The Blazing Fate

Chapter Twenty-Four

The sun was going down as they flew north over the Richmond Bridge, and Astrid couldn't believe how fast the day had gone.

Astrid had so much to think about. The picture in her pocket burned into her skin. Her arm was starting to almost boil. And a teenager was flying the plane she was in.

'Going okay?' Astrid asked from the copilot seat.

'Aces,' Leo said, putting on a fake smile. 'So, what's the Wolf House?'

Jason and Piper knelt between their seats.

Jason said, 'An abandoned mansion in the Sonoma Valley. A demigod built it—Jack London.'

'He an actor?'

'Writer,' Piper said. 'Adventure stuff, right? Call of the Wild? White Fang?'

'Yeah,' Jason said. 'He was a son of Mercury—I mean, Hermes. He was an adventurer, traveled the world. He was even a hobo for a while. Then he made a fortune writing. He bought a big ranch in the country and decided to build his huge mansion—the Wolf House.'

'Named that cause he wrote about wolves?' Astrid guessed.

'Partially,' Jason said. 'But the site, and the reason he wrote about wolves—he was dropping hints about his personal experience. There're a lot of holes in his life story—how he was born, who his dad was, why he wandered around so much—stuff you can only explain if you know he was a demigod.'

The Bay slipped behind them, and the helicopter continued north. Ahead of them, yellow hills rolled out as far as Astrid could see.

'So, Jack London went to Camp Half-Blood,' Leo guessed.

'No,' Jason said. 'No, he didn't.'

'Bro, you're freaking me out with the mysterious talk. Are you remembering your past or not?'

'Pieces,' Jason said. 'Only pieces. None of it good. The Wolf House is on sacred ground. It's where London started his journey as a child—where he found out he was a demigod. That's why he returned there. He thought he could live there, claim that land, but it wasn't meant for him. The Wolf House was cursed. It burned in a fire a week before he and his wife were supposed to move in. A few years later, London died, and his ashes were buried on the site.'

'So,' Piper said, 'how do you know all this?'

'I started my journey there, too,' Jason said. 'It's a powerful place for demigods, a dangerous place. If Gaea can claim it, use its power to entomb Hera on the solstice and raises Porphyrion—that might be enough to awaken the earth goddess fully.'

Astrid could hear her dad's voice in her head. You are special, Astrid. But she didn't feel special. She was supposed to be the knowledge of this quest, but she didn't understand half of what Jason had just said. Her arm hurt. She was tired. She wanted to go home.

But where even was home for her?

'Thirty minutes out,' Leo told them. 'If you want to get some rest, now's a good time.'

----

Jason and Piper strapped themselves into the back of the helicopter. Jason passed out immediately, but Piper looked lost in thought. Astrid and Leo stayed wide-awake.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Leo said, 'You did a great job blinding that giant, you know. Totally impressive.'

Astrid smiled as she glanced over at him. 'Thanks.'

They were silent for a little longer. Astrid didn't know if she wanted to talk.

'Could I ask you something?' Leo said. Astrid nodded. 'That picture Aeolus gave you? Is that... Who was it?'

Astrid felt herself tense. She was hanging on by a thread and that question almost made her cry.

'You don't have to—'

'My mother,' Astrid said. Leo snapped his mouth shut. 'She died when I was four.'

Leo was quiet for a while. 'And...?'

'I had an older brother,' Astrid whispered, her eyes stinging. 'We were all in the car crash. My mom... she was drunk and could barely control the car. My powers saved me. He was six.'

'Oh my god,' Leo mumbled. 'I... I'm so sorry, Ash. That's terrible.'

Astrid wiped the tear off her cheek. 'It was a long time ago. But, just, don't tell anybody, okay? Not even Annabeth knows.'

Leo nods. 'Of course. You know, you are the most powerful, strongest, and brightest sunshine I've ever met. You can trust yourself. You can believe in yourself. And... for what it's worth, you can trust me, too.'

The helicopter dipped in a wind shear, and Leo jumped. He cursed and righted the chopper.

Astrid laughed nervously. 'Trust you, huh?'

'Ah, shut up, already.' But he grinned at her, and for a second, it felt like they were back at the wilderness school.

Then they hit the storm clouds.