Scarred Siblinghood - A Percy Jackson And The Titan's Curse Fanfiction

4 - Thalia Almost Crashes a Flying Sun-Bus and Torches a Town

Artemis assured us that dawn was coming, but you could've fooled me. It was colder and darker and snowier than ever.

Up on the hill, Westover Hall's windows were completely lightless. I wondered if the teachers had even noticed the di Angelos and Dr. Thorn were missing yet. I didn't want to be around when they did. With my luck, the only names Mrs. Gottschalk would remember would be "Percy Jackson and Maliha Al-Hasan," and then we'd be the subject of a nationwide manhunt... again.

The Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. I stood in the snow and Artemis stared into the east like she was expecting something. Bianca sat off to one side, talking with Nico. I could tell from his gloomy face that she was explaining her decision to join the Hunt. I couldn't help thinking how selfish it was of her, abandoning her brother like that.

Thalia and Grover came up and huddled around Percy and I, anxious to hear what had happened in my audience with the goddess. When he told us, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."

"Pfft," I shrugged, "It's fine. We rebuilt the cabins they burnt down anyway."

"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 Zoe's fault. That stuck-up, no good–"

"Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?" He heaved a big sigh.

I rolled my 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-o-o lazy during the winter."

"You're, um, waiting for sunrise?" I asked.

"For my brother. Yes."

"It's not exactly as you think," Artemis said, like she was reading our minds.

"Oh, okay." Percy started to relax. "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. "Not until he parks."

I averted my eyes, and saw that the other kids were doing the same. The light and warmth intensified until my leather jacket felt like it was melting off of me. I felt exposed in the light, all I wanted was night again. I had to fight the urge to unfurl my wings and fly into the underworld. Then suddenly the light died. I looked. And I couldn't believe it. A red Ferrari. It was glowing, the metal was so hot. The snow had melted around the Ferrari in a perfect circle, which explained why I was now standing on green grass and my shoes were wet.

The driver got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, and for a second, I had the uneasy feeling it was Luke, my old enemy. This guy had the same sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. But it wasn't Luke. This guy was taller, with no scar on his face like Luke's. His smile was brighter and more playful. (Luke didn't do much more than scowl and sneer these days.) The Ferrari driver wore jeans and loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.

"Fucking hell," Thalia and I muttered in unison. "Apollo is hot."

"He's the sun god," Percy said.

We glared at him. "That's not what we meant."

"Little sister!" Apollo called. If his teeth were any whiter, he could've blinded us without the sun car. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"