Chapter Four: We Hitch a Ride with the Sun God

To say it was strange seeing the transformation of Thalia after a year with the Hunters would be a huge understatement. She had lost her rebel-spirit look, and now wore the same jeans and neat silver jacket as everyone else in the group. Her hair was smooth and natural, and she had a glow like the rest. Of course, she didn't look any older because she wasn't any older. She was immortal now.

"Hi, Percy. Not as scrawny as I remember you being," she said. She seemed more comfortable around me than the rest of the maidens. Maybe because she'd known me before she took the pledge.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically. Annabeth ran up to Thalia and gave her a hug.

"I missed you, Thalia," she said.

"Missed you too, Annabeth," she replied.

"All right, all right, break it up," said Mr. D, striding forward. "We'll have time for mushy reunions later. Or maybe we won't. I prefer the second option. So, Perry Johansson or Peter Johnson or whatever your name is, who are your choices?"

Chiron interrupted before I could reply. "Oh, and whoever is chosen, remember: great danger is prophesized, and one may not come back. So proceed on the quest with caution. Sorry, Percy, continue please."

I took a deep breath. "Annabeth?"

"Definitely," she said.

"Thalia?"

"Yes." She smiled.

"Then that's settled!" said Chiron, smiling. "Percy, you can go back to Manhattan and ask Rachel if she wants to come with you and then get started on your quest. Good luck, and may the gods be with you," he said solemnly.

"Thanks," I said quietly. I was trying to hide the fact that I was terrified out of my wits, but I think that Annabeth might've been able to see through it. Grover surely could.

"What if Rachel doesn't want to go?" said Annabeth, sounding kind of hopeful. It was a false hope. Rachel would never miss this chance.

"Then we'll work something out…you can always take another Hunter or Mrs. O'Leary," said Chiron.

"Come on," said Apollo, "If you want a ride we have to get going before sundown!"

"Still think Apollo is hot?" I teased Thalia. It would be funny to compare her reaction now to before she was a Hunter.

"Yes," she said, and for a moment I was wondering if she was really a Hunter. Then she said, "But he's the sun god. Of course he's hot." I relaxed after that.

I got into the shotgun seat of the car (now transformed back into the Maserati Spyder), looking wistfully at the joystick/steering wheel. Behind me, I heard Artemis yelling at her brother:

"If my Hunter comes back and reports you so much as looking at her during the duration of the trip, I will personally shoot you with an arrow! No flirting with my Hunter, no wooing my Hunter!"

I turned around; Thalia was grinning in the back seat of the car at Artemis threatening her twin brother. Annabeth was turned around like me, watching the fight.

"Okay, okay, I won't! Hey Thalia honey, you trust me, don't you?" asked Apollo.

"What did I just say? And no nicknames either, that reminds me." She notched a silver arrow and aimed it at Apollo's chest. "Get in the car before I shoot you."

"Calm down, sis, I'm going," he said, returning to the car. We all faced forward again, my eyes returning to the driver's seat. Apollo sat in the car and seemed to sense the direction of my gaze.

"Hey, Percy, you want to drive?" he asked, smiling mischievously.

"But…I don't have lessons until fall," I said.

"Hey, that's okay. Nobody else has to know," he winked.

I hesitated. "Okay," I said finally.

He got out of the car and I scooted over the armrest to the driver's seat. Apollo sat in the passenger's seat. One look in the rearview mirror told me that becoming a member of the Hunters hadn't gotten rid of Thalia's fear of heights. Her eyes were wide, and sparks were coming out of her fingertips, clenched tight over the leather seat.

The sun chariot was very similar to a regular car, except of course it was solar-powered, and had an ultra-powerful air conditioner (no heater). I turned the key in the ignition, and the engine purred in a way that would make a racecar jealous. I glanced in the rearview mirror again: I could see the Hunters watching us and Thalia's face turning green. Annabeth looked slightly nervous, but eager too. I pulled the joystick back gently and the sun chariot reared up like an agitated stallion. And speaking of horses, I could hear the Blackjack and the other pegasi in the nearby stables, shouting at me in their heads.

Yo, boss! What are you thinking? The silver girl's dad is gonna blast you outta the sky if you're not careful!

Lord! Lord! Be careful!

Apollo laughed. "Those pegasi are really upset," he said.

"Yeah," I said. Then I thought to the pegasi: Relax! I'll be fine! I doubt that Zeus is going to send lightning bolts at a car with his daughter inside.

If you really think so, boss…

Apollo laughed again. I leveled the Spyder slightly so we were at a more relaxed angle, and pushed the joystick forward to gain speed. I whooped. Annabeth screamed in fear or exhilaration, I wasn't sure. Thalia gritted her teeth so tightly together I was worried they would shatter. Beside me Apollo was beaming in a way that put the sun we were carrying to shame. My face was stretched as we gained speed, like in those zero-g simulations at NASA to train astronauts.

"You're a natural at this, Percy!" shouted Apollo over the roar of the wind and the engine.

"Thanks!"

"I'm really glad you survived, Percy," he said very seriously.

"Me, too!" I laughed. Let's just hope it goes as well this time around…The thought was directed toward Apollo. Do you see anything good in the future?

I can't tell you that, his voice sounded in my head, and I could practically hear his wicked smile. But I can advise you to take advantage of what Aphrodite told you before it's too late.

What…?!

You know what I'm talking about.

No offense, but gods are very nosy about my business, I grumbled mentally.

Yeah, Aphrodite was practically drooling during the incident at Mount St. Helens. I grimaced inwardly and looked out at the land below. But I couldn't block the thoughts going through my mind now. I wish what Aphrodite had said was true, that Annabeth really did want to be close. But after finding out Luke was Kronos, she'd been pretty much avoiding me for the most part. She hadn't said anything directly to me since I'd gotten to camp.

I glanced back at Annabeth, and she met my eyes. I smiled a little, and then sighed when she looked away. I could sense Apollo staring at me with pity.

I pushed the sun chariot harder, until the light of the sun chariot reflected off the skyscrapers of Manhattan. I slowed, tilting the joystick to the right toward Upper East Side. I had to remember not to fly too low as I was in danger of catching something on fire.

"Where do I land? I don't know where she lives," I said.

"Keep going in this direction," Apollo said. He was silent for a while. Then: "Here!" I pulled up sharply and twisted the Spyder around, doing a donut with the car in midair.

"Where do I land?" I asked.

"Over here, in this field to the left." I landed where he asked, swiveling the joystick back and forth, burning an oval of grass to cinders in the process. Thalia stumbled out of the car faster than the lightning she threw. Annabeth and I followed after, with Apollo getting out last.

"Follow me please," said Apollo, practically bouncing in his haste to meet "the mysterious mortal who hit Kronos in the eye with a hairbrush." I was sure he heard about that incident up on Olympus.

After a few blocks of honking cars, people waving down taxis, and fat construction workers smoking and hooting at female passersby, we reached Rachel's house, a two-story building painted cream with a veranda. It was located on the edge of the city, inching into the suburbs with its upper-income and cookie-cutter townhouse neighborhoods. I went up to the door and used the brass knocker to rap the door three times.

I saw a pale face surrounded by dark red hair pop around the curtain behind the windows on each side of the door. I smiled at her, and her face lit up. She opened the door and came out, giving me a hug. I felt kind of awkward, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"Uh, Rachel…" I fidgeted a little and my face was bright red. She let go, and laughed at my pained expression. Then she spotted Annabeth, Thalia and Apollo and became serious.

"Oh, she's here…are we going on another trip through the Labyrinth?" she asked.

"Not exactly…" I started. Annabeth was looking at us with something like murder in her eyes. I wonder what she was so furious about. Thalia's eyebrows were raised as she surveyed Annabeth. Luckily Apollo took over for me, telling Rachel about my quest.

"So, are you a Half-Blood, too? Are you like, Percy's brother or something?" Rachel asked Apollo.

"No, he's my cousin, Apollo," I said, grinning before I could stop myself.