Half-Blood High

XXI

        Piper

God, I was so tired. My head felt like a bucket of rocks. I wondered if Mr. Brunner had anything in his pack that could treat exhaustion.

Of course, the biscuit Jason had given me helped a bit. The coffee too. I wasn't fully awake, but it was better than nothing.

Clop clop clop

Click click click

We all turned to see Mr. Brunner and a woman enter. Her heels clicked on the linoleum, keeping in time with his hooves. She didn't seem fazed at all by his equestrian half.

"Children, may I introduce Headmistress Pa of Jupiter Academy."

I nodded and Leo waved, but Hazel and Frank stood up, heads bowed, hands clasped behind their backs. "We are so sorry, Headmistress," Hazel began, but Headmistress Pa stopped her.

"There is no need to apologize Miss Levesque," She said in a low, serene voice. "In fact, I am quite proud of you, and Mr. Zhang."

"You are?"

"Yes. It takes a lot of strength to fight a Fury. Very impressive."

"Oh." Hazel looked a bit confused. She'd probably been expecting to get lectured or something, but I doubted she would argue with this. "Okay." She and Frank sat back down.

Leo raised his hand. "Miss Pa? Are you a horse-person too?"

Pa raised an eyebrow. "A horse-person? Chiron, I thought you said you were teaching them your Mythology?"

Mr. Brunner sighed. "We are trying Lupa. Unfortunately, it seems some students haven't quite picked up on it yet." He shot Leo a look.

"So, that's a no then?"

Pa sighed and closed her eyes. At first, I thought she had a headache or something. (When talking to Leo, that can often happen.) Then, she started shrinking.

She went from adult height to somewhere around my waist. Her arms and legs shrank into four paws. Her midsection became lean, and every inch of her skin sprouted thick, blue-gray fur. Her eyes snapped open. They were golden, like shining stars.

Headmistress Pa was a wolf.

She opened her mouth to speak, baring teeth like ivory knives. "I am no centaur. I am Lupa, the Roman wolf goddess."

"Woah," Frank said in awe. "That is seriously awesome." My mouth was hanging open in surprise.

"Thank you Mr. Zhang."

"Very nice," Mr. Brunner said, after giving us all a moment to get over our initial shock. "Still impressive."

Lupa gave a proud toss of her head. "I haven't lost my touch."

I thought I was beginning to lose my touch with reality.

Percy looked up and down the table. "Anyone else lost?"

All of us raised our hands. Except Annabeth. Her eyes were wide, her jaw practically hitting the table. She was making some odd gasping sounds. I'm pretty sure she was hyperventilating.

"Roman... Wolf goddess?! Lupa? Are you-?"

"Annabeth, breathe." Percy said, rubbing her back.

Did anyone else notice that they somehow grown closer together in the space of a few minutes?

No? Just me then?

Never mind.

"Yes, Miss Chase. I'm saying I'm the ancient, supposedly mythological, Roman goddess. Please take a breath. We can't afford to loose any demigods."