~ { Shadow and Beauty } ~

Camp Half-Blood

{Piper}

After a morning of storm spirits, goat men, and flying boyfriends, Piper should've been losing her mind. Instead, all she felt was dread.

   It's starting, she thought. Just like the dream said.

   She stood in the back of the chariot with Kiara, Leo and Jason, while the bald guy, Butch, handled the reins, and the blond girl, Annabeth, adjusted a bronze navigation device. They rose over the Grand Canyon and headed east, icy wind ripping straight through Piper's jacket. Behind them, more storm clouds were gathering.

   The chariot lurched and bumped. It had no seat belts and the back was wide open, so Piper wondered if Jason would catch her again if she fell. That had been the most disturbing part of the morning—not that Jason could fly, but that he'd held her in his arms and yet didn't know who she was.

   All semester she'd worked on a relationship, trying to get Jason to notice her as more than a friend. Finally she'd gotten the big dope to kiss her. The last few weeks had been the best of her life. And then, three nights ago, the dream had ruined everything—that horrible voice, giving her horrible news. She hadn't told anyone about it, not even Jason, or even Kiara.

   Now she didn't even have them. It was like someone had wiped his memory, and she was stuck in the worst "do over" of all time. She wanted to scream. Jason stood right next to  her:those sky blue eyes, close-cropped blond hair, that cute little scar on his upper lip. His face was kind and gentle, but always a little sad. And he just stared at the horizon, not even noticing her.

   Meanwhile, Leo was being annoying, as usual. "This is so cool!" He spit a pegasus feather out of his mouth. "Where are we going?"

   "A safe place," Annabeth said. "The only safe place for kids like us. Camp Half-Blood."

   "Half-Blood?" Piper was immediately on guard. She hated that word. She'd been called a half-blood too many times—half Cherokee, half white—and it was never a compliment. "Is that some kind of bad joke?"

   "She means we're demigods," Jason said. "Half god, half mortal."

   Annabeth looked back. "You seem to know a lot, Jason. But, yes, demigods. My mom is Athena, goddess of wisdom. Butch here is the son of Iris, the rainbow goddess."

   Next to Piper, Kiara muttered something that sounded like "Pluto," then she shook her head as if the thought hurt her.

   Piper placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you okay?"

   Kiara nodded, not meeting Piper's gaze. "Yeah. Just a headache."

   Leo didn't seem to have heard the two girls conversing. He choked. "Your mom is a rainbow goddess?"

   "Got a problem with that?" Butch grumbled.

   "No, no," Leo said quickly. "Rainbows. Very macho."

   "Butch is our best equestrian," Annabeth said. "He gets along great with the pegasi."

   "Rainbows, ponies," Leo muttered.

   "I'm gonna toss you off this chariot," Butch warned.

   "Demigods," Piper repeated. "You mean you think you're ... you think we're—"

   Lightning flashed. The chariot shuddered, and Jason yelled, "Left wheel's on fire!"

   In the corner of her eye, Piper saw Kiara's face turning whiter. Piper stepped back. Sure enough, the wheel was burning, white flames lapping up the side of the chariot. The wind roared. Piper glanced behind them and saw dark shapes forming in the clouds, more storm spirits spiraling toward the chariot—except these looked more like horses than angels.