Daughter of Wine

Leo

Typical.

Just as I finish my modifications, a big storm goddess comes along and smacks the grommets out of my ship.

After our encounter with Kymopo-what's-her-name, the Argo II limps through the Aegean, too damaged to fly, too slow to outrun monsters. We fight hungry sea serpents about every hour. We attract schools of curious fish. At one point we get stuck on a rock, and Percy and Jason have to get out and push. 

The wheezing sound of the engine makes me want to cry. Over the course of three long days, Calli and I get the ship more or less back to working order just as we make port at the island of Mykonos, which probably means it's time for us to get bashed to pieces again. 

Percy and Annabeth go ashore to scout while I stay on the quarterdeck with Calli, fine-tuning the control console. I'm so engrossed on the wiring, I don't notice the landing party is back until Percy says, "Hey, man. Gelato."

Instantly, my day gets better. The whole crew sits on deck, without a storm or monster attack to worry about for the first time in days, and eats ice cream. Well, except for Frank, who's lactose intolerant. He gets an apple. 

The day is hot and windy. The sea glitters with chop, but I've fixed the stabilizers well enough that Hazel doesn't look too seasick. 

Curving off to our starboard side is the town of Mykonos-a collection of white stucco buildings with blue roofs, blue windows, and blue doors. 

"We saw pelicans walking around town." Percy reports. "Like, just going through shops, stopping at the bars."

Hazel frowns. "Monsters in disguise?"

"No," Annabeth says, laughing, "just regular old pelicans. They're the town mascots or something. And there's a 'Little Italy' section of town. That's why the gelato is so good."

"Europe is messed up." I shake my head. "First we go to Rome for Spanish steps. Then we go to Greece for Italian ice cream."

But I can't argue with the gelato. I eat my double chocolate delight and try to imagine that me and my friends are just chilling on vacation. Which makes me wish the war is over and everybody is alive, which makes me sad. It's July 30. Less than forty-eight hours until what Calli has started calling G-Day, when Gaea the Princess of Potty Sludge will awaken in all her dirt-faced glory. 

The. strange thing is, the closer we get to August 1, the more upbeat my friends act. Or maybe upbeat isn't the right word. They seem to be pulling together for the final lap, aware that the next two days will make or break us. There's no point moping around when you face imminent death. The end of the world makes gelato taste a lot better. 

Of course, the rest of the crew hasn't been down in the stables with me, talking with the victory goddess Nike over the past three days...

I look down at Calli, who has her head on my shoulder as she licks her spoon clean. She's been back to her normal self, joking and laughing and being scary powerful. When that crazy storm goddess attacked us, she'd stepped up big time and kept the ship intact while Percy and Jason were gone. She told me afterwards that she didn't know she could affect water that much. She'd shocked herself. Or maybe she's getting stronger.

But right now, watching her enjoy her lemon flavored gelato, she looks like a normal teenager, laughing and smiling with her friends. It makes my heart ache for her. In two days, things might be drastically different. 

Piper sets down her ice cream cup. "So, the island of Delos is right across the harbor. Artemis and Apollo's home turf. Who's going?"

"Me." I say immediately.