Where there's smoke // L.Valdez

Chapter fifty

Persephone watched Piper talk to her dad. Her heart clenched.

"Poor Piper." She muttered.

"She'll be okay." Jason told her. She looked at him. "Piper's stronger than she realises."

She gave him a knowing look. He just glared at her and looked away, cheeks and ears flushing.

Hedge was in a heated conversation with the pilot about the best metal for helicopters, one of the categories being 'taste'. Persephone decided to block out that discussion.

"How're you feeling?" Leo asked her. "You still cold?"

"I'm fine." She smiled at him. "Really, I feel normal- well, as normal as a demigod can feel. I didn't thank you for saving me, Leo."

He flushed. "N-no it was nothing-"

"Leo I wouldn't be standing here thanking you if you hadn't done what you did. Now shut up and accept my thank you." She grinned, watching a lick of flame bounce in his curls.

"Okay." He said. She grinned wider, causing him to smile at her.

"Leo, your hair." Jason interrupted. The boy yelped and patted his head, putting out the flame. Persephone doubled over laughing as Leo glared at Jason.

Her laughter subsided, as she caught sight of Piper. Her dad had raised something to his lips and drank it. Almost immediately he collapsed, Piper catching him. She ran over to them, the others hot on her heels.

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

Piper opened her mouth to tell him but faltered. She checked her father's pocket and brought out his phone, handing it to Coach. "Everything's on here," Piper said. "Address, his chauffeur's number. Just watch out for Jane."

Hedge's eyes lit up. "Who's Jane." Persephone only wished whoever Jane was, wouldn't take a club to the head by their satyr friend.

In no time, the plane for Mr McClean had rolled up next to the chopper. Hedge and the flight attendant got Piper's dad on board. Then Hedge came down to say his final goodbye to the group. He gave Piper a hug, squeezed Persephone into one next, and glared at the two boys. "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 last hug. "Thank you, Gleeson. Take care of him, please."

"I've got this McClean," he assured her. "they've 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 hood was exposed for just a second. The flight attendant's eyes widened, but she looked away and pretended nothing was wrong. Working with a movie star, you must see some pretty weird things, Persephone concluded.

When the plane was heading down the runway, Piper began to cry. Jason swept her into a hug and Persephone rubbed the girl's shoulder, while Leo stood off to the side, pulling Kleenex out of his tool belt and passing them to Persephone to give to the crying girl.

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

Piper sobbed into his shirt. She took a few deep breaths before pulling away. "Thank you, guys," She said, "I-"

Her voice faltered, but they knew what she was trying to say. Persephone smiled softly and dabbed her tears away with a tissue, nodding at her.

Then, right next to Jason, the air began to shimmer. Persephone had seen enough to know what it was; An Iris message. There, in the centre of the image of the Iris message was 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 the sounds of yelling and metal clashing and explosions were easy enough to hear.

"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. Though, Thalia's expression was grim.

"Not yet," Thalia said. "But, Jason- it's worse than I realised. Porphyrion is rising. Hurry."

"But where is the Wolf House?" He pleaded.

"Our last trip," Thalia said. Her image was starting to flicker. "The Park. Jack London. Remember?"

Jason looked like he'd been shot, despite the confused faces of his friends. He tottered, his face pale, and the Iris message disappeared.

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

"Yes," Jason said. "Sonoma Valley. Not far. Not by air."

Piper turned to the ranger pilot, who'd been watching all this with an increasingly puzzled expression.

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

"I don't mind." The pilot agreed.

"No, we can't take her into battle with us. She doesn't belong to the underworld yet." Persephone interrupted. "Leo, you're good at machines, right?"

She hinted towards the chopper.

"Um..." His expression wasn't exactly reassuring, but he was their only hope. He put his hand on the side of the helicopter, concentrating hard, as if he could hear 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 pilot again. "You don't have a problem with an underaged 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."