Wild Heart ⋆ Riordanverse¹

v. lotus hotel and casino

v. lotus hotel and casino

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ARES IS WAITING for them in the diner parking lot.

"Well, well," he says. "You didn't get yourself killed."

"You knew it was a trap," Percy states.

Ares gives him a wicked grin. "Bet that crippled black-smith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. You looked good on TV. The flying spiced things up."

Percy shoves Ares' shield at him. "You're a jerk."

The three of them hold their breath.

Ares tosses it into the air and slips it onto his bag after it turns into a bulletproof vest. "See that truck over there?" He points to an eighteen-wheeler parked across from the diner. "That's your ride. Take it straight to L.A., with one stop in Vegas."

There's a sign on the back of it, which Thea has trouble reading, but what she ultimately reads as: 'KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL: HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING: LIVE WILD ANIMALS.'

Percy blinks. "You're kidding."

Ares snaps his fingers and the back door of the truck unlatches. "Free ride west, punk. Stop complaining. And here's a little something for doing the job."

He slings a blue nylon backpack off his handlebars and tosses it to Percy. Inside are enough fresh clothes for all of them, twenty bucks in cash, a pouch full of drachmas, and a bag of Double Stuf Oreos. Thea makes a mental note to take some before Grover takes all of them, plus the plastic wrapping.

Percy's eyebrows pinch together. "I don't want your lousy--"

"Thank you, Lord Ares," Thea says. She elbows Percy in the side. "Your kindness is greatly appreciated, by all of us."

"You owe me one more thing," Percy says as the god gets onto his motorcycle. "You promised me information about my mother."

"You sure you can handle the news?" He kick-starts his motorcycle. "She's not dead."

Percy looks like he's going to be sick. "What do you mean?"

"I mean she was taken away from the Minotaur before she could die. She was turned into a shower of gold, right? That's metamorphosis. Not death. She's being kept."

"Kept. Why?"

"You need to study war, punk. Hostages. You take somebody to control somebody else."

"Nobody's controlling me."

He laughs. "Oh yeah? See you around, kid."

Percy clenches his fist. "You're pretty smug, Lord Ares, for a guy who runs from Cupid statues."

Ares' sunglasses start to melt as a hot, dry wind blows Thea's hair into her face. "We'll meet again, Percy Jackson. Next time you're in a fight, watch your back."

He revvs his Harley, and then he's gone down the street, disappearing as if he had never been there.

"Percy," Thea sighs, "you're an idiot."

"I don't care."

"Ares isn't someone you want as your enemy. Did you forget he's the god of war?"

"Nope."

"Hey, guys," Grover says, "I hate to interrupt, but . . ."

He points toward the diner. At the register, the last two customers are paying, both in identical black overalls, with a logo that matches the one on the truck.