Daughter of Wine

Piper

Borrowing the helicopter is easy. Getting my dad on board is not. 

It only took a few words through Leo's improvised bullhorn to convince the pilot to land on the mountain. The Park Service copter is big enough for medical evacuations or search and rescue, and when I tell the nice ranger lady that it would be a great idea to fly us to the Oakland Airport, she readily agrees. 

"No," My dad mutters, as we pick him up off of the ground. "Piper, what-there were monsters, there were monsters-"

I need both Leo and Jason's help to hold him, while Coach Hedge gathers our supplies and Calli lays on the ground eating ambrosia. I took a look at her chest, and the whole thing was bruised and purple. Broken ribs. I hope the ambrosia is enough. 

It breaks my heart to see my dad like this, pushed beyond the breaking point, crying like a little boy. I don't know what the giant had done to him exactly, how the monsters have shattered his spirit, but I don't want to know. I remember what my mom had told me. I should ask Calli to erase his memory. My mom said that Calli can get rid of the trauma he's experienced at the cost of his memory of the events that unfolded. 

"It'll be okay, dad." I say, making my voice as soothing as possible. I don't want to charmspeak my own dad, but it seems to be the only way. "These people are my friends. We're going to help you. You're safe now." 

He blinks and looks up at the helicopter rotors. "Blades. They had a machine with so many blades. They had six arms..." 

When we get him to the bay doors, the pilot comes over to help. "What's wrong with him?" She asks. 

"Some inhalation." Jason suggests. "Or heat exhaustion." 

"We should get him to the hospital." The pilot frowns. 

"It's okay." I insist. "The airport is good."

"Yeah, the airport is good." The pilot agrees immediately. Then she frowns, as if uncertain why she's changed her mind. "Isn't he Tristan McLean, the movie star?"

"No." I snap. "He only looks like him. Forget it." 

"Yeah," The pilot agrees. "Only looks like him. I-" She blinks, confused. "I forgot what I was saying. Let's get going." 

Jason raises his eyebrows at me, obviously impressed, but I feel miserable. I don't want to twist people's minds. It feels so bossy and wrong, like something Medea or Drew would do. 

Finally, we get my dad on board, and the helicopter takes off. The pilot keeps getting asked questions over her radio, asking where she's going, but she ignores them. We veer away from the burning mountain and towards the Berkley Hills. 

"Piper." My dad grasps my hand and holds on like he's afraid he'll fall. "It's you? They told me... They told me you would die. They said horrible things would happen." 

"It's me, Dad." It takes all my willpower not to cry. I have to be strong for him. "Everything's going to be okay." 

"They were monsters." He says. "Real monsters. Earth spirits, right out of Grandpa Tom's storues, and the Earth Mother was angry with me. And the giant, Tsul'kalu, breathing fire-" He focuses on me again, his eyes like broken glass, reflecting a crazy kind of light. "They said you were a demigod. Your mother was..."

"Aphrodite." I tell him. "Goddess of love." 

"I-I-" He takes a shaky breath, then seems to forget how to exhale. 

My friends are careful not to watch. Leo fiddles with a lug nut from his toolbelt, Calli has her headphones in and is nibbling on even more ambrosia, wincing at the pain in her chest. Jason gazes at the valley below, the roads backing up as mortals stop their cars to gawk at the burning mountain. Gleeson chews on the stub of his carnation, and for once he doesn't look like he's in the mood to yell or boast.