{BOOK 2} Percy Jackson's Sister

Not the Fight I was Expecting

I limped to the edge of a cliff with Grover, where Zoë and Bianca were pacing as if they were looking for something.

I looked over the edge and saw the huge boar stuck in the snow, kicking its legs in a sad attempt to get out.

"Hellooooo?" Grover shouted, causing an echo to resonate down the cliff.

"Down here!" Percy called back.

I realized that the pig had chased them all the way there, and it was temporarily trapped.

I swiped my hand over the edge of the cliff and a slide made of ice formed itself. It's smooth surface was perfect for a fast way down.

Zoë glared at me but saw no other alternative to getting down there. Hesitantly, she crouched down and slid to the bottom, Bianca following.

"Goats first," I told Grover.

He looked a little scared so I had to shove him down. He bleated in fright but when he reached the bottom he laughed and looked like he wanted to go again.

I got down last, Percy and Thalia refused to meet my eyes.

"A blessing of the Wild," Grover said, his smile now replaced with frustration.

"I agree," Zoë said. "We must use it."

"Hold up," Thalia held up her hands. It was hard to take her seriously because she had a ton of pine needles in her hair, making it look like she was turning back into a tree. "Explain to me why you're so sure this pig is a blessing."

Grover sighed. "It's our ride west. Do you have any idea how fast this boar can travel?"

"Fun," Percy said. "Like... pig cowboys."

Grover nodded, he seemed distracted by something. "We need to get aboard. I wish... I wish I had more time to look around. But it's gone now."

"What's gone?" Percy asked.

"You mean other than my will to live?" I said.

"You have a death wish?" Zoë asked. "I can help with that."

"Hey," Thalia warned but Zoë cut her off.

"I warned thee the girl was not fit for a quest!" Zoë snapped. "She could have gotten us killed."

"But I didn't," I said.

"Not this time you didn't," she growled.

Percy pulled me aside, guiding me away from Zoë's wrath.

"She's being unreasonable," I protested.

"You do have to learn to control it, Cas," he said.

I couldn't believe him. "You know that I can't."

"You can at least try a little harder."

"I can't, Percy!" I half shouted. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to pull it together," Percy tried staying calm.

"Do you think I did that on purpose? You think I wanted this?"

"Cassidy, I'm not saying you did but you could've cost us our lives back there."

"I didn't even want to go on this stupid quest!" I reminded him. "I'm only doing this for Annabeth."

"Well, if you didn't want to be here, you shouldn't have come!" He was starting to raise his voice now, too.

"I didn't have a choice!"

"No one asked you to come."

"I didn't ask for this curse!"

"Well, I didn't ask for a sister!"

I flinched. His words hurt me more than his sword ever could.

He seemed to realize what had just come out of his mouth, his expression softened.

"Cas-" he started, but I didn't let him finish.

"Forget it, Perseus" I said. "Let's just go."

He slightly winced at the sound of his full name which no one ever called him by.

I trudged past him to the rest of our group who was pretending they hadn't heard anything.

The pig was almost out of the snow now and looked impatient to get moving. Grover hopped on the back and began playing a song on his reed pipes. He threw an apple in the air and it floated above the boar's face.

"Automatic steering," Thalia murmured. "Great."

I got on behind Grover, Thalia behind me.

"Wait a second," Percy's voice sounded heavy. He got on the boar along with Zoë and Bianca. "Do you two know what Grover is talking about—this wild blessing?"

"Of course," Zoë said. "Did you not feel it in the wind? It was so strong... I never thought I would sense that presence again."

"What presence?"

There was a pause, probably Zoë looking at Percy like he was stupid. I refused to look behind me and check but then Zoë spoke, "The Lord of the Wild, of course. Just for a moment, in the arrival of the boar, I felt the presence of Pan."