𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

Chapter 16

The book opens and the screen turns on, showing the chapter title
'A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers'

The gods except one frown and look at each other.

The next afternoon, June 14, seven days before the solstice, the train rolls into Denver. They walk out of the train station.

|Sereia: We haven't eaten since the night before in the dining car, somewhere in Kansas. We also haven't taken a shower since Half-Blood Hill, which I am sure is obvious.|

Annabeth: Let's try to contact Chiron. I want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit.
Sereia: We can't use phones, right?
Annabeth: I'm not talking about phones.
They wander through downtown for about half an hour,

|Sereia: I'm not sure what Annabeth is looking for. The air is dry and hot, which feels weird after the humidity of St Louis. Everywhere we turn, the Rocky Mountains seem to be staring at me, like a tidal wave about to crash into the city.|

They stop at an empty do-it-yourself car wash. They walk towards the stall furthest from the street, keeping their eyes open for patrol cars.

|Sereia: We were three adolescents hanging out at a car wash without a car; any cop worth his doughnuts would figure we were up to no good.|

The muggle raised nod in agreement

Grover takes out the spray gun. Sereia frowns.
Sereia: What exactly are we doing?
Grover: It's seventy-five cents. I've only got two quarters left. Annabeth?
He looks at her but she shakes her head.
Annabeth: Don't look at me. The dining car wiped me out.
Sereia fishes a bit of change out of her backpack and passes Grover a quarter, which left her twenty dollars and one drachma.
Grover: Excellent. We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connection isn't as good, and my arm gets tired of pumping
Sereia: What are you talking about?
He puts in the quarters and set the knob to fine mist.
Grover: I-M'ing
Sereia: Instant messaging?
Annabeth: Iris-messaging. The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask, and she's not too busy, she'll do the same for half-bloods.
Sereia raises her eyebrows.
Sereia: You summon the goddess with a spray gun?

Everyone not Greek raises their eyebrows.

Grover points the nozzle in the air and water hisses out in a thick white mist.
Grover: Unless you know an easier way to make a rainbow.
Sure enough, late afternoon light filters through the vapour and broke into colours.
Annabeth holds her palm out to Sereia.
Annabeth: Drachma, please?
Sereia hands it over and Annabeth raises the coin over her head.
Annabeth: O goddess, accept our offering.
She throws the drachma into the rainbow. It disappears in a golden shimmer.
Annabeth: Half-Blood Hill.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then they're looking through the mist at strawberry fields, and the Long Island Sound in the distance. They are on the porch of the Big House. Standing with his back to them at the railing is a sandy-haired guy in shorts and an orange tank top. He is holding a bronze sword and seems to be staring intently at something down in the meadow.
Sereia: Luke!
He turns, eyes wide.