Daughter of Wine

Jason

It's incredibly uncomfortable, riding in silence with Calli. I had told her she could sleep, but the suggestion made her uncomfortable. She claimed she wasn't tired. 

"So, you went off on this quest alone? Without telling anyone?" I ask her after what feels like hours of tension. 

She turns to look at me. Her eyes are puffy, as if she's been crying, but she smiles like nothing's wrong. "Yeah, my dad told me to." 

"Why? I mean, isn't it better to get permission from Chiron and have questmates and everything?"

She shrugs. "My dad, he isn't exactly a patient man. He told me that Hera was gone, and that the Olympians are at each other's throats over it. He said they needed her back as soon as possible, because something is stirring." She puts extra effort into the word, as if it's hard for her to say. "He told me he couldn't wait for a whole debate, and that this was something I need to do alone. He doesn't really follow rules like that." 

I nod thoughtfully. It is strange, sending a demigod on her own to rescue a goddess. Especially one like Calli. She doesn't look incredibly strong or powerful. It seems like a suicide mission. Incredibly strange to send her on her own. Kind of crazy, even. But then again, Dionysus is the god of crazy. 

"Medea mentioned your mom." I raise an eyebrow, and her face pales. 

"Yeah," She squirms uncomfortably. "Old lady Dirt-Face killed her when I was seven. She was trying to protect me." 

"She sounds pretty brave for a mortal." 

"She was a demigod." Calli tells me. "A daughter of Athena." 

That's new information. Something about demigod grandchildren stirs in my mind. I can't put my finger on it, but it sounds familiar. "So, Athena and Dionysus." 

She nods. 

"Where are you from?" I ask her. "You have an accent." 

She smiles to herself. "Miami. But I grew up speaking Spanish only, even in school. I didn't learn English until Camp Half-Blood. What about you? Where are you from?"

I frown. "Honestly? I can't remember." I explain to her how Hera stole my memories, how I woke up on a bus with Piper and Leo. The storm spirits at the Grand Canyon, learning I can fly-

"You can fly?" She asks, shocked. 

I nod and continue, telling her everything that has happened to us up until we ran into her. She stares out at the clouds, and I wonder if she's even paying attention. I notice how she taps her fingers on the seats, runs her hands through her hair, fidgets with her camp necklace. She's almost as ADHD as Leo. 

After I finish, I wonder if she even notices. She just keeps staring out at the clouds, a million thoughts clearly racing through her mind. 

Finally, she cracks a smile. "Khione must have been so pissed when Boreas let you guys go too." 

I can't help but chuckle. "Yeah, she didn't take it too well." 

"Leo defeated the Cyclopes on his own?" She asks. 

I nod. 

She looks down at him, snoring away with his mouth open. She looks almost... impressed. 

"He's a good guy." I tell her. I saw how Leo was looking at her. The same way he looked at Khione. I can be a wingman. "He's tougher than he looks."

"I hope so." She sighs. She smiles softly at Leo, who mutters something about the Wheel of Fortune. "Hera told me that-"

Before she can finish, Festus jerks as if he's hit an invisible wall. Piper and Leo wake immediately as we scream and plummet. 

"Jason!" Leo yells to me. "Take Piper and Calli and fly out of here!" 

"What?" I call back. 

"We need to lighten the load! I might be able to reboot Festus, but he's carrying too much weight!" 

"What about you?" Piper cries. "If you can't reboot him-"

"I'll stay with Leo!" Calli offers. "If we get too close to the ground, I'll teleport us to safety! Go!" She commands, an intense look in her eyes. 

I give her a nod, but I'm scared to trust her with my friend's life. I grab Piper around the waist and in a flash, we're gone.