¹Mσɳ Aɱσɳ Cαɾα | ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ

13. I will peel you like a grape!

♡ Percy winced as he watched a homeless guy fall to the ground.

The group had just landed in San Francisco by the Embarcadero Building. Their landing had startled a homeless guy who attempted to run away and was screaming about metal angels from Mars when Asteria appeared next to him and hit the back of his head.

"Was that really necessary?" Percy asked her.

Asteria shrugged. "No, but it was fun."

They said their goodbyes to the angels, who flew off to party with their statue friends. That's when Percy realised he had no idea what they were going to do next.

They'd made it to the West Coast. Artemis was here somewhere. Annabeth, too. He had no idea how to find them, and tomorrow was the winter solstice. And they still didn't know what Artemis had been hunting. It was supposed to find them on the quest. It was supposed to 'show the trail', but it never did. Now they were stuck on the ferry dock with no money, no friends, and no luck.

"Oh. A food truck," Asteria said. "Who's hungry?"

Percy looked over at her. Scratch that bit about having no money.

He had somehow forgotten that his twin soul was a walking, talking ATM machine.

Asteria bought them lunch. Or should Percy say she bought them a feast? She had gotten a handful of everything the taco truck sold. Grover was staring at her weirdly when she handed him two enchiladas.

"I think I'm in love," Grover whispered.

Percy elbowed his ribs and gave him a fake smile. He didn't say anything but his expression was clear. Back off.

After eating their tacos and whatnot, they had a brief discussion and agreed that they needed to figure out just what this mystery monster was.

"But how?" Percy asked.

"Nereus," Grover said.

Percy looked at him. "What?"

"Isn't that what Apollo told you to do? Find Nereus?"

Percy nodded. He'd completely forgotten his and Asteria's last conversation with the sun god.

"The old man of the sea," Percy remembered. "I'm supposed to find him and force him to tell us what he knows. But how do I find him?"

Zoë made a face. "Old Nereus, eh?"

'You know him?' Thalia asked.

"My mother was a sea goddess. Yes, I know him. Unfortunately, he is never very hard to find. Just follow the smell."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"Come," she said, without enthusiasm. "I will show thee."

"I'll stay here and cheer you guys on," Asteria said, stepping away from them.

Zoë turned and narrowed his eyes at her. "Thee is coming."

"You, not thee," Thalia corrected.

Zoë grumbled. "Asteria, you are coming."

"No."

"Asteria."

"But I don't like him."

"I do not care."

"You should," Ateria pouted. "I'll stink for days! Do you know how hard it is to get rid of that smell?"

Zoë gave her a look before she reached out, linked their arms together and began dragging her along.