The Forbidden Daughter | PJO Book One

ten

"Hey, we are trying to save your lives!" Ariana protested.

"You shouldn't have come, guys." Thalia said grimly. "But you're here now. Come on. Let's get back to the van."

"That is not thy decision!" Zoe snapped.

Thalia scowled at her. "You're not the boss here, Zoe. I don't care how old you are! You're still a conceited little brat!"

"You never had any wisdom when it came to boys." Zoe growled. "You never could leave them behind!"

Thalia looked like she was about to hit Zoe. Then everyone froze, Ariana heard a growl so loud she thought one of the rocket engines was starting up.

Below them, a few adults screamed. A little kid's voice screeched with delight: "Kitty!"

Something enormous bounded up the ramp. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur.

"The Nemean Lion." Thalia said. "Don't move."

The lion roared so loud it parted her hair. Its fangs gleamed like stainless steel.

"Separate on my mark." Zoe said. "Try to keep it distracted."

"Until when?" Grover asked.

"Until I think of a way to kill it. Go!"

Percy uncapped Riptide and rolled to the left.

Arrows whistled past Ariana, and Grover played a sharp tweet-tweet cadence on his reed pipes.

Ariana turned and saw Zoe and Bianca climbing the Apollo capsule.

They were firing arrows, one after another, all shattering harmlessly against the lions metallic fur.

The lion swiped the capsule and tipped it on its side, spilling the Hunters off the back.

Grover played a frantic, horrible tune, and the lion turned toward him, but Thalia stepped into its path, holding up Aegis, and the lion recoiled.

"ROOOAAAR!"

"Hi-yah!" Thalia said. "Back!"

The lion growled and clawed the air, but it retreated as if the shield were a blazing fire.
For a second, she thought Thalia had it under control.

Then she saw the lion crouching, its leg muscles tensing. She knew the lion was going to pounce.

"Hey!" Ariana yelled.

She didn't know what she was thinking, but she charged the beast. She slashed with her sword, a good strike to the flank that should've cut the monster into Meow Mix, but the blade just clanged against its fur in a burst of sparks.

The lion raked her with its claws, ripping off a chunk of her coat. She backed against the railing. It sprang at her, one thousand pounds of monster, and she had no choice but to turn.

Ariana landed on the wing of an old-fashioned silver airplane, which pitched and almost spilled her to the floor, three stories below

An arrow whizzed past her head. The lion jumped onto the aircraft, and the cords holding the plane began to groan.

The lion swiped at her, and she dropped onto the next exhibit, a weird-looking spacecraft with blades like a helicopter. She looked up and saw the lion roar- inside its maw, a pink tongue and throat.

Its mouth, she thought. Its fur was completely invulnerable, but if she could strike it in the mouth... The only problem was, the monster moved too quickly.

Between its claws and fangs, she couldn't get close without getting sliced to pieces.

"Zoe!" Ariana shouted. "Target the mouth!"