𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 | 𝐩. 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

The spa trip from hell

Evangeline was skeptical of the woman who stood in front of them. She held a clipboard in hand and wore a blue business suit, a tight ponytail, and perfect makeup. She had a tight smile as she shook their hands and began asking them questions. "Is this your first time with us?" She asked with her pen ready to write down whatever they said.

They exchanged looks with one another. The lady began writing on her clipboard. "Mmm...a herbal wrap to start for the young ladies and the gentlemen a complete makeover."

"A what?" Percy asked stunned, Evangeline stifled a laugh.

"Well," the woman said as she put her clipboard to the side. "I'm sure C.C. will want to speak with you, come please."

"I guess it couldn't hurt," Annabeth muttered as they followed the woman.

Everywhere they looked, there was white marble with swimming pools connected by water slides, waterfalls, and underwater tubes with fountains spraying water that formed impossible shapes.

The voice of a woman singing reached their ears as they slowly climbed the marble staircase. Her words were in some language other than Ancient Greek. Evangeline could understand what the woman sang about—moonlight in the olive groves, the colors of sunrise. And magic. Something about magic. Her voice seemed to lift them off the steps and carry them toward her.

They came into a big room where the whole front wall was windows. The back wall was covered in mirrors, so the room seemed to go on forever. There was a bunch of expensive-looking white furniture, and on the table in one corner was a large wire pet cage. The cage seemed out of place, but she didn't pay much attention to it, because she'd just seen the lady who had been singing.

She sat at a loom the size of a big screen TV, her hands weaving colored thread back and forth with amazing skill. The tapestry shimmered like it was three-dimensional—a waterfall scene so real she could see the water moving and clouds drifting across a fabric sky.

Annabeth caught her breath. "It's beautiful."

The woman turned. She was even prettier than her fabric. Her long dark hair was braided withthreads of gold. She had piercing green eyes and she wore a silky black dress with shapes thatseemed to move in the fabric: animal shadows, black upon black, like deer running through a forest atnight

"You appreciate weaving, my dear?" The woman asked.

"Oh, yes, ma'am!" The daughter of Athena said. "My mother is—"

She stopped herself. You can't just go around announcing that your mother was Athena, the goddess who invented the loom. Most people would try to burn you alive, Evangeline spoke from experience.

Their hostess smiled. "You have good taste, my dear. I'm so glad you've come. My name is C.C."

The animals in the corner cage started squealing. They must've been guinea pigs, from the soundof them.

The demigods introduced themselves to C.C. She looked at Percy with a twinge of disapproval, as if he'd failed some kind of test.

"Oh, dear," she sighed. "You do need my help."

"Ma'am?" Percy asked.

C.C. called a lady and a girl next to her. "Hylla, Reyna, take Annabeth and Evangeline on a tour, will you? Show them what we have available. The clothing will need to change. And the hair, my goodness. We will do a full image consultation after I've spoken with this young gentleman."

"But..." Annabeth's voice sounded hurt. "What's wrong with our hair?"

C.C. smiled benevolently. "My dear, you both are lovely. Really! But you're not showing off yourselves or your talents at all. So much wasted potential!"