The Titan's Curse - Chapter 7

Chapter 7


 EVERYBODY HATES ME BUT THE HORSE
 
 The least the Oracle could've done was walk back to the attic by herself .
 Instead, Grover and I were elected to carry her. I didn't figure that was because we were the most
popular.
 "Watch her head!" Grover warned as we went up the stairs. But it was too late.
 Bonk ! I whacked her mummified face against the trapdoor frame and dust flew.
 "Ah, man." I set her down and checked for damage. "Did I break anything?"
 "I can't tell," Grover admitted.
 We hauled her up and set her on her tripod stool, both of us huffing and sweating. Who knew a mummy
could weigh so much?
 I assumed she wouldn't talk to me, and I was right. I was relieved when we finally got out of there and
slammed the attic door shut.
 "Well," Grover said, "that was gross."
 I knew he was trying to keep things light for my sake, but I still felt really down. The whole camp would
be mad at me for losing the game to the Hunters, and then there was the new prophecy from the Oracle.
It was like the spirit of Delphi had gone out of her way to exclude me. She'd ignored my question and
walked half a mile to talk to Zoe.And  she'd said nothing, not even a hint, about Annabeth.
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 "What will Chiron do?" I asked Grover.
 "I wish I knew." He looked wistfully out the second-floor window at the rolling hills covered in snow. "I
want to be out there."
 "Searching for Annabeth?"
 He had a little trouble focusing on me. Then he blushed. "Oh, right.That too.Of course."
 "Why?" I asked. "What were you thinking?"
 He clopped his hooves uneasily. "Just something the manticore said, about the Great Stirring. I can't help
but wonder… if all those ancient powers are waking up, maybe… maybe not all of them are evil."
 "You mean Pan."
 I felt kind of selfish, because I'd totally forgotten about Grover's life ambition. The nature god had gone
missing two thousand years ago. He was rumored to have died, but the satyrs didn't believe that. They
were determined to find him. They'd been searching in vain for centuries, and Grover was convinced he'd
be the one to succeed. This year, with Chiron putting all the satyrs on emergency duty to find half-bloods,
Grover hadn't been able to continue his search. It must've been driving him nuts.
 "I've let the trail go cold," he said. "I feel restless, like I'm missing something really important. He's out
there somewhere. I can just feel it."
 I didn't know what to say. I wanted to encourage him, but I didn't know how. My optimism had pretty
much been trampled into the snow out there in the woods, along with our capture-the-flag hopes.
 Before I could respond, Thalia tromped up the stairs. She was officially not talking to me now, but she
looked at Grover and said, "Tell Percy to get his butt downstairs."
 "Why?" I asked.
 "Did he say something?" Thalia asked Grover.
 "Um, he asked why."
 "Dionysus is calling a council of cabin leaders to discuss the prophecy," she said. "Unfortunately, that
includes Percy."
 
 The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. Dionysus waved his hand and supplied
snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Then Chiron reminded him that wine was
against his restrictions and most of us were underage. Mr. D sighed. With a snap of his fingers the wine
turned to Diet Coke. Nobody drank that either.
 Mr. D and Chiron (in wheelchair form) sat at one end of the table. Zoe and Bianca di Angelo (who had
kind of become Zoe's personal assistant) took the other end. Thalia and Grover and I sat along the right,
and the other head councilors—Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers—sat on the left.
The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative, too, but all of them had gotten broken limbs
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(accidentally) during capture the flag, courtesy of the Hunters. They were resting up in the infirmary.
 Zoe started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless."
 "Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them
with topping.
 "There is no time for talk," Zoe continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."
 "And go where?" Chiron asked.
 "West!"Bianca said. I was amazed at how different she looked after just a few days with the Hunters.
Her dark hair was braided like Zoe's now, so you could actually see her face. She had a splash of
freckles across her nose, and her dark eyes vaguely reminded me of someone famous, but I couldn't
think who. She looked like she'd been working out, and her skin glowed faintly, like the other Hunters, as
if she'd been taking showers in liquid moonlight. "You heard the prophecy. Five shall go west to the
goddess in chains . We can get five hunters and go."
 "Yes," Zoe agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."
 "You're missing something, as usual," Thalia said. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're
supposed to do this together."
 "No!" Zoe said. "The Hunters do not need thy help."
 " Your"Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has saidthy in, like, three hundred years, Zoe. Get with the times."
 Zoe hesitated, like she was trying to form the word correctly."Yerrr . We do not need yerrr help."
 Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."
 "I fear the prophecy says you do need our help," Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."
 "Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it had a fine bouquet. " One shall
be lost. One shall perish . That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to
cooperate?"
 "Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?"
 Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, my dear centaur.Just trying to be helpful."
 "We're supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know
prophecies. You want to fight against one?"
 Zoe grimaced, but I could tell Thalia had scored a point.
 "We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the
winter solstice."
 "Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting."
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 "Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoe said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council
arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose
another year of war preparations."
 "Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked.
 "Yes, Lord Dionysus."
 Mr. D nodded."Just checking.  You're right, of course. Carry on."
 "I must agree with Zoe," said Chiron. "Artemis's presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a
week to find her. And possibly even more important: to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we
must decide who goes on this quest."
 "Three and two," I said.
 Everybody looked at me. Thalia even forgot to ignore me.
 "We're supposed to have five," I said, feeling self-conscious. "Three Hunters, two from Camp
Half-Blood. That's more than fair."
 Thalia and Zoe exchanged looks.
 "Well," Thalia said. "It does make sense."
 Zoe grunted. "I would prefer to take all the Hunters. We will need strength of numbers."
 "You'll be retracing the goddess's path," Chiron reminded her. "Moving quickly.  No doubt Artemis
tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. You will have to do the same.
The prophecy was clear:The bane of Olympus shows the trail  . What would your mistress say? 'Too
many Hunters spoil the scent.' A small group is best."
 Zoe picked up a Ping-Pong paddle and studied it like she was deciding who she wanted to whack first.
"This monster—the bane of Olympus. I have hunted at Lady Artemis's side for many years, yet I have no
idea what this beast might be."
 Everybody looked at Dionysus, I guess because he was the only god present and gods are supposed to
know things. He was flipping through a wine magazine, but when everyone got silent he glanced up,
"Well, don't look at me. I'm ayoung god, remember? I don't keep track of all those ancient monsters and
dusty titans. They make for terrible party conversation."
 "Chiron," I said, "you don't have any ideas about the monster?"
 Chiron pursed his lips. "I have several ideas, none of them good. And none of them quite make sense.
Typhon, for instance, could fit this description. He was truly a bane of Olympus. Or the sea monster
Keto. But if either of these were stirring, we would know it. They are ocean monsters the size of
skyscrapers. Your father, Poseidon, would already have sounded the alarm. I fear this monster may be
more elusive. Perhaps even more powerful."
 "That's some serious danger you're facing," Connor Stoll said. (I liked how he saidyou and not we.) "It
sounds like at least two of the five are going to die."
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 " One shall be lost in the land without rain" Beckendorf said. "If I were you, I'd stay out of the desert."
 There was a muttering of agreement.
 "Andthe Titan's curse must one withstand  ," Silena said. "What could that mean?"
 I saw Chiron and Zoe exchange a nervous look, but whatever they were thinking, they didn't share it.
 " One shall perish by a parent's hand," Grover said in between bites of Cheez Whiz and Ping-Pong
balls. "How is that possible? Whose parent would kill them?"
 There was heavy silence around the table.
 I glanced at Thalia and wondered if she was thinking the same thing I was. Years ago, Chiron had had a
prophecy about the next child of the Big Three—Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades—who turned sixteen.
Supposedly, that kid would make a decision that would save or destroy the gods forever. Because of
that, the Big Three had taken an oath after World War II not to have any more kids. But Thalia and I had
been born anyway, and now we were both getting close to sixteen.
 I remembered a conversation I'd had last year with Annabeth. I'd asked her, if I was so potentially
dangerous, why the gods didn't just kill me.
 Some of the gods would like to kill you , she'd said. But they're afraid of offending Poseidon .
 Could an Olympian parent turn against his half-blood child? Would it sometimes be easier just to let
them die? If there were ever any half-bloods who needed to worry about that, it was Thalia and me. I
wondered if maybe I should've sent Poseidon that seashell pattern tie for Father's Day after all.
 "There will be deaths," Chiron decided. "That much we know."
 "Oh, goody!" Dionysus said.
 Everyone looked at him. He glanced up innocently from the pages of Wine Connoisseur magazine. "Ah,
pinot noir is making a comeback. Don't mind me."
 "Percy is right," Silena Beauregard said. "Two campers should go."
 "Oh, I see," Zoe said sarcastically. "And I suppose you wish to volunteer?"
 Silena blushed. "I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters. Don't look at me!"
 "A daughter of Aphrodite does not wish to be looked at," Zoe scoffed. "What would thy mother say?"
 Silena started to get out of her chair, but the Stoll brothers pulled her back.
 "Stop it," Beckendorf said. He was a big guy with a bigger voice. He didn't talk much, but when he did,
people tended to listen. "Let's start with the Hunters. Which three of you will go?"
 Zoe stood. "I shall go, of course, and I will take Phoebe. She is our best tracker."
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 "The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" Travis Stoll asked cautiously.
 Zoe nodded.
 "The one who put the arrows in my helmet?" Connor added..
 "Yes," Zoe snapped. "Why?"
 "Oh, nothing," Travis said."Just that we have a T-shirt for her from the camp store." He held up a big
silver T-shirt that said ARTEMIS THE MOON GODDESS, FALL HUNTING TOUR 2002, with a
huge list of national parks and stuff underneath. "It's a collector's item. She was admiring it. You want to
give it to her?"
 I knew the Stolls were up to something. They always were. But I guess Zoe didn't know them as well as
I did. She just sighed and took the T-shirt. "As I was saying, I will take Phoebe. And I wish Bianca to
go."
 Bianca looked stunned. "Me? But… I'm so new. I wouldn't be any good."
 "You will do fine," Zoe insisted. "There is no better way to prove thyself  ."
 Bianca closed her mouth. I felt kind of sorry for her. I remembered my first quest when I was twelve. I
had felt totally unprepared. A little honored, maybe, but a lot resentful and plenty scared. I figured the
same things were running around in Bianca's head right now.
 "And for campers?" Chiron asked. His eyes met mine, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking.
 "Me!" Grover stood up so fast he bumped the Ping-Pong table. He brushed cracker crumbs and
Ping-Pong ball scraps off his lap."Anything to help Artemis!"
 Zoe wrinkled her nose. "I think not, satyr. You are not even a half-blood."
 "But heis  a camper," Thalia said. "And he's got a satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a
tracker's song yet, Grover?"
 "Absolutely!"
 Zoe wavered. I didn't know what a tracker's song was, but apparently Zoe thought it was a good thing.
 "Very well," Zoe said. "And the second camper?"
 "I'll go." Thalia stood and looked around, daring anyone to question her.
 Now, okay, maybe my math skills weren't the best, but it suddenly occurred to me that we'd reached
the number five, and I wasn't in the group. "Whoa, wait a sec," I said. "I want to go too."
 Thalia said nothing. Chiron was still studying me, his eyes sad.
 "Oh," Grover said, suddenly aware of the problem. "Whoa, yeah, I forgot! Percy has to go. I didn't
mean… I'll stay. Percy should go in my place."
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 "He cannot," Zoe said. "He is a boy. I won't have Hunters traveling with a boy."
 "You traveled here with me," I reminded her.
 "That was a short-term emergency, and it was ordered by the goddess. I will not go across country and
fight many dangers in the company of a boy."
 "What about Grover?" I demanded.
 Zoe shook her head. "He does not count. He's a satyr. He is not technically a boy."
 "Hey!" Grover protested.
 "I have  to go," I said. "I need to be on this quest."
 "Why?" Zoe asked. "Because of thy friend Annabeth?"
 I felt myself blushing. I hated that everyone was looking at me."No! I mean, partly.I just feel like I'm
supposed to go!"
 Nobody rose to my defense. Mr. D looked bored, still reading his magazine. Silena, the Stoll brothers,
and Beckendorf were staring at the table. Bianca gave me a look of pity.
 "No," Zoe said flatly. "I insist upon this. I will take a satyr if I must, but not a male hero."
 Chiron sighed. "The quest is for Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions."
 My ears were ringing as I sat down. I knew Grover and some of the others were looking at me
sympathetically, but
 I couldn't meet their eyes. I just sat there as Chiron concluded the council.
 "So be it," he said. "Thalia and Grover will accompany Zoe, Bianca, and Phoebe. You shall leave at first
light. And may the gods"—he glanced at Dionysus—"present company included, we hope—be with
you."
 
 I didn't show up for dinner that night, which was a mistake, because Chiron and Grover came looking
for me.
 "Percy, I'm so sorry!" Grover said, sitting next to me on the bunk. "I didn't know they'd—that
you'd—Honest!"
 He started to sniffle, and I figured if I didn't cheer him up he'd either start bawling or chewing up my
mattress. He tends to eat household objects whenever he gets upset.
 "It's okay," I lied. "Really.  It's fine."
 Grover's lower lip trembled. "I wasn't even thinking… I was so focused on helping Artemis. But I
promise, I'll look everywhere for Annabeth. If I can find her, I will."
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 I nodded and tried to ignore the big crater that was opening in my chest.
 "Grover," Chiron said, "perhaps you'd let me have a word with Percy?"
 "Sure," he sniffled.
 Chiron waited,
 "Oh," Grover said. "You mean alone.Sure, Chiron." He looked at me miserably. "See? Nobody needs a
goat."
 He trotted out the door, blowing his nose on his sleeve.
 Chiron sighed and knelt on his horse legs. "Percy, I don't pretend to understand prophecies."
 "Yeah," I said. "Well, maybe that's because they don't make any sense."
 Chiron gazed at the saltwater spring gurgling in the corner of the room. "Thalia would not have been my
first choice to go on this quest. She's too impetuous. She acts without thinking. She is too sure of herself"
 "Would you have chosen me?"
 "Frankly, no," he said. "You and Thalia are much alike."
 "Thanks a lot."
 He smiled. "The difference is that you are less sure of yourself than Thalia. That could be good or bad.
But one thing I can say: both of you together would be a dangerous thing."
 "We could handle it."
 "The way you handled it at the creek tonight?"
 I didn't answer. He'd nailed me.
 "Perhaps it is for the best," Chiron mused. "You can go home to your mother for the holidays. If we
need you, we can call."
 "Yeah," I said. "Maybe."
 I pulled Riptide out of my pocket and set it on my nightstand. It didn't seem that I'd be using it for
anything but writing Christmas cards.
 When he saw the pen, Chiron grimaced. "It's no wonder Zoe doesn't want you along, I suppose. Not
while you're carrying that particular weapon."
 I didn't understand what he meant. Then I remembered something he'd told me a long time ago, when he
first gave me the magic sword: It has a long and tragic history, which we need not go into  .
 I wanted to ask him about that, but then he pulled a golden drachma from his saddlebag and tossed it to
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me. "Call your mother, Percy. Let her know you're coming home in the morning. And, ah, for what it's
worth… I almost volunteered for this quest myself. I would have gone, if not for the last line."
 " One shall perish by a parent's hand.Yeah."
 I didn't need to ask. I knew Chiron's dad was Kronos, the evil Titan Lord himself. The line would make
perfect sense if Chiron went on the quest. Kronos didn't care for anyone, including his own children.
 "Chiron," I said. "You know what this Titan's curse is, don't you?"
 His face darkened. He made a claw over his heart and pushed outward—an ancient gesture for warding
off evil. "Let us hope the prophecy does not mean what I think. Now, good night, Percy. And your time
will come. I'm convinced of that. There's no need to rush."
 He saidyour time  the way people did when they meantyour death . I didn't know if Chiron meant it that
way, but the look in his eyes made me scared to ask.
 
 I stood at the saltwater spring, rubbing Chiron's coin in my hand and trying to figure out what to say to
my mom. I really wasn't in the mood to have one more adult tell me that doing nothing was the greatest
thing I could do, but I figured my mom deserved an update.
 Finally, I took a deep breath and threw in the coin. "O goddess, accept my offering."
 The mist shimmered. The light from the bathroom was just enough to make a faint rainbow.
 "Show me Sally Jackson," I said. "Upper East Side, Manhattan."
 And there in the mist was a scene I did not expect. My mom was sitting at our kitchen table with
some… guy. They were laughing hysterically. There was a big stack of textbooks between them. The
man was, I don't know, thirty-something, with longish salt-and-pepper hair and a brown jacket over a
black T-shirt. He looked like an actor—like a guy who might play an undercover cop on television.
 I was too stunned to say anything, and fortunately, my mom and the guy were too busy laughing to
notice my Iris-message.
 The guy said, "Sally, you're a riot. You want some more wine?"
 "Ah, I shouldn't. You go ahead if you want."
 "Actually, I'd better use your bathroom. May I?"
 "Down the hall," she said, trying not to laugh.
 The actor dude smiled and got up and left.
 "Mom!" I said.
 She jumped so hard she almost knocked her textbooks off the table. Finally she focused on me. "Percy!
Oh, honey! Is everything okay?"
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 "What are you doing?" I demanded.
 She blinked. "Homework." Then she seemed to understand the look on my face. "Oh, honey, that's just
Paul—um, Mr. Blofis. He's in my writing seminar."
 "Mr. Blowfish?"
 " Blofis.He'll be back in a minute, Percy. Tell me what's wrong."
 She always knew when something was wrong. I told her about Annabeth. The other stuff too, but mostly
it boiled down to Annabeth.
 My mother's eyes teared up. I could tell she was trying hard to keep it together for my sake. "Oh,
Percy…"
 "Yeah. So they tell me there's nothing I can do. I guess I'll be coming home."
 She turned her pencil around in her fingers. "Percy, as much as I want you to come home"—she sighed
like she was mad at herself—"as much as I want you to be safe, I want you to understand something.
You need to do whatever you think you have to."
 I stared at her. "What do you mean?"
 "I mean, do you really, deep down, believe that you have to help save her? Do you think it's the right
thing to do? Because I know one thing about you, Percy.  Your heart is always in the right place. Listen to
it."
 "You're… you're telling me to go?"
 My mother pursed her lips. "I'm telling you that… you're getting too old for me to tell you what to do.
I'm telling you that I'll support you, even if what you decide to do is dangerous. I can't believe I'm saying
this."
 "Mom—"
 The toilet flushed down the hall in our apartment.
 "I don't have much time," my mom said. "Percy, whatever you decide, I love you. And Iknow you'll do
what's best for Annabeth."
 "How can you be sure?"
 "Because she'd do the same for you."
 And with that, my mother waved her hand over the mist, and the connection dissolved, leaving me with
one final image of her new friend, Mr. Blowfish, smiling down at her.
 
 I don't remember falling asleep, but I remember the dream.
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 I was back in that barren cave, the ceiling heavy and low above me. Annabeth was kneeling under the
weight of a dark mass that looked like a pile of boulders. She was too tired even to cry out. Her legs
trembled. Any second, I knew she would run out of strength and the cavern ceiling would collapse on top
of her.
 "How is our mortal guest?" a male voice boomed.
 It wasn't Kronos. Kronos's voice was raspy and metallic, like a knife scraped across stone. I'd heard it
taunting me many times before in my dreams. But this  voice was deeper and lower, like a bass guitar. Its
force made the ground vibrate.
 Luke emerged from the shadows. He ran to Annabeth, knelt beside her, then  looked back at the unseen
man. "She's fading. We must hurry."
 The hypocrite. Like he really cared what happened to her.
 The deep voice chuckled. It belonged to someone in the shadows, at the edge of my dream. Then a
meaty hand thrust someone forward into the light—Artemis—her hands and feet bound in celestial
bronze chains.
 I gasped. Her silvery dress was torn and tattered. Her face and arms were cut in several places, and she
was bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods.
 "You heard the boy," said the man in the shadows. "Decide!"
 Artemis's eyes flashed with anger. I didn't know why she just didn't will the chains to burst, or make
herself disappear, but she didn't seem able to. Maybe the chains prevented her, or some magic about this
dark, horrible place.
 The goddess looked at Annabeth and her expression changed to concern and outrage. "How dare you
torture a maiden like this!  "
 "She will die soon," Luke said. "You can save her."
 Annabeth made a weak sound of protest. My heart felt like it was being twisted into a knot. I wanted to
run to her, but I couldn't move.
 "Free my hands," Artemis said.
 Luke brought out his sword, Backbiter. With one expert strike, he broke the goddess's handcuffs.
 Artemis ran to Annabeth and took the burden from her shoulders. Annabeth collapsed on the ground
and lay there shivering. Artemis staggered, trying to support the weight of the black rocks.
 The man in the shadows chuckled. "You are as predictable as you were easy to beat, Artemis."
 "You surprised me," the goddess said, straining under her burden. "It will not happen again."
 "Indeed it will not," the man said. "Now you are out of the way for good! I knew you could not resist
helping a young maiden. That is, after all, your specialty, my dear."
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 Artemis groaned "You know nothing of mercy, you swine."
 "On that," the man said, "we can agree. Luke, you may kill the girl now."
 "No!'" Artemis shouted.
 Luke hesitated. "She—she may yet be useful, sir .. Further bait."
 "Bah! You truly believe that?"
 "Yes, General. They will come for her. I'm sure."
 The man considered. "Then the dracaenae can guard her here. Assuming she does not die from her
injuries, you may keep her alive until winter solstice. After that, if our sacrifice goes as planned, her life
will be meaningless. The lives of all mortals will be meaningless."
 Luke gathered up Annabeth's listless body and carried her away from the goddess.
 "You will never find the monster you seek," Artemis said. "Your plan will fail."
 "How little you know, my young goddess," the man in the shadows said. "Even now, your darling
attendants begin their quest to find you. They shall play directly into my hands. Now, if you'll excuse us,
we have a long journey to make. We must greet your Hunters and make sure their quest is…
challenging."
 The man's laughter echoed in the darkness, shaking the ground until it seemed the whole cavern ceiling
would collapse.
 
 I woke with a start. I was sure I'd heard a loud banging. I looked around the cabin. It was dark outside.
The salt spring still gurgled. No other sounds but the hoot of an owl in the woods and the distant surf on
the beach. In the moonlight, on my nightstand was Annabeth's New York Yankees cap. I stared at it for
a second and then :BANG BANG.
 Someone, or something, was pounding on my door. I grabbed Riptide and got out of bed.
 "Hello?" I called. THUMP. THUMP.I crept to the door.
 I uncapped the blade, flung open the door, and found myself face-to-face with a black pegasus .
 Whoa, boss ! Its voice spoke in my mind as it clopped away from the sword blade. I don't wanna be a
horse-ke-bob !
 Its black wings spread in alarm, and the wind buffeted me back a step,
 "Blackjack," I said, relieved but a little irritated. "It's the middle of the night!"
 Blackjack huffed. Ain't either, boss. It's five in the morning. What you still sleeping for ?
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 "How many times have I told you? Don't call me boss."
 Whatever you say, boss. You're the man. You're my number one . I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes
and tried not to let thepegasus read my thoughts. That's the problem with being Poseidon's son: since he
created horses out of sea foam, I can understand most equestrian animals, but they can understand me,
too. Sometimes, like in Blackjacks case, they kind of adopt me.
 See, Blackjack had been a captive on board Luke's ship last summer, until we'd caused a little
distraction that allowed him to escape. I'd really had very little to do with it, seriously, but Blackjack
credited me with saving him.
 "Blackjack," I said, "you're supposed to stay in the stables."
 Meh, the stables.You see Chiron staying in the stables?
 "Well… no."
 Exactly. Listen, we got another little sea friend needs your help.
 "Again?"
 Yeah. I told the hippocampi I'd come get you.
 I groaned. Anytime I was anywhere near the beach, the hippocampi would ask me to help them with
their problems. And they had a lot of problems. Beached whales, porpoises caught in fishing nets,
mermaids with hangnails—they'd call me to come underwater and help.
 "All right," I said. "I'm coming."
 You're the best, boss.
 "And don't call me boss!"
 Blackjack whinnied softly. It might've been a laugh.
 I looked back at my comfortable bed. My bronze shield still hung on the wall, dented and unusable. And
on my nightstand was Annabeth's magic Yankees cap. On an impulse, I stuck the cap in my pocket. I
guess I had a feeling, even then, that I wasn't coming back to my cabin for a long, long time.

Categories: The Titan's Curse

The Titan's Curse - Chapter 8

Chapter 8


 I MAKE A DANGEROUS PROMISE
 
 Blackjack gave me a ride down the beach, and I have to admit it was cool. Being on a flying horse,
skimming over the waves at a hundred miles an hour with the wind in my hair and the sea spray in my
face—hey, it beats waterskiing any day.
 Here. Blackjack slowed and turned in a circle. Straight down .
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 "Thanks." I tumbled off his back and plunged into the icy sea.
 I'd gotten more comfortable doing stunts like that the past couple of years. I could pretty much move
however I wanted to underwater, just by willing the ocean currents to change around me and propel me
along, I could breathe underwater, no problem, and my clothes never got wet unless I wanted them to.
 I shot down into the darkness.
 Twenty, thirty, forty feet. The pressure wasn't uncomfortable. I'd never tried to push it—to see if there
was a limit to how deep I could dive. I knew most regular humans couldn't go past two hundred feet
without crumpling likean aluminum  can. I should've been blind, too, this deep in the water at night, but I
could see the heat from living forms, and the cold of the currents. It's hard to describe. It wasn't like
regular seeing, but I could tell where everything was.
 As I got closer to the bottom, I saw three hippocampi—fish-tailed horses—swimming in a circle around
an overturned boat. The hippocampi were beautiful to watch. Their fish tails shimmered in rainbow
colors, glowing phosphorescent. Their manes were white, and they were galloping through the water the
way nervous horses do in a thunderstorm. Something was upsetting them.
 I got closer and saw the problem. A dark shape—some kind of animal—was wedged halfway under the
boat and tangled in a fishing net, one of those big nets they use on trawlers to catch everything at once. I
hated those things. It was bad enough they drowned porpoises and dolphins, but they also occasionally
caught mythological animals. When the nets got tangled, some lazy fishermen would just cut them loose
and let the trapped animals die.
 Apparently this poor creature had been mucking around on the bottom of Long Island Sound and had
somehow gotten itself tangled in the net of this sunken fishing boat. It had tried to get out and managed to
get even more hopelessly stuck, shifting the boat in the process. Now the wreckage of the hull, which
was resting against a big rock, was teetering and threatening to collapse on top of the tangled animal.
 The hippocampi were swimming around frantically, wanting to help but not sure how. One was trying to
chew the net, but hippocampi teeth just aren't meant for cutting rope. Hippocampi are really strong, but
they don't have hands, and they're not (shhh) all that smart.
 Free it, lord! A hippocampus said when it saw me. The others joined in, asking the same thing.
 I swam in for a closer look at the tangled creature. At first I thought it was a young hippocampus. I'd
rescued several of them before. But then I heard a strange sound, something that did not belong
underwater:
 "Mooooooo!"
 I got next to the thing and saw that it was a cow. I mean… I'd heard of sea cows, like manatees and
stuff, but this really was a cow with the back end of a serpent. The front half was a calf—a baby, with
black fur and big, sad brown eyes and a white muzzle—and its back half was a black-and-brown snaky
tail with fins running down the top and bottom, like an enormous eel.
 "Whoa, little one," I said. "Where did you come from?"
 The creature looked at me sadly. "Moooo!"
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 But I couldn't understand its thoughts. I only speak horse.
 We don't know what it is, lord, one of the hippocampi said. Many strange things are stirring  .
 "Yeah," I murmured. "So I've heard."
 I uncapped Riptide, and the sword grew to full length in my hands, its bronze blade gleaming in the dark.
 The cow serpent freaked out and started struggling against the net, its eyes full of terror. "Whoa!" I said.
"I'm not going to hurt you! Just let me cut the net."
 But the cow serpent thrashed around and got even more tangled. The boat started to tilt, stirring up the
muck on the sea bottom and threatening to topple onto the cow serpent. The hippocampi whinnied in a
panic and thrashed in the water, which didn't help.
 "Okay, okay!" I said. I put away the sword and started speaking as calmly as I could so the hippocampi
and the cow serpent would stop panicking. I didn't know if it was possible to get stampeded underwater,
but I didn't really want to find out. "It's cool. No sword. See? No sword. Calm thoughts.Sea grass.
Mama cows. Vegetarianism."
 I doubted the cow serpent understood what I was saying, but it responded to the tone of my voice. The
hippocampi were still skittish, but they stopped swirling around me quite so fast.
 Free it, lord!they  pleaded.
 "Yeah," I said. "I got that part. I'm thinking."
 But how could I free the cow serpent when she (I decided it was probably a "she") panicked at the sight
of a blade? It was like she'd seen swords before and knew how dangerous they were.
 "All right," I told the hippocampi. "I need all of you to push exactly the way I tell you."
 First we started with the boat. It wasn't easy, but with the strength of three horsepower, we managed to
shift the wreckage so it was no longer threatening to collapse on the baby cow serpent. Then I went to
work on the net, untangling it section by section, getting lead weights and fishing hooks straightened out,
yanking out knots around the cow serpent's hooves. It took forever—I mean ,it was worse than the time
I'd had to untangle all my video game controller wires. The whole time, I kept talking to the cow fish,
telling her everything was okay while she mooed and moaned.
 " It'sokay, Bessie," I said. Don't ask me why I started calling her that. It just seemed like a good cow
name. "Good cow. Nice cow."
 Finally, the net came off and the cow serpent zipped through the water and did a happy somersault.
 The hippocampi whinnied with joy. Thank you, lord !
 "Moooo!"The cow serpent nuzzled me and gave me the big brown eyes.
 "Yeah," I said. "That's okay. Nice cow. Well… stay out of trouble."
 Which reminded me, I'd been underwater how long?An hour, at least. I had to get back to my cabin
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before Argus or the harpies discovered I was breaking curfew.
 I shot to the surface and broke through. Immediately, Blackjack zoomed down and let me catch hold of
his neck. He lifted me into the air and took me back toward the shore.
 Success, boss ?
 "Yeah. We rescued a baby… something or other.Took forever.Almost got stampeded."
 Good deeds are always dangerous, boss. You saved my sorry mane, didn't you?
 I couldn't help thinking about my dream, with Annabeth crumpled and lifeless in Luke's arms. Here I was
rescuing baby monsters, but I couldn't save my friend.
 As Blackjack flew back toward my cabin, I happened to glance at the dining pavilion. I saw a figure—a
boy hunkered down behind a Greek column, like he was hiding from someone.
 It was Nico, but it wasn't even dawn yet. Nowhere near time for breakfast. What was he doing up there?
 I hesitated. The last thing I wanted was more time for Nico to tell me about his Mythomagic game. But
something was wrong. I could tell by the way he was crouching.
 "Blackjack," I said, "set me down over there, will you? Behind that column."
 
 I almost blew it.
 I was coming up the steps behind Nico. He didn't see me at all. He was behind a column, peeking
around the corner, all his attention focused on the dining area. I was five feet away from him, and I was
about to say Whatare you doing  ? real  loud, when it occurred to me that he was pulling a Grover: he was
spying on the Hunters.
 There were voices—two girls talking at one of the dining tables.At this ungodly hour of the morning?
Well, unless you're the goddess of dawn, I guess.
 I took Annabeth's magic cap out of my pocket and put it on.
 I didn't feel any different, but when I raised my arms I couldn't see them. I was invisible.
 I crept up to Nico and sneaked around him. I couldn't see the girls very well in the dark, but I knew their
voices: Zoe and Bianca. It sounded like they were arguing.
 "Itcannot  be cured," Zoe was saying. "Not quickly, at any rate."
 "But how did it happen?" Bianca asked.
 "A foolish prank," Zoe growled. "Those Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin. Centaur blood is like acid.
Everyone knows that. They sprayed the inside of that Artemis Hunting Tour T-shirt with it."
 "That's terrible!"
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 "She will live," Zoe said. "But she'll be bedridden for weeks with horrible hives. There is no way she can
go. It's up to me… and thee."
 "But the prophecy," Bianca said. "If Phoebe can't go, we only have four. We'll have to pick another."
 "There is no time," Zoe said. "We must leave at first light. That's immediately. Besides, the prophecy said
we would lose one."
 "In the land without rain," Bianca said, "but that can't be here."
 "It might be," Zoe said, though she didn't sound convinced. "The camp has magic borders. Nothing, not
even weather, is allowed in without permission. It could be a land without rain."
 "But—"
 "Bianca, hear me." Zoe's voice was strained. "I… I can't explain, but I have a sense that we shouldnot
pick someone else. It would be too dangerous. They would meet an end worse than Phoebe's. I don't
want Chiron choosing a camper as our fifth companion. And… I don't want to risk another Hunter."
 Bianca was silent. "You should tell Thalia the rest of your dream."
 "No. It would not help."
 "But if your suspicions are correct, about the General—"
 "I have thy word not to talk about that," Zoe said. She sounded really anguished. "We will find out soon
enough. Now come. Dawn is breaking."
 Nico scooted out of their way. He was faster than me.
 As the girls sprinted down the steps, Zoe almost ran into me. She froze, her eyes narrowing. Her hand
crept toward her bow, but then Bianca said, "The lights of the Big House are on.Hurry!"
 And Zoe followed her out of the pavilion.
 
 I could tell what Nico was thinking. He took a deep breath and was about to run after his sister when I
took off the invisibility cap and said, "Wait."
 He almost slipped on the icy steps as he spun around to find me. "Where did you come from?"
 "I've been here the whole time. Invisible."
 He mouthed the word invisible  . "Wow. Cool."
 "How did you know Zoe and your sister were here?"
 He blushed. "I heard them walk by the Hermes cabin. I don't… I don't sleep too well at camp. So I
heard footsteps, and them whispering. And so I kind of followed."
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 "And now you're thinking about following them on the quest," I guessed.
 "How did you know that?"
 "Because if it was my sister, I'd probably be thinking the same thing. But you can't."
 He looked defiant. "Because I'm too young?"
 "Because they won't let you. They'll catch you and send you back here. And… yeah, because you're too
young.  You remember the manticore? There will be lots more like that.More dangerous. Some of the
heroes will die."
 He shoulders sagged. He shifted from foot to foot. "Maybe you're right. But, but you can go for me."
 "Say what?"
 "You can turn invisible. You can go!"
 "The Hunters don't like boys," I reminded him. "If they find out—"
 "Don't let them find out. Follow them invisibly. Keep an eye on my sister! You have to. Please?"
 "Nico—"
 "You're planning to go anyway, aren't you?"
 I wanted to say no. But he looked me in the eyes, and I somehow couldn't lie to him.
 "Yeah," I said. "I have to find Annabeth. I have to help, even if they don't want me to."
 "I won't tell on you," he said. "But you have to promise to keep my sister safe."
 "I… that's a big thing to promise, Nico, on a trip like this. Besides, she's got Zoe, Grover, and Thalia—"
 "Promise," he insisted.
 "I'll do my best. I promise that."
 "Get going, then!" he said. "Good luck!"
 It was crazy. I wasn't packed. I had nothing but the cap and the sword and the clothes I was wearing. I
was supposed to be going home to Manhattan this morning. "Tell Chiron—"
 "I'll make something up." Nico smiled crookedly. "I'm good at that. Go on!"
 I ran, putting on Annabeth's cap. As the sun came up, I turned invisible. I hit the top of Half-Blood Hill in
time to see the camp's van disappearing down the farm road, probably Argus taking the quest group into
the city. After that they would be on their own.
 I felt a twinge of guilt, and stupidity, too. How was I supposed to keep up with them. Run?
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 Then I heard the beating of huge wings. Blackjack landed next to me. He began casually nuzzling a few
tufts of grass that stuck through the ice.
 If I was guessing, boss, I'd say you need a getaway horse. You interested?
 A lump of gratitude stuck in my throat, but I managed to say, "Yeah. Let's fly."

Categories: The Titan's Curse

The Titan's Curse - Chapter 6

Chapter 6


 AN OLD DEAD FRIEND COMES TO VISIT
 
 The next morning after breakfast, I told Grover about my dream. We sat in the meadow watching the
satyrs chase the wood nymphs through the snow. The nymphs had promised to kiss the satyrs if they got
caught, but they hardly ever did. Usually the nymph would let the satyr get up a full head of steam, then
she'd turn into a snow-covered tree and the poor satyr would slam into it headfirst and get a pile of snow
dumped on him.
 When I told Grover my nightmare, he started twirling his finger in his shaggy leg fur.
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 "A cave ceiling collapsed on her?" he asked.
 "Yeah. What the heck does that mean?"
 Grover shook his head. "I don't know. But after what Zoe dreamed—"
 "Whoa. What do you mean? Zoe had a dream like that?"
 "I… I don't know, exactly. About three in the morning she came to the Big House and demanded to talk
to Chiron. She looked really panicked."
 "Wait, how do you know this?"
 Grover blushed. "I was sort of camped outside the Artemis cabin."
 "What for?"
 "Just to be, you know, near them."
 "You're a stalker with hooves."
 "I am not! Anyway, I followed her to the Big House and hid in a bush and watched the whole thing. She
got real upset when Argus wouldn't let her in. It was kind of a dangerous scene.
 I tried to imagine that. Argus was the head of security for camp—a big blond dude with eyes all over his
body. He rarely showed himself unless something serious was going on. I wouldn't want to place bets on
a fight between him and Zoe Nightshade.
 "What did she say?" I asked.
 Grover grimaced. "Well, she starts talking really old-fashioned when she gets upset, so it was kind of
hard to understand. But something about Artemis being in trouble and needing the Hunters. And then she
called Argus a boil-brained lout… I think that's a bad thing. And then he called her—"
 "Whoa, wait. How could Artemis be in trouble?"
 "I… well, finally Chiron came out in his pajamas and his horse tail in curlers and—"
 "He wears curlers in his tail?"
 Grover covered his mouth.
 "Sorry," I said. "Go on."
 "Well, Zoe said she needed permission to leave camp immediately. Chiron refused. He reminded Zoe
that the Hunters were supposed to stay here until they received orders from Artemis. And she said…"
Grover gulped. "She said 'How are we to get orders from Artemis if Artemis is lost?'"
 "What do you mean lost? Like she needs directions?"
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 "No. I think she meant gone.Taken. Kidnapped."
 " Kidnapped?" I tried to get my mind around that idea. "How would you kidnap an immortal goddess? Is
that even possible?"
 "Well, yeah. I mean, it happened to Persephone."
 "But she was like, the goddess of flowers  ."
 Grover looked offended. "Springtime."
 "Whatever. Artemis is a lot more powerful than that. Who could kidnap her? And why?"
 Grover shook his head miserably. "I don't know. Kronos?"
 "He can't be that powerful already. Can he?"
 The last time we'd seen Kronos, he'd been in tiny pieces. Well… we hadn't actually seen  him. Thousands
of years ago, after the big Titan—God war, the gods had sliced him to bits with his own scythe and
scattered his remains in Tartarus, which is like the gods' bottomless recycling bin for their enemies. Two
summers ago, Kronos had tricked us to the very edge of the pit and almost pulled us in. Then last
summer, on board Luke's demon cruise ship, we'd seen a golden coffin, where Luke claimed he was
summoning the Titan Lord out of the abyss, bit by bit, every time someone new joined their cause.
Kronos could influence people with dreams and trick them, but I didn't see how he could physically
overcome Artemis if he was still like a pile of evil bark mulch.
 "I don't know," Grover said. "I think somebody would know if Kronos had re-formed. The gods would
be more nervous. But still, it's weird, you having a nightmare the same night as Zoe. It's almost like—"
 "They're connected," I said.
 Over in the frozen meadow, a satyr skidded on his hooves as he chased after a redheaded tree nymph.
She giggled and held out her arms as he ran toward her. Pop  ! She turned into a Scotch pine and he
kissed the trunk at top speed,
 "Ah, love," Grover said dreamily.
 I thought about Zoe's nightmare, which she'd had only a few hours after mine.
 "I've got to talk to Zoe," I said.
 "Um, before you do…" Grover took something out of his coat pocket. It was a three-fold display like a
travel brochure. "You remember what you said—about how it was weird the Hunters just happened to
show up at Westover Hall? I think they might've been scouting us."
 "Scouting us? What do you mean?"
 He gave me the brochure. It was about the Hunters of Artemis. The front read, A WISE CHOICE
FOR YOUR FUTURE! Inside were pictures of young maidens doing hunter stuff, chasing monsters,
shooting bows. There were captions like: HEALTH BENEFITS: IMMORTALITY AND WHAT IT
MEANS FOR YOU!and A BOY-FREE TOMORROW!
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 "I found that in Annabeth's backpack," Grover said.
 I stared at him. "I don't understand."
 "Well, it seems to me… maybe Annabeth was thinking about joining."
 
 I'd like to say I took the news well.
 The truth was ,I wanted to strangle the Hunters of Artemis one eternal maiden at a time. The rest of the
day I tried to keep busy, but I was worried sick about Annabeth. I went to javelin-throwing class, but the
Ares camper in charge chewed me out after I got distracted and threw the javelin at the target before he
got out of the way. I apologized for the hole in his pants, but he still sent me packing.
 I visited the pegasus stables, but Silena Beauregard from the Aphrodite cabin was having an argument
with one of the Hunters, and I decided I'd better not get involved.
 After that, I sat in the empty chariot stands and sulked. Down at the archery fields, Chiron was
conducting target practice. I knew he'd be the best person to talk to. Maybe he could give me some
advice, but something held me back. I had a feeling Chiron would try to protect me, like he always did.
He might not tell me everything he knew.
 I looked the other direction. At the top of Half-Blood Hill, Mr. D and Argus were feeding the baby
dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece.
 Then it occurred to me: no one would be in the Big House. There was someone else… something else I
could ask for guidance.
 My blood was humming in my ears as I ran into the house and took the stairs. I'd only done this once
before, and I still had nightmares about it. I opened the trap door and stepped into the attic.
 The room was dark and dusty and cluttered with junk, just like I remembered. There were shields with
monster bites out of them, and swords bent in the shapes of daemon heads, and a bunch of taxidermy,
like a stuffed harpy and a bright orange python.
 Over by the window, sitting on a three-legged stool, was the shriveled-up mummy of an old lady in a
tie-dyed hippie dress.The Oracle.
 I made myself walk toward her. I waited for green mist to billow from the mummy's mouth, like it had
before, but nothing happened.
 "Hi," I said. "Uh, what's up?"
 I winced at how stupid that sounded. Not much could be "up" when you're dead and stuck in the attic.
But I knew the spirit of the Oracle was in there somewhere. I could feel a cold presence in the room, like
a coiled sleeping snake.
 "I have a question," I said a little louder. "I need to know about Annabeth. How can I save her?"
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 No answer. The sun slanted through the dirty attic window, lighting the dust motes dancing in the air.
 I waited longer.
 Then I got angry. I was being stonewalled by a corpse.
 "All right," I said. "Fine. I'll figure it out myself."
 I turned and bumped into a big table full of souvenirs. It seemed more cluttered than the last time I was
here. Heroes stored all kinds of stuff in the attic: quest trophies they no longer wanted to keep in their
cabins, or stuff that held painful memories. I knew Luke had stored a dragon claw somewhere up
here—the one that had scarred his face.
 There was a broken sword hilt labeled: This broke and Leroy got killed. 1999 .
 Then I noticed a pink silk scarf with a label attached to it. I picked up the tag and tried to read it:
 
 SCARF OF THE GODDESS APHRODITE
 RECOVERED AT WATERLAND, DENVER, CO.,
 BY ANNABETH CHASE AND PERCY JACKSON
 
 I stared at the scarf. I'd totally forgotten about it. Two years ago, Annabeth had ripped this scarf out of
my hands and said something like, Oh, no. No love magic for you !
 I'd just assumed she'd thrown it away. And yet here it was. She'd kept it all this time? And why had she
stashed it in the attic?
 I turned to the mummy. She hadn't moved, but the shadows across her face made it look like she was
smiling gruesomely.
 I dropped the scarf and tried not to run toward the exit.
 
 That night after dinner, I was seriously ready to beat the Hunters at capture the flag. It was going to be a
small game: only thirteen Hunters, including Bianca di Angelo, and about the same number of campers.
 Zoe Nightshade looked pretty upset. She kept glancing resentfully at Chiron, like she couldn't believe he
was making her do this. The other Hunters didn't look too happy, either. Unlike last night, they weren't
laughing or joking around. They just huddled together in the dining pavilion, whispering nervously to each
other as they strapped on their armor. Some of them even looked like they'd been crying. I guess Zoe
had told them about her nightmare.
 On our team, we had Beckendorf and two other Hephaestus guys, a few from the Ares cabin (though it
still seemed strange that Clarisse wasn't around), the Stoll brothers and Nico from Hermes cabin, and a
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few Aphrodite kids. It was weird that the Aphrodite cabin wanted to play. Usually they sat on the
sidelines, chatted, and checked their reflections in the river and stuff, but when they heard we were
fighting the Hunters, they were raring to go.
 "I'll show them 'love is worthless,'" Silena Beauregard grumbled as she strapped on her armor. "I'll
pulverize them!"
 That left Thalia and me.
 "I'll take the offense," Thalia volunteered. "You take defense."
 "Oh." I hesitated, because I'd been about to say the exact same thing, only reversed. "Don't you think
with your shield and all, you'd be better defense?"
 Thalia already had Aegis on her arm, and even our own teammates were giving her a wide berth, trying
not to cower before the bronze head of Medusa.
 "Well, I was thinking it would make better offense," Thalia said. "Besides, you've had more practice at
defense."
 I wasn't sure if she was teasing me. I'd had some pretty bad experiences with defense on capture the
flag. My first year, Annabeth had put me out as a kind of bait, and I'd almost been gored to death with
spears and killed by a hellhound.
 "Yeah, no problem," I lied.
 "Cool." Thalia turned to help some of the Aphrodite kids, who were having trouble suiting up their armor
without breaking their nails. Nico di Angelo ran up to me with a big grin on his face.
 "Percy, this is awesome!" His blue-feathered bronze helmet was falling in his eyes, and his breastplate
was about six sizes too big. I wondered if there was any way I'd looked that ridiculous when I'd first
arrived. Unfortunately, I probably had.
 Nico lifted his sword with effort. "Do we get to kill the other team?"
 "Well… no."
 "But the Hunters are immortal, right?"
 "That's only if they don't fall in battle. Besides—"
 "It would be awesome if we just, like, resurrected as soon as we were killed, so we could keep fighting,
and—"
 "Nico, this is serious.Real swords.  These can hurt."
 He stared at me, a little disappointed, and I realized that I'd just sounded like my mother. Whoa. Not a
good sign.
 I patted Nico on the shoulder. "Hey, it's cool. Just follow the team. Stay out of Zoe's way. We'll have a
blast."
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 Chiron's hoof thundered on the pavilion floor.
 "Heroes!" he called. "You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Blue team—Camp
Half-Blood—shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis—red team—shall take the east woods. I
will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed.
To your positions!"
 "Sweet," Nico whispered next to me. "What kind of magic items? Do I get one?"
 I was about to break it to him that he didn't, when Thalia said, "Blue team! Follow me!"
 They cheered and followed. I had to run to catch up, and tripped over somebody's shield, so I didn't
look much like a co-captain. More like an idiot.
 
 We set our flag at the top of Zeus's Fist. It's this cluster of boulders in the middle of the west woods that,
if you look at it just the right way, looks like a huge fist sticking out of the ground. If you look at it from
any other side, it looks like a pile of enormous deer droppings, but Chiron wouldn't let us call the place
the Poop Pile, especially after it had been named for Zeus, who doesn't have much of a sense of humor.
 Anyway, it was a good place to set the flag. The top boulder was twenty feet tall and really hard to
climb, so the flag was clearly visible, like the rules said it had to be, and it didn't matter that the guards
weren't allowed to stand within ten yards of it.
 I set Nico on guard duty with Beckendorf and the Stoll brothers, figuring he'd be safely out of the way.
 "We'll send out a decoy to the left," Thalia told the team. "Silena, you lead that."
 "Got it!"
 "Take Laurel and Jason. They're good runners. Make a wide arc around the Hunters, attract as many as
you can. I'll take the main raiding party around to the right and catch them by surprise."
 Everybody nodded. It sounded good, and Thalia said it with such confidence you couldn't help but
believe it would work.
 Thalia looked at me. "Anything to add, Percy?"
 "Um, yeah. Keep sharp on defense. We've got four guards, two scouts. That's not much for a big forest.
I'll be roving. Yell if you need help."
 "And don't leave your post!" Thalia said.
 "Unless you see a golden opportunity," I added.
 Thalia scowled. "Just don't leave your post."
 "Right, unless—"
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 "Percy!" She touched my arm and shocked me. I mean, everybody can give static shocks in the winter,
but when Thalia does, it hurts. I guess it's because her dad is the god of lightning. She's been known to
fry off people's eyebrows.
 "Sorry," Thalia said, though she didn't sound particularly sorry. "Now, is everybody clear?"
 Everybody nodded. We broke into our smaller groups. The horn sounded, and the game began.
 Silena's group disappeared into the woods on the left. Thalia's group gave it a few seconds, then  darted
off toward the right.
 I waited for something to happen. I climbed Zeus's Fist and had a good view over the forest. I
remembered how the Hunters had stormed out of the woods when they fought the manticore, and I was
prepared for something like that—one huge charge that could overwhelm us. But nothing happened.
 I caught a glimpse of Silena and her two scouts. They ran through a clearing, followed by five of the
Hunters, leading them deep into the woods and away from Thalia. The plan seemed to be working. Then
I spotted another clump of Hunters heading to the right, bows ready. They must've spotted Thalia.
 "What's happening?" Nico demanded, trying to climb up next to me.
 My mind was racing. Thalia would never get through, but the Hunters were divided. With that many on
either flank, their center had to be wide open.If I moved fast…
 I looked at Beckendorf. "Can you guys hold the fort?"
 Beckendorf snorted."Of course."
 "I'm going in.
 The Stoll brothers and Nico cheered as I raced toward the boundary line.
 I was running at top speed and I felt great. I leaped over the creek into enemy territory. I could see their
silver flag up ahead, only one guard, who wasn't even looking in my direction. I heard fighting to my left
and right, somewhere in the woods. I had it made.
 The guard turned at the last minute. It was Bianca di Angelo. Her eyes widened as I slammed into her
and she went sprawling in the snow.
 "Sorry!" I yelled. I ripped down the silver silk flag from the tree and took off.
 I was ten yards away before Bianca managed to yell for help. I thought I was home free.
 ZIP . A silvery cord raced across my ankles and fastened to the tree next to me. A trip wire, fired from a
bow! Before I could even think about stopping, I went down hard, sprawling in the snow.
 "Percy!" Thalia yelled, off to my left. "What are you doing ?"
 Before she reached me, an arrow exploded at her feet and a cloud of yellow smoke billowed around her
team. They started coughing and gagging. I could smell the gas from across the woods—the horrible
smell of sulfur.
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 "No fair!" Thalia gasped. "Fart arrows are unsportsmanlike!"
 I got up and started running again. Only a few more yards to the creek and I had the game. More
arrows whizzed past my ears. A Hunter came out of nowhere and slashed at me with her knife, but I
parried and kept running.
 I heard yelling from our side of the creek. Beckendorf and Nico were running toward me. I thought they
were coming to welcome me back, but then I saw they were chasing someone—Zoe Nightshade, racing
toward me like a cheetah, dodging campers with no trouble. And she had our flag in her hands.
 "No!" I yelled, and poured on the speed.
 I was two feet from the water when Zoe bolted across to her own side, slamming into me for good
measure. The Hunters cheered as both sides converged on the creek. Chiron appeared out of the
woods, looking grim. He had the Stoll brothers on his back, and it looked as if both of them had taken
some nasty whacks to the head. Connor Stoll had two arrows sticking out of his helmet like antennae.
 "The Hunters win!" Chiron announced without pleasure. Then he muttered, "For the fifty-sixth time in a
row."
 "Perseus Jackson!" Thalia yelled, storming toward me. She smelled like rotten eggs, and she was so mad
that blue sparks flickered on her armor. Everybody cringed and backed up because of Aegis. It took all
my willpower not to cower.
 "What in the name of the gods were you THINKING?" she bellowed.
 I balled my fists. I'd had enough bad stuff happen to me for one day. I didn't need this. "I got the flag,
Thalia!" I shook it in her face. "I saw a chance and I took it!"
 "I WAS AT THEIR BASE!" Thalia yelled. "But the flag was gone. If you hadn't butted in, we would've
won."
 "You had too many on you!"
 "Oh, so it's my fault?"
 "I didn't say that."
 "Argh!"Thalia pushed me, and a shock went through my body that blew me backward ten feet into the
water. Some of the campers gasped. A couple of the Hunters stifled laughs.
 "Sorry!" Thalia said, turning pale. "I didn't mean to—"
 Anger roared in my ears. A wave erupted from the creek, blasting into Thalia's face and dousing her
from head to toe.
 I stood up. "Yeah," I growled. "I didn't mean to, either."
 Thalia was breathing heavily.
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 "Enough!" Chiron ordered.
 But Thalia held out her spear. "You want some, Seaweed Brain?"
 Somehow, it was okay when Annabeth called me that—at least, I'd gotten used to it—but hearing it
from Thalia was not cool.
 "Bring it on, Pinecone Face!"
 I raised Riptide, but before I could even defend myself, Thalia yelled, and a blast of lightning came down
from the sky, hit her spear like a lightning rod, and slammed into my chest.
 I sat down hard. There was a burning smell; I had a feeling it was my clothes.
 "Thalia!" Chiron said. "That isenough  !"
 I got to my feet and willed the entire creek to rise. It swirled up, hundreds of gallons of water in a
massive icy funnel cloud.
 "Percy!" Chiron pleaded.
 I was about to hurl it at Thalia when I saw something in the woods. I lost my anger and my concentration
all at once. The water splashed back into the creekbed. Thalia was so surprised she turned to see what I
was looking at.
 Someone… something was approaching. It was shrouded in a murky green mist, but as it got closer, the
campers and Hunters gasped.
 "This is impossible," Chiron said. I'd never heard him sound so nervous. "It… she has never left the attic.
Never."
 And yet, the withered mummy that held the Oracle shuffled forward until she stood in the center of the
group. Mist curled around our feet, turning the snow a sickly shade of green.
 None of us dared move. Then her voice hissed inside my head. Apparently everyone could hear it,
because several clutched their hands over the ears.
 I am the sprit of Delphi , the voice said. Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the
mighty Python  .
 The Oracle regarded me with its cold, dead eyes. Then she turned unmistakably toward Zoe
Nightshade.Approach, Seeker, and ask  .
 Zoe swallowed. "What must I do to help my goddess?"
 The Oracle's mouth opened, and green mist poured out. I saw the vague image of a mountain, and a girl
standing at the barren peak. It was Artemis, but she was wrapped in chains, fettered to the rocks. She
was kneeling, her hands raised as if to fend off an attacker, and it looked like she was in pain. The Oracle
spoke:
 
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 Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,
 One shall be lost in the land without rain,
 The bane of Olympus shows the trail,
 Campers and Hunters combined prevail,
 The Titan's curse must one withstand,
 And one shall perish by a parent's hand.
 
 Then, as we were watching, the mist swirled and retreated like a great green serpent into the mummy's
mouth. The Oracle sat down on a rock and became as still as she'd been in the attic, as if she might sit by
this creek for a hundred years.

Categories: The Titan's Curse

The Titan's Curse - Chapter 5

Chapter 5


 I PLACE AN UNDERWATER PHONE CALL
 
 I'd never seen Camp Half-Blood in winter before, and the snow surprised me.
 See, the camp has the ultimate magic climate control. Nothing gets inside the borders unless the director,
Mr. D, wants it to. I thought it would be warm and sunny, but instead the snow had been allowed to fall
lightly. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny
flickering lights, like Christmas lights, except they seemed to be balls of real fire. More lights glowed in
the woods, and weirdest of all, a fire flickered in the attic window of the Big House, where the Oracle
dwelt, imprisoned in an old mummified body. I wondered if the spirit of Delphi was roasting
marshmallows up there or something.
 "Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"
 "Yeah," I said.
 "Why is there lava pouring down it?"
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 "Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, have you met—"
 "I know Chiron," Zoe said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."
 "I'll show you the way," Grover offered.
 "We know the way."
 "Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't"—he tripped over a canoe and came up
still talking—"like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"
 Zoe rolled her eyes, but I guess she figured there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered
their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. As Bianca di Angelo was leaving, she
leaned over and whispered something in her brothers ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Nico just
scowled and turned away.
 "Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. He winked at me. "Watch out for those
prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon."
 "What do you mean?"
 Instead of answering, he hopped back in the bus. "Later, Thalia," he called. "And, uh, be good!"
 He gave her a wicked smile, as if he knew something she didn't. Then he closed the doors and revved
the engine. I turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When I looked back, the lake was
steaming. A red Maserati soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it
disappeared in a ray of sunlight.
 Nico was still looking grumpy. I wondered what his sister had told him.
 "Who's Chiron?" he asked. "I don't have his figurine."
 "Our activities director," I said. "He's… well, you'll see.
 "If those Hunter girls don't like him," Nico grumbled, "that's good enough for me. Let's go."
 
 The second thing that surprised me about camp was how empty it was. I mean, I knew most half-bloods
only trained during the summer. Just the year-rounders would be here—the ones who didn't have homes
to go to, or would get attacked by monsters too much if they left. But there didn't even seem to be many
of them, either.
 I spotted Charles Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin stoking the forge outside the camp armory.
The Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor, from the Hermes cabin, were picking the lock on the camp store.
A few kids from the Ares cabin were having a snowball fight with the wood nymphs at the edge of the
forest. That was about it. Even my old rival from the Ares cabin, Clarisse, didn't seem to be around.
 The Big House was decorated with strings of red and yellow fireballs that warmed the porch but didn't
seem to catch anything on fire. Inside, flames crackled in the hearth. The air smelled like hot chocolate.
Mr. D, the camp director, and Chiron were playing a quiet game of cards in the parlor.
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 Chiron's brown beard was shaggier for the winter. His curly hair had grown a little longer. He wasn't
posing as a teacher this year, so I guess he could afford to be casual. He wore a fuzzy sweater with a
hoofprint design on it, and he had a blanket on his lap that almost hid his wheelchair completely.
 He smiled when he saw us. "Percy! Thalia! Ah, and this must be—"
 "Nico di Angelo," I said. "He and his sister are half-bloods."
 Chiron breathed a sigh of relief. "You succeeded, then."
 "Well…"
 His smile melted. "What's wrong? And where is Annabeth?"
 "Oh, dear," Mr. D said in a bored voice, "Not another one lost."
 I'd been trying not to pay attention to Mr. D, but he was kind of hard to ignore in his neon orange
leopard-skin warm-up suit and his purple running shoes. (Like Mr. D had ever run a day in his immortal
life.) A golden laurel wreath was tilted sideways on his curly black hair, which must've meant he'd won
the last hand of cards.
 "What do you mean?" Thalia asked. "Who else is lost?"
 Just then, Grover trotted into the room, grinning like crazy. He had a black eye and red lines on his face
that looked like a slap mark. "The Hunters are all moved in!"
 Chiron frowned. "The Hunters, eh?  I see we have much to talk about." He glanced at Nico. "Grover,
perhaps you should take our young friend to the den and show him our orientation film."
 "But… Oh, right. Yes, sir."
 "Orientation film?"Nico asked. "Is it G or PG? ' Cause Bianca is kinda strict—"
 "It's PG-13," Grover said.
 "Cool!" Nico happily followed him out of the room.
 "Now," Chiron said to Thalia and me, "perhaps you two should sit down and tell us the whole story."
 
 When we were done, Chiron turned to Mr. D. "We should launch a search for Annabeth immediately."
 "I'll go," Thalia and I said at the same time.
 Mr. D sniffed. "Certainly not!"
 Thalia and I both started complaining, but Mr. D held up his hand. He had that purplish angry fire in his
eyes that usually meant something bad and godly was going to happen if we didn't shut up.
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 "From what you have told me," Mr. D said, "we have broken even on this escapade. We have, ah,
regrettably lost Annie Bell—"
 "Annabeth," I snapped. She'd gone to camp since she was seven, and still Mr. D pretended not to know
her name.
 "Yes, yes," he said. "And you procured a small annoying boy to replace her. So I see no point risking
further half-bloods on a ridiculous rescue. The possibility is very great that this Annie girl is dead."
 I wanted to strangle Mr. D. It wasn't fair Zeus had sent him here to dry out as camp director for a
hundred years. It was meant to be a punishment for Mr. D's bad behavior on Olympus, but it ended up
being a punishment for all of us.
 "Annabeth may be alive," Chiron said, but I could tell he was having trouble sounding upbeat. He'd
practically raised Annabeth all those years she was a year-round camper, before she'd given living with
her dad and stepmom a second try. "She's very bright. If… if our enemies have her, she will try to play
for time. She may even pretend to cooperate."
 "That's right," Thalia said. "Luke would want her alive."
 "In which case" said Mr. D, "I'm afraid she will have to be smart enough to escape on her own."
 I got up from the table.
 "Percy." Chiron's tone was full of warning. In the back of my mind, I knew Mr. D was not somebody to
mess with. Even if you were an impulsive ADHD kid like me, he wouldn't give you any slack. But I was
so angry I didn't care.
 "You're glad to lose another camper," I said. "You'd like it if we all disappeared!"
 Mr. D stifled a yawn. "You have a point?"
 "Yeah," I growled. "Just because you were sent here as a punishment doesn't mean you have to be a
lazy jerk! This is your civilization, too. Maybe you could try helping out a little!"
 For a second, there was no sound except the crackle of the fire. The light reflected in Mr. D's eyes,
giving him a sinister look. He opened his mouth to say something—probably a curse that would blast me
to smithereens—when Nico burst into the room, followed by Grover.
 "SO COOL!" Nico yelled, holding his hands out to Chiron. "You're… you're a centaur!"
 Chiron managed a nervous smile. "Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human
form in this wheelchair for, ah, first encounters."
 "And, whoa!" He looked at Mr. D. "You're the wine dude? No way!"
 Mr. D turned his eyes away from me and gave Nico a look of loathing. "The wine dude?"
 "Dionysus, right? Oh, wow! I've got your figurine."
 "My figurine."
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 "In my game, Mythomagic. And a holofoil card, too! And even though you've only got like five hundred
attack points and everybody thinks you're the lamest god card, I totally think your powers are sweet!"
 "Ah." Mr. D seemed truly perplexed, which probably saved my life. "Well, that's… gratifying."
 "Percy," Chiron said quickly, "you and Thalia go down to the cabins. Inform the campers we'll be
playing capture the flag tomorrow evening."
 "Capture the flag?" I asked. "But we don't have enough—"
 "It is a tradition," Chiron said. "A friendly match, whenever the Hunters visit."
 "Yeah," Thalia muttered. "I bet it's real friendly."
 Chiron jerked his head toward Mr. D, who was still frowning as Nico talked about how many defense
points all the gods had in his game. "Run along now," Chiron told us.
 "Oh, right," Thalia said. "Come on, Percy."
 She hauled me out of the Big House before Dionysus could remember that he wanted to kill me.
 
 "You've already got Ares on your bad side," Thalia reminded me as we trudged toward the cabins. "You
need another immortal enemy?"
 She was right. My first summer as a camper, I'd gotten in a fight with Ares, and now he and all his
children wanted to kill me. I didn't need to make Dionysus mad, too.
 "Sorry," I said. "I couldn't help it. It's just so unfair."
 She stopped by the armory and looked out across the valley, toward the top of Half-Blood Hill. Her
pine tree was still there, the Golden Fleece glittering in its lowest branch. The tree's magic still protected
the borders of camp, but it no longer used Thalia's spirit for power.
 "Percy, everything is unfair," Thalia muttered. "Sometimes I wish…"
 She didn't finish, but her tone was so sad I felt sorry for her. With her ragged black hair and her black
punk clothes, an old wool overcoat wrapped around her, she looked like some kind of huge raven,
completely out of place in the white landscape.
 "We'll get Annabeth back," I promised. "I just don't know how yet."
 "First I found out that Luke is lost," she said. "Now Annabeth—"
 "Don't think like that."
 "You're right." She straightened up. "We'll find a way."
 Over at the basketball court, a few of the Hunters were shooting hoops. One of them was arguing with a
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guy from the Ares cabin. The Ares kid had his hand on his sword and the Hunter girl looked like she was
going to exchange her basketball for a bow and arrow any second.
 "I'll break that up," Thalia said. "You circulate around the cabins. Tell everybody about capture the flag
tomorrow."
 "All right. You should be team captain."
 "No, no," she said. "You've been at camp longer. You do it."
 "We can, uh… co-captain or something."
 She looked about as comfortable with that as I felt, but she nodded.
 As she headed for the court, I said, "Hey, Thalia."
 "Yeah?"
 "I'm sorry about what happened at Westover. I should've waited for you guys."
 '"S okay, Percy. I probably would've done the same thing." She shifted from foot to foot, like she was
trying to decide whether or not to say more. "You know, you asked about my mom and I kinda snapped
at you. It's just… I went back to find her after seven years, and I found out she died in Los Angeles.
She, um… she was a heavy drinker, and apparently she was out driving late one night about two years
ago, and…" Thalia blinked hard.
 "I'm sorry."
 "Yeah, well. It's… it's not like we were ever close. I ran away when I was ten. Best two years of my life
were when I was running around with Luke and Annabeth. But still—"
 "That's why you had trouble with the sun van."
 She gave me a wary look. "What do you mean?"
 "The way you stiffened up. You must've been thinking about your mom, not wanting to get behind the
wheel."
 I was sorry I'd said anything. Thalia's expression was dangerously close to Zeus's, the one time I'd seen
him get angry—like any minute, her eyes would shoot a million volts.
 "Yeah," she muttered. "Yeah, that must've been it."
 She trudged off toward the court, where the Ares camper and the Hunter were trying to kill each other
with a sword and a basketball.
 
 The cabins were the weirdest collection of buildings you've ever seen. Zeus and Hera's big
white-columned buildings, Cabins One and Two, stood in the middle, with five gods' cabins on the left
and five goddesses' cabins on the right, so they all made a U around the central green and the barbecue
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hearth.
 I made the rounds, telling everybody about capture the flag. I woke up some Ares kid from his midday
nap and he yelled at me to go away. When I asked him where Clarisse was he said, "Went on a quest for
Chiron. Top secret!"
 "Is she okay?"
 "Haven't heard from her in a month. She's missing in action. Like your butt's gonna be if you don't get
outta here!"
 I decided to let him go back to sleep.
 Finally I got to Cabin Three, the cabin of Poseidon. It was a low gray building hewn from sea stone, with
shells and coral fossils imprinted in the rock. Inside, it was just as empty as always, except for my bunk.
A Minotaur horn hung on the wall next to my pillow.
 I took Annabeth's baseball cap out of my backpack and set it on my nightstand. I'd give it to her when I
found her. And Iwould find her.
 I took off my wristwatch and activated the shield. It creaked noisily as it spiraled out. Dr. Thorn's spikes
had dented the brass in a dozen places. One gash kept the shield from opening all the way, so it looked
like a pizza with two slices missing. The beautiful metal pictures that my brother had crafted were all
banged up. In the picture of me and Annabeth fighting the Hydra, it looked like a meteor had made a
crater in my head. I hung the shield on its hook, next to the Minotaur horn, but it was painful to look at
now. Maybe Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin could fix it for me. He was the best armorsmith in
the camp. I'd ask him at dinner.
 I was staring at the shield when I noticed a strange sound—water gurgling—and I realized there was
something new in the room. At the back of the cabin was a big basin of gray sea rock, with a spout like
the head of a fish carved in stone. Out of its mouth burst a stream of water, a saltwater spring that
trickled into the pool. The water must've been hot, because it sent mist into the cold winter air like a
sauna. It made the room feel warm and summery, fresh with the smell of the sea.
 I stepped up to the pool. There was no note attached or anything, but I knew it could only be a gift from
Poseidon.
 I looked into the water and said, "Thanks, Dad."
 The surface rippled. At the bottom of the pool, coins shimmered—a dozen or so golden drachma. I
realized what the fountain was for. It was a reminder to keep in touch with my family.
 I opened the nearest window, and the wintry sunlight made a rainbow in the mist. Then I fished a coin
out of the hot water.
 "Iris, O Goddess of the Rainbow," I said, "accept my offering."
 I tossed a coin into the mist and it disappeared. Then I realized I didn't know who to contact first.
 My mom?That would've been the "good son" thing to do, but she wouldn't be worried about me yet.
She was used to me disappearing for days or weeks at a time.
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 My father? It had been way too long, almost two years, since I'd actually talked to him. But could you
even send an Iris-message to a god? I'd never tried. Would it make them mad, like a sales call or
something?
 I hesitated. Then I made up my mind.
 "Show me Tyson," I requested."At the forges of the Cyclopes."
 The mist shimmered, and the image of my half brother appeared. He was surrounded in fire, which
would've been a problem if he weren't a Cyclops. He was bent over an anvil, hammering a red-hot
sword blade. Sparks flew and flames swirled around his body. There was a marble-framed window
behind him, and it looked out onto dark blue water—the bottom of the ocean.
 "Tyson!" I yelled.
 He didn't hear me at first because of the hammering and the roar of the flames.
 "TYSON!"
 He turned, and his one enormous eye widened. His face broke into a crooked yellow grin. "Percy!"
 He dropped the sword blade and ran at me, trying to give me a hug. The vision blurred and I instinctively
lurched back. "Tyson, it's an Iris-message. I'm not really here."
 "Oh." He came back into view, looking embarrassed. "Oh, I knew that. Yes."
 "How are you?" I asked. "How's the job?"
 His eye lit up. "Love the job! Look!" He picked up the hot sword blade with his bare hands. "I made
this!"
 "That's really cool."
 "I wrote my name on it.Right there."
 "Awesome. Listen, do you talk to Dad much?"
 Tyson's smile faded. "Not much. Daddy is busy. He is worried about the war."
 "What do you mean?"
 Tyson sighed. He stuck the sword blade out the window, where it made a cloud of boiling bubbles.
When Tyson brought it back in, the metal was cool. "Old sea spirits making trouble.Aigaios. Oceanus.
Those guys."
 I sort of knew what he was talking about. He meant the immortals who ruled the oceans back in the
days of the Titans. Before the Olympians took over. The fact that they were back now, with the Titan
Lord Kronos and his allies gaining strength, was not good.
 "Is there anything I can do?" I asked.
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 Tyson shook his head sadly. "We are arming the mermaids. They need a thousand more swords by
tomorrow." He looked at his sword blade and sighed. "Old spirits are protecting the bad boat."
 "ThePrincess Andromeda ?"I said."Luke's boat?"
 "Yes. They make it hard to find. Protect it from Daddy's storms. Otherwise he would smash it."
 "Smashing it would be good."
 Tyson perked up, as if he'd just had another thought."Annabeth! Is she there?"
 "Oh, well…" My heart felt like a bowling ball. Tyson thought Annabeth was just about the coolest thing
since peanut butter (and he seriously loved peanut butter). I didn't have the heart to tell him she was
missing. He'd start crying so bad he'd probably put out his fires. "Well, no… she's not here right now."
 "Tell her hello!" He beamed. "Hello to Annabeth!"
 "Okay." I fought back a lump in my throat. "I'll do that."
 "And, Percy, don't worry about the bad boat. It is going away."
 "What do you mean?"
 "Panama Canal! Very far away."
 I frowned. Why would Luke take his demon-infested cruise ship all the way down there? The last time
we'd seen him, he'd been cruising along the East Coast, recruiting half-bloods and training his monstrous
army.
 "All right," I said, not feeling reassured. "That's… good. I guess."
 In the forges, a deep voice bellowed something I couldn't make out. Tyson flinched. "Got to get back to
work! Boss will get mad. Good luck, Brother!"
 "Okay, tell Dad—"
 But before I could finish, the vision shimmered and faded. I was alone again in my cabin, feeling even
lonelier than before.
 
 I was pretty miserable at dinner that night.
 I mean, the food was excellent as usual. You can't go wrong with barbecue, pizza, and never-empty
soda goblets. The torches and braziers kept the outdoor pavilion warm, but we all had to sit with our
cabin mates, which meant I was alone at the Poseidon table. Thalia sat alone at the Zeus table, but we
couldn't sit together. Camp rules. At least the Hephaestus, Ares, and Hermes cabins had a few people
each. Nico sat with the Stoll brothers, since new campers always got stuck in the Hermes cabin if their
Olympian parent was unknown. The Stoll brothers seemed to be trying to convince Nico that poker was
a much better game than Mythomagic. I hoped Nico didn't have any money to lose.
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 The only table that really seemed to be having a good time was the Artemis table. The Hunters drank
and ate and laughed like one big happy family. Zoe sat at the head like she was the mama. She didn't
laugh as much as the others, but she did smile from time to time. Her silver lieutenant's band glittered in
the dark braids of her hair. I thought she looked a lot nicer when she smiled. Bianca di Angelo seemed to
be having a great time. She was trying to learn how to arm wrestle from the big girl who'd picked a fight
with the Ares kid on the basketball court. The bigger girl was beating her every time, but Bianca didn't
seem to mind.
 When we'd finished eating, Chiron made the customary toast to the gods and formally welcomed the
Hunters of Artemis. The clapping was pretty halfhearted. Then he announced the "good will"
capture-the-flag game for tomorrow night, which got a lot better reception.
 Afterward, we all trailed back to our cabins for an early, winter lights out. I was exhausted, which meant
I fell asleep easily. That was the good part. The bad part was, I had a nightmare, and even by my
standards it was a whopper.
 
 Annabeth was on a dark hillside, shrouded in fog. It almost seemed like the Underworld, because I
immediately felt claustrophobic and I couldn't see the sky above—just a close, heavy darkness, as if I
were in a cave.
 Annabeth struggled up the hill. Old broken Greek columns of black marble were scattered around, as
though something had blasted a huge building to rums.
 "Thorn!" Annabeth cried. "Where are you? Why did you bring me here?" She scrambled over a section
of broken wall and came to the crest of the hill.
 She gasped.
 There was Luke. And he was in pain.
 He was crumpled on the rocky ground, trying to rise. The blackness seemed to be thicker around him,
fog swirling hungrily. His clothes were in tatters and his face was scratched and drenched with sweat,
 "Annabeth!" he called. "Help me! Please!"
 She ran forward.
 I tried to cry out: He's a traitor! Don't trust him  !
 But my voice didn't work in the dream.
 Annabeth had tears in her eyes. She reached down like she wanted to touch Luke's face, but at the last
second she hesitated.
 "What happened?" she asked.
 "They left me here," Luke groaned. "Please. It's killing me."
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 I couldn't see what was wrong with him. He seemed to be struggling against some invisible curse, as
though the fog were squeezing him to death.
 "Why should I trust you?" Annabeth asked. Her voice was filled with hurt.
 "You shouldn't," Luke said. "I've been terrible to you. But if you don't help me, I'll die."
 Let him die , I wanted to scream. Luke had tried to kill us in cold blood too many times. He didn't
deserve anything from Annabeth.
 Then the darkness above Luke began to crumble, like a cavern roof in an earthquake. Huge chunks of
black rock began falling. Annabeth rushed in just as a crack appeared, and the whole ceiling dropped.
She held it somehow—tons of rock. She kept it from collapsing on her and Luke just with her own
strength. It was impossible. She shouldn't have been able to do that.
 Luke rolled free, gasping. "Thanks," he managed.
 "Help me hold it," Annabeth groaned.
 Luke caught his breath. His face was covered in grime and sweat. He rose unsteadily.
 "I knew I could count on you." He began to walk away as the trembling blackness threatened to crush
Annabeth.
 "HELP ME!" she pleaded,
 "Oh, don't worry," Luke said. "Your help is on the way. It's all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not
to die."
 The ceiling of darkness began to crumble again, pushing Annabeth against the ground.
 
 I sat bolt upright in bed, clawing at the sheets. There was no sound in my cabin except the gurgle of the
saltwater spring. The clock on my nightstand read just after midnight.
 Only a dream, but I was sure of two things: Annabeth was in terrible danger. And Luke was responsible.

Categories: The Titan's Curse

The Titan's Curse - Chapter 4

Chapter 4


 THALIA TORCHES NEW ENGLAND
 
 Artemis assured us that dawn was coming, but you could've fooled me. It was colder and darker and
snowier than ever. Up on the hill, Westover Hall's windows were completely lightless. I wondered if the
teachers had even noticed the di Angelos and Dr. Thorn were missing yet. I didn't want to be around
when they did. With my luck, the only name Mrs. Gottschalk would remember was "Percy Jackson," and
then I'd be the subject of a nationwide manhunt… again.
 The Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. I stood shivering in the snow (unlike the Hunters,
who didn't seem to feel at all uncomfortable), and Artemis stared into the east like she was expecting
something. Bianca sat off to one side, talking with Nico. I could tell from his gloomy face that she was
explaining her decision to join the Hunt. I couldn't help thinking how selfish it was of her, abandoning her
brother like that.
 Thalia and Grover came up and huddled around me, anxious to hear what had happened in my audience
with the goddess.
 When I told them, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."
 "How'd they even show up here?" I wondered. "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."
 "And Biancajoined  them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoe's fault. That stuck-up, no good—"
 "Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?"  He heaved a big sigh.
 Thalia rolled her eyes. "You satyrs.  You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love
you back?"
 "But she's so… into nature," Grover swooned.
 "You're nuts," said Thalia.
 "Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah."
 
 Finally the sky began to lighten. Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so-o-o lazy during the winter."
 "You're, um, waiting for sunrise?" I asked.
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 "For my brother. Yes."
 I didn't want to be rude. I mean, I knew the legends about Apollo—or sometimes Helios—driving a big
sun chariot across the sky. But I also knew that the sun was really a star about a zillion miles away. I'd
gotten used to some of the Greek myths being true, but still… I didn't see how Apollo could drive the
sun.
 "It's not exactly as you think," Artemis said, like she was reading my mind.
 "Oh, okay." I started to relax. "So, it's not like he'll be pulling up in a—"
 There was a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth.
 "Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks."
 Parks?
 I averted my eyes, and saw that the other kids were doing the same. The light and warmth intensified
until my winter coat felt like it was melting off of me. Then suddenly the light died.
 I looked. And I couldn't believe it. It was my car. Well, the car I wanted, anyway. A red convertible
Maserati Spyder. It was so awesome it glowed. Then I realized it was glowing because the metal was
hot. The snow had melted around the Maserati in a perfect circle, which explained why I was now
standing on green grass and my shoes were wet.
 The driver got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, and for a second, I had the uneasy
feeling it was Luke, my old enemy. This guy had the same sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. But it
wasn't Luke. This guy was taller, with no scar on his face like Luke's. His smile was brighter and more
playful. (Luke didn't do much more than scowl and sneer these days.) The Maserati driver wore jeans
and loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.
 "Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."
 "He's the sun god," I said.
 "That's not what I meant."
 "Little sister!" Apollo called. If his teeth were any whiter he could've blinded us without the sun car.
"What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"
 Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little  sister."
 "Hey, I was born first."
 "We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—"
 "So what's up?" he interrupted. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?"
 Artemisgrit her teeth. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do,alone . I need you to take my
companions to Camp Half-Blood."
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 "Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."
 The Hunters all groaned. Apparently they'd met Apollo before.
 He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.
 
 "Green grass breaks through snow.
 Artemis pleads for my help.
 I am so cool."
 
 He grinned at us, waiting for applause.
 "That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said.
 Apollo frowned. "Was it?"
 "Yes. What aboutI am so big-headed  ?"
 "No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." He started muttering to himself.
 Zoe Nightshade turned to us. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited
Japan. ' Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with,
Thereonce was a goddess from Sparta  —"
 "I've got it!" Apollo announced. " I am so awesome . That's five syllables!" He bowed, looking very
pleased with himself.
 "And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."
 "These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis said, pointing to us. "Some of Chiron's campers."
 "No problem!" Apollo checked us out. "Let's see… Thalia, right?  I've heard all about you."
 Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."
 "Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half sister.Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it
when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time—"
 "Brother," Artemis said. "You should get going."
 "Oh, right." Then he looked at me, and his eyes narrowed. "Percy Jackson?"
 "Yeah. I mean… yes, sir."
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 It seemed weird calling a teenager "sir," but I'd learned to be careful with immortals. They tended to get
offended easily. Then they blew stuff up.
 Apollo studied me, but he didn't say anything, which I found a little creepy.
 "Well!" he said at last. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it,
you miss it."
 I looked at the Maserati, which would seat two people max. There were about twenty of us.
 "Cool car," Nico said.
 "Thanks, kid," Apollo said.
 "But how will we all fit?"
 "Oh." Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of
sports-car mode, but I suppose…"
 He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button. Chirp, chirp .
 For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by
one of those Turtle Top shuttle buses like we used for school basketball games.
 "Right," he said."Everybody in."
 Zoe ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here,
sweetheart. Let me get that."
 Zoe recoiled. Her eyes flashed murderously.
 "Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my
Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart."
 Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"
 "Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business."
 "I'll find out. I see all. Know all."
 Artemis snorted. "Just drop them off, Apollo.And no messing around!"
 "No, no! I never mess around."
 Artemis rolled her eyes,then  looked at us. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoe, you are in charge of the
Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."
 Zoe straightened. "Yes, my lady."
 Artemis knelt and touched the ground as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So
much danger. The beast must be found."
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 She sprinted toward the woods and melted into the snow and shadows.
 Apollo turned and grinned, jangling the car keys on his finger. "So," he said. "Who wants to drive?"
 
 The Hunters piled into the van. They all crammed into the back so they'd be as far away as possible
from Apollo and the rest of us highly infectious males, Bianca sat with them, leaving her little brother to
hang in the front with us, which seemed cold to me, but Nico didn't seem to mind.
 "This is so cool!" Nico said, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "Is this really the sun? I thought
Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you
and Artemis?"
 "Downsizing," Apollo said. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so
they laid  off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I
got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."
 "But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"
 Apollo chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. "That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call
me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy.
You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humansthink about the
sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun… er, so to speak. It keeps them
warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of
humandreams  about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky
from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's
power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"
 Nico shook his head. "No."
 "Well then, just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car."
 "Can I drive?"
 "No.Too young."
 "Oo!Oo!" Grover raised his hand.
 "Mm, no," Apollo said. "Too furry."  He looked past me and focused on Thalia.
 "Daughter of Zeus!" he said. "Lord of the sky. Perfect."
 "Oh, no." Thalia shook her head."No, thanks."
 "C'mon," Apollo said. "How old are you?"
 Thalia hesitated. "I don't know."
 It was sad, but true. She'd been turned into a tree when she was twelve, but that had been seven years
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ago. So she should be nineteen, if you went by years. But she still felt like she was twelve, and if you
looked at her, she seemed somewhere in between. The best Chiron could figure, she had kept aging
while in tree form, but much more slowly.
 Apollo tapped his finger to his lips. "You're fifteen, almost sixteen."
 "How do you know that?"
 "Hey, I'm the god of prophecy. I know stuff. You'll turn sixteen in about a week."
 "That's my birthday! December twenty-second."
 " Which means you're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!"
 Thalia shifted her feet nervously. "Uh—"
 "I know what you're going to say," Apollo said. "You don't deserve an honor like driving the sun
chariot."
 "That's not what I was going to say."
 "Don't sweat it! Maine to Long Island is a really short trip, and don't worry about what happened  to the
last kid I trained. You're Zeus's daughter. He's not going to blastyou out of the sky."
 Apollo laughed good-naturedly. The rest of us didn't join him.
 Thalia tried to protest, but Apollo was absolutely not going to take "no" for an answer. He hit a button
on the dashboard, and a sign popped up along the top of the windshield. I had to read it backward
(which, for a dyslexic, really isn't that different than reading forward). I was pretty sure it said
WARNING: STUDENT DRIVER.
 "Take it away!" Apollo told Thalia. "You're gonna be a natural!"
 
 I'll admit I was jealous. I couldn't wait to start driving. A couple of times that fall, my mom had taken me
out to Montauk when the beach road was empty, and she'd let me try out her Mazda. I mean, yeah, that
was a Japanese compact, and this was the sun chariot, but how different could it be?
 "Speed equals heat," Apollo advised. "So start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before
you really open her up."
 Thalia gripped the wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. She looked like she was going to be sick.
 "What's wrong?" I asked her.
 "Nothing," she said shakily. "N-nothing is wrong."
 She pulled back on the wheel. It tilted, and the bus lurched upward so fast I fell back and crashed
against something soft.
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 "Ow" Grover said.
 "Sorry."
 "Slower!" Apollo said.
 "Sorry!" Thalia said. "I've got it under control!"
 I managed to get to my feet. Looking out the window, I saw a smoking ring of trees from the clearing
where we'd taken off.
 "Thalia," I said, "lighten up on the accelerator."
 "I've got it, Percy," she said, gritting her teeth. But she kept it floored.
 "Loosen up," I told her.
 "I'm loose!" Thalia said. She was so stiff she looked like she was made out of plywood.
 "We need to veer south for Long Island," Apollo said. "Hang a left."
 Thalia jerked the wheel and again threw me into Grover, who yelped.
 "The other left," Apollo suggested.
 I made the mistake of looking out the window again. We were at airplane height now—so high the sky
was starting to look black.
 "Ah…" Apollo said, and I got the feeling he was forcing himself to sound calm. "A little lower,
sweetheart. Cape Cod is freezing over."
 Thalia tilted the wheel. Her face was chalk white, her forehead beaded with sweat. Something was
definitely wrong. I'd never seen her like this.
 The bus pitched down and somebody screamed. Maybe it was me. Now we were heading straight
toward the Atlantic Ocean at a thousand miles an hour, the New England coastline off to our right. And it
was getting hot in the bus.
 Apollo had been thrown somewhere in the back of the bus, but he started climbing up the rows of seats.
 "Take the wheel!" Grover begged him.
 "No worries," Apollo said. He looked plenty worried. "She just has to learn to—WHOA!"
 I saw what he was seeing. Down below us was a little snow-covered New England town. At least, it
used to be snow-covered. As I watched, the snow melted off the trees and the roofs and the lawns. The
white steeple on a church turned brown and started to smolder. Little plumes of smoke, like birthday
candles, were popping up all over the town. Trees and rooftops were catching fire.
 "Pull up!" I yelled.
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 There was a wild light in Thalia's eyes. She yanked back on the wheel, and I held on this time. As we
zoomed up, I could see through the back window that the fires in the town were being snuffed out by the
sudden blast of cold.
 "There!" Apollo pointed. "Long Island, dead ahead.  Let's slow down, dear. 'Dead' is only an
expression."
 Thalia was thundering toward the coastline of northern Long Island. There was Camp Half-Blood: the
valley, the woods, the beach. I could see the dining pavilion and cabins and the amphitheater.
 "I'm under control," Thalia muttered. "I'm under control."
 We were only a few hundred yards away now.
 "Brake," Apollo said.
 "I can do this."
 "BRAKE!"
 Thalia slammed her foot on the brake, and the sun bus pitched forward at a forty-five-degree angle,
slamming into the Camp Half-Blood canoe lake with a hugeFLOOOOOOSH ! Steam billowed up,
sending several frightened naiads scrambling out of the water with half-woven wicker baskets.
 The bus bobbed to the surface, along with a couple of capsized, half-melted canoes.
 "Well," said Apollo with a brave smile. "You were right, my dear. You had everything under control!
Let's go see if we boiled anyone important, shall we?"

Categories: The Titan's Curse