Page 12 (1/2)

She pulled a tray out of the oven and dumped a dozen lumps of chocolate chip charcoal on the table

"Luke was so kind," Ms Castellan murmured "He left to protect me, you know He said if he went away, the monsters wouldn't threaten me But I told him the monsters are no threat! They sit outside on the sidewalk all day, and they never come in" She picked up the little stuffed Medusa from the sill "Do they, Mrs Medusa? No, no threat at all" She bealad you came home I knew you weren't asha Luke sitting at this table, eight or nine years old, and just beginning to realize that my mother wasn't all there

"Ms Castellan," I said

"Mom," she corrected

"Um, yeah Have you seen Luke since he left home?"

"Well, of course!"

I didn't know if she was i that or not For all I knew, every time the mailman came to the door he was Luke But Nico sat forward expectantly

"When?" he asked "When did Luke visit you last?"

"Well, it wasOh goodness" A shadow passed across her face "The last time, he looked so different A scar A terrible scar, and his voice so full of pain"

"His eyes," I said "Were they gold?"

"Gold?" She blinked "No How silly Luke has blue eyes Beautiful blue eyes!"

So Luke really had been here, and this had happened before last summer--before he'd turned into Kronos

"Ms Castellan?" Nico put his hand on the old woman's ar?"

She frowned as if trying to re Isn't that sweet?" She looked at us uncertainly "He was going to a river, and he said he needed ave it to him Of course I did"

Nico looked at me triumphantly "Thank you, ma'am That's all the inforasped She doubled over, and her cookie tray clattered to the floor Nico and I jumped to our feet

"Ms Castellan?" I said

"AHHHH," She straightened I scrambled away and almost fell over the kitchen table, because her eyes--her eyes were glowing green

"My child," she rasped in a much deeper voice "Must protect him! Herrabbed Nico by the shoulders and began to shake him as if to make hiled screaripped the hilt of his sword "Percy, we need to get out--"

Suddenly Ms Castellan collapsed I lurched forward and caught her before she could hit the edge of the table I et her into a chair

"Ms C?" I asked

Sheincomprehensible and shook her head "Goodness II dropped the cookies How silly of me"

She blinked, and her eyes were back to norloas gone

"Are you okay?" I asked

"Well, of course, dear I'lanced at Nico, whous so about your son"

"Was I?" she said drea about his blue eyes Such a handsoently "We'll tell Lukeuh, we'll tell him you said hello"

"But you can't leave!" Ms Castellan got shakily to her feet, and I backed away I felt silly being scared of a frail old worabbed Nico

"Hermes will be here soon," she promised "He'll want to see his boy!"

"Maybe next time," I said "Thank you for--" I looked down at the burned cookies scattered on the floor "Thanks for everything"

She tried to stop us, to offer us Kool-Aid, but I had to get out of that house On the front porch, she grabbed my wrist and I almost jumped out of my skin "Luke, at least be safe Promise me you'll be safe"

"I willMom"

That made her smile She released my wrist, and as she closed the front door I could hear her talking to the candles: "You hear that? He will be safe I told you he would be!"

As the door shut, Nico and I ran The little beanbag anirin at us as we passed

Back at the cliff, Mrs O'Leary had found a friend

A cozy caht years old was sitting cross-legged next to Mrs O'Leary, scratching the hellhound's ears

The girl had mousy brown hair and a simple brown dress She wore a scarf over her head so she looked like a pioneer kid--like the ghost of Little House on the Prairie or solow more richly red than a normal fire

"Hello," she said

My first thought was: irl alone in the woods--that's typically a good time to draw your sword and attack Plus, the encounter with Ms Castellan had rattled irl "Hello again, Lady"