𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕎𝕒𝕣||HoO

𝐈𝐗

THEY ARRIVED in Quebec right as the sun was setting. Below them, the 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 the high walls like a medieval town. In the center was what looked like an actual castle with massive red brick walls and a square tower with a peaked, green gabled roof.

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

"Yeah, Quebec City," Piper confirmed.

"It's one of the oldest cities in North America," Maisie explained. "Founded around sixteen hundred or so?"

Leo gave her a confused look, "How do you know that?"

Maisie shrugged, "Annabeth read a lot, and I remember random facts that she tells me."

"Do you know what's that castle?" he asked.

"A hotel, I think."

Leo laughed, "No way."

As they got closer, Maisie's statement was confirmed. The grand entrance was a 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!"

Maisie looked down and saw what Jason meant. Rising from the top of the tower were two winged figures brandishing their swords at them.

Maisie pulled her bow out of her backpack, and readied an arrow. She released the arrow, but at the same time Festus swooped to a halt, completely messing up her aim, causing the arrow to completely miss and go flying off into the distance.

Festus clearly didn't like the winged figures. He beat his wings and bared his talons, a deep rumbling sound coming from his throat.

"Steady, boy," Leo muttered to the dragon.

"I don't like this," Jason said. "They look like storm spirits."

Maisie agreed, but as the creatures flew closer she realized they weren't made of clouds and storms like the Anemoi were. The two figures look like regular teenagers, except for their icy white hair and feathery purple wings. Their swords were much more jagged than normal, more like icicles. The two of them looked similar, so they might have been brothers, but not twins.

Demigods. Maisie realized. Lina was a demigod daughter of a different wind god, Zephyrus, who was the god of the west wind and spring. Lina also had wings, similar to the two flying toward them.

The two flew up in front of the dragon and hovered there, holding their swords at the ready.

The one on the right was the size of an ox, with a bright red hockey jersey, baggy sweatpants, and black leather cleats. The guy clearly got into fights often because both his eyes were black and when he bared his teeth several them were missing.

The one on the left looked like he was a part of a 1980s rock band. His ice-white hair was long and feathered into a mullet. He wore pointy toed leather shoes, designer pants that were way too tight, and a silk shirt with the top three buttons open. Maybe he thought he looked like a groovy love god, but he was way too skinny and had a terrible case of acne.

The one wearing the hockey jersey grunted, "No clearance."

"'Scuse me?" Leo asked.

"You have no flight pan on file," the 1980s guys explained. He had a terrible French accent that was obviously fake. "This is restricted airspace."