Nyctophilia

4| MY MOTHER TEACHES ME BULLFIGHTING (pt. 3)

I blinked the rain out of my eyes. "That's-"

"Pasiphae's son," our mother said. "I wish I'd known how badly they want to kill you two."

"They did not want to kill me at least I can say that" Celeste says at the looks given to her some in horror some in pity and some in curiosity.

"Hey Celeste why are you so quiet? " Zacharias Smith asked smugly as he thought she was frightened. No one bothered answering him.

"But he's the Min-"

"Don't say his name," She warned. "Names have power."

"How did you know though?" a hufflepuff asked

The pine tree was still way too far-a hundred yards uphill at least.

I glanced behind me again.

The bull-man hunched over our car, looking in the windows-or not looking, exactly. More like snuffling, nuzzling. I wasn't sure why he bothered, since we were only about fifty feet away.

"Prissy was stupid very stupid in fact" Clarisse said

"He's seaweed brain for a reason you know" Celeste said.

"Food?" Grover moaned.

"Shhh," I told him. "What's he doing? Doesn't he see us?"

"His sight and hearing are terrible," mom said. "He goes by smell. But he'll figure out where we are soon enough."

As if on cue, the bull-man bellowed in rage. He picked up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to a stop. The gas tank exploded.

Not a scratch, I remembered Gabe saying.

Oops.

Well that did diffuse some of the tension in the room considering most of the demigod world burst out laughing

"Percy," my mom said. "When he sees us, he'll charge. Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way- directly sideways. He can't change directions very well once he's charging. Do you understand?"

"How do you two know all this?"

"I read unlike someone" Celeste said

"I've been worried about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me while Celeste left for the boarding school where she would have been safer"

"Keeping me near you? But-"

Another bellow of rage, and the bull-man started tromping uphill.

He'd smelled us.

The pine tree was only a few more yards, but the hill was getting steeper and slicker, and Grover wasn't getting any lighter.

The bull-man closed in. Another few seconds and he'd be on top of us. (I burst out laughing at this point idk whats wrong with me but you gotta agree it sound kinda wierd)

My mother must've been exhausted, but she shouldered Grover. "Go, Percy! Separate! Remember what I said."

I didn't want to split up, but I had the feeling she was right-it was our only chance. I sprinted to the left, turned, and saw the creature bearing down on me. His black eyes glowed with hate. He reeked like rotten meat. I didn't get why she wasn't as worried for Celeste it seemed like the bull man didn't care for her either.