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I 017. I
𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑮𝒐𝒓𝒆
❝ howling ❞
SHE WAS THANKFUL FOR HER COAT. It was extremely cold, especially with the harsh winds blowing outside. Her hair was ready to freeze in their tight curls.
Piper woke up cold and shivering.
Ariadne leaned against one of the cave walls while the girl looked alarmed to be there. The brunette understood her confusion, but it was for the best that they found some spot to lay low in the night.
"Oh, god." Piper's teeth chattered. "He turned me to gold!"
"You're okay now." Jason leaned over and tucked a warm blanket around her.
She blinked. Next to them, a campfire blazed, turning the air sharp with smoke. Firelight flickered against rock walls. They were in a shallow cave, but it didn't offer much protection. Outside, the wind howled. Snow blew sideways.
"L-L-Leo?" Piper managed.
"Present and un-gold-ified." Leo was also wrapped in blankets. He didn't look great. "I got the precious metal treatment too," he said. "But I came out of it faster. Dunno why. We had to dunk you in the river to get you back completely. Tried to dry you off, but...it's really, really cold."
"You've got Hypothermia," Ariadne said, sitting next to her. "We risked as much nectar as we could. Coach Hedge did a little nature magic—"
"Sports medicine." The coach's ugly face looked over Piper. "Kind of a hobby of mine. Your breath might smell like wild mushrooms and Gatorade for a few days, but it'll pass. You probably won't die. Probably."
"Thanks," Piper said weakly. "How did you beat Midas?"
Jason held his hands up in surrender. "Wasn't me."
Piper looked at Ariadne in question. The older girl told her the story, enforcing the fact that Midas had what was coming to him and Lit was extremely sexist and misogynistic.
The coach snorted. "She's ignoring the fact that she took them all on with no sweat. You should've seen her. Hi-yah! Stab! Flash of un-golding!"
"Coach, you didn't even see it," Jason said. "You were outside eating the lawn."
But the satyr was just warming up. "Then I came in with my club, and we dominated that room. Afterward, I told her, 'Phoenix, I'm proud of you! If you could just work on being more bloodthirsty—'"
