mastermind - percy jackson

iv. flames

"things are not always as easy as they seem"

Cassandra's dream took her to a cliff in the woods on Connecticut. Well, what she guessed was Connecticut. She'd been there hundreds of times, going on hunting missions and on a road trip with Courtney and Josh to visit Josh's family.

Down on one side of the cliff, a highway cut through a ravine. Down the other side was someone's backyard. The property was huge—more wilderness than lawn. The house was a white colonial-style two-story. Despite the fact that it was right on the other side of the hill from a highway, it felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. She could see a light glowing in the kitchen window. A rusty old swing set under an apple tree.

She didn't notice Percy until Mrs. O'Leary stagger. His fingers wrapped around the bronze links of her dog collar, and Percy slipped off her back.

What was Percy doing here?

Mrs. O'Leary let out a huge toothy yawn, that could've scared a T-rex, then turned in a circle and flopped down so hard, the ground shook.

Nico appeared right next to him, stepping out of the shadows. He stumbled, but Percy caught his arm.

"I'm okay" He managed, rubbing his eyes.

"How did you do that?" Percy asked.

"Practice. A few times running into walls. A few accidental trips to China."

Mrs. O'Leary started snoring. If it hadn't been for the road of traffic behind them, Cassandra was sure she would've woken up the whole neighborhood.

"Are you going to take a nap too?" Percy asked Nico.

He shook his head. "The first time I shadow traveled, I passed out for a week. Now it just makes me a little drowsy, but I can't do it more than once or twice a night. Mrs. O'Leary won't be going anywhere for a while."

"So we've got some quality time in Connecticut" Percy gazed at the white Colonial house. "What now?"

Nico glanced behind him, looking straight at Cassandra. He couldn't see her, but he must've sensed her presence.

"We ring the doorbell" Nico answered.

╰┈ ⋆｡˚ ❀ *· 🌬 ࿐ ࿔ ˚:⋆ ✧･ﾟ

Even before they made it to the front door, Cassandra knew whoever they were visiting was weird. The sidewalk was lined with little stuffed beanbag animals. There were miniature lions, pigs, dragons, hydras, and even a teeny Minotaur in a little Minotaur diaper. Judging from their sad shape, they must have been sitting out there for a long time—since the snow melted last spring at least. One of the hydras had a tree sapling sprouting between its necks.

The front porch was infested with wind chimes. Shiny bits of glass and metal clinked in the breeze. Brass ribbons tinkled like water. Cassandra didn't know how anyone could stand all the noise.

The front door was painted an ugly shade of turquoise. The name CASTELLAN was written in English, and below in Greek.

So they're visiting someone related to Luke. Possibly his mother?

Nico looked at Percy. "Ready?"

He'd barely tapped the door when it swung open.

"Luke!" An old lady cried happily.

She looked crazy. Her white hair stuck out in tufts all over her head. Her pink house-dress was covered in scorch marks and smears of ash. When she smiled, her face looked unnaturally stretched, and the high-voltage light in her eyes made Cassandra wonder if she was blind.