OH, CHÉRIE!¹ percy jackson

014

❛014❜

THEY STOOD IN THE SHADOWS of valencia boulevard, looking up at gold lettered etched in black marble: doa recording studios.

underneath, stencilled on the glass door: no solicitors. no loitering. no living.

it was almost midnight, but the lobby was brightly lit and full of people. behind the security desk sat a tough-looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece.

percy turned toward them. "okay. you remember the plan."

"the plan," grover gulped. "yeah. i love the plan."

annabeth said. "what happens if the plan doesn't work?"

"ergh, don't think negative." percy's suggestion sounded more like a question.

"for sure," ivy said. "we're entering the land of the dead, and we shouldn't think negatively."

the son of poseidon took the pearls out of his pocket, the four milky spheres the nereid had given him in santa monica. at his worried expression, she took a deep breath.

ivy put her hand of percy's shoulder. "no, percy. i'm sorry. the plan will work. it'll be fine."

she nudged grover and annabeth.

"oh,right!" the satyr chimed in. "we got this far. we'll find the master bolt and save your mom no problem."

the daughter of athena nodded. "yes, yes. the plan is athena approved."

percy managed to give him half of a smile before he slipped the pearls back in his pocket. "let's whoop some underworld ass."

they walked inside the doa lobby.

muzak played softly on hidden speakers. the carpet and walls were steel grey. pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands. the furniture was black leather, and every seat was taken. there were people sitting on couches, people standing up, people staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. nobody moved, or talked, or did much of anything. out of the corner of her eye, ivy could see them all just fine, but if she focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking... transparent. she could see right through their bodies.

the security guard's desk was a raised podium, so they had to look up at him.

he was tall and elegant, with dark-coloured skin and bleached-blond hair shaved military style. he wore tortoiseshell shades and a silk Italian suit that matched his hair. a black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag.

ivy tried to read the tag, but gave up when she realized it was in english.

percy looking bewildered asked, "your name is chiron?"

he leaned across the desk. ivy couldn't see anything in his glasses except her own reflection, but his smile was sweet and cold, like a pythons, right before it eats you.

"what a precious young lad." he had a strange accent– british, maybe, but also as if he had learned english as a second language like gabriel's mom. "tell me, mate, do i look like a centaur?"

"n-no," percy stammered.

"sir," he added smoothly.

"sir,"

he pinched the name tag and ran his finger under the letters. "can you read this, mate? it says c-h-a-r-o-n. say it with me: care-on."

percy repeated. "charon."

"amazing! now: mr charon."

"mr charon."

"well done." he sat back. "i hate being confused with that old horse-man. and now, how may I help you little dead ones?"