LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE . . . pjo

XXXIII.

RIGHT AS WINTER break arrived, Annabeth, Thalia, Percy, and his mom came to Mia's house to pick her up to go on a mission.

When she'd walked over to the parlor and saw them, she sighed and dragged her feet over to them, giving Percy and Annabeth a quick hug before nodding at Thalia and smiling at Ms. Jackson.

"I had hoped you didn't remember my address," Mia grumbled to Annabeth. "Give me a minute to change. Sophia!" Mia turned and yelled, running up the new set of spiral stairs that had been installed last month, courtesy of Soph, who was too lazy to run down a couple of hallways and down a flight of stairs to go downstairs. Naturally. "I'm leaving now!"

After a hasty goodbye and a promise to come back before an inevitable vacation to somewhere with too much sun and resorts everywhere and beaches galore, Mia bounded downstairs with her winter jacket, backpack, and cute new boots that were definitely Sophia's. She had a couple pairs of these boots. She would be fine.

"Come on, let's leave before she notices that I stole her boots," Mia hissed as she stopped next to Percy, zipping up her jacket. "Hopefully they'll be fine."

It was an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine. Sleet and snow pounded the highway. Mia hadn't seen Annabeth and Thalia in months and she hadn't seen Percy since Thanksgiving break, but between the blizzard and the thought of what they were about to do, they were too nervous to talk much. Except for Ms. Jackson. She talks more when she's nervous, apparently. By the time they finally got to Westover Hall, it was getting dark, and she'd told Mia, Annabeth, and Thalia every embarrassing baby story there was to tell about Percy. Which were the cutest things, by the way.

Thalia wiped the fog off the car window and peered outside. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."

Westover Hall looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the gray churning ocean on the other.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" Ms. Jackson asked.

"No, thanks, Mom," Percy said. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay."

"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy."

"It's okay, Ms. Jackson." Mia smiled reassuringly, putting on her earmuffs and her cute gloves. "We'll keep him out of trouble."

"All right, dears," Ms. Jackson said, and she seemed more relaxed. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, Ms. Jackson," Thalia said. "Thanks for the ride."

"Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?"

"Mom—"

"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"

"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."

Percy left the car. Mia, Annabeth, and Thalia followed him outside. The wind blew straight through Mia's coat like ice daggers, and she shivered.

Once Ms. Jackson's car was out of sight, Thalia said, "Your mom is so cool, Percy."

"She's pretty okay," Percy admitted. "What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?"

Thalia glared at him. "If that was any of your business, Percy—"

"We'd better get inside," Annabeth interrupted. "Grover will be waiting."

Thalia looked at the castle and shivered. "You're right. I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call."

Mia stared up at the dark towers of Westover Hall. "Nothing good," she guessed.