DIVINE » l. valdez

ii

❝the gods are real ❞

Hina's head refused to stop spinning as she stood in the back of the chariot. They flew through the air with ease, as Butch handled the reigns. Her hands gripped the sides of the chariot, knuckles turning white.

Icy air whipped Hina's face, as she remained soaked to the bone from the storm. The back of the chariot was wide open, making Hina doubt the safety of their 'extraction'.

Behind them, the storm clouds had begun to reform. Hina stared out towards the raging storm, watching as it slowly trailed behind them. She hoped wherever Annabeth and Butch were taking them was far away from the storm spirits.

Hina was determined to never see one of those monsters ever again, having faced her fair share. As Hina stared gloomily at the horizon, her thoughts drifted to her mother and Harry and all the success they would have in life if they were still alive.

Leo seemed oblivious to the tension and worry between his friends. He grinned like a child on Christmas as he spat a Pegasus feather from his mouth. "This is so cool!" he shouted, turning to see Annabeth.

"Where are we going?" Leo asked the girl holding a compass. She answered not looking up from her navigation device.

"A safe place. The only safe place for kids like us. Camp Half-Blood."

Hina wrinkled her nose at the name, not feeling too comfortable with the term. Growing up with mixed heritage, Hina knew all too well the effects of those horrible names.

Piper questioned the name for both of them asking, "Half-Blood." She said the word with obvious distaste.

"Is that some kind of joke?"

"She means we're demigods," Jason clarified. "Half god, half mortal."

All heads turned to Jason in surprise, even Butch, who was steering, looked back momentarily.

"You seem to know a lot, Jason. But, yes, demigods. My mom is Athena, goddess of wisdom. Butch here is the son of Iris, the rainbow goddess." Annabeth said.

Hina's mouth opened in shock, unable to process this new information. Her father was not an absentee, but a god? It seemed impossible, yet seemed to make too much sense.

Leo snorted, looking at Butch, "Your mom is a rainbow goddess?"

"Got a problem with that?" Butch replied, sounding unopposed to a fight. Leo inched further away from the demigod.

"No, no! Rainbows. Very macho."

"Butch is our best equestrian," Annabeth said. "He gets along great with the pegasi."

"Ponies, rainbows," Leo muttered, as if unable to let the irony pass.

"I'm gonna toss you off this chariot," Butch threatened, raising a fist towards Leo. Sensing the possibility of Butch following through on his threat, Hina pulled Leo towards the back of the chariot.

"Demigods," Piper breathed, "You think we're- you think-"

Lightning struck the side of the chariot as thunder clapped through the sky. The chariot shuddered and lurched to the side.

"Left wheel's on fire!" Jason shouted, looking down to where the chariot burned.

Hina quickly moved her hands from the side of the chariot as the fire reached towards them. She stepped backwards crashing into Leo as they stared wide eye at the storm approaching.