Sigh.

Disclaimer: I now fully understand the term "broke." Too bad I don't own some very popular book series to combat that.

Chapter 27: Follow the yellow brick road

Thalia POV

The portkey decided to stop above some rich dude's backyard. Fifty feet above the in ground pool, to be specific. I had a moment's pause to freak out before we began to fall.

"Percy!" I screamed in a very unheroic manner. "Help!"

Five feet below me, Percy was flailing his arms as if trying to take flight. "I can't!" he yelled back.

To my right, Nico let out a swear. I turned my head to look at him. The free-fall had caused his shaggy hair to fly away from his face. Right before we hit the water, I noticed the look of pure terror on his face.

I held my breath, but it did nothing against the force of hitting water at a running start. Water slammed into my face, going up my nose. I felt my knees hit the cement pool bottom and pushed off, rocketing up to the surface. I swam to the edge and clung on to it, futilely trying to get the chlorinated water out of my nose.

I looked around. Percy was hauling himself out of the pool, completely dry. Screw him. Nico was walking towards the steps in the shallow end, his black clothes clinging to his narrow frame.

"Everyone good?" Percy asked. Nico simply glared at him.

I pulled myself out of the water and laid down on the warm cement in an attempt to dry myself off a bit. "I'd be better if you used your magical drying powers on me."

Percy grinned. "Nah, I think you're good."

I rolled my head to get a clear view of him. Nico was on his other side crossing his arms. "I beg to differ," he said dryly.

Percy glanced between the two of us and must have decided that it wasn't worth an early death because the next minute he touched our shoulders and we were Insta-Dry.

I sat up. "Great. So…any idea where we are?"

"Hopefully LA," Percy commented.

Nico rolled his eyes. "We need to go south."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I-"

I clapped my hands once and quickly stood up. "South we go," I told them and started walking toward the street. There was a moment of silence then I heard the other two follow suit.

"Wait, guys," Percy stopped. "What about the Portkey?"

Nico and I stopped and turned around. "What about it?" I asked.

"Well…what if it's still magical? We can't just leave it sitting there for a mortal to find."

"Well then, you can carry it."

"Fine," he said. He walked over to the damned teapot and put it in his backpack. By some supernatural occurrence, it hadn't shattered during the fall.

"Are we ready now?" I asked.

Nico started walking without even waiting for an answer.

._._._._._._._._.

Three hours later we made it to DOA Recording Studios. Nico opened the door and waved us through.

The waiting room was insanely crowded. There were elderly people and young people milling around looking fairly bemused. In one section, a large clump of spirits huddled together. They looked like entire families, including small children. "Who are they?" I muttered, tipping my head at them.

Nico looked over at the corner. His expression didn't change as he said, "Casualties of war."

"Which one?" Percy's brow was deeply creased.

"Does it matter?"

I tried to swallow, but my throat was too dry.

Nico walked toward Charon's desk. Percy and I followed him silently.

Charon's Italian suit was impeccable. He looked up with a bored expression as we approached. "Nico," he greeted politely. I couldn't tell if he was happy or not to see him.

"Hi Charon." Percy nodded a greeting, so I did the same. Charon simply stared at him.

"Is there any room left on this boat?" Nico asked.

"You haven't used my ferry in years. Why would you want to now?"

"Because Percy and Thalia are coming with," Nico said slowly.

"Of course they are," Charon said, not quietly in any sense of the word. "Do you know what happens every time Jackson goes to the Underworld?"

I heard Percy sigh. Nico rested his head against the counter as if patience would seep into his brain. "Interestingly enough, I do. Usually because I am there with him."

"They why do you think I'd let the three of you take my ferry?"

"Because we are on a quest and need to get to my father and those two refuse to let me shadow travel them," Nico explained.

"…No."

Nico made a frustrated groan.

Yes. It's insanely short.

Do I care?

Not really. Hey, it's something, right?

-Silver.