WINGED ₁

16

PERCY AND ANNABETH BOTH GRIPPED THE SIDES OF THE BOAT. Annabeth was white-knuckled and terrified, but the exhilaration on Percy's face matched the chase in Madeleine's heart. Tyson clung to their duffels with one giant hand and the boat with the other, looking like he was going to throw up.

Madeleine held only the thermos. After a few minutes of consistent sea travel, Annabeth and Percy tried to send an Iris-message to Chiron. All three of them agreed that it was important they let someone know what Luke was doing, and they didn't know who else to trust.

The wind from the thermos stirred up a nice sea spray that made a rainbow in the sunlight―perfect for an Iris-message―but the connection was still poor. When Annabeth threw a gold drachma into the mist and prayed for the rainbow goddess to show them Chiron, his face appeared all right, but there was some kind of weird strobe light flashing in the background and rock music blaring, like he was at a dance club.

They told him about sneaking away from camp, and Luke and the Princess Andromeda and the golden box for Kronos's remains, but between the noise on his end and the rushing wind and water on their own end, Madeleine wasn't entirely sure how much he heard.

"Percy," Chiron yelled, "you have to watch out for―"

His voice was drowned out by loud shouting behind him―a bunch of voices whooping.

"What?" Percy yelled.

"Curse my relatives!" Chiron ducked as a plate flew over his head and shattered somewhere out of sight. "Annabeth, you shouldn't have let Percy leave camp! But if you do get the Fleece―"

"Yeah, baby!" somebody behind Chiron yelled. "Woo-hoooooo!"

The music got cranked up, subwoofers so loud it made the boat vibrate.

"―Miami!" Chiron was yelling. "I'll try to keep watch―and Madeleine―"

The misty screen smashed apart like someone on the other side had thrown a bottle at it, and Chiron was gone.

⎯⎯ ୨ winged ୧ ⎯⎯

An hour later they spotted land―a long stretch of beach lined with high-rise hotels. The water became crowded with fishing boats and tankers. A coast guard cruiser passed their starboard side, then turned like it wanted a second look. Maybe it wasn't every day they saw a yellow lifeboat with no engine going a hundred knots an hour, manned by four kids.

"That's Virginia Beach!" Annabeth exclaimed as they approached the shoreline. "Oh my gods, how did the Princess Andromeda travel so far overnight? That's like―"

"Five hundred and thirty nautical miles," Percy said.

Annabeth stared at him. "How did you know that?"

"I―I'm not sure."

"Son of Poseidon thing?" Madeleine guessed. She cut a look at Tyson, but he was busy watching the waves.

Annabeth thought for a moment. "Percy, what's our position?"

"36 degrees, 44 minutes north, 76 degrees, 2 minutes west," Percy said immediately. Then he shook his head. "Whoa. How did I know that?"

"Because of your dad," Annabeth said. "Madeleine is right, I think. When you're at sea, you have perfect bearings. That is so cool."

Before Percy could respond, Tyson tapped his shoulder. "Other boat is coming."

They all looked back. Sure enough, the coast guard vessel was definitely on them now. Its lights were flashing and it was gaining speed.

"We can't let them catch us," Percy said. "They'll ask too many questions."