Annabeth Chase and the Sea of Monsters

Chapter 28 - My best friend is a guinea pig

"Miss C.C.?" I called, waiting impatiently outside her room. Not giving her enough time to answer, I came in and found Percy gone.

C.C. stood in the centre of the room, a smile plastered on her face, but there was no sign of Percy at all. "Where's Percy?"

The guinea pigs were still squealing in their cage, making it hard for me to hear C.C..

She smiled. "He's having one of our treatments, my dear. Not to worry. You look wonderful! What did you think of your tour?"

I remembered the highlight of my tour and my eyes lit up. "Your library is amazing!"

"Yes, indeed. The best knowledge of the past three millennia. Anything you want to study, anything you want to be, my dear."

"An architect?" It was a dream come true.

"Pah!" C.C. scoffed scornfully. "You, my dear, have the makings of a sorceress. Like me."

I took a step back, my heart started to hammer as things started to make sense. "A sorceress?"

"Yes, my dear." She held out her hand, causing a small flame to ignite and fly around her fingertips. "My mother is Hecate, the goddess of magic. I know a daughter of Athena when I see one. We are not so different, you and I. We both seek knowledge. We both admire greatness. Neither of us needs to stand in the shadow of me.

"Stay with me," she added. "Study with me. You can join our staff, become a sorceress, learn to bend others to your will. You will become immortal!"

"But -" I started to protest.

"You are too intelligent, my dear. You know better than to trust that silly camp for heroes. How many great female half-bloods can you name?"

"Um, Atalanta, Amelia Earhart -"

"Bah! Men get all the glory." She closed her fist, extinguishing the flame. I couldn't help but think that was what she would do to me if I refused her. "The only way to power for women in sorcery. Medea, Calypso, now they were powerful women! And me, of course. The greatest of all."

Hearing her name those other women from Greek legend make me think of another. And it finally clicked. "You . . . C.C. . . . Circe!"

"Yes, my dear." When she smiled now, it no longer looked so beautiful. It looked downright malicious. I backed away and she laughed. "You need not worry. I mean you no harm."

"What have you done to Percy?"

"Only helped him realise his true form."

My eyes drifted to the cage, the only thing out of place in the room. The guinea pigs had come out, but they were acting strange. One was at the front of the cage while the rest seemed to circle it, a ring of spiked malicious creatures. The lone one was black and orange and looked scared out of its mind.

And then it hit me. My best friend was a guinea pig. That was one thing I never expected.

"Forget him," Circe said, confirming my fears. "Join me and learn the ways of sorcery."

"But -"

"Your friend will be well cared for. He'll be shipped to a wonderful new home in the mainland. The kindergarteners will adore him. Meanwhile, you will be wise and powerful. You will have all you ever wanted."

I kept my eyes on the cage. If I had to guess, the lone one was Percy, but who were the other ones? I could hear Circe talking about something, but I wasn't really listening, I was too busy trying to think of a way to escape. Then I realized she was waiting for an answer.