Daughter of Pluto | Wattys2017

XIV

AIMEE DIDN'T RELAX UNTIL THE GLOW OF Quebec City faded behind them.

"You were amazing," Jason told Piper.

All Aimee could think about was the trouble ahead,her ears blocked out all the talking. Evil things are stirring,Zethes had warned them.

She heard Piper tell Jason in French: "If you knew the truth about me, you wouldn't think I was so amazing."

"What'd you say?" he asked.

"I said I only talked to Boreas. It wasn't so amazing."

Aimee didn't turn to look, but she imagined Jason smiling.

"Hey," he said, "you saved me from joining Khione's sub zero hero collection. I owe you one."

That was definitely the easy part, she thought. There was no way Piper and Aimee would've let that ice witch keep Jason. What had bothered Piper more was the way Boreas had changed form, and why he'd let them go. It had something to do with past of Jason and Aimee, those tattoos on their arms. Boreas assumed Jason and Aimee were some sort of Romans, and Romans didn't mix with Greeks. Piper kept waiting for Jason and Aimee to offer explanations, but they clearly didn't want to talk about it. Aimee didn't look like she wanted to be here at all,much less offer an explanation.

Until now, Piper had been able to dismiss the feeling Aimee and Jason had that they didn't belong at Camp Half-Blood. Obviously they were demigods. Of course they belonged. But now ... what if they were something else? What if they really were an enemy? She couldn't stand that idea any more than she could stand Khione.

Leo passed them some sandwiches from his pack,Aimee didn't take hers. She turned him the cold shoulder ignoring him altogether. He'd been quiet ever since they'd told him what happened in the throne room. "I still can't believe Khione," he said. "She looked so nice."

"Trust me, man," Jason said. "Snow may be pretty, but up close it's cold and nasty. We'll find you a better prom date."

Like Aimee,Jason thought as he looked at his best friend whose eyes were still cold.

Piper smiled, but Aimee really didn't look pleased. She hadn't said much ever since they had left the palace, or why she was upset in the first place. Piper got the feeling she was hiding something. Whatever it was, her mood seemed to be affecting Festus, who grumbled and steamed as he tried to keep himself warm in the cold Canadian air. Happy the Dragon was not so happy.

All of them,excluding Aimee,ate their sandwiches as they flew. Piper had no idea how Leo had stocked up on supplies, but he'd even remembered to bring veggie rations for her.

Nobody talked. Whatever they might find in Chicago, they all knew Boreas had only let them go because he figured they were already on a suicide mission.

The moon rose and stars turned overhead. Aimee's eyes started to feel heavy. The encounter with Boreas and his children had scared her more than she wanted to admit. She had a busy mind and an empty stomach, she never even had any adrenaline.

Suck it up, cupcake! Coach Hedge would've yelled at her. Don't be a wimp!

Aimee had been thinking about the coach ever since Boreas mentioned he was still alive. She'd never liked Hedge, but he'd leaped off a cliff to save Leo, and he'd sacrificed himself to protect them on the skywalk.

On the skywalk, Dylan the storm spirit had said something about the coach, too: how he'd been retired to Wilderness School because he was getting too old, like it was some sort of punishment. Aimee wondered what that was about, and if it explained why the coach was always so grumpy. Whatever the truth, now that Aimee knew Hedge was alive, she had a strong compulsion to save him.

Don't get ahead of yourself, she chided. You've got bigger problems. This trip won't have a happy ending.

She looked up at the stars and thought about what her life might have before Juno took her memory. She searched her mind for any memories that Juno may have forgotten to take away from Aimee until she finally found one.

It was a dark night,the sky was full of stars and the moon was full.Younger Aimee was maybe around the age of 7,she had longer hair and her clothes were a lot more colorful but were very old fashioned.

Sitting next to her was a woman that looked a lot like her,she was staring up at the sky.

"Aimee you know what the stars are?" Aimee's younger self looked at the woman.

"Aren't they the angels in heaven,Mama?"

Aimee's eyes widened,she recognized this place and this woman.She remembered that she lived in Quebec for awhile with her mother,then that's when her memory cuts out.

Aimee's mother turned to younger Aimee with a smile."That's right,my lovely Angel."

"Is Daddy up there?"

Aimee's mother frowned."Why would you ask that Angel?"

"I've never met Daddy,does that mean he is dead?"

"No Angel,your father is not dead. He just couldn't stay with us,he is too busy to maintain a family,"Aimee's mother said laying her head on younger Aimee's not yet wavy black hair.Her mother had always told her the truth...unless she asked who her father really was.

"Why couldn't he stay with us? I want him to come home,"Younger Aimee said bringing her legs up to her chest.Her mother wrapping her arms around her running her fingers through younger Aimee's hair.

"Me too,Angel,me too."

Aimee blinked, shaking herself out of the memory. She realized she'd been falling asleep on the dragon's back. How could her mom pretend to be so strong,when she wasn't? Aimee was trying to do that now, and it was tearing her apart.Maybe she could pretend for a little while longer. Just long enough to help Piper save her father and finish the quest.She leaned back against Jason's warm chest,Piper had agreed to switch places with her. He didn't complain. As soon she closed her eyes, she drifted off to sleep.And soon Aimee woke up screaming, free-falling through the air.