¹𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 ━ 𝗽. 𝗷𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀𝗼𝗻

013

⋆ ˚｡⋆ʚ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ɞ⋆ ˚｡⋆
─── ❛ clifford the big 'murderous' dog ❜ ───

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.

it was almost midnight, but the lobby was brightly lit and full of people. behind the security desk sat a tough-looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece.

percy turned to his friends. "okay. you remember the plan."

"the plan." grover gulped. "yeah. i love the plan."

annabeth said. "what happens if the plan doesn't work?"

"don't think negative."

"yeah, sure." isabella said. "we're entering the land of the dead, and we shouldn't think negative."

percy took the pearls out of his pocket, the four milky spheres the nereid had given him in santa monica. isabella felt his worries drowning him, she sighed.

the girl put her hand on his shoulder. "i'm sorry, percy. you're right, we'll make it. it'll be fine."

she gave grover and annabeth a nudge.

"oh, right!" the satyr chimed in. "we got this far. we'll find the master bolt and save your mom. no problem."

"yeah percy." annabeth said. "well make it. don't worry."

percy looked at the three of them, and gave them an small smile.

he slipped the pearls back in his pocket. "let's whup some underworld butt."

they walked inside the DOA lobby.

muzak played softly on hidden speakers. the carpet and walls were steel gray. pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands. the furniture was black leather, and every seat was taken. there were people sitting on couches, people standing up, people staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. nobody moved, or talked, or did much of anything. out of the corner of her eye, isabella could see them all just fine, but if she focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking...transparent. she could see right through their bodies.

the security guard's desk was a raised podium, so they had to look up at him.

he was tall and elegant, with dark-colored skin and bleached-blond hair shaved military style. he wore tortoiseshell shades and a silk Italian suit that matched his hair. a black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag.

isabella tried to read his name but gave up.

percy rose his eyebrow and said. "your name is chiron?"

he leaned across the desk. isabella couldn't see anything in his glasses except her own reflection, but his smile was sweet and cold, like a python's, right before it eats you.

"what a precious young lad." he had a strange accent, british, maybe, but also as if he had learned english as a second language. "tell me, mate, do i look like a centaur?"

"n-no."

"sir." he added smoothly.

"sir." percy said.

he pinched the name tag and ran his finger under the letters. "can you read this, mate? it says c-h-a-r-o-n. say it with me: care-on."

"charon."