𝐎𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒༄ • Jᴀsᴏɴ Gʀᴀᴄᴇ

Chapter 13

Freya was afraid they'd loose their target. The ventus moved fast, like the wind. Which was to be expected because that's exactly what it was. 

"Speed up!" Jason urged.

"Bro," Leo said, "if I get any closer, he'll spot us. Bronze dragon ain't exactly a stealth plane. "

"Slow down!" Piper yelped.

The storm spirit dove into the grid of downtown streets. Festus tried to follow, but his wingspan was way too wide. His left wing clipped the edge of a building, slicing off a stone gargoyle before Leo pulled up.

"Fly higher up." Freya declared. 

 "We'll track him from there a lot better. " Jason agreed. 

"You want to drive this thing?" Leo grumbled, but he did what they asked. They flew for another few minutes, before Jason spotted the ventus again and alerted them. 

Piper's eyes narrowed then her face slackened. "Oh great," she said. "There's two." 

She was right. A second ventus blasted around the corner of the Renaissance Hotel and linked up with the first. They wove together in a chaotic dance, shooting to the top of a skyscraper, bending a radio tower, and diving back down toward the street.

"Exactly what we needed," Grumbled Freya, thinking about how in the world they'd be able to catch them. 

"Those guys do not need any more caffeine," Leo said.

"I guess Chicago's a good place to hang out," Piper said. "Nobody's going to question a couple more evil winds. "

"More than a couple," Jason said. "Look. "

The dragon circled over a wide avenue next to a lake-side park. Storm spirits were converging—at least a dozen of them, whirling around a big public art installation.

"Hope Dylan's in there." Leo scowled. "I wanna throw something at him." 

"Yeah," Muttered Piper angrily. "Me and wind boy are about to have some serious words." 

But Freya focused her eyes on an art installation. The closer they got to it, the faster her heart beat. It was just a public fountain, but it sent an uncomfortable shiver down her back. Two five-story monoliths rose from either end of a long granite reflecting pool. The monoliths seemed to be built of video screens, flashing the combined image of a giant face that spewed water into the pool. She watched as the image on the screens changed to a woman's face with her eyes closed.

"Uh, guys.." Said Freya, her tone low. 

"God," Muttered Jason, tensing behind her. Something about that fountain must of been bothering him. 

"Yeah I see her," Leo said. "I don't like her, but I see her. "

Then the screens went dark. The venti swirled together into a single funnel cloud and skittered across the fountain, kicking up a waterspout almost as high as the monoliths. They got to its center, popped off a drain cover, and disappeared underground.

"Did they just go down a drain?" Piper asked. "How are we supposed to follow them?"

"Maybe Freya could do one of her little magic tricks and pull them out with water." Jason suggested. Freya had thought about that, and dreaded that there was nothing she could do. 

"That depends," Freya clicked her teeth. "If they're too far away, I won't be able to track them. Or I will, but won't have enough reach on the venti to pull them back." 

"They're wind spirits." Piper said. "I don't reckon they'd stick around for too long, waiting for you to catch them." 

"Maybe we shouldn't either," Leo said. When the rest looked at him in confusion, he clarified. "Stick around too long. That fountain has seriously bad vibes. Plus, aren't we supposed to, like, beware the earth?"