After eight hours, Gohan had made a new discovery about himself.
"I hate cars!" he throught in frustration, awkwardly shifting in his cramped seat. That earned him an elbow in the side, causing him to yelp in annoyance.
"Stop whining, you big baby." Thalia snorted. Gohan gave her a scathing glare.
"I'm just saying, I prefer flying!" Gohan could have sworn that Thalia paled for a second, but quickly regained her composure.
"Well, sorry that we can't all fly wherever we want at five hundred miles per hour like some type of super man!" Thalia countered.
"Guys, come on. We're almost there!" Annabeth interrupted, her eyes darting from Gohan to Thalia. After a long pause, Thalia finally snorted and stuck her nose back into the novel she was trying to read. In the front seat, Percy and his mother traded looks. Gohan groaned in exasperation as he leaned back and reflected on the past eight hours.
It had been an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine. Sleet and snow pounded the highway. It had been an entertaining eight hours to say the least. After meeting with Percy, they had driven to Brooklyn to pick up Annabeth and Thalia at the boarding school that they were both attending, close enough to Camp Half-Blood that Chiron could help if they got in any trouble. It was an all- girls school. Thankfully, they got there just as school let out, and caught Annabeth and Thalia right as they were leaving the building. Needless to say, they jumped right on board, though Thalia and Gohan were a little… tense towards each other. Needless to say, the car ride was awkward to say the least. Gohan, Annabeth, Thalia, and Percy hadn't seen each other in months, but between the blizzard and the thought of what they were about to do, they were too nervous to talk much. To be fair, he wasn't talking more to avoid conversation with Thalia than out of fear. Instead, he tried to chat with Annabeth. It was a bit frustrating, as Thalia had deliberately sat herself right between Gohan and Annabeth, taking up the middle seat.
One amusing ease of the tension came from Percy's mom, as it turns out she talks more when she's nervous. By the time they finally got to Westover Hall, it was getting dark, and she'd told them every embarrassing baby story there was to tell about Percy, earning a few laughs and snickers in response, much to Percy's chagrin. Though, he had a strong feeling that his own mother would have done exactly the same thing.
Thalia wiped the fog off the car window and peered outside. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."
Westover Hall looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the gray churning ocean on the other. Just looking at it gave Gohan an ominous feeling. He reached out with his ki senses. They had improved somewhat since he had first arrived, but it was still very foggy. He could sense things, but very muddled and blurry. Then, Gohan sensed… something. His face darkened, but didn't say anything. Annabeth noticed, though. She was good at reading him.
"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" Percy's mother asked.
"No, thanks, Mom," Percy said. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay. After all, we've got the daughter of Zeus and a boy who can vaporize mountains with his finger. We'll be okay."
"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy."
Percy hoped he wasn't blushing.
"It's okay, Ms. Jackson." Annabeth smiled reassuringly. Her blond hair was tucked into a ski cap and her gray eyes were the same color as the ocean. We'll keep him out of trouble. Keeping Gohan from raiding the kitchen? That's another story." That got a chuckle out of everyone. Gohan simply smiled and rolled his eyes.
"First I have to find it." That got another chorus of laughter.
Percy's mom seemed to relax a little. She thinks Annabeth is the most levelheaded demigod ever to hit eighth grade. She's sure Annabeth often kept him from getting killed. She's right, but that doesn't mean he have to like it. Plus, Gohan had saved his neck too on more than one occasion. Having someone who could fly, had super strength, and shot energy beams out of his hands was a great asset.
"All right, dears," Percy's mom said. "Do you have everything you need?" "Yes, Ms. Jackson," Thalia said. "Thanks for the ride." "Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?" "Mom—"
"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"
"I can fly, you know." Gohan muttered beneath his breath.
"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."
Annabeth, Thalia and Gohan followed Percy outside. The wind blew straight through his coat like ice daggers. Gohan pressed his lips together as he clenched his fest and rolled his neck, making several cracking noises.
Once her car was out of sight, Thalia said, "Your mom is so cool, Percy."
"That's something we all agree on."
"She's pretty okay," Percy admitted. "What about you, Thalia? You ever get in touch with your mom?"
As soon as Percy said it, he wished he hadn't. Thalia was great at giving evil looks, what with the punk clothes she always wears—the ripped-up army jacket, black leather pants and chain jewelry, the black eyeliner and those intense blue eyes. But the look she gave Percy now was a perfect evil "ten."
"If that was any of your business, Percy—"
"Gohan, what's wrong?" Annabeth interrupted. Everyone turned to look at Gohan, who once again had a dark expression on his face. Percy was a little unnerved at the sight.
"We're being watched." That statement sent chills down everyone's spine. Thalia's hand reached towards her wristwatch, while Percy reached for his pen. Almost as if by cue, a soft giggle echoed through the air.
"Come and play, little demigods… don't keep us waiting." Then, a rustle of leaves whistled in the air, followed by silence. After a long tense minute, Gohan finally spoke.
"Whatever that was, it's gone." Percy released the breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding, rushing from him like helium from a balloon.
"What was that?" he asked. Annabeth and Thalia shook their heads.
"No idea. Sounded like it was female, though. Which could mean any of a large number of monsters." Thalia answered. Percy shook his head.
"It said us. So, there's more than one." Annabeth noted.
"That's just great. So, we have no idea what we're walking into." Percy grumbled.
"Yep."
Thalia looked at the castle and shivered. "You're right. I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call."
"Nothing good…" Gohan sighed as he shook his head.
"This is a trap, isn't it?" he asked.
"Probably."
"So… what do we do?"
"Simple. We spring it. Let the enemy tip their hand."
"That's your plan? Walk into a trap? What happened to Athena always has a plan?" Annabeth breathed into her hands and rubbed them.
"Come on, Grover will be waiting." She strode off towards the school, with Thalia close behind.
"Girls!" Percy muttered. That got a chuckle out of Gohan.
"She does have a point, Percy. We can just rush into a school of kids guns blazing. We don't know anything yet. Besides, I'm pretty sure we combined can handle anything they have to throw at us."
"I hope you're right." They took off after the girls, stomping through the snow.
On the roof of Westover Hall, two figures watched the small group approach. The first was cloaked in silver armor, his piercing grey eyes narrowed into thin slits. The second smiled, her golden aura a stark contrast to the white winter landscape. Standing near her was like having a heater; she was warm to the touch.
"They came. Exactly as you predicted." The boy didn't answer as he continued to study them. Watching. Observing. Calculating.
"Still silent as ever, I see." She hummed softly as she leaned against a stone column and stroked the lyre in her hand, letting the notes fill the air as she began to sing:
"He flew through the towers of the city, down from Mount Olympus on high. Through beasts and monsters plenty, He fought to his lover's side.For she was his forbidden treasure, with golden hair and knife. She was his secret passion, full of longing and bliss. For power and glory are nothing, compared to a woman's warmth and kiss. For hands of gold are always cold, but a woman's hands are warm! For hands of gold are always cold, but a woman's hands are warm…" she trailed off, letting the notes shimmer in the air before fading into silence.
"What do you think? One of my latest pieces." She pouted in annoyance when she was met with silence yet again.
Then, a rush of air signaled the arrival of the final member of their party. She landed next to them, giggling with a wide smile on her face. A pink aura pulsed around her, shimmering in the snow. Everything about her was fluid, always changing.
"Took you long enough, Amortentia." The girl rolled her eyes.
"Enough! He spoke, causing them both to look at him with intrigue. His grey eyes pierced into them. That was the most unsettling thing about him. He rarely spoke, but he didn't need to. Anything he needed to say one could read just off his impression. Amortentia scoffed as she strode over to him and purred as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Why so serious? We're about to have so much fun. So many demigods, come to play… I want the daughter of Zeus for myself. The Athena girl is all yours…" she purred into his ear. The boy smiled.
"We need them all alive." She let out a clearly over exaggerated whine and twirled away from him.
"Party-pooper."
"Enough. You both know what to do." The two girls nodded and vanished in flashes of gold and pink, respectively. The boy turned and looked back down as the group reached the doors. His grey eyes twinkled in both excitement and anticipation as silver sparks danced across his body.
"Finally…"