BLOODSHOT . . . piper mclean

27.

THE PLAN WENT wrong almost immediately, which Eden wholeheartedly expected. Kaleidoscope scrambled along the ridge, trying to keep her head down, while Eden, Fire Boy, Perfect Jason, and Coach Hedge walked straight into the clearing.

Perfect Jason summoned his golden lance. He brandished it over his head and yelled, "Giant!" Which sounded pretty pathetic, but Eden could see why it fit his appeal. Because he was also very, very pathetic.

Enceladus stopped chanting at the flames. He turned toward them and grinned, revealing fangs like a saber-toothed tiger's.

"Well," the giant rumbled. "What a nice surprise."

Eden didn't like the sound of that. She hated surprises.

Coach Hedge shouted, "Let the movie star go, you big ugly cupcake! Or I'm gonna plant my hoof right up your—"

"Coach," Eden said very, very seriously. "Shut up."

Enceladus roared with laughter. "I've forgotten how funny satyrs are. When we rule the world, I think I'll keep your kind around. You can entertain me while I eat all the other mortals."

"Is that a compliment?" Hedge frowned at Fire Boy. "I don't think that was a compliment."

Enceladus opened his mouth wide, and his teeth began to glow.

"Scatter!" Fire Boy yelled.

Eden, Perfect Jason, and Hedge dove to the left as the giant blew fire — a furnace blast so hot that Eden definitely wouldn't have been able to wash that away with her nonexistent powers. Fire Boy dodged behind the bulldozer, then ran to the right, heading for the tree harvester.

Perfect Jason rose and charge the giant. Coach Hedge ripped off his canary yellow jacket, which was now on fire, and bleated angrily. "I liked that outfit!" Then he raised his club and charged, too. Eden stayed back and tried to summon strength by, naturally, opening her backpack and taking a swig of Monster. Then she threw it, so it hopefully wouldn't blow up or something.

Suddenly the entire mountain shook. Enceladus had slammed his spear against the ground.

The shockwave sent Eden sprawling. She blinked, momentarily stunned. Through a haze of grassfire and bitter smoke, she saw Muscle Boy staggering to his feet on almost the other side of the clearing. Coach Hedge was knocked out cold. He'd fallen forward and hit his head on a log. His furry hindquarters were sticking straight up, with his canary yellow pants around his knees — a view Eden really didn't need, especially this early in the morning.

The giant bellowed, "I see you, Piper McLean!" He turned and blew fire at a line of bushes almost straight ahead of Eden. Kaleidoscope ran into the clearing like a flushed quail, the underbrush burning behind her.

Enceladus laughed. "I'm happy you've arrived. And you brought me my prizes!"

They'd played right into Enceladus's hands. Like they always did. Fucking hell.

The giant laughed even louder. "That's right, son of Hephaestus. I didn't expect you all to stay alive this long, but it doesn't matter. By bringing you here, Piper McLean has sealed the deal. If she betrays you, I'm as good as my word. She can take her father and go. What do I care about a movie star?"

Eden could see Kaleidoscope's dad more clearly now. He wore a ragged dress shirt and torn slacks. His bare feet were caked with mud. He wasn't completely unconscious, because he lifted his head and groaned — yep, Tristan McLean all right. She had seen that face in enough movies with Connor. But he had a nasty cut down the side of his face, and he looked thin and sickly — not heroic at all.

"Dad!" Kaleidoscope yelled.

Mr. McLean blinked, trying to focus. "Pipes . . . ? Where . . ."

Kaleidoscope drew her dagger and faced Enceladus. "Let him go!"

"Of course, dear," the giant rumbled. "Swear your loyalty to me, and we have no problem. Only these others must die."

Kaleidoscope looked back and forth between Fire Boy and her dad.

"He'll kill you," Fire Boy warned. "Don't trust him!"

"Oh, come now," Enceladus bellowed. "You know I was born to fight Athena herself? Mother Gaea made each of us giants with a specific purpose, designed to fight and destroy a particular god. I was Athena's nemesis, the anti-Athena, you might say. Compared to some of my brethren — I am small! But I am clever. And I keep my bargain with you, Piper McLean. It's part of my plan!"

Perfect Jason was on his feet now, lance ready; but before he could act, Enceladus roared — a call so loud it echoed down the valley and was probably heard all the way to San Francisco.

At the edge the woods, half a dozen ogre-like creatures rose up. Eden realized with nauseating certainty that they hadn't simply been hiding there. They'd risen straight out of the earth.

The ogres shuffled forward. They were small compared to Enceladus, about seven feet tall. Each one of them had six arms — one pair in the regular spot, then an extra pair sprouting out the top of their shoulders, and another set shooting from the sides of their rib cages. They wore only ragged leather loincloths, and even across the clearing, Eden could smell them. Six guys who never bathed, with six armpits each. She decided if she survived this day, she'd have to take a six-hour shower and three baths just to forget the stench. Eh. She'd probably see a few new pretty girls from Camp.

Fire Boy stepped toward Kaleidoscope, and Eden stepped closer to them. "What — what are those?"

Kaleidoscope's blade reflected the purple light of the bonfire. "Gegenees."

"In English?" Eden prompted.

"The Earthborn," Kaleidoscope said. "Six-armed giants who fought Jason — the first Jason."

"Very good, my dear!" Enceladus sounded delighted. "They used to live on a miserable place in Greece called Bear Mountain. Mount Diablo is much nicer! They are lesser children of Mother Earth, but they serve their purpose. They're good with construction equipment—"

"Vroom, vroom!" one of the Earthborn bellowed, and the others took up the chant, each moving his six hands as though driving a car, as if it were some kind of weird religious ritual. "Vroom, vroom!" Honestly, Eden could get around that. Cars go vroom vroom were good.

"Yes, thank you, boys," Encedalus said. "They also have a score to settle with heroes. Especially anyone named Jason."

"Yay-son!" the Earthborn screamed. They all picked up clumps of earth, which solidified in their hands, turning to nasty pointed stones. "Where Yay-son? Kill Yay-son!"

Enceladus smiled. "You see, Piper, you have a choice. Save your father, or ah, try to save your friends and face certain death."

Kaleidoscope stepped forward. Her eyes blazed with such rage, even the Earthborn backed away. She radiated power and beauty, but it had nothing to do with her clothes or her makeup. Eden was suddenly reminded why she simped for girls. Totally not Kaleidoscope.

"You will not take the people I love," she said. "None of them."

Her words rippled across the clearing with such force, the Earthborn muttered, "Okay. Okay, sorry," and began to retreat.

"Stand your ground, fools!" Enceladus bellowed. He snarled at Kaleidoscope. "This is why we wanted you alive, my dear. You could have been so useful to us. But as you wish. Earth-born! I will show you Jason."

Eden's heart beat faster. But the giant didn't point to Perfect Jason. He pointed to the other side of the bonfire, where Tristan McLean hung helpless and half conscious.

"There is Jason," Enceladus said with pleasure. "Tear him apart!"

Eden's biggest surprise: One look from her, and all four of them knew the game plan. When had that happened, that they could read each other so well?

Perfect Jason charged Enceladus, Eden dashing over at a slower pace to follow because fuck running, while Kaleidoscope rushed to her father, and Fire Boy dashed for the tree harvester, which stood between Mr. McLean and the Earthborn.