Daughter of Neptune, Book one

XII

Tori's pov

I didn't want to leave Leo, but I'm starting to think that hang out with Cal the hockey jock might be the least dangerous option in this place.

As we climbed the icy staircase, Zethes stayed behind us, his blade drawn. The guy might've looked like a disco-era reject, but there was nothing funny about his sword. I figured one hit from that thing would probably turn me into a popsicle.

Then there was the ice princess. Every once in a while she'd turn and give me a smile, but there was no warmth in her expression. She regarded me like I was an especially interesting science specimen-- one she couldn't wait to dissect.

If these were Boreas's kids, I wasn't sure I wanted to meet Daddy. Annabeth told me Boreas was the friendliest of the wind gods. Apparently that means he didn't kill heroes quite as fast as the others did.

I worried that I lead my friends into a trap. If things went bad, I wasn't sure I could get them out alive. I saw Jason take Piper's hand.

She raised her eyebrow, but she didn't let go.

"It'll be fine" she promised. "Just a talk, right?"

At the top of the stairs, the ice princess looked back and noticed them holding hands. Her smile faded. He let go, and his fingers were smoking with Frost. So were Pipers.

"Warmth is not a good idea here" the princess advised. "Especially when I am your best chance of staying alive. Please, this way."

Piper gave Jason a nervous frown like, What was that about?"

Golden Boy didn't have an answer. Zethes poked him in the back with his icicle sword and we followed the princess down a massive hallway deck in frosty tapestries. Freezing wind blew back and forth, and my thoughts moved almost as fast, I had a lot of time to think while we rode the dragon north, but I felt as confused as ever.

Percy's picture was still in my pocket, though I didn't need to look at it any more. His image had burned itself into my mind. It was bad enough not remembering my past, but to know I had a brother out there somewhere who might have answers and have no way of finding him--that just drove me up the wall.

In the picture, Percy looked somewhat like me. We both had uncontrollable raven black hair. But his complexion with more Mediterranean. His eyes were bright sea green. Mine were darker, like navy blue but they were mixed with a little sea green, like marble.

Still, Percy looked so familiar. Hera had left me just enough memory that I could be certain Percy was my brother.

But Annabeth had acted completely surprised when I told her, like she never heard of Percy having a sister. Did Percy even know about me? How were we separated?

Hera had taken those memories. She'd stolen everything from my past, plopped me into a new life, and now she expected me to save her from some prison just so I could get back what she'd taken. It made me so angry I wanted to walk away, let Hera rot in that cage. But I couldn't. I was hooked. I had to know more, and that made me even more resentful.

"Hey. "Jason touched my arm. "You still with me?"

"Yeah...yeah sorry."

I was grateful for Golden Boy. I needed a friend.

I wasn't sure now that we never knew each other before the Grand Canyon. What is our friendship just a trick of the mist? It didn't feel like it. It felt like I had known him my entire life. Stop that, I told myself. That was my heart talking. I didn't trust my heart.

Plus it wasn't fair to Jason thinking that way. I had no idea what was waiting for me back in my old life. After this quest, who knew what would happen? Assuming they even survived.

At the end of the hallway we found ourselves in front of a set of Oaken doors carved with a map of the world. In the corner was a man's bearded face, blowing wind. I was pretty sure I'd seen a map like this before. But in this version, all the other guys here were Winter, blowing ice and snow from every corner of the world.

The princess turned. Her brown eyes glittered, and I felt like I was a Christmas present she was hoping to open.

"This is the throne room," she said. "Be on your best behavior, Victoria Jackson and Jason Grace . My father can be... chilly. I will translate for you, and try to encourage him to hear you out. I hope he spares you two. We could have such fun."

I guess this girl's definition fun was not the same as mine.

"Um, OK, "I managed. "But really, we're just here for a little talk. Will be leaving right afterward."

The girl smiled. "I love heroes. So blissfully ignorant."

Paper rested her hand on her dagger. "Well, how about you enlighten us? You say you're going to translate for us, and we don't even know who you are. What's your name?"

The girl sniffed with this distaste. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you don't recognize me. Even in ancient times the Greeks did not know me well. Their island homes were too warm, too far from my domain. I am Khione, daughter of Boreas, goddess of snow."

She stirred the air with her fingers, and a miniature blizzard swirled around here--big, fluffy flakes as soft as cotton.

"Now, come," Khione said. The oaken doors blew open, and cold blue light sprinkles out of the room. "Hopefully you will survive your little talk."