𝐎𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒༄ • Jᴀsᴏɴ Gʀᴀᴄᴇ

Chapter 8

The silence that followed after, was thick. Filled with tension and a whole lot of thought. From then on, none of them spoke. Which was fine, because even if they did, Freya wouldn't know what to say to them. Fear already filled her to the brim, and she was not in the mood to neither offer even more information -which she didn't have-, nor offer comforting words. Which was good as well. Because there weren't any. Not in this situation.

Somewhere along the hours they had travelled, Piper spoke to Leo, "You should get some sleep." She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "You were up all night."

"Promise you wont let me fall off?"

She kissed his cheek. Freya couldn't see from where she sat behind Piper, but she was sure Leo's cheeks were stinging.

"Trust me, Valdez. Beautiful people never lie." Her voice was like a drought, because in the next second, Leo had slumped over, and was promptly snoring. Only a few seconds went by before Freya felt her eyes getting heavy. Without meaning to, stumbled right into Jason's arms and feel asleep.

~~~~~~

The next thing she knew, broad hands were shaking her shoulders, and a gentle voice whispered in her ear;

"We're here, Freya."

Jason. It was Jason's voice. She stumbled out of his arms, face red, and right into Piper, who was currently waking Leo up. Jason said nothing as Freya's eyes-still coated with sleep- adjusted and looked around. Below them, a city sat on a cliff overlooking a river. The plains around it were dusted with snow, but the city itself glowed warmly in the winter sunset. Buildings crowded together inside high walls like a medieval town, way older than any place Freya had seen before. In the center was an actual castle—at least she assumed it was a castle—with massive red brick walls and a square tower with a peaked, green gabled roof.

"Tell me that's Quebec and not Santa's workshop," Leo said.

"Yeah, Quebec City," Piper confirmed. "One of the oldest cities in North America. Founded around sixteen hundred or so?"

Leo raised an eyebrow, a small smirk at his mouth. "Your dad do a movie about that too?"

She could feel Piper scowling in front of her, but it was hard not to laugh at Piper's obliviousness and at Leo's futile attempts to flirt.

Voice hard, she said, "I read sometimes, okay? Just because Aphrodite claimed me, doesn't mean I have to be an airhead. "

"Feisty!" Leo said. "So you know so much, what's that castle?"

"A hotel, I think. "

Leo laughed. "No way.

"Yes way," Said Freya, her voice raspy with sleep. "Look." She pointed forward.

As they got closer, Leo saw she was right. The grand entrance was bustling with doormen, valets, and porters taking bags. Sleek black luxury cars idled in the drive. People in elegant suits and winter cloaks hurried to get out of the cold.

"The North Wind is staying in a hotel?" Leo said. "That can't be—"

"Heads up, guys," Jason interrupted. "We got company!"

Freya looked below and saw what Jason meant. Rising from the top of the tower were two winged figures—angry angels, with nasty-looking swords. Festus didn't like the angel guys. He swooped to a halt in midair, wings beating and talons bared, and made a rumbling sound in his throat. Freya didn't know the bronze dragon at all, but if she had to guess, she'd say that was not a good sign.

"Steady, boy," Leo muttered.

"Hate to bring you guys down...but those guys kinda look like storm spirits." Said Freya