ONE LAST TIME . . . heroes of olympus

10

THE GLOW OF Quebec City faded behind them as they flew to Chicago. Kat would be lying if she said she wasn't a little bit relieved. She never wanted to go in an ice castle ever again.

"You both were amazing," Jason told her and Piper.

"Thanks, milaya," Kat turned to give him a small smile. Instead of answering coherently, Piper grumbled under her breath.

"I told you, malyshka, cheer up," Kat scolded, reaching out to run her fingers through Piper's hair. "I'll do your hair now, happy?"

Piper leaned back, which was her agreeing to let Kat do her hair. "I only talked to Boreas. It wasn't so amazing."

"Hey," Jason said with a smile in his voice, "you saved me from joining Khione's subzero hero collection. I owe you one."

Kat wrinkled her nose as her hands busied themselves with doing Piper's hair. That just reminded her of the way Boreas had changed form, and she wondered 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. Jason clearly didn't want to talk about it.

Until now, Kat 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. 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 him and his adorable face. That was a bad analogy, but to be honest it was true. Definitely.

Leo passed them some sandwiches from his pack. Piper held Kat's as she braided her hair. Leo had 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," said Jason. "Snow may be pretty, but up close it's cold and nasty. We'll find you a better prom date."

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. There was no way that children of Hephaestus smelled like fire — that's what Kat's uncle told her, anyway, who wasn't really the most reliable person. Whatever it was, Leo's 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.

They ate their sandwiches as they flew. Piper fed Kat while she put her hair in braids, and the sandwich was really fucking good.

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. Kat finished Piper's hair and smiled at her. "There," Kat whispered, leaning away from Piper and plucking her sandwich from her hand. Instead of sitting straight, Piper leaned back against her.

"I'm sleeping on you," Piper murmured.

Kat snorted, but she whispered, "sleep, malyshka."

Piper fell asleep, and Leo turned and stifled a laugh at Kat.

"Shut up, luchik." She took a comically big bite of her sandwich.

"I didn't even say anything!" He protested. Then he realized what she called him, and said, "you haven't called me that in a long time."

"I did while you were asleep," she smirked. "Besides, you are a sunray. And the only thing keeping me sane on this quest."

"Excuse me?" Jason asked from behind her.

She resisted the urge to laugh because she was eating.

"So, Kat," Leo said, in a tone that sounded suspiciously like hers when she'd rhetorically ask about his homelife besides for the foster homes, "what's the deal with your family?"