HORIZON ⸺ jason grace

xiii. an impromptu grace family reunion

CHILD FAVORED BY THE GODS, a voice echoed.

Is the key against all odds.

"What," Violet tried to say.

But she couldn't. Because she had no mouth.

Child product of both sides,
Only she may turn the tides.

Violet couldn't move at all. She couldn't feel anything but the chill that went straight to her bones.

Child burdened by concord,
Is the ticket to concourse.

Again, Violet tried to scream. Again, she couldn't.

Where was her mouth?

Child born from sun and sea
All burdens will fall to thee.

༄

She woke up shivering.

"Oh, god." Her teeth chattered. "He turned me to gold!"

"You're okay now." Jason leaned over and tucked a warm blanket around her. It didn't help one bit.

Violet blinked, trying to figure out where they were. Next to her, a campfire blazed, turning the air sharp with smoke. Firelight flickered against rock walls. They were in a shallow cave, but it didn't offer much protection. Outside, the wind howled. Snow blew sideways. It might've been day or night.

The storm made it too dark to tell.

"P-P-Piper?" she managed. "L-Leo?"

"Present and un-gold-ified." Leo was also wrapped in blankets. He didn't look great, but better than Violet felt. "We got the precious metal treatment too," he said.

Piper nodded. "But we came out of it faster. We had to dunk you in the river to get you back completely. Tried to dry you off, but ... it's really, really cold."

"You don't say," Violet shivered.

"You've got hypothermia," Jason said. "We risked as much nectar as we could. Coach Hedge did a little nature magic—"

"Sports medicine." The coach's ugly face loomed over her. "Kind of a hobby of mine. Your breath might smell like wild mushrooms and Gatorade for a few days, but it'll pass. You probably won't die. Probably."

"Gee, thanks," she said weakly. "How did you beat Midas?"

Jason told her the story, putting most of it down to luck.

The coach snorted. "Kid's being modest. You should've seen him. Hi-yah! Slice! Boom with the lightning!"

"Coach, you didn't even see it," Jason said. "You were outside eating the lawn."

But the satyr was just warming up. "Then I came in with my club, and we dominated that room. Afterward, I told him, 'Kid, I'm proud of you! If you could just work on your upper body strength —'"

Violet and Leo busted out laughing.

"Coach," said Jason.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up, please."

"Sure." The coach sat down at the fire and started chewing an empty Gatorade bottle.

Jason put his hand on Violet's forehead and checked her temperature. "Leo, can you stoke the fire?"

"On it." Leo summoned a clump of flames and lobbed it into the campfire.

"Do I look that bad?" Violet shivered.

"Nah," Jason said, but Leo pulled a face.

"Awesome," she said. "Where are we?"