Death God Alliance

Chapter 11

After Bast left, Percy and Carter quickly gathered the things that had been left behind when the House of Life freaks kidnapped their kinsmen. Carter saw Percy looking sadly at Nico's aviator jacket as the older boy picked it up. Then Percy glanced up and saw Carter watching him.

"I should have left it on him last night," he said regretfully, before Carter could look away, embarrassed. "I knew he gets cold easily."

"You couldn't have known he'd be abducted right out of his bed," pointed out Carter.

Percy didn't look comforted. He reached into one of the pockets and pulled out Nico's black switchblade. "Now he doesn't even have his weapon. Unless . . ." Percy tossed the knife (still folded) across the room. It hit the wall then slid down between the wall and the bed.

"What did you do that for?" Carter asked and went to retrieve it, but it wasn't there. He knelt down and looked under the bed but didn't see it there either. Confused, he looked back at Percy who was checking the jacket pockets again.

"It didn't come back here," he said, smiling, then saw Carter's bemused expression. "It's a magic weapon," he explained. "It always returns to its owner, unless its owner deliberately leaves it somewhere, like in the pocket of their jeans that they put in their locker during gym." He made a face which led Carter to think Percy had once done just that, and then, for whatever reason, found himself needing a sword during gym class. "But they can't be lost or stolen. If someone else moves it, as soon as it's out of their sight it usually returns to its owner. So hopefully it's back with Nico now."

"Hopefully," agreed Carter. He felt a pang when he packed up Sadie's combat boots but pushed his worries aside. "You ready?"

Percy nodded. "Let's go."

They left the motel on foot, walking quickly and keeping an eye out for anyone who might have been following them. The river wasn't exactly close, but wasn't far enough away to call a cab to take them there. The time they probably would have had to wait for one would have made it about as long as it took for them to walk there. Plus a taxi would have been too easy for someone to follow.

"Do you have some sort of magical means of summoning a boat?" asked Percy as they approached the river. "Or should I take care of that?"

Carter was surprised. "You know how to hotwire a boat?"

"Not hotwire. Just control them. My dad's the patron god of sailors."

"Oh. Well you don't need to," Carter assured him. "I've got it covered." He paused to take stock of his magic kit.

Percy kept walking right down the river bank. Abruptly, he drew up short and went rigid with surprise.

"What's wrong?" asked Carter when he noticed this. He started to step forward again, but Percy raised a hand sharply, motioning him to stay back.

"Dad?" he asked loudly, looking down at the surface of the water where his reflection should have been. Carter had the feeling that it was for his benefit that Percy had raised his voice, not because the sea god was hard of hearing.

"Percy," said a voice from the river, presumably Poseidon. Carter was surprised by the voice. Poseidon sounded friendly, like he was a nice guy. From what he remembered from the myths, the guy wasn't always that great. But maybe he put on a good face around his children. There was definitely some concern in his voice. "You're safe. I'm glad."

"Why wouldn't I be safe?" asked Percy.

"It's . . . a complicated answer." Suddenly the voice got sharp. "Percy, what are you doing in Memphis?"

"Uh, I was, uh . . . field trip." Percy obviously wasn't a very good liar.

"A field trip?" Poseidon was definitely suspicious now.