antiscians [leo valdez]

»II. flying horses

After their wonderful experience with Dylan, all Jocelyn wanted was a nap. But of course no, here came the flying horses. She prayed it was someone from camp.

Leo and Piper were still giving Jocelyn unreadable stares. Honestly, she had never wanted them to find out. It put them in too much danger. But, she guessed, they were already past that point.

The flying horses, pegasus, were gray and powerful, Jocelyn could tell from even that far away. Camp had sent our best horses to pick up four demigods?

"Reinforcements," Jason stated flatly. Jocelyn looked back to him. "Hedge told me that an extraction team was coming for us," Jocelyn glanced back into the newly cleared sky. The storm clouds that were looming over them moments ago were now replaced by white cotton candy clouds.

"Extraction squad?" Leo struggled to stand, and Jocelyn rushed to give him support. "That sounds painful,"

Leo hesitated involuntarily. Jocelyn blinked, pausing, and hurt swarm over her face. Even if she had hid her past, she didn't expect him to be scared of her. Jocelyn bit her lip to keep her eyes from watering, and begin to cry, again.

"And where are they extracting us to?" Piper asked, watching Jocelyn and Leo carefully.

Leo sat glumly, mad at himself for hurting the girl. He had seen the hurt on her face, it was impossible not to. He opened his mouth to apologize, but nothing came out. He was still in shock with the situation, and no matter how cute he thought Jocelyn was, he wasn't sure what to make of her right now.

Jocelyn turned to watch the pegasus land. Two campers stood inside the chariot. Jocelyn recognized Annabeth right away. The girl leaped off the chariot and held her knife out towards us.

"Where is he?" She demanded the four kids.

"Annabeth?" Jocelyn asked, squinting to make sure she had seen the girl correctly. It had been so long since she had seen anyone at camp. Annabeth whipped to face her, and recognition filled her face. Her knife dropped to her side and she pulled her into a tight hug.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, pulling away.

"oh, you know, just trying to stay alive. The norm. Nothin' to worry about," Jocelyn laughed nervously, hoping Annabeth wasn't mad for going radio-silent. 

She had run out of coins right before she was attacked by a giant in New York, and when she was taken away to Wildness School, she had no way of contacting camp.

"Where's who?" Jason piped up.

"What about your protector? Where is your protector, Gleeson Hedge?" Jocelyn looked to the ground, kicking a pebble.

"He gotten taken by some..tornado things," Leo said, filling the silence Jocelyn didn't dare to touch. She didn't meet his eye.

"Venti," Jason said. "Storm spirits," Annabeth looked at Jason with curious eyes.

"You mean anemoi thuellai? Thats the greek term. Who are you, and what happened?" She said curtly.

Jason took his time explaining to Annabeth. Jocelyn separated from her reunited friend, and made her way to Leo on instinct. She paused, eyebrows furrowed at the adorable boy who had yet to stand. She gave him a sorrowful smile, trying to apologize without words. 

Turning, Jocelyn stood by the edge of the canyon, looking down to the bottom. A breeze gusted by. She thought she had heard a whisper coming from the bottom of the cliff, but when she heard Annabeth start yelling, she figured it was time to go back. Besides, looking down at the drop made her stomach queezy