THE HEALER| Heroes of Olympus

twelve

We stood on deck, alone except for Leo, who was still manning the helm. The guy must have been shattered, but he refused to go to sleep.

"I don't want any more Shrimpzilla surprises," he insisted.

I wasn't sure how Annabeth would take the news. Her reaction was even more troubling than I anticipated: she didn't seem surprised.

She peered into the fog. "Eliana, you have to promise me something. Don't tell the others about this dream."

"Don't what? Annabeth—"

"What you saw was about the Mark of Athena," she said. "It won't help the others to know. It'll only make them worry, and it'll make it harder for me to go off on my own."

"Annabeth, you can't be serious. That thing in the dark, the big chamber with the crumbling floor—"

"I know." Her face looked unnaturally pale, and I suspected it wasn't just the fog. "But I have to do this alone."

"You know what's in that cavern," I guessed. "Does it have to do with spiders?"

"Yes," she said in a small voice.

"Then how can you even...?" I made myself stop. "Look, Annabeth." I said taking a deep breath. "Your fear of spiders is like my fear of snakes. I know how it feels and I don't want you to face this alone."

"I must."

Once Annabeth had made up her mind, arguing with her wouldn't do any good. I stared into the fog. I hated feeling blind. We hadn't been attacked since we'd touched the water but it still felt unsettling.

Suddenly Percy burst through the door and up onto the deck. It was four in the morning but I guess Jason had woken him up for his shift but he seemed really freaked out.

"Stop." Percy said quickly. "We have to stop."

"Why?" Annabeth asked.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Leo, stop!" he yelled.

Too late. The other boat appeared out of the fog and rammed them head-on. In that split second, I registered random details: another trireme; black sails painted with a gorgon's head; hulking warriors, not quite human, crowded at the front of the boat in Greek armor, swords and spears ready; and a bronze ram at water level, slamming against the hull of the Argo II.

Annabeth and I were almost thrown overboard.

Festus blew fire, sending a dozen very surprised warriors screaming and diving into the sea, but more swarmed aboard the Argo II. Grappling lines wrapped around the rails and the mast, digging iron claws into the hull's planks.

By the time I had recovered my wits, the enemy was everywhere. I couldn't see well through the fog and the dark, but the invaders seemed to be humanlike dolphins, or dolphinlike humans. Some had gray snouts. Others held their swords in stunted flippers. Some waddled on legs partially fused together, while others had flippers for feet, which reminded me of clown shoes.

Leo sounded the alarm bell. He made a dash for the nearest ballista but went down under a pile of chattering dolphin warriors.

Annabeth and Percy stood back-to-back, as they'd done many times before, their weapons drawn. I stood alone with my weapon drawn.

I raised my bow ready to fight, but we were hopelessly outnumbered. Several dozen warriors lowered their spears and made a ring around them, wisely keeping out of striking distance of Percy's sword. The dolphin-men opened their snouts and made whistling, popping noises. I had never considered just how vicious dolphin teeth looked.