The Tyrant's Tomb

I nodded, though I suspected that most legionnaires, who spent a good
deal of their time marching in heavy armor, probably wouldn’t consider
hiking much fun. Lavinia, however, seemed to know every back road, trail,
and secret tunnel within twenty miles of Camp Jupiter—I suppose because
you never knew when you’d need to sneak out for a date with some pretty
Hemlock or Deadly Nightshade.
On my other side, Hazel ignored her veggie wrap and grumbled to
herself, “Can’t believe Frank…Trying to volunteer…Bad enough after his
crazy stunts in the battle…”
Nearby, having already plowed through her lunch, Meg aided her
digestion by doing cartwheels. Every time she landed, catching her balance
on the loose tiles, my heart free-climbed a little farther up my throat.
“Meg, could you please not do that?” I asked.
“It’s fun.” She fixed her eyes on the horizon and announced, “I want a
unicorn.” Then she cartwheeled again.
Lavinia muttered to no one in particular, “You popped a bubble—you’ll
be perfect for this quest!”
“Why do I have to like a guy with a death wish?” Hazel mused.
“Meg,” I pleaded, “you’re going to fall.”
“Even a small unicorn,” Meg said. “Not fair they have so many here and
I don’t have any.”
We continued this four-part disharmony until a giant eagle swooped out
of the sky, snatched the rest of the grilled cheese from Lavinia’s hand, and
soared away, leaving behind a flock of irritated seagulls.
“Typical.” Lavinia wiped her fingers on her pants. “Can’t even have a
sandwich.”
I shoved the rest of the focaccia in my mouth, just in case the eagle came
back for seconds.
“Well,” Hazel sighed, “at least we got the afternoon off to make plans.”
She gave half of her veggie wrap to Lavinia.
Lavinia blinked, apparently unsure how to respond to the kind gesture. “I
—uh, thanks. But I mean, what is there to plan? We go to the carousel, find
the tomb, try not to die.”
I swallowed the last of my food, hoping it might push my heart back
down to its proper location. “Perhaps we could concentrate on the not-dying
part. For instance, why wait until tonight? Wouldn’t it be safer to go when
it’s daylight?”