Free The Demigods of Olympus: An Interactive Adventure by Rick Riordan Page A

part swung open like a refrigerator door.
    Inside was a locker almost as tall as I was. I spotted two hiking packs with bedrolls and water bottles. And hanging on the back wall of the cabinet was a sheathed sword with a blue gem glowing faintly on the pommel.
    Before I could say anything, a glass window shattered behind me. A lion even bigger than Ms. Roche crashed through and landed only ten feet away.
    “There you are.” The lion’s voice was definitely male. His snarling face was wreathed in a shaggy golden mane. His fully extended claws gleamed white. He rose on his haunches, which only made him look scarier. “You destroyed my sister,” he snarled. “Now I will destroy you.”
    My lungs deflated like old helium balloons. “Your—your sister? You mean you and Ms. Roche—”
    “We are leontes !” the lion bellowed. “The children of Atalanta! We always hunt in pairs. Normally, the female has the honor of the kill, but since you sent her back to Tartarus—”
    “Wait.” I was hoping if I bought us a little time, Sam could get us out of this somehow. Maybe one of the packs in the cabinet contained a few hand grenades or possibly a bazooka. “Um, Mr. Lion…sorry, but I always like to know who’s killing me. You said you’re a child of who?”
    “Atalanta!” he cried. “The most famous Greek heroine! A glorious hunter. The fastest of runners. She and our father Hippomenes were cursed by that ridiculous love goddess Aphrodite simply because they forgot to make a few sacrifices during their wedding ceremony. Aphrodite changed them into lions! Ever since, we their descendants have prowled the world, looking for revenge. Since we cannot destroy the gods, we destroy their children!”
    I was out of magical tree-growing gold coins, so I glanced at Sam, hoping he had found a bazooka. Sadly, he was frozen in terror. He may have been my self-proclaimed protector, but at the moment he was about as helpful as the statue of Nemo Sign.
    “Well, Mr. Lion…” My voice sounded as squeaky as Mickey Mouse. “I can tell you’re upset. But, uh, I don’t even know the gods. I didn’t know I was a demigod until like an hour ago—”
    “Good!” snarled the lion. “I will destroy you before you learn your powers!”
    I looked around frantically. Should I go for the sword? Or try to outwit the lion?
    The lion tensed to pounce.

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“Let’s wait for another car. I really think I can convince the next person who comes by.”
    Sam nodded. “Okay, I trust you. But you can’t screw this one up!”
    “So much for trust! Don’t worry, I won’t.”
    I walked back to the center of the road and scanned the horizon, waiting, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. Time was running out. What if that… thing caught us? Each of its claws was nearly as big as my head.
    “Zane!” Sam pointed down the road in the same direction the last car had come from.
    My heart beat faster and I started waving and jumping up and down as the car approached. It was a small station wagon driven by an old woman— a much better option , I thought.
    As the woman slowed and stopped, I ran around to the driver’s side window. “Thank you for stopping,” I said. “We need your help.”
    The woman peered at me over small metal-framed glasses but kept the window rolled up. I continued, undeterred. “My friend and I need to get to the library to meet my mother. We’re late. Could you give us a ride? Please? It’s close by. We’re very nice…” She just stared at me with squished old woman eyes and shook her head. As I trailed off, she looked back toward the road and the car began rolling forward.
    “No!” I said, walking alongside the car, looking nervously at the tree line. I knocked on the window, but that only made her press harder on the