ONE LAST TIME . . . heroes of olympus

26

THE PLAN WENT wrong almost immediately. Piper scrambled along the ridge, trying to keep her head down, while Kat, Leo, Jason, and Hedge walked straight into the clearing.

Jason summoned his golden lance. He brandished it over his head and yelled, "Giant!" Which sounded pretty fucking lame. Personally, Kat would've just charged in and yelled, "Fuck you, bitch!" Or something along those lines.

Enceladus stopped chanting at the flames. He turned toward them and grinned, revealing fangs like a saber-toothed tiger's.

"Well," the giant rumbled. "What a nice surprise."

Hedge shouted, "Let the movie star go, you big ugly cupcake! Or I'm gonna plant my hoof right up your—"

"Dude," said Kat. "Shut up."

Enceladus roared with laughter. "I've forgotten how funny satyrs are. When we rule the world, I think I'll keep your kind around. You can entertain me while I eat all the other mortals."

"Is that a compliment?" Hedge frowned at Leo. "I don't think that was a compliment."

Enceladus opened his mouth wide, and his teeth began to glow.

"Scatter!" Leo yelled.

Kat, Jason, and Hedge dove to the left as the giant blew fire — a furnace blast so hot even Festus would've been jealous. Leo dodged behind the bulldozer, then ran to the right, heading for one of those weird machine thing that he would know everything about, as a fucking nerd.

Next to Kat, Jason rose and charge the giant. Coach Hedge ripped off his canary yellow jacket, which was now on fire, and bleated angrily. "I liked that outfit!" Then he raised his club and charged, too. Kat stayed back and reached behind her to take Cortana out of its scabbard because she had a bad feeling.

Before they could get very far, Enceladus slammed his spear against the ground. The entire mountain shook.

The shockwave sent Kat to the ground. She blinked, immediately getting to her feet, though her vision swam. Through a haze of grassfire and bitter smoke, she saw Jason staggering to his feet nearby, and Leo sprawled on the ground on the other side of the clearing. Hedge was knocked out cold. He'd fallen forward and hit his head on a log. His furry hindquarters were sticking straight up, with his canary yellow pants around his knees — a view Kat really didn't need.

The giant bellowed, "I see you, Piper McLean!" He turned and blew fire at a line of bushes to Kat's right. Piper ran into the clearing like a flushed quail, the underbrush burning behind her.

Enceladus laughed. "I'm happy you've arrived. And you brought me my prizes!"

Kat's gut twisted. This was the moment Piper had warned them about. They'd played right into Enceladus's hands. Oh well. She didn't show her fear.

Unlike Leo, because when the giant looked over at him, he laughed even louder. "That's right, son of Hephaestus. I didn't expect you all to stay alive this long, but it doesn't matter. By bringing you here, Piper McLean has sealed the deal. If she betrays you, I'm as good as my word. She can take her father and go. What do I care about a movie star?"

Kat could see Piper's dad more clearly now. He wore a ragged dress shirt and torn slacks. His bare feet were caked with mud. He wasn't completely unconscious, because he lifted his head and groaned — yep, Tristan McLean all right. Kat had seen that face in enough movies ( Chris, Connor, and Julia were obsessed ). But he had a nasty cut down the side of his face, and he looked thin and sickly — not heroic at all.

"Dad!" Piper yelled.

Mr. McLean blinked, trying to focus. "Pipes . . .? Where . . ."

Piper drew her dagger and faced Enceladus. "Let him go!"