Linked Demigods (HIATUS)

Chapter 15: Percy Becomes The Sixth

Twilight's POV

 "It cannot be cured," Zoe was saying. "Not quickly, at any rate. "

"But how did it happen?" Bianca asked.

"A foolish prank," Zoe growled. "Those Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin. Centaur blood is like acid. Everyone knows that. They sprayed the inside of that Artemis Hunting Tour T-shirt with it. "

"That's bad..." I sighed. Those boys were going to do something that they're going to regret one day.

But...maybe this was Percy's chance.

 "She will live," Zoe said. "But shell be bedridden for weeks with horrible hives. There is no way she can go. It's up to me... and thee. "

"But the prophecy," Bianca said. "If Phoebe cant go, we only have five. We'll have to pick another. "

"There is no time," Zoe said. "We must leave at first light. Thats immediately. Besides, the prophecy said we would lose one. "

"In the land without rain," I recited. "Are you sure it's here?"

"It might be," Zoe said, though she didn't sound convinced. "The camp has magic borders. Nothing, not even weather, is allowed in without permission. It could be a land without rain. "

"But-" Bianca said, but I cut her off.

"Bi, listen." I said. "We can't choose another. Fate will lead us and everything will work out. It's a prophecy after all."

Bianca sighed, before turning to Zoe.

 "You should tell Thalia the rest of your dream." Bianca said.

"No. It would not help." Zoe answered.

"But if your suspicions are correct, about the General—" Bianca argued, but Zoe cut her off.

"I have thy word not to talk about that," Zoe said. She sounded really anguished. "We will find out soon enough. Now come on. Dawn is breaking. "

We all raced towards the Big House.

~~~

Percy's POV

I was stopped by Zoe, Thalia, Bianca, Twilight and Grover coming out of the store.

"Grover, are you sure?" Thalia was saying.

"Well... pretty sure. Ninety-nine percent. Okay, eighty-five percent. "

"And you did this with acorns?" Bianca asked, like she couldn't believe it.

 Grover looked offended. "Its a time honoured tracking spell. I mean, Im pretty sure I did it right."

"D. C. is about sixty miles from here," Bianca said. "Nico and I..." She frowned. "We used to live there. That's... that's strange. I'd forgotten."

"I dislike this," Zoe said. "We should go straight west. The prophecy said west. "

"It doesn't always mean straight west," Twilight said. "Besides, it's better to have a destination than simply west."

"Exactly- D.C. is our best bet," Bianca said.

Zoe didn't look convinced, but she nodded reluctantly. "Very well. Let us keep moving."

"You're going to get us arrested, driving," Thalia grumbled. "I look closer to sixteen than you do."

"Perhaps," Zoe snapped. "But I have been driving since automobiles were invented. Let us go."

~~~

 I looked over at the white van. Everybody was getting out. Grover pointed toward one of the big buildings lining the Mall. Thalia nodded, and the five of them trudged off into the cold wind.

I started to follow. But then I froze. A block away, the door of a black sedan opened. A man with gray hair and a military buzz cut got out. He was wearing dark shades and a black overcoat. Now, maybe in Washington, you'd expected guys like that to be everywhere. But it dawned on me that I'd seen this same car a couple of times on the highway, going south. It had been following the van. The guy took out his mobile phone and said something into it. Then he looked around, like he was making sure the coast was clear, and started walking down the Mall in the direction of my friends. The worst of it was: when he turned toward me, I recognized his face. It was Dr. Thorn, the manticore from Westover Hall. Invisibility cap on, I followed Thorn from a distance. My heart was pounding. If he had survived that fall from the cliff, then Annabeth must have too. My dreams had been right. She was alive and being held prisoner. Thorn kept well back from my friends, careful not to be seen. Finally, Grover stopped in front of a big building that said NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM. The Smithsonian! Id been here a million years ago with my mom, but everything had looked so much bigger then. Thalia checked the door. It was open, but there weren't many people going in. Too cold, and school was out of session. They slipped inside.