Audaces Fortuna Iuvat • J.Grace

V.

     “𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐠𝐨! 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫!” 𝐇𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 yelled before he launched himself at the storm spirit, lashing out with his hooves, knocking Leo free from the spirit’s grasp. Leo dropped safely to the floor, but Dylan grappled Coach’s arms instead. Hedge tried his beast to headbutt him, then kick and call him cupcake, but they only continued to raise in the air, gaining speed. “Save her! I got this!” He yelled down once more, but the satyr and the spirit spiraled into the clouds and disappeared.

Save her? Jason though. But...she’s gone! But, once more, his instincts took over. He ran to the railing with his last thought being I’m a lunatic before he jumped over the side. He wasn‘t scared of heights, but he was scared of being smashed against the canyon floor that lay waiting for him five hundred feet below. He figured he hadn‘t accomplished anything except for dying along with Alecia, but he tucked in his arms and plummeted headfirst. The sides of the canyon raced past like a film on fast-forward. His face felt like it was peeling off.

Alecia didn’t scream for long, instead she was too caught up in the feeling that ate at her insides, pulling and twisting harder as the ground got nearer. As she stared at the rocks below, a male face flashed in front of her vision. It was brief, but it was enough to know that it was someone important, someone she should know. Within a few moments, everything shifted. Not your time it was almost as if she heard a voice, but she didn’t. The words were being fed into her head and, even with impact approaching, she knew she was okay despite the fear that overwhelmed her.

In a heartbeat, Jason had caught up to her, a bit surprised she was so calm. He tackled her waist and closed his eyes, preparing himself for death. Alecia let out a short cry in his ear and clutched onto him. The wind whistled in his ear and he found himself wondering what dying would feel like...probably not so good. He wished somehow they would never hit bottom. Suddenly the wind died down and Alecia let out a strangled gasp. The blond thought they must be dead despite never having felt impact.

“J-Jason,” She stuttered out. He opened his eyes. They weren’t falling, nor were they dead. They were floating in midair, a hundred feet above the river. He hugged the girl tight and she repositioned herself so she was hugging him too, fingers digging into his purple shirt. Despite being abnormally calm before, her heart beat so hard, he could feel it past her dress and his windbreaker that she was still wearing. ‘How did you-”

“I didn’t,” He said. “I think I would know if I could fly…” But then he thought I don’t even know who I am...who either of us are. He imagined going up. Alecia yelped as they shot a few feet higher, grip tightening on him. They weren’t floating necessarily, he decided. He felt pressure under his feet as if they were balancing at the top of a geyser.

“The air is supporting us,” He said.

“Wha- ?” She questioned, glancing down as if she were somehow going to see the air. How foolish. Her gaze drifted upwards towards where they had been before. ‘Could you possibly have it support us up to there?”

Jason looked down. The easiest thing would be to sink gently to the canyon floor, but then he looked up. The rain had stopped and the storm clouds didn’t seem as bad, but they were still rumbling and flashing, something Alecia was still clearly uneasy about, but she hid it. There was no guarantee that the spirits were gone for good. He had no idea what had happened to coach Hedge. And he had left Leo up here, barely conscious along with Piper and her unknown injuries.

“We must help them,” Alecia told him, matter-of-factly backing up his thoughts as if she could read them.

“Let’s see…” Jason thought up, and instantly they shot skyward. The fact that he was riding the winds might’ve been cool under different circumstances, but he was far too much in shock.