Rick Riordan - The Titans Curse

Copyright 2007 by Rick Riordan
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. For information address Hyperion Books for Children, 114 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10011-5690.

First Edition
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
This book is set in 13-point Centaur MT.

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4231-0145-1
ISBN-10: 1-4231-0145-6
Reinforced binding

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ONE

The Friday before winter break, my mom packed me an overnight bag and a few deadly weapons and took me to a new boarding school. We picked up my friends Annabeth and Thalia on the way.

It was an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine. Sleet and snow pounded the highway. Annabeth, Thalia, and I hadnt seen each other in months, but between the blizzard and the thought of what we were about to do, we were too nervous to talk much. Except for my mom. She talks more when shes nervous. By the time we finally got to Westover Hall, it was getting dark, and shed told Annabeth and Thalia every embarrassing baby story there was to tell about me.

Thalia wiped the fog off the car window and peered outside. Oh, yeah. Thisll be fun.

Westover Hall looked like an evil knights castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the gray churning ocean on the other.

Are you sure you dont want me to wait? my mother asked.

No, thanks, Mom, I said. I dont know how long it will take. Well be okay.

But how will you get back? Im worried, Percy.

I hoped I wasnt blushing. It was bad enough I had to depend on my mom to drive me to my battles.

Its okay, Ms. Jackson. Annabeth smiled reassuringly. Her blond hair was tucked into a ski cap and her gray eyes were the same color as the ocean. Well keep him out of trouble.

My mom seemed to relax a little. She thinks Annabeth is the most levelheaded demigod ever to hit eighth grade. Shes sure Annabeth often keeps me from getting killed. Shes right, but that doesnt mean I have to like it.

All right, dears, my mom said. Do you have everything you need?

Yes, Ms. Jackson, Thalia said. Thanks for the ride.

Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?

Mom

Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?

Mom, seriously! Well be fine. Come on, guys.

She looked a little hurt, and I was sorry about that, but I was ready to be out of that car. If my mom told one more story about how cute I looked in the bathtub when I was three years old, I was going to burrow into the snow and freeze myself to death.

Annabeth and Thalia followed me outside. The wind blew straight through my coat like ice daggers.

Once my mothers car was out of sight, Thalia said, Your mom is so cool, Percy.

Shes pretty okay, I admitted. What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?

As soon as I said it, I wished I hadnt. Thalia was great at giving evil looks, what with the punk clothes she always wearsthe ripped-up army jacket, black leather pants and chain jewelry, the black eyeliner and those intense blue eyes. But the look she gave me now was a perfect evil ten.

If that was any of your business, Percy

Wed better get inside, Annabeth interrupted. Grover will be waiting.

Thalia looked at the castle and shivered. Youre right. I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call.

I stared up at the dark towers of Westover Hall. Nothing good, I guessed.

The oak doors groaned open, and the three of us stepped into the entry hall in a swirl of snow.

All I could say was, Whoa.

The place was huge. The walls were lined with battle flags and weapon displays: antique rifles, battle axes, and a bunch of other stuff. I mean, I knew Westover was a military school and all, but the decorations seemed like overkill. Literally.

My hand went to my pocket, where I kept my lethal ballpoint pen, Riptide. I could already sense something wrong in this place. Something dangerous. Thalia was rubbing her silver bracelet, her favorite magic item. I knew we were thinking the same thing. A fight was coming.

Annabeth started to say, I wonder where

The doors slammed shut behind us.

Oo-kay, I mumbled. Guess well stay a while.

I could hear music echoing from the other end of the hall. It sounded like dance music.

We stashed our overnight bags behind a pillar and started down the hall. We hadnt gone very far when I heard footsteps on the stone floor, and a man and woman marched out of the shadows to intercept us.

They both had short gray hair and black military-style uniforms with red trim. The woman had a wispy mustache, and the guy was clean-shaven, which seemed kind of backward to me. They both walked stiffly, like they had broomsticks taped to their spines.

Well? the woman demanded. What are you doing here?

Um... I realized I hadnt planned for this. Id been so focused on getting to Grover and finding out what was wrong, I hadnt considered that someone might question three kids sneaking into the school at night. We hadnt talked at all in the car about how we would get inside. I said, Maam, were just

Ha! the man snapped, which made me jump. Visitors are not allowed at the dance! You shall be eee-jected!

He had an accentFrench, maybe. He pronounced his J like in Jacques. He was tall, with a hawkish face. His nostrils flared when he spoke, which made it really hard not to stare up his nose, and his eyes were two different colors one brown, one bluelike an alley cats.

I figured he was about to toss us into the snow, but then Thalia stepped forward and did something very weird.

She snapped her fingers. The sound was sharp and loud. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt a gust of wind ripple out from her hand, across the room. It washed over all of us, making the banners rustle on the walls.

Oh, but were not visitors, sir, Thalia said. We go to school here. You remember: Im Thalia. And this is Annabeth and Percy. Were in the eighth grade.

The male teacher narrowed his two-colored eyes. I didnt know what Thalia was thinking. Now wed probably get punished for lying and thrown into the snow. But the man seemed to be hesitating.

He looked at his colleague. Ms. Gottschalk, do you know these students?

Despite the danger we were in, I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. A teacher named Got Chalk? He had to be kidding.

The woman blinked, like someone had just woken her up from a trance. I... yes. I believe I do, sir. She frowned at us. Annabeth. Thalia. Percy. What are you doing away from the gymnasium?

Before we could answer, I heard more footsteps, and Grover ran up, breathless. You made it! You