“Well, if you could get us there, too,” Jason amended, “that would be great. ”
Mellie clapped her hands in excitement. “Oh, he could do that! He often sends helpful winds—”
“Mellie, quiet!” Aeolus snapped. “I have half a mind to fire you for letting these people in under false pretenses. ”
Her face paled. “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. ”
“It wasn’t her fault,” Jason said. “But about that help …”
Aelous tilted his head as if thinking. Then Jason realized the wind lord was listening to voices in his earpiece.
“Well … Zeus approves,” Aeolus muttered. “He says … he says it would be better if you could avoid saving her until after the weekend, because he has a big party planned—Ow! That’s Aphrodite yelling at him, reminding him that the solstice starts at dawn. She says I should help you. And Hephaestus… yes. Hmm. Very rare they agree on anything. Hold on …”
Jason smiled at his friends. Finally, they were having some good luck. Their godly parents were standing up for them.
Back toward the entrance, Jason heard a loud belch. Coach Hedge waddled in from the lobby, grass all over his face. Mellie saw him coming across the makeshift floor and caught her breath. “Who is that?”
Jason stifled a cough. “That? That’s just Coach Hedge. Uh, Gleeson Hedge. He’s our …” Jason wasn’t sure what to call him: teacher, friend, problem?
“Our guide. ”
“He’s so goatly,” Mellie murmured.
Behind her, Piper poofed out her cheeks, pretending to vomit.
“What’s up, guys?” Hedge trotted over. “Wow, nice place. Oh! Sod squares. ”
“Coach, you just ate,” Jason said. “And we’re using the sod as a floor. This is, ah, Mellie—”
“An aura. ” Hedge smiled winningly. “Beautiful as a summer breeze. ”
Mellie blushed.
“And Aeolus here was just about to help us,” Jason said.
“Yes,” the wind lord muttered. “It seems so. You’ll find Enceladus on Mount Diablo. ”
“Devil Mountain?” Leo asked. “That doesn’t sound good. ”
“I remember that place!” Piper said. “I went there once with my dad. It’s just east of San Francisco Bay. ”
“The Bay Area again?” The coach shook his head. “Not good. Not good at all. ”
“Now …” Aeolus began to smile. “As to getting you there—”
Suddenly his face went slack. He bent over and tapped his earpiece as if it were malfunctioning. When he straightened again, his eyes were wild. Despite the makeup, he looked like an old man—an old, very frightened man. “She hasn’t spoke to me for centuries. I can’t—yes, yes I understand. ”
He swallowed, regarding Jason as if he had suddenly turned into a giant cockroach. “I’m sorry, son of Jupiter. New orders. You all have to die. ”
Mellie squeaked. “But—but, sir! Zeus said to help them. Aphrodite, Hephaestus—”
“Mellie!” Aeolus snapped. “Your job is already on the line. Besides, there are some orders that transcend even the wishes of the gods, especially when it comes to the forces of nature. ”
“Whose orders?” Jason said. “Zeus will fire you if you don’t help us!”
“I doubt it. ” Aeolus flicked his wrist, and far below them, a cell door opened in the pit. Jason could hear storm spirits screaming out of it, spiraling up toward them, howling for blood.
“Even Zeus understands the order of things,” Aeolus said. “And if she is waking—by all the gods—she cannot be denied. Good-bye, heroes. I’m terribly sorry, but I’ll have to make this quick. I’m back on the air in four minutes. ”
Jason summoned his sword. Coach Hedge pulled out his club. Mellie the aura yelled, “No!”
She dived at their feet just as the storm spirits hit with hurricane force, blasting the floor to pieces, shredding the carpet samples and marble and linoleum into what should’ve been lethal projectiles, had Mellie’s robes not spread out like a shield and absorbed the brunt of the impact. The five of them fell into the pit, and Aeolus screamed above them, “Mellie, you are so fired!”
“Quick,” Mellie yelled. “Son of Zeus, do you have any power over the air?”
“A little!”
“Then help me, or you’re all dead!” Mellie grabbed his hand, and an electric charge went through Jason’s arm. He understood what she needed. They had to control their fall and head for one of the open tunnels. The storm spirits were following them down, closing rapidly, bringing with them a cloud of deadly shrapnel.
Jason grabbed Piper’s hand. “Group hug!”
Hedge, Leo, and Piper tried to huddle together, hanging on to Jason and Mellie as they fell.
“This is NOT GOOD!” Leo yelled.
“Bring it on, gas bags!” Hedge yelled up at the storm spirits. “I’ll pulverize you!”
“He’s magnificent,” Mellie sighed.
“Concentrate?” Jason prompted.
“Right!” she said.
They channeled the wind so their fall became more of a tumble into the nearest open chute. Still, they slammed into the tunnel at painful speed and went rolling over each other down a steep vent that was not designed for people. There was no way they could stop.