GOLDEN | annabeth chase

ix

AS THEY PULLED INTO DENVER, EVE WAS STARTING TO FEEL ICKY AND HUNGRY.

they hadn't eaten since the night before in the dining car, somewhere in kansas. and hadn't taken a shower since being at camp.

she wished her healing powers would apply to cleaning herself and others up- because she could tell that they stunk.

"let's try to contact chiron," annabeth decided. "i want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit."

they wandered downtown for about half an hour, until they finally found an empty do-it-yourself car wash. they veered towards the stall furthest from the street, keeping their eyes open for patrol cars. they were four adolescents hanging out at a car wash without a car; any cop worth his doughnuts would figure they were up to no good.

"what exactly are we doing?" percy asked, as grover took out the spray gun.

"it's seventy-five cents," he grumbled. "i've only got two quarters left. eve?"

"here!" she fished out a bit of change and passed grover a quarter, which she had taken from medusa's place.

"excellent," grover said. "we could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connection isn't as good, and my arm gets tired of pumping."

"what are you talking about?" percy asked.

grover fed in the quarters and set the knob to fine mist.

"we're i-ming!" eve said happily- she really missed seeing camp half blood.

"instant messaging?" percy guessed.

"iris-messaging," annabeth corrected. "the rainbow goddess iris carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask, and she's not too busy, she'll do the same for half- bloods."

"you summon the goddess with a spray gun?"

grover pointed the nozzle in the air and water hissed out in a thick white mist. "unless you know an easier way to make a rainbow."

sure enough, late afternoon light filtered through the vapour and broke into colours.

annabeth held her palm out to percy. "drachma, please."

percy handed one over.

she raised the coin over her head. "o goddess, accept our offering."

she threw the drachma into the rainbow. it disappeared in a golden shimmer.

"half-blood hill," annabeth requested.

for a moment, nothing happened.

then eve was looking through the mist at strawberry fields, and the long island sound in the distance. 

she grinned at the sight.

they seemed to be on the porch of the big house. standing with his back to them at the railing was a sandy-haired figure in shorts and an orange tank top. he was holding a bronze sword and seemed to be staring intently at something down in the meadow.

"luke!" percy called.

"percy!" his scarred face broke into a grin. "is that annabeth, too? thank the gods! are you guys okay?"

"me and grover are here too..." she stated blankly.

"we're... uh... fine," annabeth stammered. she was madly straightening her dirty t-shirt, trying to comb the loose hair out of her face. "we thought – chiron – i mean –"

eve could feel annabeth's heart thumping faster, which made her stomach churn for some unknown reason.