MELANCHOLY [1]

TWENTY-SIX

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twenty-six
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NOT ONLY WAS PIPER GOOD WITH A BLADE, she was very good at getting unsuspecting park rangers to lend their helicopters to four demigods and their highly caffeinated satyr friend.

While they held Mr. McLean, Coach Hedge gathered their supplies.

Piper spoke. "It'll be okay, Dad," she said, her voice quivering slightly. "These people are my friends. We're going to help you. You're safe now."

Tristan McLean blinked, and looked up at the helicopter rotors. "Blades. They had a machine with so many blades. They had six arms..."

Via's heart broke slightly. In a way, she knew exactly what Mr. McLean was feeling. Unbelieving, yet knowing that what they'd seen was too real not to be true.

When they got him to the bay doors, the pilot came over to help. "What's wrong with him?" she asked.

"Smoke inhalation," Jason suggested. "Or heat exhaustion."

"We should get him to a hospital," the pilot said.

"It's okay," Piper said. "The airport is good."

"Yeah, the airport is good," the pilot agreed immediately. Then she frowned, as if uncertain why she'd changed her mind. "Isn't he Tristan McLean, the movie star?"

"No," Piper said. "He only looks like him. Forget it."

"Yeah," the pilot said. "Only looks like him. I—" She blinked, confused. "I forgot what I was saying. Let's get going."

Via raised her eyebrows at Piper, impressed. Piper's face told her that she felt the exact opposite. Piper clearly didn't want to twist people's mind, convincing them to lie and to something they probably didn't want to do. Via didn't like it, either, but sometimes, they couldn't go by the rulebook. They had to pitch the rulebook into the fire and start doing it their way. But again, whoever said there was a rulebook for demigods?

Finally they got him on board, and the helicopter took off. The pilot kept getting questioned over the radio, but she ignored them. They veered away from the burning mountain and headed toward the Berkeley Hills.

"Piper." Piper's dad grasped her hand and held on like he was afraid he'd fall. "It's you? They told me—they told me you would die. They said...horrible things would happen."

"It's me, Dad." Piper looked like she was trying her hardest not to cry. "Everything's going to be okay."

Via tore her eyes away from the scene and looked at her feet, not sure what to do. She tugged her braids and her hands went inside her pocket. She could still feel the letter inside. She needed to tell her friends everything. Even the letter.