~•♡•~

leo handed me his hammer, making his movements slow. his eyes were fierce, ready to fight if need be, but i could still feel some of his fear. he slipped a vial of clear liquid out of his toolbelt.

lycaon stared at jason's sword. he moves to each side as he looked for an opening, but jason's sword and my new hammer moved with him.

"leave." jason ordered. "there's no food for you here."

"unless you want tofu burgers." leo offered.

"shut up." i hissed.

"you should listen to your titaness girlfriend." lycaon smiled evilly. "i should hope i don't have to kill you two- she's in no shape to fight, and i doubt you ever were."

he turned back to jason. "if i had my way, i'd kill you first, son of jupiter. your father made me what i am. i was the powerful mortal king of arcadia, with fifty fine sons, zeus slew them all with his lightning bolts."

"ha! for good reason!" coach barked (can a goat bark?)

"coach," i asked. "you know this clown?"

"i do." piper jutted in. "lycaon invited zeus to dinner. but the king wasn't sure it was really zeus. so to test his powers, lycaon tried to feed him human flesh. zeus got outraged-"

"and killed my sons!" lycaon howled. his wolves howled as well.

"so zeus turned him into a wolf." piper said. "they call... they call werewolves lycanthropes, named after him, the first werewolf."

"the king of the wolves." hedge finished. "am immortal, smelly, vicious mutt."

lycaon growled. "i will year you apart, faun!"

"oh, you want some goat, buddy? 'cause i'll give you goat."

"stop it." jason said. "lycaon, you said you wanted to kill me first, but...?"

"sadly, child of rome, you are spoken for. since this one," he gestured his claws at piper. "has failed to kill you, you are to be delivered to the wolf house. one of my compatriots has asked for the honor of killing you herself."

"who?" i prodded.

the wolf snickered. "oh, a great admirer of the son of jupiter. apparently," he turned to jason. "you made quite an impression on her. she will take care of you soon enough, and really i cannot complain. spilling your blood at the wolf house should mark my new territory quite well. lupa will think twice about challenging my pack."

medea.

piper struggled to her feet. "you're going to leave now, before we destroy you."

no use. piper was too weak to be able to charmspeak. lycaon's red eyes crinkled, his amusement evident.

"a brave try, girl. i admire that. perhaps i'll make your end quick. only the son of jupiter is needed alive. the rest of you, i'm afraid, are dinner."

jason stepped forward. "you're not killing anyone, wolf man."

i stepped forward, my body finally beginning to work again. "not without going through us."

lycaon howled and extended his claws. jason slashed at him, but his golden blade passed straight through him like a ghost.

lycaon laughed. "gold, bronze, steel- none of those are good against my wolves, son of jupiter."

"SILVER!" piper and i yelled.

"we don't have any silver!" jason called back.

"WOO!" hedge leaped in to fight a wolf, but leo beat him to it. he threw his vial of liquid and it splattered all over the ground and the wolves. the smell of gasoline erupted in the room.

i stepped back as leo shot a ball of fire at the puddle. several wolves burned with the puddle, their piercing yelps of pain stinging my ears. even lycaon looked uneasy.

"aw, c'mon. i can't hit them if they're way over there!" coach complained.

every time a wolf came closer, leo blasted more fire. each effort made him look more and more tired, and the gasoline was already burning away.

"i can't summon any more gas!" his face turned scarlet. "wow, that came out wrong. i mean the burning kind."

"not the time!" i yelped as i narrowly dodged a wolf. leo blasted it with fire and it ran off.

"sorry! erm- gonna take the tool belt a while to recharge. what you got, man?" he asked jason.

"nothing. not even a weapon that works." jason huffed.

"unleash the venti!" piper suggested.

"we'll have nothing for aeolus." i said. "we'll have come all this way for nothing."

lycaon laughed. i scowled and threw the hammer at him. it passed right through him, but if he had been normal, it would have been a real good clunk on the head.

"i can smell your fear. a few more minutes of life, heroes. pray to whatever gods you wish. zeus did not grant me mercy, and you will have none from me."

the flames began to sputter. i was first to brace my arms and legs, using the combat stance my dad had taught me years ago. jason crouched as well, both of us ready to go hand-to-hand. leo pulled out a new hammer, and piper held her dagger. coach lifted his club, and naturally was the only one excited to die.

a ripping whistle caught everyone's attention. a silver arrow pierced the neck of the nearest wolf. it writhed and fell, dissolving into a puddle of shadow.

more arrows killed the wolves. the pack broke into confusion. an arrow flashed by, but lycaon caught it.

i cracked a smile. the wolf king howled in pain and dropped the arrow that now left a charred, smoking gash in his hand. another arrow caught his shoulder, and he staggered.

"curse them!" he growled at his pack. all the wolves turned and ran off.

lycaon snarled at jason. "this isn't over, boy."

he disappeared into the night. following his departure, more wolves began baying- trackers, not killers. a smaller white wolf burst into the cave, followed by two more.

"kill it?" hedge asked.

"no!" piper said.

i stepped forward. the wolves stared at me, their heads tilted as their huge, golden eyes studied me.

a heartbeat later, their masters arrived; a troop of hunters in grey-and-white winter camoflauge. about six girls were here, with bows and quivers full of glowing silver arrows.

on crouched. she was a little taller than the rest. she scooped up the silver arrow that had wounded lycaon, and she shook her head.

"so close." she turned to her companions. "phoebe, stay with me. watch the entrance. everyone else, follow lycaon. we can't lose him now. i'll catch up to you."

the girls mumbled in agreement before taking off after lycaon.

the taller girl turned to us as she rose. "we've been following that demon's trail for over a week. is everyone all right? no one got bit?"

i shook my head. "no, we're all good-"

"you're her." piper spoke up. "you're thalia."

i looked at piper before looking back at the girl. her whole body tensed as her suspicions of us rose. she pulled down her parka hood, revealing her identity. her face glowed with a healthy radiance, and paired with her stunning blue eyes and silver tiara, she was absolutely beautiful. her spiky black hair reminded me a little bit of billie joe armstrong.

she was the girl in jason's photograph.

"do i know you?"

piper took a breath. "this might be a shock, but-"

"thalia." jason stepped forward, his emotions so heavy i had to take a step back. his voice trembled.

"i'm jason, your brother."

everyone just... sat. i felt horribly awkward so i rushed to stand by my other horribly awkward buddy, leo. thalia's eyes were wide as she stared at jason. then, she rushed forward and hugged him.

"my gods! she told me you were dead!" she gripped jason's face and seemed to examine everything about it. "thank artemis, it is you. that little scar on your lip- you tried to eat a stapler when you were two!"

leo laughed and i snorted.

"seriously?" the boy asked.

hedge nodded in approval. "staplers- excellent source of iron."

"w-wait- who told you i was dead? what happened?" jason asked.

one of the white wolves barked. thalia looked at the wolf and nodded, but she kept her hands on jason's face.

"my wolf is telling me i don't have much time, and she's right. but we have to talk." thalia said. "let's sit."

piper collapsed. hedge barely managed to catch her and prevent her from cracking her head. thalia ran over hurriedly.

"what's wrong with her? ah- never mind. i see. ankle. hypothermia on both of them." she frowned at the satyr. "don't you know nature healing?"

"why do you think they look this good? can't you smell the gatorade?"

thalia sent an accusatory glare at leo. the boy went rigid and quickly looked away, somewhat scared to look at thalia.

"you and the satyr," thalia ordered. "take these girls to my friend at the entrance. phoebe's an excellent healer."

"it's cold out there! i'll freeze my horns off!"

i helped piper up. she leaned her weight onto me, refusing to use her ankle. leo looked at the coach and shook his head.

"come on, hedge. let's give these two time to talk." leo said as piper and i made our way out.

"actually, man, could you, um, stick around?" jason called out.

leo froze, not yet turning around. he stared at me with wide eyes, and i nodded. jason needed support- he was scared.

leo plastered on a grin and turned around. "sticking around is my specialty."

~•♡•~

this is way better than anything i have ever experienced.

phoebe had set up some sort of magical tent that had a kerosene heater, lush pillows, an extra wardrobe and some snacks that i don't think i was supposed to eat. piper looked back to normal, decking a new parka, gloves, and camo pants like a hunter.

i chose not to wear the camo pants, but i did accept a camo jacket, which i wore over the silver cloak now stylized to look like a regular zip-up jacket minus the zipper. i had also taken a pair of black boots, which were way better than the stolen converse. piper and i were able to brush our hair, and she washed her face while i popped some of my shoulder acne (yes, i have shoulder acne. oh well).

now, hedge, phoebe, piper and i were sitting back, drinking hot chocolate.

"oh, no way." leo complained as soon as he saw us. i shoved several marshmallows in my mouth at once. "we've been sitting in a cave and you get a luxury tent? somebody give me hypothermia. i want hot chocolate and a parka!"

phoebe sniffed. "boys." she muttered.

"i know, right?" i agreed with a full mouth.

"it's all right, phoebe." thalia said. "they'll need extra coats. and i think we can spare some chocolate."

a few moments later, leo and jason also had silvery winter clothes and hot chocolate. leo sat next to me, which he soon realized was a mistake as i plucked some marshmallows out of his cup.

"cheers!" hedge crunched down his plastic thermos.

"that cannot be good for your intestines." leo said.

"if he has a goat physiology, it's probably fine." i said.

"what does physiology mean?"

i ignored him.

thalia pat piper on the back and looked between both of us. "you up for moving?"

i chugged the last of my hot chocolate and have a thumbs up. my trash can was the coach.

"thanks to phoebe, yeah." piper smiled. "you guys are really good at this wilderness survival thing."

"maybe because they're hunters for the goddess of the wilderness." i retorted. piper glared at me.

"shut up." she turned back to thalia. "i feel like i could run ten miles."

thalia winked at jason. "she's tough for a child of aphrodite. i like this one."

"hey, i could run ten miles too." leo offered. "tough hephaestus kid here. let's hit it!"

thalia ignored him, too.

it took phoebe exactly six seconds to break camp. the tent collapsed into a square the size of a pack of gum. leo was awestruck, but his gaze broke when i offered him a final marshmallow.

he ate it out of my hand and i rolled my eyes as he grinned at me.

thalia led us uphill. we hugged a tiny path on the side of the mountain, which was not very good for my anxiety. however, i was very amused at leo's attempt to look macho, because he got winded pretty quickly.

coach leaped like a happy mountain goat. i was tempted to throw him off the cliff. "come on, valdez! pick up the pace! let's chant. i've got a girl in kalamazoo-"

"let's not." thalia and i snapped.

we ran in silence.

i fell in place near piper towards the top. thalia and hedge led the way, meaning jason and leo fell somewhat behind us.

"how you feeling?" i asked piper.

"best as i can." she admitted. i could tell she meant it in more of a mental/emotional way. phoebe was an excellent healer, but she couldn't do anything about piper's dad. "you?"

"fine." a very obvious lie, which piper, sadly, chose to challenge.

she raised an eyebrow at me. "really?"

i shrugged. "we're almost done with our quest, right? which means i can go back to a camp of dipshits who hate me, and get a quick nap." i smiled. piper didn't find it very fun, as told by her displeased frown.

"they don't hate you." piper shook her head.

"no use lying to me." i sighed. "i'm not a beat-around-the-bush kind of person."

"i don't think anyone hates you. but, when people are met with change... they act weird, y'know?"

no, i don't know. when my life was turned upside down, i just shut down entirely. every time things went wrong, i had to force myself to ignore my emotions so i could make it tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. i never cast anyone aside, or gave them weird looks because they were different.

i didn't convey any of this to piper. i just sat silently, looking down at the glistening snow that crunched under my feet. i suck about talking about my feelings, so instead, i just said,

"yeah. i know."

and left it at that.

thalia stopped. piper and i slowly stopped trotting, as we stood and looked up. unfortunately, leo was a bit too lost in his own thoughts that he didn't realize we had stopped.

he slammed into me, knocking me forward with a yelp. thalia moved out of the way, letting my face hit the snow rather than hit her back. i groaned as leo got up.

"really?" thalia hissed to him. i yelped as leo's hand yanked me up by my hood. he set me on my feet again, and i brushed the snow off my face as leo patted my head.

"all good!" he announced.

thalia stared at us, then pointed up.

i hadn't realized how high we were until i choked on my own breath, and found the air so thin, it was hard to breathe. we were near the summit of pikes peak. below us was a fluffy blanket of clouds. the full moon shone, glittering across the snow like the sun does to water. stars twinkled like a thousand diamonds in the sky, and i finally felt at peace. it felt like everything in the world finally made sense. i felt my energy finally returning in full. my hands stopped shaking, my head ceased pounding, my heart rate slowed.

but the real show was above us. hovering in the sky about a quarter mile away was a massive free-floating island of glowing purple stone. it must have been as wide as a football stadium, and just as tall. the sides were rugged cliffs, riddled with little pockets that must have been caves. every once in a while, a gust of wind would burst like a pipe organ blast- wind spirits and auras. at the top, brass walls ringed some kind of fortress.

"that," leo choked. "is a large rock."

the only thing connecting pikes peak to the floating island was a narrow bridge of ice. except, upon further notice, it wasn't exactly solid. as the winds changed direction, the bridge snaked and blurred, even thinning in some places.

i gulped. "please tell me we aren't crossing that." i pleaded.

thalia shrugged. "i'm not a big fan of heights, i'll admit. but if you want to get to aeolus's fortress, this is the only way."

"it's not about the height. it's about how it's literally fading in and out of existence with every breeze." i replied.

"is the fortress always hanging there?" piper asked. "how can people not notice it sitting on top of pikes peak?"

"the mist." thalia answered. "still, mortals do notice it indirectly. some days, pikes leak looks purple. people say it's a trick of the light, but actually it's the color of aeolus's palace reflecting off the mountain face."

"it's enormous." jason said.

"that's what she said." piper smacked my chest for that one, but she still had a small smile.

"we should cross in two different groups." thalia said. "the bridge is fragile."

leo tapped my shoulder and i turned to loom at his curious brown eyes.

"can't you just teleport up there?" he said.

thalia's eyes widened. "you can teleport?"

"yeah, through the moon." i said. "daughter of selene."

"what?!"

"i don't think i can make that." i said, shaking my head. "it looks a little too far..."

"that's reassuring." i glared at leo and he cut to jason. "jason, can't you just fly us up there?"

thalia laughed. then, she seemed to realize leo wasn't joking and her smile fell. "wait... jason, you can fly?"

jason gazed at the fortress just as i had. "well, sort of. more like i can control the winds. but the winds up here are so strong, i'm not sure i'd want to try. thalia, you mean... you can't fly?"

thalia was genuinely terrified at the prospect. my eyes widened and i tilted my head at her, but she collected herself quickly and shook her head.

"truthfully, i've never tried. might be better if we stuck to the bridge."

hedge tapped the vapor trail with his hoof, then jumped on the bridge. my heart leaped, but the bridge miraculously held his weight. "easy! i'll go first. piper, come on, girl. i'll give you a hand."

"no, that's okay-" coach cut up piper by grabbing her hand and pulling her onto the bridge.

"jason, go with her!" i hissed. the boy went rigid and hastily followed piper and hedge. about halfway up, they still seemed to be okay.

thalia turned to the other huntress. "phoebe, i'll be back soon. go find the others. tell them i'm on my way."

"you sure?" phoebe narrowed her eyes on leo like he was barely a step above pond scum.

"it's fine." thalia promised. phoebe nodded and approached me.

"remember, if you ever want to join the hunters, you know how to reach us." she said.

i nodded at her. "totally. thanks, phoebe!"

phoebe nodded reluctantly, then races down the mountain, her white wolves at her heels.

"you're gonna join them?" leo muttered.

i shrugged. "just an idea."

"leo, aruna, be careful where you step." thalia said. "it hardly ever breaks."

"hardly?" i whimpered.

"it hasn't met me." leo muttered. then, the boy began to lead the way up the bridge, and i had no choice but to follow him.

~•♡•~

i was on all fours, perilously crawling on the bridge. riding a metal dragon at cloud level? no problem! i was safe (sometimes) on festus!

this was terrifying.

my entire body was tingling and trembling. i was only able to move because i clutched leo's coat like the scared child i was, and i forced my legs to shuffle along.

piper, hedge, and jason were already at the top and were waving at us. leo seemed entirely too distracted for my liking. i kept muttering prayers- in korean, spanish, and english, i was that scared- when leo suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"why do they have a bridge?" he asked.

thalia frowned. "leo, this isn't a good place to stop. what do you mean?"

"can't we t-talk about this at the top?" i asked.

"they're wind spirits." leo said, ignoring me. "can't they fly?"

"yes, but sometimes they need a way to connect to the world below." thalia answered.

"so the bridge isn't always here?"

"what?!" i shrieked.

"the wind spirits don't like to anchor to the earth, but sometimes it's necessary. like now. they know you're coming."

a strange warmth surged through my hand, which would have been nice if i wasn't on a literal ice bridge.

"leo?" i asked quietly.

"oh, gods." thalia said. "keep moving. look at your feet."

leo shuffed backward, nearly stumbling into me. with horror, leo realizes his temperature was rising. his pants steamed and his shoes were literally smoking. smoke was spewing from his hear, and- barely visible through the fluffy tufts of his curly brown hair- little flames were dancing. the ice was rapidly thinning, and before i knew it, i was hyperventilating.

"leo, stop." i begged. "you're gonna melt it!"

"i'll try." leo said, his eyes buzzing with thoughts. "listen, jason!" he called. "what did hera call you in that dream? she called you a bridge."

"leo, seriously, cool down." thalia said. "i don't know what you're talking about, but the bridge is-"

"just listen." leo pleased. "if jason is a bridge, what's he connecting? maybe two different places that normally don't get along- like the air palace and the ground. you had to be somewhere before all this, right?"

"'a child of rome'." i said, my eyes lighting up. "a place where they speak latin, and use roman names."

"and hera said you were an exchange!" leo called up.

"an exchange." thalia seemed to connect the dots. "oh, gods."

"what are you talking about?!" jason called.

thalia murmured what sounded like a greek prayer. "i understand now why artemis sent me here. jason- she told me to hunt for lycaon and i would find a clue about percy. you are the clue! artemis wanted us to meet so i could hear your story!"

"i don't understand." jason protested. "i don't have a story. i don't remember anything."

"but leo's right." thalia said. "it's all connected. if we just knew where-"

leo snapped his fingers. "jason, what did you call that place in your dream? that ruined house. the wolf house?"

thalia gasped. "the wolf house? jason, why didn't you tell me that! that's where they're keeping hera?"

"you know where it is?" jason asked.

the bridge finally dissolved. i screamed and barely managed to teleport myself in front of leo, which made thalia more confused than ever.

leo clasped his hand in mine and i quickly brought us to the ledge where piper, jason, and coach hedge stood. i turned to see thalia scrambling down the bridge rapidly.

"go! find out where the giant is keeping piper's dad. save him! i'll take the hunters to the wolf house and hold it until you can get there! we can do both!" thalia yelled.

"but where is the wolf house?" jason shouted.

"you know where it is, little brother! i'll see you there. i promise."

her voice was so hard to hear over the winds, but it didn't matter. our job had been laid out, and thalia took off.

leo looked down. our only exit had melted away, and i gasped for my breath back after my panic attack.

"what happened?" piper demanded. "leo, why are your clothes smoking?"

"i got a little heated." he turned to me as i continued to gasp. "aru, i'm sorry. honest. i didn't-"

"it's fine." i cleared my throat and stood up straight.

"we've got less than twenty-four hours to rescue a goddess and piper's dad." jason said. "let's go see the king of the winds."

~•♡•~