𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒¹

𝑁𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐵𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑡

‧̍̊˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡ °.𓆞 ·˙‧̍̊

THE SPEED IN WHICH Dr. Thorn was running at winded Astoria. You'd think that he'd be slower given that he was a huge manticore.

Astoria glanced at Percy. His eyes were closed, clearly focusing on his empathy link.

"What are you doing, Jackson?" hissed Dr. Thorn. "Keep moving!"

Percy opened his eyes and shuffled his feet. "It's my shoulder," he lied convincingly. "It burns."

"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!"

The group moved outside the building and into the woods.

"Can I take out my coat, at least?" Astoria asked, teeth chattering. "It's way too cold out here."

"Don't even think about it, girl," Dr. Thorn ridiculed. "I've heard about the tricks that you pull. Keep walking!"

Astoria rollled her eyes, but complied. He led them on a snowy path barely visible thanks to antique lamplights. By the time the manticore talked again, Astoria was shivering head to toe, and she wasn't the only one.

"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."

"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!"

"Don't talk to my sister that way," Nico defended. His voice quivered, but Astoria was incredibly proud of the twelve year old. The monster growled eerily, sending shivers down Astoria's spine. Gross.

"Halt," Thorn instructed.

The kids were taken the a cliff overlooking the sea. Astoria shuffled her feet, and put herself as far away from the edge as possible. Unfortunately, Dr. Thorn pushed them toward the edge. Percy stumbled, but Bianca caught him before he could fall over.

"What is he?" she whispered. "How do we fight him?"

"I... I'm working on it," Percy replied. He looked at Astoria. "Do you know?"

"I can't say," she answered.

"Then I guess we're winging it."

"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn shouted. "Face me!"

They complied. The manticore's heterochromia eyes glistened with greed. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and put it to his ear. "The package - it is ready to deliver." When Percy glanced at the sea, Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump! There is the sea. Save yourself."

"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered.

"I'll explain later," Percy responded.

"You do have a plan, right?"

"No plan is the best plan," Astoria chuckled.

"I would kill you before you ever reached the water," Dr Thorn threatened. "You do not realize who I am, do you?" His scorpion tail whisked behind him. "Unfortunately, you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise you would be already dead."

"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. Astoria raised her eyebrows for her courage. "Because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I..." her voice faltered. "We've got no one but each other."

"Aww," Dr. Thorn mocked. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my eployer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."

"Luke," Percy said. "You work for Luke."