chapter thirty-one

─── i have a ship named after me

          𝕷uke seemed panicked when he found me.

"Andi, thank the gods," He began to check me over, looking for cuts or brusies. "I heard you calling for help!"

"Me, too!" Tyson said, appearing from behind him. "Heard you yell, 'Bad things are attacking!'"

"I didn't call you guys," I shook my head. "I'm fine."

"But then who..." Luke noticed the three duffel bags, the thermos and the bottle of vitamins in my hand. "What did you do?"

"Okay, don't get mad," I started, as Luke's expression soured. "I talked with your dad and he thinks that it's a good idea for me...us to go on this quest thingy to go and get Grover."

"This will get us thrown out of camp." Luke countered my point, his entire body tense at the mention of his dad.

"But, if we do well then we can save Grover and Thalia's tree," I pointed out, smiling at him. "That's a memorial to your best friend and he's mine. We've got to try.

"Yeah, but I promised Chiron—"

"You promised you'd keep me from danger. You can only do that by coming with me! Tyson can stay behind and tell them—"

"I want to go," Tyson said.

"Is that a good idea?" Luke's voice was calm, but even I could hear the panic beneath it. His fingers were starting to drum against his leg again.

I chewed on my lip. I didn't know what to do and I'm not sure why Luke was trusting me with making this decision. He should know by now that me and good judgement calls never went in the same sentence. 

"We can't leave him," I decided. "Tantalus will punish him for us being gone."

"Alright then," Luke nodded, finally stopping drumming his fingers. "It's your call, Andi, if you think that's best then sure."

"Thank you," Tyson was grinning like a maniac, turning away for a moment. I took the opportunity to reach up and kiss Luke softly. "You're the best.

"I'm going to regret this decision. How are we getting to the ship?"

"Your dad said that my dad would help?" I scrunched up my nose.

"Go on." Luke nodded, still seemingly not sold on the entire idea.

"Dad. Can you, like, help up get to the ship before we're eaten?" I raised an eyebrow. At first, nothing happened. Waves crashed against the shore like normal. The harpies sounded like they were right behind the sand dunes. Then, about a hundred yards out to sea, three white lines appeared on the surface. They moved fast toward the shore, like claws ripping through the ocean. As they neared the beach, the surf burst apart and the heads of three white stallions reared out of the waves.

Tyson caught his breath. "Fish ponies!"

He was right. As the creatures pulled themselves onto the sand, I saw that they were only horses in the front; their back halves were silvery fish bodies, with glistening scales and rainbow tail fins.

"Hippocampi!" Luke's jaw had dropped. "They're beautiful."

The nearest one whinnied in appreciation and nuzzled him.

"We'll admire them later," I said. "Come on!"

"There!" a voice screeched behind us. "Bad children out of cabins! Snack time for lucky harpies!"

Five of them were fluttering over the top of the dunes—plump little hags with pinched faces and talons and feathery wings too small for their bodies. They reminded me of miniature cafeteria ladies who'd been crossbred with dodo birds. They weren't very fast, thank the gods, but they were vicious if they caught you.

"Tyson!" I said. "Grab a duffel bag!"

He was still staring at the hippocampi with his mouth hanging open, "Tyson!"

"Uh?"

"Come on!"

With Luke's help I got him moving. We gathered the bags and mounted our steeds. Poseidon must've known Tyson was one of the passengers, because one hippocampus was much larger than the other two—just right for carrying a Cyclops.

"Giddyup!" I said. My hippocampus turned and plunged into the waves. Luke's and Tyson's followed right behind.

The harpies cursed at us, wailing for their snacks to come back, but the hippocampi raced over the water at the speed of Jet Skis. The harpies fell behind, and soon the shore of Camp Half-Blood was nothing but a dark smudge. I wondered if I'd ever see the place again. But right then I had other problems.

The cruise ship was now looming in front of us—our ride toward Florida and the Sea of Monsters. Riding the hippocampus was even easier than riding a pegasus. We zipped along with the wind in our faces, speeding through the waves so smooth and steady I hardly needed to hold on at all.

As we got closer to the cruise ship, I realized just how huge it was. I felt as though I were looking up at a building in Manhattan. The white hull was at least ten stories tall, topped with another dozen levels of decks with brightly lit balconies and portholes. The ship's name was painted just above the bow line in black letters, lit with a spotlight. It took me a few seconds to decipher it: PRINCESS ANDROMEDA

"They named it after me, how cute," I grinned, as Luke rolled his eyes at my words.

Attached to the bow was a huge masthead—a three-story-tall woman wearing a white Greek chiton, sculpted to look as if she were chained to the front of the ship. She was young and beautiful, with flowing black hair, but her expression was one of absolute terror. 

My namesake did not look happy and this wasn't making me optimistic either.

"How do we get aboard?" Luke called over the sound of the waves crashing against the hull of the ship. But the hippocampi seemed to know what we needed. They skimmed along the starboard side of the ship, riding easily through its huge wake, and pulled up next to a service ladder riveted to the side of the hull. "Andi, you go."

I nodded, slinging my duffel bag over my shoulder and grabbing onto the bottom rung. Luke pulled his hippocampus closer, using his hands to help boost me up further on the ladder, before waiting and following me up further.

Finally it was just Tyson in the water. His hippocampus was treating him to 360° aerials and backward ollies, and Tyson was laughing so hysterically, the sound echoed up the side of the ship.

"Tyson!" I said. "Come on, big guy!"

"Can't we take Rainbow?" he asked, his smile fading.

I stared at him. "Rainbow?"

The hippocampus whinnied as if he liked his new name.

"Um, we have to go," I said. "Rainbow...well, he can't climb ladders."

Tyson sniffled. He buried his face in the hippocampus's mane. "I will miss you, Rainbow!"

The hippocampus made a neighing sound I could've sworn was crying.

"Maybe we'll see him again sometime," I suggested.

"Oh, please!" Tyson said, perking up immediately. "Tomorrow!"

I didn't make any promises, but I finally convinced Tyson to say his farewells and grab hold of the ladder. With a final sad whinny, Rainbow the hippocampus did a back-flip and dove into the sea.

The ladder led to a maintenance deck stacked with yellow lifeboats. There was a set of locked double doors, and Luke grinned at me, before placing his hand against it. There was a faint golden glow, as the locks came undone beneath his hand.

"You're brilliant," I murmured in awe, and Luke blushed in the dark.

I figured we'd have to sneak around, being stowaways and all, but after checking a few corridors and peering over a balcony into a huge central promenade lined with closed shops, I began to realize there was nobody to hide from. I mean, sure it was the middle of the night, but we walked half the length of the boat and met no one. We passed forty or fifty cabin doors and heard no sound behind any of them.

"It's a ghost ship," I murmured.

"No," Tyson said, fiddling with the strap of his duffel bag. "Bad smell."

"There's monsters I'd bet," Luke murmured. Backbiter was strapped to his side, faintly glowing in the light and I could see him drumming his fingers against the hilt of the two toned sword. Reaching out, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, trying to send some of my calmness to him.

I knew that quests stressed Luke out. Ever since the incident with the dragon and the golden apples, Luke was always nervous that he was going to be the bad luck charm that caused our quests to fail or that the gods would punish me and Annabeth for him having stolen the lightning bolt.

We came outside on the swimming pool level. There were rows of empty deck chairs and a bar closed off with a chain curtain. The water in the pool glowed eerily, sloshing back and forth from the motion of the ship.

Above us fore and aft were more levels—a climbing wall, a putt-putt golf course, a revolving restaurant, but no sign of life. But I sensed something familiar. Something dangerous. I had the feeling that if I weren't so tired and burnt out, I might be able to put a name to what was wrong.

"We need a hiding place," I said. "Somewhere safe to sleep."

"Sounds like a plan," Luke murmured.

We explored a few more corridors until we found an empty suite on the ninth level. The door was open, which struck me as weird. There was a basket of chocolate goodies on the table, an iced-down bottle of sparkling cider on the nightstand, and a mint on the pillow with a hand-written note that said: Enjoy your cruise!

We opened our duffel bags for the first time and found that Hermes really had thought of everything—extra clothes, toiletries, camp rations, a Ziploc bag full of cash, a leather pouch full of golden drachmas. He'd even managed to pack Tyson's oilcloth with his tools and metal bits, and Luke's flying shoes, which made them both feel somewhat better.

"I don't think we should eat or drink anything," Luke murmured, double checking the locks on the door.

"You think this place is enchanted?"

"Something just seems...off?" He shook his head, before checking the locks again, his eyes flashing.

Tyson crashed on the couch. He tinkered for a few minutes on his metalworking project—which he still wouldn't show me—but soon enough he was yawning. He wrapped up his oilcloth and passed out.

Luke and I collapsed on the bed, though I stayed awake, watching the sea through the porthole. I thought I heard voices out in the hallway, like whispering. I knew that couldn't be. We'd walked all over the ship and had seen nobody. But the voices kept me awake. They reminded me of my trip to the Underworld—the way the spirits of the dead sounded as they drifted past.

Finally my weariness got the best of me. I fell asleep and had my worst dream yet.

I was standing in a cavern at the edge of an enormous pit. I knew the place too well. The entrance to Tartarus. And I recognized the cold laugh that echoed from the darkness below.

If it isn't the young heroine. The voice was like a knife blade scraping across stone. On her way to another great victory.

I wanted to shout at Kronos to leave me alone. I wanted to draw Riptide and strike him down. But I couldn't move. And even if I could, how could I kill something that had already been destroyed? 

Don't let me stop you, the titan said. Perhaps this time, when you fail, you'll wonder if it's worthwhile slaving for the gods. How exactly has your father shown his appreciation lately?

His laughter filled the cavern, and suddenly the scene changed.

It was a different cave—Grover's bedroom prison in the Cyclops's lair.

Grover was sitting at the loom in his soiled wedding dress, madly unravelling the threads of the unfinished bridal train.

"Honeypie!" the monster shouted from behind the boulder.

Grover yelped and began weaving the threads back together. The room shook as the boulder was pushed aside. Looming in the doorway was a Cyclops so huge he made Tyson look vertically challenged. He had jagged yellow teeth and gnarled hands as big as my whole body. He must've been at least fifteen feet tall, but the most startling thing was his enormous milky eye, scarred and webbed with cataracts. If he wasn't completely blind, he had to be pretty darn close. 

"What are you doing?" the monster demanded.

"Nothing!" Grover said in his falsetto voice. "Just weaving my bridal train, as you can see."

The Cyclops stuck one hand into the room and groped around until he found the loom. He pawed at the cloth. "It hasn't gotten any longer!"

"Oh, um, yes it has, dearest. See? I've added at least an inch."

"Too many delays!" the monster bellowed. Then he sniffed the air. "You smell good! Like goats!"

"Oh." Grover forced a weak giggle. "Do you like it? It's Eau de Chevre. I wore it just for you."

"Mmmm!" The Cyclops bared his pointed teeth. "Good enough to eat!"

"Oh, you're such a flirt!"

"No more delays!"

"But dear, I'm not done!"

"Tomorrow!"

"No, no. Ten more days."

"Five!"

"Oh, well, seven then. If you insist."

"Seven! That is less than five, right?"

"Certainly. Oh yes."

The monster grumbled, still not happy with his deal, but he left Grover to his weaving and rolled the boulder back into place.

Grover closed his eyes and took a shaky breath, trying to calm his nerves.

"Hurry, Romy," he muttered. "Please, please, please!"

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I woke to a ship's whistle and a voice on the intercom— some guy with an Australian accent who sounded way too happy.

"Good morning, passengers! We'll be at sea all day today. Excellent weather for the poolside mambo party! Don't forget million-dollar bingo in the Kraken Lounge at one o'clock, and for our special guests, disembowelling practice on the Promenade!"

"Did he just say disembowelling?" I asked Luke, who was running a tired hand over his face. The son of Hermes didn't look like he'd slept peacefully either.

"At this point, I just don't care," Luke huffed, before clambering off the bed and changing in the bathroom. 

Once we were all dressed, we ventured out into the ship and were surprised to see other people. A dozen senior citizens were heading to breakfast. A dad was taking his kids to the pool for a morning swim. Crew members in crisp white uniforms strolled the deck, tipping their hats to the passengers. 

Nobody asked who we were. Nobody paid us much attention. But there was something wrong.

As the family of swimmers passed us, the dad told his kids: "We are on a cruise. We are having fun."

"Yes," his three kids said in unison, their expressions blank. "We are having a blast. We will swim in the pool."

They wandered off.

"Good morning," a crew member told us, his eyes glazed. "We are all enjoying ourselves aboard the Princess Andromeda. Have a nice day." He drifted away.

"Is it possible that they're brainwashed?" I asked Luke, who shrugged.

Then we passed a cafeteria and saw our first monster. It was a hellhound—a black mastiff with its front paws up on the buffet line and its muzzle buried in the scrambled eggs. It must've been young, because it was small compared to most—no bigger than a grizzly bear. 

The scars on my chest ached, and I shared a glance with Luke. He had set a hellhound on me last summer.

"Not hungry anymore," Tyson murmured.

Before Luke or I could reply, a reptilian voice came from down the corridor, "Six more joined yesterday."

We all ducked into the bathroom, closing the door and listening in to what was going on. Something—or more like two somethings—slithered past the bathroom door, making sounds like sandpaper against the carpet.

"Yes," a second reptilian voice said. "He draws them. Soon we will be strong."

The things slithered into the cafeteria with a cold hissing that might have been snake laughter. Luke turned to me.

"We have to get off of this ship."

"Couldn't agree with you more," I replied.

"Smells bad," Tyson agreed. "And dogs eat all the eggs. Luke is right. We must leave the restroom and ship."

"—only a matter of time. Don't push me, Agrius!" Luke and I tensed up at the sound of that voice. It was Puck. Puck was here?

"I'm not pushing you!" another guy growled. His voice was even angrier than Puck's. "I'm just saying, if this gamble doesn't pay off—"

"It'll pay off," Puck snapped, his voice cracking slightly, reminding me that the boy was still just a teenager. "They'll take the bait. Now, come, we've got to get to the admiralty suite and check on the casket."

Their voices receded down the corridor.

Tyson whimpered. "Leave now?"

I huffed, before turning to Luke.

"We can't," I told Tyson.

"We have to find out what Puck is up to," Luke agreed. "And if possible, we're going to try and talk him out of it or if that doesn't work, bind him in chains, and drag him to Mount Olympus."

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Hiya,

Andi and Luke are cuties and Puck's back on the scene as an angsty teenager intent on causing mass murder. We love to see it.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx