Sunburn- phoebus apollo

--vii. finding donuts in the wilderness because anything is possible

AS THEY RACED OVER THE SEA, they tried to send an Iris-message to Chiron. They figured it was important to let somebody know what Luke was doing, and they didn't know who else to trust.

The wind from the thermos stirred up a nice sea spray that made a rainbow in the sunlight--perfect for an Iris-message--but their connection was still shitty. When Annabeth threw a gold drachma into the mist and prayed for the rainbow goddess to show us Chiron, his face appeared all right, but there was some kind of weird strobe light flashing in the background and rock music blaring, like he was at a dance club.

They told him about sneaking away from camp, and Luke and the Princess Andromeda and the golden box for Kronos's remains, but between the noise on his end and the rushing wind and water on their end, Rhea wasn't sure how much he heard.

"Rhea! Percy!" Chiron yelled, "You have to watch out for--"

His voice was drowned out by loud shouting behind him--a bunch of voices whooping it up like Comanche warriors.

"What?" The twins both yelled.

"Curse my relatives!" Chiron ducked as a plate flew over his head and shattered somewhere out of sight. "Annabeth, you shouldn't have let the twins leave camp! But if you do get the Fleece--"

"Yeah, baby!" somebody behind Chiron yelled. "Wooo-hooooo!"

The music got cranked up, subwoofers so loud it made their boat vibrate. 

"--Miami," Chiron was yelling. "I'll try to keep watch--"

Their misty screen smashed apart like someone on the other side had thrown a bottle at it, and Chiron was gone.

*****

An hour later they spotted land--a long stretch of beach lined with high-rise hotels. The water became crowded with fishing boats and tankers. A coast guard cruiser passed on their starboard side, then turned like it wanted a second look. Rhea guessed it wasn't every day they see a yellow lifeboat with no engine going a hundred knots an hour, manned by four kids.

"That's Virginia Beach!" Annabeth said as they approached the shoreline. "Oh my gods, how did the Princess Andromeda travel so far overnight? That's like--"

"Five hundred and thirty nautical miles," Rhea and Percy said in unison.

She stared at them. "How did you know that?"

Rhea and Percy shared confused looks. "I-I'm not sure."

Annabeth thought for a moment. "Rhea, what's our position?"

"Thirty-six degrees, forty-four minutes north, seventy-six degrees, two minutes west." Rhea said immediately. Then she shook her head. "Whoa. How did I know that?"

"Because of your dad," Annabeth guessed. "When you're at sea, you both have perfect bearings. That is so cool."

Rhea wasn't sure about that. She didn't want to be a human GPS unit. But before she could say anything, Tyson tapped her shoulder. "Other boat is coming."

Rhea looked back. The coast guard vessel was definitely on their tail now. Its lights were flashing and it was gaining speed.

"We can't let them catch us," Rhea said. "They'll ask too many questions."

"Keep going into Chesapeake Bay," Annabeth said. "I know a place we can hide."

Rhea didn't ask what she meant, or how she knew the area so well. Percy risked loosening the thermos cap a little more, and a fresh burst of wind sent them rocketing around the northern tip of Virginia Beach into Chesapeake Bay. The coast guard boat fell farther and farther behind. They didn't slow down until the shores of the bay narrowed on either side, and Rhea realized they'd entered the mouth of a river.