This is the second book to The Dove Trilogy.
Chapter 1- A Good Night's Sleep[]
Dawn Engel shot up from her bed. The cold night breeze difted through her room. She shivered, and got out of bed. She put on her slippers and decided to get a drink of water. The house was veiled with magic. She wasn't aware of that until she reached downstairs. The stars grew brighter. Dawn hadn't noticed that either. She leaned to turn on the water. Deep dark in the basement, a serpent like a string of mist wrapped around her, squeezing her life, leaving nothing but a sparkly nightgown the belonged to the stars.
Cleo Belle was now in her bedroom. The air was cold for winter, but this was unbelievalbly cold. She felt a tug at her back. She then remembered Aphrodite's words, "The coldest night, will be your next."
Cleo leaned against her bedpost, daring not to move. She got up from her bed finally, and closed the window. She then was mourning for the breeze that occasionally swept in. Cleo's family was probably one of the richest families in Queens, and therefore had the warmest temperature in the freezing winter. Cleo opened the window again. She spotted the stars. They formed a rectangle.
A warning signal, Cleo remembered from tracking at camp half blood. But who was trying to warn her? And why? Cleo thought to herself, and went back to bed. Perhaps another half blood was in danger like her last journey. It was 3 hours long. Her best friend Angeline Avery came along. They had succeeded.
Cleo leaned against her pillow, but couldn't sleep. Just then, a scream was sounded from downstairs.
Cleo's blood froze.
She knew that voice. It was the voice of Megan Belle, her step mother.
Chapter 2- The Prophecy[]
"Face it," said Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares. "Your mother's gone missing, and now you're gonna cry like a wimp?"
Cleo didn't answer. Angeline had told her there was no point in arguing with Clarisse. She wiped her tears and Clarisse shrugged her shoulders.
"Don't think I got you here. Chiron said, but don't think it's over." She walked away.
"Some help," Cleo muttered.
Cleo nodded to herself, still in tears. The danger sign was about her mother. She was warned. But still, she hadn't got the message, and now her mother was gone. Her step mother.
"Yo, Cleo!" Nylock Rensee walked over. "Heard 'bout your mother. Gosh, I wish I could-"
"Hey Ny," Cleo interrupted. "Wish you could, too,"
"Sorry, Cleo. I just-"
Cleo got up. She didn't want to be rude. "Listen, Nylock. I'm sorry, but I had a rough day. I need some quiet, ok?"
Cleo walked away, to her cabin. She needed some sleep.
In her dreams, her mother appeared. She was extra pretty.
"Cleo, this is your second chance to save your stepmother," the goddess said.
Cleo didn't say anything. All she thought of was the warning stars.
"This is the most important year for the questers." Aphrodite unrolled a sheet of old paper. It was the prophecy. Cleo caught it and read the spidery script.
Heaven's bird will fly down,
To all there is to the star gown,
The lost queen and princess will return,
And in the end the power will burn.
"All in for your new dove, and pouch," Aphrodite gave Cleo a velvet pouch. "Find your mother captive on Mount Orthys. And the lost princess. Follow-the-stars-can't-talk-Zeus-found-dream-bye-love-you-Cl-" her mother became blurry and shut off like a T.V.
Cleo woke to find the script and pouch in her hands.
Chapter 3- The Battle[]
The script made no sense to Cleo. She would have another dove? She buried her head in her hands.
This was the night she had seen shrouds used on bodies. She wished she'd never seen it again.
"You there?" Cleo looked up. It was the face of a girl who had looked like she'd been through a tornado. Her hair was all messy, and Cleo knew that she had been in the wind, too. The Wind of the year.
"Angeline?" Cleo croaked. She held on to the chair she was sitting in, tears in her eyes.
"Ready for battle?" Angeline asked.
"No," Cleo admitted, bursting into tears. She wasn't ready to die. Angeline patted her friends shoulder.
"Trust me, I know how you feel. Come outside."
Cleo and Angeline staggered toward the door of the cabin.
The whole camp was outside. In battle stations. Archers were hidden around. Percy was shouting orders to campers that were running around. Everyone looked uneasy. The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps. The labyrinth enterance was at Zeus's fist.
"Defend the camp!" Silena Beaureguard shouted.
Cleo pushed the hairs out of face. She noticed Drew slinking around.
"Don't worry, we'll live." Angeline smiled. Her hair was calm now. She had put a comb through it.
"We are the greatest heroes of this millennium!" Percy shouted to the campers.
"Want?" A boy named Pollux handed Angeline and Cleo waterbottles.
Cleo helped Angeline fix her armor. Nylock grabbed Cleo's shoulder.
"Good luck," she whispered, and shrank away.
"Well, I guess, good luck." Cleo wiped her eyes. Just then, a cry was heard. The labyrinth enterance exploded. Monsters flooded camp grounds.
Cleo gasped as Angeline went down. A hellhound leaped at her. She screamed, and cowered at the sight of it. Then, removing her dust pouch, she sprinkled dust around her. It created a kind of protection shield. Pink sparked as the hellhound crashed against the wall. Cleo attacked it with her sword. It exploded into dust.
"Angeline!" Cleo screamed over the yelling, cries and clashing of armor. Horrible things flashed by. Campers went down. Enemy demigods attacked, and every camper they struck, fell. Cleo felt so angry, seeing Angeline fall by an enemy half-blood. She carried the dust in her palm and charged at it. She looked fierce attacking in armor that shined in the afternoon light. She raised her sword, and threw the dust with force at the half-blood.
"What the-?" he cursed.
"DIE!" Cleo shouted, it shattered the dust as it spun around the half-blood. Cleo struck him, hard. Another enemy demigod came behind her, squeezing the life out of Cleo. She squeled, and struck the enemy.
The enemy wasn't that easy. She dodged every attack. Cleo's brown hair flashed like lightning once in a while as she ran. The enemy half-blood cursed as Cleo knocked her blade down. She pushed her black hair out of the way and yelled something threatning at Cleo.
Cleo tried more dust. The enemy screamed, and retreated, her sword bent. She ran back where she came from, not even looking back. Cleo stood there, watching her run.
It would be evil to follow her, running with my sword drawn, yelling, Cleo thought. She let the enemy run.
"Angeline!" She cried. But it was too late. Blood trickled down her friend's mouth, and with one hand over her chest, Angeline lay lifeless and dead.
"No!" Cleo sobbed, holding onto her friend's hand. Battle was all around her. It was too late for Angeline.
Chapter 4- Theodore[]
Cleo was crying that night. Angeline was not dead yet. Many campers died. A lot of the campers cried. And this night would be remembered. Shrouds were used on bodies. Shrouds went up in flames. Nylock sat with Cleo, trying to make her feel better. Cleo didn't want to talk now. Nylock understood, and slipped away. The smoke went up from the ampitheater and up to the sky. Angeline was still healing. It was unknown if she was dead. Some ill campers made it. Some didn't. They cried that night. All of them. Nobody had recalled such a night. But there was a bigger battle up next.
A pastel pink scarf landed in Cleo's arms. She stared at it. It was a dove. It ruffled its feathers. There were tears in Cleo's eyes, and the dove sensed it. He rubbed against Cleo's arm.
The card said the dove was Theodore.
Mr.D returned that night. He was in a black suit. His son, Castor had died.
Theodore disappeared in a shower of pink glitter, which fluttered to the ground like confetti.
The sky dimmed as the sun set. No one spoke. The night had some sort of magic veiled around, everyone was waiting for something to happen. Cleo waited for Angeline. Finally, Juliet returned.
"I'm so sorry, Cleo," she burst out. "She- she- she didn't- didn't make it." Juliet cried out. Her brother, Lee Fletcher had died that night. Cleo found her tears.
"Is she dead?" The words stuck in her throat.
"I don't know. I've never seen anything like it. Anything. There were pink sparkles around her and-"
Uh-oh. Cleo thought about the time she'd attacked the enemy half-blood.
"- and she kind of shimmered like an angel. Then I tried to touch her, but I was shocked. I asked my sister to help, she knows how to fix those kind of magics, but it- it- she was joined in it. She started to shimmer- and then, Angeline-" Juliet's voice turned low, and scared. " Angeline failed the magicks."
Chapter 5- The Right[]
"Strawberry?" Corin asked, halfheartedly.
"No, thanks." Cleo stared at the people passing by.
Cleo was supposed to be spending the afternoon with her family, but she was hungry, and she stopped at a café to get something to eat. She found Corin Mist there, a camper from Camp Half-Blood. She found it wrong to sit with him, because he already had a girlfriend. But she wasn't even looking at him. She was thinking about her miserable life and how unlucky and disastrous it could get.
"Alright." Corin tried to follow her gaze, but Cleo wasn't looking at anything particularly.
"You should know about Tess and I." He said quietly. Cleo broke her concentration. She looked over at him. But, she didn't say anything.
"I don't wanna hear it." She said flatly.
"But you're one of the people I'd tell you because you-"
"Well, you've chose wrong." Cleo didn't want to be rude, but she didn't want to hear anything now. She sipped her coffee, and she thought if Angeline would ever live. And her stepmother. And this princess she didn't even know. Too many people in danger.
"Just tell Tess," Corin put his hand on Cleo's shoulder. "That I still-"
"Save it," Cleo snapped. She shook his hand off, and then got up. "I'm sorry, Corin. But I'm sure you're well aware of my best friend's state, and my quests. My stepmother, and all that. I wish, Corin, I could stay. But how would you feel?"
Corin sighed, and said, "I understand."
"Good-bye." Cleo took her coffee and plucked her handbag from the seat. She looked at the door, and she was off.
Tess, who was staring at her messy bunk, couldn't get her head straight. She rubbed her brown-blond hair. She was thinking of Corin, who she was also trying to ignore, but she found it hard. She plucked the sweater that was slinking its way off her bed. She threw it back where it came from, then collapsed on her bed.
"Tess?"
Tess looked over to her side. It was Silena Beaureguard.
"Silena, hi." It was barely a whisper.
"Have you seen Charlie?"
"Um, no. I'm sorry."
"Something's bothering you, right?"
"No, it's nothing. I'm fine."
"I know. Tess, I know you. I won't tell anyone."
"I might. Okay, well-" Tess broke out, "Corin dumped me!"
Silena's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, Tess, that's just horrible!"
"I never thought he would do that." Tess wiped her eyes. "He's just so... spoiled. He thinks he can get away with anything."
"That wasn't nice of him," Silena said.
"Yes, he was with another girl. They were ki-"
"Tess, I'm so sorry. I can tell you'd like to be alone now." Silena got up.
"Yes, thank you." Tess sniffed. She felt better after talking about it to Silena. At least someone besides Tess and Corin and the girl knew. But what if Corin had told someone? Silena closed the door. It opened again.
"Tess, I need to talk to you, now." Cleo came inside.
Oh no, not another, thought Tess.
"Tess, I need another quest member," Cleo began. "And I was hoping you'd like to come.To rescue... a princess and my stepmother from Mount Orthys."
"I'll go," said Tess at once.
"Then you're the Right." Cleo said sullenly.
Chapter 6- Light Trap[]
"Should I leave now?" Cleo wondered out loud.
"Yes, if I were you," said Silena Beaureguard from the doorway. She craned her neck to look outside. "Oh, and there's Tess. She's waiting for you."
"OK, then." Cleo closed the zipper of her bag.
"Only one," Silena reminded. She had helped Cleo pack.
"Thanks again, Silena!" Cleo stepped outside. The sun was bright, and Cleo felt good about wearing the sunglasses. They had a brown tint, so when you looked from the outside, they looked cool.
"Nice shades," Tess folded up her sleeves. "Ooo, I just hate being stiff."
"Good for you." Cleo said. "I like being loose."
"You know why," Tess groaned. They were down the road, and were walking as the sun sunk down.
"Why?" Cleo tried hard not to laugh. They ducked under a swarm of branches growing from a very old leaning tree.
"Never mind. So, what now. What happens. What 'miracle' comes to save us?" Tess avoided being hit by a whipping branch that whipped back and forth.
"Nothing, I guess. Last time was too easy. Well, here we are. I bought all our supplies. Some dollar bills, some drachmas-"
"Some?" shrieked Tess. "We need more than 'some!' "
"Fine. I have $200, counting. Well, 50 drachmas. Oh, and the clothes from mom, some-"
"200's not enough," grumbled Tess. She jumped over a puddle of mud. By now, the sky was dark.
"Stop it!" Cleo shouted. "You're ruining everything! I'm doing the work here. I should've picked someone else. You're not so reliable! And that's what made Corin give up on you!"
Tess was shocked. She was in disbelief. She suddenly felt angry.
"I had nothing to do that! AND CORIN WAS A LYING JERK!" Tess wanted to punch someone. Most of all, she wanted to punch Cleo. That would be necessay. And so she did- or tried to.
"Tess, stop it," Cleo ducked as Tess swung around, her hands failing to keep her balance. She fell on the sidewalk. She managed to get her balance. Tess was a quick mover, so she got up, grabbing branches for support.
"Oh GODS! What am I going to do?" Tess was on the first stone down to Cresent Bay. It was a dark street, that never ended. There was a band of moonlight most of the time, but now the street was dark. The houses were deserted, and nothing moved.
"Well, we're gonna have to pass the street to get to the other side," Tess said glumly.
"But, it never ends." Cleo pointed out. She actually did point out the darkness, but there was nothing to point out because Tess couldn't see beyond the darkness, and you can't point the darkness, so the person you're speaking to won't get the point, to point out something in the darkness that you did point out, but it would be useless because the person can't see a thing, therefore they won't get the point. And, Cleo and Tess knew nothing of Cresent Bay, that was the first time they've came across it.
"I don't see what you're pointing at," said Tess. "And if it doesn't end, that just sucks. Besides, every street ends."
"Not every," Cleo murmered. "The dark ones don't." And the dark she used isn't the dark as in light and dark, she means good and evil.
"Dark? You're not afraid of the dark, are you?" Tess snickered.
"No, I-" Cleo shook her head.
"OK, OK, let's go already!" Tess started forward.
What did I do to deserve this? Cleo asked herself.
"Look, the light," Tess pointed to a beam of moonlight at the far end. The street was curved, bending farther and deeper.
"Okay, I guess we're lucky today. Moon's shining on this street, we're good."
Or so they thought.
"This looks too bright," Tess stopped a few feet away. "When I work with light, it's usually more than 50 watts that look like moonlight. Not below. But this is unnaturally bright."
"Okay, let's just see," Cleo said.
"I don't know about this," Tess said.
As soon as they were an inch apart from the beam of moonlight, it disappeared and they sunk into the ground.
Chapter 7- Cat Growl[]
"Where are we?" Cleo asked.
"I have no idea." Tess replied.
"Great. That's good!" Cleo stared in the darkness.
"We seem to be under the ground. But not as deep as the underworld, so I guess we're a few miles from death." She laughed weakly.
"Cat growl," said Cleo.
"Huh?"
"Cat growl," Cleo repeated. "Go on, try it."
"Cat growl," Tess said. "Okay, so what good did that do?"
"No! I mean, do a cat growl."
Tess made a cat growl.
"Okay, now what?" she asked.
"Okay, we will be rescued. Just wait and see."
"Seriously? A cat growl? Why did I make a cat growl for no apparent reason?"
"There's a reason," Cleo said impatiently. "Just wait and see."
"Okay," Tess murmered. Then, she lay still and fell asleep.
Cleo pressed her head against the ground. She closed her eyes, too.
"CAT GROWL!" Tess suddenly broke through Cleo's sleep. Cleo woke up.
"Uh- wha, what?"
"Cat growl!" Tess pointed to an opening in the wall. "Let's go!"
"Um, I don't know, Tess."
"Cat growl," Tess growled.
"Okay." Cleo did a cat growl.
"Okay, let's go before that sinks on us." Tess pointed toward the ceiling.
"Okay! Okay!" Cleo wanted to leave immediatly. The ceiling had a huge crack through it.
"What was it again? Mount Orthys? Isn't that Kronos's headquarters? I mean, the home of the Titans?" Tess pestered.
"Yup," Cleo said. "Yup, and yup. You're right. It is." She pulled the drawstring of the pouch. Slowly, she sprinkled some dust over the dangerous looking cracks in the tunnel they were in, The dust filled them in. The cracks began to fade.
Chapter 8- Seeing Theodore[]
"Look," Tess said. "It's huge."
The mountains were black, the rocks plain, mist curling up against their skin.
"Is this-"
"I guess so." Cleo kicked up the dust near her feet. "It's exactly like the description. But it looks a bit-"
"Clut?" Tess suggested.
"What?" Cleo asked.
"It looks clut." Tess said. "I mean, a stupid hideout!"
"Clut, uh, I guess." Cleo had no idea what "clut" was.
"Go in, already!" Tess complained. "It's only a matter of time till you-"
"My bird!" Cleo gasped. She clutched her head, and moaned. "Oh, I'm so stupid. I forgot my bird. I'm a clut, I'm a-"
"What bird?" Tess demanded.
"MY DOVE!" Cleo screamed, and the shards of ice fell from the rooftops. The world spun.
"Oh, your dove. You don't need it. We've got this."
"No!" Cleo shouted. "You don't understand. Without it, we'll never , ever rescue anybody!" She collapsed, rocking back and forth. "I'm so dumb. I'm so inconsiderate. I'm so deliv-"
"What color is it?" Tess asked, squinting.
Cleo carried on as if Tess had said nothing.
"WHAT COLOR IS IT?" Tess demanded, grabbing Cleo's arm.
"How is that going to help?" Cleo looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy.
"Get over it, Cleo. You're never gonna grow up like this. I'm going to set a trap. I need to know the color. I need to attract it."
"You can't," Cleo said. "You need the shawl. Oh, I'm such an idiot! My whole life is gone. I should throw myself to monsters."
"Shut up. That's suicide. You won't achieve elysium if you think that way." Tess chided.
Cleo grabbed the pouch, and opened it. She took a fistfull of dust and was about to throw it at the sky. Tess grabbed her hand, and took the dust. She poured it into the pouch.
"I have an idea," she said. "But you'd better cooperate." Tess sat down, pulling together rocks.
"Good at sculpturing?" she asked. Cleo shrugged, wiping her eyes.
"It's time you found out." Tess took a stick, and thrust out her palm. The stick's end was covered in ash. Tess began to draw pictures of tools. Slowly, they lifted themselves up. A wheel, a chain and a chisel.
"I can make only 3 a day," Tess said. "But, you need to make this." Tess drew two poles, a plank with two holes, five fat screws, and another pole and plank. "Make those," she instucted, tossing Cleo a chisel and knife.
"But I-" Cleo protested.
"Look, if you wanna save your step mom, do it. After all, you would've been dead if I weren't here." Tess gave her a sly smile.
The trap wasn't too bad- except Cleo's carvings. Tess smiled, and stood.
"How's that?" she asked.
"How do we catch Theodore?" Cleo demanded, purposely not answering the question. Her hands were raw, and sooty from touching the ash.
"I beg your pardon?" Tess asked, clearly annoyed.
"Tess, I'm not joking. How does this thing work?" Cleo kicked an extra screw.
"Dust," Tess held out a hand. She poured it in the bowl shaped rock. It glinted in the moon. Tess pulled on the wheel. The chain lifted the plank, and the dust poured down, and went up, in a cycle in the cups.
Out of nowhere, a pink shape spiraled out of the sky.
"Looks like a hungry vulture," Tess observed, holding up the slingshot.
"NO!" Cleo shouted. "It's my dove."
"Okay, okay. It was just a joke," Tess laughed.
Theodore landing on Cleo's head.
"Theodore!" Cleo scolded. "Not up there!"
Theodore landed on Tess's head. Tess didn't object. She smiled, like she had had a bird before. She reached up to pet Theodore.
"Oh heck am I glad to see you," Cleo grinned.
Chapter 9- Dawn Engel Gets a Bloody Bruise[]
Turning away from the point was easy for Cleo. She convince Tess to go in the passage leading inside.
And inside, leading down 3 corridors was a room with bars over the wall. Tess peered inside.
There was a girl, with a tattered brown coat and burnt red-pink-brown curls. She wore a tiara, and was barefoot.
There was a woman in the next one, with blond hair and dark blue eyes. She looked tired, and scared.
The next one had a monster that looked like a spirit, a horse.
The next one-
"Whose that?" Tess asked, pointing to the girl's cell after Cleo looked.
"It's Dawn Engel." Cleo said.
"That's you step mom." Tess pointed to the woman's cell.
Cleo nodded grimly.
"I gotta save them." She paced around. "Wow, this place has low security system."
"I got this," Tess lifted out the crowbar, and hung it over the handel, holding the end, twisted it and brought the wall collapsing.
"No," Cleo said. "We need the dove." She pointed to the pink dove.
Tess rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Cleo brought Theodore to the wall, and then, theodore started to peck the wall, very, very gently.
"Omigods, he's so slow." Tess said.
"Shut up!" Cleo put a finger to her lips and listened. "Hear that? That's the magic."
"Magic, schmagic." Tess rolled her eyes again, but listened.
The wall parted.
"What the-?" Tess jumped. "How the, how did that happen?"
"Magic." Cleo went inside the ceel. Dawn Engel raised her head.
"It's you!" she said. "The girl from my dreams! You're Aphrodite."
Cleo winked, and helped Dawn get up. Dawn's leg was swollen, her back hurt.
Dawn pet Theodore's head.
"You're step mom," Tess suggested. Cleo lifted Theodore to the wall. Theodore had no intention of breaking it.
"Ah well, later then." Cleo looked anxious, but she said, "Let's get out of here!"
They tore across the corridor, and burst out to the staircase, when there was a noise.
And all of a sudden, there was a-
"It's a guy with ram's horns!" Tess gasped. Clearly, she didn't have great manners.
The titan touched his horns, and winced.
"Put the girl back, daughter of Aphrodite." he snarled.
Cleo froze. Dawn looked terrified.
"No," she whispered. "Don't let him!"
"My step mother," Cleo croaked. "A deal, then?"
The titan laughed.
"Your mother's a fair fight, then?"
"No! My step mother." Cleo stomped her foot. Then, the titan threw his hand back, and Dawn fell to the ground. Completely senseless.
"NO!" Cleo screamed. Tess grabbed her hand, and they tore up the staircase.
Dawn Engel had a nasty cut on her arm.
Chapter Ten- Everything Has It's End[]
"I can't believe I was so inconsiderate!" Cleo moaned.
"Well, at least you got to know where they were. We'll go get them later." Tess said.
"Yeah, well now they're probably going to go guard them! Then what?" Cleo cried, banging her fist against the ground.
"Then we fight them." Tess examined her fingernails like it was no big deal. "Cleo- you happen to gave a discount on-"
"Stop it! Just stop it!" Cleo yelled. "My step mother's gone, Angeline's dead, and I get the worst luck by going to a hopeless quest with you!"
"You have no idea what I've been through." Tess snarled. "My mother was drunk a week ago- we were planning to have a day together. After so many years! I cared. But she was drunk the night before- the next morning I discovered she had a bad accident. And then- my breakup with Corin! And then, I get the worst luck by going on a quest with a girl who keeps whining every minute!"
Cleo watched Tess get up.
"Sorry." she said.
"No, sorry's not good enough. Thanks for making my day miserable enough." Tess said.
"Fine!" Cleo snapped. "Thanks for making my life more miserable than it already is!" She whipped her hair, showing she didn't care about it. Then, she stood up and began to walk away from Tess. Her head down. Theodore flew to her and perched on her shoulder. Cleo raised her arm to smack him- but then stopped herself.
That wouldn't do any good, she thought.
"So it's over," Cleo said to Tess without turning. "You can go now. I'll rescue them alone."
"Good." Tess said. "So this is the end."
Chapter Eleven- Safe, or What?[]
Cleo's tears wouldn't stop pouring.
"Tess was right. I'm a wimp. I don't d-do any good." She wiped her eyes.
It's okay, Theodore said in Cleo's mind.
"Talking animals are okay." Cleo smiled and pet Theodore on the head.
"I hope we could rescue Dawn and my step mother." Cleo sighed. "Theodore- can you- change your form?"
Sometimes, Theodore replied.
"Can sometimes be now?"
I'd be proud to- but, don't scream.
"Why?" Cleo couldn't help grinning. "Do you look horrible? Ugly? Monsterous?"
Stop it! It depends. Theodore began to coo in protest.
Cleo burst out laughing.
"Okay, well now would be nice. I won't scream. See, I'll close my mouth." Cleo clapped her hands over her mouth.
Okay, okay. Theodore began to glow.
I hope you can speak English, not coo. Please? Cleo asked in her mind, rather than aloud.
Okay, already! Theodore said.
Cleo turned away and waited. Once the glow died, she began to turn.
Surprisingly, there was a boy, about her age, with blue eyes and brown hair.
"Oh, so what's so bad about that look?" Cleo asked. "It doesn't look ugly!"
"I'm ashamed," Theodore said. "I don't think I look good!"
"Oh, come of it." Cleo said. "Okay, so we go back, and get Dawn and my step mother?"
"But, I can't break the wall then. I don't have a beak anymore." Theodore explained.
"The beat. You tapped it, right? We can do that. It'll open!"
"You're a genius. Okay. But don't blame me if it doesnt work." Theodore said. He raised his arms and flapped them.
"What are you trying to do? You look like an absurd chicken, flapping like that!" Cleo joked. Theodore blushed.
"Hey, I forgot I wasn't a dove anymore. Stop teasing."
"The more important goal- get Dawn- no. My step mother."
"Cleo, is that really you? And whose that?" Megan asked. (Megan is the step mother, note from Lao)
"It's me, mom. And this is- well, it's kind of freakish-" Cleo began.
"Hey!" Theodore protested.
"-but that's a dove named Theodore in human form."
Megan laughed. "I know. It's not freakish at all-"
"Thank you," Theodore muttered.
"- because when I met Aphrodite, I knew wy your father fell for her. So, tell me, Cleo. How are we going to get out of here without being seen?"
"The way we came in," Cleo said, pointing to the ventilator (Yeah, I know, a ventilator in Mount Orthys :P -Lao) . "Is it safe, or what?"
Chapter Twelve- Things Get More Ugly[]
"Dawn!" Cleo called, low.
"Here," came a weak voice. Behind a crate, was Dawn. She had a bloody bruise on her arm, and her forehead shared the same nasty gash.
Theodore had taken Megan outside, to hide. They were in no good condition to fight. Dawn wasn't either.
So it's only me, Cleo thought. I shouldn't have had that fight with Tess.
"It's you, Cleo. It's really you. Ms. Belle told me. She said you were her step daughter. You're nice, Cleo. Where's the other girl I saw before?" Dawn croaked.
"She's better gone." Cleo said bitterly. "Anyways, we gotta flee, fast."
"Thanks, Aphrodite." Dawn smiled.
"And please don't call me that."
Cleo helped Dawn up, then they staggered toward the staircase.
"Whare do you think you're going?" asked a harsh voice. They turned to see a tall woman with black hair and sea blue eyes.
"Leave her alone," Cleo said bravely. "So this is what you do. She's a mortal!"
The titaness laughed. "She's more than just a mortal, Cleo. She's the blood of me!"
Dawn's eyes widened. "I'm not your blood!" she cried.
"Foolish girl. You have my blood running through your veins. You're no mortal. I'm your grandmother." The titaness scowled.
"Who are you?" Dawn demanded.
"Who are you?" The titaness shot back. "I'm Tethys, the titaness of the sea."
"Well, here we go, where things get just more and more ugly." Cleo muttered.
"You want ugly?" Tethys growled. "I'll show you ugly!"
There was a loud roar, and Dawn was swept from Cleo's clutches.
Dawn and Tethys both disappeared.
Things get more uglier...
Chapter Thirteen- It's Over, but it Failed[]
Theodore and Cleo took Megan to Cleo's house.
They went to camp.
"Can I turn into a dove now?" Theodore whined.
"No," Cleo snapped. Then, her expression softened. "I mean, not now. We need to explain to Chiron. Plus, Drew will fret."
"She seems like a nice girl," Theodore muttered. He was just cross about how "ugly" he looked.
Once at camp, Cleo and Theodore took turns explaining.
"Tess. Is she here?" Cleo asked Chiron.
"Why... yes. She came yesturday." Chiron replied. "Yes, I know, Cleo. You mother explained."
"Goddess or mortal?" Cleo grinned.
"Goddess," Chiron shared the smile. "You can go now, and let Theodore turn into a dove. He's shaking all over."
"Thanks the gods!" Theodore muttered.
"It failed." Cleo told her friends at camp. "I mean, it's over. I saved my mother. But... I failed to save Dawn. Tethys took her, who know's where."
"Aw, Cleo." said her friend, Maria. "At least you save your mother."
"At least I did," Cleo agreed. "Well, see you later, guys." She broke from the group, and spotted Corin at the lake. She walked over to him.
"How's Tess?" Cleo asked him.
"She's okay." Corin replied, avoiding Cleo's eyes.
"About you guys..." Cleo let the sentence hang.
"What about us?" Corin turned, to look straight at Cleo.
"I mean- is it over?" Cleo asked, her heart pounding.
"Oh, you mean our silly arguement over my friend? It's over." Corin said.
"I feel happy for Tess." Cleo grinned.
"Cleo!" a voice called. Cleo turned away from Corin, and looked back, to see a cheery Silena waving her over.
"Oh, Cleo! You've gotta see this! You'll be so happy!" Silena said. She ran over, and lead Cleo towards the back of Aphrodite's cabin.
"What?" Cleo asked, mystified. Then, what she saw, made her heart stop.
It was a girl with clear gray eyes, and silky blond hair.
"Angeline!" Cleo cried.
This is the End of Book Two[]
Next book: The Pastel Yellow Dove
Hope you liked it!
The blank one means you loved it. Nicole Bloor 17:28, February 22, 2011 (UTC)