The next morning we packed our things and crawled out of the tunnel. Sneaking away from the dozing monopods, we were soon walking casually through the empty fields. The sun was fresh in the sky and the breeze blew in a salty smell. The colors were impeccably peaceful, and I wondered if we could stay here forever.
"So where are we going?" I asked, shouldering my backpack.
"You'll see," Grover said with a certain small smile. "It's just over this hill…"
We trekked through the fields, and I noticed something.
"We're close to the sea," I said. "The breeze smalls like salt".
"Yep," said Leo.
"No, seriously you guys," I said. "Where are we?"
No one replied, but my attention was turned to my hair, which was crazier than normal. It stuck out almost in a full afro, because of the tragic lack of hair product in the wild. But for some reason, Talia had taken to sitting, and especially sleeping, in it. Now she dozed in my black mane, chiming softly in her sleep.
"Come on Jo," Leo prodded, tapping my shoulder. I was snapped back to the present and saw him ahead of me, at the top of the hill just a few feet away. I followed and when I reached the top I gasped. A huge landscape stretched out before me, dotted with neighborhoods. The ocean gleamed in the distance.
"Welcome to San Francisco," said Grover. I followed him down the side of the hill, and soon we were standing by a busy highway.
"I don't get it," I said. "We were in St. Louis just yesterday".
"It wasn't just yesterday," Leo said. He pointed to a newsstand. I ran over and snatched up a paper.
"No…" I said. "It can't be".
"Oh, it be," said Leo grimly. He and Grover huddled over the newspaper.
"It's June Eighteenth?!" Grover grabbed his hat and pulled on in.
"But how?" I said, still staring at the date. "Before we were captured it was around the twelfth. We were unconscious in the monopods' lair for a week?"
"Apparently," Grover said. "Oh, man, this puts us way off schedule".
"That means we have—"
"Three days till we have to be in Arima," interrupted Leo.
Grover and I looked at him.
"How do you figure?" I asked.
Leo pursed his lips. "I…I didn't want to tell you at first. I thought—"
"Get to the point," I said softly, but firmly.
"The summer solstice," Leo said. "We have to be there then. Arima is a very dark place; full of evil. Our best chance is on the longest day of the year, when the sun is out for as much time as possible".
"And you didn't tell me this before?!" I felt panic rising in my throat.
"I didn't think it was important," Leo defended. "We were making good time".
"And now we have three days to save the world," I said incredulously. "Great. Just great".
"I'm sorry," Leo said. "I was just…"
"How did you find this out anyway?"
"I had a dream," Leo shuddered, as if remembering something horrible he wished to forget. When he saw my expectant look, he reluctantly explained. "It was the night before the quest. I was in a dark room. It was cold, and I could see my breath.
"Then I heard a voice in the darkness. It was a woman's voice, and she said, 'ah, the little hero. You've fought many a foe, and won many battles. But this will be one you are not a part of. You don't belong here, and when the solstice is here, you will watch your friend fall, and there will be nothing you can do about it'. I was scared, and I couldn't run away".
I looked at Leo's now pale face. "So, we have 'till the solstice to find Arima".
"Yep," he said quietly.
"Well," Grover said, "Then it looks like we have to get moving".
I followed Grover, who was followed by Leo. We stopped after a few miles to rest our feet.
"How much farther?" I asked.
"Not far," Grover said. "Just a mile more".
I turned to survey the highway. Cars zoomed past at what was obviously way past the speed limit. Then I saw movement and squinted my eyes. The mist was really thick here apparently, because it took me a moment to realize that there was a monster just a few yards away. There was no doubt that she was one. And she was headed straight for us.
"Hey, you guys," I said anxiously.
"What?" Grover and Leo said in unison.
I pointed a finger.
"Oh," Leo said. "That could be a problem".
"You think?" I said, breaking into a run. The others followed me.
"Where did she come from?" Grover said.
"I don't know. She could have come from anywhere I guess. The mist is so thick here it's really hard to tell!"
Suddenly I tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. Pain shot through my leg, and I yelped. I sat up and looked up into the face of fate. The monster was horrible. It was a woman, who at one time might have been pretty. Now, her golden hair lay in a tattered mess, her eyes and her skin was a sickly pale color. Her finger nails were like claws and when she sneered, her teeth revealed that they were pointed and needle-like and her top canines were long, like a vampire's. Instead of legs, her waist melded to scales and tapered off into a serpent's tail. But the thing that churned my stomach was the fact that she had no eyes. In their place, open sunken eye sockets hung.
"Jo!" I heard someone, Grover or Leo, shout, but I couldn't take my eyes off the horrible face of the creature.
"Who—who are you?" I asked. A stupid question, I know.
The creature flicked her forked tongue and smiled horribly. "Such a stupid little hero. The Mistress will reward me greatly for your head. I am Lamia, a once beautiful mother, now a cursed monster, forced to bear the weight of my lost children. And now I will avenge my good children by killing this bad one here".
"Lamia?" I had never heard of her before. Then again, I knew little of Greek Mythology.
Just then I blinked and a huge mass of fire pushed Lamia out of the way, and she was sent, writhing, to the ground. I stood up as quickly as I could.
"Thanks Leo," I said, staring down at Lamia.
Lamia recovered quickly though. Half her body black with ash, she rose and hissed at us. "You insufferable children. I'll eat you up!"
I turned and ran. I had heard that last sentence in a children's book, but now it seemed a lot more menacing.
"Who's Lamia?" I asked as Leo, Grover and I ran.
Grover looked back and said, "Lamia used to be a caring mother. She was the queen of Libya, and a servant to Zeus, until Hera got jealous".
"Let me guess," I said. "Hera killed her".
Grover shook his head. "No, she did worse. Hera killed all Lamia's children. Then Lamia, overtaken with grief and despair, started killing and devouring other people's children out of jealousy".
My mouth fell open.
"Then when things started getting really bad, Hera turned Lamia into a monster, and forbid her from closing her eyes, so she would have to look upon everyone else's children. Later, Zeus took pity on her and gave her the ability to take out her eyes and tell prophecies".
"That's terrible," I said. "What kind of stories were these? Not exactly what you'd tell your child for bedtime".
Grover shrugged. "If you don't want them misbehaving".
Behind us, Lamia shrieked and I dared a look back. In that instant, I realized how close Lamia was, and she grabbed my ankle. I fell to the ground.
"Be still child," Lamia cooed in a most uncomforting way, "If you don't squirm, your death will be much less painful".
I had to think fast if I was going to live. Grabbing for any little hand-hold of a lead I said, "Wait! You said you have the gift of prophecy, right?"
Lamia stopped. "Yes. Now let me eat you".
"But wait!" I tried my best for a smile. "But I haven't met very many people with that gift before. It must be very rare and special".
Lamia's snarl melted away, replaced by a look of pride. "Yes, it is".
I slowly started to stand, while she was distracted. "Yes, and isn't it true that people with that gift are supposed to make a deal with their victims?"
Lamia's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't remember any—"
"If you read my future, and I'm destined to live, you can kill me now," I said. "If I'm destined to die later on, you let me go".
Lamia still looked confused. "I don't know…"
"And if you don't, I'll have my friend burn you to a crisp," I said quickly.
Lamia looked at me with squinted eyes, but said, "Very well. Let me see your hands".
Reluctantly I gave her my hands. Lamia bowed her head slightly, and started humming softly. After a few minutes, yellow smoke started to curl from her empty eye sockets. The smoke formed pictures, of which I could not distinguish. After a few minutes more, it disappeared and Lamia let go of my hands. She looked almost cheerful.
"Oh, this is delightful," she said. "You can go. If the future is correct, you'll die an even more horrible death than if I killed you where you stand".
"Um…thanks?" I said, backing away.
"Wonderful," she said, gazing vaguely in my direction. "I can't wait to see it when you meet my mistresses". Then Lamia disappeared.
I turned around to face Grover and Leo. They were looking at me with wide eyes and open mouths.
"What?" I asked. "I wasn't in the mood for a fight, so I went for wit".
Suddenly I felt a rustle in my hair, and Talia yawned awake.
Did I miss anything? She said.
"I'll fill you in later," I said, shaking my head.
Talia flew up and around, stretching her wings. Her auburn hair was perfect, even though she just woke up, which I was jealous of. She rubbed her sapphire eyes and looked around.
Why are we in San Francisco? She asked. Do you realize what two things are here?
"Um, no, I do not," I said. "Grover, what two things are here?"
"Well, for starters, Atlas," Grover said, pointing to the mass of water in the distance. Through the fog I could faintly see an island, upon which the air seemed to dip down, as if someone were holding up the sky. "The other thing," Grover continued "is where we're going".
"Where is it?" I asked.
"Just through that tunnel," Grover pointed.
I looked and saw a tunnel carved into the land, where a road cut through, and cars were allowed to pass through.
Confused, I followed my friends along the side of the road, and soon we came upon the entrance. Suddenly, the mist bent, and I saw two kids dressed in Roman armor. I couldn't tell much about them, because their armor covered most of their features, but one was tall and lanky and the other had bright blue eyes.
"Who are you?" said the first. "What business do you have with Rome, Greeks?"
"We're here to speak with the praetors," said Grover. "We're from Camp Half-blood".
"I know what camp you're from," said the blue-eyed one. "The one with the tool belt has the bead necklace. Do you think we're stupid?"
Leo looked down at his tool belt. "Um, I have a name, you know".
"Look, can we please just get in?" Grover asked.
The blue eyed one, clearly a girl from her voice, raised her chin and said, "No. we do not allow fauns in to come and beg on our streets".
Grover's face turned red. "I'm not a beggar".
The girl took a step forward, but the lanky guy stopped her with a look. He said to us, "Look, Rome just doesn't let anyone in. we're going to need some proof".
"Like what?"
"I have proof," Leo spoke up.
The guards looked over at him.
"Well, let's see it then," the girl said.
Leo walked up to the guards and said, "My name is Leo Valdez".
The guards dropped their guard and raised their eyebrows.
"So sorry, sir," said the girl. "You may pass".
"Thank you," said Leo with a mischievous smile. The girl led us through a maintenance tunnel, where cables zigzagged and crisscrossed along the walls and floor. The other guard stayed behind at the entrance.
I fell behind Grover and walked alongside Leo.
"Sir?" I asked.
Leo smiled and said, "Yeah, well, let's just say I know people".
Rolling my eyes I said, "Yeah, well, don't let it go to your head".
I looked around as we walked along and saw the hall merge into an old Roman style chamber way. The walls were flanked by torches.
Soon we came upon a light at the end of the tunnel. As we came to it, I saw such a remarkable sight, I could say nothing but, "Woah".
"Welcome to new Rome," said the blue-eyed girl, who had now taken off her helmet to reveal short blonde hair, freckles, and slightly pointed ears. She looked familiar, but I couldn't tell why. "Come, I'll show you to the Via Praetoria".