The Forbidden Daughter | PJO Book One

twelve

A minute later Annabeth hit a slippery patch of moss and her foot slipped. Fortunately, she found something else to put it against, that something was Percy's face.

"Sorry." she murmured.

"S'okay." He grunted, Ariana laughed at the pair.

Finally, when their fingers felt like molten lead and their arm muscles were shaking from exhaustion, they hauled themselves over the top of the cliff and collapsed.

"Ugh." Percy said.

"Ouch." moaned Annabeth.

"Can you stand on Percy's head again?" Laughed Ariana, who had tears in her eyes.

Percy glared at her.

"Garrr!" bellowed another voice.

If Ariana hadn't been so tired, she would've leaped another sixty metres. She whirled around, but couldn't see who'd spoken.

Annabeth clamped her hand over her mouth. She pointed.

The ledge they were sitting on was narrower than she'd realized. It dropped off on the opposite side, and that's where the voice was coming from - right below them.

"You're a feisty one!" the deep voice bellowed.

"Challenge me!" Clarisse's voice, no doubt about it. "Give me back my sword and I'll fight you!"

The monster roared with laughter.

Annabeth, Percy and Ariana crept to the edge. they were right above the entrance of the Cyclops's cave. Below them stood Polyphemus and Grover, still in his wedding dress. Clarisse was tied up, hanging upside down over a pot of boiling water.

Ariana couldn't decide whether Clarisse was being brave or completely ridiculously stupid.

"Hmm." Polyphemus pondered. "Eat loudmouth girl now or wait for wedding feast? What does my bride think?"

He turned to Grover, who backed up and almost tripped over his completed bridal train. "Oh, um, I'm not hungry right now, dear. Perhaps -"

"Did you say bride?" Clarisse demanded.
"Who - Grover?"

Next to Percy, Annabeth muttered, "Shut up.
She has to shut up."

Ariana frowned. If Clarisse blew Grovers cover it could put them both in a lot more danger than they were already in.

Polyphemus glowered. "What 'Grover?' "

"The satyr!" Clarisse yelled.

"Oh." Grover yelped. "The poor thing's brain is boiling from that hot water. Pull her down, dear!"

Polyphemus's eyelid narrowed over his baleful milky eye, as if he were trying to see Clarisse more clearly.

"What satyr?" asked Polyphemus. "Satyrs are good eating. You bring me a satyr?"

"No, you big idiot!" bellowed Clarisse.

"That satyr! Grover! The one in the wedding dress!"

Ariana wanted to wring Clarisse's neck, but it was too late. All she could do was watch as Polyphemus turned and ripped off Grover's wedding veil - revealing his curly hair, his scruffy adolescent beard, his tiny horns.

Polyphemus breathed heavily, trying to contain his anger. "I don't see very well." he growled. "Not since many years ago when the other hero stabbed me in eye. But YOU'RE - NO - LADY - CYCLOPS!"

The Cyclops grabbed Grover's dress and tore it away. Underneath, the old Grover reappeared in his jeans and T-shirt. He yelped and ducked as the monster swiped over his head.