BLOODSHOT . . . piper mclean

35.

EDEN GOT THE fuck out of there real quickly.

Dodging people was a skill that she'd learned quickly, from her mom and from her training, so she headed to where she'd spotted Connor.

"I need you right now," she said, her voice hoarse for not using it in a while, and he'd nodded and left to go to her cabin with her, but then—

"Get some sleep, Eden," Kaleidoscope's voice was suddenly next to her, and Eden froze up as she turned to her. "you need it."

"You don't get to tell me what I need and what I don't," Eden said coolly. "You were the one who shut me up because I was right. I wounded your pride, your Majesty. I could've left you for dead with those giants. Show respect where it's due."

Eden dragged Connor out of there and rubbed her temples. "God, she's so aggravating," the words poured out bitterly.

"Big words," Connor noticed. "You got sleep?"

"Blame Aphrodite," Eden snorted. "Of course it'd be her mother. Still got a nightmare. She'd died. And I'd fucking screamed in front of, like, twenty people in a cafe."

Connor winced. "Yikes."

"Right?" They got to her cabin and Eden saw the drinks on her bed. "For me?" she gasped. "My fucking hero."

He grinned at her, and she felt at home again. "You're gonna tell me what the fuck happened these past three days," he said, uncorking a bottle of whiskey.

Eden shrugged. "Be warned, it's a rollercoaster," she said, taking the bottle from him. "It started with . . ."

They spent the whole night like that, slurred words and blurry vision, and Eden had never felt more at home.

Unless you count being near Silena. Then, she was truly at home then.

* * *

Eden was fucking hungover, but she was dealing with it. Huge sunglasses over her eyes, jacket pulled over herself, she was totally fine. Totally.

"Sorry I'm late," Eden settled herself next to Fire Boy because he was really fucking warm. "Had to tell Annabeth some things over IM."

"Horrible excuse," Fire Boy muttered to her, and she smacked him lightly, but he turned to the group and smiled nervously. "Here we go."

His hand was on fire, and set it against the door.

His cabinmates gasped.

"Leo!" Nessa cried. "You're a fire user!"

"Yeah, thanks," he said. "I know."

Eden snickered, hiding her face in his neck.

Jake Mason, who was out of his body cast but still on crutches, said, "Holy Hephaestus. That means — it's so rare that—"

The massive stone door swung open, and everyone's mouth dropped. Fire Boy's flaming hand seemed insignificant now. Even Eden was stunned. A little.

Only Chiron didn't look surprised. The centaur knit his bushy eyebrows and stroked his beard, as if the group was about to walk through a minefield.

"Welcome to Bunker Nine," he said, grabbing Eden's arm. "C'mon in."

The group was silent as they toured the facility. She saw giant machines, worktables, old maps and schematics. Her eyes went to Festus's head sitting on the central table, still battered and scorched from his final crash in Omaha.

Fire Boy went over to it, dragging Eden with him, and stroked the dragon's forehead. "I'm sorry, Festus. But I won't forget you."

Perfect Jason put a hand on Fire Boy's shoulder. "Hephaestus brought it here for you?"