JAWBREAKER

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩

Warren threw on her army jacket and slipped into her boots, stashing Annabeth's Yankee cap in her pocket at the last minute. Outside, Percy was climbing onto the back of a stunning black Pegasus.

"Warren, Blackjack. Blackjack, Warren," he introduced.

"Oh, he's beautiful," she breathed. Blackjack whinnied.

"He prefers 'handsome'."

"Sorry," Warren said, walking up to the horse. She stroked his forelock. "You're very handsome." Blackjack pressed his head against her hand.

"Alright, hop on."

Warren got onto Blackjack's back, and they took off in a flash. She bit back a yelp and had to wrap her arms firmly around Percy's waist so that she didn't go flying off.

It was an exhilarating feeling though, the wind whipping through her hair and stealing her breath. They made a hairpin turn and cut across the Sound. Blackjack dipped low and brushed his hooves into the surf, splashing sea spray back on Warren and Percy.

As they passed over the dining pavilion, she happened to glance down. There was a figure— a boy hunkered down behind a Greek column, like he was hiding from someone. It was Nico, but it wasn't even dawn yet. Nowhere near time for breakfast. What was he doing up there?

Warren leaned further into Percy, resting her chin on his shoulder so that he could hear over the roar of the wind. "Perce, look," she said, pointing down at Nico. By the way he was crouching it was obvious that something was wrong.

"Blackjack," Percy said, "set us down over there, will you? Behind that column."

They crept up the steps behind Nico. All of his attention was on the dining pavilion, so he didn't notice their approach. Warren was five feet away from him, about to say What are you doing?, when it occurred to her that he was pulling a Grover: Nico was spying on the Hunters.

There were voices— two girls talking at one of the dining tables. At this ungodly hour of the morning?

"I'm gonna get closer," Warren whispered, taking out Annabeth's cap. "Stay hidden."

"Why do I have to be the one who hides?" Percy pouted.

"Because I'm the one with the hat! Now hide," she put on the cap and pushed Percy behind a column.

Now invisible, Warren tiptoed up to Nico and snuck around him. She couldn't see the girls very well in the dark, but she knew their voices: Zoe and Bianca. It sounded like they were arguing.

"It cannot be cured," Zoe was saying. "Not quickly, at any rate."

"But how did it happen?" Bianca asked.

"A foolish prank," Zoe growled. "Those Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin. Centaur blood is like acid. Everyone knows that. They sprayed the inside of that Artemis Hunting Tour T-shirt with it. And somehow a bouquet of bush daisies ended up in Jules's bed."