The entire eleven hour bus ride Ellie was giving me pointers on sword technique. I have to admit, she knew a lot. She told me ways of parrying blades, maneuvering past shields and ways of tricking an opponent to move certain ways. Of course this was all theoretical until put into practice, but I would take all the help I could get.
By the time we arrived in San Francisco it was almost midnight. Even though it was mid summer, the coastal air brought the temperature down to what felt like freezing. In addition, in true San Francisco tradition, a dense combination of fog and smog had descended on the city. When we climbed off the bus by San Francisco park we immediately pulled our jackets out from our backpacks. Which actually was kind of a good thing, it covered the bloody tears that covered our camp shirts.
"Where to next?" I asked Lexie.
She shrugged as she some how stuffed her sword and bow into her jacket. She was wearing a stone gray jacket with a large snowy owl printed over her chest. "Ellie, you said you knew something about Austin's last known position?"
Ellie was wearing an orange 'Nike' jacket, which I found a little ironic considering she had almost ripped my head off when I joked about her mom being a shoe goddess. She had the hood pulled tightly over her head and clung to my arm like she was freezing.
"The recon team was over by some large bow and arrow." She answered through chattering teeth. "I think I could see the golden gate in the distance."
I thought for a moment. I had been to San Francisco plenty of times. When your dad is a history writer, you tend to get around. 'A giant bow that has a view of the golden gate bridge?' That sounds familiar. Then it struck me like a stone. "The Embarcadero!" I blurt out.
"The Ember- what?" Asked my sister confused.
"The Embarcadero." I answered. "It's a place on the eastern side of the island. There's a statue called Cupid's Span, that is probably the bow and arrow you are talking about."
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Lexie threw her pack back over her shoulder and motioned for me to follow her.
"Umm, Lex?" I stopped her. "East is that way." I pointed toward Oakland, across the bay. She stopped in her tracks and turned to face me and Ellie, embarrassed. "Maybe I should lead."

Turns out I was correct. The moment we stepped into the grassy area where the bow and arrow statue was, Ellie recognized it. She looked around for a moment, she used the Golden gate bridge in the distance as a reference to find where he called from.
"He must have called from there!" She announced, pointing toward a water fountain. We followed her over to the fountain. The streetlights lit up it's artistic fountain brilliantly.
We spent what felt like hours looking for any sign to where Austin had been taken, but found nothing. Lexie seemed to be getting more frustrated and sadder every moment. "He has to have left something!" She cursed. "Three people don't just disappear!" She seemed to break down in front of me. She collapsed on the rocky border of the fountain.
I looked to Ellie, who unhooked her arm from mine and sat down a few feet away, curled up in a ball, trying to heat herself up.
"Lexie, maybe it's time we called camp." I soothed, sitting down next to my crying sister and wrapping my arm around her. "It might be time to call it quits and have Annabeth come get us." She didn't answer. "I'm sorry Lex." I looked into her stormy gray eyes, tears out like rain drops.
"Sean, I didn't tell you this, but I came to either come back with Austin or not at all." She sobbed into my shoulder.
I was shocked, I knew she was sad but she planned on dying to find her boyfriend. "Lexie, how did that sound like a wise idea to you? You're more good to anyone alive than you are dead."
"It's not that simple, I need him to keep going." She answered. "He was there for me when I lost Kim, he's the reason I keep fighting."
"Lexie, I'm sorry." I answered slowly. "But there's nothing we can do know." She nodded and allowed me to pull her up. "Let's get you home."
"Not so fast!" Ordered a flamboyant voice behind us. We turned to see a tall black haired man with blood red eyes and an angular face. He was wearing a snow white suite and dove wings jutted out from his sharp shoulders. "I think you were looking for me? Everyone always is." He jumped down off the fountain holding a short bow.
"Who are you? Some sort of street performer?" I asked.
"No you moron, that's Cupid." Answered Ellie, appearing at my side.
"How come everyone always calls me that!" Complained the man. "Cupid is my Latin name, and that's something you don't wish I was, believe me."
"Then who are you?" I asked stupidly.
"I am Eros!" He answered. "God of passions, and erotic, powerful love and if you insult me again, I'll turn you into a dove." That was something I was certain was well within his capabilities so I took the hint and shut up.
"Excuse me Mr. Eros, but what my genius boyfriend means to say is..." Ellie pointed at me. "What do you mean by looking for you?"
"Everyone is always looking for love!" Responded the god. "That is what you're here for right? To make sure your love is true?"
At the mention of 'looking for love' he seemed to grab my sister's attention. "No, their relationship is unimportant!" Interrupted Lexie, pushing me away and approaching Eros. "Can you help me find my love though? He's been missing for a week and I need to find him."
"Oh no, it's you! The one Athena told me about!" Sighed the god,clutching his forehead like we were now a large headache. "Your mother is becoming a pain in my backside anymore, she's always forcing me to help... First that Annabell girl and that Percy kid, lucky for me, it worked out without my help. Now you and... and..." He paused for a moment. "What is this guys name?"
"Austin, blonde, tall, good with a bow, have you seen him?"
His blood red eyes closed for a moment. "Love is a dangerous thing my dear, are you sure you want to find him? It could get you killed."
"I have braved vampire cheerleaders, grouchy phoenixes, and a self centered musician, who by all rights should be dead, just to find him, you have to help me."
Eros nodded then reached behind him and pulled out a cartoon map of San Francisco. He threw the map into the air and notched a heart shaped arrow. He released the arrow and it flew through a small portion of the map. The piece of paper landed in Lexie's hands.
"Caldescott tunnel?" Lexie seemed confused. "What's there?"
"You'll know when you see them." The god looked directly at me. "Now I must go, there's a woman dying of cancer that must announce her love for her gardener." Then the god disappeared in an eruption of flaming heart candies.
I looked over Lexie's shoulder at the map. "There's a bridge a few blocks down that will take us across the bridge." I informed.
"Do we have money for a cab?" Lexie looked back at Ellie, who was still shivering.
"Depends, do they have free cabs? I only have five dollars after those bus tickets." She answered. "Of which, you will repay me.
"Gods damn it..." cursed Lexie. "Let's start walking" she paused. "And you stole the money in the first place!"