Where You Go ― Jason Grace

xi. ophelia & friends get the vip treatment

KATE GOT THEM past the ticket queue and into the aquarium without a problem. "Right this way." She grinned at Percy. "It's a wonderful exhibit. You won't be disappointed. So rare we get VIPs."

"Uh, you mean demigods?" Frank asked.

Kate winked at him and put a finger to her mouth. "So over here is the cold-water experience, with your penguins and beluga whales and whatnot. And over there... well, those are some fish, obviously."

For someone who worked at an aquarium, Kate didn't seem to know or care much about the smaller fish. They passed one huge tank full of tropical species, and when Frank pointed to one particular fish and asked what it was, Kate said, "Oh, those are the yellow ones."

They passed a gift shop. Frank slowed down to check out a clearance table with clothes and toys.

"Take what you want," Kate said.

Frank blinked. "Really?"

"Of course! You're VIP!"

Frank hesitated, then grabbed some t-shirts and stuffed them in his bag.

"Dude," Percy said, "what are you doing?"

"She said I could," Frank whispered. "Besides, I need more clothes. I didn't pack for a long trip!" 

Ophelia wandered around the store, not really finding anything interesting since it was mostly aquatic-themed, but she did find a box of chocolate-flavored Pocky, which she hadn't had since she was a kid, so she grabbed a box and started snacking. She rejoined her quest companions, offering Frank and Percy some Pocky before Kate called for them from across the hall.

They passed through an acrylic tunnel. Fish swam over their heads. Ophelia thought of her near-drowning incident back when she first arrived at Camp Half-Blood, and had to fight off a shudder.

They all knew Kate wasn't human, but they didn't have much choice but to play along with her VIP tour gimmick until they could find the sea god Phorcys, even if they were walking deeper into a trap.

They emerged in a viewing room awash with blue light. On the other side of a glass wall was a huge aquarium tank. Cruising in circles were dozens of huge fish, including two spotted sharks, each twice as big as the average human being. They were fat and slow, with open mouths and no teeth.

Frank read the plaque next to the tank. "The only whale sharks in captivity in the world," he mused. "That's kind of amazing."

"Yes, and these are small," Kate said. "You should see some of my other babies out in the wild."

"Your babies?" Ophelia questioned.

The wicked glint in Kate's eyes told Ophelia she did not want to meet her babies.

"So, Kate," Percy said, "we're looking for a guy... I mean a god, named Phorcys. Would you happen to know him?"

Kate snorted. "Know him? He's my brother. That's where we're going, sillies. The real exhibits are right through here."

She gestured at the far wall. The solid black surface rippled, and another tunnel appeared, leading through a luminous purple tank.

Kate strolled inside, and they had no choice but to follow.

❖

As soon as they entered the tunnel, Hedge whistled. "Now that's interesting."

Gliding above them were multicolored jellyfish the size of trash cans, each with hundreds of tentacles that looked like silky barbed wire. One jellyfish had a paralyzed ten-foot-long swordfish tangled in its grasp.