Daughter of Neptune, Book one

XXXIV

Leo's pov

The plan went wrong almost immediately. Piper scrambled along the ridge, trying to keep her head down, while Tori, Jason, Coach Hedge, and I walked straight into the clearing.

Jason summoned his golden lance and Tori summoned her silver bow and arrows. Jason brandished his lance over his head and Tori loaded her bow with an arrow and aimed it at Enceladus, they yelled, "Giant!" Which sounded pretty good, and a lot more confident than I could've managed. I was thinking more along the lines of, "We are pathetic ants! Don't kill us!"

Enceladus stopped chanting at the flames. He turned toward us and grinned, revealing fangs like a saber-toothed tiger's.

"Well," the giant tumbled. "What a nice surprise."

I didn't like the sound of that. My hands closed on my windup gadget. I stepped sideways, edging my way toward the bulldozer.

Coach Hedge shouted, "Let the movie star go, you big ugly cupcake! Or I'm gonna plant my hoof right up your—"

"Coach," Jason said. "Shut up."

Enceladus roared with laughter. "I've forgotten how funny satyrs are. When we rule the world, I think I'll keep you kind around. You can entertain me while I eat all the other mortals."

"Is that a compliment?" Hedge frowned at me. "I don't think that was a compliment."

Enceladus opened his mouth wide, and his teeth began to glow.

"Scatter!" I yelled.

Tori, Jason, and Coach Hedge dove to the left as the giant blew fire—a furnace blast so hot even Festus would've been jealous. I dodge behind the bulldozer, wound--- up his homemade device, and dropped it into the driver's seat. Then I ran to the right, heading for the tree harvester.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tori and Jason rise and charge the giant. Coach Hedge ripped off his canary yellow jacket, which was now on fire, and bleated angrily. "I like that outfit!" Then he raised his club and charged, too.

Before they could get very far, Enceladus slammed his spear against the ground. The entire mountain shook.

The shockwave sent me sprawling. I blinked, momentarily stunned. Through a haze of grassfire and bitter smoke, I saw Jason and Tori staggering to their feet on the other side of the clearing. Coach Hedge was knocked out cold. He'd fallen forward and hit his head in a log. His furry hindquarters sticking straight up, with his canary yellow pants around his knees—a view I really didn't need.

The giant bellowed, "I see you, Piper McLean!" He turned and blew fire at a line of bushes to me right. Piper ran into the clearing like a flushed quail, the underbrush burning behind her.

Enceladus laughed. "I'm happy you've arrived. And you brought me my prizes!"

My gut twisted. This was the moment Piper had warned us about. We played right into Enceladus's hands.

The giant must've read my expression, because he laughed even louder. "That's right, son of Hephaestus. I didn't expect you all to stay alive this long, but it doesn't matter. By bringing you here, Piper McLean has sealed the deal. If she betrays you here, I'm as good as my word. She can take her father and go. What do I care about a movie star?"

I could see Piper's dad more clearly now. He wore a ragged dress shirt and torn slacks. His bare feet were caked with mud. He wasn't completely unconscious, because he lifted his head and groaned—yep, Tristan McLean all right. I had seen that face in enough movies. But he had a nasty cut down the side of his face, and he looked thin and sickly—not heroic at all.