The Titan's Curse Read Free Page A

Riptide.
    The pen grew in my hands until I held a bronze Greek sword about three-feet long with a leather-bound grip. The blade glowed faintly, casting a golden light on the rows of lockers.
    I jogged down the corridor, but when I got to the other end, no one was there. I opened a door and found myself back in the main entry hall. I was completely turned around. I didn’t see Dr. Thorn anywhere, but there on the opposite side of the room were the di Angelo kids. They stood frozen in horror, staring right at me.
    I advanced slowly, lowering the tip of my sword. “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”
    They didn’t answer. Their eyes were full of fear. What was wrong with them? Where was Dr. Thorn? Maybe he’d sensed the presence of Riptide and retreated. Monsters hated celestial bronze weapons.
    “My name’s Percy,” I said, trying to keep my voice level. “I’m going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe.”
    Bianca’s eyes widened. Her fists clenched. Only too late did I realize what her look meant. She wasn’t afraid of me. She was trying to warn me.
    I whirled around and something went WHIIISH! Pain exploded in my shoulder. A force like a huge hand yanked me backward and slammed me to the wall.
    I slashed with my sword but there was nothing to hit.
    A cold laugh echoed through the hall.
    “Yes, Perseus Jackson ,” Dr. Thorn said. His accent mangled the J in my last name. “I know who you are.”
    I tried to free my shoulder. My coat and shirt were pinned to the wall by some kind of spike—a black dagger-like projectile about a foot long. It had grazed the skin of my shoulder as it passed through my clothes, and the cut burned. I’d felt something like this before. Poison.
    I forced myself to concentrate. I would not pass out.
    A dark silhouette now moved toward us. Dr. Thorn stepped into the dim light. He still looked human, but his face was ghoulish. He had perfect white teeth and his brown/blue eyes reflected the light of my sword.
    “Thank you for coming out of the gym,” he said. “I hate middle school dances.”
    I tried to swing my sword again, but he was just out of reach.
    WHIIIISH! A second projectile shot from somewhere behind Dr. Thorn. He didn’t appear to move. It was as if someone invisible were standing behind him, throwing knives.
    Next to me, Bianca yelped. The second thorn impaled itself in the stone wall, half an inch from her face.
    “All three of you will come with me,” Dr. Thorn said. “Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw.”

TWO

THE VICE PRINCIPAL GETS A MISSILE LAUNCHER
    I didn’t know what kind of monster Dr. Thorn was, but he was fast.
    Maybe I could defend myself if I could get my shield activated. All that it would take was a touch of my wristwatch. But defending the di Angelo kids was another matter. I needed help, and there was only one way I could think to get it.
    I closed my eyes.
    “What are you doing, Jackson?” hissed Dr. Thorn. “Keep moving!”
    I opened my eyes and kept shuffling forward. “It’s my shoulder,” I lied, trying to sound miserable, which wasn’t hard. “It burns.”
    “Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!”
    Thorn herded us outside, and I tried to concentrate. I pictured Grover’s face. I focused on my feelings of fear and danger. Last summer, Grover had created an empathy link between us. He’d sent me visions in my dreams to let me know when he was in trouble. As far as I knew, we were still linked, but I’d never tried to contact Grover before. I didn’t even know if it would work while Grover was awake.
    Hey, Grover! I thought. Thorn’s kidnapping us! He’s a poisonous spike-throwing maniac! Help!
    Thorn marched us into the woods. We took a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights. My shoulder ached. The wind blowing through my ripped clothes was so cold that I felt like a