Rick Riordan
The Sea Monsters - 02
What did you think of your tour?"
Annabeth's eyes brightened. "Your library is amazing!"
"Yes, indeed," C.C. said, "The best knowledge of the past three millennia. Anything you want
to study, anything you want to be, my dear."
"An architect?"
"Pah!" C.C. said. "You, my dear, have the makings of a sorceress. Like me."
Annabeth took a step back. "A sorceress?"
"Yes, my dear." C.C. held up her hand. A flame appeared in her palm and danced across her
fingertips. "My mother is Hecate, the goddess of magic. I know a daughter of Athena when I see
one. We are not so different, you and I. We both seek knowledge. We both admire greatness.
Neither of us needs to stand in the shadow of men."
"I—I don't understand."
Again, I squealed my best, trying to get Annabeth's attention, but she either couldn't hear me
or didn't think the noises were important. Meanwhile, the other guinea pigs were emerging from their
hutch to check me out. I didn't think it was possible for guinea pigs to look mean, but these did.
There were half a dozen, with dirty fur and cracked teeth and beady red eyes. They were covered
with shavings and smelled like they really had been in here for three hundred years, without getting
their cage cleaned.
"Stay with me," C.C. was telling Annabeth. "Study with me. You can join our staff, become a
sorceress, learn to bend others to your will. You will become immortal!"
"But—"
"You are too intelligent, my dear," C.C. said. "You know better than to trust that silly camp for
heroes. How many great female half-blood heroes can you name?"
"Um, Atalanta, Amelia Earhart—"
"Bah! Men get all the glory." C.C. closed her fist and extinguished the magic flame. "The only
way to power for women is sorcery. Medea, Calypso, now there were powerful women! And me, of
course. The greatest of all."
"You ... C.C. ... Circe!"
"Yes, my dear."
Annabeth backed up, and Circe laughed. "You need not worry. I mean you no harm."
"What have you done to Percy?"
"Only helped him realize his true form."
Annabeth scanned the room. Finally she saw the cage, and me scratching at the bars, all the
other guinea pigs crowding around me. Her eyes went wide.
"Forget him," Circe said. "Join me and learn the ways of sorcery."
"But—"
"Your friend will be well cared for. He'll be shipped to a wonderful new home on the
mainland. The kindergartners will adore him. Meanwhile, you will be wise and powerful. You will
have all you ever wanted."
Annabeth was still staring at me, but she had a dreamy expression on her face. She looked
the same way I had when Circe enchanted me into drinking the guinea pig milk shake. I squealed
and scratched, trying to warn her to snap out of it, but I was absolutely powerless.
"Let me think about it," Annabeth murmured. "Just... give me a minute alone. To say good-
bye."
"Of course, my dear," Circe cooed. "One minute. Oh ... and so you have absolute privacy ..."
She waved her hand and iron bars slammed down over the windows. She swept out of the room
and I heard the locks on the door click shut behind her.
The dreamy look melted off Annabeth's face.
She rushed over to my cage. "All right, which one is you?
I squealed, but so did all the other guinea pigs. Annabeth looked desperate. She scanned
the room and spotted the cuff of my jeans sticking out from under the loom.
Yes!
She rushed over and rummaged through my pockets.
But instead of bringing out Riptide, she found the bottle of Hermes multivitamins and started
struggling with the cap.
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