having a seizure. And I cringed.
"It is no problem," he wiggled his eyebrows, "We are very romantic people, we boreads." I shook my head into Leo's back, like, make it stop; he's hurting my eyes. Which he was. Zethes was one of the ugliest people I'd ever seen.
"Boreads?" Jason cut in, "Like the sons of Boreas?"
"Ah! So you've heard of us?" Zethes seemed pleased, "We are our father's gatekeepers. So you understand why we cannot let unauthorized personnel on dragons come in. You might scare the silly mortal peoples." He pointed down, and I only just noticed that people in the lot were pointing at us like we were a helicopter flying too low, "Which is why we must destroy you painfully. Unless, sadly, this is an emergency landing."
"WAIT!" Piper and I screamed at the same time. Piper continued while I hugged Leo from behind.
"This is an emergency landing! You see, our dragon is malfunctioning! We could crash any minute!" Piper smiled, it must've been killing her, but she had that dumb blessing on still, so she looked pretty hot, "And we came to see Boreas anyway! So can you let us land?" I added.
"Well. I would hate to disappoint such lovely ladies like yourselves. But, you see, my sister– she uh. She would have quite the avalanche if we allowed you too." Zethes picked at his shirt making sure it was wide enough.
"No destroy?" Cal asked disappointed. I almost felt sorry for him. ALMOST!!
Zethes gave us another horrifying wink, "I mean you are pretty– I mean right! You are right! And a malfunctioning dragon, this could be serious. But father has not been kind to visitors lately–"
"Destroy later?" Cal asked hopeful.
"Come along faulty dragon people. This way." The two Boreads flew off.
"These guys are great!" Leo said, turning to his friends, "Follow them?"
"We're here anyway. Might as well." Jason said. I wasn't too happy about it though. We followed the headlight people. I kept thinking we were going to crash the more closer we got to the hotel. But thankfully we didn't. There was a slanted roof, where it was big enough for Festus to land.
"This cannot be good." Jason said quietly. We landed in a penthouse suite place. I was just noticing that I only had a t-shirt and shorts on and shivered. We hopped off Festus and Leo handed me his army jacket. I blushed. The sleeves were just an inch too big but I loved it. And it smelled like motor oil, smoke, and Leo. Festus blew some fire on himself to keep his scales from frosting over. Zethes marched over angrily.
"No, no, no, no!" He protested, "The dragon MUST be deactivated. Fire is not allowed. The heat ruins my hair!" I rolled my eyes. At least Leo never complains about his hair. Festus growled and showed his drill teeth.
"S'okay boy." Leo comforted Festus and turned to Zethes, "He's a little touchy about the deactivation thing. But I have a better idea."
"Destroy?" Cal suggested. I looked at him,
"Man, stop that! No destroy! Leo's talking about something else." I said. Cal looked down sad.
"Leo what are you–" Piper began.
"Watch and learn Beauty Queen, while Madi was sleeping last night I found all sorts of buttons. Some, you don't want to press. But others . . . ah!" Leo pressed a button and Festus turned into a bronze suitcase. I went over and pressed another button. A handle popped up.
"Ta-da!" I said.
"The world's heaviest carry-on bag!" Leo patted the case.
"That's impossible." Jason said, "Something as big as–"
"HOLD IT!" Zethes demanded. He and Cal drew their swords and glared at Leo. Uh oh. Leo's fire ability!
"What'd I do guys?" Leo put his hands up.
"Who are you?" Zethes tried to advance but I stepped between Leo and the Boreads. Zethes kept talking, "A child of the South Wind, spying on us?"
"What? No!" Leo said, "Just a son of Hephaestus. Friendly blacksmith, no harm to anyone!"
Cal growled. He pushed past me and put his face to Leo's, "Smell fire," he said, "fire bad."
"Oh," I could tell he was nervous and admittedly I was too.
"Well, he's been working with oil, and his clothes are singed–" I tried.
"No, we smell fire. On you!" Zethes pointed at Leo, "We can smell fire demigod. We assumed it was from the creaky dragon, but now it is a suitcase. And I still smell fire...on you!" If it hadn't been like three degrees in the penthouse, Leo probably would've been sweating.
"Hey. Look. I don't know–"
Jason looked right at Zethes, "Leo isn't a fire guy. Tell them Leo, tell them you're not a fire guy."
"Um..."
"Zethes," Piper tried for her dazzling smile again, "We're all friends here. Put your swords down and let's talk."
"The girl's are pretty. But sadly I cannot romance them at this time." Zethes sighed. Pressing his sword further into Leo's chest. Making my friend wince in the cold.
"Please." I pleaded, "I can vouch for him. He is NOT a fire guy. Please Zethes. Stop." I stared directly at Zethes. Who looked back at me.
"Who are you? You do not seem like a child of the South Wind. What are you demigod?" He came closer, removing his sword from Leo's chest.
"Zethes." Jason caught their attention, "We are peaceful people. Leo is the son of Hephaestus. Piper is the daughter of Aphrodite, Madison–Madi is Poseidon's daughter. And I'm Jason, the son of Zues, we are on a peaceful..." his voice faltered because both Boreads had turned to him. Cal looked so shocked that he almost dropped his swords. I moved to Leo and grabbed his hand.
"Can't be Jason." he said, "Doesn't look the same."
"Of course it's not our Jason. Our Jason was much more stylish! Besides, he died millenia ago, a very mortal death." Zethes said.
"Your Jason–wait the Golden Fleece Jason?" I asked.
Zethes nodded, "He cannot be our Jason."
"I'm not," Jason agreed.
"Destroy?" Cal asked. These guys were really pushing my buttons.
"No," Zethes said regretfully, "If he is the son of Zues. Then he is the one we were looking for."
"Looking for?" Leo asked, still holding my hand, his fingers intertwined with mine, "As in showers of prizes?"
"Or, he's in trouble?" I added.
"That would depend on the will of my father," A girl's voice said. A chill krept down my spine. Leo stared at her and let go of my hand. I pouted and went to take it again, but her eyes bared into my soul. She looked at Leo with no expression at all. She looked at Piper and Jason. Then me again, and immediately seemed to understand, "Father will see the one known as Jason." Leo grabbed Festus in suitcase mode. I wasn't sure how he was going to lug it up the staircase but the girl stopped him.
"Not you Leo Valdez."
"Why not?" Leo and I asked at the same time. I was mad. She can not treat him like that.
"Fire and Ice. It would not be wise for you to come with them."
"We're going together." Jason put his arm around Leo's shoulder, and I grabbed his hand again, "or not at all."
"Don't fret Jason Grace, Madison Dane, your friend will not be harmed. Calais keep him here, and no harm will come to him." she said.
"Just a little," Cal pouted.
"No," the girl insisted, "And take care of his interesting luggage, until father passes judgment."
(Quick Leo POV)
Madi grabbed my hand. I didn't know why but I suddenly didn't want the new girl's phone number; I liked Madison. No one else. But his friends would fight for him. But I waved them off.
(Madi POV)
Leo waved us off.
"Don't worry about me guys." He gave me his charming smile and I wanted to cry. I couldn't leave him behind, "No sense in causing trouble if we don't have to. Go on ahead, I'll be right here."
"Listen to your friend," the pale girl said, "Leo Valdez will be perfectly safe."
"I'll stay with him!" I suggested. I saw Leo blush and I did too.
"No," the girl shook her head, "you must come as well, girl of water and horses." I pouted to Leo and let go of his hand. I walked up the staircase with Piper, Jason, the new girl, and Zethes.