𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇 [Jason Grace]

24

𝐋𝐞𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞. His idea of "close" needed some work.

After trudging half a mile through hot fields, getting bitten by mosquitoes and whacked in the face with scratchy sunflowers, they finally reached the road. An old billboard for Bubba's Gas 'n' Grub indicated they were still forty miles from the first Topeka exit.

"Correct my math," Percy said, "but doesn't that mean we have eight miles to walk?"

Jason peered both ways down the deserted road. The new gladius that Hera had given him last winter hung at his belt. It was so hot, he was regretting volunteering to meet Bacchus.

"No cars..." he said. "But I guess we wouldn't want to hitchhike."

"No," Piper agreed, gazing nervously down the highway. "We've already spent too much time going overland. The earth is Gaea's territory."

"Hmm..." Jason snapped his fingers. "I can call a friend for a ride."

Percy raised his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah? Me too. Let's see whose friend gets here first."

Percy was good looking, no denying it. Jason hated it. He knew jealousy and envy were ugly feelings. He hated it anyway. Hated the way he could make friends easily, hated how everyone looked at him as a leader as well.

That had been Jason's intention, of course. He never wanted to be a leader. It was still hard to get used to. In last night's awkward dinner, the two of them had tried to take the seat at the head of the table.

Dante had watched with a smirk playing on his lips while the others looked awkward. In the end, when Annabeth walked in, the two of them shrugged and took the opposite seats.

Jason wished he was as easy going and casual as Percy. He wasn't.

He felt a spark of competitiveness as he whistled. He'd succeeded in summoning Tempest only three times since they'd met the storm spirit at the Wolf House last winter. Today, the sky was so blue, Jason didn't see how it could work.

Percy simply closed his eyes and concentrated.

Jason hadn't studied him up close before. Percy was more slender, about an inch shorter, with slightly longer, much darker hair. He looked like he had stepped straight out of a teen magazine, the kind of actor that played a troubled kid everyone lost their minds over.

Thunder crackled in the clear sky.

Jason smiled. "Soon."

"Too late." Percy pointed east, where a black winged shape was spiraling toward them. At first, Jason thought it might be Frank in crow form. Then he realized it was much too big to be a bird.

"A black pegasus?" Piper said. "Never seen one like that."

Jason didn't know why he wanted to show off, but he did have a weird, ugly something scratching at his insides. What if Piper thought Percy was more impressive than him? What if the distance between them grew? What if she lost feelings for him–?

The winged stallion came in for a landing. He trotted over to Percy and nuzzled his face, then turned his head inquisitively toward Piper and Jason.

"Blackjack," Percy said, "this is Piper and Jason. They're friends."

The horse nickered.

"Uh, maybe later," Percy answered.

Jason had heard that Percy could speak to horses, being the son of the horse lord Poseidon, but he'd never seen it in action.