Contents
XLIII
Overview
Piper confronts Khione and the Boreads aboard the ice-bound Argo II. Khione claims command of the North Wind for Gaea, refreezes Jason, and reveals Leo was exiled. Planning to enslave the crew as ice statues and blow Piper far off course with a wind bomb, Khione is stalled when Piper bluffs a secret and lures them toward the prow.
Summary
Piper’s cornucopia fires blueberry muffins at Khione and the Boread brothers, Calais and Zethes, a futile opening that shows the trio’s control of the deck. Piper tries charmspeak to free her friends; Zethes momentarily obeys, but Khione counters and refreezes Jason, establishing her dominance.
Khione reveals that Boreas, now divided and incapacitated, left her in charge and ordered the North Wind to serve Gaea and Porphyrion. She boasts that Leo has been banished to an unreachable place to prevent his fire from reaching the House of Hades. Piper scans for a way to make fire and fixates on Festus’s dormant figurehead as a potential advantage.
Intending to neutralize resistance, Khione declares the crew will become ice statues in Quebec while Piper remains adrift. Zethes produces a spiked ice bomb that will unleash the northern winds and blow the Argo II far off course, isolating Piper after her friends are taken.
Khione taunts Piper as purposeless and powerless. Piper nearly snaps but steadies herself, recalling past bullies and recognizing Khione wants her to break. She turns the tables by laughing off the insults and hinting at a secret power, sowing doubt in the Boreads.
When Khione demands the secret, Piper points to the prow and invites them to follow, bluffing to buy time and maneuver her enemies closer to Festus, her best chance to counter the ice goddess and save her frozen friends.
Who Appears
- Piper McLeanProtagonist on deck; uses charmspeak, steadies her resolve, bluffs about a secret, and lures foes toward the prow.
- KhioneSnow goddess leading the assault; claims Boreas’s authority for Gaea, refreezes Jason, unveils wind bomb and plans ice statues.
- ZethesBoread brother; susceptible to Piper’s charmspeak, claims Piper as a prize, brandishes the wind bomb.
- Calais (Cal)Boread brother; simple, food-obsessed, follows Khione’s lead and enjoys muffins during the confrontation.
- Jason GraceFrozen hostage on the deck; briefly thawed by Zethes, immediately refrozen by Khione as leverage.