¹𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 ━ 𝗽. 𝗷𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀𝗼𝗻

051

⋆ ˚｡⋆ʚ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐍𝐄 ɞ⋆ ˚｡⋆
─── ❛ family reunion pt. 2 ❜ ───

"WE WILL NEVER MAKE it," zoë said. "we are moving too slow. but we cannot leave the ophiotaurus."

"mooo," bessie said. he swam next to percy as they jogged along the waterfront. they'd left the shopping center pier far behind. they were heading toward the golden gate bridge, but it was a lot farther than isabella had realized. the sun was already dipping in the west.

"i don't get it," the boy said. "why do we have to get there at sunset?"

"the hesperides are the nymphs of the sunset," zoë said. "we can only enter their garden as day changes to night."

"what happens if we miss it?"

"tomorrow is winter solstice. if we miss sunset tonight, we would have to wait until tomorrow evening. and by then, the olympian council will be over. we must free lady artemis tonight."

or annabeth will be dead, isabella thought, but she didn't say that.

"we need a car," thalia said.

"but what about bessie?" percy asked.

grover stopped in his tracks. "i've got an idea! the ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?"

"well, yeah," the boy said. "i mean, he was in long island sound. then he just popped into the water at hoover dam. and now he's here."

"so maybe we could coax him back to long island sound," grover said. "then chiron could help us get him to olympus."

"but he was following me," he said. "if i'm not there, would he know where he's going?"

"moo," bessie said forlornly.

"i... i can show him," grover said. "i'll go with him."

percy stared at him. grover was no fan of the water. he'd almost drowned last summer in the sea of monsters, and he couldn't swim very well with his goat hooves.

"i'm the only one who can talk to him," grover said. "it makes sense."

he bent down and said something in bessie's ear. bessie shivered, then made a contented, lowing sound.

"the blessing of the wild," grover said. "that should help with safe passage. percy, pray to your dad, too. see if he will grant us safe passage through the seas."

isabella didn't understand how they could possibly swim back to long island from california. then again, monsters didn't travel the same way as humans. she had seen plenty evidence of that.

percy tried to concentrate on the waves, the smell of the ocean, the sound of the tide.

"dad," he said. "help us. get the ophiotaurus and grover safely to camp. protect them at sea."

"a prayer like that needs a sacrifice," isabella said. "something big."

he thought for a second. then the boy took off his coat.