GOLDEN | annabeth chase

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EVE DID HER BEST TO HOLD ON TIGHTLY TO ANNABETH'S ARM WHEN SHE SAW THE WAR GOD. 

ares was waiting in the diner parking lot. "well, well," he said. "you didn't get yourself killed."

"you knew it was a trap," percy said.

ares gave them a wicked grin. "bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. you looked good on tv."

percy shoved his shield at him. "you're a jerk."

"percy-" eve tried to say, while annabeth and grover caught their breaths.

then ares grabbed the shield and spun it in the air like pizza dough. it changed form, melting into a bulletproof vest. he slung it across his back.

"see that truck over there?" he pointed to an eighteen- wheeler parked across the street from the diner. "that's your ride. take you straight to LA, with one stop in vegas."

the eighteen-wheeler had a sign on the back, which eve could read only because it was reverse-printed white on black, a good combination for dyslexia: KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL: HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING: LIVE WILD ANIMALS.

"you're kidding." percy said.

ares snapped his fingers. the back door of the truck unlatched. "free ride west, punk. stop complaining. and here's a little something for doing the job."

he slung a blue nylon backpack off his handlebars and tossed it to percy.

inside were fresh clothes for all four of them, twenty bucks in cash, a pouch full of golden drachmas and a bag of double stuf oreos.

"i don't want your lousy –" percy began.

"thank you, lord ares," grover interrupted, giving percy his best red-alert warning look. "thanks a lot."

"you owe me one more thing," percy told ares, "you promised me information about my mother."

"you sure you can handle the news?" he kick-started his motorcycle. "she's not dead."

"what do you mean?" percy asked.

"i mean she was taken away from the minotaur before she could die. she was turned into a shower of gold, right? that's metamorphosis. not death. she's being kept."

"kept. why?" 

"you need to study war, punk. hostages. you take somebody to control somebody else."

"nobody's controlling me."

he laughed. "oh yeah? see you around, kid."

percy balled up his fists. "you're pretty smug, lord ares, for a guy who runs from statues."

behind his sunglasses, fire glowed. eve felt a hot wind in her hair. "we'll meet again, percy jackson. next time you're in a fight, watch your back."

he revved his harley, then roared off down delancy street.

annabeth said, "that was not smart, percy."

"i don't care."

"you don't want a god as your enemy. especially not that god."

"hey, guys," grover said. "i hate to interrupt, but..."

he pointed towards the diner. at the cash register, the last two customers were paying their bill, two men in identical black coveralls, with a white logo on their backs that matched the one on the KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL truck.

"if we're taking the zoo express," grover said, "we need to hurry."

nobody really liked it, but they had no better option.