❦𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓒𝓻𝓲𝓶𝓮❦ - 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓬𝔂 𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼𝓸𝓷

𝒳𝐼𝒳. 𝒜 𝒩𝑜𝓉 𝒮𝑜 𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝐹𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓎 𝑅𝑒𝓊𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃

𝓣𝓱𝓮 gray clouds swirled even thicker over the mountain, and they kept driving straight toward them. They were out of the forest now, into wide open spaces of cliffs and grass and rocks and fog.

Percy jumped out of his seat, shouting, "Look!" But they turned a corner and the ocean disappeared behind the hills.

"What?" Thalia asked.

"A big white ship," Percy said, eyes wide. "Docked near the beach. It looked like a cruise ship."

Her brow furrowed. "Luke's ship?"

Percy's face pinched as he nodded, glancing out the window once more.

"We will have company, then," Nightshade said grimly. "Kronos's army."

The hairs on the back of Zoe's neck stood up, just as Thalia shouted, "Stop the car. NOW!"

Nightshade must've sensed something was wrong, because she slammed on the brakes without question. The yellow VW spun twice before coming to a stop at the edge of the cliff.

"Out!" Thalia opened the door and pushed Percy hard. Zoe jumped out behind them, and they all rolled onto the pavement. The next second: BOOOM!

Lightning flashed, and Dr. Chase's Volkswagen erupted like a canary-yellow grenade. They all probably would've been killed by shrapnel except for Thalia's shield, which appeared over them. Zoe heard a sound like metal ram, and when she opened her eyes, they were surrounded by wreckage. Part of the VW's fender had impaled itself in the street. The smoking hood was spinning in circles. Pieces of yellow metal were strewn across the road.

"You saved my life," Percy gasped, glancing between Thalia and the fender in the middle of the road.

"One shall perish by a parent's hand," she muttered. "Curse him. He would destroy me? Me?"

Zoe winced, sparing a look at the sky.

"Oh, hey, that couldn't have been Zeus's lightning bolt. No way." Percy tried to reassure her. It wasn't working.

"Whose, then?" Thalia demanded.

"I don't know. Nightshade said Kronos's name. Maybe he—"

Thalia shook her head, looking angry and stunned. "No. That wasn't it."

"Wait," Percy furrowed his brow. "Where is Nightshade? Zoë?!"

They all got up and ran around the blasted VW. Nothing inside. Nothing either direction down the road. Zoe glanced down the cliff. No sign of the lieutenant.

"Zoë Nightshade!" Percy shouted.

Then she was standing right next to him, pulling him by my arm. "Silence, fool! Do you want to wake Ladon?"

"You mean we're here?" Zoe asked, scanning both sides of the road.

"Very close," Nightshade said. "Follow me."

Sheets of fog were drifting right across the road. The hunter stepped into one of them, and when the fog passed, she was no longer there. The three of them looked at each other.

"Concentrate on her," Thalia advised. "We are following her. Go straight into the fog and keep that in mind."

Zoe stepped in first, Thalia and Percy appearing behind her moments later.

When the fog cleared, they were still on the side of the mountain, but the road was dirt. The grass was thicker. The sunset made a blood red slash across the sea. The summit of the mountain seemed closer now, swirling with storm clouds and raw power. There was only one path to the top, directly in front of them. And it led through a lush meadow of shadows and flowers: the garden of twilight, just like Zoe had seen in her dream.