Partners in Crime || PJOxHP || Marauders' Era

Liar

Jessica woke to a ship's whistle and a voice on the intercom- some guy with an Australian accent who sounded way too happy. "Good morning, passengers! We'll be at sea all day today. Excellent weather for the pool side mambo party! Don't forget million-dollar bingo in the Kraken Lounge at one o'clock, and for our special guests, disemboweling practice on the Promenade!"

Jessica sat up in bed. "What did he say?"

Annabeth groaned, still half asleep. She was lying facedown on the bed. "The man said... bowling practice?"

Jessica hoped Annabeth was right. She stood up and walked towards the boys' room. She knocked and stuck her head through the doors. Percy was sitting up like he had just heard something really weird. "Disemboweling practice?"

Once they were all dressed, they ventured out into the ship and were surprised to see other people. A dozen senior citizens were heading to breakfast. A dad was taking his kids to the pool for a morning swim. Crew members in crisp white uniforms strolled the deck, tipping their hats to the passengers. Nobody asked who the four were. Nobody paid them much attention. But there was something wrong. As the family of swimmers passed, the dad told his kids: "We are on a cruise. We are having fun."

"Yes," his three kids said in unison, their expressions blank. "We are having a blast. We will swim in the pool."

They wandered off.

"Good morning," a crew member told them, his eyes glazed. "We are all enjoying ourselves aboard the Princess Andromeda. Have a nice day." He drifted away.

"Percy, this is weird," Annabeth whispered. "They're all in some kind of trance."

"Would never have guessed that," Jessica said. "Come on, let's go."

***

They passed a cafeteria and saw their first monster. It was a hellhound-a black mastiff with its front paws up on the buffet line and its muzzle buried in the scrambled eggs. It must've been young, because it was small compared to most-no bigger than a grizzly bear. Still, Jessica's blood turned cold. She'd almost gotten killed by one of those before. The weird thing was: a middle-aged couple was standing in the buffet line right behind the devildog, patiently waiting their turn for the eggs. They didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

"Not hungry anymore," Tyson murmured.

Before Annabeth could reply, a reptilian voice came from down the corridor, "Ssssix morejoined yesssterday."

Annabeth gestured frantically toward the nearest hiding place-the women's room-and all four ducked inside. Percy was so freaked out it didn't even occur to him to be embarrassed. Something-or more like two somethings-slithered past the bathroom door, making sounds like sandpaper against the carpet. "Yesss," a second reptilian voice said. "He drawssss them. Ssssoon we will be sssstrong."

The things slithered into the cafeteria with a cold hissing that might have been snake laughter. 

Annabeth looked at Percy. "We have to get out of here."

"You think I want to be in the girls' restroom?"

"I mean the ship, Percy! We have to get off the ship."

"Smells bad," Tyson agreed. "And dogs eat all the eggs. Annabeth is right. We must leave the restroom and ship."

Percy shuddered. Then Jessica heard another voice outside-one that chilled her worse than any monster's. "-only a matter of time. Don't push me, Agrius!" It was Luke, beyond a doubt. Jessica could never forget his voice.

"I'm not pushing you!" another guy growled. His voice was deeper and even angrier than Luke's. "I'm just saying, if this gamble doesn't pay off-"

"It'll pay off," Luke snapped. "They'll take the bait. Now, come, we've got to get to the admiralty suite and check on the casket."