The Blazing Fate

Chapter Nineteen

Astrid was once again enticed to join the Hunters when she saw how Piper, Hedge, and Leo were being treated. Phoebe had set up this silver tent Pavilion thing right outside the cave. Inside was a kerosene heater keeping them toasty warm and a bunch of comfy throw pillows. Piper looked back to normal, decked out in a new parka, gloves, and camo pants like a Hunter. Leo also had a new parka and gloves. They were kicking back, drinking hot chocolate, even though Phoebe kept sending glares Leo's way.

Soon, Jason and Astrid were also dressed in silvery winter clothes that were incredibly lightweight and warm. The hot chocolate was first-rate.

'Cheers!' said Coach Hedge. He crunched down his plastic thermos cup.

'That cannot be good for your intestines,' Leo said.

Thalia patted Piper on the back. 'You up for moving?'

Piper nodded. 'Thanks to Phoebe, yeah. You guys are really good at this wilderness survival thing. I feel like I could run ten miles.'

Thalia winked at Jason. 'She's tough for a child of Aphrodite. I like this one.'

'Hey, I could run ten miles too,' Leo volunteered. 'Tough Hephaestus kid here. Let's hit it.'

Naturally, Thalia ignored him. Astrid felt jealousy at the pit of her stomach, and she turned away from Leo. Unfortunately, she made direct eye contact with Thalia who smirked in the way she does when she knows something. Astrid cursed in her head.

It took Phoebe exactly six seconds to break camp. The tent self-collapsed into a square the size of a pack of chewing gum.

Thalia ran uphill through the snow, hugging a tiny little path on the side of the mountain, and Astrid was soon starting to struggle.

Coach Hedge leaped around like a happy mountain goat, coaxing them on like he used to do on track days at school. 'Come on, Valdez! Pick up the pace! Let's chant. I've got a girl in Kalamazoo-'

'Let's not,' Thalia snapped.

So, they ran in silence.

Astrid fell in next to Jason at the back of the group. 'How you doing, man?'

Jason's expression was enough of an answer: Not good.

'Thalia takes it so calmly,' Jason said. 'Like it's no big deal that I appeared. I don't know what I was expecting, but... she's not like me. She seems so much more together.'

Astrid scoffed. 'Trust me, it took a while for Thalia to seem "put together". She was a tree for like seven years, you know. It took her a while to understand where she was and who she was. Don't let her fool you. Besides, she's not fighting amnesia. You get used to surprises after a while.'

'I guess,' Jason said. 'I just wish I understood what happened when I was two, why my mom got rid of me. Thalia ran away because of me.'

'Hey, whatever happened, it wasn't your fault. And your sister is pretty cool. I'm a big fan. She's a lot like you.'

Jason took that in silence. Astrid didn't know if she helped but she hoped she did. She wished they had more time with Thalia. Then, Jason could hear how messy his sister really was. Maybe that would make him feel better.

Leo ran into Thalia when they finally stopped running. If she wasn't light on her feet, they both would've been at the end of the mountain in seconds. She steadied them both, then pointed up.

'That,' Leo choked, 'is a really big rock.'

They stood near the summit of Pikes Peak. Below them the world was blanketed in clouds. The air was so thin, Astrid could hardly breathe. Night had set in, but a full moon shone, and the stars were incredible. Stretching out to the north and south, peaks of other mountains rose from the clouds like islands-or teeth.