𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐄𝐓𝐇 》 LEO VALDEZ ¹

―twelve. death would've smelt nicer

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𝐈'𝐌 𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆
𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐄!
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AFTER WHAT FELT LIKE HOUR-LONG MINUTES THE SCREENS DARKENED. The venti swirled together into a single funnel cloud and skittered across the fountain, kicking up a waterspout almost as high as the monoliths. They got to its centre, popped off a drain cover, and disappeared underground.

''Did they just go down a drain?'' Piper asked. ''How are we supposed to follow them.''

''Maybe we shouldn't,'' Leo said. ''That fountain thing is giving me seriously bad vibes. And aren't we supposed to, like, beware the earth?''

''I'm pretty aware of it.''

''That's not what that word means, Charlie.''

Jason was staring at the drain cover as it span around before a gust of wind hit it, unbalancing it and causing it to finally fall down, as though it had never been lifted in the first place. But, they had to follow. It was their only way forwards. They had to find Hera, and now they only had two days until the solstice.

''Put us down in that park,'' he suggested. ''We'll check it out on foot.''

Festus landed in an open area between the lake and the skyline. The signs said GRANT PARK, and Charlie remembered how nice of a place it was during the summer. Currently, however, it was a field of ice, snow and salted walkways. The dragon's hot metal feet hissed as they touched down. Festus flapped his wings unhappily and shot fire into the sky, but there was no one around to notice. The wind coming off the lake was bitter cold. Anyone with sense would be inside. Charlie's eyes stung so badly, she could barely see.

They dismounted, and Festus the dragon stomped his feet. One of his ruby eyes flickered, so it looked like he was blinking.

''Is that normal?'' Jason asked.

Leo pulled a rubber mallet from his tool belt. He whacked the dragon's bad eye, and the light went back to normal. ''Yes,'' Leo said. ''Festus can't hang around here, though, in the middle of the park. They'll arrest him for loitering. Maybe if I had a dog whistle...''

He rummaged in his tool belt, but came up with nothing.

''Too specialised?'' He guessed, mumbling to himself. ''Okay, give me a safety whistle. They got that in lots of machine shops.''

This time, Leo pulled out a big plastic orange whistle. ''Coach Hedge would be jealous! Okay, Festus, listen:'' Leo held the whistle to his left, waiting. Charlie leaned forward to blow it as loudly as she could, her cheeks and ears going red from the amount of oxygen leaving. Leo pulled the whistle back, putting it around his neck as Piper and Jason rubbed their ears. ''You hear that, come find us, okay? Until then, you fly wherever you want. Just try not to barbecue any pedestrians.''

The dragon snorted — hopefully in agreement. Then he spread his wings and launched into the air.

Piper took one step forwards and winced. ''Ah!''

''Your ankle?'' Jason felt bad he'd forgotten about her injury back in the Cyclops factory. ''That nectar we gave you might be wearing off.''

''It's fine.'' She shivered, and took a few steps with a light limp.

Charlie leaned back on her leg, surveying the three. Sighing, she realised she was going to regret this, but it was either this or walk around and be seen with them. And, well, they weren't exactly, er, they were pretty scruffy, let's leave it at that.

''Let's get out of the wind.''

''Down a drain? Cozy.''

Jason, despite being knocked out for a long time, looked like he hadn't slept in ages, his hair was a mess and his clothes were disheveled. Piper's hair was also a mess, her clothes torn and her ankle the size of a tennis ball. And Leo — well, Charlie didn't think she'd ever seen him clean, per say, but definitely cleaner. He was covered in grime and oil again.