Chapter 9

I gasped as I saw the monsters that surrounded the island. Empiousa, drakens, demigods, and titans. Anything you could think of.

"What's on your mind?" Apollo asked me.

"The five hundred monsters that are going to eat us." I quipped and started to ponder the different ideas. They could jump into the water but then they would have to swim like Hades and even then they would have been trapped. They could blast through with the solar car but the monsters would just follow. Then Andrew smiled at her.

"I have a plan." He said. I raised my eyebrow.

"What could we possibly do?" Aaron asked. Andrew gathered us close at the front of the bus.

"We can call a white flag." Andrew said. I shook my head.

"That's crazy." I proclaimed.

"I agree with Cassandra." Kyra responded. "They're not going to listen to a white flag."

"They might." Kate said and I shook my head. "You have a batter idea?" she asked.

"Yah, we go in there and blow their butts away with-"

"That's dumb." Aaron said. "I agree with Andrew and Kate. It's worth a shot, unless someone has a better idea and we don't actually have to have a truce." I sighed.

"There's no better idea?" I asked but no one volunteered one. I turned away from the group but before I could say anything else a cell phone range. I was about to ask which moron brought the cell phone but Apollo picked it up and I had to stifle a giggle, before he shot me a death glare.

"Hello?" He answered and I could tell that whoever was on the other end was not too happy about something. I could here static on the other end. "Dad! I'm not helping anyone!" he yelled. "Shut up!-I'll talk to you whatever way it like..Oh? Is that how it works? Come on, dad, Cassandra's just a- fine! Hands off! Happy?" He yelled, and for a minute he sounded like a normal teenage boy. Apollo slammed the cell phone onto the chair and looked at us, slightly embarrassed and his cheeks showing traces of chagrin. I smiled a little.

"What's up?" Zakk asked.

"I can't help you anymore." He said. My mouth almost dropped open and everyone else reacted in his or her own ways of shock and fear.

"Why?" Kyra asked. None of us knew how we were going to get anything done without him. He was out ride and not only that but he was my light. He showed signs of changing. It was about more than the quest for me. He cant abandoned me again! My thoughts screeched to a halt when I suddenly felt tears streaming out of my eyes. How can he do this to me? After everything that we've been through we finally decided to make it work!

"How?" I asked and Apollo sighed like he saw this coming.

"Cassandra, I love you." He said.

"No! No you don't!" I yelled. "That what you said before but it's not true! It's not!" I screamed, trying not to tear up.

"Can we not turn this into a episode of Jersey Shore or Dr Phil?" Aaron asked half sympathetically and half sarcastically. I knew that he of everyone here knew how I felt; loosing someone you loved was hard. Aaron had lost more people than anyone I knew. His mother, Jessica Graves had died recently and Texas' death had completed the second line of the prophecy. She was the truly brave and Aaron had lost her to.

"Can you just shut up and be a little sympathetic?" Kyra shot. She had turned herself into my personal bodyguard since the little talk between us in the woods.

"Cassandra, I-" He started and reached out to hold me but I pulled away, almost falling in the progress.

"I can't do this Apollo!" I shrieked, completely forgetting the monsters. "I can't kiss and make up every other year with you! Make up your mind like me or don't!"

"Cassandra, I never stopped liking you-"

"Don't lie." I snapped

"What would you like me to do?" He asked, his tone getting sharper, "Defy king of the gods?"

"No! I never asked that. All I want you do is give me a little support here!"

"I've given all the support I'm allowed to and more!"

"Then break some rules. I did! I was willing to throw away everything and leave with you-"

"GUYS!" Kate yelled. "Calm down would you?" She said putting her arm on my shoulder then shrinking away. I looked at my shoes embarrassed. I was doing exactly what Chiron was worried of me doing. I was going to put my feelings in the way of the quest.

"I'm sorry." I murmured.

"No need to be." Nico said glairing at the sun god. Apollo raised his hands in defeat.

"Cassandra, I don't know if I can do it either. Don't go making yourself the victim." He said and that hit a nerve.

"Just get close enough for us to call a truce." Nico said. Apollo did. I got close to the door and the sun god opened it so I could yell to whoever their leader was. The door opened a crack and I could feel the wind whipping at my face and the cold air lashed at my eyes. I didn't really know what to say but I decided to just let myself talk. Not the best idea.

"Hello!" I shouted and everyone looked up at me. Fire started to spew out of different monsters eyes and mouth. They reached for the flying bus and Andrew grabbed me and pulled me in as the door shut. I looked at Aaron and Andrew. "Great idea." I proclaimed and stood up.

"What do we do, dad?" Kate asked.

"Crash land." He suggested.

"What?" Zakk asked.

"We can land the bus as far away from the shore line as possible and pray for the best outcome." He said and for a moment I wanted to kiss him for think up such a great idea. He pressed his foot on the gas and the cell phone buzzed again. I put my hand over it and Apollo looked at me and smiled. It was not quite a makeup smile but it was definitely a cease-fire kind of smile. I returned it with a nod. He looked back through the window and excelled the gas again. We started to race through the sky. I held my breath and didn't open my eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how long it had been but Apollo suddenly lightened up on the gas and slammed the break down. We were all thrown forward and the sun car crashed into the grass. We'd done it. We'd landed on the soil of Cliff Island. Everyone got up and dusted of their clothing. I took charge.

"Is everyone all right?" I asked and a range of groans and moans escaped the group of young demigods.

"That's what I call smooth landing!" Apollo said and winked at me. I ignored him and helped my friends up. We all looked around. No monsters. Apollo had successfully crash-landed us on a beach at the other end of the island. The monsters must have overlooked it. From my peripherals I could see Andrew and Kasey hugging. I had to bite back a tear. Apollo could see what I was thinking and looked at me knowingly. "I've got to get going." Apollo proclaimed. "Nice seeing you Cassandra and company." He said.

"Nice seeing you, Dad." Kate answered and I didn't say a thing. Like always.

"Bye, Lord Apollo." Andrew said and Apollo waited a second but when it became clear that I was not going to say anything he coughed got in the car and took off.
"Well that was awkward." Kyra said and I knew that her of all people would clue into that. I nodded.

"Let's make camp on the beach." Zakk said. I nodded.

"Good idea." I said and we started to set up the tents. Kasey (being the daughter of Poseidon) tried to make the tide go back so we had room and unsuccessfully tried to ease up the sea air so we can start a fire. Eventually she settled with the water residing a little and left the sea air alone. I sat in the tent, solo, thinking about the quest.

"Hello, Cassandra." Zakk said and he unzipped the tent. I nodded at him. "Miss me?" he asked and I smiled.

"Just a little." I smiled.

"What's up?"

"Thinking about the quest."

"You mean Apollo?" He said.

"No I'm thinking about the quest and the prophecy."

"Me to."

"Texas was the truly brave." I said solemnly. He nodded.

"Aaron doesn't hate you. You know that right?" he asked me and I nodded.

"So who feels the sun gods wrath?"

"Me." Zakk replied. I snickered. "He sees me looking at you. He thinks I like you."

"Do you?" I asked, flirting.

"Your like the ocean, Cassandra. Beautiful, mysterious, and dangerous." He said. "I don't know how I feel about you yet. How do you feels about me?"

"I don't know." I sighed, thinking about how weird this was. "There's this whole thing with Apollo and I don't know how I feel about him either." I said. Zakk was about to say something when Nico burst his head in.

"Guys, we have a problem. We're being approached by some guy with a tux and a white flag." He said and Zakk and I stood up. We looked out and there, just like I remembered him from Manhattan, was Prometheus. Titan and asking for the leader of the quest to talk to. I breathed a little and stepped out into the open.