Wildfires, Heroes of Olympus ₂

036, it rhymes with grape...

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
SILVIANA        DUVALL

Sylvie had trouble falling asleep.

Coach Hedge spent the first hour after curfew doing his nightly duty, walking up and down the passageway yelling, "Lights out! Settle down! Try to sneak out, and I'll smack you back to Long Island!"

He banged his baseball bat against a cabin door whenever he heard a noise, shouting at everyone to go to sleep, which made it impossible for anyone to go to sleep.

Sylvie stared at the bronze beams on the ceiling. Her cabin was pretty cozy. Leo had programmed their quarters to adjust automatically to the occupant's preferred temperature so it was never too cold (thank the gods) or too hot. The mattress and the pillows were stuffed with pegasus down (no pegasi were harmed in the making of these products, Leo had assured her), so they were über-comfortable. A bronze lantern hung from the ceiling, glowing at whatever brightness Sylvie wished. The lantern's sides were perforated with pinholes, so at night glimmering constellations drifted across her walls.

Sylvie had so many things on her mind, she thought she'd never sleep. But there was something peaceful about the rocking of the boat as they scooped through the sky. She could almost convince herself she was back sailing the Sea of Monsters with Percy and Annabeth. Back then, she would be incredulous at this thought, but Sylvie believed that quest was the best her life had ever been.

Finally her eyelids got heavy, and she drifted off.

It seemed like only a few seconds had passed before she woke up to the breakfast bell. And Leo knocking vigorously on her door.

"Yo, Sylvie!" Leo called. "Sylvie Duvall! Silviana! Vaquera! Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey—"

"Shut up, Leo!" Sylvie sat up groggily. "I'm awake."

"I just wanted to let you know we're landing!"

"Landing?"

Leo opened her door and invited himself right in like he owned the place. Well, sure, he did create Sylvie's cabin, but it would've been nice for him to ask permission first. Sylvie was appropriately clothed, although what if she wasn't? Leo really needed to learn the principles of not infringing upon Sylvie's personal space. He didn't do this with anyone else.

"Oh, good," Leo mused. "You're decent."

"Leo!"

"Sorry." He grinned. "Hey, nice Winnie the Pooh jammies."

"They're from my dad," Sylvie grumbled.

"Yeah, sure. Anyway, we're settling down a few miles outside Topeka, as Finley's requested. And, um..." He glanced out in the passageway, then leaned inside again. "Thanks for not hating me, about blowing up the Romans yesterday."

Sylvie rubbed her eyes. The feast in new Rome had been only yesterday? "I told you it's okay, Leo. We're not angry at you. You weren't in control of yourself."

"Yeah, but still... you didn't have to stick up for me."

"You kidding? Of course I'll stick up for you," Sylvie promised. "Always. Even if you're the most annoying person I know."