THE SUN GOD GIVES US A RIDE ACROSS THE BORDER

A burning ache in my marked hand woke me. It was mostly dark in the cabin. I needed some fresh air, but I didn't want to bother the boys. Carefully, I managed to sneak out the door, guided by the faint pre-dawn light filtering in from the windows.

I took a few calming breaths and looked at the offending hand. The burn scar was a livid red and raw again. It burned as though someone was holding a hot poker to it. The pain radiated to my wrist as I flexed my fingers. Anger boiled around in my gut as I remembered the vivid dream with my grandmother in Olympus. Her warnings. The pain was a perfect reminder, as I'm sure she intended. Sighing, I closed my eyes and tried to get a grip on dealing with the ache.

"Good morning." a voice called out in the gloomy quiet.

My eyes snapped open, and I turned around to see Elysia, armed with a box, coming up the path to the cabin. It was early, even for the Apollo kids, but she looked ready to start her day. I tried on a smile and leaned forward on the veranda.

"Morning," I called back.

"Well, don't you look chipper." she teased.

I flushed. There was no fooling 'nurse di Angelo' with my feeble act. The healer came up the steps bearing her idea of gifts. She dropped her offerings on the small, pale blue outdoor table kept on the front porch and turned to look at me. I glanced at the contents of the box; a medical kit, extra gauze, three stoppered vials of nectar, and three Ziploc bags of ambrosia squares. It was the typical assortment of supplies for the quest. A small folded piece of paper with my name written in elegant, cursive handwriting across the front drew my curiosity.

Elysia caught me wincing, my left thumb rubbing the mark on my right hand as it ached again. She shook her head with an amused grin.

"I thought I told you to take it easy for the next few days."

"I'm a horrible patient," I confessed, grinning back. "Just believe me, that this time it's not by choice. There isn't much a healer can do about this either,"

"Yes, truly the worst. Now let me see. I'll be the judge." Elysia insisted.

I rolled my eyes, "Everyone wants to see this damn thing."

Her eyes narrowed with maternal concern, and she held out her hand, gesturing in a way that said 'gimme, right now.'

Reluctantly, I showed her my branded right palm, and she tsked.

"I can put some salve on it to relieve the pain, but there's no telling how long that will last," she said, looking sympathetic.

"Thanks, but it's okay. I'll deal. It's not that bad." I retorted.

"Suit yourself, but I'm checking that wound on your shoulder."

Without waiting for an invitation, she moved the strap of my tank top and pulled on the medical tape holding the bandage in place. Elysia poked and prodded till she was satisfied and then repeated the process on my back.

"It looks a bit better." she proclaimed though she was frowning. "Add some salve and rebandage that before you leave. I wish Athena would give you more time. You could have used a few more days to heal."

"Got it. Thanks again, Ely."

Elysia looked up at the sky as if gaging what time was, "Good, but that isn't the only reason I came. My grand — I mean Apollo said that he'll be taking off soon and that the three of you should meet him by farm road in about thirty minutes. Pack a quick bag and split the rest of the supplies between you and the others.

Also, the note is for you from Hayden. As if that isn't obvious. Don't read it until after you leave and are alone. He didn't say why. Just asked me to make sure that you promise on the Styx to wait."

"Oh..okay," I replied, a hint of unease in my voice. I picked the envelope out of the box and stared at the surprisingly neat print. A litany of things went through my mind as I thought about all the reasons Hayden could ask for a promise on the Styx. A promise made upon the River Styx carried a lot of weight. It was binding and should not get taken lightly. I wasn't sure if I wanted to make that kind of promise.

Elysia bit her lip, looking apologetic. I'm going to need that promise. He said it's important."

I looked up at her. I wanted to trust Hayden and have the chance to read the note. There was no other choice.

"I promise on the River Styx that I will not read Hayden's letter until after I leave. In private."

Ely stared at me as though she were trying to decide whether to tell me something important or not. Her lips parted but closed again quickly.

She shook her head before speaking again, "okay, that sounds about right."

We bid our farewells, and I turned to go back inside. There wasn't a whole lot of time to get ready. I washed up and changed into skinny black jeans, a teal henley, and my black leather combat boots. Usually, I wouldn't go anywhere without my Converse sneakers, but I figured they offered more in the way of all-terrain protection. I had no idea what else to expect. I slipped my new belt around my waist and grabbed a backpack, and tossed a few changes of clothes, toiletries, plus a third of the supplies. Hayden's letter, I placed it in the front pocket of the bag. I pulled my hair back into a sloppy bun and looked around the room to make sure I didn't forget anything.

On my nightstand, I spotted my music box—a gift from Poseidon on my first birthday. I always carried it with me to camp or on long trips. Sometimes, the melody it plays helps me sleep. I picked it up and opened it, letting the soft notes play as my fingers traced the intricate designs on the box.

I kept two things in the music box. A locket, another meaningful gift. This one from Uncle Tyson. I wore the locket on special occasions, never wanting to lose or damage something so important. I had the strong urge to wear it now. The newest addition was the drachma that Athena used to brand me.

I slipped the coin into the pocket of my jeans and the necklace up over my head just as Masen sat up in bed. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, then noticed I was getting ready to leave.

"You're leaving already?" he asked, and it came out sounding kind of mumbled as he tried to stifle another yawn.

I closed my music box and tucked it in the front pocket of my bag along with the letter, "Yeah, Apollo wants to get started early. Will you say goodbye to Jace for me?"

Rather than answer, he got out of bed and padded barefoot across the room to hug me. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he clung to me, not wanting to let go. I hugged him tight in return and dropped a kiss on his blonde hair.

"Hey, it's going to be fine. We'll find the Parthenos, kick some monster butt and be back before the week is over." I said, pulling back but still unwilling to let him go.

Masen frowned at me. "I'd make you promise on the Styx, but then you'd have less time for the quest. You have ten days, and you'll need every last one."

I coughed. One promise on the river was more than enough for one day. I tried to smile and ruffled his hair. I shrugged the bag onto my good shoulder and picked up Elysia's supplies that were sitting on my bed.

"Can't...can't I just go with you? I can help you find the statue." Masen pleaded, his voice sounding like it was about to break.

He sat down on my bed, his eyes wet with tears. I hadn't seen Masen cry since he was a toddler. I crouched down in front of him and wiped away a few of the tears.

"Hey, none of this now…"

Masen cut me off and glared,

"You promised. You promised you would be here with me. And now you're leaving, and what if something terrible happens?"

"I will be back," I assured him, "so you guys better plan an amazing birthday party. Can you do that for me?"

He sniffled, wiping at his eyes, trying to get rid of the tears, and then nodded.

"I love you. Tell Jace, okay?"

Masen made a face. "Eww."

I grinned at him, ruffling his hair one last time before moving towards the door.

"Charlie… what if it's not a monster."

I stopped cold in the doorway, turning to look at him. "What?"

"You said you'd kick monster butt." Masen clarified. "What if it's not? What if— what if it's a mortal. A human."

I sucked in a breath and exhaled. I hadn't thought any demigod or mortal would be stupid enough to take the Parthenos, matter how much Athena wanted to blame the kids from Camp Jupiter. Fighting a friend or starting a war wasn't in the plans.

But what if...

...a rival's wrath shall unleash

Obsessing about the prophecy wasn't going to solve anything at the moment. Prophecies are never precise in their meaning. The last line could mean anything.

I shook my head. "Then, I'll deal with that when the time comes."

I walked out of the cabin, not wanting to think about it anymore. Suppose I stopped to dwell on whether we were facing a monster or one of our own, a friend. It would tear me up inside.

Chuck was outside about to come up the deck's steps, and I brushed past him, not wanting to talk. Surprised, he hurried to catch up and fell into step beside me. He must have caught on to the current mood because we walked down the path to the camp borders in relative silence. Chuck didn't ask any questions.

The farm road wasn't far from the safety of Camp Half-blood's magical borders. I could see a small group assembled beside a large, pearly red minivan. Apollo was leaning against the vehicle, still a seventeen-year-old boy wearing a pair of cargo shorts and a white t-shirt that read: 'I would like to apologize to anyone I have not yet offended. Please be patient. I will get to you shortly.' in black, blocky letters. He completed the look with some flashy sunglasses, sandals, and golden hair tied back in a man bun again. The sun god was the epitome of a teenage beach bum and looked good while he was at it.

Near Apollo, with the automatic door standing open, sat Sam Zhang. It seemed like he looked different every time I saw him. First an armored legionnaire, then as a member of the Roman senate, and now just an average teenage boy dressed in faded jeans and a plain, gray t-shirt with the sleeves pushed up. His attention was on a camera he was fiddling with, and it seemed like the most ordinary thing in the world compared to transforming into a big black bear.

My parents and Chiron, in his wheelchair disguise, rounded the group. They were standing off to the side in deep conversation. The first to spot us approaching was Apollo himself. He looked at me over the rim of his expensive-looking sunglasses and winked.

"Nice of you to join us, fearless leader," Apollo said, drawing everyone's attention.

"Yeah, thanks for the wake-up call." I shot back, "she's quite punctual."

I neglected to say that Athena woke me up rather than his granddaughter, Elysia, but I wasn't about to share my borderline nightmares.

"I know." he smirked, "isn't she pretty?"

"Not as pretty as you think you are, I'm sure."

"I'm sure that was sarcasm, but I'll take it as a compliment." Apollo laughed, "are we ready to get this show on the road? Kind of on a schedule here."

"I'm good to go," Sam said. The centurion put the camera in his bag and shoved it underneath one of the seats before he got to his feet when my parents approached.

Dad gave me a one-armed hug and glanced over at Sam, giving him the 'dad stare.'

I rolled my eyes, knowing my father's protective streak very well. It was mortifying. Sam just sort of shrank back, his eyes wide and nervous. The tips of his ears tinged pink. The reaction seemed to amuse my dad.

"We're going now." I reminded him and extricated myself from his embrace.

Before I could get too far, he took hold of my wrist and pulled me back toward him, his face serious. "Be careful."

Then he unobtrusively tucked a folded envelope into my jeans front pocket before letting me go. I went to hug mom and didn't dare check my pocket. It had to be something important if Dad was so secretive about it.

Sam and Chuck escaped into the back of the van, and Apollo took up the driver's seat. I went around to the other side to get in on the passenger side. Once we were all situated, the van roared to life, and Apollo pulled back on the wheel. To my surprise, instead of going forward, we floated upwards, then began to gain speed and altitude.

I wish I'd had some sort of warning. A tiny whimper escaped me as my hands tightened on the armrest of my seat, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I don't like flying in mechanical contraptions. No planes. No helicopters. And absolutely no magical flying vehicles. Oddly enough, I can handle a pegasus. There is a certain amount of control and trust with a living creature.

Cars aren't supposed to fly—yet. Children of Poseidon do not belong in the sky, and Zeus doesn't particularly like sharing his domain.

"Since when do minivans fly?" I asked, voice tight.

"Oh...since I came into possession of the Sun Chariot. Several centuries ago. Millenia, in fact." he replied offhandedly, "Are you alright over there, Charlie? You're looking kind of green."

"Just...just watch where you are going and let me know when we're back on solid ground."

"Oh, come on now, Babe. You're with me. What could go wrong?"

…

You would think a god of prophecies would know better.

Take my advice, do not ever challenge the powers of worse, and definitely don't ask 'what could go wrong.' Once you do, you are tempting the Fates. Yep, that's right. The Fates. Not singular. Not the mortal's idea of fate. We're talking three divine beings that pretty much control destiny. The Fates, or Moirai as they are often called, consist of; Clothos the Fate of Birth, Lachesis the Fate of Life, and Atropos the Fate of Death. Let's just say that you don't want to come across them.

"Here's our stop," Apollo announced.

I felt the sun minivan veer off course and dip in altitude. Even though the 'drive' had been smooth, I could feel any shift in direction, and my stomach churned uncomfortably. I carefully avoided looking out the window as we lost altitude.

The minute Apollo landed and parked the van, I got out of the car and promptly regretted it. I was still nauseous from the flight. I had to take a few deep breaths and hope I could settle my stomach. My companions, however, were more interested in our new location. From the sounds of it, they were impressed.

We were in the parking lot of a very luxurious and expensive-looking hotel. The building itself was modern, sporting windows from top to bottom, glimmering and twinkling as lights turned on and off in their rooms. It looked forty, maybe fifty, stories high. Basking in the sunlight, you could see the entrance, a large rectangular building only three of those forty stories, swept neatly to the side of it. It had a nameplate across the top in gold cursive writing: The Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel.

"Lester," I hissed, being careful not to use his godly name around the busy hotel, "where are we, and how are we supposed to afford a place like this."

"We're in Vancouver, Canada, and don't you worry about the cost. This one is on me." He replied dismissively, already strolling to the entrance of the building.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and hurried after him, "We can't pay for this in gold—"

I stopped talking mid-sentence and did a double-take. Sitting at a bench just outside were three ancient-looking women. Usually, I wouldn't have given them a second thought, except it was such a strange place for them to sit and knit a humongous scarf. The old ladies on either side were doing the knitting while the lady sitting between them held a basket of blue yarn. As I watched, the woman with the basket produced a large pair of gold shears. The gold glinted in the sunlight, and one by one, the old ladies looked straight at me. I stared back, frozen in place with the hairs on my arms standing on end. I recognized them immediately.

Snip

The middle Moirai sister cut the yarn. I gasped, turning to see if anyone else had noticed, but Apollo and the others had disappeared into the hotel lobby. The Fates were gone too. There was nothing else to do but follow the others inside.

The Fairmont Pacific Hotel's lobby was something to behold; all polished marble, gleaming crystal chandeliers, and fine wood furnishing everywhere. I caught up to my group just in time to see Apollo snap his finger as we approached the check-in desk. The seventeen-year-old beach bum was nowhere in sight. A sophisticated, slightly older man, maybe in his thirties, stood in the god's place. He'd gone with short, trimmed brunette curls for the occasion and more stylish attire. There was a suave celebrity vibe to the outfit he was wearing; a black Giorgio Armani long sleeve sport shirt and slate-gray tapered trousers. Leather lace-up dress shoes replaced the sandals on his feet. Nobody noticed the change with Apollo's manipulation of the mist.

The young female attendant suddenly sat up straighter and appeared more attentive as though she were preparing to deal with an important customer.

"Well, hello there, sweetheart. If you wouldn't mind checking us into a suite for four. The best you've got available, please." Apollo said, his voice buttery smooth as he removed his sunglasses to reveal bright cornflower blue eyes.

He unleashed the most disarming smile I'd ever seen, and the girl just melted.

"Yes, of course, Sir. Right away."

"Thank you." Apollo replied and paused to look at her name tag, "Jenny."

"Under what name shall we be reserving these rooms?" Jenny asked as she typed. She was trying to hide the fact that her cheeks had turned a rosy shade of pink behind the computer screen.

"Lester Papadopoulos,"

"How many nights, Sir?"

"Just for tonight. I'm here on business, you see."

He took a wallet out of his back pocket and removed a driver's license and a shiny black American Express card. If you looked at it closely, an Olympian Express logo was stamped across the plastic. Apollo slid the two cards across the counter. Jenny's eyes widened when she took them to finish the reservation.

"All done, Mr. Papadopoulos. You're on the twenty-second floor, the first suite on your left. Is there anything else I can do for you today?" She asked, returning his ID and credit card along with a pair of key cards.

"That's perfect, dear. If you could just point us in the right direction to the elevators?"

Still looking a bit flushed, Jenny directed us toward the nearest elevator bank, and we were on our way. We arrived on the twenty-second floor and as promised the room wasn't too far. Apollo still had the key cards, so he opened the door to the most spectacular view of the city of Vancouver's skyline. I immediately thought of my mom and her love for dramatic architecture, knowing that she would have loved to see it.

The luxury suite continued the opulence from the lobby with its rich decor and elegance. We had to take a look around. There were two oversized marble spa bathrooms, modern furnishings in every room, state-of-the-art tech, plush king-sized beds with luxurious linens. They had LCD TVs with sound systems in each of the bathrooms and big fluffy terry bathrooms! I made a mental note to at least try the deep soaker tub before we left. Part of me wished this was a real vacation.

Once we had our fill of admiring the accommodations, we retreated to the living room area. I sat on the couch with the boys, and Apollo took the armchair.

"I trust you like the fancy digs?" Apollo asked.

"Yes, and we appreciate it, Lord Apollo, but if you excuse my forwardness, we have more important things to talk about right now," I said, trying to focus on the quest.

"Of that, I have no doubt." he agreed, "what did you have to discuss?"

"The Moirai," I replied.

Sam, who was looking through the pictures he'd been taking, looked up in alarm, "The Parcae, here?"

"The what?" I asked.

"It's what the Romans call the Fates." Apollo explained, "Now Charlotte, this is important. Did they look at you? Did they cut the yarn?"

I nodded. I already knew it wasn't good news.

"Straight at me." I clarified.

"This isn't good," Apollo said, echoing my thoughts. "I just don't see…"

He trailed off, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Maybe it's a warning? A bad omen for sure, but it doesn't have to mean your death." Sam offered, trying to sound hopeful.

"Oh, gee Sam, I feel so much better now." I shot back sarcastically.

The last thing I needed on this quest was a death sentence, and I didn't need to hear this coming from a Pluto kid.

"Nobody is going to die." Chuck said decisively, "the Fates are like prophecies. It doesn't always mean what you think. Besides, you've got your protector right here. I'm not letting anything happen to you."

"Thank you, Chuck, but I don't want anything to happen to you either."

"The satyr is right. They may be trying to tell you something, but whatever it is, your guess is as good as mine. You three will have to be very careful from here on out. Vancouver is as far as I can take you. As you well know, Zeus doesn't want us interfering." Apollo leaned forward in his chair, zeroing in on me as he continued to speak, "my advice is you get your bearings today and prepare. Stick together and follow the mark as Athena says. Pray that she'll guide you. Avoid any fights if you can. I think there is more to this than we know, but you have to stay focused."

I frowned at the bit about Athena but kept my mouth shut. There was no need to tell him that I would have better luck listening to my gut. He was right about one thing, though. I couldn't let myself get distracted.

"We'll be careful," I assured him.

"Good girl." Apollo praised and then glanced at Sam and Chuck, "you two knuckleheads better look after her. Old Earthshaker won't be too happy if anything happens to her. Arguments between him and Athena can get pretty nasty. "

"Not on my watch," they said in unison, then turned to glare at each other.

Apollo didn't look convinced, but he stood and regarded us. "I've got one last gift. It's Sam, right?"

"Yes, Lord."

"I remember your father used to be good with a bow. Are you?" the god asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"He still is, Sir. Taught me everything he knows."

"I thought as much." Apollo snapped his finger, and a bow appeared in his hands along with a full quiver of arrows, "Now this is no god's bow, but it'll serve you well, and the arrows have a few neat tricks you might find... useful."

Sam accepted the gifts with a great deal of admiration and reverence. "I don't know what to say. Thank you, Lord Apollo. I'm honored."

"No need to thank me," he said. "I already know I'm awesome. Unfortunately, I can't stay. It's time for me to go before my father gets on my case again. I wish you good luck on your quest."

Apollo smiled his hundred-watt smile and saluted. We shielded our eyes as the entire room filled with a bright light, and then he was gone.

…

After Apollo left, we decided to explore the city a little bit. I was honestly hoping that something would trigger the Mark of Athena. Anything that would help us develop a plan for our next course of action. We got dropped off in Vancouver without a clue other than we needed to head north. The three of us went back down to the lobby. Sam picked up a city map from the tourist display at the front desk, and we were on our way.

"So, how about lunch?" Chuck queried.

I groaned, "I can't think about food. I'm still feeling sort of queasy after flying around in the chariot. I'll wait until dinner."

"Oh no, Mermaid girl. The men gotta eat." He nudged Sam, who was trying to make sense of the map, "what do you say, Soldier boy?"

"Huh?" Sam asked, only half invested in the conversation, "Oh, food. Yea, sure."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. What do we have nearby?"

"There's a taco place about seven minutes from here on foot." Sam supplied.

"I'm always down for some nachos." Chuck enthused.

"We come all this way to Vancouver, and that's what you two want? Don't you want to try something a little more local?" I asked.

Sam shrugged, "What's wrong with tacos?"

"Nothing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with nachos and tacos. Let's just move." I replied, motioning for Sam to lead the way.

From the Fairmont, we headed east and made a right onto Burrard St. After a few minutes; we were in front of some steps that led up to the restaurant. I noted what looked like a daily specials menu written in big, bright yellow letters on the window.

"La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop," Chuck read off the sign overhead, "sounds good to me."

"Since when do you read or speak Spanish?" I asked him as we walked inside.

"I travel a lot. It's nice to get to know the locals, and it comes in handy, especially down in Miami."

The taco shop was roomier inside than I thought. There was a low-key minimalist, industrial kind of vibe about the place, and it was very lively at the lunch rush hour. The three of us approached the counter to place our orders. The music was loud, and we struggled to be heard over it until they turned it down a few notches and apologized. They gave us our ice-cold drinks from the commercial fridge behind them and one of those number cards with a table stand; then they told us to have a seat.

The service was pretty good. The beverages were glass-bottled fruity sodas called 'Jarritos.' The boys each got a pineapple-flavored one, and I picked out a lime one for myself. It tasted pretty good. The server was pretty quick to bring out our order of nachos.

I picked at the house-made corn chips as we discussed our game plan. I wasn't particularly proud of the fact that I was leading this quest with no clue what to do.

"After we eat, we can just walk around the area and do some sightseeing." Sam suggested, "something here has to trigger the Mark of Athena."

"What if we wait for the sun to go down? The prophecy said something about the Dog's Tail. Apollo and my mom both think that means the North Star."

Sam reached for a chip and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully, "That's not a bad idea. We have to check out the stars tonight."

"The hotel has a great view for stargazing," Chuck added.

The rest of our food came then, and it smelled terrific, or maybe I had regained my appetite. It didn't seem like any of us had breakfast. We had picked things out off the most popular list on the chalkboard menu behind the counter. I ordered the Carnitas Taco; pork confit, pickled onions, and salsa verde with chopped onions and cilantro on flour tortillas. Sam got Fish Baja Tacos, and our resident vegetarian satyr got a cheese quesadilla.

After we finished our meals, I cleared the table, and Sam ordered a second round of sodas. We opened our map and spread it out on the table in front of us. He pointed out a couple of places he thought we might want to see. The Museum of Vancouver was about twenty minutes away by bus, and there were a few other tourist-worthy locations within walking distance from there.

Thankfully, Sam thought ahead and grabbed a bus schedule along with the map back at the hotel. We checked the routes and itineraries and were soon on the next bus to the museum.

We spent the rest of the day like tourists, and Sam was pretty good as a guide. I was surprised to find out that he was reasonably fluent in French, which helped on a few occasions. His dad is Canadian and spoke French, and his mom, who was born in Louisiana, did too. After the museum, we went to the HR Macmillan Space Centre, which included a very cool planetarium and observatory. Sam took tons of pictures, especially of the scenic views from the English Bay.

At sunset, we made our way back to the hotel, crossing False Creek on the Aquabus and another bus to get us across town. We were tired and hungry, so we decided to order room service and call it a day. I collapsed onto the plush sofa the minute we got back and groaned in relief when I pulled off my boots.

"Why do people call this a vacation, again?" I asked rhetorically.

"Learn some culture, Little Neptune." Sam teased while tossing a couch cushion at me, "I thought we had a lot of fun today."

I ducked the projectile and made a face at the epithet, "what's with the new nickname? I'm not Roman."

"You can be both. Besides, it has a nice ring to it."

I was able to snatch the pillow he'd thrown and threw it back at him, hitting my target, "If I let that slide, people will start calling me Nemo or something."

Sam laughed, "I like that, actually."

"Don't you dare!" I exclaimed though we were all laughing.

Chuck reached for the remote on the coffee table and turned on the entertainment center getting ready to channel surf and see if there was anything worth watching. Room service arrived not long after, so we settled in to eat with some random flick he wanted to watch playing in the background.

The movie didn't hold my interest for long, so I excused myself when everyone finished their meals. A soak in the tub and turning in early sounded promising. My backpack was in the bedroom, and that was where I took myself. Shutting the door behind me, I dug up a change of clothes. As I undressed, an envelope fell out of my jeans pocket. I had forgotten entirely that my dad had given it to me before we left camp.

Inside there was a debit card and some loose cash, along with a small note written in my dad's familiar untidy scrawl.

Use the money and card wisely. Be safe.

I love you, Mermaid.

My father's words made my heartache. Some hero I turned out to be. Barely a day away from my family, and I was already homesick. I sat at the foot of the bed and sighed. The note from Dad also reminded me that I had one from Hayden that I needed to read too. I reached for my bag and pulled the missive out of the front pocket where I'd tucked it away for safekeeping. The cursive script was a little harder to decipher, but I took my time.

Charlie,

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry that I bailed on you last night, and I'm sorry that I wasn't there to see you off in the morning. I was so angry. With him. The Gods. Not with you… never with you. I can't just stay here and wait at camp. I have a plan. I'll catch up to you guys soon. Don't do anything crazy until then.

Be careful, Mermaid girl.

So he wasn't mad at me after all. I hated the way things ended at the council meeting, and his assurances were such a relief. I'll admit my heart skipped a beat at the thought of him joining us on the quest. I was torn by the desire to see Hayden and wanting him to stay safe at camp. It would have been better to go solo on this quest. Sam and Chuck were enough to worry about.

I could see why Hayden wanted me to promise that I wouldn't read the letter until after we left camp. He didn't want me to change his mind or attempt to stop him. I was willing to bet that he didn't want anyone else to know what he was up to either, especially not Sam.

There was no point in dwelling on things I had no control over, so I folded the letter back up and tucked it into my music box. I made myself get up, set the music box, and my pockets' contents on the nightstand, then finished undressing.

…

I must have been exhausted because I fell asleep in the spa-sized tub. There is no other possible explanation. Suddenly I was outside and could see a circular, industrial building with a sizeable globe-like sphere that was completely lit up by blue lights. It reflected spectacularly over the waterfront of False Creek against the night sky.

It was like I was watching a scene play out from afar. What stood out to me were the stars. One seemed to outshine the rest even though it competed with the lights from the tall highrise buildings and the enormous sphere. I wasn't sure it was even possible because the city lights were so bright they could easily blot out the faintest of stars.

I could just make out the outline of the little dipper, and sure enough, at the very end of the handle was the North Star. Excited about the prospect of a clue, I wanted to wake up somehow and tell the others, but apparently, there was more for me to see.

Massive shapes moved in the shadows of the domed building. One by one, five, eight-foot-tall giant figures stepped into view.

"This is boring," one grumbled. The giant slammed an iron club against the side of the building, causing a crack in the wall.

The tallest of the bunch knocked the first giant upside the head, "shut up, idiot. The job is worth the sweet demi-god meal. We'll have a nice barbecue soon enough."

I'm going to go out a limb and guess the tallest ugly is the head honcho because the first one grunted and kept his mouth shut.

Another one laughed, "I wonder if their gods will enjoy a nice tribute of flesh from their puny brats."

Honcho grinned, showing a mouth full of yellow pointed teeth. "I'm told Poseidon's blood is among them. Perseus Jackson's spawn. I will enjoy the taste of his pain."

Dad? I wondered, how does he know my father?

"The girl is mine," a female voice said. "I'm the one that had to wait all this time for your return. The son of the Sea God owes me a blood debt."

"And he will pay, Babycakes.' he laughed, turning to the giantess.

In the light, I got a better view of the monster and his arm full of tattoos. One in particular on his bulging bicep caught my attention: JB luvs Babycakes. The leader, whom I now assumed was JB had a projectile the size of a cannonball in his beefy mitts. He turned as though he knew I was there and threw it straight at me!