The Crown of Kronos: Chapter 24

Zarana's POV
This time, my lightning bolt didn't appear in my hands. I gulped and shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I have to depend on Charlie on this one.

The Cacausian eagle soared towards us, and then it shot a thousand volts of lightning from its mouth. It then emitted an ear-splitting screech.

"Oh, I didn't know it can shoot lightning." Alex said meekly.

"But.... But it can't!" Charlie cried.

"It must have became powerful." I offered.

Charlie thrust her hands out suddenly, and the eagle was thrown five feet backwards. The eagle rose and cried again, with lightning bolts coming out from its mouth.

Charlie created a shield, while Vic was in prayer to her mom.

The daughter of Athena created a ball of energy and threw it at the monster again. Alex tried to help, shooting a spray of lava against the eagle.

I looked at Mr. Gray, who was huddled on the floor of the car in fright.

"Hyah!" I heard Charlie shout, and I also heard the monster's cry.

I saw Charlie, leaning against the shotgun seat, sending forcefield after forcefield until the eagle seem to lose power. "Alex, shoot your lava!" Charlie cried.

Alex obliged, almost happily, and the eagle screeched one more time, and crashed against our car.

"Paris, France." I heard the computer say.

I groaned. There was this thump thump against our left side, and I saw that the eagle was pecking at the wings, trying to damage it.

"Oh gods, it damaged the wing!" Charlie moaned in despair.

"Charl, use the spear." The deep, shaking voice of Mr. Gray spoke.

We raised our eyebrows at him. But Charlie nodded and picked a long bronze spear from the weapons section. She skewered the poor bird and pulled it away from the car. Then, she dropped the spear.

"How about the wing?" I asked fearfully.

"There's nothing we could do." Mr. Gray said, his terribly thin face twitching.

"We're going to crash?" I exclaimed, breathing fast.

"Yep." He mumbled.

"Oh."

THUD.

I was thrown off my seat and onto Zeus-knows-where. Pain shot up in my head. The impact was powerful.

"Ouch," I heard Vic's weak voice.

"Aw, aw." Alex muttered. Her voice sounded far away.

"Charl?" Mr. Gray squeaked.

"Present and breathing." Her shaking voice rang out.

"How about Z?" I heard Alex ask.

"'M here." I called and tried to stand. Pieces of rubble fell from my clothes. I brushed off dust from my shoes and looked at my arms. My right hand was fine, except for one nasty bruise. My left was badly cut.

"Hey, what happened to ya?" Alex walked next to me. Her jeans were torn, and she had a bruise on her left cheek and a long cut near her right elbow.

"I fell." I said sarcastically.

"Oh, very funny." She answered with sarcasm as well.

"Hey dad, you okay?" I turned to see Charlie helping Mr. Gray out of the rubble.

Shadows passed over us. Victoria gasped. I wonder if its more monsters.

"What happened?" A man said in a French accent. Mortals were circling us. "Is zee something wrong?"

"NO!" Alex said, snapping her fingers. "Nothing to worry, we just tripped."

I winced at how silly it was, considering we fell a thousand feet from the sky, but I silently wished they buy the story.

"All five of you?" The man asked, confused.

"Ya." Alex nodded convincingly. "All five of us."

"You have to be carefull where you step." He said as he turned away, frowning. The rest of the mortals walked off, muttering.

"Where are we?" Victoria asked, fluffing up her wings.

"Paris." I answered, looking around. We seem to be in a place called Place Vendôme, from what Mr. Gray and Charlie said. Charlie was getting miserable again. I think she was thinking about her death that was nearing.

"REET!"

"Wha-" Alex said, and stopped walking.

Charlie paled. "No." She said. She gripped her scissors tightly.

"Tell me it's a monster from your childhood." Vic whispered. "Right?" She looked at Charlie.

"Yes. How-" Then she choked then nodded.

"It's the Calydonian boar."