Luminesence (Slow Updates)

008

Oh shit. Trouble just seems to follow this kid.

They ducked around the news van and slipped into an alley.

"First things first," Percy told Grover. "We've got to get out of town!"

Somehow, they made it back to the Amtrak station without getting spotted.

They got on board the train just before it pulled out for Denver. The train trundled west as darkness fell, police lights still pulsing against the St. Louis skyline behind them.

The next afternoon, June 14, seven days before the solstice, our train rolled into Denver. They hadn't eaten since the night before in the dining car, somewhere in Kansas. They hadn't taken a shower since Half-Blood Hill, and Phaedra was sure that was obvious.

"Let's try to contact Chiron," Annabeth said. "I want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit."

"We can't use phones, right?"

"Who said anything about phones, Jackson?" Phaedra said, giving him a smirk.

They wandered through downtown for about half an hour. The air was dry and hot, which felt weird after the humidity of St. Louis.

Finally they found an empty do-it-yourself car wash. The group veered toward the stall farthest from the street, keeping their eyes open for patrol cars. They were three adolescents hanging out at a car wash without a car; any cop worth his doughnuts would figure they were up to no good.

"What exactly are we doing?" Percy asked, as Grover took out the spray gun.

"It's seventy-five cents," he grumbled. "I've only got two quarters left. Annabeth?"

"Don't look at me," she said. "The dining car wiped me out."

Grover looked at Phaedra and she said "sorry guys, I only have cash. I was smart not to waste my money."

Percy fished out his last bit of change and passed Grover a quarter.

"Excellent," Grover said. "We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connection isn't as good, and my arm gets tired of pumping."

"What are you talking about?"

He fed in the quarters and set the knob to FINE MIST. "I-M'ing."

"Instant messaging?"

"Iris-messaging," Annabeth corrected.

"The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask, and she's not too busy, she'll do the same for half-bloods." Phaedra explained to him.

"You summon the goddess with a spray gun?"

Grover pointed the nozzle in the air and water hissed out in a thick white mist. "Unless you know an easier way to make a rainbow."

"Yes." Phaedra said. They looked at her. "Well, Percy can control water, and I can control light. That's the easy way, right there."

Grover gave her a look and said "yeah, but you'll get tired and give up soon and we don't know how well Percy can use his powers yet." Percy gave him a look and Grover said "it's the truth." With a shrug.

Sure enough, late afternoon light filtered through the vapor and broke into colors.

Annabeth held her palm out to Percy. "Drachma, please." He handed it over.

She raised the coin over her head. "O goddess, accept our offering."

She threw the drachma into the rainbow. It disappeared in a golden shimmer. "Half-Blood Hill," Annabeth requested.