The Lost Hero

―But, my dear,‖ the giant rumbled, ―we must prove our love for our parents. That‘s what I‟m doing. Show
me you value your father‘s life by doing what I ask. Who‘s more important—your father, or a deceitful goddess
who used you, toyed with your emotions, manipulated your memories, eh? What is Hera to you?‖
Piper began to tremble. So much anger and fear boiled inside her, she could hardly talk. ―You‘re asking
me to betray my friends.‖
―Sadly, my dear, your friends are destined to die. Their quest is impossible. Even if you succeeded, you
heard the prophecy: unleashing Hera‘s rage would mean your destruction. The only question now—will you die
with your friends, or live with your father?‖
The bonfire roared. Piper tried to step back, but her feet were heavy. She realized the ground was pulling
her down, clinging to her boots like wet sand. When she looked up, a shower of purple sparks had spread
across the sky, and the sun was rising in the east. A patchwork of cities glowed in the valley below, and far to
the west, over a line of rolling hills, she saw a familiar landmark rising from a sea of fog.
―Why are you showing me this?‖ Piper asked. ―You‘re revealing where you are.‖
―Yes, you know this place,‖ the giant said. ―Lead your friends here instead of their true destination, and I
will deal with them. Or even better, arrange their deaths before you arrive. I don‘t care which. Just be at the
summit by noon on the solstice, and you may collect your father and go in peace.‖
―I can‘t,‖ Piper said. ―You can‘t ask me—‖
―To betray that foolish boy Valdez, who always irritated you and is now hiding secrets from you? To give
up a boyfriend you never really had? Is that more important than your own father?‖
―I‘ll find a way to defeat you,‖ Piper said. ―I‘ll save my father and my friends.‖
The giant growled in the shadows. ―I was once proud too. I thought the gods could never defeat me. Then
they hurled a mountain on top of me, crushed me into the ground, where I struggled for eons, half-conscious in
pain. That taught me patience, girl. It taught me not to act rashly. Now I‘ve clawed my way back with the help of
the waking earth. I am only the first. My brethren will follow. We will not be denied our vengeance—not this
time. And you, Piper McLean, need a lesson in humility. I‘ll show you how easily your rebellious spirit can be
brought to earth.‖
The dream dissolved. And Piper woke up screaming, free-falling through the air.
PIPER THUMBLED THROUGH THE SKY. Far below she saw city lights glimmering in the early dawn, and
several hundred yards away the body of the bronze dragon spinning out of control, its wings limp, fire flickering
in its mouth like a badly wired lightbulb.
A body shot past her—Leo, screaming and frantically grabbing at the clouds. ―Not coooooool!‖
She tried to call to him, but he was already too far below.
Somewhere above her, Jason yelled, ―Piper, level out! Extend your arms and legs!‖
It was hard to control her fear, but she did what he said and regained some balance. She fell spread-eagle
like a skydiver, the wind underneath her like a solid block of ice. Then Jason was there, wrapping his arms
around her waist.
Thank god, Piper thought. But part of her also thought: Great. Second time this week he‘s hugged me,
and both times it‘s because I‘m plummeting to my death.
―We have to get Leo!‖ she shouted.
Their fall slowed as Jason controlled the winds, but they still lurched up and down like the winds didn‘t
want to cooperate.
―Gonna get rough,‖ Jason warned. ―Hold on!‖
Piper locked her arms around him, and Jason shot toward the ground. Piper probably screamed, but the
sound was ripped from her mouth. Her vision blurred.
And then, thump! They slammed into another warm body—Leo, still wriggling and cursing.
―Stop fighting!‖ Jason said. ―It‘s me!‖
―My dragon!‖ Leo yelled. ―You gotta save Festus!‖
Jason was already struggling to keep the three of them aloft, and Piper knew there was no way he could
help a fifty-ton metal dragon. But before she could try to reason with Leo, she heard an explosion below them. A
fireball rolled into the sky from behind a warehouse complex, and Leo sobbed, ―Festus!‖
Jason‘s face reddened with strain as he tried to maintain an air cushion beneath them, but intermittent
slow-downs were the best he could manage. Rather than free-falling, it felt like they were bouncing down a
giant staircase, a hundred feet at a time, which wasn‘t doing Piper‘s stomach any favors.