Hey y’all!  All three trailers for UnKnown, UnStoppable, and UnTamed are posted on the tumblr blog. Message me if you would like the link :) Okay, unfortunately, you were three reviews short of getting that one-liner that’s going to happen in a far off chapter.  HOWEVER, the offer still stands.  Once a chapter gets ten reviews, I’ll post that one-liner.  Now, without further ado, here’s the next chapter :) 

Chapter Quote:

“If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man.” 

~Mark Twain

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Chapter 8: It’s Barking Mad Part II

Luke 

When his dad had said the three demigods were going to think the ride was ‘barking mad,’ Luke thought it was just a saying.  He didn’t realize that his dad’s plan actually involved riding a hell hound.  At first, when Mr. Jackson showed up, he didn’t have anything with him.  But he ushered his kids and Derek into the Poseidon cabin and shut the door.

“Most kids won’t take kindly to this ride, at least not at first.  Ready?” Percy said, grinning.  He gave a loud, sharp, taxi whistle.  A few seconds later, a black, shaggy dog, the size of a tank flashed into view.  It bounded up to Percy and licked him incessantly on the face.

“That’s- that’s a-” Silena began.

“Hellhound,” Derek finished.

“Down girl, down!” Percy laughed, gently pushing the hellhound away.  He ordered her to sit; she listened, her tail thumping loudly on the wooden floor. “Kids, this is Mrs. O’Leary, my pet hellhound.”

“Your pet hellhound,” Luke repeated.

“Dad, didn’t you almost get killed by one when you were twelve?” Silena pointed out.

“Yeah, but that’s when I had a super evil titan trying to kill me.  Anyways, this is your ride.  She listens to whatever I say, and if I tell her to listen to you, she will.  What do you say?  You brave enough to ride a hellhound?”

“Hey there girl,” Derek greeted, holding out his hand hesitantly for her to smell.  Mrs. O’Leary gave one sniff before giving his hand a big slobbery kiss.  He laughed and started stroking her.  She threw herself on the ground, rolling onto her back so he could scratch her belly.

“As you can tell, she loves people as long as they’re not trying to kill her or me or anyone that is my family.” Luke started laughing as Mrs. O’Leary began licking his leg.  Both he and Silena knelt down and pet her. “She loves you three.”

“I think that’s because she’s getting pets,” Luke remarked. “Thanks for the ride dad.  I don’t have any qualms about this at all.”

“Qualms?” Silena mused.

“It means-”

“I know what it means, I just didn’t know you did.”

“Oh shut it.”

“Don’t kill each other you two.  Derek, I’m giving you that task while you’re away.  I have some business at the company to take care of so please don’t make me regret helping you in this.  By the way, I suggest not telling your mother.  I may not have told her you were going to London.”

“Uh, why?” Silena demanded.

“She has a lot of stuff going on between work and worrying about you guys and… well, it’s just been a lot.  If you need anything, let me know.  Give me a call, okay?  And a warning, travelling that far with three of you, it’s going to wear her out pretty badly.  You’ll need to give Mrs. O’Leary two or three days to recuperate, all right?  And when you need her, just give a good old taxi whistle.  Now, good luck and don’t get killed.” Percy hugged the kids bye and left the cabin.

“So, anyone know how to speak dog?” Luke queried.

“No, but I think she’s pretty smart, aren’t you girl?” Derek said, standing up.  Mrs. O’Leary did the same. “Everyone have their backpacks?”

Luke and Silena nodded.  The three demigods managed to get onto the hellhounds back.  Luke politely asked her if she could take them to London.  He gripped onto her collar, feeling like this was not going to be an easy ride.

Long story short, he was right.

Luke decided it felt like his face was about to be peeled off because they were going so fast.  In other words, it was totally awesome and if Derek had this power, Luke envied him greatly.  He could use it to get anywhere in the world without having to pay for airfare or anything.  It was so useful!

Silena enjoyed the journey less so.  She appeared very pale afterwards.  Derek seemed fine, but since he was a child of Hades, it probably shouldn’t negatively affect him that much.

The group landed in the middle of a park.  None of them knew which exactly.

“I guess we should try and find a cheap hotel to stay in,” Derek said, looking around at their surroundings.

“I-” Luke stopped when his cell started ringing.  He picked it up.

“LUKE CHARLES CASTELLAN!” Mrs. Jackson barked.  Luke yanked the phone away from his ear, rubbing it ruefully.

“Hi mom,” he replied.

“Are you out of your mind?!”

“Uh, how did you find out?”

“Chiron went looking for you three when you didn’t show up to lunch and dinner, and found your laptop looking up London.  He made the connection.  Especially since it was an article about Aurum Arms who happens to be run by a person named Winchester.”

“Mom, her first name is Penn.”

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

“The girl that we encountered when we were with Lupa, she told Silena her name was Penn.  And then when I asked Lupa if she would support us in the war, she said Penn had convinced her to serve on our side.  Penn was Bryn’s mother’s name.”

“I thought Bryn’s mother was dead?”

“We did too, until we met her twin brothers.  They had the same mother as her, we know they did.  We have to talk to Mrs. Winchester.  Penn is using that name for a reason.”

“You think it’s Bryn, don’t you?” Annabeth asked gently, although it was more of a statement.

“Yeah,” Luke mumbled. “I’ve been having dreams of her and her brothers and I learn of their plans and then when I go to the destination they were in and ask the locals about them, what I dreamed comes true.  And that tornado in Oklahoma?  I dreamed about her telling this girl named Hallie that she was going to create a distraction while her brother got her out and what better distraction than a tornado?  And Hallie isn’t there anymore.  The house isn’t there.  The tornado hit it.  That was the only place the tornado destroyed.  That’s not a coincidence!”

“I’m not saying it isn’t.  I’m just wondering if Bryn is alive, how she survived.”

“It’s Bryn, mom.  Who knows how she does half the stuff she does.”

“Very true.  Listen, I have two things.  Since I can’t come get you from over there, I booked you three a hotel room at a very nice place, and while I don’t need to tell you this, I’m going to anyway: Behave yourself.  I’ll text you the address.  Second, how in Athena’s name did you get to London if you didn’t fly or go by boat?”

“Uh, we… shadow travelled…”

“Shadow travelled?  None of the Hades kids could manage getting three demigods halfway across the Atlantic without killing themselves.  Unless you didn’t use a- PERSEUS JACKSON DID YOU LET THEM USE MRS. O’LEARY?”

Luke heard his father grunting and muttering an ‘ow’ before coming onto the phone. “Hi, son.  Mrs. O’Leary okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine.  She’s decided to take a nap in the middle of the park we landed in.”

“Good, you won’t need to feed her.  She’ll find food on her own.  Maybe have a water bowl ready for her though when she comes into your hotel room.”

“Our hotel room can fit a hellhound?”

“More or less.  Might have to make room on the floor.  Oh, and hide your shoes.  She’s going through a phase where she likes to play fetch with them.”

“Good to know.”

“For the record, you are all so grounded when you get back.  And tell Derek’s he’s not out of the woods either.  His parents are furious.  Now, go find Mrs. Winchester.  And sweetie, if your father has mysteriously disappeared when you get back, don’t question it.  Love you!” Mrs. Jackson hung up, leaving her son rather worried about his father’s well-being.  Luke knew never to bet against Annabeth Jackson.

“So what did mom say?” Silena asked.

“How we got here, how we’re all grounded when we get back, including Derek, not to question if dad has mysteriously disappeared when we get back, and that she booked a hotel for us.  She’ll be texting me the address.  But I’m pretty sure this is like a… a posh hotel because apparently our room can fit Mrs. O’Learty, so maybe we should go buy better clothes?” Luke glanced down at his torn jeans and University of Texas t-shirt.

“That might be a good idea.  Maybe we can work out a plan on how to get to Mrs. Winchester while we do so,” Silena remarked.

“Let’s do it,” Derek agreed.  Leaving the resting hellhound in the park, the trio trooped off in search of better clothes.

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How do you think the trio is going to get to Mrs. Winchester?  Will Bryn’s mother even believe them?  Find out in upcoming chapters :) Review people if you want that sneak peek one-liner!