When Two Worlds Collide {Percy Jackson + the 39 clues}

Chapter Nine - 'the wicked dog smiled at her'

Attleboro

"You know," said Amy, "staring at him won't get rid of him."

Fiske pulled his watchful eyes away from Percy and looked at Amy. He hadn't been happy when he heard about their meeting with the Vesper. Amy and Dan had left out the part the mysterious girl that killed him with her arrow, the exploding water fountain, and anything else that seemed out of place.

"There's definitely something strange about him." Fiske remarked. Amy turned away from his gaze. Fiske turned to Dan to clarify something. "So you say the Vesper got frightened of Percy's poodle and ran away?"

Dan nodded meekly. In his panic and lack of words, that was the story he had come up with. Sinead tried to hide her grin and said, "Of course! I was there. That's exactly what happened."

"Have you seen Nellie?" Amy inquired quickly, mainly to change the subject.

"She should be back in time for dinner." Fiske answered with a small smile. "She's out food-shopping again."

Amy nodded, excused herself and grabbed Dan's arm leading him away from Fiske and Sinead.

"I agree with Fiske," Amy said instantly, before Dan could start complaining. "There's something not right about him."

"He's cuckoo, that's what!" Dan exclaimed. Amy shushed him urgently and looked at Percy who was talking quietly to Blackjack.

"No, there's something else," insisted Amy. "Did hear what that girl said? 'Believe whatever you want, mortals.' Like she wasn't one."

Dan stared at her with a face that either said 'You've gone completely bonkers' or 'I'm totally freaked out by this and whatever you're implying is probably right'. Amy couldn't tell which.

"Percy called her a Huntress." She continued. "And he talked about someone being kidnapped...?"

"Artemis." Dan remembered. He looked at Percy suspiciously. "She also called him 'son of the sea god'. You think maybe he's a surfer or plumber or something?"

"Be serious, Dan!" Amy frowned at him. "Wait, a plumber?"

"Yeah, the water thing that he did."

"A plumber wouldn't have been able to do that." She took a shaky breath. "They said unusual words. Kobalos. Poseidon. Demigod."

"Hey, I've heard of Poseidon!" Dan supplied. "Mrs Moore in Ancient History said something about him. He was a Greek god. You know, like Zeus, the lightening dude or Aphrodite, beauty and love? "

Amy blinked. She had heard of them before. Amy had learned briefly about Greece in school years ago. Buildings, statues, art, temples – all dedicated to the Olympians. She felt a major headache developing.

"There's more." Amy said glumly. "Percy mentioned fictional things...like elves and monsters. He tried to hypnotise us when I asked for answers."

She placed her hands on both his shoulders, looking directly into his eyes. "Dan, I know you think something's up too. Things like these don't just happen...and this is crazy, but I don't think Percy is hu –"

Blackjack leaped up out of nowhere, interrupting Amy and knocking her to the floor. Percy ran over in shock.

"Blackjack!" – the horse snorted and drooled on the carpet intentionally – "Uh, I'm so sorry Amy. He's probably just hungry." He held out a hand for her.

But Amy wasn't listening. Her breath caught as she stared at Blackjack. His image was flickering and eventually turned into what looked like a black, winged horse.