The Forbidden Daughter | PJO Book One

six

At first, nothing happened. Waves crashed against the shore like normal. The harpies sounded like they were right behind the sand dunes.

Then, about a hundred metres out to sea, three white lines appeared on the surface. They moved fast towards the shore, like claws ripping through the ocean.

As they neared the beach, the surf burst apart and the heads of four white stallions reared out of the waves.

Tyson caught his breath. "Fish ponies!"

He was right. As the creatures pulled themselves onto the sand, Ariana saw that they were only horses in the front; their back halves were silvery fish bodies, with glistening scales and rainbow-tail fins.

"Hippocampi!" Annabeth said. "They're beautiful."

The nearest one whinnied in appreciation and nuzzled Annabeth.

"We'll admire them later." Percy said. "Come on!"

"There!" a voice screeched behind them. "Bad children out of cabins! Snack time for lucky harpies!"

Five of them were fluttering over the top of the dunes - plump little hags with pinched faces and talons and feathery wings too small for their bodies.

They weren't very fast, thank the gods, but they were vicious if they caught you.

"Will they eat me?" Ariana asked.

Annabeth shook her head. "Poseidon sent four. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Tyson!" Percy said. "Grab a duffel bag!"

He was still staring at the hippocampi with his mouth hanging open.

"Tyson!"

"Uh?"

"Come on!"

With Annabeth's help Ariana got him moving.
They gathered the bags and mounted their steeds.

Poseidon must've known Tyson was one of the passengers, because one hippocampus was much larger than the other two - just right for carrying a Cyclops.

"Giddy-up." Percy said.

His hippocampus turned and plunged into the waves. Annabeth's, Ariana's and Tyson's followed right behind.

The harpies cursed at them, wailing for their snacks to come back, but the hippocampi raced over the water at the speed of jet skis.

The harpies fell behind, and soon the shore of Camp Half-Blood was nothing but a dark smudge. Ariana wondered if she'd ever see the place again.

But right then they had other problems. The cruise ship was now looming in front of them - our ride towards Florida and the Sea of Monsters.

Riding the hippocampus was even easier than riding a pegasus. They zipped along with the wind in their faces, speeding through the waves so smoothly and steadily she hardly needed to hold on at all.

Still, she felt nervous and was certain the sea god was about to drown her.

They got closer to the cruise ship, Ariana realized just how huge it was. The white hull was at least ten storeys tall, topped with another dozen levels of decks with brightly lit balconies and portholes.

The ship's name was painted just above the bow line in black letters, lit with a spotlight. It took her a few seconds to decipher it:

PRINCESS ANDROMEDA

Attached to the bow was a huge masthead - a three-storey-tall woman wearing a white Greek chiton, sculpted to look as if she were chained to the front of the ship.