The Shadow Summoner | Book Three - PJO Universe

ten

ARIANA TURNS INTO A WATER DRAGON?

At least the pair didn't have to clean toilets.

Ariana and Apollo spent the afternoon in the griffin roost, playing music for Heloise to keep her calm while she laid her egg.

She enjoyed Adele and Joni Mitchell, which strained Apollo's human vocal cords considerably, but she had no use for his impersonation of Elvis Presley.

"Griffin musical tastes are a mystery." Apollo complained.

Ariana just laughed at him.

Once, they spotted Calypso and Leo down in the great hall, walking with Emmie, the three of them deep in conversation.

Several times they saw Agamethus float through the hall, wringing his hands.

About an hour into Apollo's second set, Jo resumed the manufacture of her tracking device in the workshop, which necessitated Apollo finding tunes that went well with the sound of a welding torch.

Fortunately, Heloise enjoyed Patti Smith.

The only person they didn't see during the afternoon was Meg. Ariana assumed she was on the roof, making the garden grow at five times its normal rate.

Occasionally she glanced up, wondering when the roof might collapse and bury them in rutabagas.
By dinnertime, Apollo's fingers were blistered from playing his combat ukulele.

He complained that his throat felt like Death Valley. However, Heloise was clucking contentedly on top of her newly laid egg.

That night Ariana slept like the dead-the actual dead, not the restless, headless, glowing orange variety.

By first light, armed with Emmie's directions to the Canal Walk, Ariana, Meg, Leo, and Apollo were ready to navigate the streets of Indianapolis.

Before they left, Josephine pulled Apollo and Ariana aside. "Wish I was going with you, Sunny, Ari. I'll do my best to train your friend Calypso this morning, see if she can regain control over her magic. While you're gone, I'll feel better if you wear this."

She handed Apollo an iron shackle.

The former god studied her face, but she did not seem to be joking.

"This is a griffin manacle." Apollo said.

"No! I would never make a griffin wear a manacle."

"Yet you're giving me one. Don't prisoners wear these for house arrest?" Apollo continued.

"That's not what it's for. This is the tracking device I've been working on." She pressed a small indentation on the rim of the shackle. With a click, metallic wings extended from either side, buzzing at hummingbird frequency.

The shackle almost leaped out of his hands.

"Oh, no," Apollo protested. "Don't ask me to wear flying apparel. Hermes tricked me into wearing his shoes once. I took a nap in a hammock in Athens and woke up in Argentina. Never again."

Ariana laughed. "Remind me to give him a high five for that one."

Apollo gasped. "Ariana it was traumatic!"

"You're so dramatic!"

Jo switched off the wings. "You don't have to fly. The idea was to make two ankle bracelets, but I didn't have time. I was going to send them off to-" she paused, clearly trying to control her emotions-"to find Georgina and bring her home. Since I can't do that, if you get in trouble, if you find her..." Jo pointed to a second indentation on the manacle. "This activates the homing beacon. It'll tell me where you are, and you'd better believe we'll send reinforcements."