Rick Riordan - The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5)

ONE

The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car.

Up until then, I was having a great afternoon. Technically I wasnt supposed to be driving because I wouldnt turn sixteen for another week, but my mom and my stepdad, Paul, took my friend Rachel and me to this private stretch of beach on the South Shore, and Paul let us borrow his Prius for a short spin.

Now, I know youre thinking, Wow, that was really irresponsible of him, blah, blah, blah, but Paul knows me pretty well. Hes seen me slice up demons and leap out of exploding school buildings, so he probably figured taking a car a few hundred yards wasnt exactly the most dangerous thing Id ever done.

Anyway, Rachel and I were driving along. It was a hot August day. Rachels red hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore a white blouse over her swimsuit. Id never seen her in anything but ratty T-shirts and paint-splattered jeans before, and she looked like a million golden drachma.

Oh, pull up right there! she told me.

We parked on a ridge overlooking the Atlantic. The sea is always one of my favorite places, but today it was especially niceglittery green and smooth as glass, like my dad was keeping it calm just for us.

My dad, by the way, is Poseidon. He can do stuff like that.

So. Rachel smiled at me. About that invitation.

Oh... right. I tried to sound excited. I mean, shed asked me to her familys vacation house on St. Thomas for three days. I didnt get a lot of offers like that. My familys idea of a fancy vacation was a weekend in a rundown cabin on Long Island with some movie rentals and a couple of frozen pizzas, and here Rachels folks were willing to let me tag along to the Caribbean.

Besides, I seriously needed a vacation. This summer had been the hardest of my life. The idea of taking a break even for a few days was really tempting.

Still, something big was supposed to go down any day now. I was on call for a mission. Even worse, next week was my birthday. There was this prophecy that said when I turned sixteen, bad things would happen.

Percy, she said, I know the timing is bad. But its always bad for you, right?

She had a point.

I really want to go, I promised. Its just

The war.

I nodded. I didnt like talking about it, but Rachel knew. Unlike most mortals, she could see through the Mistthe magic veil that distorts human vision. Shed seen monsters. Shed met some of the other demigods who were fighting the Titans and their allies. Shed even been there last summer when the chopped-up Lord Kronos rose out of his coffin in a terrible new form, and shed earned my permanent respect by nailing him in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush.

She put her hand on my arm. Just think about it, okay? We dont leave for a couple of days. My dad... Her voice faltered.

Is he giving you a hard time? I asked.

Rachel shook her head in disgust. Hes trying to be nice to me, which is almost worse. He wants me to go to Clarion Ladies Academy in the fall.

The school where your mom went?

Its a stupid finishing school for society girls, all the way in New Hampshire. Can you see me in finishing school?

I admitted the idea sounded pretty dumb. Rachel was into urban art projects and feeding the homeless and going to protest rallies to Save the Endangered Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and stuff like that. Id never even seen her wear a dress. It was hard to imagine her learning to be a socialite.

She sighed. He thinks if he does a bunch of nice stuff for me, Ill feel guilty and give in.

Which is why he agreed to let me come with you guys on vacation?

Yes... but Percy, youd be doing me a huge favor. It would be so much better if you were with us. Besides, theres something I want to talk She stopped abruptly.

Something you want to talk about? I asked. You mean... so serious wed have to go to St. Thomas to talk about it?

She pursed her lips. Look, just forget it for now. Lets pretend were a couple of normal people. Were out for a drive, and were watching the ocean, and its nice to be together.

I could tell something was bothering her, but she put on a brave smile. The sunlight made her hair look like fire.

Wed spent a lot of time together this summer. I hadnt exactly planned it that way, but the more serious things got at camp, the more I found myself needing to call up Rachel and get away, just for some breathing room. I needed to remind myself that the mortal world was still out there, away from all the monsters using me as their personal punching bag.

Okay, I said. Just a normal afternoon and two normal people.

She nodded. And so... hypothetically, if these two people liked each other, what would it take to get the stupid guy to kiss the girl, huh?

Oh... I felt like one of Apollos sacred cowsslow, dumb, and bright red. Um...

I cant pretend I hadnt thought about Rachel. She was so much easier to be around than... well, than some other girls I knew. I didnt have to work hard, or watch what I said, or rack my brain trying to figure out what she was thinking. Rachel didnt hide much. She let you know how she felt.

Im not sure what I wouldve done, but I was so distracted, I didnt notice the huge black form swooping down from the sky until four hooves landed on the hood of the Prius with a WUMP-WUMP-CRUNCH!

Hey, boss, a voice said in my head. Nice car!

Blackjack the pegasus was an old friend of mine, so I tried not to get too annoyed by the craters hed just put in the hood; but I didnt think my stepdad would be real stoked.

Blackjack, I sighed. What are you

Then I saw who was riding on his back, and I knew my day was about to get a lot more complicated.

Sup, Percy.

Charles Beckendorf, senior counselor for the Hephaestus cabin, would make most monsters cry for their mommies. He was this huge African American guy with ripped muscles from working in the forges every summer. He was two years older than me, and one of the camps best armorsmiths. He made some seriously ingenious mechanical stuff. A month before, hed rigged a Greek firebomb in the bathroom of a tour bus that was carrying a bunch of monsters across country. The explosion took out a whole legion of Kronoss evil meanies as soon as the first harpy went flush.

Beckendorf was dressed for combat. He wore a bronze breastplate and war helm with black camo pants and a sword strapped to his side. His explosives bag was slung over his shoulder.

Time? I asked.

He nodded grimly.

A clump formed in my throat. Id known this was coming. Wed been planning it for weeks, but Id half hoped it would never happen.

Rachel looked up at Beckendorf. Hi.

Oh, hey. Im Beckendorf. You must be Rachel. Percys told me... uh, I mean he mentioned you.

Rachel raised an eyebrow. Really? Good. She glanced at Blackjack, who was clopping his hooves against the hood of the Prius. So I guess you guys have to go save the world now.

Pretty much, Beckendorf agreed.

I looked at Rachel helplessly. Would you tell my mom

Ill tell her. Im sure shes used to it. And Ill explain to Paul about the hood.

I nodded my thanks. I figured this might be the last time Paul loaned me his car.

Good luck. Rachel kissed me before I could even react. Now, get going, half-blood. Go kill some monsters for me.

My last view of her was sitting in the shotgun seat of the Prius, her arms crossed, watching as Blackjack circled higher and higher, carrying Beckendorf and me into the sky. I wondered what Rachel wanted to talk to me about, and whether Id live long enough to find out.