Daughter of Wine

Callida

I don't like the idea of Hazel going alone, but she insists on it. I think she's happy to have her horse back, and if she can get even just a few minutes of happiness, I'd be cruel to take it away. We could all use a little happiness right now. 

While she's off on her little journey to the scary clouds, I examine the map of the Apennines with Leo. His Archimedes sphere projects a 3-D map of the mountain range, and we're going down it one section at a time, looking for any sort of pass we might have missed. 

Over the past few days, Leo and I have been working like a well-oiled machine. Nothing like taking over the leadership of a dangerous quest to bring a couple together. It doesn't change the fact that we're getting our asses kicked, but at least we're doing it together. 

"What about that spot right there?" I point to a section of mountain range that looks a little sparse. 

He wraps his arm around my waist and leans forward, zooming in on the section. After a moment, he shakes his head. "No, not big enough for the ship."

I can't help but sigh in frustration. 

Leo leans his head down and kisses my head, squeezing me tighter. "We're going to figure it out." 

I nod, trying to keep from crying in frustration. "I know we will."

"When's the last time you slept?" He asks, sounding concerned. 

I scoff. "When's the last time you slept?"

"Fair." He sighs now too. "Everything is going to be okay."

"Yes it will." I try and sound convincing, but I don't believe it. How can I, when everything seems to be working against us?

"She's back." Leo lifts his head off of mine and heads to the ladder. 

A few moments later, Hazel climbs aboard the ship. 

"What happened?" Leo asks. 

Hazel glances over the rail, where I can see Arion's trail of dust disappearing in the distance. 

"Hazel?" Nico asks her, coming back above deck. 

Her knees buckle, and Leo and I rush to catch her. We help her to the edge of the foredeck. 

"I met Hecate." She tells us. She explains the secret northern pass through the mountains, and the detour Hecate described that can take us to Epirus.  

When she's done, Nico takes her hand. "Hazel, you met Hecate at a crossroads. That's... that's something many demigods don't survive. And the ones who do survive are never the same. Are you sure you're-"

"I'm fine." She insists. 

I can tell she's not fine. I can tell she's tired, and way more scared than she was when she left. Something happened that she's not telling us about. A part of me wants to ask what it is, but another part of me doesn't want to know. I'm scared enough as it is. 

"What if Hecate is tricking us?" Leo asks. "This route could be a trap."

Hazel shakes her head. "If it was a trap, I think Hecate would've made the route sound tempting. Believe me, she didn't."

Leo pulls a calculator out of his toolbelt and punches in some numbers. "That's... something like three hundred miles out of our way to get to Venice. Then we'd have to backtrack down the Adriatic. And you said something about Baloney dwarfs?"

"Dwarfs in Bologna." I recount. "But baloney dwarfs sound more fun."

Hazel raises her eyebrows at me, and I suddenly feel a little embarrassed. That wasn't a helpful comment. I clear my throat. "Bologna is a city in Italy."

"Why we have to find dwarves there, I have no idea." Hazel sighs. "Some sort of treasure to help us with the quest."

"Huh," Leo tilts his head. "I mean, I'm all about treasure, but-"

"It's our best option." Nico helps Hazel to her feet. "We have to make up for lost time, travel as fast as we can. Percy's and Annabeth's lives might depend on it."

"Fast?" I grin. 

"I can do fast." Leo agrees, matching my smile. 

He hurries to the console and starts flipping switches, while I get the engines going. We shoot forwards, the wind blowing my hair around my shoulders.