𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄 - j. grace, ocxoc ¹ ✓

xiii caught in a dream !

XIII.      KAORI OKAYAMA   !
⋆ ★
caught in a dream

Kaori felt her breath come back to her when the glow or Quebec City faded behind them. Dealing with the storm spirits brought her chills she couldn't seem to get rid of. She hated the cold and everything about it. Winter was cold, gloomy, and completely free from colors from the flowers.

"You all were amazing," Jason told them all.

The compliment should've made her day. But all she could think about was the trouble ahead. Evil things are stirring, Zethes had warned them. Kaori was well aware of it but hearing him only made her scared.

"I only talked to Boreas," Piper waved it off. "It wasn't so amazing."

"Let's not forget Delilah saved Jason from joining Khione's subzero hero collection, all of us actually," Kaen nudged her shoulder. "We owe you one. You and Piper."

What bothered Kaori more was the way Boreas had changed form, and why he'd let them go. It had something to do with Jason's past, those tattoos on his arm. Boreas assumed Jason was some sort of Roman, and Romans didn't mix with Greeks. She kept waiting for Jason to offer an explanation, but he clearly didn't want to talk about it.

Until now, Kaori had been able to dismiss Jason's feeling that he didn't belong at Camp Half-Blood. Obviously he was a demigod. Of course he belonged, everyone did. Even Kaori, who could barely even say a word to Chiron when they first met. But now . . . what if he was something else? What if he really was an enemy? She couldn't stand that idea any more than she could stand Khione.

The snow princess had scared Kaori enough for her to almost run away. She glared at her as if daring her to speak, the same way some people at camp would look at her.

Leo passed them some sandwiches from his pack. He'd been quiet ever since they'd told him what happened in the throne room. "I still can't believe Khione," he said. "She looked so nice."

"Trust me, man," Jason said. "Snow may be pretty, but up close it's cold and nasty. We'll find you a better prom date."

Kaori smiled, but Leo didn't look pleased. He hadn't said much about his time in the palace, or why the Boreads had singled him out for smelling like fire. She got the feeling he was hiding something. Whatever it was, his mood seemed to be affecting Festus, who grumbled and steamed as he tried to keep himself warm in the cold Canadian air. Happy the Dragon was not so happy.

Everyone but Kaori and Kaen ate their sandwiches as they flew. Kaori had no idea how Leo had stocked up on supplies, but he'd even remembered to bring veggie rations for Piper who she found out was a vegetarian — as were Kaori and Kaen. And neither of them were given vegetarian sandwiches but were given sandwiches stuffed with ham. Kaori wanted to hurl at the sight of it. She handed Kaen her sandwiched which he stuffed in his bag to throw away later.

Nobody talked. Whatever they might find in Chicago, they all knew Boreas had only let them go because he figured they were already on a suicide mission. The moon rose and stars turned overhead. Kaori's eyes started to feel heavy. The encounter with Boreas and his children had scared her more than she wanted to admit. Now that she had a full stomach, her adrenaline was fading.

She looked up at the stars and thought about the nights long ago when she, Kaen, and their dad closed up the flower shop for the night back in Otaru. Every night, after the twins did their daily duty of making sure the wilting flowers were back to their full beauty, their dad would sit them on the ground and tell them stories to begin the process of their bed time. He'd run around the shop, pretending to be a brave knight or an evil villain and battle himself whilst his two kids laughed at the sight. Anyone in Otaru knew very well the love Okayama Kaito had for his children, Kaen and Kaori.