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The White Mansion

Omaha, Nebraska
Jason's POV

Jason would've died five times on the way to the front door if not for Leo.

First it was the motion-activated trapdoor on the sidewalk, then the lasers on the steps, then the nerve gas dispenser on the porch railing, the pressure-sensitive poison spikes in the welcome mat, and of course the exploding doorbell.

Leo deactivated all of them. It was like he could smell the traps, and he picked just the right tool out of his belt to disable them.

Jason: You're amazing, man.

Leo scowled as he examined the front door lock.

Leo: Yeah, amazing. Can't fix a dragon right, but I'm amazing.

Theo: Leo, that wasn't your—

Leo: Front door's already unlocked.

Piper: It is? All those traps, and the door's unlocked?

Theo: Either the owner of this house is old enough to forget to lock his doors, or this is a trap.

Leo turned the knob. The door swung open easily. He stepped inside without hesitation.

Before Jason could follow, Piper caught his arm.

Piper: He's going to need some time to get over Festus. Don't take it personally.

Jason: Yeah. Yeah, okay.

But still he felt terrible. Back in Medea's store, he'd said some pretty harsh stuff to Theo—stuff a friend shouldn't say, not to mention the fact he and Leo almost skewered Theo with a sword. If it hadn't been for Piper, they'd all be dead. And Piper hadn't gotten out of that encounter easily, either.

Jason: Piper, I know I was in a daze back in Chicago, but that stuff about your dad—if he's in trouble, I want to help. I don't care if it's a trap or not.

Theo: Yeah, me too. I've been where you're at, Piper. And I'm planning to help you get out of it.

Her eyes were always different colors, but now they looked shattered as if she'd seen something she just couldn't cope with.

Piper: Jason, Theo, you don't know what you're saying. Please—don't make me feel worse. Come on. We should stick together.

She ducked inside. Jason looked at Theo, who just shrugged before they both went inside.

Jason's first impression of the house: Dark.

From the echo of his footsteps, he could tell the entry hall was enormous, even bigger than Boreas's penthouse; but the only illumination came from the yard lights outside. A faint glow peeked through the breaks in the thick velvet curtains. The windows rose about ten feet tall. Spaced between them along the walls were life-size metal statues. As Jason's eyes adjusted, he saw sofas arranged in a U in the middle of the room, with a central coffee table and one large chair at the far end. A massive chandelier glinted overhead. Along the back wall stood a row of closed doors.

Jason: Where's the light switch?

Leo: Don't see one.

Piper: Fire?

Leo held out his hand, but nothing happened.

Leo: It's not working.

Piper: Your fire is out? Why?

Leo: Well, if I knew that—

Theo: Alright, alright.

Piper: So, what do we do? Explore?