Daughter of Khione [Editing]

Chapter 23 Confrontation and Centaurs

Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, except for my OC. J. K. Rowling and Rick Riordan do, not me. (Imagine Harry Potter was in the same time period as Percy Jackson).

Bianca's POV

I stirred in my sleep as I was woken up by a familiar voice. I turned to who called my name. "Huh?"

"We're almost here~" Grover sang.

I rubbed my eyes awake. In the distance, the sun was setting behind a city skyline. I could see a beachside highway lined with palm trees, stores glowing with red and blue neon, and a harbor filled with sailboats and cruise ships.

I turned to the others, seeing them awake as well. "Where are we?" I asked.

"Miami, I think," Annabeth responded. "But the hippocampi are acting funny."

The hippocampi had slowed down. They were whinnying, swimming in circles, and sniffing the water. My hippocampus began to sneeze.

"This is as far as they'll take us," Percy informed. "Too many humans. Too much pollution. We'll have to swim to shore on our own."

We thanked Rainbow and his friends for the ride. Tyson cried a little. He unfastened the makeshift saddle pack he'd made, which contained his tool kit and a couple of other things he'd salvaged from the Birmingham wreck. He hugged Rainbow around the neck, gave him a soggy mango he'd picked up from the island, and bid him farewell.

Once their white manes disappeared into the sea, we swam to shore with my snow raft. The waves pushed us forward, and in no time, we were back in the mortal world. As we reached our destination, the snow raft melted.

We wandered through the cruise line docks, slipping through crowds of people arriving for vacations. Porters bustled around with carts of luggage. Taxi drivers yelled at each other in Spanish and tried to cut in line for customers. Now that we were around muggles, Tyson's single eye had blurred from the Mist. Grover had put on his cap and sneakers. The Fleece had even transformed into a red and gold high school letter jacket with a large glittery Omega on the pocket.

Annabeth and I ran to the nearest newspaper box. She pointed at the date on the Miami Herald.

Already?

"June eighteenth?" I gasped.

"We've been away from camp for ten days!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"That's impossible!" Clarisse remarked.

"Thalia's tree must be almost dead," Grover wailed. "We have to get the Fleece back tonight."

Clarisse slumped down on the pavement. "How are we supposed to do that?" Her voice trembled. "We're hundreds of miles away. No money. No ride. This is just like the Oracle said. It's your fault, Jackson! If you hadn't interfered-"

"Percy's fault?!" Annabeth exploded. "Clarisse, how can you say that? You are the biggest-"

"Stop it!" Percy interjected.

Clarisse banged her head in her hands. Annabeth stomped her foot in frustration.

"Clarisse," Percy began. "What did the Oracle tell you exactly?"

She looked up from her hands. She took a deep breath and recited her prophecy:" 'You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone, You shall find what you seek and make it your own, But despair for your life entombed within stone, And fail without friends, to fly home alone.'"

"Ouch," Grover mumbled.

"No. No...wait a minute," Percy thought aloud. "I've got it. "

I watched Percy search for something in his pockets. "Does anybody have any cash?"