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Piper XXVI

"Piper XXVI," Chris read.

THE NEXT MORNING PIPER WOKE to a different ship's horn—a blast so loud it literally shook her out of bed.

The readers tensed.

"Pirates?" Percy guessed. He inwardly groaned. After their last fight, they couldn't afford another battle so soon.

Looking up from his zipper, Leo shook his head.

"Nope," he frowned. Not yet at least.

Leo subconsciously rubbed his forehead. Other than being dog-piled by a bunch of man-dolphins, he could barely remember what happened during the invasion. If his friends hadn't told him it was real, he would've brushed the whole thing off as some weird fever dream.

A lot of the situations I get thrown into feel like a fever dream... he thought, looking around the room at the others.

She wondered if Leo was pulling another joke.

"Not this time," Leo grinned.

"Then what is it?" Annabeth said tightly.

If this is another god who wants us to do something for them, I swear... Percy silently rolled his eyes.

Then the horn boomed again. It sounded like it was coming from several hundred yards away—from another vessel.

She rushed to get dressed. By the time she got up on deck, the others had already gathered—all hastily dressed except for Coach Hedge, who had pulled the night watch.

Frank's Vancouver Winter Olympics shirt was inside out.

"It's one of those mornings," Travis joked. Despite the situation, he snickered. Able to relate, a few of the demigods smiled, relaxing a bit.

Percy wore pajama pants and a bronze breastplate, which was an interesting fashion statement.

Percy couldn't help but grin. "Thanks, I'm what you call a 'trend-setter'."

Thalia snorted.

"As if!" she teased with a smile.

Hazel's hair was all blown to one side, as though she'd walked through a cyclone; and Leo had accidentally set himself on fire. His T-shirt was in charred tatters. His arms were smoking.

"The horn surprised me!" the teen said defensively over the demigods' laughter.

About a hundred yards to port, a massive cruise ship glided past.

Thinking about the Princess Andromeda, the laughter abruptly ended. Annabeth stiffened and Percy stared straight ahead, determined not to look where he and Luke had fought.

Hermes slumped forward in his throne, as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Leo looked around at them with a confused frown.

"Uh... guys?" he asked. "You okay?"

"...Fine." Chris said with a heavy sigh. He continued reading without further explanation.

Tourists waved at them from fifteen or sixteen rows of balconies. Some smiled and took pictures.

Thinking about the happy oblivious tourists on Luke's cruise ship, Grover, Annabeth, and Percy shuddered.

Leo noticed and his frown deepened. What's up with them?

He turned to the Stolls to ask, but the closed off expressions on their faces made him think now wasn't the right time. Even Leo's siblings didn't seem to be in the mood for talking at the moment.