“I’m a protector,” Gleeson said. “That’s my job, not fighting. ”
He sounded a little crestfallen, and Piper realized maybe she shouldn’t have recounted how he got knocked unconscious in the last battle. In his own way, maybe the satyr was as sensitive as her dad.
Then Hedge straightened, and set his jaw. “Of course, I’m good at fighting, too. ” He glared at them all, daring them to argue.
“Yes,” Jason said.
“Terrifying,” Leo agreed.
The coach grunted. “But I’m a protector, and I can do this. Your dad’s right, Piper. You need to carry on with the quest. ”
“But …” Piper’s eyes stung, as if she were back in the forest fire. “Dad …”
He held out his arms, and she hugged him. He felt frail. He was trembling so much, it scared her.
“Let’s give them a minute,” Jason said, and they took the pilot a few yards down the tarmac.
“I can’t believe it,” her dad said. “I failed you. ”
“No, Dad!”
“The things they did, Piper, the visions they showed me …”
“Dad, listen. ” She took out the vial from her pocket. “Aphrodite gave me this, for you. It takes away your recent memories. It’ll make it like none of this ever happened. ”
He gazed at her, as if translating her words from a foreign language. “But you’re a hero. I would forget that?”
“Yes,” Piper whispered. She forced an assuring tone into her voice. “Yes, you would. It’ll be like—like before. ”
He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. “I love you, Piper. I always have. I—I sent you away because I didn’t want you exposed to my life. Not the way I grew up—the poverty, the hopelessness. Not the Hollywood insanity either. I thought—I thought I was protecting you. ” He managed a brittle laugh. “As if your life without me was better, or safer. ”
Piper took his hand. She’d heard him talk about protecting her before, but she’d never believed it. She’d always thought he was just rationalizing. Her dad seemed so confident and easygoing, li
ke his life was a joyride. How could he claim she needed protecting from that?
Finally Piper understood he’d been acting for her benefit, trying not to show how scared and insecure he was. He really had been trying to protect her. And now his ability to cope had been destroyed.
She offered him the vial. “Take it. Maybe someday we’ll be ready to talk about this again. When you’re ready. ”
“When I’m ready,” he murmured. “You make it sound like—like I’m the one growing up. I’m supposed to be the parent. ” He took the vial. His eyes glimmered with a small desperate hope. “I love you, Pipes. ”
“Love you, too, Dad. ”
He drank the pink liquid. His eyes rolled up into his head, and he slumped forward. Piper caught him, and her friends ran up to help.
“Got him,” Hedge said. The satyr stumbled, but he was strong enough to hold Tristan McLean upright. “I already asked our ranger friend to call up his plane. It’s on the way now. Home address?”
Piper was about to tell him. Then a thought occurred to her. She checked her dad’s pocket, and his BlackBerry was still there. It seemed bizarre that he’d still have something so normal after all he’d been through, but she guessed Enceladus hadn’t seen any reason to take it.
“Everything’s on here,” Piper said. “Address, his chauffeur’s number. Just watch out for Jane. ”
Hedge’s eyes lit up, like he sensed a possible fight. “Who’s Jane?”
By the time Piper explained, her dad’s sleek white Gulf-stream had taxied next to the helicopter.
Hedge and the flight attendant got Piper’s dad on board. Then Hedge came down one last time to say his good-byes. He gave Piper a hug and glared at Jason and Leo. “You cupcakes take care of this girl, you hear? Or I’m gonna make you do push-ups. ”
“You got it, Coach,” Leo said, a smile tugging at his mouth.
“No push-ups,” Jason promised.
Piper gave the old satyr one more hug. “Thank you, Gleeson. Take care of him, please. ”
“I got this, McLean,” he assured her. “They got root beer and veggie enchiladas on this flight, and one hundred percent linen napkins—yum! I could get used to this. ”
Trotting up the stairs, he lost one shoe, and his hoof was visible for just a second. The flight attendant’s eyes widened, but she looked away and pretended nothing was wrong. Piper figured she’d probably seen stranger things, working for Tristan McLean.
When the plane was heading down the runaway, Piper started to cry. She’d been holding it in too long and she just couldn’t anymore. Before she knew it, Jason was hugging her, and Leo stood uncomfortably nearby, pulling Kleenex out of his tool belt.
“Your dad’s in good hands,” Jason said. “You did amazing. ”
She sobbed into his shirt. She allowed herself to be held for six deep breaths. Seven. Then she couldn’t indulge herself anymore. They needed her. The helicopter pilot was already looking uncomfortable, like she was starting to wonder why she’d flown them here.