JAWBREAKER

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙚

"You are in so much trouble," Clarisse said.

Warren had just finished a ship tour she didn't want, through dark rooms overcrowded with dead sailors. Her sister boasted as she showed them the coal bunker, the boilers and engine, which huffed and groaned like it would explode any minute. Warren saw the pilothouse and the powder magazine and gunnery deck (which was actually really cool.) It had two Dahlgren smoothbore cannons on the port and starboard sides, and a Brooke nine-inch rifled gun fore and aft— all specially refitted to fire celestial bronze cannon balls.

Everywhere she and her friends went, dead Confederate sailors stared at them, their ghostly bearded faces shimmering over their skulls. They approved of Annabeth because she told them she was from Virginia. They were interested in Percy, too, because his name was Jackson— like the Southern general— but then he ruined it by telling them he was from New York. They all hissed and muttered curses about Yankees.

And of course, they treated Warren with the utmost respect since she was a child of Ares. She didn't care for their approval, though. She thought they were all a bunch of old racists. But Tyson was terrified of them. All through the tour, he insisted Warren hold his hand, which she wasn't exactly thrilled about.

Finally, they were escorted to dinner. The CSS Birmingham captain's quarters were about the size of a walk-in closet, but still much bigger than any other room on board. The table was set with white linen and china. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, potato chips, and Dr. Peppers were served by skeletal crewmen.

"Tantalus expelled you for eternity," Clarisse told them smugly. "Mr. D said if any of you show your face at camp again, he'll turn you into squirrels and run you over with his SUV."

"C'mon, you had to know I was gonna follow you," Warren said.

"Right, so you could 'protect me'," her sister replied, voice dripping with fake sweetness. "And yet I'm the one who had to save your sorry ass."

"I was handling it!" Warren protested.

Percy could feel the tension rising in the air and decided to cut in. "Where did you get this ship?" he asked.

"My father," Clarisse bragged proudly.

"Ares?"

She sneered. "You think your daddy is the only one with sea power? The spirits on the losing side of every war owe a tribute to Ares. That's their curse for being defeated. I prayed to my father for a naval transport and here it is."

"Suck up," Warren coughed into her fist.

"Jealous much? These guys will do anything I tell them. Won't you, Captain?"

The captain stood behind Clarisse looking stiff and angry. "If it means an end to this infernal war, ma'am, peace at last, we'll do anything. Destroy anyone."