𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐄𝐓𝐇 》 LEO VALDEZ ¹

―twenty-two. slippery staircase

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𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓! 𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓!
𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓, 𝐌𝐀𝐍!
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CHARLIE WAS ON A LEASH. Or, at least, she might as well have been. Jason was yet to release her hood, fist clenched around the furry part whilst he conversed with the rest of the group, asking about alternate options. Charlie was fully leant forwards, looking a lot like Michael Jackson, so much so that Raccoon Leo was able to lay and sleep on her back without holding on, as she longed for gravity to take its turn. Whilst her fighting techniques had improved a lot, like Thalia said, she still wasn't the smartest.

Leo watched in amusement, from the other side of the small circle they had all formed, he had realised the second they had put the coats on that the fur was detachable, that was how Jason had his whole hand clenched around it.

All Charlie had to do was take it off, and he could tell her that, sure, of course he could, but this was more entertaining.

''What do you think, Leo?'' Piper said, turning to him with a slightly worried expression.

''Oh, um,'' Leo cleared his throat, fist coming to his mouth before his hands crossed, trying to appear like he was listening the whole time, puffing his chest up subtly for effect. ''Honestly, I can't believe we're seriously considering crossing that.'' His thumb jerked over his shoulder, towards where the bridge that might as well scream 'DANGER' was.

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.''

''Is the fortress always hanging there?'' Piper asked. ''How can people not notice it sitting it on top of Pikes Peak.''

''The Mist,'' Thalia shrugged. ''Still, mortals do notice it indirectly. Some days, Pikes Peak looks purple. People say it's a trick of the light, but it's actually the colour of Aeolus's palace, reflecting off the mountain face.''

''It's enormous,'' Jason said.

Thalia laughed. ''You should see Olympus, little brother.''

''Overrated.'' Charlie huffed from her position, arms still crossed as she watched the snow hit the floor.

''You're serious? You've both been there? I— They let Charlie in?''

Thalia grimaced, as if it wasn't a good memory. Charlie would've liked to point out it wasn't a good one because of elements outside their control, and it had nothing to do with her, but Thalia spoke before she could cut in. ''We should go across in different groups. The bridge is fragile.''

''That's reassuring,'' Leo said, taking a deep breath in and holding it in his cheeks as his hands patted the outer sides of his thighs. ''Jason, can't you fly us up there?''

Thalia laughed. Then she seemed to realise Leo's question wasn't a joke, which Leo found a little disappointing. The one time he had got her to laugh, and he didn't even mean to. Why couldn't Thalia have the same shitty sense of humour as Charlie? ''Wait... Jason, you can fly?''

Jason gazed up at the floating fortress. ''Well, sort of. More like I can control the winds. But the winds up here are so strong, I'm not sure I want to try — hold on, Thalia, you mean you can't fly?''

For a second, Thalia looked genuinely afraid. Then she got her expression under control. Leo realised she was a lot more scared of heights than she was letting on.

''Truthfully,'' she said, ''I've never tried. Might be better if we stuck to the bridge.''

''I second that motion!'' Charlie said, holding her hand up, although she overestimated how small of an angle she was standing at, and the hand nearly took Jason's eye out. On second thought, that might have been on purpose. ''We can use woman-hater as a cushion if it comes to it, I guess.''