WINGED ₁

28

MADELEINE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF MONSTER DR. THORN WAS, but he was fast. Her mind raced with possibilities for escape. Percy could trigger his shield, but that wouldn't necessarily protect Bianca and Nico. Madeleine and Percy could fight, but until they knew what Thorn's strengths and weaknesses were, they were practically fighting blind. Madeleine wasn't willing to risk the di Angelos, especially knowing that Thorn had the long reach.

Percy stopped and closed his eyes. Madeleine shot him a look, but he ignored her.

"What are you doing, Jackson?" hissed Dr. Thorn. "Keep moving!"

Percy opened his eyes and kept shuffling forward. "It's my shoulder," he said, sounding miserable. "It burns."

Madeleine's shoulder also burned, but she knew Percy had a higher pain tolerance than that. What was his endgame?

"Bah!" the monster spat. "My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!"

Thorn herded them outside and marched them into the woods. They took a snow path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights. Madeleine's shoulder ached. The wind blowing through her ripped clothes was freezing, and she had to clench her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering.

"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."

"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!"

"Don't talk to my sister that way!" Nico said. His voice quivered, but Madeleine was impressed that he had the guts to say anything at all.

Dr. Thorn made a growling sound that definitely wasn't human. "Halt," he said.

The woods had opened up. They'd reached a cliff overlooking the sea. At least, Madeleine thought the sea was down there. She could hear waves churning, could smell salt on the air. But all she could see was mist and darkness.

Dr. Thorn pushed them toward the edge. Percy stumbled, but Bianca caught him.

"Thanks," he murmured.

"What is he?" she whispered. "How do we fight him?"

"We're... uh, we're working on it," Percy said with an uneasy glance at Madeleine.

"I'm scared," Nico mumbled. He was fiddling with something―one of his Mythomagic figurines.

"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn said. "Face me!"

They turned.

Thorn's two-tone eyes glittered hungrily. He pulled something from under his coat. At first, Madeleine thought it was a switchblade, but it was only a phone. He pressed the side button and said, "The package―it is ready to deliver."

There was a garbled reply. It was odd to see a monster using a mobile phone, Madeleine thought.

Percy glanced behind him.

Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump! There is the sea. Save yourself."

"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered.

"I'll explain later," Percy said.

"You two have a plan, right?" she asked, looking at Percy and Madeleine.

Percy and Madeleine looked at each other and Madeleine tried to swallow. "Something like that."

"I would kill you before you ever reached the water," Dr. Thorn said. "You do not realize who I am, do you?"

A flicker of movement behind him, and another missile whistled past Percy's ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr. Thorn―like a catapult, but more flexible... almost like a tail.