STELLA WAS AMAZED TO see how quickly the Hunters had set up the camping site. There were seven tents made of silver silk that curved in a crescent around the side of the bonfire. Wolves guarded the camp while falcons observed from the trees.
The wind had died down, and the snow had stopped falling. Sitting by the fire was almost peaceful, except for the fact that her best friend had just vanished.
Percy sat beside her and looked like he was in deep thought. He watched Thalia pacing at the edge of camp, and Stella knew he was replaying their argument.
"Hey," She said, shaking him out of his thoughts as his sea-green eyes looked at her. She could see the guilt in them.
"It's not your fault what happened to Annabeth. Don't blame yourself," Stella said as she placed her hand on his back.
He sighed, "Thalia's right, it was my fault."
She shook her head, "No, listen to me. Thalia is angry and she wants someone to blame. It wasn't anyone's fault, especially not your fault."
Percy looked away and Stella knew she had to distract him, or he would continue blaming himself.
She instinctively dropped her hand from his back when she saw one of the Hunters approaching them, dropping their backpacks off.
"How's your shoulder?" Stella asked him.
"A lot better, thanks. I can still feel a small sting, though," He said.
Stella scooted closer to him until their thighs were touching. "Let me see," She told him.
Percy shrugged off his jacket and rolled back his t-shirt sleeve so Stella could see his wounded shoulder. The wound had partially healed, having closed and relieved most of the pain, but it had a nasty green hue.
He shivered from the cold, and Stella placed her hand on his shoulder. Percy felt his body immediately warm and he felt most thankful for his friendship with the daughter of Apollo.
Stella saw him wince when she touched his wound, but she closed her eyes and focused all her healing energy toward him. She felt the pain slowly leave his body as she took it on. The pain made her squeeze her eyes shut, but eventually, it passed.
She opened her eyes to see Percy much closer than he was before. He was looking at her in such a way that made Stella question everything.
Percy could see the freckles littered on her tan skin. The pain had completely evaporated from his body, not a drop left behind. He was in absolute awe.
The two half-bloods stared at each other, both frozen.
Percy cleared his throat. "Thank you," He whispered.
Stella nodded, her amber eyes piercing into his.
"Hey, guys!" A voice, Nico, called from behind, and they jumped back from each other.
They turned to see Grover and Nico walking up to them. Percy rolled down his sleeve and pulled his jacket back on.
Stella was absolutely rattled. Whatever tension there was between the moment they just shared had thankfully faded as soon as Grover and Nico joined them. But where did that come from?
"Hey, Percy, want me to check out your wound?" Grover asked him.
Percy glanced at Stella, who sat a bit further than she had seconds ago, "Stella healed me."
"Oh, alright."
Stella fished around her bag for an ambrosia pack and tossed it to Percy, "Chew up, just in case."
He nodded at her in appreciation.
Nico rummaged through his own bag that the Hunters had apparently packed for him. He laid out a bunch of figurines in the snow—little battle replicas of Greek gods and heroes. Stella smiled when she saw the Apollo figurine with his sun chariot.
"Big collection," Percy said.
Nico grinned. "I've got almost all of them, plus their holographic cards! Well, except for a few really rare ones."
"You've been playing this game a long time?"
"Just this year. Before that..." Nico knit his eyebrows.
"What?" Percy asked.
"I forget. That's weird."
Nico looked unsettled, but it didn't last long. "Hey, can I see that sword you were using?"
Percy showed him Riptide and explained how it turned from a pen into a sword just by uncapping it.
"Cool! Does it ever run out of ink?" Nico asked excitedly.
"Um, well, I don't actually write with it."
"Are you really the son of Poseidon?"
"Well, yeah."
"Can you surf really well, then?"
Percy looked at Stella and Grover, both of whom were trying hard not to laugh.
"Jeez, Nico," Percy said. "I've never really tried."
He went on asking question after question, and Stella could see how each one annoyed Percy even more. He asked if Percy fought a lot with Thalia, a question he didn't answer. Then, Nico asked if Annabeth's mother was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, then why didn't Annabeth know better than to fall off a cliff? Stella had to check her own temper for that one.
"Is Stella your girlfriend?" Nico asked looking between the two of them.
Percy reddened and Stella let out a laugh. He looked like he was absolutely about to lose his cool, but then Zoë Nightshade came up to them.
"Percy Jackson," Zoë said, looking at him distastefully. "Come with me, Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee."
He got up to go with her but then she turned around and looked at Stella, "You as well, Estella Cruz."
Zoë led them to the last tent. Stella felt a warmth surround her the second she walked in. Bianca di Angelo was seated next to Artemis. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor with a brazier of fire burning in the middle. Behind the goddess, on a polished oak display stand, was her huge silver bow. The walls were hung with animal pelts. A deer with glittering fur and silver horns rested contentedly in Artemis's lap.
"Join us," the goddess said.
Stella and Percy sat across from her on the tent floor. The goddess looked at Stella carefully and then shifted her attention to Percy.
"Are you surprised by my age?" Artemis asked.
"Uh...a little," Percy said.
"I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters, and all young maidens for whom I am patron before they go astray."
"Go astray?" He asked.
"Grow up. Become smitten with boys. Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."
"Oh."
Zoë sat down at Artemis's right. Stella watched as the girl narrowed her eyes at Percy.
"You must forgive my Hunters if they do not welcome you," Artemis said. "It is very rare that we would have boys in this camp. Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters. The last one to see this camp..." She looked at Zoë. "Which one was it?"
"That boy in Colorado," Zoë said. "You turned him into a jackalope."
She saw Percy gulp from the corner of her eye.
"Ah, yes." Artemis nodded, satisfied. "I enjoy making jackalopes. At any rate, Percy, I've asked you here so that you might tell me more of the manticore. Bianca has reported some of the...mmm, disturbing things the monster said. But she may not have understood them. I'd like to hear them from both of you."
And so Stella and Percy told her.
When they were done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."
Zoë sat forward. "The scent, my lady?"
"Yes."
"What scent?" Stella asked.
Artemis murmured, "Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia. Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."
She stared at Percy intently, "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."
"Um, I hate middle school dances," Percy said.
Once again, Stella had to hold back her laughter.
"No, no. After that."
"He said somebody called the General was going to explain things to me."
Stella didn't miss how Zoë's face paled. She turned to Artemis and started to say something, but Artemis raised her hand. "Go on, Percy," the goddess said.
"Well, then Thorn was talking about the Great Stir Pot—"
"Stirring," Stella corrected.
"Yeah. And he said, 'Soon we shall have the most important monster of all— the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus.'"
"Maybe he was lying," Percy said after seeing how Artemis had gone still.
Artemis shook her head, "No. He was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."
Zoë looked like she was trying very hard not to be afraid, but she nodded. "We will leave right away, my lady."
"No, Zoë. I must do this alone."
"But, Artemis—"
"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters. You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."
"As...as you wish, my lady."
"I will find this creature," Artemis vowed, "and I shall bring it back to Olympus by winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council of the Gods of how much danger we are in."
"You know what the monster is?" Stella asked.
Artemis gripped her bow. "Let us pray I am wrong."
"Can goddesses pray?" Percy asked. This time, Stella couldn't hold it in and let out a small laugh. Even Artemis had smiled.
"Before I go, Percy Jackson, I have a small task for you. And for you, Stella Cruz, I have a proposition."
Artemis asked him to safely escort the Hunters back to Camp Half-Blood so that they could stay in Capin Eight until she returned. Of course, Zoë protested the idea, but the goddess didn't budge.
"And now, have you made up your mind, my girl?" Artemis turned to Bianca.
Bianca hesitated, "I'm still thinking about it."
"Wait," Percy said, "Thinking about what?"
Stella had an inkling of what the decision Bianca had to make was.
"They... they've invited me to join the Hunt."
Stella sucked in a breath. She had heard the many rumors that surrounded the Hunters: allegiance to Artemis, no chance at love, being frozen in time...
"What? But you can't! You have to come to Camp Half-Blood so Chiron can train you. It's the only way you can learn to survive," Percy protested.
"It is not the only way for a girl," Zoë said.
"Bianca, camp is cool! It's got a pegasus and a sword-fighting arena and... I mean, what do you get by joining the Hunters?"
"To begin with," Zoë said, "immortality."
Percy stared at her, then at Artemis. "She's kidding, right?"
Artemis glanced at Stella before looking back at Percy, "Zoë rarely kids about anything. My Hunters follow me on my adventures. They are my maidservants, my companions, my sisters-in-arms. Once they swear loyalty to me, they are indeed immortal... unless they fall in battle, which is unlikely. Or break their oath."
"What oath?" Percy asked.
"To foreswear romantic love forever," Artemis said. "To never grow up, never get married. To be a maiden eternally."
"Like you?"
The goddess nodded.
Percy's eyes flickered to Stella, "So you just go around the country recruiting half-bloods—"
"Not just half-bloods," Zoë interrupted. "Lady Artemis does not discriminate by birth. All who honor the goddess may join. Half-bloods, nymphs, mortals—"
"Which are you, then?"
Zoë did not appreciate his question. "That is not thy concern, boy. The point is Bianca may join if she wishes. It is her choice."
"Bianca, this is crazy," Percy said, "What about your brother? Nico can't be a Hunter."
"Certainly not," Artemis agreed. "He will go to camp. Unfortunately, that's the best boys can do. You can see him from time to time, but you will be free of responsibility. He will have the camp counselors to take care of him. And you will have a new family. Us."
"A new family," Bianca repeated dreamily. "Free of responsibility."
Stella couldn't deny that the offer of a family sounded enticing.
Percy looked at Stella, who had been uncharacteristically silent, for some sort of backup but instead received no help whatsoever. He looked back at the girl, "Bianca you can't do this. It's nuts."
Bianca ignored him, looking at Zoë. "Is it worth it?"
Zoë nodded. "It is."
"What do I have to do?"
"Say this," Zoë told her, "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."
"I... I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."
"I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."
Bianca repeated the lines. "That's it?"
Zoë nodded. "If Lady Artemis accepts thy pledge, then it is binding."
"I accept it," Artemis said.
The flames in the brazier brightened, casting a silver glow over the room. Bianca looked no different, but she took a deep breath and opened her eyes wide. "I feel... stronger."
"Welcome, sister," Zoë said.
"Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It is now your life."
Stella watched as Bianca smiled contently at her new status. She couldn't bring herself to say anything when Percy tried changing Bianca's mind. She wasn't sure she was even able to say anything when she found herself considering such an opportunity.
Artemis turned toward Stella, "Now, Estella Cruz, to you I extend the same invitation."
Percy looked utterly dumbfounded.
Stella felt her jaw drop, "W-what?"
"I know your father has expressed that he is quite opposed to the idea, but it is your fate. You may join the Hunt if you wish. This is solely your decision," Artemis told her.
"I—"
Percy looked at her in shock that she hadn't declined the invitation right away. "You can't seriously be considering this?"
Stella glanced at him and saw the hurt look on his face. Betrayal.
"I have heard of your fate, girl. I think you also know what is to come. The feeling— that is only the beginning. You have a chance to finally have the family you dream of and relieve yourself from the burden you alone carry," Artemis said.
Percy went from upset to angry to confused in a matter of seconds. "Stella, what is she talking about?"
Stella knew all too well. She was naive to think her fate would never catch up to her. Immortality. She would never have to worry about her fate, prophecies, or her inevitable powers ever again.
"Stella. You'd be leaving everyone behind. Annabeth, Thalia, Grover, all your siblings, hell, even me." Percy said.
Everyone in the tent looked at Stella in silence, waiting for her response. Her eyes locked with Percy's. He watched her debate her decision in her mind. He couldn't believe it was even something she would consider. He felt so angry at her.
"Lady Artemis, I'm not sure about my decision. But, I am going to decline," Stella said with an air of doubt.
Artemis pursed her lips, "Alright... I know what lies at stake for you, Estella. The gravity of your situation requires much thought. I will give you until the winter solstice to make your final decision."
"Do not despair, Percy Jackson," Artemis said, turning to him, "You will still get to show the di Angelos your camp. And if Nico so chooses, he can stay there."
"Great," Percy said bitterly, refusing to look at Stella, "How are we supposed to get there?"
She felt hurt by Percy's reaction. Why was he so upset at her for considering such a life-changing opportunity? He didn't know that her life may depend on it.
Artemis closed her eyes. "Dawn is approaching. Zoë, break camp. You must get to Long Island quickly and safely. I shall summon a ride from my brother."
Zoë didn't look real happy about the idea, but she nodded and told Bianca to follow her. As she was leaving, Bianca paused in front of them, "I'm sorry, Percy. But I want this. I really, really do."
Then she was gone, and Stella and Percy were left alone with the twelve-year-old goddess. Seeing her dad soon gave Stella a slight bit of comfort as opposed to the death stare Percy had been giving her.
"So, we're going to get a ride from your brother, huh?" He said.
Artemis's silver eyes gleamed. "Yes, boy. You see, Bianca di Angelo is not the only one with an annoying brother. It's time for you to meet my irresponsible twin, Apollo."
☀︎
Artemis assured them that dawn was coming, but it was darker and colder than ever. Up on the hill, Westover Hall's windows were completely flightless. The Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. Artemis stared into the east like she was expecting something. Bianca sat off to one side, talking with Nico, probably explaining her decision to join the Hunt. She was leaving him all alone.
Stella had nobody to leave; she was already alone.
Percy stood next to her, neither of them looking nor talking to one another. That was until Thalia and Grover came up and huddled around them, anxious to hear what had happened in their audience with the goddess.
Percy told them everything, and Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."
"How'd they even show up here?" Percy wondered, "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."
"And Bianca joined them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoë's fault. That stuck-up, no good—"
"Who can blame her?" Grover said, sighing heavily, "Eternity with Artemis?"
Thalia rolled her eyes. "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 swooned.
"You're nuts," said Thalia.
"Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily.
"Yeah."
Finally, the sky began to lighten. Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so lazy during the winter."
"You're, um, waiting for sunrise?" Percy asked.
"For my brother. Yes."
Stella grinned, she knew Percy would be shocked at her dad's arrival. She stopped smiling when she remembered he wasn't speaking to her.
"It's not exactly as you think," Artemis told him.
"Oh, okay. So, it's not like he'll be pulling up in a—"
There was a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth.
"Don't look," Artemis advised them. "Not until he parks."
Stella firmly shut her eyes. The light and warmth intensified, and then suddenly the light died. She thought it was safe to open her eyes and saw a red, glowing convertible Maserati Spyder. The snow had melted around the Maserati in a perfect circle, the green grass now wet.
The driver got out, smiling. Apollo. Dad. He had sandy hair and the brightest, most playful smile. He wore jeans and loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.
"Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."
"He's the sun god," Percy said.
"That's not what I meant."
Stella nudged her in the ribs, "That's my dad!"
"Little sister!" Apollo called, flashing his pearly whites. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"
Artemis sighed. "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. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?"
Artemis grit her teeth. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."
"Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a stop-everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."
The Hunters all groaned. Apparently, they'd met Apollo before. Even Stella dreaded what was about to come. He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.
"Green grass breaks through snow. Artemis pleads for my help. I am so cool."
He grinned at them, waiting for applause. Stella cringed.
"That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said.
Apollo frowned. "Was it?"
"Yes. What about I am so big-headed?"
"No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." He started muttering to himself.
Zoë Nightshade turned to them, "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!" Apollo announced. "I am so awesome. That's five syllables!" He bowed, looking very pleased with himself. "And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."
"These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis said, pointing over to them, "Some of Chiron's campers."
"No problem!" Apollo checked them out. His eyes immediately went to Stella, making sure she was okay. He winked at her playfully before turning his attention to the rest of them. "Let's see...Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."
Thalia blushed, "Hi, Lord Apollo."
Stella fake gagged. Ew. She heard Percy snicker at her reaction. He must have forgotten he had been ignoring her.
"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 said. "You should get going."
"Oh, right." Then he looked at Percy, and his eyes narrowed. "Percy Jackson?"
"Yeah. I mean...yes, sir."
Apollo studied him, remaining silent until he said, "You better keep my daughter safe. I've got my eye on you, Jackson."
Then he turned to Stella and smiled brightly, "Hello, my Star. Some company you keep."
"Hi, Dad," Stella beamed.
Percy watched as Stella lightly glowed and wondered if anybody else noticed.
"Well!" He said at last. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it, you miss it."
"Cool car," Nico said.
"Thanks, kid," Apollo said.
"But how will we all fit?"
"Oh," Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose..."
He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button. For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by a Turtle Top shuttle bus. Convenient, Stella thought.
"Right," he said. "Everybody in."
Zoë ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that."
Zoë recoiled. Her eyes flashed murderously.
"Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not call them sweetheart."
Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"
"Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business."
"I'll find out. I see all. Know all. Especially you trying to steal my daughter."
Artemis snorted. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"
"No, no! I never mess around."
Artemis rolled her eyes, then looked at them. "I will see you by winter solstice. Estella, don't forget what we spoke about. Zoë, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."
Zoë straightened. "Yes, my lady."
Artemis knelt and touched the ground as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So much danger. The beast must be found."
She sprinted toward the woods and melted into the snow and shadows.
Apollo turned and grinned, jangling the car keys on his finger. "So," he said, "who wants to drive?"
Oh gods, Stella thought. She loved her dad, but sometimes he was a bit too charming, that being code for the slightest bit immature.
The Hunters piled into the van. They all crammed into the back, Bianca sitting with them. Nico didn't seem to mind.
"This is so cool!" Nico said, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "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?"
"Downsizing," Apollo said. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all 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."
"But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"
Stella wasn't sure she even knew all the intricacies of how it worked. She had never ridden on her dad's chariot before. However, she did have several conversations with him in her dreams that occurred on his chariot.
Apollo chuckled and ruffled Nico'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 you're 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?"
Yes.
Nico shook his head. "No."
"Well then, just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car."
Stella snorted, "Well, that's another way to put it."
"Can I drive?" Nico asked.
"No. Too young."
"Oo! Oo!" Grover raised his hand.
"Mm, no," Apollo said. "Too furry."
He looked at Stella, "I'll give you a private lesson another time, don't worry. Imagine all the paperwork I'd have to do."
Apollo looked past Percy and focused on Thalia. "Daughter of Zeus!" He said. "Lord of the sky. Perfect."
"Oh, no." Thalia shook her head. "No, thanks."
"C'mon," Apollo said. "How old are you?"
Thalia hesitated. "I don't know."
She wasn't lying. Stella knew that Thalia had been turned into a tree when she was thirteen, but that had been seven years ago. Technically, she was twenty if she counted by the years that had elapsed. However, she seemed somewhere between thirteen and twenty. The best Chiron could figure, she had kept aging while in tree form, but much more slowly.
Apollo tapped his finger to his lips. "You're sixteen, almost seventeen."
"How do you know that?"
"Hey, I'm the god of prophecy. I know stuff." He said, glancing at Stella before turning back to Thalia, "You'll turn seventeen in about a week."
"That's my birthday! December twenty-second."
"Which means you're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!"
Thalia shifted her feet nervously. "Uh—"
"I know what you're going to say," Apollo said. "You don't deserve an honor like driving the sun chariot."
"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."
Apollo laughed good-naturedly, but the rest of them didn't join. Stella wished her ego was as big as her father's.
Thalia tried to protest, but Apollo was absolutely not going to take "no" for an answer. He hit a button on the dashboard, and a sign popped up along the top of the windshield. It said WARNING: STUDENT DRIVER.
"Take it away!" Apollo told Thalia. "You're gonna be a natural!"
Her nervous energy really made Stella doubt that.
"Speed equals heat," Apollo advised. "So start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up."
Thalia gripped the wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. She looked like she was going to be sick.
"What's wrong?" Percy asked her warily.
"Nothing," she said shakily. "N-nothing is wrong."
Stella was about to offer to drive, but Thalia pulled back on the wheel. It tilted, and the bus lurched upward so fast Stella had to hold onto her seat.
"Slower!" Apollo said.
"Sorry!" Thalia said. "I've got it under control!"
"Thalia," Percy said, getting to his feet, "lighten up on the accelerator."
"I've got it, Percy," she said, gritting her teeth. But she kept it floored.
Stella saw no chance of Thalia taking orders from Percy. Her stubbornness wouldn't allow her, especially after the recent tension between the two demigods.
"Loosen up," He told her.
"I'm loose!" Thalia said.
It must have been opposite day because the girl was as stiff as a brick.
"We need to veer south for Long Island," Apollo said. "Hang a left."
Thalia jerked the wheel and threw Percy into Stella.
"This is why you stay seated," Stella grumbled.
Percy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry."
"The other left," Apollo suggested.
They were at airplane height now— so high the sky was starting to look black.
"Ah..." Apollo said. "A little lower, sweetheart. Cape Cod is freezing over." Stella could tell he was trying to remain as calm as possible.
Thalia tilted the wheel. Her face was chalk white, her forehead beaded with sweat. Something was definitely wrong, she had never reacted this way to anything.
The bus pitched down, and somebody screamed. Now they were heading straight toward the Atlantic Ocean at a thousand miles an hour, the New England coastline off to their right. And it was getting increasingly hot in the bus.
"Thalia! Pull up!" Stella yelled at her.
Apollo had been thrown somewhere in the back of the bus, but he started climbing up the rows of seats.
"Take the wheel!" Grover begged him.
"No worries," Apollo said. He looked plenty worried, "She just has to learn to—WHOA!"
Down below them was a little snow-covered New England town. At least, it used to be snow-covered. The snow melted off the trees and the roofs and the lawns. Little plumes of smoke, like birthday candles, were popping up all over the town. Trees and rooftops were catching fire.
"Listen to Stella, pull up!" Percy yelled.
There was a wild light in Thalia's eyes. She yanked back on the wheel, and as they zoomed up, the fires in the town were being snuffed out by the sudden blast of cold.
"There!" Apollo pointed. "Long Island, dead ahead. Let's slow down, dear. 'Dead' is only an expression."
Stella would've laughed if it weren't for the most terrifying bus ride of her life.
Thalia was thundering toward the coastline of northern Long Island. There was Camp Half-Blood: the valley, the woods, the beach. I could see the dining pavilion and cabins and the amphitheater.
"I'm under control," Thalia muttered. "I'm under control."
Yeah, okay. They were so close. Only a few hundred yards away now.
"Brake," Apollo said.
"I can do this."
"BRAKE!"
Thalia slammed her foot on the brake, and the sun bus pitched forward at a forty-five-degree angle, slamming into the Camp Half-Blood canoe lake with a huge floooosh! Steam billowed up, sending several frightened naiads scrambling out of the water with half-woven wicker baskets.
The bus bobbed to the surface, along with a couple of capsized, half-melted canoes.
"Well," said Apollo with a brave smile. "You were right, my dear. You had everything under control! Let's go see if we boiled anyone important, shall we?"