The Shadow Summoner | Book Three - PJO Universe

fourteen

LOVELY DINNER CONVERSATIONS

As it turned out, getting an elephant into the Waystation was not as hard as they had imagined.

As they arrived at the side of the building, bricks rumbled and rearranged themselves, creating a wide archway and a gentle downward ramp.
Livia tromped inside without
hesitation.

At the bottom of the corridor, we found a perfect elephant stable with high ceilings, ample stacks of hay, slatted windows to let in the sunlight, a stream wending through the middle of the room, and a big-screen television turned to Hephaestus-TV's Elephant Channel, showing The Real Elephants of the African Veld.

Best of all, there was not a gladiator or a set of elephant armor in sight.

Livia huffed in approval.

"I'm glad you like it, my friend." Apollo dismounted, followed by Arian and Thalia. "Now enjoy yourself while we go find our hosts."

Livia waded into the stream and rolled onto her side, giving herself a trunk shower. She looked so content Ariana was tempted to join her, but they had less pleasant matters to attend to.

"Come on," Thalia said. "I know the way."

Ariana didn't see how. The Waystation shifted and changed so much, it shouldn't have been possible for anyone to learn their way around.

But true to her word, Thalia led them up several flights of stairs, through a gymnasium Ariana had never seen, and back to the main hall, where a crowd had gathered.

Josephine and Emmie knelt by the sofa where Georgina lay shaking, crying, and giggling. Emmie tried to get the little girl to drink some water. Jo dabbed Georgie's face with a washcloth.

Next to them stood the Throne of Mnemosyne, but Ariana couldn't tell whether they had tried to use it yet.

Certainly, Georgie appeared no better.

Over at Josephine's workstation, Leo was inside Festus's chest cavity, using a welding torch. The dragon had curled up as tightly as possible, but he still took up a third of the room.

The side of his rib cage was propped open like the hood of a Mack truck. Leo's legs stuck out, sparks showering the floor around him. Festus didn't seem concerned by this invasive surgery.

Deep in his throat, he made a low, clattering purr.

Calypso looked fully recovered from yesterday's jaunt to the zoo. She dashed around the room, bringing food, drink, and medical supplies to the rescued prisoners.

Some of the folks they had freed made themselves right at home, helping themselves to the pantry, rummaging through cabinets with such familiarity Ariana suspected they'd been longtime residents at the Waystation before being captured.

The two emaciated boys sat at the dining table, trying to pace themselves as they chewed pieces of fresh bread.

Hunter Kowalski, the silver-haired girl, stood in a tight circle with the other Hunters of Artemis as they muttered together and cast suspicious glances at Lityerses.

The Cornhusker sat in a recliner in the corner, facing the wall, his wounded leg now properly bandaged.

Sssssarah the dracaena had discovered the kitchen. She stood at the counter, holding a basket of fresh henhouse eggs, swallowing each whole, one after the other.

Tall, Dark & Jimmy was up in the griffin roost, making friends with Heloise and Abelard. The griffins allowed him to scratch under their beaks
-a sign of great trust, especially since they were guarding an egg in their nest.