¹On This Spring Day.

008.

Bianca's dark eyes widened. "Violet?" she asked. "Wha-what are you doing here? I thought you were staying back at Camp with Nico!"

When Zoë realized who the two were, she didn't seem anxious to lower her bow. "You!" she spat at Percy, her face curled with anger. "How dare you show thy face here?"

"Percy! Violet!" Grover bleated. "Thank goodness."

Zoë glared at him, and the satyr blushed. "I mean, um, gosh. You guys aren't supposed to be here!"

Violet waved her hand, leaning over at the waist to try and catch her breath. "Luke—" she sputtered. "He's here. Some skelet—"

All the anger in Thalia's eyes immediately melted at the mention of the son of Hermes. She put her hand on her silver bracelet. "Where?"

Percy and Violet tried to best to explain what they had seen; it was confusing, surely, to hear two out-of-breath, ADHD-riddled kids sputter about the Natural History Museum, Dr. Thorn, Luke, and the General.

"The General is here?" Zoë looked stunned. "That is impossible! You lie."

Percy grew offended. "Why would we lie? Look, there's no time. Skeleton warriors—"

"What?" Thalia demanded. "How many?"

"Twelve," he said. "And that's not all. That guy—the General—he said he was sending something, a 'playmate', to distract you over here. A monster."

Thalia and Grover exchanged looks. Violet itched to ask what the looks were for.

"We were following Artemis's trail," the satyr said. "I was pretty sure it led here. Some powerful monster scent ... She must've stopped here looking for the mystery monster. But we haven't found anything yet."

"Zoë," Bianca said nervously, "if it is the General—"

"It cannot be!" the lieutenant snapped. "These two must have seen an Iris Message or some other illusion."

"Illusions can't crack floors, Zoë," Violet said hotly. "We're not lying. These skeleton warrior things are on their way right now. The General said they're basically impossible to kill."

Zoë took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Violet didn't know why she was taking it so personally, or how she knew this General guy, but she figured now wasn't the time to ask.

"If Violet and Percy is telling the truth about the skeleton warriors," she said, shooting the two a sour look, "we have no time to argue. They are the worst, the most horrible ... We must leave now."

"Good idea," Percy agreed eagerly, sounding almost excited at the idea to get as far away from the museum as possible.

"I was not including thee, boy," Zoë said, her eyes cold as volcanic rock. "You are not part of this quest. And neither is thee!" She pointed a finger at the daughter of Eros by Percy's side.

"What?" the daughter of Eros demanded, her voice shrill with anger. "We're here to warn you about that playmate, and you give a shit about quest members?"

Thalia's eyes were grim as she stared at the duo. "You shouldn't have come, Percy, and you shouldn't have brought Violet, either ... But you're here now. Come on. Let's get back to the van."