The Titan's Curse [Book Three]

Percy Wrestles Santa.

"You better be right," a voice growled.

"Oh, they'll be here," a familiar voice responded quickly and nervously. "Percy has always been known for cutting it close."

The other voice grunted. "I guess it doesn't matter. We'll kill her nonetheless, they'll just be a bonus."

Luke!

     He stood there next to a man, and from Percy's description of him, he must be The General. She never wanted to meet him in a dark alley. The General towered over Luke, making him look insignificant. And next to Luke was...Annabeth! She looked so tired and beaten up, and the sight pulled at Reagan's heart almost painfully.

"Keep a close eye on her, Luke," The General ordered. "I don't want anything to go wrong before tomorrow."

     Luke nodded and grabbed Annabeth by the arm, pulling her away out of Reagan's sight. Then her gaze fixated on Artemis, who looked like she was struggling to hold something up on her shoulders. Her eyes opened, and seemed to look straight at Reagan, knowing that she was watching. Then a pained expression crossed her face, and her shoulders buckled for a moment. As the world began to slip away right from under Reagan's feet, she reached or to the goddess, but the half-blood was already falling.

     Reagan awoke violently, thrashing in the metal angel's arm. She wasn't falling, but she was still flying. The scenery below had changed dramatically, from the Hoover Dam in Colorado to San Fransisco in California. Zoe told the angels where to drop them all off at, and then they went to party with some friends.

"How are we even supposed to find this Nereus guy?" Reagan asked.

"Nereus?" Zoe inquired. "The old Nereus of the sea?"

"You know him?" Thalia asked.

Zoe nodded. "Yes. My mother was a goddess of the sea. All you have to do is follow the smell."

Percy didn't seem so enthused about the last part. "The smell?"

"Let me show thee," Zoe said, and she didn't seem so enthusiastic about that, either.

     In the end, Percy was decked out in all new wardrobe thanks to the Goodwill drop box. Reagan tried hard not to laugh as he was given a rainbow colored floppy hat.

"That's a good look for you, Percy," said Reagan.

"Shut up."

     Zoe led them all to a strip mall along a pier next to the ocean. There was a soup kitchen nearby, where homeless people lined up to wait until it was open. Zoe explained how to find Nereus, and how to get him to answer their questions.

"He is sneaky," Zoe warned. "Nereus will do whatever it takes to make you let go, but you mustn't."

Percy nodded in determination. "Got it."

     He walked off swiftly, his body posture morphing into something shriveled and sad looking. His shoulders were hunched, and as he meandered along the dock, Percy eventually sat down on the edge of a bench where a large man was napping on. The napping homeless man had a beer gut and a long beard that was tinted yellow. Maybe he was Santa Claus but had been run over with his sleigh when his reindeer went wild. Reagan watched the scene anxiously as it unfolded before them. One minute, Percy was huddled on the bench, and another moment later he and the homeless Santa were wrestling.

"Oh no! Not the water!" Percy cried out.

     And in a flash, he and Nereus wriggled until they slipped off the pier and into the water. Percy didn't resurface until his friends saw him riding the fin of a killer whale that burst out of the water then dove back under. Eventually, Nereus and Percy collapsed at the end of the dock, with the old man of the sea panting heavily, and Percy looking and feeling just fine.

"You have to answer our questions now," Percy said.

"Only one question per capture!"

     This caused panic to surge through Reagan's body. He should ask about Annabeth or Artemis! She was certain that their captor was one in the same person.

After consideration, he finally asked a question. "What is the dangerous monster that Artemis was hunting?"

Nereus' eyes glinted, and he barked out a laugh. "Ha! That's an easy one. Your answer is right there!"

     He pointed into the water, and wading in the water was Bessie, the cow serpent that Reagan had met back at the Hoover Dam. She mooed at them forlornly.

"Moo!"

Before they could stop him, Nereus transformed into a tiny goldfish and dropped into the water.

"No!" Reagan cried out, almost tripping over her feet in pursuit of Nereus, but Zoe grabbed her arm before she toppled into the water with him.

"It is too late now," Zoe said quietly and sympathetically.

     Reagan stared into the water sadly, a haunted expression on her face. Before anyone could say anything, she turned on Percy in a sudden wave of anger. She was so angry that she radiated it, affecting those around her slightly.

"It's Bessie?" she demanded. "You..." She trailed off like she was catching her breath. "You wasted such an important question on that?" she said, voice rising angrily. "You should have asked him where Artemis was!" Reagan shouted, stepping forward and getting into his face. "Or more importantly, where Annabeth is."

     She shoved Percy in the chest, and he stumbled back, teetering on the edge of the dock. Reagan lunged at him, fist raised to punch him. Angry tears were in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. She felt so close to Annabeth, yet now it felt utterly hopeless. Before her fists could connect with his face, Thalia grabbed her and yanked her back roughly.

"Look, I'm pretty mad too, but you don't need to hit Percy," she said, trying to calm Reagan down.

The latter pulled free from Thalia's grip. "No! He's known about Bessie, but didn't have an ounce of knowledge on what she actually is! He wasted that question. I'm going to find Annabeth, because we're just wasting our time."

     Reagan turned and stormed off the dock and away from her friends. As soon as her feet hit cement, she broke into a sprint and disappeared around a corner. She would go and find Annabeth on her own now.