The Lost Heroine (Heroes of Olympus/Kane Chronicles crossover) [2016]

Chapter 12: Sadie

FLYING ON A METAL DRAGON WAS THE MOST EXHILARATING EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE, including the memories that were flooding in faster every minute.

I sat on Festus' back, behind Leo and Calypso. I was screaming with delight. Festus' bronze wings beat on either side of me. Wind whistled in my ears, blowing my hair into my face.

"Did you make this thing?" I yelled to Leo over the roar of the wind.

"Sort of," Leo yelled back. "He was made like fifty years ago, but it went haywire after a while. I trained him, gave him wings and fixed him up a bit."

On my left, Piper laughed, pulling Tempest up next to Festus. She was in front of Jason, who was allowing her to drive the storm spirit. "You made him into the figurehead of a ship, then made him back into a dragon," she corrected. "You gave his life a reason."

Leo blushed. "It wasn't that impressive," he said sheepishly.

"Yes, it was!" Hazel called as she brought Arion level with Festus on my right side. "It was amazing! You made a ship into a flying dragon and used him to save the world!"

Leo's face reddened even more, and his curly hair burst into flames. He brushed them off with his bare hands.

"Won't the mortals see us?" I asked. "A dragon, a giant eagle, and three flying horses?"

"Blackjack is very sensitive about the 'horse' thing," Percy warned. "And the mortals' vision is obscured by the Mist, which makes them think we're birds, airplanes, helicopters-- something they can believe."

"You know where we're going, Percy, right?" Leo asked.

"Just about," Percy replied. "I've lived in New York for my whole life. I haven't spent much time in Brooklyn specifically, but I'm okay with New York geography."

"Across the East River from Manhattan," Carter directed.

Percy rolled his eyes. "I knew that much."

Nico held onto Hazel's shoulder. "I... hate... flying..." he said through gritted teeth.

"Zeus isn't going to attack you, Nico," Jason assured him.

"I still hate flying!" he yelled.

"Calm down, di Angelo!" Will yelled from on top of Frank the eagle.

"You are not in the place to tell me what to do, Solace!" Nico retorted. "Your dad is the sun, for the gods' sake!"

"Are we getting close?" Calypso asked.

"Yeah," Carter shouted. "Over there, on top of that warehouse."

"A warehouse? That's where you train magicians?" Percy said skeptically.

That's when we saw it. A mansion, on top of the warehouse. Leo whistled. "Wow."

"Land on the roof," Carter suggested. "And don't freak about the griffin. Ha. Freak is the griffin's name."

"Griffin?" Percy echoed. "Aren't they--"

"Idiot!" I yelled. "You weren't supposed to tell them about the griffin! Are you trying to scare them off?"

"It's a good griffin!" Carter said hastily. "It's trained!"

"Trained, like tamed?" Percy asked. "Or trained, like not to go in the house?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm surrounded by idiots!"

"Shut up, Sadie!" Carter snapped. "Watch out, there are people there!" He waved his hands wildly, almost falling off Blackjack. Festus swooped closer to the pegasus, and I steadied him on Blackjack's back. "Klutz," I said affectionately.

"Zia! Walt! Jaz!" he yelled. "Hi, guys!"

Standing on the roof were four people. There was a boy with dark skin and a huge collection of amulets. A girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. A girl with black hair and amber eyes. And a girl with blonde hair and grey eyes, holding a gold staff with an owl on it.

"Sadie! Carter!" the black haired girl-- Zia-- cheered. "They're back!"

A pegasus, a storm spirit, a horse, an eagle, and a dragon automaton touched down on the roof. Freak the griffin screeched, "FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK!" and lunged toward us, but his chain stopped him.

"SADIE!" the boy, Walt, yelled, running toward me. I slid off Festus to the ground and ran to him. "Walt!" I said, hugging him.

"Why'd you leave?" he asked.

"Not my fault! I got switched with Annabeth!" I explained.

"I know!" Walt replied, and I turned to look.

Percy climbed off Blackjack and stood in front of Annabeth. Annabeth stared at him, and he stared back. No one moved.

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Guess whose PoV the next chapter is gonna be. Not Annabeth, and not Sadie.