Daughter of Pluto | Wattys2017

XL

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL DIDN'T WANT TO let an unscheduled helicopter land at the Oakland Airport—until Piper got on the radio. Then it turned out to be no problem.

They unloaded on the tarmac, and everyone looked at Piper.

"What now?" Jason asked her.Aimee was leaning on him barely able to stand

The look she gave Aimee said it all.Piper didn't want to be in charge, but for her dad's sake, she had to appear confident. She had no plan. But today was the solstice. They had to save Hera. They had no idea where to go or if they were even too late. And how could she leave her dad in this condition?

"First thing," Piper said. "I—I have to get my dad home. I'm sorry, guys."

Their faces fell.Aimee nodded understanding.

"Oh," Leo said. "I mean, absolutely. He needs you right now. We can take it from here."

"Pipes, no." Her dad had been sitting in the helicopter doorway, a blanket around his shoulders. But he stumbled to his feet. "You have a mission. A quest. I can't—"

"I'll take care of him," said Coach Hedge.

Aimee stared at him. The satyr was the last person she'd expected to offer. "You?" she asked.

"I'm a protector," Gleeson said. "That's my job, not fighting."

He sounded a little crestfallen, and Aimee realized maybe Piper shouldn't have recounted how he got knocked unconscious in the last battle. In his own way, maybe the satyr was as sensitive as the girl's own dad.

Then Hedge straightened, and set his jaw. "Of course, I'm good at fighting, too." He glared at them all, daring them to argue.Aimee rolled her eyes but she had to admit,to monsters the satyr could be pretty scary.

"Yes," Jason said.

"Terrifying," Leo agreed.

The coach grunted. "But I'm a protector, and I can do this. Your dad's right, Piper. You need to carry on with the quest."

"But ...Dad ..."

He held out his arms, and she hugged him. He was trembling so much.

"Let's give them a minute," Jason said, and they took the pilot a few yards down the tarmac.Aimee sat down as soon as she could,her side was killing her but she had to appear strong.

Piper's dad slumped forward after drinking something and Piper caught him, and everyone but Aimee ran up to help.

"Got him," Hedge said. The satyr stumbled, but he was strong enough to hold Tristan McLean upright. "I already asked our ranger friend to call up his plane. It's on the way now. Home address?"

Piper was about to tell him. Then she checked her dad's pocket.

"Everything's on here," Piper said. "Address, his chauffeur's number. Just watch out for Jane."

Hedge's eyes lit up, like he sensed a possible fight. "Who's Jane?"

By the time Piper explained, her dad's sleek white Gulf-stream had taxied next to the helicopter.

Hedge and the flight attendant got Piper's dad on board. Then Hedge came down one last time to say his good-byes. He gave Piper a hug.Aimee wasn't much of a hugger so he gave her a fist bump.Then he glared at Jason and Leo. "You cupcakes take care of these girls, you hear? Or I'm gonna make you do push-ups."

"You got it, Coach," Leo said, a smile tugging at his mouth.

"No push-ups," Jason promised.

Piper gave the old satyr one more hug. "Thank you, Gleeson. Take care of him, please."

"I got this, McLean," he assured her. "They got root beer and veggie enchiladas on this flight, and one hundred percent linen napkins—yum! I could get used to this."

Trotting up the stairs, he lost one shoe, and his hoof was visible for just a second. The flight attendant's eyes widened, but she looked away and pretended nothing was wrong. Aimee figured she'd probably seen stranger things, working for Tristan McLean.

When the plane was heading down the runway, Piper started to cry.Jason was hugging her, and Leo stood uncomfortably next to Aimee who was still hiding her injured side.

"Your dad's in good hands," Jason said. "You did amazing."

Piper sobbed into his shirt. The helicopter pilot was starting looking uncomfortable, like she was starting to wonder why she'd flown them here.

"Thank you, guys," Piper said. "I—"

All three of them gave her a look and she gave them a smile,Piper knew what they were saying.They were telling her something that even they couldn't put into words.

Then, right next to Jason, the air began to shimmer. Aimee smiled,it was an Iris message. An image appeared in the air—a dark-haired girl in silver winter camouflage, holding a bow.

Jason stumbled back in surprise. "Thalia!"

"Thank the gods," said the Hunter. The scene behind her was hard to make out, but Piper heard yelling, metal clashing on metal, and explosions.

"We've found her," Thalia said. "Where are you?"

"Oakland," he said. "Where are you?"

"The Wolf House! Oakland is good; you're not too far. We're holding off the giant's minions, but we can't hold them forever. Get here before sunset, or it's all over."

"Then it's not too late?" Piper cried. Aimee looked at her and the girl seemed hopeful,but the look on Thalia's face soon dampened her mood.

"Not yet," Thalia said. "But Jason—it's worse than I realized. Porphyrion is rising. Hurry.""But where is the Wolf House?" he pleaded.

"Our last trip," Thalia said, her image starting to flicker. "The park. Jack London. Remember?"

This made no sense to the others, but both Aimee and Jason looked like they'd been shot. Aimee stumbled into Jason, her face paler than it was before, and the Iris message disappeared.

"Aimee, you alright?" Leo asked. "You know where she is?"

"Yes," Jason said holding up the girl,his face just as pale as her's. "Sonoma Valley. Not far. Not by air."

Piper turned to the ranger pilot, who'd been watching all this with an increasingly puzzled expression.Aimee tried to focus on what was going on but she felt way too dizzy.

"Ma'am," Piper said with her best smile. "You don't mind helping us one more time, do you?"

"I don't mind," the pilot agreed.

"We can't take a mortal into battle," Jason said. "It's too dangerous." 

He picked up Aimee and turned to Leo. "Do you think you could fly this thing?"

"Um ..." Leo's expression didn't exactly reassure Aimee. But then he put his hand on the side of the helicopter, concentrating hard, as if listening to the machine.

"Bell 412HP utility helicopter," Leo said. "Composite four-blade main rotor, cruising speed twenty-two knots, service ceiling twenty-thousand feet. The tank is near full. Sure, I can fly it."

Piper smiled at the ranger again. "You don't have a problem with an under-aged unlicensed kid borrowing your copter, do you? We'll return it."

"I—" The pilot nearly choked on the words, but she got them out: "I don't have a problem with that."

Leo grinned. "Hop in, kids. Uncle Leo's gonna take you for a ride."