Raging Seas [pjo au] || 1

δεκατρία

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
( ALIVE ON ARRIVAL )

THEY STOOD IN THE shadows of Valencia Boulevard, looking up at gold letters etched in black marble: DOA RECORDING STUDIOS.

Underneath, stenciled on the glass doors: NO SOLICITORS. NO LOITERING. NO LIVING.

Even though it was almost midnight, the lobby was brightly lit and full of people. A tough looking guard was behind the security desk, wearing sunglasses and an earpiece.

Hopefully they didn't have to fight him or anyone else to get to their destination. Her body still felt weak and tired from earlier, and it was so tempting to lean against the building's wall to rest, but she held herself back. Kali didn't need the others worrying about her; they were about to enter the Underworld.

They had bigger things to worry about than her feeling tired.

Percy turned to them. "Okay. You remember the plan."

Like their plan, for instance. And saving Percy's mom.

"The plan," Grover gulped. "Yeah. I love the plan."

Kali nodded. "It's a good plan." Probably not the best, but everything had worked out so far for them, one way or another.

"What happens if the plan doesn't work?" asked Annabeth.

"Don't think negative," she immediately said.

"Right. We're entering the Land of the Dead, and I shouldn't think negative."

A second went by where Percy pulled out the pearls from his pocket and looked at them.

Obviously thinking better of her words, she put her hand on Percy's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry, Percy. You're right, we'll make it. It'll be fine." Annabeth nudged Grover.

"Oh!" he chimed in. "We got this far. We'll find the master bolt and save your mom. No problem."

"They're right, you know," Kali added, giving him a small nudge with her elbow. "We've got this."

Percy looked at them. He was quiet for a moment, clearly thinking something, and then slipped the pearls back into his pocket. "Let's whup some Underworld butt."

+++

Inside the lobby, muzak played softly through hidden speakers, the kind of stuff Kali often heard in elevators and whatnot. The walls and carpet were steel gray. Pencil cacti grew in each corner of the lobby like skeletal hands. The furniture was black leather, and every single seat was occupied by the dead. It was packed. People sat on couches; some stood, others stared out the windows or even waited by the elevator. No one spoke or moved, or much of anything, really.

Looking out of the corner of her eye, Kali was able to see the people clearly, but when she focused straight on, they became harder to see. Transparent, like ghosts.

DOA, she thought, Dead On Arrival. Right. Makes sense.

For a moment, Kali was tempted to keep searching the over crowded lobby for her adoptive mother. But that would take too much time they didn't have, and even if they did, it would still be near impossible. Still, part of her wished she could see Auli'i one more time.