The Adventure That Lies Ahead | PJO x HP

CHAPTER 47

When Isa got inside the van she was expecting Argus to be driving, but it was Zoë.

Unfortunately, traffic was really bad during the holidays, so they arrived in Manhattan during the mid-morning. As Isa was looking out the window of the van, she saw a black speck land on top of the Chrysler Building. She squinted her eyes to get a better look and later realized it was Percy and Blackjack.

'Why did they stop?' Isa wondered. She didn't know what was going on in Percy's brain, but she just prayed to her father that he would be able to catch up with them.

Isa sort of... spaced out during the ride. She only snapped back when she heard Grover offer to do a tracking song. Isa only then realized that they didn't know where in the west they had to go.

"Hey, where are we?" Isa asked.

"Maryland," Zoë said as she parked the van in a service station. They all climbed out and entered the convenience store. The five of them watched Grover do the tracking spell, and were surprised from the outcome.

"Grover, are you sure?" Thalia asked as they exited the convenience store.

"Well... pretty sure. Ninety-nine percent. Okay, eighty-five percent."

"And you did this with acorns?" Bianca asked like she couldn't believe it.

Grover looked offended. "It's a time-honored tracking spell. I mean, I'm pretty sure I did it right."

"D.C. is about sixty miles from here," Bianca said. "Nico and I..." She frowned. "We used to live there. That's... that's strange. I'd forgotten."

"I dislike this," Zoë said. "We should go straight west. The prophecy said west."

"Oh, like your tracking skills are better?" Thalia growled.

Zoë stepped towards her. "You challenge my skills, you scullion? You know nothing of being a Hunter!"

"Oh, scullion? You're calling me a scullion? What the heck is a scullion?"

"Stop it, you two," Isa said. "You need to stop fighting if we want to succeed in this quest."

"Isa's right," Bianca said, "and D.C. is our best bet."

Zoë didn't look convinced, but she nodded reluctantly. "Very well. Let us keep moving."

"You're going to get us arrested, driving," Thalia grumbled. "I look closer to sixteen than you do."

"Perhaps," Zoë snapped. "But I have been driving since automobiles were invented. Let us go."

They continued their drive. They passed the Potomac River in central Washington. A couple minutes later, Zoë parked the van on a curb.

"Over there," Grover said as they piled out of the van. Isa followed his finger and saw him pointing at one of the big buildings lining the mall. Thalia nodded, and the five of them trudged off into the cold wind.

Finally, Isa was able to get a better view of the building that said AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM. Isa wrinkled her nose. She did not like museums.

Isa went to check the door and it was open. Not a lot of people were inside. It was too cold, and it was the school holidays.

The main part of the museum was one huge room with rockets and airplanes hanging from the ceiling. Three levels of balconies curled round, so you could look at the exhibits from all different heights. The place wasn't crowded, just a few families and a couple of tour groups of kids, probably doing one of those holiday school trips.