𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫. ── 𝐣𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞

𝐱𝐱𝐯. 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬 (𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐨)

WHEN JASON SAW HOW WELL PIPER AND HEDGE were being treated, he was thoroughly offended.

He'd imagined them freezing their hindquarters off in the snow, but the Hunter Phoebe had set up this silver tent pavilion thing right outside the cave. How she'd done it so fast, Jason had no idea, but inside was a kerosene heater keeping them toasty warm and a bunch of comfy throw pillows. Piper looked back to normal, decked out in a new parka, gloves, and camo pants like a Hunter. She and Hedge and Phoebe were kicking back, drinking hot chocolate.

"Oh, no way," Leo said. "We've been sitting in a cave and you get the luxury tent? Somebody give me hypothermia. I want hot chocolate and a parka!"

Phoebe sniffed. "Boys," she said, like it was the worst insult she could think of.

"It's all right, Phoebe," Thalia said. "They'll need extra coats. And I think we can spare some chocolate."

Phoebe grumbled, but soon Leo and Jason were also dressed in silvery winter clothes that were incredibly lightweight and warm. The hot chocolate was first-rate.

"Cheers!" said Coach Hedge. He crunched down his plastic thermos cup.

"That cannot be good for your intestines," Leo said.

Aella, on the other hand, barely had drunk any of her chocolate, and solemnly stared at the wall.

"Ells," Jason rubbed his tattoo, "you don't have to hide if you're worried about something. And you literally collapsed from exhaustion! I'm—" the voices in the tent quieted, and Jason lowered his tone, "I'm worried for you." He motioned around the tent. "We all are."

She rubbed her eyes and smiled, but Jason wasn't so sure if it was genuine or not. "I'm fine."

"But—"

She glared. "I'm. Fine."

Across the tent, Thalia patted Piper on the back. "You up for moving?"

Piper nodded. "Thanks to Phoebe, yeah. You guys are really good at this wilderness survival thing. I feel like I could run ten miles."

Thalia winked at Jason. "She's tough for a child of Aphrodite. I like this one."

"Hey, I could run ten miles too," Leo volunteered. "Tough Hephaestus kid here. Let's hit it."

Naturally, Thalia ignored him.

It took Phoebe exactly six seconds to break camp, which Jason could not believe. The tent self-collapsed into a square the size of a pack of chewing gum. It was clear that Leo was itching to ask how she did it, but they never got time.

Thalia ran uphill through the snow, hugging a tiny little path on the side of the mountain, and soon, they were sprinting up a mountain.

Coach Hedge leaped around like a happy mountain goat, coaxing them on like he used to do on track days at school. "Come on, Valdez! Pick up the pace! Let's chant. I've got a girl in Kalamazoo—"

"Let's not," Thalia snapped.

"Or we should, Thalia! This isn't a funeral march," Ellie turned to Jason, "Do you know the words?"

He scratched his head. "Uhm, not really."

Thalia glared.

So they ran in silence.

Thalia motioned Ellie to come to the front, so she quickly sprinted up the next few meters.

Leo fell in next to Jason at the back of the group. "How you doing, man?"

Jason's expression was enough of an answer: Not good.

"Thalia takes it so calmly," Jason said. "Like it's no big deal that I appeared. I didn't know what I was expecting, but... she's not like me. She seems so much more... together."