·˚ ༘₊·➳ 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐋
༊*·˚ {𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍}
❝𝑳𝒆𝒕'𝒔 𝒈𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒂.❞
Guided by prophecies and driven by the fate of the world, the daughter of the sun and the son of the sea uncover the...
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THE QUARTET STOOD IN THE SHADOWS OF VALENCIA BOULEVARD, looking up at gold letters etched in black marble: DOA RECORDING STUDIOS.
Underneath, stenciled on the glass doors: NO SOLICITORS. NO LOITERING. NO LIVING.
It was almost midnight, but the lobby was brightly lit and full of people. Behind the security desk sat a tough-looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece.
Percy turned to his friends. "Okay. You remember the plan."
"The plan," Grover gulped. "Yeah. I love the plan."
Annabeth said, "What happens if the plan doesn't work?"
"Let's not think negative. The plan is great, Perce." Aurora told the raven-haired boy who smiled at her appreciatively.
"Right," Annabeth muttered to herself. "We're entering the Land of the Dead, and I shouldn't think negatively."
Percy took the pearls out of his pocket, the four milky spheres the Nereid had given him in Santa Monica. They didn't seem like much of a backup in case something went wrong.
Annabeth put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Percy. You're right, we'll make it. It'll be fine." She gave Grover a nudge.
"Oh, right!" he chimed in.
"We got this far. We'll find the Master Bolt and save your mom. That's a promise." Aurora smiled.
Percy looked at them and felt really grateful. Only a few minutes before, he'd almost got them stretched to death on deluxe waterbeds, and now they were trying to be brave for his sake, trying to make Percy feel better. He slipped the pearls back into his pocket.
"Let's whup some Underworld butt."
"That's the spirit," the silver-haired girl complimented him before giggling, "Spirit... because we are headed to the Land of the Dead."
However, her attempt at levity with the word 'spirit' fell a bit flat, drawing a small frown from her, her silver hair gleaming in the light. Percy couldn't help but chuckle at her unintended pun, appreciating the effort to lighten the mood despite the gravity of their mission.
They walked inside the DOA lobby. Muzak played softly on hidden speakers. The carpet and walls were steel grey. Pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands. The furniture was black leather, and every seat was taken.
There were people sitting on couches, people standing up, people staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. Nobody moved or talked, or did much of anything.
Out of the corner of Percy's eye, He could see them all just fine, but if he focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking... transparent.
