BLOODSHOT . . . piper mclean

77.

DESPITE THE FACT that Eden's a Greek demigod, she hated Greece.

The landscape below was inhospitable. The hills were strewn with boulders and stunted cedars, all shimmering in the hazy air. The sun beat down as if trying to hammer the countryside into a Celestial bronze shield. Even from a hundred feet up, Eden could hear the drone of cicadas buzzing in the trees — a sleepy, otherworldly sound that made her eyes heavy, even without Piper's charmspeak.

Eden had told Piper about her adventure as soon as she'd gotten the chance to.

"You get power from a sword for later," Piper had said slowly. "And you got us a dog?"

"Mhm," Eden had answered to both, laying down on their bed and closing her eyes. God, she'd missed the comfort of a fucking bed.

"Eden," she felt Piper's head perch on her chest. "You worried me."

Then, she had opened her eyes, and although the room was blurry, she could still see her girl clearly. "I know. I begged for him to bring me back, I really did, darling." She ran her fingers through Piper's hair. "He told me that I needed the power to get back to you. So you didn't die on my watch. And I need you alive, Piper. Because without you the world would be gray."

Piper's eyes had tears in them. "Eden . . ."

"You are everything to me," she laughed. "I've said this to you a million times already, Kaleidoscope, but it's true. Every time I hear your name, it's like my blood pumps faster, and my heart beats faster. When you grab my hand or kiss me, it's like I was made to be yours, the way I just want to pull you closer and touch you everywhere. You've given me everything, my angel, that I've ever needed in my life. And nothing will pull me apart from you, no monster or giant or god, because I will find you eventually, even if one of us becomes immortal and the other dies. If I ever become immortal, I would never love anyone else but you because there's no one else I could love."

The tears streamed down Piper's face then, and Eden wiped them away. "You know, for not being able to read, you're surprisingly poetic."

"You're the one who reads to me like, every other night," Eden had scoffed and kissed her, again and again, because that was one thing that she would never get tired of doing as long as she lived — immortal or not.

"Hot and steamy!" Leo grinned at the helm, which snapped Eden out of her reverie but just made her think of Piper again. "Makes me homesick for Houston! What do you say, Hazel? All we need now are some giant mosquitoes, and it'll feel just like the Gulf Coast!"

"Thanks a lot, Leo," Hazel grumbled. "We'll probably get attacked by Ancient Greek mosquito monsters now."

"There!" Nico's voice carried out from where he was perched atop the foremast, as usual. He pointed toward a glittering green river snaking through the hills. "Maneuver us that way. We're close to the temple. Very close."

As if to prove his point, black lightning ripped through the sky, leaving dark spots before Eden's eyes and making the hairs on her arms stand up.

Perfect Jason strapped on his sword belt. Eden's looked better. "Everyone, arm yourself. Leo, get us close, but don't land — no more contact with the ground than necessary. Piper, Hazel, get the mooring ropes."

"On it!" Piper said, giving Eden a kiss before going.

"Frank," Perfect Jason called, "get below and find Coach Hedge."

"Yep!"

He climbed downstairs as Perfect Jason looked at Eden and Nico, hesitating. "Do whatever," he said to them. "Hey, actually, Eden, are you taking that sword with you?"