Daughter of Pluto | Wattys2017

XXIII

I KEPT LOOKING BACK. I HALF EXPECTED to see those nasty sun dragons toting a flying chariot with a screaming magical saleswoman throwing potions, but nothing followed them.

Leo steered the dragon toward the southwest. Eventually, the smoke from the burning department store faded in the distance, but I didn't relax until the suburbs of Chicago gave way to snowy fields, and the sun began to set.

"Good job, Festus." I patted the dragon's metal hide with one hand,the other was wrapping tightly around Leo. "You did awesome."

The dragon shuddered. Gears popped and clicked in his neck.

I frowned. I could tell that Leo didn't like those noises. If the control disk was failing again—No, hopefully it was something minor. Something Leo could fix.

"I'll give you a tune-up next time we land," Leo promised. "You've earned some motor oil and Tabasco sauce."

Festus whirled his teeth, but even that sounded weak. He flew at a steady pace, his great wings angling to catch the wind, but he was carrying a heavy load. Two cages in his claws plus three people on his back—the more Leo thought about it, the more worried he got. Even metal dragons had limits.

"Leo." I tightened my arm around him lightly trying to comfort him. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah ... not bad for a brainwashed zombie." He hoped he didn't look as embarrassed as he felt. "Thanks for saving us back there,both of you. If you guys hadn't talked me out of that spell—"

"Don't worry about it," Piper said reaching over me to give him a pat on the shoulder.

But Leo worried a lot. He felt terrible about how easily Medea had set him against his best friend. And I knew that those feelings hadn't come from nowhere—his resentment of the way Jason always got the spotlight and didn't really seem to need him. It didn't come as a surprise to me that Leo did feel that way sometimes, even if he wasn't proud of it.

I knew that he was bothered by the news about his mom. Medea had seen the future down in the Underworld. That was how her patron, the woman in the black earthen robes, had come to the machine shop seven years ago to scare him, ruin his life. That's how his mother had died—because of something Leo might do someday. I hugged him tightly hiding my face in his coat,my thoughts taking over.Everything I had learned was starting to poke at my mind,but I tried to push them away.

When they had left Medea in that exploding store, I had felt a little too good. I really hoped she wouldn't make it out, and would go right back to the Fields of Punishment, where she belonged. Those feelings didn't make me proud, but the lady was really insane and messed up.

The idea of bringing back the dead,it wasn't uncommon for me but the dead I brought back went right back to being dead. They didn't open department stores and kill demigods on a daily basis. It wasn't natural. It wasn't right. Medea might've been brought back to life, but she hadn't seemed quite human, with the hissing nails and the glowing head and whatnot.

"We're going to have to put down soon," Leo warned us. "Couple more hours, maybe, to make sure Medea's not following us. I don't think Festus can fly much longer than that."

"Yeah," Piper agreed. "Coach Hedge probably wants to get out of his canary cage, too. Question is—where are we going?"

"The Bay Area," Leo guessed. "Didn't Medea say something about Oakland?"

Piper didn't respond for so long, I knew she didn't want to tell them about her dad.

"Piper's dad," Jason put in. "Something's happened to your dad, right? He got lured into some kind of trap."

Piper let out a shaky breath. "Look, Medea said you would both die in the Bay Area. And besides ... even if we went there, the Bay Area is huge! First we need to find Aeolus and drop off the storm spirits. Boreas said Aeolus was the only one who could tell us exactly where to go."

Leo grunted. "So how do we find Aeolus?"

Jason leaned forward. "You mean you don't see it?" He pointed ahead of them, but I didn't see anything except clouds and the lights of a few towns glowing in the dusk.

"What?" Leo asked.

"That ... whatever it is," Jason said. "In the air."

Leo glanced back. Piper looked just as confused as he was.

"Right," Leo said. "Could you be more specific on the 'whatever-it-is' part?"

"Yeah Jason,none of us are children of Zeus except you so please be more specific,"I said looking back at Jason who rolled his eyes slightly.

"Like a vapor trail," Jason said. "Except it's glowing. Really faint, but it's definitely there. We've been following it since Chicago, so I figured you saw it."

Leo shook his head. "Maybe Festus can sense it. You think Aeolus made it?"

"Well, it's a magic trail in the wind," Jason said. "Aeolus is the wind god. I think he knows we've got prisoners for him. He's telling us where to fly."

"Or it's another trap," I said.

I didn't just sound nervous. I knew I sounded terrified, like we'd already sealed our fate,like I knew but I could do nothing about it.And it was the truth,I knew what we were walking into but I couldn't stop it.

"Angel, you all right?" he asked.

"Don't call me that."

"Okay, fine. But I have to figure out a nickname for you at some point. But if you what we are walking into in and we can help—"

"You can't," I said, my voice getting shakier. "Look, I'm tired. If you don't mind ..."

I leaned against him wrapping my arms around him tightly and closed my eyes.I felt cold,Leo felt warm. His warmth slowly relaxed me and I fell asleep.

I slipped into a dream-no a memory.This time the memory was of Nico.

"Come on Aimee,I want to play Mythomagic!!"

I smiled at him leaning down."Okay Nico leet's go play,but your going to have to teach me how to play again. I seemed to have forgotten from last time."

Nico nodded quickly and grabbed my hand pulling me through a door.When I stepped through the door the memory changed.

"AIMEE!!"

I looked back and saw Nico with Bianca being held back by two security guards. I tried to pull away and run to them but when I got free I was picked up and thrown over someone's shoulder.

"NICO!! BIANCA!!"

I was put in the car and the door slammed in my face,I hit the window tears running down my face.As the car drove away I eventually curled into a ball.

I felt more tears run down my face."Nico.Bianca."

My voice was quiet but I knew that man next to me had heard. I felt someone pull me into a hug and I cried into their shoulder.The person was wearing a nice suit and had many silver rings on his fingers.

"You'll see them again,child.I promise."

Then the dream faded to black.