The Shadow Summoner | Book Three - PJO Universe

five

MEG'S VISIONS

Macro's Military Madness went up in a chain of explosions that shook the desert, rattling the flaps of the foul-smelling metal box that sheltered them.

Sweating and shivering, barely able to breathe, the two satyrs and Apollo plus Ariana huddled amid trash bags and listened to the pitter-patter of debris raining from the sky-an unexpected downpour of wood, plaster, glass, and sporting equipment.

After what seemed like years, Ariana was about to risk speaking-something like Get me out of here or I'm going to vomit-when Grover clamped his hand over her mouth.

She could barely see him in the dark, but he shook his head urgently, his eyes wide with alarm.

Coach Hedge also looked tense. His nose quivered as if he smelled something even worse than the garbage.

Then Ariana heard the clop, clop, clop of hooves against asphalt as they approached their hiding place.

A deep voice grumbled. "Well, this is just perfect."

An animal's muzzle snuffled the rim of their dumpster, perhaps smelling for survivors. For them.

Ariana prayed that Apollo was trying not to weep and wet his pants. He succeeded at one of those.

The flaps of the dumpster remained closed. Perhaps the garbage and the burning warehouse masked their scent.

"Hey, Big C?" said the same deep voice. "Yeah. It's me."

From the lack of audible response, Ariana guessed the newcomer was talking on
the phone.

"Nah, the place is gone. I don't know. Macro must have-" He paused, as if the person on the other end had launched into a tirade.

"I know," said the newcomer. "Could've been a false alarm, but...Ah, nuts. Human police are on the way."

A moment after he said that, Ariana heard the faint sound of sirens in the distance.

"I could search the area," the newcomer suggested. "Maybe check those ruins up the hill."

Hedge and Grover exchanged a worried look. Surely the ruins meant their sanctuary, currently housing Mellie, Baby Hedge, and Meg.

"I know you think you took care of it," said the newcomer. "But, look, that place is still dangerous. I'm telling you-"

This time Ariana could hear a faint, tinny voice raging on the other end of the line.

"Okay, C," said the newcomer. "Yes. Jupiter's jumpers, calm down! I'll just-Fine. Fine. I'm on my way back."

His exasperated sigh told Ariana the call must have ended.

"Kid's gonna give me colic," the speaker grumbled aloud to himself.

Something slammed into the side of their dumpster, right next to Apollo's face.
Then the hooves galloped away.

Several minutes passed before Ariana felt safe enough even to look at the two satyrs and Apollo.

They silently agreed that they had to get out of the dumpster before they died of suffocation, heatstroke, or the smell of Apollo's pants.

Outside, the alley was littered with smoking chunks of twisted metal and plastic. The warehouse itself was a blackened shell, flames still swirling within, adding more columns of smoke to the ash-choked night sky.

"W-who was that?" Grover asked. "He smelled like a guy on a horse, but..."

Coach Hedge's nunchaku clattered in his hands. "Maybe a centaur?"