The Shadow Summoner | Book Three - PJO Universe

thirteen

MEG WHAT THE FUCK

Ariana had never been so happy to see a killing field. They emerged into a glade littered with bones. Most were from forest animals. A few appeared human.

Ariana guessed they had found the myrmekes' dumping site, and they apparently didn't get regular garbage pickup.

The clearing was hemmed with trees so thick and tangled that fravelling through them would've been impossible.

Over their heads, the branches wove together in a leafy dome that let in sunlight but not much else. Anyone flying above the forest would never have realized this open space existed under the canopy.

At the far end of the glade stood a row of objects like football tackle dummies - six white cocoons staked on tall wooden poles, flanking a pair of enormous oaks.

Each tree was at least eighty feet tall. They had grown so close together that their massive trunks appeared to have fused.

Ariana had the distinct impression she was looking at a set of living doors.

"It's a gateway." She said. "To the Grove of Dodona."

Megs blades retracted, once again becoming gold rings on her middle fingers. "Aren't we in the grove?"

"No..." Apollo stared across the clearing at the white cocoon Popsicles.

They were too far away to make out clearly, but something about them seemed familiar in an evil, unwelcome sort of way.

Ariana wanted to get closer.She also wanted to keep her distance.

"I think this is more of an antechamber." Ariana said. "The grove itself is behind those trees."

Meg gazed warily across the field. "I don't hear any voices."

It was true. The forest was absolutely quiet. The trees seemed to be holding their breath.

"The grove knows we are here." Apollo guessed. "It's waiting to see what we'll do."

"We'd better do something, then." Meg didnt sound any more excited than Ariana was, but she marched forward, bones crunching under her feet.

Ariana followed, frying not to trip over ribcages and deer antlers. About halfway across the glade, Meg let out a sharp exhale.

She was staring at the posts on either side of the free gates.

At first Ariana couldn't process what she was seeing. Each stake was about the height of a crucifix - the kind Romans used to set up along the roadside to advertise the fates of criminals.

The upper half of each post was wrapped in thick lumpy wads of white cloth, and sticking out from the top of each cocoon was something that looked like a human head.

Ariana's stomach somersaulted. They were human heads. Arrayed in front of them were the missing demigods, all tightly bound.

Ariana watched, petrified, until she discerned the slightest expansions and contractions in the wrappings around their chests.

They were still breathing. Unconscious, not dead. Thank the gods.

On the left were three teenagers, Cecil, Ellis and Miranda. On the right side was an emaciated man with grey skin and white hair - no doubt the geyser god Paulie. Next to him hung Apollos children ... Austin and Kayla.

Apollo shook so violently that the bones around his feet clattered.

Ariana recognised the smell coming from the prisoners' wrappings - sulphur, oil, powdered lime and liquid Greek fire, the most dangerous substance ever created.