ENTRAPPED ₂

2

AS THE CHARIOT LIFTED INTO THE AIR, BUTCH HANDLED THE REINS WHILE ANNABETH NAVIGATED. Ethan really hated flying, but he was a professional at controlling his fear, and his fear of Madeleine being dead outweighed any petty fear of spattering on the ground.

They rose over the Grand Canyon and headed east. Icy wind stung Ethan's face. He turned to look at the three demigods they had recruited, who were huddled in the back looking nervous and pale. They avoided Ethan's eyes.

Well, good.

The chariot lurched and bumped, and Ethan wrapped his fists around the side of it, white-knuckled. Fuck, he hated flying. He hated everything without Madeleine.

The boy that had introduced himself as Leo spit a pegasus feather out of his mouth. "This is so cool! Where are we going?"

"We're going to a place where they cut out your tongue if you talk too much," Ethan informed him coldly.

The boy paled.

Annabeth sighed. "We're going to a safe place," she said. "The only safe place for kids like us. Camp Half-Blood."

"Half-blood?" the girl, Piper, asked, her voice on edge. "Is that some kind of bad joke?"

"Oh, relax," Ethan snarled. "It's not some kind of racist metaphor. In case you haven't noticed, Annabeth's black. I'm Japanese. And you're annoying as fuck."

The girl paled. Jason shot Ethan a wary look. "What Annabeth meant, I think, is that we're demigods," he 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."

Leo choked. "Your mom is a rainbow goddess?"

"Got a problem with that?" Butch asked.

"No, no," Leo said. "Rainbows. Very macho."

"Butch is our best equestrian," Annabeth said. "He gets along great with pegasi."

"Rainbows, ponies," Leo muttered.

"I'm gonna toss you off this chariot," Butch warned.

"No, I want to," Ethan said. "I had first claims. You can take the girl."

Leo eyed Ethan. "Who's your godly parent, dude? Apollo? You're just a ray of sunshine."

Ethan's fingers twitched toward his knives. "No," he said coldly. "The only thing Apollo and I have in common is he used to sleep with my girlfriend."

"Ethan is the son of Nemesis," Annabeth interjected. "The goddess of revenge."

"Also jealousy, envy, and anger." Ethan drew his knife and picked at his nails with it. "She cut out my eye, if that helps you get a good grasp of my parental figures."

"Okay, hold up," Piper said. "You said demigods. You guys think we're... you think we're―"

Lightning flashed. The chariot shuddered, and Jason yelled, "Left wheel's on fire!"

Yes, indeed! The wheel was burning, white flames lapping up the side of the chariot. Ethan needed a cigarette.

Behind them, dark shapes formed in the clouds. Storm spirits spiraled toward the chariot in the form of horses.

Piper started to say, "Why are they―"

"Anemoi come in different shapes," Annabeth interrupted. "Sometimes human, sometimes stallions, depending on how chaotic they are. Hold on. This is going to get rough."