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chapter thirty-eight. ☄︎. *. ⋆
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LOOKING BACK ON IT, Annabeth's move was brilliant.
Thorn herded us outside into the blizzard. I kept trying to get a glance over my shoulder at what kind of monster he was, but he would shoot a black blade past my cheek that forced me to look forward again. Whatever he was, he was fast. Faster than me—I doubted I could draw an arrow from my quiver, nock it in my bow, turn around, and shoot him before he slashed me in the heart with one of his daggers. Percy couldn't even draw his sword. We were trapped.
He took us down a snowy path in the woods that was dimly lit by old-fashioned lanterns. It was freezing. The wind whipped at us so harshly that my fingers were turning blue.
We reached a clearing past the woods—it was the edge of a cliff. I could hear waves churning at the bottom, but that had to have been over a hundred-foot drop. Thorn told us to stop. Percy glanced over his shoulder. I could tell he was debating jumping. Unfortunately, Thorn caught the same idea.
He laughed. "By all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump! There is the sea. Save yourself. And while we're at it," he added, turning to me, "why don't you summon the sun, Daughter of Apollo? Hm? You two could save yourselves, leave the children to me—"
"I'd rather shoot you," I admitted.
"What did he call you?" Bianca murmured to me.
"Long story," I said. "Tell you later."
"You guys have a plan, right?"
I glanced to Percy. His eyes were closed. With a shock, I remembered his empathy link with Grover—gods, I could only pray his messages went through to our satyr friend, because I couldn't see any way for us to get out of this without help. Curse Percy for not waiting for backup.
My eyes flickered to the cliff. Water at the bottom... if Percy could—
"I would kill you before you even reached the water," Thorn said, almost thoughtfully. "You do not realize who I am, do you?"
A flicker of movement behind him, and another missile whistled so close to me that it nicked my ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr. Thorn—like a catapult, but more flexible... almost like a tail.
"Unfortunately," Thorn said, "you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise you would already be dead."
"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. "Because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I..." Her voice broke a little. "We've got no one but each other."
