Invisible ― Jason Grace

xi. buford the walking table

Percy swam after them, dropping his sword to use both of his arms.

Coach Hedge and Keto were five feet from the exit.

Desperate, Camilla scooped up one of the giant marbles and hurled it underhanded like a bowling ball.

It hit the glass with a thunk—not nearly loud enough to attract attention.

Camilla's heart sank.

But Hedge had the ears of a satyr. He glanced over his shoulder. When he saw Percy and Camilla, his expression went through several changes in a matter of microseconds—incomprehension, surprise, outrage, then a mask of calm.

Before Keto could notice, Hedge pointed toward the top of the amphitheater. It looked like he might be screaming, Gods of Olympus, what is that?

Keto turned. Coach Hedge promptly took off his fake foot and ninja-kicked her in the back of the head with his goat hoof. Keto crumpled to the floor.

Hedge ran to the glass, holding up his palms like: What are you doing in there?

Percy pounded his fist on the glass and mouthed: Break it!

Hedge yelled a question that might have been: Where's Frank?

Percy pointed at the giant koi.

Frank waved his left dorsal fin. 'Sup?

Behind Hedge, the sea goddess began to move. Camilla pointed frantically.

Hedge shook his leg like he was warming up his kicking hoof, but Percy waved his arms, No.

On three, Percy said, mouthing the words to Hedge as he held up three fingers and gestured toward the glass. All of us hit it at the same time.

Hedge nodded like he understood. Hitting things seemed to be a language the satyr knew all too well.

Camilla, concentrate on the water, Percy told her. Make it listen to you.

I'll try, Camilla telepathically squeaked.

You can do it. Percy hefted a giant marble. Frank, we'll need you too. Can you change form yet?

Maybe back to human.

Human is fine! Just hold your breath. If this works...

Keto rose to her knees. No time to waste.

Percy counted on his fingers. One, two, three!

Frank turned human and shoved his shoulder against the glass. The coach did a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick with his hoof. Percy slammed his marble into the wall.

Camilla called on the water to obey her. She felt all the pent-up pressure inside the tank, and she put it to use. Water wanted to be free. Given time, it could overcome any barrier, and it hated to be trapped.

More than that, she tapped into her own rage. The same rage that had fueled the storm back in Alaska—rage at her mother's abandonment, her father's refusal to even acknowledge her. Rage at the gods for only claiming their children when they wanted something from them.

If Neptune wanted to claim that she was some 'secret weapon,' then she'd give him a weapon.

The water responded to her call. Fifty thousand gallons of water answered her rage.

The glass wall cracked. Fracture lines zigzagged from the point of impact, and suddenly the tank burst. Camilla was sucked out in a torrent of water. She tumbled across the amphitheater floor with Percy, Frank, some large marbles, and a clump of plastic seaweed. Keto was just getting to her feet when the diver statue slammed into her like it wanted a hug.