❝ i thought i lost the only thing
keeping me from going insane, ❞
❝ and what's that? ❞
❝ you. ❞
❝ when death takes
my hand, i will hold you
with the other and
promise to find...
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⇝
OCTAVIA WAS HAVING A BLAST, she was standing propped up against the back of the chariot, an arm around Leo for balance.
They rode over the Grand Canyon and headed east, icy wind ripping straight through Octavia's jacket. Behind them, more storm clouds were gathering. The chariot lurched and bumped. It had no seat belts and the back was wide open, so Octavia wondered if anyone would catch her if she fell.
Leo was being a tad bit annoying, as usual. "This is so cool!" He spit a pegasus feather out of his mouth. "Where are we going?"
"A safe place" Annabeth said. "The only safe place for kids like us. Camp Half-Blood"
"Half-Blood? Is that some kind of bad joke?" Octavia knew Piper hated that word. She's always been called half-Blood, Half-Cherokee, half-White.
"She means we're demigods," Jason said. "Half god, Half mortal."
Annabeth looked back. "You seem to know a lot, Jason. But, yes, demigods. My mom is Athena, goddess of wisdom. Butch here is the son of Iris, the rainbow goddess, and Octavia is the daughter of Ares"
Leo choked. "Your mom is a rainbow goddess?"
"Got a problem with that?" Butch said.
"No, no," Leo said. "Rainbows. Very macho" That comment made Octavia smile.
"Butch is our best equestrian," Annabeth said. "He gets along great with the pegasi."
"Rainbows, ponies." Leo muttered.
"I'm gonna toss you off this chariot." Butch warned.
"Demigods," Piper said. "You mean you think you're...you think we're-"
Lightning flashed. The chariot shuddered, and Jason yelled, "Left wheel's on fire!" Octavia looked down at the wheel. Sure enough, it was burning, white flames lapping up the side of the chariot.
The wind roared. Octavia glanced behind them and saw dark shapes forming in the clouds, more storm spirits spiraling toward the chariot, except these looked more like horses than angels.
Piper started to say, "Why are they-"
"Anemoi come in different shapes," Annabeth said. "Sometimes human, sometimes stallions, depending on how chaotic they are. Hold on. This is going to get rough."
Butch flicked the reins. The pegasi put on a burst of speed, and the chariot blurred. Octavia's stomach crawled into her throat. Her vision went black, and when it came back to normal, they were in a totally different place.
A cold gray ocean stretched out to the left. Snow-covered fields, roads, and forests spread to the right. Directly below them was a green valley, like an island of springtime, rimmed with snowy hills on three sides and water to the north. Octavia saw a cluster of buildings like ancient Greek temples, a big blue mansion, ball courts, a lake, and a climbing wall that seemed to be on fire. She was back at Camp.
