NAOMI REALLY NEEDED TO start paying better attention during monster lessons. She couldn't figure out what kind of monster Dr. Thorn was—all she knew was he had some sort of projectile-throwing power and he was very fast.
Naomi tried to think of a plan. The way it looked, it was two against one, which should have been good odds—but they had to keep the di Angelo kids safe, and whatever monster Dr. Thorn was wasn't something Naomi wanted to underestimate.
Her sword hadn't reappeared on her finger yet—she suspected it would take another minute or so—time that she did not have.
She looked over at Percy, hoping he had some semblance of a plan, because she was blanking.
Percy closed his eyes, stopping in the middle of the hallway.
"What are you doing, Jackson?" Dr. Thorn hissed. "Keep moving!"
Percy opened his eyes and kept shuffling forward. "It's my shoulder," he said, sounding miserable, but Naomi didn't fully buy it. "It burns."
"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!"
Both of the di Angelos looked petrified. Bianca looked back, meeting Naomi's eyes, and the terror in them made Naomi's heart sink. She remembered when that had been her—unaware of the divine world that existed within the mortal one, unaware that one of her parents was a god, unaware that that parentage guaranteed monster attacks wherever she went.
She wanted to tell Bianca everything would be okay—that they'd find a way out of this sticky situation and get her and her brother safely back to camp, just like they'd planned from the beginning. But Naomi knew better than to make false promises, so all she could manage was a reassuring smile.
Thorn herded them outside. Naomi regretted not taking the extra sweater Mrs. Jackson had offered—she'd taken the heat inside of the school for granted. She felt more than a little pathetic as she shivered against the cold, anxiously rubbing her finger as she waited for her weapon to return.
The monster marched them into the woods. They took a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights. Naomi tried to feel for any plants she could use to her advantage, but nearly everything was dead or dormant. The most she managed was making a wildflower pop pitifully out of the snow coating the grass.
"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."
"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"
"Silence, you insufferable girl!"
"Don't talk to my sister that way!" Nico said. His voice shook, but Naomi admired his courage nonetheless.
Dr. Thorn made a growling sound that was decidedly monstrous. Naomi hoped the shiver that ran up and down her spine looked like it came from the cold.
They kept marching on, through the thick snow and freezing winds.
"Halt," Thorn said.
The woods had opened up. They'd reached a cliff overlooking some body of water, if the sound of waves and the smell of saltwater were anything to go off of. That definitely boded well for their chances of survival—at least, Naomi hoped it did.
Dr. Thorn pushed them toward the edge. Percy stumbled, and Bianca caught him.
"Thanks," Percy murmured.
"What is he?" Bianca whispered. "How do we fight him?"
Percy met Naomi's eye. "We're... working on that."
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This Dark Night ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase¹
Fanfictionin which an orphan learns she isn't really an orphan, and naomi must face the fact that she's descended from gods she never thought existed, and the fates have big plans for her. [percy jackson x female oc x annabeth chase] [book 1 of 2] [the light...
