It turns out that healing a chest wound hurts almost as badly as getting one.
The girl, I found out her name was Cleo, spent twenty minutes smearing on ointments and creams over the large gashes in my chest, muttering her apologies as she did so. Each new round of creams sent a fresh fire over the wound, making me grit my teeth and curse loud enough for the entire camp to hear.
When the girl was finally done, she handed me a small cup of nectar before getting up. "Drink this and take it easy for a few days. The creams will accelerate your healing and provide a kind of barrier so no bacteria can get in while you heal. You'll be good as new soon." She tells me in a gentle voice, and I give her an appreciative smile.
"Thank you." I tell her, and she gives me a bow of her head before she walks off. I spot Zoë standing to the side, and I give her a careful look as I slowly stand, my legs still shaking slightly as I pop back the cup of nectar.
Warmth flows through me, and I hum as all the pain I had once been feeling dissipates completely. "Cleo is a skilled healer. Thee is lucky she was there to help." Zoë remarks, and I shrug my shoulders.
"She's nice." I say simply, looking past Zoë and towards the camp behind her.
The hunters had set up their tents and brought out their supplies with a quick efficiency, and now everyone was mingling and resting before we had to set out again. "Lady Artemis wishes to have a word with thee, Danae Price."
I wince at the use of my full name and nod my head. "Lead the way sunshine." Zoë obviously didn't appreciate the nickname, but as far as I was concerned, anyone who had issues with Thalia, also had issues with me.
I let Zoë lead me through the camp until we had reached the last tent in the row, and she held open the small flap for me to step inside before coming in herself. The inside of the tent was warm and welcoming from the outside chill, and I took my time observing the tent before facing the goddess.
The walls were decorated with a variety of animal pelts and skins— and similar rugs were laid across the floor. A golden brazier shone brightly in the center of the tent, no smoke or fuel polluting the air as it warmed the room.
Blankets and pillows were piled on the side of the room where Artemis and Bianca Di Angelo sat, both of them looking at me as I walked towards them. "I heard you wanted to speak with me?" I ask, and the small girl, Artemis, nodded her head, gesturing towards the empty seat beside her.
"Yes. Please sit."
I take a hesitant seat on the ground across from her and next to Bianca, my hands fidgeting with themselves in front of me.
Bianca looked as if she was lost in thought, seemingly ignoring me as I sat down next to her. "I was just speaking with Bianca about joining the Hunt." I raise my brows, looking towards the small girl next to me.
Bianca gave me a weak smile, and I pursed my lips. "I won't tell you what to do. But your brother will not be able to come with you." I remind her gently, and she winces.
"I know."
Artemis gives the girl a small smile before shifting her focus back to me. "I understand that you yourself would be a great candidate for our ranks." I tense, preparing to shut the goddess down and tell her that I had no intention of joining her Hunt, but Artemis doesn't pause long enough to let me speak. "However, I cannot allow you to."
The words make me pause, and I give the goddess a confused look. "Why not?" I may not have wanted to join her but knowing that I wouldn't be able to even if I wanted to irked me.
"Your path is already laid for you, my dear. I am as unable to change as you are. If I were to allow you to join the Hunt, the whole of Olympus would be in an uproar. I wish it weren't so, but it is out of my control." I purse my lips together into a thin line, crossing my arms firmly over my chest.
"I'm so tired of people saying that I don't have a choice. I do, you do, we all do. You're just too scared of the repercussions." I stand up, dusting off my clothes. "I don't need a reminder of what lies in wait for me."
Artemis tenses, and for a moment, I remember that she's a goddess, but at the moment, I didn't care. "If you need nothing else, I'll be going." I turn towards the door, stopping to look back at the girl that was still seated in the corner. "Your brother will be safe at camp if you...If you choose to join them."
The girl's eyes widen, and I can see the relief in her eyes before I turn back around and leave the tent. I wasn't surprised to see Zoë standing outside of the entrance, and I ignore her entirely, walking past her and away from the tent.
Thalia stood off to the side, her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at anyone who came close. She eased up when she saw me, and I sighed before collapsing onto the ground next to her. "Fun talk?" She asks, settling down beside me.
I shake my head. "Just another goddess telling me what I can and can't do." I pick up a rock that was next to my foot, throwing it at a nearby tree.
I tell her what Artemis said—about her telling me that if I wanted to, I wouldn't be allowed to join in the Hunt. Thalia's nose scrunched up in distaste. "Did you want to join?"
I can tell that she was trying to hold back her disdain for my sake, but I shake my head. "No. I don't think I could walk away from camp, from my brothers. But I'm so tired of being told what I can and cannot do." I grumble, and I see Thalia nod her head.
"I get it." She doesn't say anything else, and I appreciate her for it. We had talked a lot during the remainder of summer before I left, and in that time we had grown an understanding for each other.
She knew that all I needed in that moment was for someone to understand—that I didn't need empty apologies or sympathetic words. I think between the two of us, we had heard the words 'I'm sorry' to last us a lifetime.
So we sat there in silence, both of us chewing over our own thoughts as the rest of the people in camp went on with their work, ignoring us. I watched quietly as Jackson entered Artemis's tent, and I know that Thalia noticed as well when she tensed beside me.
"What do you think she has to say to him?" She wonders out loud, and I shrug.
"I don't know. Maybe she has questions about the Manticore." My eyes rested on the small tent for a moment before I looked away.
Thalia narrowed her eyes. "Maybe."
I could tell that she didn't trust the hunters as far as she could throw them, Zoë especially. As soon as we get back to camp, I can't wait to hear about that story.
I adjusted myself on the ground as Grover slowly walked towards us, a lop-sided grin on his face. The small boy, Nico, hung next to him. Guilt wound through me when I remembered Bianca—how she was considering leaving her brother behind.
"Do you think I can get Artemis's autograph?" Nico asks unabashed, and I snort.
"You can try, kid." I muse, the idea filling me with more amusement than it should.
Thalia elbows me in the side, and I shrug my shoulders. "You should try to get Mr. D to sign something too. You'll love him." I muse, earning me a glare from both Thalia and Grover. "What? It would be funny."
Thalia rolls her eyes, and my grin widens when I look at Nico again. "Mr. D is the camp director. And I was being serious about the autograph thing, you should definitely ask him." Grover sighs, shaking his head as Nico enthusiastically nods his head.
The next 20 minutes go by quickly, Nico peppering us with questions that I mostly left for Grover to answer, my mind still foggy from the overload of Ambrosia and nectar I had consumed.
We all straightened when Jackson left the tent, his face pale and his jaw set in a tight line. I could tell just by the way he walked that whatever had happened in that tent had hit some nerves.
Grover didn't wait for him to so much as blink before asking him questions, and Jackson answered them in a terse voice.
It turns out that the Hunters would be joining us at camp, and that Bianca had indeed decided to join them. Neither of the two events were pleasant, considering that I had no doubt that having the Hunters at camp would only make things more tense than they already were.
"The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well." Grover mumbles, his face pale.
"How'd they even show up here?" Jackson asks. "I mean they just appeared out of nowhere." I shrug my shoulders. I mean, she is a god.
"And Bianca joined them." Thalia's face pinched back in disgust. "It's all Zoë's fault. The stuck-up, no good—"
"Who can blame her?" Grover interrupts, his voice light and airy. "Eternity with Artemis?" I roll my eyes, pushing the Satyr with my shoulder to break him out of his trance.
Thalia rolls her eyes, unamused. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"
"But she's so... into nature." Grover sighed, smiling. I faked a gag, making Jackson laugh beside me.
"You're nuts." Thalia pointed out plainly.
"Nuts and berries."
≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪
We all stayed huddled together as the Hunters worked on tearing down the camp that they had just put together less than an hour before.
Artemis left her tent shortly after Jackson, her small frame blending in with the young girls around her as she helped. I kept quiet, looking away from her anytime she got close. Thalia stood in silent defiance with me, both of us ignoring the goddess and her hunters.
Jackson said we would be getting a ride back to camp from Apollo, the god of the Sun and twin brother to Artemis.
I get to meet 2 gods in one day? Lovely.
I've heard some good things about Apollo, considering no one from the Apollo cabins hated their father for any particular reason. He was better than Hermes, that was for sure. As dawn quickly approaches, the hunters all begin to stand on the edge of where the camp once was, everything now packed up in bags.
My own small backpack had been returned to me earlier, and I had double checked everything inside twice before pushing the bag over my shoulders. I had packed away my notebooks and pencils along with a few extra pairs of clothes, but that's not what I was worried about losing.
Before leaving camp, Pollux had somehow managed to steal one of the chalices used during meals at camp and had given it to me—saying that no matter where I was, I would always have access of coke. As thankful as I was, my father had known about the theft, and had told me under no uncertain terms that if I returned without the cup I would owe him three weeks' worth of kitchen duty, and there was no way in Hades I was doing that.
A flash of light on the horizon broke my thought, and I flinched when Thalia brought my head forcibly to the side. "Don't watch—you'll go blind." She tells me quickly, and I furrow my brows.
Everyone around me was doing the same—their heads ducked to the side as a sudden rush of warmth and heat flooded my body, making me sweat through the thick flannel sweater I was wearing. A bright, yellow light flooded the surrounding area, encasing the woods in a light glow.
And then, as soon as the light had come, it vanished, the heat leaving with it. I waited a few seconds before turning my head, my curiosity getting the best of me.
I raise my brows when I see the red convertible resting in the now green grass in front of Artemis—the red metal glowing with heat that melted any snow that was on the ground. Jackson stared at the car like it was the coolest thing he had ever seen, and I elbow him in the ribs, forcing him out of his daze.
"You were drooling." I muse, smiling with amusement as he quickly wipes the backside of his hand across his mouth.
"It's a cool car." He mumbles, and I roll my eyes. I was about to say something when the driver to the car stepped out with effortless grace, and I couldn't help but stare.
The driver looked to be barely older than me—maybe 17 or 18. With bright blonde hair and a dazzling smile that I knew could make most girls swoon. Every inch of him radiated light, and the plain tee-shirt and jeans he was wearing did nothing to hide it.
"Now look who's drooling." Thalia grins beside me, and I grit my teeth before pushing her aside, a deep blush erupting across my cheeks.
"I didn't think Apollo would be hot." I hiss back, crossing my arms over my chest.
Jackson shrugs his shoulders. "He's the sun god."
"Yeah, that's not what she meant." Thalia snorts, and I push her again to shut her up.
Jackson looks between us with a weird face, and I ignore him as my attention is stolen once more by the sun-god in front of us. "Little sister!" Gods even his voice was hot. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"
Artemis pursed her lips together, rolling her eyes. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little sister."
"Hey, I was born first."
"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—"
"So what's up?" He interrupted, looking around at the small group that had formed around them. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?" I tried not to smile at seeing Artemis getting more and more annoyed, but it was infinitely more entertaining considering she looked 12.
"I need a favor." She says through her teeth, a deep red flush erupting across her face. "I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."
Apollo's smile widens impossibly further, displaying his crystal white teeth. "Sure sis!" We all watched as he held up his hands. "I feel a haiku coming on."
As one, the Hunters all groaned in response, and I assumed that this had been a regular thing with the sun god. I watched with an amused smile as Apollo cleared his throat, holding up a dramatic hand.
'Green Grass breaks through the snow.
Artemis pleads for my help.
I am so cool.'
He paused at the end, as if he were waiting for us to applaud. Artemis rolled her eyes. "That last line was only four syllables." She remarked in a challenging tone.
Her twin's face fell. "Is it?" He mouthed the words again, counting each syllable.
"Yes." Artemis had a small smile on her face now. "What about, I am so big-headed?"
Apollo shook his head, throwing off the insult with ease. "No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm.." The god began to murmur to himself, thinking of a phrase that was five syllables.
Zoë leaned over Grover; her hand held around her mouth. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, There once was a goddess from Sparta—"
"I've got it!" He exclaimed proudly, interrupting the hunter. "I am so awesome. That's five syllables!" Artemis gave him an appeasing look—like a mother might give her child. "And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."
Artemis gestures a hand toward us. "These demigods will also need a ride. They're some of Chiron's campers."
"No problem!" Apollo looked between us, his eyes landing on Thalia first. I felt her tense next to me. "Let's see...Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."
Thalia's face blushed a deep red. "Hi, Lord Apollo." Her voice was barely over a squeak, and I barely contained my snort. The small noise I did make didn't go unnoticed, and I winced when I felt Thalia's elbow jerk into my ribs.
"Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half-sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time—"
"Brother." Artemis interrupted; her brows raised "You should get going." She looked towards the red convertible, and her brother raised his hands.
"Right, right." His eyes moved from Thalia to me, and my entire body went stiff. He was looking at me differently than he had Thalia—like he knew some big secret that I didn't. It was an unnerving look—one that set me on edge. "Danae Price?"
I clenched my jaw at the sound of my name, giving him a short, curt nod. The grin that crosses his face was nothing short of cocky and sure—and I hated it. I didn't want to know whatever it was that he knew—but I was pissed off that he knew it.
Apollo; God of the sun, poetry, art blah blah blah...and prophecies. He was the one who gave our own oracle her power. She didn't use to be a decrepit corpse, and Apollo was her benefactor.
I looked away from his gaze, my jaw set and my hands clenched into tight fists. I didn't look back until I felt his gaze move from me to Jackson, and I was relieved. "Percy Jackson?"
Apollo's eyes were now narrowed into small slits, and he stared at the boy next to me with a mixture of suspicion and unease. "Yeah. I mean...yes, sir." Jackson stammered out; his eyes wide—most likely worried he had angered the god in some way. Jackson had a habit of doing that.
Apollo stared at him for a moment longer before clapping his hands, making everyone jump. "Well! We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it, you miss it."
My eyes drifted towards his red convertible, and I raised a brow. "Cool car." Nico muses, and Apollo's smile widens.
"Thanks kid."
"But how will we all fit?"
Apollo looked at his flashy car, as if realizing for the first time that the amount of people he was supposed to carry would in no way fit inside. His face fell for a moment as he brought out a set of car keys. "Oh...Well, yeah. I hate to change it out of sports-car mode, but I suppose..."
He pressed a button on the keys, and before I could even blink, the car lit up, the edges becoming blurred and fuzzy before coming into focus once more. Where the red convertible once stood, was now an old bus, like those used for field trips or for transportation between sports games.
"Right...everybody in!" He clicked another button, and the front door opened. Zoë wasted no time before ordering the hunters to begin loading up, reaching down to grab her large duffel bag from the ground. "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that." Apollo lowered himself as if to grab the bag, and Zoë recoiled, her eyes narrowing.
"Brother." Artemis snapped coldly. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart."
Her brother raised his hands in an innocent manner. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where you off to, anyway?"
"Hunting." Artemis replied simply. "It's none of your business."
Apollo shrugged. "I'll find out. I see all. Know all."
"Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"
"No, no! I never mess around." I could tell just by looking at Artemis that the words were a bold-faced lie.
Artemis rolled her eyes, looking every bit the annoyed teenager before she turned to face us. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoë, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."
Zoë's body went stiff as a board as she gave a stern nod. "Yes, my lady." There was a sense of worry in her eyes, and I wondered if she had ever been given control of the Hunters before.
Artemis kneeled on the ground, her fingertips brushing the dirt and moss away like a hunter examining tracks. Her eyes scattered the ground, her mouth pursing into a thin line. When she rose, she looked more than worried. "So much danger. The beast must be found."
She said the words so quietly I doubt she intended for us to hear her, but she didn't explain what she meant or even gave us another passing look before sprinting into the woods, her small form disappearing in the shadows.
Apollo stared after her for a brief moment, a flash of worry crossing his features before he turned back towards us, all smiles once again. "Who wants to drive?"
Everyone shared a worried look, no one raising their hand. He shrugged his shoulders before climbing into the front seat, gesturing for us all to follow him.
The Hunters claimed the back of the bus first—whining about having to share the same space as boys and Apollo. I rolled my eyes before taking one of the front seats, Jackson sliding in beside me.
Nico, abandoned by his sister, was bouncing up and down on the driver's seat. "This is so cool! Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"
Apollo looked at the small kid with a hint of amusement. "Downsizing." He explained, shrugging. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car." The god shook the keys in his hands in emphasis.
Nico cocked his head to the side. "But how does it work? I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"
Apollo smiled, ruffling the small boy's hair. "That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether your talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun...er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"
I raise my brows, not knowing that Apollo had the ability to speak more than four syllables at a time. The god was actually smart. Weird.
Nico shook his head. "No."
Apollo sighed, rubbing his head. "Well then just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car."
"Can I drive?" I shook my head before the god could answer, not particularly wanting to crash today.
"No. Too young."
"Oo! Oo!" Grover's hand shot into the air. Out of all of us, he was probably the best choice, considering he was like 40 years old, even if he never acted like it.
Apollo narrowed his eyes at the Satyr before shaking his head. "Mm, no. Too furry." Grover's hand felt crestfallen into his lap.
I tensed when I felt Apollo's eyes slide to me, and I crossed my arms over my chest. My 15th birthday was in 2 days—which meant I would be able to get a driving permit for New York if I wanted to, although I didn't have any car to practice driving or an adult to ride with me.
Instead, Apollo's eyes graciously skipped over me, and landed on Thalia. "Daughter of Zeus! Lord of the sky! Perfect."
Thalia's eyes grew to the size of saucers, and she instantly began shaking her head. "Oh, no." She refuted, holding up her hands. "No thanks."
"C'mon. How old are you?"
Thalia fidgeted in her seat, her hands twisting together in her lap. "I don't know." Her voice was barely above a whisper, and she looked down when she said it, as if ashamed. Unfortunately, it was the truth.
While she was a tree since she was 12, it didn't stop her aging completely, and had instead seemed to slow it. She should be 19 by now, but she looked much younger, and she still felt like she was no older than 12. It was a complicated question.
Apollo surveyed her for a moment, tapping a finger to his lips. "You're fifteen, almost sixteen."
Thalia's head snapped up, her eyes wide. "How do you know that?"
"Hey, I'm the god of prophecy. I know stuff. You'll turn sixteen in about a week."
"That's my birthday! December twenty-second."
One week...if she turns 16, the Great Prophecy will be fulfilled in a single week.
The summer before I left, Thalia had already expressed her fear of being the child of prophecy. No one knew until now how slowly she had aged, so there was a chance she was still younger than Jackson, but now...
Apollo grins widely. "Which means you are old enough now to drive with a learners permit!"
Thalia still didn't look convinced. "Uh---"
The sun god shook moved Nico out of the driver's seat and into an empty chair. "I know what you are going to say; you don't deserve an honor like driving the sun chariot."
Thalia shook her head. "That's not what I was going to say."
"Don't sweat it! Maine to Long Island is a really short trip, and don't worry about what happened to the last kid I trained. You're Zeus's daughter. He's not going to blast you out of the sky." The god laughed, as if getting blown out of the sky was a regular occurrence for him and nothing to worry about. The rest of us didn't join in the laughter.
Thalia still tried to protest, but Apollo wasn't going to let her sit anywhere but the driver's seat, and practically shoved her into it while he pressed a button on the dashboard. A sign popped up along the top of the wide-screen, and I had to let my eyes un-focus in order to read the words. WARNING: STUDENT DRIVER was printed along the side.
"Take it away! You're going to be a natural!" Thalia didn't look convinced as she slowly reached up to take the wheel, her fingers wrapping around it tightly.
"Speed equals heat." Apollo explains. "So start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up." Thalia was whiter than a sheet, and her fingers were wrapped around the wheel so tightly I wondered if she'd break it.
I leaned forward, grabbing her shoulder. "What's wrong?" I ask quietly, and she shakes her head.
"Nothing." Her voice shook with the word, and she tried to give me a small smile. "N-nothing is wrong."
I opened my mouth to ask her again when she suddenly pulled back on the wheel. The abrupt movement sent the bus tilting backwards, launching us into the sky so fast I collapsed back into my seat, landing whoever was still sitting down.
"Ouch." Jackson coughed behind me, and I winced, realizing I was currently sitting in his lap.
"Sorry." I mumbled, jumping off him. I ignored the blush that bounced to my cheeks as I dared to look out the window.
Clouds and buildings zoomed past us, and where we had once been was now just a smoking ring of burnt trees. "Slower!" Apollo warned, his hand gripping the handle above his head.
"Sorry!" Thalia told him quickly, her hands shaking. "I've got it under control." The words sounded like they were more for herself than for anyone else as she gripped the wheel.
Jackson stood up next to me, bracing himself on the seat in front of us. "Thalia, lighten up on the accelerator." His voice was a forced kind of calm as he leaned forward, looking out the window.
"I've got it Percy." She snapped through her teeth. But she didn't let up on the gas as we continued our hurtle through the sky.
My stomach was in my throat as the bus shook. "Loosen up." He told her gently, and she risked a glance over her shoulder.
"I am loose!" She was most definitely not loose. Her shoulders were rigid and tight, and her hands were clenching the wheel hard enough to break it.
"We need to veer south for Long Island. Hang a left." Apollo told her, and one look at him told me that he was so far unbothered.
Thalia spun the wheel to the right, throwing Jackson backwards. I let out an oomph as he landed on top of me, coughing as the air was thoroughly knocked out of my lungs.
"Good job barnacle boy." I moan, and he sends me a lop-sided grin over his shoulder.
"That was pay-back loony tunes." I roll my eyes before pushing him off of me and into the open seat next to me.
"The other left." Apollo told Thalia, and I tensed as she jerked the wheel in the other direction.
My head was dizzy from the whiplash, and I closed my eyes as Jackson leaned forward to look out the window. "Ah... A little lower sweetheart. Cape Cod is freezing over."
I didn't want to know how high we were as I felt the front of the bus begin to dip forward, and I felt my body begin to leave my seat. Shit shit shit shit.
I let out a small squeak of fear before trying to grab onto the seat in front of me, but the speed we were going was quickly about to the throw me backwards. I felt a strong pair of hands grab my waist, helping me lean forward enough to grab ahold of the seat in front of me.
Jackson didn't relinquish his hold when I grabbed onto the seat, and I was slightly appreciative for the extra support as we nose-dived towards the Atlantic Ocean at breakneck speeds.
"Take the wheel!" Grover begged Apollo as the god climbed up from wherever he had been thrown.
Apollo shook his head, waving the satyr off. "No worries." Apollo said in a false calm voice. "She just has to learn to—WHOA!"
My stomach lurched when I looked out the front window towards the once snow-covered town in front of us. Whatever snow had been covering the small town was no gone, and some buildings were beginning to smoke from the heat we were giving off.
And we still weren't slowing down.
"Pull up!" Jackson shouted next to me, and I felt his hand on me tense as Thalia pulled the wheel back with a wild yank, sending the bus hurtling back into the sky.
"There!" Apollo pointed somewhere ahead of us. "Long Island dead ahead. Let's slow down, dear. 'Dead' is only an expression." The god cracked a smile as if to ease the pressure, but Thalia was showing no signs of stopping.
I could see the camp ahead of us.
I could see the outlines of the cabins—could see the dining pavilion and the obstacle courses in the trees. "I'm under control." Thalia mouthed the phrase as she clutched the steering wheel.
We didn't even begin to slow down as we neared the shore.
"Brake." Apollo told her quickly, his eyes growing wide.
"I can do this."
"BRAKE!"
Thalia slammed on the brakes, and the bus lifted upwards, the front-end slamming into the lake below us. Plumes of water erupted around us, surrounding the sides of the bus in waves of water. Whatever canoes that happened to be in the camp lake were destroyed, most of them capsizing into the water.
"Well." Apollo says, breaking the silence hanging in the bus. "You were right, my dear. You had everything under control! Let's go see if we boiled any-one important, shall we?"
My stomach hitches in my throat when I try to move, and I barely have time to react as Apollo throws something at me. I catch it in my hands, my eyes narrowing in confusion when I look at the small chocolate bar in my hands.
"Eat that. No throwing up in the car."
I know I know, long time no see. I was busy with life, but hopefully there will be some more steady updates from now on, because I am so excited to write TTC! Things are going to start picking up from here on out, so be prepared! I hope you guys enjoyed!! Vote/Comment! Love y'all!!