❝ I'm twelve! I can't exactly get driving lessons! ❞
☆ ☼ ☆
When Sheila saw the war god, it took everything in her not to snap. The trap had taken the last of her patience. Her curls were wet. Her shoes were ruined. She still had a sick feeling in her stomach caused by the moving boat. The spare inhaler in her pocket was broken, leaving her with only one. Seeing Ares' smirk made her want to burn his face off. She would have done it if Annabeth's arm wasn't hooked through hers.
Ares' voice polluting the air added to Sheila's frustration as he spoke, "Well, well, you didn't get yourself killed."
"You knew it was a trap," Percy spoke, his eyes flickering over the fuming witch for a second.
Ares gave him a wicked grin and glanced at Sheila. "I knew you'd figure it out. Bet your father was surprised when you outsmarted his trap. You two looked good on TV."
Percy shoved Ares' shield at him. "You're a jerk."
Annabeth and Grover caught their breath while Sheila allowed a smirk to form on her face. She was pleased to see someone treating the Gods as normal humans. It would do some good to their unimaginably high ego. Although, she slightly feared the consequences Percy would have to face.
Grabbing his shield, Ares spun it in the air. It changed form, melting into a bulletproof vest. "See that truck over there?" Ares pointed to an eighteen-wheeler parked across the street from the diner. "That's your ride. Take you straight to L.A. with one stop in Vegas."
Looking the vehicle up and down, Sheila hoped it wasn't what she thought it was. Percy didn't seem impressed either, but Grover was fuming.
Ares snapped his fingers, and similarly to when Sheila cast unlocking spells, the truck's back door was unlatched. "Free ride west, punk. Stop complaining. And here's a little something for doing the job."
He tossed a blue nylon backpack off his handlebars to Percy. Sheila peeked inside, resisting the urge to sigh in contentment and show gratitude. Inside were fresh clothes for each of them, approximately twenty bucks in cash, a pouch full of golden drachmas, and a bag of double-stuffed Oreos.
"I don't want your lousy—"
"Thank you, Lord Ares," Grover interrupted Percy, giving him his best warning look. "Thanks a lot."
Sheila crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah. Thanks for sending us into a trap and repaying us with an illegal truck," she commented. "You still owe Percy information about his mother."
Standing her ground, she stared Ares dead in his eyes. Unlike earlier with Percy, the war god seemed amused by her attitude. "Sure you can handle the news?" he asked Percy, kick-starting his motorcycle. "She's not dead."
The boy appeared as if he could have fainted. Sheila slowly moved behind him, in case he actually would. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, she was taken away from the Minotaur before she could die. She was turned into a shower of gold, right? That's metamorphosis. Not death. She's being kept."
Sheila carefully analyzed the emotions on Percy's face. He seemed unfazed, yet she saw the hope gleaming brightly in his eyes as he inquired why his mother was kept. This kind of hope was rather destructive.
"You need to study war, punk," Ares suggested. "Hostages. You take somebody to control somebody else."
"Nobody's controlling me," Percy denied. Sheila thought about their nightmares, wondering if his words were the truth.
Ares laughed. "Oh yeah? See you around, kid."
Percy balled up his fists, the action making his friends tense up. "You're pretty smug, Lord Ares, for a guy who runs from Cupid statues."
Behind Ares' sunglasses, the fire glowed. "We'll meet again, Percy Jackson. Next time you're in a fight, watch your back." Sheila stepped back warily when he shifted his gaze to her. "You should watch yours too, Sheila Bennett. My son has a great need for revenge." He revved his Harley, then roared off down Delancy Street.
Annabeth's features revealed confusion. "What did he mean by that?"
Sheila ignored the panic rising in her chest and sighed. "No need to worry about that. Come on, I think the truck's drivers are coming."
She crossed the street, not waiting for her friends to spot the two men in identical black coveralls at the diner's register. Grover was first to follow, Percy and Annabeth close behind. Climbing in the back of the big rig, Sheila held the doors open until the others got in. The smell instantly hit her as the air no longer filtered it, her nose scrunching up in disgust. She could tell whatever was inside wouldn't please her.
Percy uncapped his pen as Sheila summoned a light in her palm, the inside of the trailer becoming clearer. As predicted, the girl felt disgusted by the sight. There was a zebra, a male albino lion and an antelope sitting in a row of filthy cages. They looked so hungry and mistreated. Their food had been mixed up, the lion being served a sack of turnips while the zebra and the antelope had each gotten a Styrofoam tray of hamburger meat. Sheila immediately fixed the nonchalant mistake.
Their faces lighting up didn't hide the signs of animal abuse. The zebra's mane was matted with chewing gum. As for the antelope, a silver birthday balloon had been tied to one of his horns. The lion was the worst of all three. He was pacing around on soiled blankets, his cage too small for his body. Pants escaped his mouth due to the stuffy heat of the trailer. Flies were buzzing around his pink eyes, and his ribs showed through his white fur.
"This is kindness?" Grover yelled. "Humane zoo transport?"
"Ares needs to rectify his definition of the word," Sheila mumbled.
The truck's engine roared as Grover went to give the two men a piece of his mind. The trailer started shaking, forcing them to sit down. Sheila huddled with the others on some mildewed feed sacks, restraining the gag in her throat. The smell, the heat and the flies gave her a headache. While the Tunnel of Love didn't make her throw up, this truck could.
From beside Percy, Grover talked to the animals in a series of goat bleats, but they just stared at him sadly. The look in their eyes was heartbreaking, Annabeth suggesting they broke the cages and freed them on the spot. But Percy had pointed out it wouldn't help them as the truck moved too much. Instead, they settled on making them slightly more comfortable.
Percy found a water jug and used it to refill their bowls once Sheila had cleaned it. Meanwhile, Grover calmed the antelope down. Annabeth used her knife to cut the balloon off his horn. Using a telekinetic spell, Sheila got the gum out of the zebra's mane. She did her best to soothe the lion's pain but couldn't do anything about the malnourishment. Grover then promised the animals they would help them more in the morning.
The quartet settled in for the night when the animals understood their message. Sheila looked at the others. Grover was curled up on a turnip sack. Annabeth, who had opened the bag of Double Stuffed Oreos, was nibbling on one halfheartedly. Percy seemed lost in thoughts, his eyes focused on the truck's door. Sighing, Sheila laid on her stomach and opened her spellbook. She mostly flipped through the pages without retaining anything. Focus didn't come easy.
After a minute of rereading the same word, Sheila gave up and dropped her head on the pages. Beside her, she heard Annabeth apologize for freaking out about the spiders. She explained it was due to the story of Arachne and Athena. At least Percy didn't question her and understood her.
"We're a team, remember?" he voiced. "Besides, Grover did the fancy flying."
While they had thought Grover was asleep, he mumbled from the corner, "I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?"
Sheila, Annabeth and Percy chuckled. Accepting the Oreo Annabeth handed her, Sheila asked what from the Iris message with Luke bothered Percy all day. He appeared surprised that she noticed.
"Luke said you, Sheila, and he go way back," he eventually admitted. "He also said Grover wouldn't fail this time. Nobody would turn into a pine tree."
The three's faces fell as they heard what their friend had said. Sheila leaned her head against her palm, staring ahead. She wished she could ignore the memories resurfacing, but they were inevitable.
Grover let out a mournful sigh. "I should've told you the truth from the beginning." His voice trembled as he spoke his regrets. "I thought if you knew what a failure I was, you wouldn't want me along."
"You were the satyr who tried to rescue Thalia, the daughter of Zeus."
Grover nodded, and Sheila didn't need to read emotions like he did to know how much his failure continued to affect him.
"And the other three half-bloods Thalia befriended, the ones who got safely to camp..." Percy looked at Annabeth and Sheila. "That was you and Luke, wasn't it?"
Annabeth put down her uneaten Oreo. "Like you said, Percy, a seven-year-old half-blood wouldn't have made it very far alone. Athena guided me toward help. Sheila was seven, too. Thalia was twelve. Luke was fourteen. They'd both run away from home, like me."
"Like I told you, I ran away because of Echidna," Sheila recalled. "They found me and took me with them, even if I didn't want to. They were amazing monster fighters, even though they had never trained. They had travelled north from Virginia without any real plans. We fended off monsters for about three months before Grover found us."
"I was supposed to escort Thalia to camp," Grover continued. "Only Thalia. I had strict orders from Chiron: don't do anything that would slow down the rescue. We knew Hades was after her, but I couldn't leave Luke, Sheila and Annabeth. I thought... I could lead all four of them to safety. It was my fault the Kindly Ones caught up with us. I froze. I got scared on the way back to Camp and took some wrong turns. If I'd just been a little quicker..."
"Stop it," Annabeth interrupted. "No one blames you. Thalia didn't blame you either."
Grover had a different opinion. "She sacrificed herself to save us," he said. "Her death was my fault. The Council of Cloven Elders said so."
Sheila shook her head. "If it's your fault, then it's mine too. Without me, Thalia wouldn't have been distracted." She smiled at him. "You aren't the one to blame, Grover. You saved me, Annabeth and Luke. You're the bravest satyr I know. Not many would go on this quest, but you did. Don't let one mistake define you."
"Yeah," Percy agreed. "It's not luck that you found Thalia and me, Grover. You've got the biggest heart of any satyr ever. You're a natural searcher. That's why you'll be the one who finds Pan."
They all waited for Grover to say something, but his breathing only got heavier. The three realized he had fallen asleep when he snored. It caused Sheila to chuckle.
"How does he do that?" Percy marvelled.
"I don't know," Annabeth said. "But that was a nice thing you told him."
"I meant it." Then, he asked Sheila, "What did you mean when you said it was also your fault?"
Inhaling deeply, the witch played with a curl of her hair. "I distracted Thalia. My reputation at Camp isn't unjustified. No one knows exactly what happened, but they saw my flames. I did a spell because I thought it'd help. I lost control, and Thalia lost focus. The monster got the upper hand. Assumptions were made, and most believe I'm at fault for her death. Annabeth, Luke and Grover tried to calm the rumours, but the burnt mark on the pine tree was considered enough proof."
"It wasn't your fault," Annabeth denied. "There were too many monsters."
Sheila huffed, not believing her best friend. Deep down, she would always take the blame. It would follow her everywhere.
After a few miles of bumping around on the feed sacks, Percy disturbed the silence and asked if the pine tree bead on Annabeth's necklace was something she received during her first year. Sheila went to touch her own before remembering it had fallen somewhere.
Annabeth looked at it, not realizing she had been rubbing it for five miles. "Yeah," she responded. "Every August, the counsellors pick and paint the most important summer event on that year's beads. I've got Thalia's pine tree, a Greek trireme on fire, a centaur in a prom dress — now that was a weird summer..."
Percy noticed the gesture, too, and redirected the subject toward her necklace. "And the college ring is your father's?"
"That's none of your—" Annabeth stopped herself. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."
"You don't have to tell me."
But she did. Annabeth told him her father sent it two summers ago. It came with an apology letter about the way he treated her as a child. He had also asked Annabeth if she would live with him again. Sheila glared at the wall. When Annabeth did return for the school year, her stepmother treated her horribly, calling the girl a freak. They argued every time monsters attacked, and Sheila would never forget how Annabeth cried in her arms after returning to Camp Half-Blood during winter break.
"You think you'll ever try living with your dad again?" Percy asked.
Annabeth refused to meet anyone's eyes. "Please. I'm not into self-inflicted pain."
"You shouldn't give up," Percy persisted. "You should write him a letter or something."
"Thanks for the advice," she replied coldly, "but my father's made his choice about who he wants to live with."
Sheila sighed, leaning further on the feed sack she used as a mattress. Appearances could be wrong. They always were. Annabeth could be arrogant at first, so nobody tries to get to know her. But the witch knew better. These people weren't there when Annabeth doubted herself, wondering why everyone betrayed her. They weren't aware that she wasn't being arrogant but careful.
Maybe it was why they were so close, Sheila thought while eating another Oreo. Both of them had trust issues, yet they let each other in. It might have been because they shared the accident with Thalia or because they had been betrayed countless times. It didn't matter much to Sheila. All she needed was Annabeth by her side.
Percy's voice forced her thoughts to stop. "So if the gods fight," he began, "will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon? And what about Hephaestus?"
Annabeth rested her head on the backpack Ares had given them and closed her eyes. "I don't know what my mom will do. I know I'll fight next to you."
"Why?"
"Because you're my friend. Sheila's right. You do ask stupid questions."
Sheila chuckled. "I couldn't care less what my father does. Never did, never will. I'll fight by your side despite his opinion."
"Does that mean we're friends now, Butterfly?" Percy asked, the ghost of a smile on his lips.
The corner of Sheila's lips twitched up. "I don't know about that yet, Sharkboy."
. • ° ✧ . • °
"Dad?"
The word slipped past Sheila's lips without the girl realizing it. Enzo St-John stood before her, but not the one she knew. His skin was grey, dark veins trailing from his chest to the top of his head. The warmth in his eyes was replaced by a void of emotions, a lifeless gaze Sheila thought she had forgotten. It pierced through her golden eyes as if reflecting how she had felt for the past five years.
But the most predominant feature was the hole in Enzo's chest. Where his heart should have been, there was darkness. Behind him, Sheila's uncle, Stefan Salvatore, bore a sadistic expression. He held Enzo's heart in his hand, blood dripping to the floor. Sheila's mouth fell open as she tried to scream, but no sound came out. Enzo's body collided with the ground, and her mind forbade her to react.
"See what happens to those closest to you," a voice Sheila hadn't heard in years whispered. "First me, then your father, your mom, and Thalia. You're a curse to those in your life, Sheils."
Flames burst in Sheila's palms as she shouted, "Shut up!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath her opened. The scenery changed to the one Sheila had grown accustomed to. She landed on her feet in the dark cavern from a previous nightmare with dead spirits surrounding her. She stood before the infamous hole her magic strangely felt attracted to. On the other side, Sheila frowned as she noticed Percy was there, too. He put a finger over his mouth and motioned the pit.
"And they suspect nothing?" it asked.
Recognition hit Sheila as another voice answered, "Nothing, my lord. They are as ignorant as the rest."
The speaker was invisible, yet Sheila's magic was screaming its name. She had heard that voice countless times before. Whether it was in nightmares or real life, she knew whoever owned it.
"Truly, my lord," the voice next to Percy spoke, "you are well-named the Crooked One. But was it really necessary? I could have brought you what I stole directly —"
"You?" the monster said in scorn. "You have already shown your limits. You would have failed me completely had I not intervened."
Raising her head, Sheila stared at Percy. For now, only his name had been mentioned. The voices exchanged about taking advantage of Zeus' growing anger and Poseidon playing his most desperate card, which the girl didn't understand what it meant. The more potent voice was planning on using it against the god, and its servant would soon be rewarded with what he wished. Nothing made sense to Sheila.
And then, she and Percy were under the projector. The thing had seemed to sense their unwilling presence. Its servant asked if it had summoned them, receiving a simple no as an answer as the two teenagers were frozen in place by it. Sheila attempted to use her magic to get Percy away from the thing's reach but was stopped by a new force.
"Blast his father's blood — he is too changeable, too unpredictable. The boy brought himself hither, and she is linked to him and this area."
"Impossible!" the servant cried.
Sheila tried to speak, but her mouth was clamped shut. A golden mist escaped the tip of her fingers, heading toward the pit. She frowned and shared a look with Percy. Linked to this area, the thing said. Her eyes widened as she remembered a part of her prophecy.
"For a weakling such as you, perhaps," the voice snarled. Then its cold power turned back on Percy. Sheila was slightly relieved it didn't pay her any attention. "So... you wish to dream of your quest, young half-bloods? Then I will oblige."
Percy and Sheila were separated as the witch was teleported in a dark room. Landing harshly on her hands and knees, she let out a pained gasp. It swiftly turned into a scream as blood spilt on the floor, Enzo's body reappearing at her feet. She scrambled back, freezing when her back collided with something hard.
And as gold stared into gold, darkness threatened to corrupt her heart —
Sheila abruptly sat up, chest heaving. Grover told her and Percy that the truck had stopped, not noticing their panicked expression. The two could barely recover from their dazed state when Annabeth hissed at them to hide. She vanished under her baseball cap. Quickly reacting, Sheila used a spell to cloak herself while the boys dove behind feed sacks instead, hoping they were well hidden.
The trailer doors creaked open, sunlight and heat pouring in. Sheila used her body to protect an animal from the rays. She and Annabeth exchanged a disgusted look when one of the truckers climbed inside and threw water from a jug into the animals' dishes.
"You hot, big boy?" the man asked the lion, then splashed the rest of the bucket in the lion's face. The lion roared in resentment. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."
Sheila noticed Grover tensing beside Percy, and she couldn't blame him. He cared for Nature and animals as much as she did, perhaps even more. Sitting still, she watched the trucker throw disgusting food at the antelope and tell the zebra about being sawn in half for a magic show. The zebra, wild-eyed with fear, looked straight at Percy. Its terrified eyes caused anger to bubble inside Sheila's chest, the emotion directed at the men.
Luckily, Annabeth had formed a plan in her head. There was a loud knock, knock, knock on the side of the trailer, the trucker inside with them yelling, "What do you want, Eddie?"
A voice outside — it must have been Eddie's — shouted back, "Maurice? What'd you say?"
"What are you banging for?"
Annabeth knocked a second time. Eddie yelled, "What banging?"
Maurice rolled his eyes and returned outside, cursing at Eddie for being an idiot. Once he was gone, Annabeth took off her cap for the boys to see her. Sheila grinned proudly at Annabeth for her clever plan as she stated the transport they were in couldn't be a legal business.
"No kidding," Grover huffed. He paused as if listening. "The lion says these guys are animal smugglers! We've got to free them!"
Sheila, Annabeth and Grover agreed to free them and looked at Percy, waiting for his lead. While Sheila hoped he would be on the same page as them, she had no idea what Percy was thinking. It annoyed her. He seemed to have common sense, but she couldn't be sure.
After a silent exchange between Percy and the zebra, the former used Riptide to slash the lock off the cage. The zebra burst out, turning to Percy before bowing to him. Grover held his hands up and said a blessing in goat talk to him. Sheila didn't waste another second and muttered something in Latin. All the locks dropped to the truck's floor, the animals pursuing the zebra's lead.
The noise New York usually caused amplified. People yelled and screamed out for someone to catch the crowd of animals, cars honking to add to it. The teenagers rushed to the doors, getting a glimpse of the zebra galloping down a wide boulevard lined with hotels, casinos and neon signs. The lion roared at cars, and the antelope jumped from car hood to car hood. Realization fell on the quartet as they exchanged a look: They had released a zoo in Las Vegas.
Maurice and Eddie sprinted after the animals closest to them, with a few policemen running after them. They were shouting, "Hey! You need a permit for that!"
"Now would be a good time to leave," Annabeth observed.
"Will the animals be okay?" Percy asked Grover. "I mean, the desert and all—"
"Don't worry," Grover cut him off. "I placed a satyr's sanctuary on them."
Percy asked, "Meaning?"
"Meaning they'll reach the wild safely," Grover detailed. "They'll find water, food, shade, whatever they need until they find a safe place to live."
Seeing the interrogation left in his gaze, Sheila added, "Before you ask, it only works on wild animals."
"So, it could work on Percy," Annabeth joked.
"Hey!" the said boy protested.
Sheila chuckled. "Come on. Let's get out of this thing. I'm too hot."
Stumbling out into the desert afternoon had never felt so relieving. Sheila inhaled the hot fresh air of Las Vegas, her body heat adapting swiftly to the hundred and ten degrees. Per Sheila's demand — as she saw her friends sweating from hotness — a refreshing gush of wind passed them.
The four knew they must have looked disgusting, but no one paid attention to them as animals ran around the streets. They used this to their advantage, passing the Monte Carlo and the MGM.
It was an intriguing scenery for Sheila, who had never seen a town shining this much without any magical help. Her eyes showed her fascination as they passed pyramids, a pirate ship, and a petite replica of the Statue of Liberty. Everything was beautiful to her, and it was a rare moment in which she was glad to be out of Camp.
Sheila frowned as Annabeth took a turn, leading to a dead end. They were now standing in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino. Similar to Medusa's place, magic radiated from this mysterious casino.
But something hypnotizing dragged Sheila to the entrance. It shone from the massive neon flower hanging there, its petals lighting up and blinking. Sheila's heart clenched as she noticed it was shaped like a Lotus. As the glittering chrome doors opened, she recognized the smell of the flower coming from the inside. They took their name seriously.
The doorman smiled at them. "Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?"
Sheila wanted to decline his kind offer, but she couldn't speak. After all the trouble they had endured, maybe they deserved a break. The guy standing before them looked genuinely average. He wasn't a monster of any kind. Percy had the same thoughts as her as he said they would love to come in.
One look around the inside was all they needed as Grover said, "Whoa."
A giant game room was what the lobby was. Sheila chuckled in disbelief, watching people slide down a waterslide snaking around the glass elevator, which went up for a minimum of forty floors. A climbing wall and an indoor bungee-jumping bridge had been built on the side of one building. So many video games were at their disposition in the further back of the room. Snack bars were serving every kind of food Sheila could imagine. Paradise was the perfect word to describe this place.
"Hey!" a bellhop spoke. "Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here's your room key."
Percy stammered, "Um, but..."
"No, no," the bellhop laughed. "The bill's taken care of. No extra charges and no tips. Just go on up to the top floor, loom 4001. If you need anything, like extra bubbles for the hot tub, skeet targets for the shooting range, or whatever, just call the front desk. Here are your Lotus Cash cards. They work in the restaurants and on all the games and rides."
He handed them each a green plastic credit card. Sheila frowned as she observed hers, asking, "Excuse me, but how much is on here?"
The bellhop's eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean?"
"When does it run out of cash?" Percy inquired.
The man laughed. "Oh, you two are making a joke. Hey, that's cool. Enjoy your stay."
Sheila stared at the man curiously as she took the elevator upstairs with the others. Her jaw dropped immediately when she entered their suite. It had four separate bedrooms and a bar full of candy, sodas and chips. There was a hotline to room service, fluffy towels and water beds with feather pillows. Glancing at the big-screen television with satellite, Sheila remarked how quick the internet was.
Glancing out at the balcony, Sheila saw it had its hot tub, which she knew she would probably dive into after trying out the video games the hotel offered. She walked outside and picked up a skeet-shooting machine accompanied by a shotgun. Aiming at the sky, the girl immediately dropped it when Percy warned her that it could hit the birds passing by.
"Oh, wow," Annabeth breathed out as Sheila returned inside. "This place is..."
"Sweet," Grover finished for her. "Sweet."
They each entered their respective room, Sheila gapping at the walk-in wardrobe in hers. She let out a small chuckle as she looked through the pieces of clothing. Her aunts would have loved to see this place, she thought while choosing a pair of dark red jean shorts. She grabbed a random shirt and a new black hoodie without pondering why and how the clothes fit her.
As she entered the bathroom, her fingers twitched. Sheila glanced at her hands with furrowed brows, shaking them mindlessly. She assumed it was simply reflexes when the tingling ceased and turned on the shower. The water rushing down on her skin soothed her bruised body. Dirt caused the white tiles to turn brown, but it was washed down the drain in a minute. A shower had never been more relaxing than now.
When she exited the shower, she managed to put her curls in a braid. She wiped the steam off the mirror, examining her tired reflection before slipping into her new clothes. They were more comfortable than her previous ones. Opening the cabinets, Sheila's eyes widened at how many products were at her disposition. She used one too many, ignoring the constant twitching of her fingers.
Annabeth and Grover had already showered and changed as Sheila exited her room. Grover was eating potato chips while Annabeth cranked up the National Geographic Channel. Sheila headed over to the couch, picking a bag of different mini chocolates. She knew Percy was following her as he had just left his bedroom.
"Annie, tell me you tried the pink bottle of lotion. It smelled so good," Sheila expressed.
"I know, right?" Annabeth replied, flipping through the channels. "What now? Sleep?"
Grover and Percy exchanged a look and grinned, worrying the girls. They held up their green plastic Lotus Cash cards as Percy voiced, "Playtime."
In her almost thirteen years of life, Sheila couldn't remember when she had more fun than now. The Lotus Casino had everything to please anyone. After napping in her room, she spent an hour trying all the outfits in her wardrobe. She threw the ones she liked in her bag before leaving the room to explore the place. Her lips twitched into a childish smile as she slid down the long waterslide and landed in a ball pool.
Her first stop was a souvenir shop in the lobby. It contained things such as bags, clothes, jewels, and more. Sheila navigated between the alleys, grabbing a silver backpack to replace the one from Medusa's place. The clothes she took and her spellbook fit perfectly in the bag, as did the snowball she stole at the waterpark. Grabbing a ring for Luke and matching bracelets for Annabeth, the girl walked to the cashier and paid with her unlimited money. He grinned at her, leaving an unsettling feeling in her stomach. She brushed it off and continued her exploration of the Lotus Casino.
Sheila didn't know nor care how many hours had been wasted here. Her time was mostly spent playing volleyball with other kids. There was a girl her age on her team named Bianca, who she clicked with quickly. When their fourth game ended, Sheila took a break and tried the games offered in the arcade. There was one where she could create as many objects as she wanted and even attempt different combinations of materials she wouldn't usually consider. It gave her countless ideas she couldn't wait to share with her brothers. Not that she wanted to leave any time soon.
Something caught her eye as she tried to craft a bed that made itself. Out of the corner of her eye, Sheila frowned when she noticed a room she hadn't seen yet. Leaving the game behind, she advanced toward the half-closed door and opened it wide. Amazemed was how she felt as she spotted the transparent piano in the middle of the room, with classical, traditional and modern instruments around it. Apart from two girls playing guitar and three guys testing out a drumset, no one was in the room. It had a calm atmosphere.
With no one at the piano, Sheila hesitantly sat on the bench. Her hands lingered slightly above the keys. Last summer, Michael had shown her his favourite pieces, but the memory that stuck out to Sheila was when her father taught her how to play. Her mother would sit on the couch and smile while watching Enzo guide Sheila through music sheets. It was part of their routine like the pancakes Bonnie and Sheila made every Sunday. That was until Stefan Salvatore ripped Enzo's heart out.
At that thought, Sheila closed her eyes. Her nightmare from the previous night. Why did she dream about that? Yes, it was usual for her to remember the worst moment of her life, but there was more to this one. Glancing around, she tried to listen to the voice in her head. But it was shut off as the girls playing the guitar started a song nostalgic to Sheila. She focused on the piano, letting her muscle memory do the rest. It knew this melody by heart.
Her mind went blank for once. It only did when Sheila was so focused that she didn't care about anything else. A butterfly with golden wings flew above her head, landing on the unused music sheets. The golden mist hovering around Sheila's hands matched with it.
It was the first thing Percy noticed as he burst into the room. He had spent five minutes looking for Sheila before the melodic sound of the piano dragged him here. Faltering in his steps, he stared at the girl. She appeared serene, an expression Percy hadn't seen on her, except in the Tunnel of Love when she glanced at all the paintings of true love. He didn't want to ruin that, but the footsteps coming closer forced him to.
"Sheila," Percy called, shaking her shoulder. "Come on. This place is not what it seems."
His voice brought back the one in Sheila's head. She opened her eyes and glanced at him with mild annoyance. "What do you mean?"
"I thought you were supposed to sense traps," the boy replied, urgency in his tone.
That got her attention as she glared at him. "Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?"
"They use magic to lure us in!" Percy exclaimed. "There are kids who've been here since 1977."
And sure enough, Sheila finally understood what her inside voice tried to say. Her eyes widened, and she stood up abruptly. She should have noticed earlier, but illusions were the easiest way to influence people. Even witches struggled with them.
"How long?" she asked as they hurried out of the room and turned a corner to avoid employees.
"I don't know, but we've got to find Grover and Annabeth," Percy stated. "Monsters found us."
Agreeing, Sheila led the way to her best friend's location. Annabeth was immersed in a game to build her city when they found her, not surprising the other two demigods. Sheila snapped her glowing fingers in front of Annabeth, using a spell to counter the one she was under. It worked, her stormy eyes widening. Without a question, she followed Sheila and Percy to find the missing satyr.
Percy found Grover, who played loudly the game named Virtual Deer Hunter. Shouting his name, the demigods rushed to join him when Sheila mentioned his shoes were making him float.
But Grover ignored them as he shouted to Percy, who stood before him, "Die, human! Die, silly polluting nasty person!"
"Grover!"
"He better be calling the people in his game nasty," Sheila commented.
Grover turned the plastic gun on Percy and started clicking as if the demigod was just another image from the screen. Sheila covered her mouth with her hand, silently sneering at the hilarious scene.
Sharing a look with Annabeth and Percy, Sheila grabbed Grover's shoulders and shook him harshly. "Grover! We have to go. Monsters are here!"
As if to confirm her words, a bellhop hurried toward them. Sheila quickly brandished her spear and threw it straight through his chest. With a hiss, the kid turned to dust. That brought Grover back, and the quartet watched as employees seemed to stare right at them. Sheila noticed one had veins under his eyes, and another had eyes like a reptile.
"Okay, so this hotel is not what it seems," she pointed out. "We need to leave fast. Who knows how much time we've wasted here."
Annabeth took out her dagger. "We can't outrun them. There's an employee at every exit."
Percy glanced at the employees, spotting the keys hanging from one's pocket. Sheila was right. They needed to be swift. With the blocked exits, he could only see one solution.
"I have an idea," he voiced.
Sheila looked sceptical. "And that's helpful?"
Glaring at her, Percy readjusted the bag on his shoulders before uncapping Riptide. At the sight of the weapon, two bellhops and a shop seller came at the quartet. Grover kicked one away from Sheila since she didn't have her spear. Annabeth stabbed another, and Percy took care of the last one.
Sheila waited for a clear path, then rushed to grab her spear from the floor. She picked it up and rolled away to avoid a sprinting employee. This one was different from the others. Its speed told her he was a vampire. The woman behind him wasn't as quick, but her fiery hair revealed she was more deadly. Twirling her spear behind her back, Sheila waited for them to approach before attempting an attack. The vampire dodged it, but the Empousai was too late. Blood dripped from her stomach, a screech leaving her throat.
"If you have an idea, do it now!" Sheila shouted at Percy.
But she wished she hadn't, his next move making her yelp in surprise. Sheila blinked once, and suddenly, Percy tackled an employee. While Annabeth, Grover and Sheila fought the others, Percy rushed to steal the employee's keys. Once he got them, he got on his feet and urged his friends to follow him. Hesitantly, they did and left behind a mess in the lobby. Two kids couldn't stop staring at them, wondering what had occurred.
When the elevator doors remained shut, Annabeth kicked open the door to the stairs. Grover led the way to the underground parking lot, which Sheila didn't even know existed. It was dark, her eyes taking their time to adjust to the lightning. Percy clicked the car keys he stole, a car beeping further down the lot. Annabeth and Sheila shared a displeased look, but neither had a better solution.
Sheila slipped into the passenger's seat, Grover and Annabeth going in the back. The witch's eyes widened as she realized that Percy had to be the driver. His nervous gaze found hers, and she motioned for him to start the car. As much as she didn't want to, the employees would locate them soon. They had to escape this cursed hotel. Sheila could only pray they would be alive to see daylight.
Percy turned the ignition on. Everyone jumped as the car surged forward, Percy hitting the gas too hard. He shrugged sheepishly under Sheila's glare. Turning the wheel, the boy's eyes widened when he almost hit a pillar. Annabeth and Grover were shouting at him from the backseat, but Sheila's yells were louder since she was beside him. Percy screamed back, the entire taxi bursting into chaos.
"Do you even know how to drive?" Annabeth yelled.
"I'm twelve! I can't exactly get driving lessons!" Percy countered. "Grover's twenty-four! Can't you tell me how to control this thing?"
"You can't really get your license in the woods!" Grover reminded him.
Sheila held on to the dashboard when the gears in her head stopped. "Switch place with me! I can drive it!"
Percy quickly changed directions as he barely dodged a wall. "What? Are you secretly twenty-four, too?"
Rolling her eyes, the girl shouted, "We're repairing a car in the forges! I've seen the plans. It's not hard! Switch with me!"
If Percy had learned anything, it was to avoid disagreeing with Sheila. Observing other monsters disguised as an employee approach, he and Sheila scrambled into each other's seats. When the latter's hands were on the wheel, she instantly hit the gas and swerved to the right. Grover groaned while Annabeth looked close to puking. Percy didn't appear any better than either of them. They all yelled in panic as Sheila hit two monsters. It didn't disrupt her focus. The girl sharply turned right and followed the path out of the underground parking lot.
Once on the road, Sheila realized she underestimated her brain. She knew she was going way over the speed limit, and upon being reassured by Annabeth that they were far from the Lotus Casino, she slowly lifted her foot. They passed by a police station, luckily going unnoticed.
"Okay, that wasn't so bad," Sheila breathed out. Seeing her friends' faces, she added, "We're alive, aren't we? Percy would have driven us into a wall."
The said boy glanced at her with an offended look. "You drove over two monsters!"
"They would have killed us!" Sheila exclaimed, eyes widening when she accidentally changed lanes. She returned to the right before a car collided with them. "Sorry!"
"What did you say about how it wasn't hard?" Percy mocked.
Sheila merely glared at him.
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A/N ∼ Not gonna lie, the preview of tomorrow's episode made me want to change the ending. I'm so excited to see what they did with the Lotus Casino chapter
also if you haven't watched the PJO show yet, what are you doing? WATCH IT NOW! You're missing out. It's literally so good.
take care of yourselves everyone, and thank you for the 23.3K read!
-voidheda