CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
EYES AND EARS

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KIT DEMPSEY WAS ALMOST positive that Thalia Grace was trying to kill him. Like, he couldn't blame her, but come on -- if it was Kit trying to murder someone, the least he would do was make sure he did it right the first time. Thalia forcing him to sit through the tortuous reunification of a long lost brother and sister was almost worse than an endless sentence in Tartarus. She should've just suffocated him when she had the chance.

"My Gods!" the wretched daughter of Zeus exclaimed before she rushed into Jason's outstretched arms. "She told me you were dead..." He definitely didn't look dead when she pulled back to grip his face in her hands. Still, she stared at him like someone might've stared at a ghost. "Thank Artemis, it is you. That little scar on your lip? You tried to eat a stapler when you were two."

The thought of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed toddler -- that is, a toddler destined to save the world -- chewing on a stapler was almost comedic to Kit. He let out a snicker just as Leo threw his head back and laughed.

"Seriously?" the Hephaestus boy smirked.

Grinning, Kit added teasingly, "Daddy dearest must be so proud."

Jason's eyes instinctively narrowed, but he didn't have the chance to retort before Hedge gave an approving nod, declaring, "Ah, staplers. An excellent source of iron."

With rosy cheeks, Jason forced himself to focus on Thalia and Thalia only. "Wait, who told you I was dead? What happened?"

The small moment of amusement almost immediately sobered. Kit rolled his eyes, an idle hand reaching up to trace the throbbing bruises on his neck. The gesture prompted Thalia to glower at him, only growing distracted when one of the white wolves waiting at the entrance of the cave barked. She turned towards the animal and nodded. "My wolf is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right. But we have to talk first, so let's sit."

If Kit hadn't already noticed the slick sheen of sweat on Piper's face, he would've been very surprised to find her unconscious in his arms just a second later. Still, the second he saw her eyes roll into the back of her head, he reached out and stopped her from cracking her skull open. Everyone gaped at him for a moment, stunned, Thalia especially surprised by the concerned gesture.

"Well, don't just stand there," he scoffed at them, struggling under the dead weight of a body pressed against him. "Someone help her!"

Snapping out of her stupor, Thalia was the first to rush over. She all but yanked Piper out of Kit's embrace, already trusting this strange girl more than she did him. If he wasn't so concerned about Piper, he would've said something about it. If she trusted Piper enough just for being in her brother's presence, then why was Kit so different?

Why was it so impossible to believe his intentions weren't always nefarious?

"What's wrong with her?" Thalia demanded, sparing Kit an almost accusing glance before realisation hit her. "Ah, never mind. I see. Hypothermia. Ankle."

"Wow," Kit deadpanned. "You know how to state the obvious. Want a gold star?"

Leo nudged his ribs with a pointed cough, prompting Kit to sigh and raise his hands in a vague, half-hearted gesture of surrender. Sour faced, Thalia turned her wrath on Hedge instead. "Don't you know nature healing?" she questioned, to which Hedge scoffed.

"Why do you think she looks this good? Can't you smell the Gatorade?"

Thalia seemed caught between disbelief and regret that she even addressed Hedge in the first place. Kit would have agreed with her, but he was far too busy laughing at her misfortune to even consider being on the same side. He stood with his arms folded almost defensively across his chest, dark eyes merely watching as Thalia began to dish out orders to the group like they were life-long friends of hers.

"You, the satyr and... him," she turned on Leo next. "Take this girl to my friend at the entrance. Phoebe's an excellent healer."

"But it's cold out there," Hedge protested, stubbornly stomping one of his hooves. "I'll freeze my horns off."

"You tell her, Gleeson," Kit exclaimed encouragingly.

Sighing, Leo stepped in front of Kit and began ushering Hedge towards the mouth of the cave. "Come on, Hedge," he spoke over the satyr's blatant complaints. "These two need time to talk."

"Fine," Hedge finally conceded. Then, with a disappointed mutter under his breath, "I didn't even get to brain anybody..."

Kit had no doubt Hedge would have the opportunity to 'brain someone' later. But something told him that Jason would not be pleased if the satyr knocked out the sister he'd only just found.

As the two made their way towards the entrance, Leo paused to spare Kit yet another pointed look. Come on, Kit could imagine Leo's amused but impatient voice scolding him. You can piss off Jason later. Sighing, Kit hung his arms in defeat, stomping his way over to join them. Just as Leo turned to lead the way out, he was stopped by Jason's hand tugging at his sleeve. Kit paused to watch the exchange with interest.

"Actually, man, could you..." he hesitated, looking almost embarrassed when Leo raised an eyebrow at him in confusion. "Could you stick around?"

Leo paused, frowning like he couldn't quite grasp the weight of Jason's request. Thalia looked thoroughly displeased, but Leo didn't seem to notice -- or if he did, he just didn't care -- when he nodded and grinned. "Sticking around is my specialty."

And didn't Kit know it. He felt thoroughly out of place as he scrambled to follow after Hedge, who was now carrying Piper. Only glancing back once, he found that no one but Thalia was looking at him. She smirked, like she saw right through him, before taking a seat beside Jason opposite Leo. The son of Hephaestus was already staring at her, a familiar dreamy glint in his eyes that made Kit feel red-hot with anger. He forced himself to turn away, shoulder smacking against Hedge's as he shoved past him. Hedge gave a grunt, Piper jostling in his arms, but said nothing as he watched Kit barge into the nearby Hunters tent.

"Oh," Phoebe paused when she spotted him. "It's you."

"Always a pleasure seeing you, Phoebe," Kit retorted. His voice was tight, caught in his throat as he stood aside for Hedge to carry Piper in.

"Wish I could say the same," Phoebe muttered before turning her full attention to Piper's injuries. The daughter of Aphrodite was slowly regaining consciousness, confusedly blinking up at the bronze-haired girl leaning over her. "Hi, Piper. My name's Phoebe. I'm going to help you, okay?" She whirled on Kit again, gaze accusing. In that moment, she reminded him of Thalia. "What's wrong with her?"

"What do you think is wrong with her?" he grumbled, thoroughly fed up. "She's got hypothermia and her ankle's stuffed."

Phoebe momentarily left Piper's side to grab a bag from the other side of the tent. Hedge eagerly followed after her, frowning when he realised her medical equipment contained no Gatorade. "What do you expect to do with this?" the satyr scoffed. "Where's the Gatorade?"

Phoebe merely pursed her lips before kneeling beside Piper again. She was trying to push herself up from the ground, muttering about Jason and how he needed her help. She was quickly silenced, though, by one of Phoebe's classic 'do as I say or I'll knock you out' glares. Kit was glad he wasn't on the receiving end for once. Instead, he took Phoebe's moment of distraction as an opportunity to observe his surroundings. The tent was made of a reflective silver material -- more a pavilion than a camping tent, its arching doorway allowing Kit to catch a glimpse of Leo, Thalia and Jason still in the cave. The three of them were deep in conversation, Thalia holding one of Jason's hands while Leo beamed at her. Kit scowled and turned away again. 

In one corner of the tent was a kerosene heater. In the other was a pile of blankets and throw pillows made out of the same reflective silver material. By the time Phoebe was finished with Piper, the younger girl was curled up beneath those reflective blankets with a cup of hot chocolate in her hands and a healthy flush of warmth in her cheeks. Phoebe had also given her a freshly heated parka with a woollen neckline and a pair of cargo pants that matched the ones the Hunter herself was wearing. Even Hedge had a cup of hot chocolate, though he was admittedly more interested in chewing on the plastic than he was the drink itself. Not once did Phoebe offer Kit anything.

Kit didn't really care...

Leo, Thalia and Jason joined them not even five minutes later, far sooner than Kit had expected. Leo paused in the doorway, gaping at the tent in an almost offended manner. "Oh, no way," he groaned as he came to stand at Kit's side. "We've been sitting in a cave and you get the luxury tent? Somebody give me hypothermia. I want hot chocolate and a parka!"

Kit rolled his eyes, though deep down he was inclined to agree. Leo's jacket was nice and all, but it was nothing with a snowstorm blowing a gale. Phoebe huffed at Leo's sudden presence, grumbling beneath her breath "boys" like they were the Gods' worst creation. She shot Kit yet another glare, like he was the one to blame for the existence of males. He grinned back at her, tugging Leo's jacket closer as an icy gust of wind followed the new arrivals through the tent door.

"It's alright, Phoebe," Thalia said when the other girl made no move to give Leo what he wanted. "They'll need extra coats, and I think we can spare some chocolate."

"All of them need extra coats?" Phoebe sighed.

Thalia nodded, face indifferent. "Yes, Phoebe."

That was how Kit found himself dressed in the clothing of Artemis' most trusted confidants. Really, it was a wonder the Goddess didn't appear to slay him the second he shrugged on the parka over Leo's jacket. It felt awfully strange on him, lightweight and warm, and yet cold and sinister at the same time. He stood to the side while the others eagerly accepted their hot chocolates, messing with the hood that just wouldn't sit right around his neck.

"You up for moving?" Thalia asked Piper once everything was sorted.

Piper nodded, the movement full of a surprising amount of energy. "Thanks to Phoebe, yeah," she said, to which Phoebe waved her off like it was nothing. "You guys are really good at this wilderness survival thing. I feel like I could run ten miles."

Thalia seemed pleased with Piper's answer. Not-so-conspicuously, she winked at her brother. "She's tough for a child of Aphrodite. I like this one."

"And to think we almost had Drew with us," Kit recalled.

Leo, Piper and Jason all grimaced at the reminder. Thalia raised an eyebrow, though even she couldn't argue that Drew Tanaka was the worst kind of Aphrodite spawn. Instead, she turned her attention back to complimenting Piper, an odd look settling over Leo's face as he tried desperately to capture a bit of that attention for himself.

"Hey, I could run ten miles too," he insisted. Thalia ignored him, but he continued on stubbornly. "Tough Hephaestus kid here. Let's hit it."

"Alright, Valdez," Kit sighed and yanked him back to his side. "This is just getting embarrassing."

Leo pouted but didn't argue as the group filed out of the tent. Huddled beneath the hoods of their parkas, they watched in disbelief as Phoebe worked her magic. The tent folded in on itself before Kit could so much as blink, the kerosene heater and the blankets tucked up inside like they never existed in the first place. Pleased with herself, Phoebe packed everything away in a matching silver bag and slung one of its sleeves over her shoulder. Together, the six of them began their trek through the trees, Thalia and Phoebe practically flying ahead. In no time, they were mere dots in the distance, pushed forward by experienced legs.

"Oh, my Gods," Leo groaned from the back of the group.

Kit could only just hear him from where he and Jason lead the way, running like they were used to coming first in marathons. Back before everything, running was a huge part of Kit's training schedule. He could've finished a run like this without even breaking a sweat. Sure, his legs could still move on muscle memory, pushing him further than the likes of Leo, who saw exercise as a roadblock he wasn't willing to overcome, but a light sheen of sweat now dotted his brows and the neck of his jacket. He tugged at the parka in annoyance, eventually just shrugging it off and throwing it into the trees.

"What?" he said when he caught Jason's pointed stare. "I don't need it."

"That's the spirit, Dempsey," Hedge exclaimed from where he was leaping around like a mountain goat on crack. He hung back to run beside Leo, shaking his head in sheer disappointment. "Come on, Valdez, pick up the pace! You know what? Let's chant. I've got a girl in Kalamazoo--"

Kit smirked as a thunderous Thalia snapped, "Let's not."

The silence was almost deafening. Peeved, Hedge downright ignored Thalia, keeping a mild pace between where she and Phoebe lead the way and where Kit was now running beside Piper. Jason had fallen back to encourage Leo, the two murmuring to each other while Kit and Piper ran in silence. Eventually, Piper turned to him, her cheeks rosy but more lively than he'd seen them in days.

"You're good at this," she commented, arms pumping at her sides. "Did you run back at camp?"

Kit hesitated for a second before nodding. "I used to. My sisters, Dom and Clarisse, would come get me from the Hermes cabin everyday on the dot. 6am. We'd run three laps around camp before training the rest of the morning."

"Jeez," Piper murmured. "That's dedication." Kit nodded, catching her expression from the corner of his eye. He expected a question about why he was in the Hermes cabin, but as Kit was beginning to understand, Piper McLean was the furthest thing from predictable. "Do you miss them? Your sisters?"

This time, Kit didn't hesitate before shrugging. "I mean, I've only been gone for a few days."

Piper rolled her eyes. "You can still miss them."

Kit didn't know what she wanted him to say. Of course he missed his siblings. Even Andrew and Nolan, those idiots. But Piper didn't understand. He'd been missing them for a lot longer than just a few days. Eventually, Kit had reached a point where he didn't understand how to miss someone so much that he noticed the feeling.

Fortunately, Piper forgot what she asked him when they reached the summit of Pikes Peak. Kit paused right beside Thalia, snickering as an oblivious Leo slammed right into her back. Thalia barely managed to steady herself, shoving him back before the two could topple down the side of the mountain.

"That," Leo choked out. "Is a really large rock."

Kit had always been indifferent when it came to heights. Perhaps he should've been more sceptical as the number one name in Zeus' bad books, but heights had always fascinated Kit.

When he was a kid, his mother's parents -- his grandparents, but Kit couldn't remember the last time he'd seen them to call them that -- had owned a cabin in the woods around Camp Half-Blood. Out the back of the cabin was a lookout, one of Kit's favourite places to be. He would sit up there for hours, just watching as birds landed on branches, as his cousins chased their father, his mother's brother, down below them. The lookout was how he spotted the monsters that day, how he knew he'd never be seeing his mother's cabin again.

When he returned years later, haunted by the memory of her ghost, the house had been abandoned. No grandparents, uncle or cousins in sight. As far as they were concerned, both Kit and his mother had died the day they disappeared. So they left the cabin behind, and the elements took to it, until the only thing remaining was the lookout.

Kit burned it down and never looked back.

He wasn't sure why that memory hit him now, but the breeze had softened for just a second, so perhaps the phantom feeling of wind through his hair had struck something cold and dead. If he were to close his eyes, he could've pretended he was eleven-years-old again, camped out in that lookout, oblivious and an entirely different person.

A person who was dead and gone, buried with his mother's corpse.

"Well," he cleared his throat, heart heavy in his chest. The icy bridge paved out in front of them didn't seem dangerous, but the endless drop beneath it definitely did. "What are we waiting for?"

Leo gaped at him. "We're not seriously crossing that."

"If we're serious about finding Aeolus, then we are."

"But--"

"I hate to say it, but Kit's right," Thalia's sigh prompted Leo into silence. Kit rolled his eyes. "I'm not a big fan of heights, I'll admit that, but if we want to get to Aeolus' fortress, then this is the only way."

"Is the fortress always hanging there?" Piper asked curiously. "How can people not notice it sitting on top of Pikes Peak?"

"It's the mist," Thalia shrugged. "Still, mortals do notice it indirectly. Some days, Pikes Peak looks purple. People say it's a cool trick of the light, but actually it's just the colour of Aeolus' palace reflecting off the mountain face."

"It's enormous," Jason breathed out, a sense of wonder glinting in his gaze.

Thalia laughed, her lips tugging into a fond smile as she patted his arm. "You should see Olympus, little brother."

"You've been there?"

Thalia's smile was quick to fade. She met Kit's eyes, grimacing, but said nothing more as she turned back to face Pikes Peak. For once, they were both in agreement. Olympus and its bloody history was a memory for another time. "We should go across in two different groups," she declared. "The bridge is fragile."

"That's reassuring," Leo muttered. Nervous, he tugged on the sleeve of Jason's parka almost desperately. "Jason, can't you just fly us up there?"

Caught off guard, Jason didn't get to respond before Thalia burst into amused laughter. She thought Leo was joking, but was quick to pause when she noticed their serious expressions. "Wait... Jason, you can fly?"

Come to think of it, it was kind of ironic. One sibling was deathly afraid of her father's domain while the other relished in it. Jason didn't seem to think it was so funny, though. He seemed anxious as he said, "Sort of. More like I can control the winds. But the winds up here are so strong, I'm not sure I'd want to try." Realisation seemed to settle in then. He frowned at his sister. "Thalia, you mean to say you can't fly?"

"Truthfully, I've never tried." For a moment, she looked like Piper when she collapsed; pale-faced, slick with sweat, and utterly drained of energy. "Might be better if we just stick to the bridge."'

Still, no one, not even Kit, volunteered to go first. In fact, it was Hedge who stepped up, quite literally galloping onto the bridge like it was some sort of challenge for him to conquer. "This is easy! I'll go first." He scanned the group for a partner, catching Piper's wide eyes despite her shaking her head in protest. "Piper, come on, girl. I'll give you a hand."

"No, that's okay--" she cut herself off with a terrified yelp, clinging to Hedge for dear life as he reached out and yanked her onto the bridge.

Kit should've expected it when Coach turned back to them, but he still found himself surprised when the satyr reached out again and caught hold of his jacket sleeve. Not even giving him a chance to prepare himself, Hedge dragged Kit towards Piper, the three of them hovering thousands of feet above a fatal drop. Kit expected his heart to seize with terror, but the feeling of danger was almost exhilarating.

Piper didn't seem to think so, though. She gaped at him as he laughed, one hand reaching out to squeeze his own while the other held the back of Hedge's shirt. "This is insane," she whimpered as the satyr slowly lead the way across the bridge. "We're so dead."

"Would you relax?" Kit scoffed. "It's just a bridge."

"Just a bridge?" she repeated incredulously. "Kit, it's made of ice."

Still, Piper's argument seemed fickle when the bridge continued to hold their weight just fine. Begrudgingly, the two demigods continued following Hedge until they reached a jagged ledge of rock and lugged their bodies over the edge. Behind them, Leo and Jason were clinging to Thalia's arms like toddlers learning to walk for the first time. Thalia did not seem impressed, especially when Leo paused mid-way across.

"Why do they have a bridge?" Kit heard him question.

Piper huffed. "Is now really the time to be asking that?"

Kit snorted. How she expected anything different from Leo, he didn't know. Really, Kit wasn't the least bit surprised that it was him causing problems, especially when the bridge began to melt because Leo had an idea and his body quite literally started burning up from the excitement of his brain cells managing to cooperate. The bridge disappeared quicker than anyone could comprehend. One moment, the ice was beginning to hiss. The next, it was gone. Leo and Jason were hovering in the air, the wind swirling at their feet, and Thalia was beginning to retreat on the other side of the rapidly disappearing bridge.

"Go!" Kit heard her shout. Jason hesitated, and Thalia noticed. "Find out where the giant is keeping Piper's dad. Save him! I'll take the Hunters to the Wolf House and hold it until you can get there. We can do both!"

"But where is the Wolf House?" Jason yelled, his voice a mere echo through the roar of the wind.

"You know where it is, little brother," Thalia insisted. She continued to retreat, skittish the more the ice began to fade. "I'll see you there. I promise."

And with that, she was gone. Kit wasn't disappointed to see her go. Unlike Leo, Thalia Grace was really beginning to cramp Kit's style.

With obvious reluctance, Jason turned away from his sister and flew Leo towards the ledge. Piper was quick to rush forward, extending a hand out to help them up. Hedge followed after her, leaving Kit to linger back as the four paused to catch their breath. It took them a moment to acknowledge the fortress above them, the way the stone stairway seemed to ascend into the storm clouds. Really, they had no other choice but to continue onward, their only exit well and truly destroyed. At least Leo had the decency to seem sheepish.

"What happened?" Piper huffed at last. She whirled on Leo first, arms crossed firmly over her chest. "Leo, why are your clothes smoking?"

Leo chuckled nervously. "I, uh, I got a little heated..." Head bowed, he muttered to Jason, "Sorry, man... Honestly, I didn't--"

"It's alright." It definitely didn't sound alright, but Kit didn't say anything as a grim-faced Jason continued, "We've got less than twenty-four hours to rescue a Goddess and Piper's dad, so let's go see the king of the winds."

Kit shuffled aside, giving Jason room to lead the way. "After you, Superman."

Rolling his eyes, Jason did just that. One by one, they filed up the staircase. The whole world seemed to shift on its axis the higher they climbed. Even Kit clutched the rail, warily eyeing the clouds like he expected lightning to strike him back down at any given moment. Of course, nothing happened, but Kit couldn't help feeling like they were walking right into a trap. This wasn't the kind of height that Kit appreciated...

For a while, no one spoke. Jason was too caught up in his thoughts to notice the looks the others were giving him, Kit's more of annoyance whereas Leo and Piper were obviously concerned. It didn't help that Hedge was chanting the whole way up, far too energised for what they were about to face. It was only when they reached the top that he went quiet, realisation finally sinking in. Bronze walls surrounded the grounds of the fortress, four lookouts marking each corner of the island. As they moved closer, a set of iron gates with polished purple stones engraved in the bars swung open to let them through, revealing a chiselled palace with a cluster of satellite dishes and radio towers lining the gabled roof. It was something out of a shitty action movie. A palace caught between time.

"Well, this is bizarre," Piper murmured.

"That's one word for it," Kit hummed.

"Guess you can't get cable on a floating island," Leo grinned almost anxiously. "Dang, check this guy's front yard..."

The fortress was divided into four sections. To the right of them, icy snow gathered across a barren patch of grass, an icy breeze scattering the snow-flakes into the next section, where a cluster of trees stood with the leaves on their branches fading into rich hues of orange and yellow. On the other side was a bright blue sky, the sun radiating heat into the fourth and final square, where a field of sunflowers bloomed their soft petals.

"It's the seasons," Kit breathed, beginning to point out each one. "Winter, autumn, summer and spring."

"One section for each of the four wind Gods?" Jason presumed. "Four cardinal directions."

There was something eerie about the scene, despite Hedge's keen interest in the spring pasture. As the satyr wandered over to snack on some sunflower stalks, Kit couldn't resist scouring the sections for some kind of monster waiting in the shadows. When he found nothing, he forced himself to follow Leo, Jason and Piper towards the fortress, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword tight.

At first, it seemed like the fortress was totally abandoned. The white marble foyer was empty save for a series of purple banners hanging from the domed ceiling. Kit almost let his guard down, until a woman quite literally floated down the staircase bannister and landed in front of them.

"Hello!" she beamed, unphased by the way that Kit suddenly drew his sword. Jason shot him a look, but Kit didn't care. Even monsters could look like innocent-eyed nature spirits. This... woman with her ageless face and cheerful smile wouldn't be the one that fooled him after everything else they'd faced. "Are you from Lord Zeus? We've been expecting you."

While Kit's mind continued to scream trap! Jason's first question was, "Are you a ghost?"

Kit failed to hide his smirk. His sword lowered as the woman gasped, her smile wavering into an offended pout. "I'm an aura, sir. A wind nymph, as you might expect, working for the lord of the winds. My name is Mellie. We don't have ghosts..."

"Of course you don't," Piper was quick to intervene. "My friend simply mistook you for Helen of Troy, the most beautiful mortal of all time. It's an easy mistake."

Mellie simpered at the compliment, her cheeks flushing pink. While she didn't seem bothered by Kit's defensiveness, Piper gave a pointed nudge to the boy's ribs, hissing under her breath for him to 'lose the weapon.' Sighing, he sheathed his sword at his side again, watching through narrowed eyes as Mellie repeated, "So, are you from Zeus?"

"Er..." Jason didn't know what to say. "I'm the son of Zeus, yeah."

"Excellent!" Mellie beamed, eagerly ushering them along. "Please, right this way. We're out of prime time now, so that's good. I can fit you in right before his 11:12 spot."

"Um, okay..."

Shoving his way to the front, Kit leaned over to hiss in Jason's ear, "Just say the word and I'll stab them." He meant it, too. He had a horrible feeling about Aeolus, and Kit's bad feelings were usually right.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Okay, Hedge Junior." When Kit merely glowered at him stubbornly, he sighed. "Fine. Whatever. Just wait for my signal."

Satisfied, Kit followed Mellie the rest of the way in silence. Around them, the lobby began to roar with life. Winds blasted through the open doors, shuddering against the walls like they were threatening to bring the fortress to its knees. Paper aeroplanes of various shapes and sizes zoomed around their heads, weaving in between other wind nymphs and aurai that came and went.

At some point, a harpy came fluttering out of a nearby room. Kit tried to keep his face indifferent as she brushed past him, smelling of chicken wings and that classic old person smell. Kit covered his nose with the sleeve of Leo's jacket, for once pleased to be consumed by the overwhelming scent of oil. Not soon enough, the harpy disappeared again, the sound of her taloned feet scraping against the marble lingering even after she was gone.

"Not an aura?" Jason questioned Mellie warily.

Mellie, to give her credit, only laughed in amusement. "That's a harpy, of course. Our, uh... ugly step-sisters, I suppose you could say." When Jason didn't laugh along knowingly, she frowned at him. "Don't you have harpies on Olympus? They're spirits of violent gusts, unlike us aurai. We're all gentle breezes."

Jason didn't give it much thought as he nodded and said, "'Course you are."

All flushing cheeks and batting eyelashes, Mellie could've dropped dead of a heart-attack right then and there. Sour-faced, Piper nudged her way between them, promptly recapturing Mellie's attention by saying, "You were taking us to see Aeolus?"

Kit and Leo exchanged a smirk, one that was quick to waver when Mellie nodded and lead them through a set of air-locked doors. Leo paused, entirely fascinated by the blinking green light above their heads, when Mellie replied, "We have a few minutes before he starts. He probably won't kill you if we go in now. Come along!"

Instinctively, Kit turned to raise an eyebrow at Jason. When the blonde-haired idiot stubbornly shook his head, Kit sighed and trudged along after them, hissing at Leo, "If we die, I'm a hundred percent haunting Jason's ghost. You with me?"

Leo snickered, though it was clear he was nervous as his eyes flicked back and forth from Kit's face to the harpy. "I'm with you."

Kit nodded, pleased. "Good."

And with that, they joined Aeolus.