The Titans Curse: Apollo's Daughter

Twinkle Toe Statues

Skyler's POV

The cafe was packed with kids enjoying the best part of the tour, the dam lunch. Thalia and Zoe were just sitting down with their food. 

"We need to leave," I gasped. 

"Now!" Percy added.

"But we just got our burritos!" Thalia said.

Zoe stood up, muttering an Ancient Greek curse. "He's right! Look."

The cafe windows wrapped all the way around the observation floor, which gave us a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill us. I counted two on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to Arizona. Three more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them were armed with batons and pistols. But our immediate problem was a lot closer.

The three skeletal warriors who'd been chasing me and Percy in the turbine room now appeared on the stairs. They saw us from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.

"Elevator!" Thalia said.

We bolted that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant ding, and three more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was accounted for, minus the one Bianca had blasted to flames in New Mexico. We were completely surrounded. Then Percy had a brilliant, totally Percy-like idea. 

"Burrito fight!" he yelled and flung Thalia's Guacamole Grande at the nearest skeleton.

Now, if you have never been hit by a flying burrito, count yourself lucky. In terms of deadly projectiles, it's right up there with grenades and cannonballs. Thalia's lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders.

I'm not sure what the other kids in the cafe saw, but they went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming. 

The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere. In the chaos, Thalia and I tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table. Then we all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grandes whizzing past our heads.

"What now?" Thalia asked as we burst outside.

I didn't have an answer. The warriors on the road were closing in from either direction. We ran across the street to the pavilion with the winged bronze statues, but that just put our backs to the mountain. The skeletons moved forward, forming a crescent around us. Their brethren from the cafe were running up to join them.

One was still putting its skull back on its shoulders. Another was covered in ketchup and mustard. Two more had burritos lodged in their rib cages. They didn't look happy about it. They drew batons and advanced.

"Four against eleven," Zoe muttered. "And they cannot die."

"It's been nice knowing with you guys," Thalia said, her voice almost trembling.

"Whoa," Percy said. "Their toes really are bright."

"Percy!" Thalia said. "This isn't the time." 

I turned and looked up at the two giant bronze statues with tall bladed wings like letter openers. They were weathered brown except for their toes, which shone like new pennies from all the times people had rubbed them for good luck.

Good luck. The blessing of Zeus. "Thalia," I said. "Pray to your dad."

She glared at me. "He never answers."

"Just this once," I pleaded. "Ask for help. I think... I think the statues can give us some luck."

Six skeletons raised their guns. The other five came forward with batons. Fifty feet away. Forty feet.