ENTRAPPED ₂

8

THE FOUR DEMIGODS SAT IN SILENCE UNTIL THE GLOW OF QUEBEC CITY FADED BEHIND THEM. Finally, Jason said, "Pipes, you were amazing."

Piper kept her back turned to Jason and Ethan. "Si vous saviez la vérité sur moi, vous ne penseriez pas que j'étais si incroyable," she replied. Ethan didn't understand it, but she sounded bitter.

"What'd you say?" Jason asked.

"I said I only talked to Boreas. It wasn't so amazing."

"Liar," Ethan hissed in Piper's ear. Her shoulders curled inward, the only indication of her discomfort.

"Hey," Jason said, "you saved me from joining Khione's sub-zero hero collection. I owe you one."

Leo turned and passed them sandwiches from his pack. They were neat, sorted in plastic baggies with name labels. Ethan was very surprised when Leo pulled one that read ETHAN in sharp, black marker.

"You made me a sandwich," Ethan said. It was almost a question, but not quite.

Leo nodded. "I didn't really know what you liked, so I just went with my gut. There's a lot of death and destruction in this."

Despite himself, Ethan smiled. "Thanks." He took the baggie, but did not open it.

Leo stared out at the sky. "I still can't believe Khione," he said. "She looked so nice."

"You're delusional," Ethan told him, but there was no heat in his voice.

"Trust me, man," Jason said. "Snow may be pretty, but up close it's cold and nasty. I'm sure there's a better prom date for you."

Secrets, secrets, secrets.

Piper finished her sandwich and curled into herself. In minutes, she was asleep.

"Leo," Ethan said. "You go to sleep, too. I need to talk to Jason about something. Privately."

Leo's eyes flickered back and forth between them, but he had enough sense to listen to Ethan, so he nodded and slumped against Festus's head. Ethan waited until Leo's breathing evened out, then turned to face Jason on the dragon.

"Jason Grace," Ethan said. Jason flinched like Ethan had just pulled a weapon. "How long have you known?"

Jason gazed out at the dark sky. "Not long. Just... the morning we left. I remembered. I was with Annabeth."

"You know," Ethan said, "there's another child of Zeus with the last name Grace. Thalia. Ever met her?"

Ethan's tone was dangerous. He did not like liars. If Jason lied now, things were going to get nasty really quick.

Jason pursed his lips. "I didn't remember her, but there was... there was a picture of her, hanging in the Zeus cabin. Thalia and Luke and Annabeth. Annabeth told me about her. Said Thalia never mentioned having a brother or anything." He eyes were distant. "I don't really remember knowing her. I just... I know that she's my sister."

Ethan heard the ring of truth in his words. He nodded curtly. "You can't hide shit like that from me or we're never going to get through this quest. Your friends are already hiding enough."

Jason's eyes flickered to Piper and Leo. "What are they hiding?"

"Well," Ethan said, "I don't tell secrets. Let's just say you're a lot easier to figure out than your friends are."

Jason frowned. "You're hiding something, though."

Ethan's smile was without humor. "Of course I am. I'm not inclined to share my entire history with an amnesiac and two fucking liars. That's suicidal. I'm telling you guys what you need to know to stay alive. I'm the only experienced fighter here that can actually remember his shit."