Chapter Text
Dreams of distant worlds,
Encounter with the Wine Dude,
Did that just really happen…
***
Apollo was enduring a truly dismal day. Wrapped in a shroud of sour mood, no one seemed capable of lifting his spirits—except, perhaps, his sister Artemis, who offered him a briwa in a gesture of solace which he ate.
"Any news?" Artemis inquired, hoping to spark a glimmer of optimism in her brother's eyes.
His mood plummeted further. "No," he replied tersely, his gaze averted.
Apollo was no stranger to setbacks, failure is the mother of success after all, but this ? This was a new type of failure, it wasn’t : Oh ! I failed so I feel disappointed type of failure, those usually followed by succeeding, no ! no ! this was a Oh ! I failed so I feel ashamed type of failure and he was not used to it at all ! An unfamiliar sensation that gnawed at his pride.
"You needn't feel ashamed," Artemis reassured him, offering a comforting pat on the back. "You're attempting to uncover a portal to another dimension beyond our universe."
Apollo's eyes flickered with resentment. "Yet I’m pretty sure that Odin is advancing effortlessly.”
Artemis squeezed his hand in comfort. "He build it upon our foundation, while you forge ahead from scratch."
Clamping his jaw, Apollo acknowledged her words with a curt nod. "I'm aware."
A pregnant pause lingered between them before Artemis voiced a warning. "Be cautious, Apollo. I sense Odin may be aware of our pursuit, and I do not think we are the only one aware of his movements."
***
Rhea blinked and looked around, she noticed Odin walking down the hall and followed, she tilted her head when she noticed someone waiting in the middle of the hall wearing a Detective Sherlock Holmes outfit.
Is that…
“Has everything gone according to plan so far Din-Din ?” Buddha asked.
Rhea snorted. DINDIN !!!!
Odin looked annoyed. “What do you want…Buddha.”
Buddha smiled a pipe in his hand.
“B-BUDDHA !!!!” Munin shouted.
“AFTER THE BETRAYAL YOU PULLED, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING HERE ??!!!!” Huginn shouted flapping his wings angrily.
So annoying. Rhea deadpanned.
“AND WHAT’S WITH THAT STUPID GETUP ??” Munin pointed.
“AND ‘DINDIN’?? YOU WANT US TO POKE YOUR OTHER EYE OUT ??” Huginn shouted.
“Hmmm~” Buddha put his magnifying glass right at Odin’s eye in such angle light shone right into the All Father’s iris. “Just like I thought, this doesn’t even make you blink.”
Odin looked down at him and said nothing, Rhea stood between them and watched the interaction happen like it’s a tennis match.
“I have no time to waste chatting with you.” Odin pushed him to the side.
“Hey Din-Din, just who the heck … is Siegfried ?” Buddha asked which made Odin stop in his tracks.
“”AH ??” Munin and Huginn looked surprised at the question.
“I already asked Kin-chan and he’s poking around a bunch for me.” Buddha said. “And he found out that he’s been locked up down in Tartarus for like ever. On Din-Din’s order too !”
Although Odin said nothing his expression darkened.
“SIGFRIED IS A GRIEVOUS CRIMINAL !!”
“AND FOR GRIEVOUS CRIMINALS BEING LOCKED UP IS OBVIOUS !!”
Do they have to scream every word ???
“Ah yeah ! That’s right ! I was wondering about that !” Buddha laughed. “Sigfried stole Din-Din’s magic sword Balmung, and he killed your favorite fire dragon Fafnir, he committed a couple of oopsies, it seems.”
I love this guy. Rhea chuckled.
“But Tartarus is usually reserved for insurrection against Valhalla, assassination of chief gods, stuff like that, what he pulled doesn’t seem nearly bad enough to merit getting locked up down there.” Buddha put the pipe in his mouth. “On the other hand, if someone really pissed you off Din-Din … usually you’d just eradicate them completely no ? And that’s why this is so fishy~”
“You…” Odin glared at him. “What are you implying ?”
“Sigfried is Bruny’s lover I know that much. I mean not like it was hard to figure out !”
Of course he is. Rhea rolled her eyes. It always involves a lover.
“And Bruny started this whole Ragnarök in order to save humanity but … seems like she also did it to save her beloved Sigfried too.” Buddha broke the pipe. “And this is just my guess … that’s something you can’t abide by Din-Din, so what with that ? For Sigfried to be dragged back out from Tartarus, what’s the link between Ragnarök and Rescue ? And Din-Din why imprison him ? I can’t make any heads or tails of all that.” He put the magnifying glass closed to his eye. “But maaaaybe Din-Din, Sigfried is to you … a VIP ? A simple yes or no please.”
Oh he’s pissed alright. Rhea took steps back away from the two gods.
“Have you filled finished your insufferable word vomit ?” Odin asked furiously releasing a wave of power which then resulted in him summoning his Divine Weapon. “Your suspicions are of no matter to me, however…” He slammed the butt of his weapon on the floor destroying the floor and the walls.
Are you serious ? Rhea dodged the cracks and so did Buddha who was now standing in front of her.
“Uwah ! This is bad~ is this what happens whenever you get angry ?” Buddha said in a bit of a mocking tone.
Odin’s birds were on the other side shacking from fright.
“Anyone who infringes upon my domain, no matter who they are.” Odin scowled. “I shall exterminate.”
“Oh ?” Buddha readied himself for battle. “Well in that case … what exactly did I just say that touched upon your ‘domain’ ?”
The domain of Knowledge, but that doesn’t make any sense, unless it depend on the type of Knowledge, perhaps a forbidding one. Rhea thought.
Odin raised his weapon and attacked, someone run past her right at the attack and deflected it.
“I too, am quite interested.” He threw Odin off. “And I feel I must know.”
“”B-BEELZABUB !!!” The birds shouted in shock.
Oh they’re still here ?
Beelzebub and Odin clashed for a bit before they threw each other off to the other side.
“Odin just what is this ‘desire’ you spoke of ?” Beelzebub asked.
Desire ?
Buddha looked at them both. “Huh ? Where’s this going ?”
Odin glared at the Lord of the Flies. “Beelzebub how dare you…”
Beelzebub ignored him and continued. “Is it perhaps … ‘Arkhe’ ? The revival of the ‘Primordial God’ ?”
“WHA—!?” Buddha’s eye widened.
“”PRIMORDIAL GOD ????” Munin and Huginn screamed.
Rhea deadpanned. “Who ?”
The word does sound familiar tho.
This seemed to make Odin smile. An evil wicked smile.
***
Rhea awoke to find herself in the human-sized aquarium where she slept. Shrimps and fish darted around her, some even finding refuge in her hair, though they swiftly scattered as she stirred to leave. She hadn't anticipated Leo adding fish to the aquarium, but she couldn't deny the charm of their presence. The tiny creatures brought a welcomed sense of life and joy to her surroundings.
“Good morning.” Rhea yawned.
“”Good morning.””
She put her clothes on, fed the fish then walked out to make some breakfast meeting Annabeth in the kitchen, Rhea started to make some crepe while Annabeth sat watching her.
She rolled the crepe then showed Annabeth the piping bag full of cream. “Ok now I’ll squeeze all the cream down to the tip.”
“Mhm.” Annabeth nodded.
“What I like to do, is roll the crepe and leave a big enough hole.” Rhea demonstrated what she was talking about.
“Mhm.”
“Now that the end is sealed, I can shove the piping bag as deep as I can—”
“Mhm.”
“—Without any cream coming or spilling out.”
“Mhm.”
Rhea paused, tiled her head then gave Annabeth a look.
Annabeth started to laugh. “You make it so easy.”
“Eat your damn crepe you pervert, for once I’m not the one with the dirty thoughts !” Rhea raised her hands.
~Piper~
Annabeth was the first who noticed her, she waved before she continued her conversation with Rhea who was braiding Annabeth’s hair then put it into a bun.
“So!” Annabeth shoved the last piece of crepe in her mouth. “Here we are. What’s the plan?”
“I want to check out the highway,” Piper said. “Find the sign that says Topeka 32.”
Leo spun his Wii controller in a circle, and the sails lowered themselves. “We shouldn’t be far,” he said. “Festus and I calculated the landing as best we could. What do you expect to find at the mile marker?”
Piper explained what she’d seen in the knife—the man in purple with a goblet. She kept quiet about the other images, though, like the vision of Jason, and herself drowning. She wasn’t sure what it meant, anyway; and everyone seemed in such better spirits this morning, she didn’t want to ruin the mood.
“Purple shirt?” Jason asked. “Vines on his hat? Sounds like Bacchus.”
“Well, goodbye to the times I didn’t have to look at Dionysus.” Rhea said with a blank face.
“Bacchus isn’t so bad,” Jason said. “I don’t like his followers much.…”
Piper shuddered. Jason, Leo, and she had had an encounter with the maenads a few months ago and almost gotten torn to pieces.
“I love his followers.” Rhea smirked. “Madness the lot of them, truly fun, the way to subdue them is by giving them wine and tell them that Dionysus gave it to them, they’ll leave you without a scratch, or simply join in their craziness. But especially do not pretend you are Dionysus it ends badly, honestly ? They are a fun bunch.”
The trio who meet them gave her a horrified look.
Rhea crossed her legs. “Anyways, why do you think he is in Kansas? I thought Zeus order the gods to cease all contact with mortals ? Despite how stupid that is.”
Frank grunted. The big guy was wearing a blue tracksuit this morning, like he was ready to go for a jog in the sunflowers.
“The gods haven’t been very good at following that order,” he noted. “Besides, if the gods have gone schizophrenic like Hazel said—”
“And Leo said,” added Leo.
Frank scowled at him. “Then who knows what’s going on with the Olympians? Could be some pretty bad stuff out there.”
“Sounds dangerous!” Leo agreed cheerfully. “Well…you guys have fun. I’ve got to finish repairs on the hull. Coach Hedge is gonna work on the broken crossbows. And, uh, Annabeth—I could really use your help. You’re the only other person who even sort of understands engineering.”
Annabeth stood up and looked at Rhea. “Well see you later.” She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t do anything stupid, or chaotic, or anything of the like !”
Rhea deadpanned. “…Sheesh put me on a kiddie leash why don’t you ?”
Piper felt stupid for being jealous of Annabeth and Rhea’s relationship, especially because they are friends and not a couple, a part of her couldn’t help but think that the reason why she is jealous was because Annabeth was much closer and open with Rhea.
Sometimes Piper looks at Annabeth and wonders of they are friends, because it sure didn’t feel so to her, Annabeth was not willing to say any of her deepest secrets unlike Piper who spilled nearly everything to her.
And then there is Jason, don’t get her wrong, Jason was great, of course. But sometimes he acted so distant, like last night, when he’d been reluctant to talk about that old Roman legend. So often he seemed to be thinking of his old life at Camp Jupiter. Piper wondered if she would ever be able to break through that barrier.
The trip to Camp Jupiter, seeing Reyna in person, hadn’t helped. Neither did the fact that Jason had chosen to wear a purple shirt today—the color of the Romans.
Frank slid his bow off his shoulder and propped it against the rail. “I think I should turn into a crow or something and fly around, keep an eye out for Roman eagles.”
“Why a crow?” Leo asked. “Man, if you can turn into a dragon, why don’t you just turn into a dragon every time? That’s the coolest.”
Frank’s face looked like it was being infused with cranberry juice. “That’s like asking why you don’t bench-press your maximum weight every time you lift. Because it’s hard, and you’d hurt yourself. Turning into a dragon isn’t easy.”
“Oh.” Leo nodded. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t lift weights.”
“Yeah. Well, maybe you should consider it, Mr.—”
Hazel stepped between them.
“I’ll help you, Frank,” she said, shooting Leo an evil look. “I can summon Arion and scout around below.”
“Sure,” Frank said, still glaring at Leo. “Yeah, thanks.”
Piper wondered what was going on with those three. The boys showing off for Hazel and razzing each other—that she understood. But it almost seemed like Hazel and Leo had a history. So far as she knew, they’d met for the first time just yesterday. She wondered if something else had happened on their trip to the Great Salt Lake—something they hadn’t mentioned.
Hazel turned to Rhea. “Just be careful when you go out there. Lots of fields, lots of crops. Could be karpoi on the loose.”
“Karpoi?” Piper asked.
“Grain spirits,” Hazel said. “You don’t want to meet them.”
Piper didn’t see how a grain spirit could be so bad, but Hazel’s tone convinced her not to ask.
“I’ll just set them on fire again.” Rhea said. Hazel snorted at the memory. “Anyways let’s find Mr. D, not talking to him tho.”
“I’ll talk to him.” Jason said. “Piper, it’s your vision. You should take the lead.”
Piper shivered. She’d seen the two of them drowning in that dark well. Was Kansas where it would happen? That didn’t seem right, but she couldn’t be sure.
“Of course,” she said, trying to sound upbeat. “Let’s find the highway.”
“Speaking about grains, has anyone seen the three donuts I felt here ? I only found two.” Rhea said.
“Oh yeah I ate one of them, it tasted weird tho.” Leo said.
Rhea gave him a long look. “…I’ll go throw up if I were you, those were horse treats I made to look like donuts.”
Leo gagged and run to the bathroom.
After trudging half a mile through hot fields, getting bitten by mosquitoes and whacked in the face with scratchy sunflowers, they finally reached the road. An old billboard for Bubba’s Gas ’n’ Grub indicated they were still forty miles from the first Topeka exit.
Jason peered both ways down the deserted road. He looked better today, thanks to the magical healing of ambrosia and nectar. His color was back to normal, and the scar on his forehead had almost vanished. The new gladius that Hera had given him last winter hung at his belt. Most guys would look pretty awkward walking around with a scabbard strapped to their jeans, but on Jason it seemed perfectly natural.
“No cars…” he said. “But I guess we wouldn’t want to hitchhike.”
“No,” Piper agreed, gazing nervously down the highway. “We’ve already spent too much time going overland. The earth is Gaea’s territory.”
“Hmm…” Jason snapped his fingers. “I can call a friend for a ride.”
Jason whistled. Piper knew what he was doing, but he’d succeeded in summoning Tempest only three times since they’d met the storm spirit at the Wolf House last winter. Today, the sky was so blue, Piper didn’t see how it could work.
Rhea stretched then took her hair on one side to braid.
Piper hadn’t studied her up close before. After hearing so much at Camp Half-Blood about Rhea Jackson this and Rhea Jackson that, she thought the girl looked…well…
Like a snob.
First of all there is this cold demeanor of hers, the way she doesn’t look at others even when she talks to them, while others bothered to talk to each other Rhea did everything to avoid being talked to unless it’s Hazel, Frank, or Annabeth addressing her, which was straight up rude.
Also the way she holds herself screams arrogance, she acted a lot like those girls who came from rich families and decides to not talk to others cause ‘they are of blue blood’ or whatever, the fact that she is doing her hair during an important moment doesn’t even make her image in Piper’s eyes any better.
Apart from her good looks which Piper will give her a point for, there was nothing about Rhea that screamed ‘impressive’ or anything, she couldn’t see why Annabeth liked the black haired girl at all.
Thunder crackled in the clear sky and Jason smiled.
Rhea waved her hand at something in the east, there was a black winged shape was spiraling toward them. At first, Piper thought it might be Frank in crow form. Then she realized it was much too big to be a bird.
“A black pegasus?” she said. “Never seen one like that.”
The winged stallion came in for a landing. He trotted over to Rhea and nuzzled her face, then turned his head inquisitively toward Piper and Jason.
“Blackjack,” Rhea said, “this is Piper and Jason.”
The horse nickered.
Rhea smiled and took out the two donuts she had on her and gave it to Blackjack. “You know I always have some just in case.”
Blackjack did a small happy jump before he ate his treats.
Piper had heard that Rhea could speak to horses, being the daughter of the horse lord Poseidon, but she’d never seen it in action.
Suddenly the air turned cold. Piper’s ears popped. About fifty yards away, a miniature cyclone three stories tall tore across the tops of the sunflowers like a scene from The Wizard of Oz. It touched down on the road next to Jason and took the form of a horse—a misty steed with lightning flickering through its body.
“Tempest,” Jason said, grinning broadly. “Long time, my friend.”
The storm spirit reared and whinnied. Blackjack backed up skittishly.
“Easy, Blackjack don’t worry.” Rhea said caressing his neck. “He’s an ally.”
Rhea and Jason climbed on their respective horses.
Piper had never been comfortable with Tempest. Riding full gallop on a beast that could vaporize at any moment made her a bit nervous. Nevertheless, she accepted Jason’s hand and climbed on.
Tempest raced down the road with Blackjack soaring overhead. Fortunately, they didn’t pass any cars, or they might have caused a wreck. In no time, they arrived at the thirty-two-mile marker, which looked exactly as Piper had seen it in her vision.
From the corner of her eye Piper noticed that Rhea was talking to Blackjack, not that she could hear what was being said.
So she is capable of making other expressions. She thought while looking at Rhea’s soft look toward her pegasus.
Blackjack landed. Both horses pawed the asphalt. Neither looked pleased to have stopped so suddenly, just when they’d found their stride.
Blackjack whinnied.
Rhea chuckled. “Wine dude. I just love Nico.”
Blackjack whinnied and threw his head back as if proud of something.
“I beg your pardon?” said a voice from the fields.
Tempest turned so quickly, Piper almost fell off.
The wheat parted, and the man from her vision stepped into view. He wore a wide-brimmed hat wreathed in grapevines, a purple short-sleeved shirt, khaki shorts, and Birkenstocks with white socks. He looked maybe thirty, with a slight potbelly, like a frat boy who hadn’t yet realized college was over.
“Did someone just call me the wine dude?” he asked in a lazy drawl. “It’s Bacchus, please. Or Mr. Bacchus. Or Lord Bacchus. Or, sometimes, Oh-My-Gods-Please-Don’t-Kill-Me, Lord Bacchus.”
Rhea raised an eyebrow. “Hmm.” She proceeded to ignore him.
“Tsk how rude ! Back in the day I would have cursed you, you are lucky I’m not in the mood for that !” The wine god said. “Anyways ! Who are you, and where is Ceres?”
Jason nodded respectfully to the god. “Lord Bacchus, do you remember me? I helped you with that missing leopard in Sonoma.”
Bacchus scratched his stubbly chin. “Ah…yes. John Green.”
“Jason Grace.”
“Whatever,” the god said. “Did Ceres send you, then?”
“No, Lord Bacchus,” Jason said. “Were you expecting to meet her here?”
The god snorted. “Well, I didn’t come to Kansas to party, my boy.”
“Shocker.” Rhea drily said and Blackjack snorted.
Already the horse has a sense of humor like his master good to know.
Bacchus ignored them. “Ceres asked me here for a council of war. What with Gaea rising the crops are withering. Droughts are spreading. The karpoi are in revolt. Even my grapes aren’t safe. Ceres wanted a united front in the plant war.”
~Rhea~
Dionysus, Dionysus, Dionysus, Dionysus, Dionysus, DIONYSUS !!! Rhea smirked.
“Agh!” Bacchus winced and pressed his hands to his temples. For a moment, his image flickered.
There stood a different person—fatter, dumpier, in a much louder, leopard-patterned shirt. Then Bacchus returned to being Bacchus.
“Stop that!” he demanded glaring at Rhea. “Stop thinking about me in Greek!”
Rhea was innocently looking at her nails, she blinked at Bacchus like he wronged her. “I didn’t do anything !”
“You were thinking of it—!”
“Lord forbid we can think of anything these days.” Blackjack mumbled, it took everything in Rhea to not laugh.
Poseidonas raised an eyebrow. “You are a horrible influence.”
“I know~”
“Do you have any idea how hard it is to stay focused? Splitting headaches all the time! I never know what I’m doing or where I’m going! Constantly grumpy!”
“What’s new ? That’s exactly how you are at Camp Half-Blood twenty four seven.” Rhea said.
The god’s nostrils flared. One of the grape leaves on his hat burst into flame. “If we know each other from that other camp, it’s a wonder I haven’t already turned you into a dolphin.”
“Nyeah not gonna happen, there was a room for that kind of discussion but then Dio decided to not waste his time on me especially after I saved his son.” Rhea shrugged.
She noticed Piper’s and Jason’s horrified look on their faces, they both must be thinking something along the lines of -this is what Annabeth meant about not causing chaos ? Rhea isn’t making anything better, and Annabeth isn’t around to rein her in !!!- or something.
“Lord Bacchus!” Piper interrupted, slipping off Tempest’s back.
“Piper, careful,” Jason said.
She shot him a warning glance: I’ve got this.
“Sorry to trouble you, my lord,” she told the god, “but actually we came here to get your advice. Please, we need your wisdom.” She used her most agreeable tone, pouring respect into her charm-speak.
Rhea’s eyes were fixed on her throat where the pink aura flared to life and traveled out of her mouth right into Bacchus and circled him like a blanket.
“That isn’t even the full power of the blessing, just how much did Aphrodite give her ?” Aidoneus frowned.
“It is at these moments that I love the fact that you taught me how to see auras, damn so that’s how charm-speak works on other people !” Rhea said. “I think the full power of it will be used on Gaea just like how her counterpart did.”
“Then it’s safe to say that once she exhaust the whole blessing she will never be able to access it again.” Poseidonas said. “Or Aphrodite will simply take it back once the job is done.”
The god frowned, but the purple glow faded in his eyes. “You’re well-spoken, girl. Advice, eh? Very well. I would avoid karaoke. Really, theme parties in general are out. In these austere times, people are looking for a simple, low-key affair, with locally produced organic snacks and—”
“Not about parties,” Piper interrupted. “Although that’s incredibly useful advice, Lord Bacchus. We were hoping you’d help us on our quest.”
Piper proceeded to explain about the Argo II and their voyage to stop the giants from awakening Gaea. She told him what Nemesis had said: that in six days, Rome would be destroyed. She described the vision reflected in her knife, where Bacchus offered her a silver goblet.
“Silver goblet?” The god didn’t sound very excited. He grabbed a Diet Pepsi from nowhere and popped the top of the can. “Young lady, I have nothing for you to drink unless you want a Pepsi. Jupiter has put me under strict orders to avoid giving wine to minors. Bothersome, but there you have it. As for the giants, I know them well. I fought in the first Giant War, you know.”
“You can fight/He can fight ?” Rhea and Blackjack asked.
Aidoneus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “What did I tell you about pissing off the gods ?”
“Not to do it ?”
“And what did you do.”
“For my defense it’s hilarious !”
“…Of course.”
Dionysus snarled. His Diet Pepsi transformed into a five-foot staff wreathed in ivy, topped with a pinecone.
“A thyrsus!” Piper said, clearly hoping to distract the god before he whacked Rhea on the head. “Oh, what a mighty weapon!”
“Indeed,” Bacchus agreed. “I’m glad someone in your group is smart. The pinecone is a fearsome tool of destruction! I was a demigod myself in the first Giant War, you know. The son of Jupiter!”
“The dam pinecone ?” Blackjack whispered to Rhea who hid her face in his mane.
Jason flinched. Probably he wasn’t thrilled to be reminded that the Wine Dude was technically his big brother.
Bacchus swung his staff through the air, though his potbelly almost threw him off balance. “Of course that was long before I invented wine and became an immortal. I fought side by side with the gods and some other demigod…Harry Cleese, I think.”
“Heracles?” Piper suggested politely.
“Whatever,” Bacchus said. “Anyway, I killed the giant Ephialtes and his brother Otis. Horrible boors, those two. Pinecone in the face for both of them!”
Dam pinecone. Rhea was going to cry, she bit her lip to not laugh.
“Lord Bacchus,” Piper said, trying to control the nervousness in her voice. “Those two giants, Ephialtes and Otis…would they happen to be twins?”
“Hmm?” The god seemed distracted by his thyrsus-swinging, but he nodded. “Yes, twins. That’s right.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Piper told the god. “You’re part of our quest!”
Bacchus frowned. “I’m sorry, my girl. I’m not a demigod anymore. I don’t do quests.”
“But giants can only be killed by heroes and gods working together,” she insisted. “You’re a god now, and the two giants we have to fight are Ephialtes and Otis. I think…I think they’re waiting for us in Rome. They’re going to destroy the city somehow. The silver goblet I saw in my vision—maybe it’s meant as a symbol for your help. You have to help us kill the giants!”
Bacchus glared at her, and Piper realized she’d chosen her words poorly.
“My girl,” he said coldly, “I don’t have to do anything. Besides, I only help those who give me proper tribute, which no one has managed to do in many, many centuries.”
“We aren’t making some kind of blood sacrifice are we ?” Blackjack whinnied uneasily.
Rhea patted him to put him at ease.
Bacchus summoned a Diet Pepsi. “Anyways seek out Gaea’s son, Phorcys. He always hated his mother, not that I can blame him. He didn’t have much use for his siblings the twins, either. You’ll find him in the city they named after that heroine—Atalanta.”
Piper hesitated. “You mean Atlanta?”
“That’s the one.”
“But this Phorcys,” Jason said. “Is he a giant? A Titan?”
Bacchus laughed. “Neither. Seek out the salt water.”
“If anyone can give you an insight on Gaea and the twins, it’s Phorcys. Just watch out for him.” Bacchus said.
“What do you mean?” Jason asked.
The god glanced at the sun, which had climbed almost to high noon. “It’s unlike Ceres to be late, unless she sensed something dangerous in this area. Or…” The god’s face suddenly went slack. “Or a trap. Well, I must be going! And if I were you, I’d do the same!”
“Lord Bacchus, wait!” Jason protested.
The god shimmered and disappeared with a sound like a soda-can top being popped. The wind rustled through the sunflowers. The horses paced in agitation. Despite the dry, hot day, Piper shivered.
“Bacchus is right,” Piper said. “We need to leave—”
Too late, said a sleepy voice, humming through the fields all around them and resonating in the ground at Piper’s feet.
Jason drew his sword. Piper stood on the road between them, frozen with fear. The power of Gaea was suddenly everywhere. The sunflowers turned to look at them. The wheat bent toward them like a million scythes.
Welcome to my party, Gaea murmured. Her voice reminded Piper of corn growing—a crackling, hissing, hot and persistent noise she used to hear at Grandpa Tom’s on those quiet nights in Oklahoma. What did Bacchus say? the goddess mocked. A simple, low-key affair with organic snacks? Yes. For my snacks, I need only two: the blood of a female demigod, and the blood of a male. One of you heroes will die.
“Gaea!” Jason yelled. “Stop hiding in the wheat. Show yourself!”
Such bravado, Gaea hissed. But there is no use.
Suddenly Jason gasped. He sat up straight in his saddle.
“Jason!” Piper cried. “What’s wrong—?”
Rhea blinked then suddenly she found herself in front of Poseidonas and Aidoneus who looked at her surprised.
“Correct me if I’m wrong…” Rhea narrowed her eyes. “But did I just get kicked out of my own body ?”
Aidoneus chucked. “Yes.”
“Motherf*cker ?!”
