Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Heroes

Chapter Seventeen-"Sarcasm. It's a skill I use well."

Alex was embarrassed. During the fight, there hadn't been much time to let the details sink in, but they were flying in silence now, and the details finally sunk in. She never would've normally let her guard down that easy. The fact that she did, and put the lives of her friends in danger, hit her the hardest and brought her to a low she hadn't been at in a long time. She hated it. That along with Medea knowing her true name too, and the meaning, made her face show just a sliver of hate that she was feeling.

She could hear Leo talking to Festus from the front of the dragon, but she didn't care. She was still trying to remember what exactly went down while they were enchanted. What she remembered was hazy, which drove her crazy.

"We're going to have to put down soon," she heard Leo announce. "Couple more hours, maybe, to make sure Medea's not following us. I don't think Festus can fly much longer than that."

"Yeah," Piper agreed. "Coach Hedge probably wants to get out of his canary cage, too. Question is, where are we going?"

"Yeah I would like to know that too," Alex called.

"The Bay Area," Leo said. "Didn't Medea say something about Oakland?"

Piper didn't respond. Alex wondered if Leo said something wrong, but she was too wrapped up in her own thoughts and feelings to give it much thought.

"Piper's dad," Jason put in. "Something's happened to your dad, right? He got lured into some kind of trap.

Piper let out a shaky breath. "Look, Medea said you would all die in the Bay Area. And besides... even if we went there, the Bay Area is huge! First, we need to find Aeolus and drop off the storm spirits. Boreas said Aeolus was the only one who could tell us exactly where to go."

Leo grunted. "So how do we find Aeolus?"

Jason leaned forward. "You mean you don't see it?" He pointed ahead of them, but Alex didn't see anything except some clouds and a few lights of towns glowing in the dusk.

"What?" Leo asked.

"That... whatever it is," Jason said vaguely. "In the air."

"Great description Blonde," Alex muttered, seeing Piper and Leo just as confused as she was.

"Right," Leo said. "Could you be more specific on the 'whatever-it-is' part?"

"Like a vapor trail," Jason said. "Except it's glowing. Really faint, but it's definitely there. We've been following it since Chicago, so I figured you saw it."

Leo shook his head. "Maybe Festus can sense it. You think Aeolus made it?"

"I wonder," Alex started sarcastically, "It's a magical trial in the wind. Aeolus is the wind god. He might've made it."

"I think he knows we've got prisoners for him. He's telling us where to fly." Jason told Leo.

"Thanks, Jason. Could've done it without the sarcasm Alex," Leo said shooting her a glare which she easily matched.

"Or it's another trap," Piper said.

Alex heard her voice and realized that sulking wouldn't do anything for their team. Piper's voice sounded broken with despair, like they had already sealed their fate and she was to blame. Arguing wasn't going to help her low spirits.

"Pipes, you all right?" Leo asked her.

"Don't call me that."

"Okay, fine. You don't like any of the names I make up for you. But if your dad's in trouble and we can help—"