ONE LAST TIME . . . heroes of olympus

8

UNSETTLINGLY, KAT DIDN'T have any dreams or nightmares.

When she woke up, she saw pale skin and belatedly realized that was Jason she was leaning on. Right. He'd forced her to sleep on him. That was all his fault.

"Milaya," she whispered.

He jumped, which made her giggle as if she was an idiot as she sat up, making eye contact with Piper as she turned to face her. "Malyshka."

Piper tilted her head. "You've never told me what that means."

Kat groaned, hiding her face with her hands. "Don't ask."

"I basically asked you, Rina. So answer me."

"You told me what mine meant," Jason pointed out.

"That's because you never heard me call you milaya a million times during the Wilderness School," argued Kat. "Piper's heard me call her that so many times."

"So tell me," Piper pleaded, giving her a pleading look and nudging her gently with a hand.

Kat rolled her eyes, but she indulged her. "Baby," she said. "Baby girl, to be specific, but it's cringey to say that in English. It's prettier in Russian, don't you think?"

Piper stared at her for a moment. Then she said, "it is. Still, now that I know what it means, I kinda wanna block it from my mind."

Kat looked past Piper to Leo, who was still leaning against Festus's neck, probably sleeping because why would he do that otherwise? No, don't answer that. Leo's weird. "You can, by waking him up," Kat said. "How is that doofus still asleep? I slept after him and woke up before him."

Piper turned and realized Leo was still sleeping, snorting before shaking him awake. "We're here," she said.

Kat looked below and belatedly realized that they had arrived. A city sat on a cliff overlooking a river. The plains around it were dusted with snow, but the city itself glowed warmly in the winter sunset. Buildings crowded together inside high walls like a medieval town. In the center was an actual castle — at least she assumed it was a castle — with massive red brick walls and a square tower with a peaked, green gabled roof.

"Tell me that's Quebec and not Santa's workshop," Leo said.

"Yeah, Quebec City," Piper confirmed. "One of the oldest cities in North America. Founded around sixteen hundred or so?"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Your dad do a movie about that too?"

She made a face at him, which Kat was used to seeing, but it didn't quite work with her new glamorous makeup. "I read sometimes, okay? Just because Aphrodite claimed me, doesn't mean I have to be an airhead."

"Feisty!" Leo said. "So you know so much, what's that castle?"

"A hotel, I think."

Leo laughed. "No way."

But as they got closer, Kat saw Piper was right. The grand entrance was bustling with doormen, valets, and porters taking bags. Sleek black luxury cars idled in the drive. People in elegant suits and winter cloaks hurried to get out of the cold.

"The North Wind is staying in a hotel?" Leo said. "That can't be—"

"Heads up, guys," Jason interrupted. "We got company!"

Kat looked below and saw what Jason meant. Rising from the top of the tower were two winged figures — angry angels, with nasty-looking swords.

Festus didn't like the angel guys. He swooped to a halt in midair, wings beating and talons bared, and made a rumbling sound.