Meanwhile

Part 5

Bojangles opened his wings, filling up most of the alley. With a swoosh, they rushed into the air, the mighty air steed carrying them back to the hotel. They landed heavily on the roof.

Ren petted the Pegasus, "thanks." She said, before heading back to the room.

They found a way down from the roof, and walked in through the main lobby with all of their groceries. Taking the elevator to the 3rd floor, they afterwards shuffled down the hall to their room. Mark knocked on the door and waited for a moment. The door opened adruptly. Bonny was standing behind it, with a hopeful look on her face. It was swept away when she saw mark and Renata.

"Hi, Bonny. Is Lily ok?" Ren asked the concerned looking dryad.

Bonny sighed. "i dont know. Probably. Shes gone off on her own again." bonny blew out roughly. "i--i went to take my shower, and when i came out she was just gone. Vanished, along with her backpack."

Ren sighed. "Do you think she's gone after Alabaster? She seemed really upset when he left.."

Bonny sat on a bed. "probably. She hasn't learned how to take 'no' for an answer."

"Should we go after her? Or just wait?" Ren was concerned about Lily..though she was a great fighter and pretty clever, she could still get herself into trouble..

"i want to, i always do, but i don't. we can even find her. besides, what happens if we leave and she comes back with no one here? Im not sure what to do."

"Man...I guess the best thing to do is wait it out..she's a tough girl.." Ren decided, though she was still worried.

"i just hope shes alright..." Bonny sighed.

Lily had been following him for the past thirty minutes, ever since bonny had gone to take a shower. Though she had felt guilty about making bonny worry, lily was determined. What in hades made this guy so jumpy. Using her disembodied nose, she found him in one minute flat;she had timed herself, actually. Not that it was hard, the kid wasnt all that stealthy. he had been hiding in the hotel lobbys mens restroom for some reason. Lily simply hid behind a planter and waited for him to come out. halfway through her stakeout, though, it was like the hellhoind nose died. It stopped sniffing madly towards the door, and laid still in her palm. Like it couldnt smell a demigod. Lily was ready to leave back for her hotel room, when alabaster came out of the bathroom wearing the oddest assortment of clothing she had ever seen. It was basically a pair of oversize sweatpants and a sweatshirt (in fact, a sweatshirt that looked suspiciously like one of hers.) the strange thing was, they were covered from hem to hem with glowing green runes. Lily was perplexed. She was confused even more when a second person came out of the bathroom, taling alabaster.At first, she thought he was a monster, so she prepared to slice and dice. However, he leened conspiritually towards alabaster and whispered something in his ear when they were halfway out of the lobby. Alabaster nodded back. Lily couldnt hear what they said, but alabaster obviously wasnt threatened. She carefully tailed them, making absolutely sure to stay out of sight.Lily tailed them for over three hours, keeping track of their movements, trying to find a way to make alabaster join her team. They went to a dollar store and bought notecards and green permanent markers. They took a bus to the next town over. They stopped in a deserted park, and alabaster spent sveral minutes drawing on notecards and more pieces of clothing. it got harder and harder to follow them after that; it was like the mist was trying to keep her from seeing them. However, she put on her big girlpanties and focused; her adhd mind made that much harder than it should have been, but she managed to keep track of them. Once night had fallen, they stoppped in the woods. Alabaster took out a blanket that was most definitely hers and went to sleep. The man kept watch. It was like he didnt even need sleep. He simply sat on the ground all night, watching and waiting. It took all lily could to keep from falling asleep and out of her tree, including several energizing pills that were "god approved" to keep you awake. Not that they helped much. A twig snapped; lily jolted awake. She looked down, and saw the older man standing up, lookinginto the darkness. Lily stared in the same direction intently. Out of the blackness came a bone chilling howl. At that point, alabaster too snapped awake. Lily tensed in her tree, but still not willing to show herself; she was interested in seeing what this guy could do. Alabaster stood up and picked one of those notecards he had been working on out of his backpack. An imperial gold sword appeared out of thin air. Lilys brow furrowed. How in the crap did he do that?