Free The Blood of the Hydra by Michelle Madow Page B
Authors: Michelle Madow
under any circumstances. If you start to feel affected by the smell of the fruit, drink the yellow energy water in your bag, and you’ll be brought back to your senses.”
“The locals should provide you with the fruit,” Hypatia reminded us. “They love the lotus fruit, so they’ll be anxious to share. All you need to do is fill your bags with as much of it as you can and return back here.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Chris said. “Especially since the locals are all doped up on lotus. It sounds like they’ll have no clue what’s going on.”
“But we have our weapons, just in case.” Blake rested his hand on his gun, which he’d hidden under his jacket.
“If you haven’t returned once the sun has set, I’ll come looking for you,” Hypatia said. “Hopefully it won’t come to that. For now, one of the crew members will take you from the yacht to the beach. Once there, follow the beach around the cove to find the Lotus Eaters. Good luck, and I’ll see you soon.”
With that, we piled into the dinghy, and we were off.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
We strolled along the beach, listening to the waves crash against the shore, lost in our own thoughts. Between school, training, and homework, I barely had much time to think anymore. Could it be possible that my dad—Apollo—was watching me now? I’d assumed he was watching me back in Kinsley, since he’d known to leave that package on my windowsill. He hadn’t replied to my letter, but now that we were here, in the ancient lands, would he finally show himself to me? If he had time to leave me presents and letters, surely he could stop by for a short visit, just to introduce himself.
Then my thoughts were interrupted by hollow, rhythmic music that sounded like it came from bongos. We all stopped in our tracks, staring ahead at where it was coming from.
“Is that a drum circle?” Danielle asked.
“It’s coming from that way.” Chris pointed forward, running around the next turn. “I see them!” He came back around and motioned for us to hurry. His face was lit up with a huge smile, as if he’d discovered a buried treasure. “This way.”
We followed him around the corner, and in the distance I saw what appeared to be a giant beach party. People of all ages and heritages danced around a drum circle, played games of volleyball, surfed on the sea, and lounged around in hammocks. They didn’t seem to have a care in the world. We stood there, watching them, not saying a word.
Then a young boy who couldn’t have been older than ten pointed at us and shouted, “New visitors!”
I froze, my hand going to my bow. The others reached for their weapons, too.
The boy ran toward us, but an older woman in a kimono followed him, placing her hands on his shoulders to stop him. “We were just about to start a bonfire,” she said with a grin, as if she’d been expecting us. “Come, join us!”
“Yes, join us!” the others chorused, to the beat of the bongos. They kept repeating their request, the goofy smiles not leaving their faces. They all were dressed from different times—one man wore a dirtied toga, a woman wore a tattered medieval gown, a teen boy wore a t-shirt and board shorts, and another man wore a Scottish kilt, among many others. It was like the strangest Halloween party ever.
“What do you think?” Danielle asked, her hand still on her katana.
“They seem friendly,” I said. “And we’re supposed to talk to them to get the fruit, so I don’t think it will do us any good to walk over there brandishing our weapons.”
A little girl ran up to us, wearing a nightgown that had probably once been white under all the dirt, laughing as she kicked up piles of sand. “Come play with us!” she said, her ringlets bouncing around her face. “You can help us light the campfire.”
“I think I can help with that,” Blake said, flicking on his lighter and balancing a fireball in his hand.
The girl stopped in her tracks and looked up at
“The locals should provide you with the fruit,” Hypatia reminded us. “They love the lotus fruit, so they’ll be anxious to share. All you need to do is fill your bags with as much of it as you can and return back here.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Chris said. “Especially since the locals are all doped up on lotus. It sounds like they’ll have no clue what’s going on.”
“But we have our weapons, just in case.” Blake rested his hand on his gun, which he’d hidden under his jacket.
“If you haven’t returned once the sun has set, I’ll come looking for you,” Hypatia said. “Hopefully it won’t come to that. For now, one of the crew members will take you from the yacht to the beach. Once there, follow the beach around the cove to find the Lotus Eaters. Good luck, and I’ll see you soon.”
With that, we piled into the dinghy, and we were off.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
We strolled along the beach, listening to the waves crash against the shore, lost in our own thoughts. Between school, training, and homework, I barely had much time to think anymore. Could it be possible that my dad—Apollo—was watching me now? I’d assumed he was watching me back in Kinsley, since he’d known to leave that package on my windowsill. He hadn’t replied to my letter, but now that we were here, in the ancient lands, would he finally show himself to me? If he had time to leave me presents and letters, surely he could stop by for a short visit, just to introduce himself.
Then my thoughts were interrupted by hollow, rhythmic music that sounded like it came from bongos. We all stopped in our tracks, staring ahead at where it was coming from.
“Is that a drum circle?” Danielle asked.
“It’s coming from that way.” Chris pointed forward, running around the next turn. “I see them!” He came back around and motioned for us to hurry. His face was lit up with a huge smile, as if he’d discovered a buried treasure. “This way.”
We followed him around the corner, and in the distance I saw what appeared to be a giant beach party. People of all ages and heritages danced around a drum circle, played games of volleyball, surfed on the sea, and lounged around in hammocks. They didn’t seem to have a care in the world. We stood there, watching them, not saying a word.
Then a young boy who couldn’t have been older than ten pointed at us and shouted, “New visitors!”
I froze, my hand going to my bow. The others reached for their weapons, too.
The boy ran toward us, but an older woman in a kimono followed him, placing her hands on his shoulders to stop him. “We were just about to start a bonfire,” she said with a grin, as if she’d been expecting us. “Come, join us!”
“Yes, join us!” the others chorused, to the beat of the bongos. They kept repeating their request, the goofy smiles not leaving their faces. They all were dressed from different times—one man wore a dirtied toga, a woman wore a tattered medieval gown, a teen boy wore a t-shirt and board shorts, and another man wore a Scottish kilt, among many others. It was like the strangest Halloween party ever.
“What do you think?” Danielle asked, her hand still on her katana.
“They seem friendly,” I said. “And we’re supposed to talk to them to get the fruit, so I don’t think it will do us any good to walk over there brandishing our weapons.”
A little girl ran up to us, wearing a nightgown that had probably once been white under all the dirt, laughing as she kicked up piles of sand. “Come play with us!” she said, her ringlets bouncing around her face. “You can help us light the campfire.”
“I think I can help with that,” Blake said, flicking on his lighter and balancing a fireball in his hand.
The girl stopped in her tracks and looked up at