~ { Shadow and Beauty } ~

The Chariot

{Jason}

Jason wasn't scared of heights. He was scared of being smashed against the canyon floor five hundred feet below. He figured he hadn't accomplished anything except for dying along with Piper, but he tucked in his arms and plummeted headfirst. The sides of the canyon raced past like a film on fast- forward. His face felt like it was peeling off.

   In a heartbeat, he caught up with Piper, who was flailing wildly. He tackled her waist and closed his eyes, waiting for death. Piper screamed. The wind whistled in Jason's ears. He wondered what dying would feel like. He was thinking, probably not so good. He wished somehow they could never hit bottom. He thought that was impossible.

   Suddenly the wind died. Piper's scream turned into a strangled gasp. Jason thought they must be dead, but he hadn't felt any impact.

   "J-J-Jason," Piper stuttered.

   He opened his eyes. They weren't falling. They were floating in midair, a hundred feet above the river. He hugged Piper tight, and she repositioned herself so she was hugging him too. They were nose to nose. Her heart beat so hard, Jason could feel it through her clothes.

   Her breath smelled like cinnamon. She said, "How did you—"

   "I didn't," he said. "I think I would know if I could fly..." But then he thought: I don't even know who I am.

   He imagined going up. Piper yelped as they shot a few feet higher and hugged him tighter. They weren't exactly floating, Jason decided. He could feel pressure under his feet like they were balancing at the top of a geyser.

   "The air is supporting us," he told her.

   "Well, tell it to support us more! Get us out of here!" Piper said. She was visibly terrified. Jason couldn't blame her. She'd fallen a few hundred feet and would've plummeted to her death if Jason hadn't been there.

   He looked down. The easiest thing would be to sink gently to the canyon floor. Then he looked up. The rain had stopped. The storm clouds didn't seem as bad, but they were still rumbling and flashing. There was no guarantee the spirits were gone for good. He had no idea what had happened to Coach Hedge. And he'd left Leo up there, barely conscious, with Kiara who was probably feeling an inexpressible guilt.

   "We have to help them," Piper said, as if reading his thoughts. " Leo, Kiara, they might be hurt. Can you—"

   "Let's see." Jason thought Up, and instantly they shot skyward. The fact he was riding the winds might've been cool under different circumstances, but he was too much in shock. As soon as they landed on the skywalk, they ran to Leo.

   Piper turned Leo over, and he groaned. His army coat was soaked from the rain. His curly hair glittered gold from rolling around in monster dust. But at least he wasn't dead. "Stupid... ugly... goat," he muttered.

   "Where did he go?" Piper asked.

   Leo pointed straight up. "Never came down. Please tell me he didn't actually save my life."

   "Twice," Jason confirmed.

   Leo groaned even louder. "What happened? The tornado guy, the gold sword, Coach having goat feet... I hit my head. That's it, right? I'm hallucinating?"

   Jason had forgotten about the sword. He walked over to where it was lying and picked it up. The blade was well balanced. On a hunch he flipped it. Midspin, the sword shrank back into a coin and landed in his palm.

   "Yep," Leo said. "Definitely hallucinating." He closed his eyes and shook his head as if shooing away his thoughts.

   Piper shivered in her rain-soaked clothes. "Jason, those things, the mist-people—"