The Titan's Curse

“I will not be able to take you, but I will send help.”
    The goddess set her hand on Annabeth’s shoulder. “You are brave beyond measure, my girl. You will do what is right.”
    Then she looked quizzically at Thalia, as if she weren’t sure what to make of this younger daughter of Zeus. Thalia seemed reluctant to look up, but something made her, and she held the goddess’s eyes. I wasn’t sure what passed between them, but Artemis’s gaze softened with sympathy. Then she turned to me.
    “You did well,” she said. “For a man.”
    I wanted to protest. But then I realized it was the first time she hadn’t called me a boy.
    She mounted her chariot, which began to glow. We averted our eyes. There was a flash of silver, and the goddess was gone.
    “Well,” Dr. Chase sighed. “She was impressive; though I must say I still prefer Athena.”
    Annabeth turned toward him. “Dad, I . . . I’m sorry that—”
    “Shh.” He hugged her. “Do what you must, my dear. I know this isn’t easy for you.”
    His voice was a little shaky, but he gave Annabeth a brave smile.
    Then I heard the whoosh of large wings. Three pegasi descended through the fog: two white winged horses and one pure black one.
    “Blackjack!” I called.
    Yo, boss! he called. You manage to stay alive okay without me?
    “It was rough,” I admitted.
    I brought Guido and Porkpie with me.
    How ya doin? The other two pegasi spoke in my mind.
    Blackjack looked me over with concern, then checked out Dr. Chase, Thalia, and Annabeth. Any of these goons you want us to stampede?
    “Nah,” I said aloud. “These are my friends. We need to get to Olympus pretty fast.”
    No problem, Blackjack said. Except for the mortal over there. Hope he’s not going.
    I assured him Dr. Chase was not. The professor was staring openmouthed at the pegasi.
    “Fascinating,” he said. “Such maneuverability! How does the wingspan compensate for the weight of the horse’s body, I wonder?”
    Blackjack cocked his head. Whaaaat?
    “Why, if the British had had these pegasi in the cavalry charges on the Crimea,” Dr. Chase said, “the charge of the light brigade—”
    “Dad!” Annabeth interrupted.
    Dr. Chase blinked. He looked at his daughter and managed a smile. “I’m sorry, my dear. I know you must go.”
    He gave her one last awkward, well-meaning hug. As she turned to climb aboard the pegasus Guido, Dr. Chase called, “Annabeth. I know . . . I know San Francisco is a dangerous place for you. But please remember, you always have a home with us. We will keep you safe.”
    Annabeth didn’t answer, but her eyes were red as she turned away. Dr. Chase started to say more, then apparently thought better of it. He raised his hand in a sad farewell and trudged away across the dark field.
    Thalia and Annabeth and I mounted our pegasi. Together we soared over the bay and flew toward the eastern hills. Soon San Francisco was only a glittering crescent behind us, with an occasional flicker of lightning in the north.
    Thalia was so exhausted she fell asleep on Porkpie’s back. I knew she had to be really tired to sleep in the air, despite her fear of heights, but she didn’t have much to worry about. Her pegasus flew with ease, adjusting himself every once in a while so Thalia stayed safely on his back.
    Annabeth and I flew along side by side.
    “Your dad seems cool,” I told her.
    It was too dark to see her expression. She looked back, even though California was far behind us now.
    “I guess so,” she said. “We’ve been arguing for so many years.”
    “Yeah, you said.”
    “You think I was lying about that?” It sounded like a challenge, but a pretty halfhearted one, like she was asking it of herself.
    “I didn’t say you were lying. It’s just . . . he seems okay. Your stepmom, too. Maybe they’ve, uh, gotten cooler since you saw them last.”
    She hesitated. “They’re still in San Francisco, Percy. I can’t live so far from camp.”
    I didn’t want to ask my next question. I was scared to know the answer. But I asked it anyway. “So what are you going to do now?”
    We flew over a town, an island of lights in the middle of the dark. It whisked by so fast we might’ve been in an airplane.
    “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But thank you for rescuing me.”
    “Hey, no big deal. We’re friends.”
    “You didn’t believe I was dead?”
    “Never.”
    She hesitated. “Neither is Luke, you know. I mean . . . he isn’t dead.”
    I stared