[1] something new | pjo

xiii. thirteen

DAPHNE FOUND THALIA, ZOE, AND GROVER SITTING DOWN ENJOYING THEIR FOOD AT THE SNACK BAR.

Percy managed to run faster in front of her to warn their friends.

"We need to leave," Percy gasped. "Now!"

"But we just got our burritos!" Thalia said.

Zoe stood up, muttering an Ancient Greek curse. "He's right! Look."

The cafe windows wrapped all the way around the observation floor, which gave them a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill them.

Daphne counted two on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to Arizona. Three more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them were armed with batons and pistols.

But their immediate problem was a lot closer. The three skeletal warriors who'd been chasing Daphne and Percy in the turbine room now appeared on the stairs. They saw Percy from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.

"Elevator!" Grover said. They bolted to that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant ding, and three more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was accounted for, minus the one Bianca had blasted to flames in New Mexico. They were completely surrounded.

Then Grover had a brilliant, totally Grover-like idea.

"Burrito fight!" he yelled, and flung his Guacamole Grande at the nearest skeleton.

Grover's lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders. Daphne is not sure what the other kids in the cafe saw, but they went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming.

The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere. In the chaos, Thalia and Percy tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table. Then they're all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grandes whizzing past our heads.

"What now?" Grover asked as they burst outside.

No one can seemed to find an answer. The warriors on the road were closing in from either direction. They ran across the street to the pavilion with the winged bronze statues, but that just put their backs to the mountain.

The skeletons moved forward, forming a crescent around them. Their brethren from the cafe were running up to join them. One was still putting its skull back on its shoulders.

Another was covered in ketchup and mustard. Two more had burritos lodged in their rib cages. They didn't look happy about it. They drew batons and advanced.

"Five against eleven," Zoe muttered. "And they cannot die."

"It's been nice adventuring with you guys," Grover said, his voice trembling.

Something shiny caught the corner of Daphne's eye. She glanced behind her at the statue's feet with Percy already looking weirdly at the statue.

"Whoa," Percy said. "Their toes really are bright."

"Percy!" Thalia scolded. "This isn't the time."

Daphne also couldn't help staring at the two giant bronze guys with tall bladed wings like letter openers. They were weathered brown except for their toes, which shone like new pennies from all the times people had rubbed them for good luck.

Good luck. The blessing of Zeus.

Daphne thought about the tour guide in the elevator. Her gray eyes and her smile. What had she said? There is always a way for those clever enough to find it. She found Percy's eyes that looked like they're thought the same things.

"Thalia," Daphne said. "Pray to your dad."

She glared at her. "He never answers."

"Just this once," Percy pleaded. "Ask for help. I think... I think the statues can give us some luck."

Six skeletons raised their guns. The other five came forward with batons. Fifty feet away. Forty feet.

"Do it!" Daphne yelled.

"No!" Thalia said. "He won't answer me."

"This time is different!"

"Who says? And Daphne you can summon a zombie, summon it now!"

Percy hesitated. "Athena, I think."

Thalia scowled like she was sure Percy and Daphne have gone crazy.

"I can't. I need to focus to call him and now I think I need to focus to survive first, Thalia just do it!"

"Try it," Grover pleaded.

Thalia closed her eyes. Her lips moved in a silent prayer. I put in my own prayer to

Annabeth's mom, Daphne hoped she was right that it had been her in that elevator—that she was trying to help them save her daughter. Even though Daphne relationship with the goddess kids are not civil, she promised at least she will stop insult them if Athena helps them.

But nothing happened.

The skeletons closed in. Daphne grabbed her gold sword. Percy raised Riptide to defend himself. Thalia held up her shield. Zoe pushed Grover behind her and aimed an arrow at a skeleton's head.

A shadow fell over her. Daphne thought maybe it was the shadow of death. Then she realized it was the shadow of an enormous wing. The skeletons looked up too late. A flash of bronze, and all five of the baton-wielders were swept aside.

The bronze angels stepped in front of us and folded their wings like shields. Bullets pinged off of them like rain off a corrugated roof. Both angels slashed outward, and the skeletons went flying across the road.

"Man, it feels good to stand up!" the first angel said. His voice sounded tinny and rusty, like he hadn't had a drink since he'd been built.

"Will ya look at my toes?" the other said. "Holy Zeus, what were those tourists thinking?"

As stunned as Daphne was by the angels, she was more concerned with the skeletons. A few of them were getting up again, reassembling, bony hands groping for their weapons.

"Trouble!" Percy said.

"Get us out of here!" Thalia yelled.

Both angels looked down at her. "Zeus's kid?"

"Could I get a please, Miss Zeus's Kid?" an angel asked.

"Please!"

The angels looked at each other and shrugged.

"Could use a stretch," one decided.

And the next thing Daphne knew, one of them grabbed Thalia and her, the other grabbed Zoe, Grover, and Percy. They flew straight up, over the dam and the river, the skeleton warriors shrinking to tiny specks below them and the sound of gunfire echoing off the sides of the mountains.

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