The Spirits of the Universe (PJO)

Chapter 16--Just One Dance (No Pressure)

Since we didn't have an invitation, we couldn't just waltz our way in without asking for trouble—as though we didn't have enough already.

Fortunately, Liam had a plan: he jimmied open one of the rusted-shut windows, took a deep breath, and jumped out of the building.

Before I could follow, Aridne warned, "We're three stories up."

"Liam's afraid of heights," I said, smirking. "He only jumped because he has a plan, or they're serving apple pie. You should've seen him back in Deeplige—he once knocked over Hemera for the last slice."

Then I jumped after him.

The familiar—but unsettling—feeling of weightlessness surrounded me. I felt helpless and out of control as the air bent around my body. I grunted as I crashed into the soft soil of a flower bed, but quickly relaxed when I found myself hidden from the eyes at the party by a pair of gangly apple trees (they grew blue apples—my favorite).

Liam yelped as I nearly landed on him. "Careful! I need my left arm to do . . . well, anything, really."

"Then you should've chosen a safer route down," I shot back.

"It's worth it—It was for the food."

"The . . . food?"

~~~

Five minutes later, I found myself at the center of the party at a banquet table with Aridne and Liam. My two quest mates had stacked their food to the height of a small toddler; I was surprised that the partygoers passing by us were only giving us weird looks—and nothing more.

"I didn't think you were actually here for the food," I said, having to raise my voice slightly over the music.

"You're one to talk." Liam glared at my plate, which had a dozen pancakes, all stacked upon one another in a haphazard pile.

"Hey, it's not my fault that pancakes are the only thing from Earth here," I defended myself. "Food should never be highlighter yellow. Back on Earth, you'd probably call the Ghostbusters if you saw anything like that."

Aridne rolled her eyes. "We don't need you hopping across the compound in a sugar frenzy. Here, eat this—they're called Aether Noodles."

She handed my a small bowl full of what looked like chicken noodle soup, except the noodles were green—and wriggling as if they were alive. I didn't have anything against live noodles, though, so I tried it.

Woah, there, End commented as I scarfed down the contents of the bowl. Eating fast won't impress Aridne, you know that, right?

"It's good," I said after gulping down the last bite. "I could eat twenty more of these."

"They're not supposed to fill you up," Aridne said. "You need nourishment—but you don't want to fight with a full stomach."

"So . . . we're here to fight?"

Of course not, End said sarcastically. You're here to enjoy the buffet—in Chaos' territory—after nearly being killed.

Liam wiped his nose with his napkin while discreetly pointing toward the center of the courtyard, which was only five tables behind me. Young men and women in clothing fancier than the other partygoers wore sat in a tight-knit clump as if trying to push the rest of the party away. In the middle of it all was a man in his forties. 

Any normal person would've been disinterested by his plain features—his tunic was a muted yellow, the sword at his waist was standard issue, and his shoes were muddy. As I watched, the man didn't even flinch as a waitress tripped and a full wine glass shattered on the floor beside him.