OH, CHÉRIE!¹ percy jackson

012

❛012❜

THE WAR GOD was waiting for them in the diner parking lot.

"well, well," he said. "you didn't get yourself killed."

"you knew it was a trap," percy said.

ares gave him a wicked grin. "bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. you looked good on tv."

percy shoved his shield at him. "you're a jerk."

ivy, annabeth, and grover caught their breath.

ares grabbed the shield and spun it in the air like pizza dough. it changed form, melting into a bulletproof vest. he slung it across his back.

"see that truck over there" he pointed to an eighteen-wheeler parked across the street from the diner. "that's your ride. take you straight to l.a., with one stop in vegas."

the eighteen-wheeler had a sign on the back, which ivy could read only because it was reverse-printed white on black, a good combination for dyslexia: kindness international: human zoo transport. warning: live wild animals.

percy's jaw hung open. "you're kidding."

ares snapped his fingers. the back door of the truck unlatched. "free ride west, punk. stop complaining. and here's a little something for doing the job."

he slung a blue nylon backpack off his handlebars and tossed it to percy.

inside were fresh clothes for all of them, twenty bucks in cash, a pouch full of golden drachmas and a bag of double stuf oreos.

percy said, "i don't want you fucki–"

"thank you, lord ares," grover interrupted, giving percy his best red-alert warning look. "thanks a lot."

ivy pitched percy on the small of his back, and after glaring at her, he reluctantly slung the backpack over his shoulder. the daughter of aphrodite looked back at the diner, which had only a couple of customers now. the waitress who'd served them dinner was watching nervously out the window, like she was afraid ares might hurt them. she dragged the cook out from the kitchen to see. she said something to him. he nodded, held up a little disposable camera and snapped a picture of them.

fucking awesome, ivy thought. this wasn't the type of front page i thought i was going to make.

"you owe me one more thing," percy told ares, his voice barely containing his anger. "you promised me information about my mother."

"you sure you can handle the news?" he kick-started his motorcycle. 'she's not dead."

percy looked like he was going to faint. "what do you mean?"

"i mean she was taken away from the minotaur before she could die. she was turned into a shower of gold, right? that's metamorphosis. not death. she's being kept."

"kept. why?" percy asked.

"hostages," ivy interrupted. "you take somebody to control somebody else. simple move of war."

ares grinned wickedly at ivy. "i figured there was a reason more than your looks for being dite's favorite."

the brunette felt her chest filled with warmth. a part of her felt guilty because of her siblings, but the more selfish part of her just wanted her mother's love.