Argus's van hummed along the highway, the tires rolling us farther and farther from camp. It felt... wrong. Like, the world shouldn't be this normal after everything we'd been dealing with. After a full week of Camp Half Blood, seeing all the bizarre stuff and being told about fantastical things, it gave me whiplash seeing the road and other people. They are mortal, like me.
A being with no divine blood or heritage, but I was one of the only ones in the world who could see through the truth of reality. Other than Sally, there is no one I know who could see through the magical barrier and mirage of the mist. Maybe there were more like me out there, probably questioning their sanity while ignorant of the truth. It's only been one week, and everything about my life has changed.
It felt like a bizarre sight seeing the mortal side again. It was an odd feeling, a part of me is glad to have returned, while the other wanted me to go back to camp. My eyebrows twitched as I noticed the Burger King billboard, with the mascot grinning down on me like it was laughing at my situation. I sighed and leaned against my seat. Grover sat on the passenger seat, while I remained seated between Annabeth and Percy, who were looking out their window with bored interest.
So far so good," Percy said. "Ten miles and not a single monster."
Annabeth shot him a look sharp enough to cut celestial bronze. "It's bad luck to say that, seaweed brain."
"Okay, that's it." Percy looked away from the window, crossing his arms and staring hard at Annabeth.
"Can I ask, what's your problem? Did I accidentally kill your puppy or something?"
Annabeth looked away, crossing her arms also. "I don't hate you, specifically."
"Could've fooled me," Percy shot back.
She folded her Yankees cap — and even without putting it on, it was kinda eerie just knowing it could turn her invisible at any moment. "Look... we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."
Oh boy, here we go. "Look, if you're going to have a lovers' quarrel, please don't-OOF!"
Percy and Annabeth slammed their elbows into my side at the same time. Both were narrowing their eyes at me.
"It's not a lovers' quarrel!" They both hiss at the same time.
Yeah, and I'm a protagonist of a fanfiction novel. Whatever, I just rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. Again, they are back to squabbling after a couple of seconds of ganging up on me.
"Look, what does it matter if our parents are rivals?"
Annabeth stiffened, looking away, trying to summon her usual hardened and cool expression. But it was weaker than usual.
"It matters a lot, okay? Once, my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which was extremely disrespectful. Another time, they competed to be the patron god of Athens. Your dad made a saltwater spring. My mom created the olive tree. The people preferred the olive tree. Hence... Athens."
"They must really like olives," Percy muttered.
I snort. "Yeah, olives are great and all, but you're telling me your god-family is still beefing over ancient real estate and a salad ingredient?"
Percy tried not to laugh, while Annabeth glared at me before rolling her eyes. "Just be quiet, Morty-Boy."
By the time we finally crawled into Manhattan, the sky was bleeding orange into the night, and the first drops of rain tapped against the windshield. Great. Nothing says "heroic quest" like getting soggy before it even starts. Argus dropped us off at Greyhound Station in the Upper East Side. It was near Percy's apartment and by proxy, close to the orphanage I was staying at.
I frowned as I unloaded my bag and strapped it to my back. I just realized that I didn't have any place to go back to. That little piggy Ugliano had already smeared my name in public; going back to the orphanage isn't a wise choice. Then again, I would never go back to it. Never again.
It's far worse than the cramped spaces inside the Hermes cabin. And while the campers didn't much care for me, the other orphans would bully me or mess around with my stuff. I'm staying in camp half-blood, no way in Hades am I going to spend another second of my life at that accursed place. Camp half blood is my real home. Still, it would be nice to stay in a cozy home with people who appreciate me.
I shake my head; it doesn't matter right now. I got to focus. Once we got our bags, Argus gave us our bus tickets before driving away. Now, the four of us are truly alone by ourselves. As we waited for the bus, I noticed Percy was staring at one way, totally distracted.
Grover glanced at him, then at me, then back at him. "You want to know why she married him, Percy?"
Percy blinked as Grover had just asked him to solve a calculus problem."Were you reading my mind or something?"
Grover just shrugged like this was all normal.
"Just your emotions. Guess I forgot to tell you satyrs can do that."
I blinked. "That's kind of cool...and a little disturbing."
Grover reddened and scratched the back of his head before returning his attention back to Percy. "You were thinking about your mom and your stepdad, right?"
Percy nodded. I could practically feel the heartbreak radiating off him. It was like standing next to a space heater made of sadness.
Grover turned to Percy — serious, gentle, the way he never was when he was panicking over tin cans or monsters.
"Your mom married Gabe for you."
"What?" Percy and I said at the same time.
"You call him 'Smelly,' but you've got no idea. The guy has this aura... yuck. I can smell him from here." He sniffed the air and made a face. "I can smell traces of him on you, and you haven't been near him for a week."
I took a couple of steps back away from Percy. He stiffened before shivering in disgust.
"Can you please point me to the nearest shower?"
"No, really," Grover pressed, "you should be grateful. Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod."
"And why is that-oh right, demigods have a strong scent to monsters."
"Right, especially Percy being the son of one of the big three, it would be hard to keep monsters off his trail. If you hadn't lived with him every summer, monsters would've found you a long time ago. Your mom stayed with him to protect you."
At the mention of Sally, our mood visibly dropped. I clenched my fist and bit my lip.
"She was a smart lady. She must've loved you a lot to put up with that guy—if that makes you feel any better."
Percy swallowed hard. And it made me want to bash Ugliano's face even more. I knew someone repulsive like that would never get a woman to marry him, much less the sweetest woman I know. She was protecting Percy, even when she had to deal with him while also providing for Percy. She sacrificed so much.
I knew what Percy was thinking. He didn't care about saving the world or even gaining his father's attention by doing this quest. He wants to get his mother back from the underworld, and I was planning to help him. Sally deserves more. After waiting for what felt like hours, the darn bus finally came.
The three of us shuffled into line. Grover kept lifting his chin and sniffing the air like a bloodhound that just smelled something concerning... or delicious. With him, it could be either.
I nudged him with my elbow. "Dude, what's up? You smell Taco Tuesday or something?"
He shook his head, his eyes darted across the street, jittery.
"I... don't know. Something feels off."
His voice tightened, and that alone told me it wasn't just his stomach. Satyrs have great senses, so if Grover feels something off, then there is going to be trouble. I tried to look casual as I checked over my shoulder. Nothing but normal New Yorkers doing normal New Yorker things—yelling, rushing, ignoring each other. Still, that weird prickle crawled up my spine.
I didn't even relax when we took our seats at the back of the bus. They stowed their backpacks away, but I kept mine on my lap. My hands are clammy, and I keep my metal baseball bat in a tight grip. Annabeth sat stiffly beside Percy, bouncing her Yankees cap against her thigh like she was defusing a bomb and losing the timer. She must feel it too.
The feeling of some horsecrap is about to happen.
"Percy." She hissed quietly, getting all of our attention.
She subtly points to the front of the bus. I frowned as I looked ahead, only for my stomach to drop. An old lady shuffled into the aisle, hunched, wearing a velvet dress that had probably been stylish back when dinosaurs were running around. Lace gloves, a sagging orange hat that hid most of her face. I only saw her face briefly underneath her hat, but I knew that face.
She looked a little different, older, meaner, but she was definitely my ex-algebra teacher: Mrs. Dodds. Grover's ears twitched. Annabeth tensed. And Percy? He swallowed hard and leaned back, putting a hand on his pocket, ready to deploy Riptide.
Then, because the universe decided we didn't suffer enough, two more old ladies joined her. They looked identical. Same kind of dress, same creepy purses, different colored hats, green and purple, but the same sharp, bony hands and that pinched, hungry look in their faces. Oh, great, her sisters came out to play too. They shuffled down the aisle and plopped themselves right in the front row. The two at the ends casually crossed their legs so the walkway formed a giant human X.
Not threatening enough to cause a scene...but very clearly saying:
'Go ahead. Try to get past us.'
I felt my heartbeat in my teeth.
"Great," I muttered. "Three of them. Because one wasn't enough."
Grover whimpered under his breath. The bus pulled out of the station and headed to the streets of Manhattan.