Chapter 1: Mall of America: No Pets Allowed

My first clue that everything was about to go to hell was when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I was now in mortal danger.

In a shopping mall.

Spidey Sense? Super cool. What’s not cool is needing it because of literal monsters out to kill me. But that’s life. Lemons, lemonade, Molotov cocktails. You know. 

I slowed down my walk, angling for the overly complicated monstrosity of a fountain in the middle of the concourse. I think it's supposed to be some kind of octopus, but it might have been Cthulhu. Stones of all shapes and sizes, but differing shades of blue littered the bottom along with a bunch of quarters and nickels people had thrown in. I scanned the Mall of America’s three upper levels in the water’s reflection, but all I saw were people enjoying their Saturday afternoon. They could definitely use the sunshine after the week we've had. I turned my body even more, fishing in the pocket of my jeans for a dime as I glanced behind us.

Oh hell.

“So don’t look,” I said as they caught up to me, cutting through whatever they were arguing about now. I threw my dime into the water. “But there’s an evil dog on our six.”

Of course, they both looked.

Here’s what they saw: a creature the size of a healthy horse that looked anything but healthy. Matted orange-brown fur that did nothing to hide the contours of its ribs, weeping sores and bloated stomach, wiry limbs ending in paws that were more claw than flesh and a long snout decorated with a fanged grin. Its tail was literally a string of bones. Blue eyes cloudy like it had cataracts lazily roamed the concourse. It looked like it would drop dead any second. No one was calling for animal control, so I assumed the Mist was hiding it, but people still knew it was there. Some instinct screaming in their hind brains made them avoid it.

It was generally accepted that mortals lived in a different world than we did. The Mist did a thorough job of keeping us separate by hiding away what was truly there. Where we saw a rampaging monster, they might see gang members on PCP or like, escaped animals from a zoo. Greek vampires (don’t ask) were actually serial killers using barbeque forks. A dude ate another dude’s face? He’s from Florida. See an older teenage boy escorting two twelve year olds through a mall?

Look again.

Unless you could see through the illusion, you were a NPC. At best you were traumatized by whatever you thought you saw. At worst?

Collateral damage.

And there was nothing you could do about it.

Sorry.

Sometimes it worked against us. Put down a demon snake from Grecian hell and it was a coin toss if mortals saw you stop a mugging, or commit one. Let’s just say I had many reasons to try to stay out of the cameras, and my father seeing my face in the news was one of them. Still, I’d take it if it meant most people could live normal lives.

In another life, that would have been me. Or maybe I would have wished it was me.

Look, I didn't ask to be a half-blood.

But if I had the choice, I don't think I would have given it up for anything. 

Luke turned right back around, right hand drifting to his pocket for his dad’s lighter. He's a half-blood too and you can be half of anything, but we're the type commonly known as demigods. One parent was normal, the other? A god. 

Gods are real.

So are monsters.

So why are we in a shopping mall?

It’s a long story, but the gist of it is: Zeus lost his favorite sparkler, so we have to get it back before he starts a war. 

And we were running out of time.

Luke's left hand gently cuffed a still staring Artemis upside the head. “Keep moving.”

I expected her to snap at him for touching her. I think Luke expected her to break a few of his fingers. What we got was her wordlessly draining the last of her soda and dumping the cup into a trashcan. When she turned back to us to catch up she looked, well, kind of spooked.

Luke and I exchanged glances.

As a rule, if something spooks a god, it’s probably bad.

“What is it?” Luke hissed under his breath. The demigod son of Hermes, the Greek god of Thieves and Travelers was already looking for an out, peering into every kiosk we passed.

“Something that should not be free,” Artemis answered quietly. “A cruel creature, an eater of children.”

So evil dog was very evil.

For some reason, Luke’s eyes flickered over me. “How do we kill it?”

Our girl scout just swallowed. Hard.

“It was killed before, right?” Luke pressed. “Or trapped? Or…”

Now it was her turn to look over me, prompting me to look down at myself wondering what the problem was, before she deliberately looked away. “It has never been killed by anyone.”

I didn’t want to hear that.

“No one? ” It didn’t come out as strongly as I would like, but it wasn’t a squeak. “But - okay, but it can be trapped with something. You said it shouldn’t be free.”

“There were special circumstances,” she began carefully. “My father was allowed to turn it to stone and cast it among the stars.”

And Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Hunt (no, I didn’t stutter) was already fulfilling our quota of godly interference. This was fine. Obviously. My first Quest as a demigod pulls out Uber Monster 2000, but I was the one who argued for a literal god(ess, whatever) in my adventuring party so I was kind of asking for it. I’ve played enough sessions with my father as Dungeon Master to know that he would take one look at my party, laugh, then make me suffer for it. 

“Shit,” Luke muttered. His left hand palmed his face, stretching the scar that ran down from his left eye to his chin into a pale, thin line. “Perce,” he said in a low tone. “I’m eighteen. ” I blanked on why that was important. He rocked his head back. “ Child eater.”

I spun towards the other twelve year old kid in our group. As soon as I met Artemis’ moonlit eyes, I recognized the flaw in my thinking.

“Oh right,” I muttered. Gods can look however they like, so this twelve year old girl was more like twelve thousand year old. “And you’re actually ancient.”

So I’m fucked, is what Luke was saying. Good. To. Know. I knew this was going too well. Well, I didn’t know that, I lied, but considering we’re after a WMD Master Bolt god weapon not even the gods could find, it had been going well in hindsight. And everyone knows hindsight sucks.

My Mythomagic card deck was burning a hole in my jacket. I pulled out the aluminum tin embossed with a stylized etching of Mt. Olympus. One of my inherited abilities from my god parent included divination. It's a Fate and Prophecy thing. I used trading game cards to help me get a glimpse of what was waiting for me. Regular cards, like the ones you use for poker or Solitaire were too vague. So was Pokémon. I still have no idea what drawing a shiny Charizard means. No one had time for a full tarot reading but maaayyybeee…?  

I flipped the first card.

Thanatos, the God of Death.

Okay, maybe not.

“What’s the trick?” I asked as I stuffed my cards back into my jacket. I even remembered to pull up the zipper. 

“It is destined to never be caught,” Artemis said.

What?

Oh for -

Mom, I prayed to my divine parent. So, like, one of your toys? Is stalking me. Can you maybe do something about it?

Her response was a series of electronic beeps.

Luke had caught on the same time I did, nudging my shoulder. “Maybe your mother can - “

“Tried.” I cut him off, annoyed. “Busy signal.”

His face pinched. 

“You can just feel the love,” he drawled with that bitter undertone in his voice. I can totally see where he’s coming from now. My mom is the best mom in the world and she still pisses me off sometimes. Imagine if I didn’t know her at all. “Can’t you?”

“Dying builds character.”

“I bet.”

“She has ignored you?” Artemis asked carefully, always wary of accidentally insulting my godparent. Apparently being turned into a small woodland creature is only funny when Artemis does it to someone else.

“No,” I said curtly. “Mom will never ignore me.” I ignored the sad, indulgent look Luke gave me. “This is just her way of telling me to stop being a whiny bit - “

Like a sign from providence, the crowd thinned off to our left, revealing an eye wear kiosk where some brown haired boy was trying on sunglasses in front of a mirror. They were wrap-around shades like mine. A slim futuristic solid piece of opalescent material in a black matte frame. His just darkened the world a little bit. 

Mine?

“ - perhaps if I were to unveil my divinity…” Artemis trailed off.

Luke picked up the slack. “It would vaporize everyone here. That’s not a solution, that’s mass murder.”

“If it can rid us of the fox - “

“Evil dog,” I muttered as I took off my shades. She ignored me.

“ - then it would be well worth it. You know what is at stake should we fail. Perseus - “

“ Percy.” I was ignored again.

“ - is necessary.”

Luke gritted his teeth and cast his blue eyes around again. Without my glasses, I could now see his ghost. It overlapped his living form and had pale, nearly grey hair and worn, haggard features that was out of place on someone so young. It was begging, pleading for something. It would take the dagger and stab itself in the black, pulsating dot.

I see dead people.

Or rather, I see how people are going to die in 20/20 vision. 

People. Plants. Animals. Inanimate objects too, like machinery or weapons. Even buildings aren't immune to the concept of Death. I got my eyes from my mother too. It's a Fate thing.

“We can lure it,” he whispered. “Underground parking garage, next left, through Macy’s.”

I nodded, feeling sick to my stomach. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of people in the Mall of America, going about their lives. I bet most of them took tomorrow for granted, even with everything that has been happening. I stuffed my glasses into the side pocket of my jacket and tried to ignore the ghosts of the world falling apart, rotting, dying around me. 

“Less people will see her magical girl transformation if we can get it down there,” I quipped.

I made the mistake of looking at said magical girl. Her ghost was physically older, maybe late twenties and looked like an actual ghost, fading away from the bottom up. She stared at the red, pulpy blood on her hands with an absolutely shattered expression. It was the look of someone who didn’t want to live anymore.

“If that doesn’t work, maybe we can collapse the place on it?” Luke thought out loud. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Dude. ” I waved at his everything. “What do you have against buildings?”

“That was not my fault - “

“It cannot be trapped,” the Goddess of the Hunt said sullenly. “Only evaded. Its protection is absolute. Perseus cannot run forever.”

Luke hissed. A long drawn out sound of frustration. He fiddled with his lighter. “Why hasn’t it attacked us yet?”

“Is it not obvious?” Artemis raised an auburn eyebrow. “It is playing with its food.”

That must have been the cue it was waiting for. A loud, high pitched cackle bark sounded from behind us. Against my better judgement, I turned my head. 

I met the eyes of Stephen King’s Cujo trailing us. It was still keeping its leisurely pace, Cheshire grin widening. Now that my glasses were off I could see some kind of heat wave, or aura around it. Like it was just slightly out of sync with the rest of reality. Like it distorted the world around it. It was almost tangible. It didn’t have a ghost. That meant it didn't have a destined death.

You can't die without one.

The world glitched . It rotated a few degrees to the right, slid to the left and moved down. 

Not now - !

The sudden vision speared through my temples. A little girl skipped past me at her mother’s side with a teddy bear completely unaware of the danger. Her ghost had changed.

“Artemis!” 

Her silver bow was suddenly in her hand, drawing back a bright moonlit arrow. The shining celestial bronze sword Reclaim sprung from Luke’s vintage lighter as everyone around us let out cries of shock and alarm. There was a flash as the Goddess of the Hunt let loose her arrow. She had thousands of years of experience and practice. She was known as one of the Twin Archers of Greek mythology. I’d personally seen her shoot through a crowd to hit a target the size of a dove at 500 feet. Her very existence was tied to Hunting as a concept. 

She missed.

I could see it, the way reality twisted around the Hound of Dracula, Zoltan to turn a bullseye into a few inches off. Artemis had already notched another arrow, but I already knew it wasn’t going to do any good. A cruel creature, she had said. It was here for me. It had my attention.

For the record, I thought in my mother’s general direction. I fucking hate your tests.

I shut my eyes and yanked at my necklace. The tiny silver sword pendant came off in my hand, unsheathing Damocles .

I still heard the crunch of teeth breaking bone. Everyone screamed.

Cruel creature, Artemis had said. Child eater. Just because it looked like a dog doesn’t mean it isn’t a monster.

“Luke, fire alarm. Clear the mall.” I threw my bag to the side.

Blood was rushing through my ears, a low roaring in time with my pulse. The world snapped into crystal clear focus. Some ADHD part of my brain just shut off the unimportant stuff. I was vaguely aware that civvies were headless chickens making a lot of noise running anywhere that was away , but I could hear the click of claws on the marble floor. I could hear it breathe. A drop of blood dripped from a fang and I could hear it hit the ground.

“Blow something up if you have to.”

He probably wouldn’t have to. Children of the God of Thieves just get locks. 

He’ll probably blow something up anyway.

“‘Temis, we’re killing it.”

“Perseus,” she protested, voice tight with grief and rage. Artemis hated failing. Luke did that thing he did where he turned on his heel and faded into the background. “It cannot be killed.”

“We are killing it .”

That was how Fate and Destiny worked. If there is a beginning? There is an end.

I had to believe that.

Gatekeeper Zuul let loose another harsh, laughing bark. I didn’t think it spoke, but I was pretty sure it understood English. Call it a gut feeling. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Artemis’ silver bow dissolve into motes of moonlight, replaced by twin hunting knives. Teeth idly snapped in her direction, as if it was taunting her. The bone tail lazily swung back and forth as it stepped towards me. I tensed, shifting my grip on Damocles’ long hilt, but it seemed content to let me make the first move. I wasn’t a huge fan of that. I had no idea how strong or how fast it was. Then there was the whole special snowflake destiny thing it had going on. If I didn’t know better, I would say it had more of mom’s support than I did. And I’m...a twelve year old boy. A demigod, but still not the most impressive thing on the planet.

“Are you going to make me wait all day?” I asked, gesturing with my sword.

Just so we’re clear, I was asking Cujo.

Not Luke.

There was a ‘whump’ sound followed by a bang as a giant gout of flame flared into existence in the food court we just left. The fire alarms started screaming with gusto, strobing emergency lights snapped on, fans in the walls roared to life, the whole nine yards. That wasn’t enough for the resident pyro. Thick, billowing smoke poured out of what I think was the Taco Bell. There was another explosion followed by an electronic screeching sound like R2D2 was being tortured. 

Cabin 11, Hermes. Not even once.

I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off it.

My Spidey Sense screeched.

I blindly threw myself to the left and took what felt like a shotgun blast to the right shoulder. I felt my body spin out of control, landing in a heap on the floor with enough momentum to slide into the legs of a bench. 

I still had my right arm. Good jacket. Nice jacket.

Ow.

I felt Damocles’ subtle pull and went with it, swinging the blade with my left arm in the general direction of danger. If I was up against a nice, normal Hellhound from the depths of Tartarus, Damocles ’ edge would have cut right through its jaw as it leapt at me, splitting its skull in half. But I wasn’t. I could hear some kind of discordant clang as the evil dog’s head seemed to bend around the sword. The monster flickered and it was suddenly a foot to the right and three feet higher. 

It got do overs?

My sword hit nothing but air as it alighted on the wall and I knew I didn’t have enough time to bring it back around. I tried anyway.

A giant brown paw batted me out of the way. I could feel a wet crunch that was probably my hip dislocating. My gasp of pain was completely drowned out by a roar as the giant Grizzly that came out of nowhere took the hit for me. The two massive animals crashed into Cthulhu’s fountain, scattering blue stones like marbles. Zuul flowed like sand, evading each and every attempt to pin it down as it tore into the bear.

“Get up!” I heard Luke yell. I swallowed the pain down and used my sword as a crutch, forcing myself to my feet. We have to lure it, I thought. And then - and then what? Can’t hit it, can’t kill it. Can’t trap it. I heard the squeak of Luke’s sneakers zooming past somewhere above me. Second floor?

The bear avoided a vicious bite to the jugular by suddenly shrinking, twisting shape. Sleeker, more agile. Hooves and sharp, vicious horns. What should have been a disemboweling headbutt hit nothing. The goat became a majestic eagle, swooping out from under raking claws. Jed from The Thing laughed, leaping back and fixing its cloudy blue eyes on me. A growing sense of dread sunk into my spine. Can’t hit it, can’t kill it. Can’t trap it.

Mom, I pleaded. I can’t -

I can’t run like this.

I have to.

Luke let out a piercing whistle. Jed lunged for me. I was already moving. 

“Perce! Come on!”

I don’t know where I found the strength to put one foot in front of the other. The sprinkler system was on, coating the floor in puddles of water that didn’t help anything at all. Everything was a blur. All that mattered was the back of Luke’s red vest fluttering a floor above me. I could almost convince myself we were back at camp, racing for a bag of Butterfingers. Almost. If not for that feeling prickling at the back of my neck telling me I was about to die. 

I threw myself over the miniature garden decorating the center of the concourse like the divider in a highway. I could feel the displacement of air as the monster just barely missed me. To my bewilderment, it actually skidded across the wet floors like it took an unwanted water park slide. It bowled over clothes stands left in front of a kiosk, a trash can and was on a collision course with a fossil stand.

So.

We can’t hit it, but it can hit things by itself?

So physics was still a thing!

Luke doubled back, somehow running down along the column (maybe physics wasn’t a thing) and hauling me to my feet by the collar of my jacket. I stumbled, feeling my hip grind before I hit my stride. My right arm was a noodle of pain. The knuckles of my left hand cracked as I loosened my grip on my sword. 

You are reading story An Undertow of Sand at novel35.com

I was vaguely surprised I haven’t dropped it yet.

“We’re close to the elevators.” Luke spoke quickly. “I’ve got a plan.”

“Elevators work during a fire alarm?” I panted. 

“Alarms are my best friends!” Luke shot me the same sly grin he shared with his father Hermes. It pulled at his scar. “With a little persuasion. ” 

On the other side of the concourse, a twelve year old girl in a silver parka ran past us. “Don’t look back!”

I don’t care who you are, or who you’re leaving behind. When a god says that?

Don’t.

It was like a bomb went off behind us. I could hear everything just shatter. Heat pulsed against my back as a tangible thing. Blinding light. That gut twisting shockwave of the rejected physical world shifting around the presence of divinity. I let myself hope for a second, hooking Damocles back onto my necklace.

The light blinked out with a cry. Zowie the Zombie Dog let out a cackling bark.

“Wait, Art - “ 

“Leave her!” Luke snapped at me. “She’ll live!”

Right. Literal god.

But -

Never mind.

Luke leapt. One foot pushed off the column, the other kicked off the neon green lights of a kiosk front as he reached for the rails. I watched him vault onto the second floor. Okay. Like the Climbing Wall back at Camp, with less lava. I focused on the burn in my legs as I made the jump. I almost made it, my fingertips brushing the ledge. Luke grabbed my wrist.

“I got you.”

We sprinted through Macy’s, knocking over every rack and display and mannequin that didn’t get out of our way fast enough. At the top of the escalator, the lone open elevator surrounded by red alarm lights was like seeing an oasis in a desert. Luke reached them before I did. He dove through the doors and pulled me in behind him. There was a red light on in the car, a fireman’s helmet. His keyring was already in his hand, keys dangling right next to the lockpicks. It took him two seconds to unlock the car. Maybe three. Tops. 

The hairs on the back of my neck told me that was all the time we had.

As soon as I saw Man’s Best Friend Max’s ugly grinning mug, I yanked Luke behind me and slammed my fist into the Close Door button. I had enough time to realize that I was stupid - I just killed us - that button doesn’t do anything! Reclaim flashed from Luke’s lighter as he let out a wordless yell. I think I screamed too as I saw Death take a flying leap towards us -

The elevator doors closed. 

There was a loud bang as the doors buckled inwards as an imprint of Cujo’s face. 

I couldn’t stop my grin. “Bad dog! ”

And as if we hadn’t just narrowly escaped dying horribly, Artemis had the gall to yell back from somewhere. “It’s a fox!”

I turned to Luke. “You’re right. She’s fine.”

Luke just snorted. With a flick of his wrist, his blade was just a lighter as he kneeled. “Emergency hatch, quick.”

I climbed onto his shoulders. I could see the outline on the top of the car, but no obvious way to open it. There was another loud noise, and a groan of metal but it came from just to the left of our door. Our girl scout was buying us precious seconds. Damocles’ silver-gold rippled edge bit into the metal. Like opening a tin can. With a sword. I flinched as I hit some active wires, spitting sparks into my eyes. 

Come on. Come on. 

Another loud bang and a screech as the doors parted. Luke grunted and shook. I completed the square and slammed my right fist into the hatch. With a thunking sound, it came free. I scrambled out on top of the car. Luke came after me with a slight wheeze and just in time. The second he cleared the top, the doors burst open. The entire elevator dipped with the sudden weight. Razor teeth snapped at the hatch opening, before I heard that barking laugh I was starting to really hate. It shifted, pressing a cloudy blue eye close to the hatch, just grinning at us.

Like it was having fun.

“Cocky bastard,” Luke muttered. The elevator shaft was a wide concrete space lined with cables and hydraulic pipes. It stunk of grease and I don’t mean the good stuff on quality pizza. He grabbed my right arm, ignoring my hiss as he pulled it around his shoulders. Pressed close like this, Luke smelled like fresh blood. I don’t know if the other cars were up or down, but it was a long drop either way.

I trusted Luke.

As he pulled us over the edge, I smiled back at Miles “Tails” Prower. “Bye!”

The floors flashed by. Luke twisted, pointing his feet down. “Maia!”

Honest to god wings sprouted by his ankles.

I laughed out loud. “Dude! Featherfall!”

I could hear him huff. “Nerrrrd. ”

The landing in front of closed elevator doors shook my battered skeleton. I groaned. Luke practically collapsed to his knees.

“You okay?”

He straightened and that let me see what I missed. His grey T-shirt was soaked red all along his side. The fabric was sticking to a long cut running from his back to his stomach. 

“It nicked me, it’s fine.” He winced as he stood up. It’s fine. Right. He glanced around and unsheathed his sword. “Get the doors, yeah?”

Normally telling a twelve year old to pry elevator doors open by himself was a good way to have closed elevator doors.

But.

Demigod.

It's not just a word.

I had just gotten a good grip when Star Fox made an unwanted appearance, breaking through the doors floors above us.

“Doors!” Luke roared. There was a staccato of ringing snaps and celestial bronze cutting through steel.

I pulled.

Then it was just a lot of sound. Screeching, tearing, grinding, cracking. Echoing up the shaft. Echoing through the garage. A discordant clang echoing in my head. The world tilted on an axis as Luke tackled me from behind, both of us spilling out onto cold concrete and cigarette butts moments before the final crash. It didn’t stop the spinning. There was a train. Collapsing bridge. Empty town. A beach filled with police. A lion? Images flashed by in first person - in bird’s eye view - in a kaleidoscope.

“You alright?”

“Yeah,” I lied, turning to Luke. His eyes were gold. Blue. Gold. His ghost was different. This time it was screaming as light broke through cracks in its skin. I squeezed my eyes shut. I thought of an endless ocean. Sapphire waves stretching to a far horizon. “Sudden migraine.”

I haven’t had one this bad in a while.

“Ah.” Luke sighed. “Well, I think you can take a breather. I’ll get a car.”

“Sure. Sure.” When I opened my eyes again, I was staring at a dirty nickel squashed into pink bubblegum by a sneaker footprint. Back in the present. Take stock. Right arm, usable. At some point, I must have either popped my hip back into place, or my nerves gave up. I rolled over onto my back and sat up. 

Oh. 

Huh.

The elevator doors looked like the Hulk opened them. The gun metal gray doors were crumpled with clear hand prints as if they were made out of aluminum. Some of the concrete bricks on either side were either broken or shoved out of place covered in mortar dust. 

I picked myself up.

Cool.

I took two steps before I realized what was wrong with the whole picture. Disney’s Robin Hood followed us into the elevator shaft. 

It can’t be hit. It can’t be trapped.

So where is it?

A loud, growling engine purr kicked in, making me jump. Someone’s vomit green 2005 Ford Mustang pulled out of the rows, Luke behind the wheel. I glanced at the wreckage of the elevator behind me. Just. Making sure it didn’t move. Or anything. When Luke pulled up next to me, it took two tries to open the door. Shout out to everyone that can consistently remember to unlock the passenger side. You are literally god tier, okay? 

My mother is an actual god. Her batting average is trash.

The All American muscle car smelled like cheap cologne, cigarette smoke and potato chips. I buckled in because Safety First, then blindly reached behind me in the back seat for my backpack.

But wait. You’re probably thinking, when did he get his bag in the car?

I didn’t.

And at the same time, I did. 

You know how that Schrödinger guy had a cat?

Mom doesn’t skimp on birthday presents.

“I can dig out the ambrosia?” I offered as I hauled the canvas backpack forward, settling it between my feet. I probably should break out the medical supplies. Food of the gods, like Greek ambrosia and nectar, were great for injuries, but to be completely honest, I could really go for a Snickers right now. 

“Save it.” Luke turned the corners of the parking garage a little too fast. His thumbs drummed the steering wheel. “Artemis will find us. She can dress it later.”

I bit my lip. 

Later. When we’re safe.

A strange shiver ran down my back. That felt too much like jinxing it.

We cleared the last turn and Luke floored it. The red and white cross striped bar of the ticketing station splintered across our grill as the machine protested. The speed bump hit hard and then we were out under the sunlight. I heard Luke let out a sigh of relief.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. 

“Fuck!” 

I heard him slam on the brakes. I felt the bone-breaking impact shudder through my side of the car. I hit the cup holder hard, knocking the wind out of me. The world tilted but it wasn’t a vision. Just the car turning over onto its side, wheels still spinning. My ears rang with the screeching of metal on the pavement. Glass was breaking. The front window. Luke’s window. My door crunched as the monster fox jumped onto the car, cackling. Its bone tail lashed out in a whip strike - I raised my right arm and that saved my life. The bones were sharp. Not being able to be cut or torn didn’t stop my forearm from exploding in bright, grinding pain as shards of glass flew everywhere from the shattered window.

In a flash of movement, the fox bit down on the door. With a crunch, a large chunk was torn away and then there was just teeth. 

The only reason I didn’t immediately die was the flash of celestial bronze from the driver’s seat. Reclaim carved a radiant upwards arc. I heard that discordant clang as the fox’s head seemed to split around the blade’s path before it flickered.

But I was ready for it this time.

Reclaim crunched into the roof of the car as gleaming, ivory fangs closed on Damocles. 

Clang.

Luke swept his sword down. 

Clang. 

He seemed to expect it, stopping the blade a centimeter from my head, and flicking his wrist.

Clang.

I stabbed in the shadow of Luke’s swing.

Clang.

Have you ever seen a dog snapping at water from a hose? I don’t know if we were the dog, or the water. It was all a game to the fox though. It had never been killed, not even by the gods themselves. Just put among the stars. I had never seen it bother to dodge. Why should it? Can’t hit it, can’t kill it. It cannot be trapped. From the moment it caught my scent, it had been playing with me. Eventually, the game would have to end.

But I don’t want to die.

I twisted my body to lunge for its exposed neck and instantly knew it was a mistake. I overextended. I just got in Luke’s way and for absolutely nothing.

Clang. Clang.

A silver hunting knife flashed through its eye.

Artemis. 

She only wanted to help. If I was faster. Smarter. More experienced, I could have used that split second she bought me to correct my mistake. But all I saw was the fox flicker when it shouldn’t have. My swing went wide in the wrong direction. Jaws crunched into my chest. My lungs ignited. My ribs felt like they were melting. Bile rushed up my throat as my sword fell from nerveless fingers. I thought I would see my life flash before my eyes. That's what mortals always says happens. Instead, my world narrowed in focus. The clouds in its blue eyes were moving. This close, the shifting, twisting aura of the monster danced before my eyes. It was almost tangible.

Oh, was the dim thought. I’m stupid.

I can’t put into words exactly what I realized. I would never be able to. 

I raised my free hand, feeling my forearm bones grind as the fox dragged me out of the car. Luke’s blade flashed.

Clang!

A burning tug pulled at my gut. 

The fox yelped. 

The vise grip around me disappeared. I hit the ground. I might have blacked out. I didn’t even have the strength to scream when someone - Luke - pulled me up and it felt like every bone in my chest cavity shattered. All that came out was coppery liquid and broken air. It didn’t matter.

A beautiful wound had ripped its way up the fox’s face, taking out its left eye. It was no longer grinning.

I was smiling though.

It had a ghost.

“Maia!” Luke screamed.

I knew we didn’t have the time to get out of its range. That was okay.

It was well within hers.

Time seemed to slow as she knocked the gleaming arrow and drew it back. She took a moment to savor her aim, and then a flash of light. Back to the car wreckage, half in the air, I was a sitting duck. Thing is, mid-leap like it was, it was one too. It’s seeming invincibility had taught it bad habits. You can't dodge easily in midair. My heart skipped a beat when I saw her silver eyes light up, nearly glowing with excitement, wonder and pure joy. The only thing ruining the Hallelujah chorus I could almost hear was the feral, bloodthirsty grin that pulled at her lips as every line of her body relaxed. 

It was a perfect shot.

One moment, the stink of monster breath was slapping me in the face, teeth snapping an inch from my nose. 

The next, it was just golden dust blowing away.

Bye, Fiona.

“Percy!” I definitely felt the landing. “Styx!”

My legs buckled. My right arm was a dull throb of pain, but I could feel my ribs screaming as I slid down to the ground. Wet coughs tore its way through my lungs and up my throat like magma welling in a volcano. It seared the whole way. I clumsily dug into my jacket with my left hand and pulled out my sunglasses. It wasn’t for the sake of fashion. My head was killing me.

I can’t tell you if I meant that literally.

“Not dead yet,” I whispered. I shoved my shades back onto my face. The ghosts of the world disappeared and that tight knot of pain between my eyes loosened. So, take stock, just like Mom taught me. I felt like shit. Glass shards to the face meant I probably looked like shit. I’m probably going to pass out in a bit if the darkness at the edges of my vision mean anything. And my jacket was definitely best present. I blinked slowly, staring up at the sky. Luke’s head filled my vision. His blond hair was matted with blood on one side. He must have hit his head on the window when the car tipped. He didn’t seem to notice it.

“I’ve got - we’ve got ambrosia in - in - where’s our fucking bags? ”

“Here.” I cast out my left hand, thinking about my backpack. My fingers fell on the canvas that definitely wasn’t there a second ago. And that was all I was good for. The urge to sleep became almost overpowering. Artemis, flushed and trembling, knelt at my side. She gently pressed a hand trailing silver moonlight to the side of my face. The pain didn’t lessen, but it stopped mattering as much.

“The Teumessian Fox, killed for the first time in our very long existence.” Artemis nearly whispered as Luke tore through my canvas backpack. 

You would think literal food of the gods would be stored in something other than a Ziploc bag but, uh, no. A small cube was shoved into my mouth. It tasted like my dad’s special hot chocolate blend. A little pepper, a little vanilla and lots of marshmallows. He always made me a mug every time we pulled out the character sheets and twenty sided dice. As soon as I swallowed, I was given a second square. A warm feeling slowly spread from my stomach, like I actually had that hot chocolate. I let my eyes drift closed. 

“Oh?” I heard Artemis murmur. “He has a high tolerance.”

“For - for ambrosia?” Luke asked just as quietly. “How is that possible?”

She was quiet for a moment. “Sleep, Perseus.”

Sleep sounded good. Unfortunately when I go to sleep, my brain shuts down first. Then my mouth.

And my mouth decided on a haiku.

“Lying here dying, refuses to use nickname, why are you so cruel?”

There was a pause. I was nearly completely gone when I heard Luke snort.

“Okay. Your brother’s not allowed around him anymore.”

“Agreed,” I vaguely heard Artemis reply.

I might have said more before Hypnos pulled me under. It might have even made sense. I don’t know. I don’t want to know.

You’re probably wondering what the hell is going on. To be honest, I am too. And I grew up around this stuff. Demigods. Monsters. Greek gods? They aren’t the only ones still hanging in there. Thor’s an actual thing. The Jötunn are too. Ra? Definitely. Susano’o, yup. Lakshmi, Quetzalcoatl, Anansi...sorry. I’m going too fast. You kind of came in the middle of everything here. Let’s rewind. Everything will make sense then. I promise. And who knows? Maybe revisiting the beginning will help me figure out where this is even going.

My mother would tell you it’s a story millions of years in the making. If we cut out the history lesson, it began when I was born. Cut out the baby pictures, it started when I turned five and there was a sun god on our balcony. But what really set everything in motion was a Royal New York Cheesecake Blizzard from the local Dairy Queen Grill and Chill. I get one every Friday after school, no matter what school I’m going to. It’s been my habit for years.

It’s how a satyr named Grover Underwood found me.

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