HORIZON ⸺ jason grace

xiv. coach hedge has some serious game!

FOR A MINUTE, Jason and Thalia faced each other, stunned. Then Thalia rushed forward and hugged him.

"My gods! She told me you were dead!" She gripped Jason's face and seemed to be examining everything about it.

"Thank Artemis, it is you. That little scar on your lip—you tried to eat a stapler when you were two!"

Laughter bubbled out of Violet, making Jason go pink. "I'm using that against you."

Hedge nodded like he approved of Jason's taste.
"Staplers —excellent source of iron."

"W-wait," Jason stammered. "Who told you I was dead? What happened?"

At the cave entrance, one of the white wolves barked. Thalia looked back at the wolf and nodded, but she kept her hands on Jason's face, like she was afraid he might vanish.

"My wolf is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right. But we have to talk. Let's sit."

Violet one-upped the girl. She collapsed, and probably would've cracked her head on the cave floor if Hedge hadn't caught her.

Thalia rushed over. "What's wrong with her? Ah-never mind. I see. Hypothermia. Ankle."

She frowned at the satyr. "Don't you know nature healing?"

Hedge scoffed. "Why do you think she looks this good? Can't you smell the Gatorade?"

Thalia looked at Leo for the first time, but he had been starring at her for a while. To Violet's surprise, Piper had been starring at Thalia as well.

A sly smile formed on her face. She remembered when Piper had said that Jason wasn't her type.

"You and the satyr," Thalia ordered, "take Vi and the other girl to my friend at the entrance. Phoebe's an excellent healer."

"It's cold out there!" Hedge said. "I'll freeze my horns off."

But Piper had people skills. "Come on,
Hedge. These two need time to talk."

"Humph. Fine," the satyr muttered. "Didn't even get to brain anybody."

Hedge and Piper made toward the entrance. Leo was about to follow with Violet when Jason called, "Actually, um, Vi, could you, um, stick around?"

Violet saw something in Jason's eyes she didn't expect: Jason was asking for support. He wanted somebody else there. He was scared.

"Of course," Violet smiled softly. It was the least she could do, after him taking care of her.

For a few minutes, nobody spoke. Jason studied his sister like she was a scary device one that might explode if handled incorrectly. Thalia seemed more at ease, but still, she regarded Jason in a kind of amazed trance, maybe remembering a little two-year-old who tried to eat a stapler.

Violet could not stand the silence. "Thalia was a pine tree for a while."

Thalia rolled her eyes and threw an arm around her friend. "And I almost electrocuted you. What's your point?"

"Just trying to diffuse the tension, Thals."

Finally, Jason spoke up. "Thalia ... what happened to our family? Who told you I was dead?"

Thalia tugged at a silver bracelet on her wrist. In the firelight, in her winter camouflage, she looked like a goddess herself.

"Do you remember anything?" she asked.

Jason shook his head. "I woke up three days ago on a bus with Leo and Piper."

"And then he crashed into the canoe lake."