𝓟𝓻𝓪𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓪 - (𝓟.𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼𝓸𝓷)

01.

vol ii
➵ chapter one ➵

Sally Jackson had been awfully pleased to meet her son's friends. She'd heard so many stories about them.
Though, she was particularly interested in a certain daughter of Apollo, who she'd caught her son Iris messaging multiple times since he returned from camp.
He'd stubbornly refused to talk about her, quickly shutting his mother out of his room in every instance, his pink ears telling Sally all she needed to know.

But now this was her chance to get to know her! All of them! And boy did she use it. The eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine, had been very accommodating in getting her questions answered.
The mother had lovingly agreed to drive Annabeth, Helia, and Thalia, all of whom Percy hadn't seen in months.
Between the hazardous blizzard and the thought of what they were about to do, the group didn't talk very much.

No worries. Sally filled the silence. By the time they reached Westover Hall, it was dark, and she'd told Annabeth, Helia, and Thalia every embarrassing baby story there was to tell about her son.

The group peer outside, and Thalia wipes the fog off the car window. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."

Westover Hall looks like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors.
It stands on a snowy cliff overlooking a big, frosty forest on one side and the grey, churning ocean on the other.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" Sally asks, concerned.
"No, thanks, Mom," he says. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay."
"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy."
The boy hopes he isn't blushing. It was bad enough that he had to depend on his mom to drive him to his battles.

"It's okay, Ms. Jackson." Helia smiles reassuringly.
Annabeth nods. "We'll keep him out of trouble."

Sally relaxes slightly. She'd liked Helia from the moment she met her; the girl's honey aura was all too comforting. She was just such a sweetheart!
And Annabeth had to be the most level-headed demigod ever to hit eighth grade.
The two girls were sure to keep her son from getting killed!

"All right, dears," Sally says. "Do you have everything you need?"
"Yes, Ms. Jackson," Thalia replies. "Thanks for the ride."
"Extra sweaters? You have my cellphone number?"
"Mom—"
"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"
"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."

She looks a little hurt, and Percy's sorry about that, but he's ready to be out of the car.
If his mom told one more story about how cute he looked in the bathtub when he was three years old, he was going to burrow into the snow and freeze himself to death.

The girls follow him outside, but not before thanking Sally. Helia gives her one last smile.

Once her is car was out of sight, Thalia says, "Your mom is so cool, Percy."
"She's pretty okay," he admits. "What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?"

As soon as he says it, he wishes he hadn't.
Thalia is great at giving evil looks, what with the punk clothes she always wears—the ripped-up army jacket, black leather pants and chain jewellery, the black eyeliner, and those intense blue eyes.
But the look she gives now is a perfect evil "ten."

"If that was any of your business, Percy—"
"We'd better get inside," Annabeth interrupts. "Grover will be waiting."

Thalia looks at the castle and shivers. "You're right. I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call."
Percy stares up at the dark towers of Westover Hall. "Nothing good," he guesses.