Luminesence (Slow Updates)

009

The war god was waiting for the group 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.”

Annabeth and Grover caught their breath. Phaedra mentally applauded him.

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 Phaedra could read only because it was reverse-printed white on black, a good combination for dyslexia: KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL: HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING: LIVE WILD ANIMALS.

What part of this would be humane?

Percy said, “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 your lousy—”

“Thank you, Lord Ares,” Grover interrupted, giving Percy his best red-alert warning look. 

“Thanks a lot.” Percy gritted his teeth. Reluctantly, he slung the backpack over his shoulder.

Phaedra 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 fry 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.

Damn, can yall stop taking pictures of us? I know we're attractive, but you don't need to advertise it.

“You owe me one more thing,” Percy told Ares, trying to keep my voice level.

“You promised me information about my mother.”

“You sure you can handle the news?” He kick-started his motorcycle. “She’s not dead.”

The ground seemed to spin beneath Percy. “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?”

Obviously to control you. The easiest way to control somebody is to take hostage of something or someone they love. Get them to do your bidding.

“You need to study war, punk. Hostages. You take somebody to control somebody else.”

"Called it." Phaedra said quietly to herself.

"Not the time, Phaedra." Annabeth told her. Phaedra crossed her arms across her chest and looked away.

“Nobody’s controlling me.”