First Lie || Deception Book I ||

Hunting Pt. 2

Thunder rumbled overhead and the wind roared.

Ten-foot tall waves swept up towards the sky in response.

I wanted to scream in frustration. Why couldn't Zeus get through his thick skull that Poseidon and Percy hadn't taken the bolt?

"Find anything?" Grover asked as he picked his way back from the south side of the beach.

I shook my head. "No."

I was now quarter past midnight, and Percy was still missing.

"Maybe Ally will find something," he said hopefully.

I made a noncommittal sound. Blackfire trotted up, nudging me with his nose. I grunted but leaned against him. I stroked his silky mane and ran my fingers along his feathered wings. I'd sent Avalanche with Ally to protect her, even though Ally could now take care of herself. Her vines were honestly scary.

Once, there'd been a random cyclops in the woods where Ally and I were training. It had crept up behind me but before I could even uncoil my whip, vines as thick as trunks had exploded from the earth, wrapping around the cyclops like snakes. I had stepped back, taking the situation as a test for her, and, as I thought, she didn't disappoint. Though the cyclops fought, his efforts were futile. I guess Ally was feeling a bit wrung out from training, and decided to take her frustration out on the cyclops, seeing that she made a thorn poke the cyclops' eye out before strangling him to death.

I shivered. Thank the gods I'd found her and taught her to control her powers. I would be forever thankful to the gods for teaching me to do the same. The damage my shadows could cause if they went out of control was catastrophic. It had happened once when I was six before I could fully control it. I had demolished the entire training arena on Olympus, shattered three statues, and splintered six trees. Suffice to say, my mother, Hades, and Artemis had not been pleased with me.

"Anna!" Ally called from where she was sprinting down the beach towards us, shaking me out of my memories.

Grover and I immediately leaped up from where we were sitting on the sand. "What?" he asked anxiously. "Did you find him?"

"Worse than that, I'm afraid," Ally said, gasping, as she skidded to a halt before me.

"Where's Avalanche?" I asked. "And are you alright?"

"She caught a scent," Ally said, "and went off. She said you could find her through your bond so I let her go."

I nodded. "And you?"

"The minotaur."

"WHAT?" Grover and I said in unison.

"The minotaur," Ally repeated. "I literally ran right into it. It seemed as surprised as I did, and hesitated before attacking me, which allowed me to escape."

"W-where is it now?" Grover stammered. "Did you kill it?"

Ally shook her head. "I knocked it unconscious and immediately ran back." She hesitated.

"What?" I asked. "Spit it out."

"It caught my scent," she murmured.

"Shit."

"So it's tracking us now?" Grover said fearfully, his pupils dilated.

"Yeah," I said. "It was probably looking for Percy. Then it caught your scent and is tracking you too. Hey," I said to Ally. "It's not your fault." I bit my words down before I could say that if Hades was the one who sent it, then he and I would have words next time. I mean, I was here for Percy to help find the helm for him! Unless he now blames Percy for it along with Zeus, I mused.