Sun kissed - Apollo.

56: The Vice Principal Gets A Missile Launcher.

I didn't know what kind of monster Dr. Thorn was, but he was fast.

He had stung me on the shoulder when i tried to usher Nico and Bianca away from Dr. Thorn. I had refused to go down so he threw me across the hall. I think i passed out for a short bit because the next thing i knew, Percy was mingling himself in the confrontation.

Maybe I could defend them if I could get my shield activated. All that it would take was a touch of my bracelet. But defending the di Angelo kids,just the two of us, was another matter. Percy and I needed help, and there was only one way we could think to get it.

Percy closed his eyes.

"What are you doing, Jackson?" hissed Dr. Thorn at my brother. "Keep moving!"

He opened his eyes and kept shuffling forward. "It's my shoulder," Percy lied, trying to sound miserable, which wasn't hard. "It burns."

"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!"
Thorn herded us outside, and Percy tried to concentrate. I knew he was trying to reach Grover. I tried to keep Nico and Bianca behind me and out of harms way. Last summer, Grover had created an empathy link between him and Percy. He'd sent us visions in our dreams to let me know when he was in trouble. As far as I knew, they were still linked, but he never tried to contact Grover before. I didn't even know if it would work while Grover was awake.

I felt a hand grip the back of my shirt tightly. I pulled it gently free and held Nico's hand tightly in mine. I squeezed it. "We'll be okay." I promised the boy.

Thorn marched us into the woods. We took a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights. My shoulder ached, my head was pounding in my skull. The wind blowing through my ripped clothes was so cold that I felt like a Daphneicle.

"I feel like an Percyicle." Percy muttered to me.

"Same." I muttered back.

"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."

"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!"

"Don't talk to my sister that way!" Nico said. His voice quivered, but I was impressed that he had the guts to say anything at all.

I stepped between the Di Angelo kids and Dr. Thorn.

Dr. Thorn made a growling sound that definitely wasn't human. It made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, but i refused to back down. I was meeting his look with a glare of my own. I intend to keep my promise until it becomes my death.

I forced myself to keep walking and pretend I was being a good little captive.

I felt Nico pull on my hand. "Why are you protecting us?"

I leaned close to Nico. "Because i care." I told him, that made him look surprised a little. "But also because i promised someone i would."

"You promised someone to protect them?" I heard Percy say. He looked angry at me. "You knew they existed?"

"Yes, Brother. I knew they existed, now get over it." I told my brother and pushed him away from me.

"We'll talk about this later."

I rolled my eyes.

"Halt," Thorn said.

The woods had opened up. We'd reached a cliff overlooking the sea. At least, I sensed the sea was down there, hundreds of feet below. I could hear the waves churning and I could smell the cold salty froth. But all I could see was mist and darkness.