Where there's smoke // L.Valdez

Chapter three

Notebooks, jackets, hats, even a few pencils were flying through the air in the mini hurricane. Persephone had to duck a few times to avoid being hit in the eye by the sharp end of a pencil or a zip. Leo lost his balance and would have toppled over the railing, had Jason not grabbed his jacket and pull him back.

"Thanks man!" He yelled. Persephone just grabbed the back of Leo's jacket, her other hand gripping the sleeve of Jason's windbreaker.

"Go, go, go!" The Coach said. 

'No, really? I was planning on staying out here.' Persephone thought to herself. Piper and Dylan (oh joy) were holding the doors open, herding the other kids inside. The four of them tried to run over to the doors as quick as they could, but it was almost impossible to make it five steps without stumbling or dodging a stupid notebook. The wind seemed to push them back.

The last kid was pushed inside, before the doors slammed shut, the two losing their grips on the handles. They were shut out. Piper leapt into action, tugging on the handles, as kids pounded on the other side of the glass doors, but it was no use, the doors were stuck.

"Dylan, help!" Piper shouted. Persephone watched, through squinted eyes as the jerk stood there with a sickening grin on his face, like he'd won something.

"Sorry, Piper," He said. "I'm done helping." With a flick of the wrist, he sent Piper flying backwards, causing her to slam into the doors, sliding to the skywalk deck.

"Piper!" Jason shouted, trying to charge forward, but the wind was still fighting him. Coach Hedge pushed him back.

"Coach, let me go!" Jason still tried to reach out to Piper. Persephone was confused as to why their coach suddenly didn't want Jason to help.

"You three, stay behind me," He ordered. "This is my fight. I should have known that was our monster." Persephone felt a punch to the gut. Leo caught her arm, keeping her standing.

"What?" He demanded. A worksheet stuck to his face, but he just swatted away, continuing his sentence. "What monster?"

Then, the coach's hat decided to blow off, revealing two bumps sticking up above his curly hair. He lifted his baseball bat, however, Persephone realised, it wasn't a baseball bat anymore, it was a tree branch, similarly shaped, with twigs and leaves still attached. Dylan smiled psychotically.

"Oh, come on, Coach. Let the boy attack me! After all, you're getting too old for this. Isn't that why they retired you to this stupid school? I've been on your team the entire season and you didn't even know. You're losing your nose, grandpa."

The coach... did he bleat like a sheep? A goat? "That's it, cupcake. You're going down."

"You think you can protect four half-bloods at once, old man?" Dylan laughed. "Good luck." And with a point at Leo, a funnel cloud materialised around him. He flew off the skywalk, like he'd been tossed. However, he had still been clutching onto Persephone's arm, so she was thrown with him. Somehow, he managed to twist in mid-air and slammed sideways into the canyon wall. Persephone yelped as the wind was knocked out of her, Leo's grip on her arm slipping as he skidded down the rock, clawing furiously for any hold. Finally, he grabbed a thin ledge about fifty feet below the skywalk and hung there by one hand from his fingertips, the other desperately trying to retain his grip on Persephone's arm. Her feet scrambled to find purchase, though she found nothing.

"Help!" He yelled up at them. "Rope, please? Bungee cord? Something? I can't hold the both of us for long!" She hoped they'd heard him.

"Oh my Gods!" She cried. She felt Leo's hand start to sweat. "Now is really not a good time to get sweaty hands, Mr. Inventive! Can't you pull something out of that pocket of yours!"

"With what hand would you like me to do that?" Leo exclaimed, not exactly annoyed by her panicked question. "Both my hands are currently being used!" He cringed as her arm slipped further, where it had started at her elbow, it was now clutching her wrist. He looked down at her, seeing her eyes closed and tears slowly making their way down her cheeks.

"Don't let go, please don't let go!" She begged. He shook his head, though with her eyes closed all she got was silence, and the wind ripping at her skin. Faintly she heard something collide with the rock above them.

"Hang on cupcakes, I'm here!" She opened her eyes to see Coach Hedge sliding next to Leo, slowly trying to shimmy him onto his back. Once he was successfully on, the boy tried to readjust his grip on Persephone's wrist. She slipped down further. He panicked as she screamed, now only their fingers holding onto each other. She saw him tense his legs around Coach and swing his other arm back to her trying to reach her other arm, as Coach tried to get them to the top. "We're nearly there cupcakes, just keep hold of each other; don't drop her, Valdez!"

"I'm trying!" Leo yelled back. Her hand finally grabbed his as he began to pull her closer to him, using both arms, legs still firmly wrapped around Coach's waist. She tried not to get kicked by Coach's hooves as he climbed.

It didn't register in her mind, until they got to the top.

"You're a Satyr!" She gasped, wincing as Coach dropped her and Leo like a bags of flour. He ignored her.

"Spirits fear me!" flexing his short arms, only to realise that Dylan stood there alone. "Curse it, boy, didn't you leave some for me? I like a challenge!" He snapped at Jason. Persephone growled. Leo got to his feet, breathing hard. He looked completely humiliated, one hand bleeding from clawing at the rocks. Persephone had an upcoming bruise forming on her arms from how tight Leo had held her, so she wouldn't fall to her death.

"Yo, Coach Supergoat, whatever you are- we just fell down the freaking Grand Canyon! Stop asking for challenges!" Leo defended.

Dylan hissed at them, as Leo helped Persephone to her feet, the girl still slightly hyperventilating. "You have no idea how many enemies you've awakened, half-bloods. My mistress will destroy all demigods. This war you cannot win."

Above them, the storm exploded into a full force gale. Cracks expanded in the skywalk. Sheets of rain poured down, and Leo stumbled, unable to keep balance, though Persephone steadied him, a small favour for the countless times he'd helped her since she'd woken up. A hole opened in the clouds- a swirling vortex of black and silver.

"The mistress calls me back!" Dylan shouted with a twisted smile etched onto his creepy face. "And you, demigod, will come with me!" He lunged at Jason, but Piper, whom Persephone hasn't even seen until now, tackled the storm spirit from behind. Though he was made out of what seemingly was smoke, she managed to make contact and the two of them went sprawling. The four of them surged forward to help but the spirit screamed with rage. He let loose a torrent that knocked them all backwards. Jason and Coach Hedge landed on their butts, Jason's sword skidding across the glass, wherever that had come from. Leo hit the back of his head and curled on his side, dazed and groaning. Persephone landed near him, slamming into the railing, knocking her breathe out of her, her back making a sickening crack, sliding forward onto the skywalk. Piper got the worst of it; she was thrown from Dylan's back and hit the railing, tumbling over the side until she was hanging by one hand over the abyss.

Persephone growled to herself, finding her ring knocked nearly off her finger. Instinct took over as she ripped it off and it grew into a silver sword. She forcibly pushed herself to her feet, ears ringing, wincing at the pain in her back and chest. Her eyes locked onto Dylan picking up Leo and her blood ran cold. She heard the muffled shouts of the other three, but her sole focus was Dylan and the half-conscious boy being pulled into the clouds.

"No!" She screamed and charged, sword raised. She missed the swing at Dylan, but her quick reflexes kicked in and she grabbed Leo's foot, feeling herself rising with him. The storm spirit faltered with the added weight, but it wasn't enough to stop them. Coach Hedge launched himself upwards, hoof springing off the painful point in Persephone's back, lashing out with his hooves and knocking Leo from the spirits grasp. The two dropped to the floor, Persephone crying out when her back thudded against the glass skywalk, gritting her teeth. She could only watch as Coach Hedge was pulled higher into the air.

"Save her! I've got this!" He called to Jason, before he and Dylan spiralled into the clouds and disappeared. And again, she could only watch as Jason vaulted over the side of the railing and plunged into the Grand Canyon.