“Boreas is right,” Jason said. “You’re a spoiled kid. See you around, ice princess. ”
Khione’s eyes flared pure white. For once, she seemed at a loss for words. She stormed back up the stairs—literally. Halfway up, she turned into a blizzard and disappeared.
“Be careful,” Zethes warned. “She never forgets an insult. ”
Cal grunted in agreement. “Bad sister. ”
“She’s the goddess of snow,” Jason said. “What’s she going to do, throw snowballs at us?” But as he said it, Jason had a feeling Khione could do a whole lot worse.
Leo looked devastated. “What happened up there? You made her mad? Is she mad at me too? Guys, that was my prom date!”
“We’ll explain later,” Piper promised, but when she glanced at Jason, he realized she expected him to explain.
What had happened up there? Jason wasn’t sure. Boreas had turned into Aquilon, his Roman form, as if Jason’s presence caused him to go schizophrenic.
The idea that Jason had been sent to Camp Half-Blood seemed to amuse the god, but Boreas/Aquilon hadn’t let them go out of kindness. Cruel excitement had danced in his eyes, as if he’d just placed a bet on a dogfight.
You will tear each other apart, he’d said with delight. Aeolus will never have to worry about demigods again.
Jason looked away from Piper, trying not to show how unnerved he was. “Yeah,” he agreed, “we’ll explain later. ”
“Be careful, pretty girl,” Zethes said. “The winds between here and Chicago are bad-tempered. Many other evil things are stirring. I am sorry you will not be staying. You would make a lovely ice statue, in which I could check my reflection. ”
“Thanks,” Piper said. “But I’d sooner play hockey with Cal. ”
“Hockey?” Cal’s eyes lit up.
“Joking,” Piper said. “And the storm winds aren’t our worst problem, are they?”
“Oh, no,” Zethes agreed. “Something else. Something worse. ”
“Worse,” Cal echoed.
“Can you tell me?” Piper gave them a smile.
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This time, the charm didn’t work. The purple-winged Boreads shook their heads in unison. The hangar doors opened onto a freezing starry night, and Festus the dragon stomped his feet, anxious to fly.
“Ask Aeolus what is worse,” Zethes said darkly. “He knows. Good luck. ”
He almost sounded like he cared what happened to them, even though a few minutes ago he’d wanted to make Piper into an ice sculpture.
Cal patted Leo on the shoulder. “Don’t get destroyed,” he said, which was probably the longest sentence he’d ever attempted. “Next time—hockey. Pizza. ”
“Come on, guys. ” Jason stared out at the dark. He was anxious to get out of that cold penthouse, but he had a feeling it was the most hospitable place they’d see for a while. “Let’s go to Chicago and try not to get destroyed. ”
PIPER DIDN’T RELAX UNTIL THE GLOW OF Quebec City faded behind them.
“You were amazing,” Jason told her.
The compliment should’ve made her day. But all she could think about was the trouble ahead. Evil things are stirring,Zethes had warned them. She knew that firsthand. The closer they got to the solstice, the less time Piper had to make her decision.
She told Jason in French: “If you knew the truth about me, you wouldn’t think I was so amazing. ”
“What’d you say?” he asked.
“I said I only talked to Boreas. It wasn’t so amazing. ”
She didn’t turn to look, but she imagined him smiling.
“Hey,” he said, “you saved me from joining Khione’s subzero hero collection. I owe you one. ”
That was definitely the easy part, she thought. There was no way Piper would’ve let that ice witch keep Jason. What bothered Piper more was the way Boreas had changed form, and why he’d let them go. It had something to do with Jason’s past, those tattoos on his arm. Boreas assumed Jason was some sort of Roman, and Romans didn’t mix with Greeks. She kept waiting for Jason to offer an explanation, but he clearly didn’t want to talk about it.
Until now, Piper had been able to dismiss Jason’s feeling that he didn’t belong at Camp Half-Blood. Obviously he was a demigod. Of course he belonged. But now … what if he was something else? What if he really was an enemy? She couldn’t stand that idea any more than she could stand Khione.
Leo passed them some sandwiches from his pack. He’d been quiet ever since they’d told him what happened in the throne room. “I still can’t believe Khione,” he said. “She looked so nice. ”
“Trust me, man,” Jason said. “Snow may be pretty, but up close it’s cold and nasty. We’ll find you a better prom date. ”
Piper smiled, but Leo didn’t look pleased. He hadn’t said much about his time in the palace, or why the Boreads had singled him out for smelling like fire. Piper got the feeling he was hiding something. Whatever it was, his mood seemed to be affecting Festus, who grumbled and steamed as he tried to keep himself warm in the cold Canadian air. Happy the Dragon was not so happy.