ldquo;I thought the owl was Minervarsquo;s symbol,rdquo; Jason murmured.
ldquo;The screech owl is one of Hadesrsquo;s sacred animals,rdquo; Nico said. ldquo;Its cry is a bad omen.rdquo;
ldquo;This way.rdquo; Hazel pointed to a doorway that looked the same as all the others. ldquo;Itrsquo;s the only one that wonrsquo;t collapse on us.rdquo;
ldquo;Good choice, then,rdquo; Leo said.
Frank began to feel like he was leaving the world of the living. His skin tingled, and he wondered if it was a side effect of the poison. The pouch with his firewood seemed heavier on his belt. In the eerie glow of their magic weapons, his friends looked like flickering ghosts.
Cold air brushed against his face. In his mind, Ares and Mars had gone silent, but Frank thought he heard other voices whispering in the side corridors, beckoning him to veer off course, to come closer and listen to them speak.
Finally they reached an archway carved in the shape of human skullsmdash;or maybe they were human skulls embedded in the rock. In the purple light of Diocletianrsquo;s scepter, the hollow eye sockets seemed to blink.
Frank almost hit the ceiling when Hazel put a hand on his arm.
ldquo;This is the entrance to the second level,rdquo; she said. ldquo;Irsquo;d better take a look.rdquo;
Frank hadnrsquo;t even realized that hersquo;d moved in front of the doorway.
ldquo;Uh, yeahhellip;rdquo; He made way for her.
Hazel traced her fingers across the carved skulls. ldquo;No traps on the doorway, buthellip;something is strange here. My underground sense ismdash;is fuzzy, like someone is working against me, hiding whatrsquo;s ahead of us.rdquo;
ldquo;The sorceress that Hecate warned you about?rdquo; Jason guessed. ldquo;The one Leo saw in his dream? What was her name?rdquo;
Hazel chewed her lip. ldquo;It would be safer not to say her name. But stay alert. One thing Irsquo;m sure of: From this point on, the dead are stronger than the living.rdquo;
Frank wasnrsquo;t sure how she knew that, but he believed her. The voices in the darkness seemed to whisper louder. He caught glimpses of movement in the shadows. From the way his friendsrsquo; eyes darted around, he guessed they were seeing things too.
ldquo;Where are the monsters?rdquo; he wondered aloud. ldquo;I thought Gaea had an army guarding the Doors.rdquo;
ldquo;Donrsquo;t know,rdquo; Jason said. His pale skin looked as green as the poison from the chalice. ldquo;At this point Irsquo;d almost prefer a straight-up fight.rdquo;
ldquo;Careful what you wish for, man.rdquo; Leo summoned a ball of fire to his hand, and for once Frank was glad to see the flames. ldquo;Personally, Irsquo;m hoping nobodyrsquo;s home. We walk in, find Percy and Annabeth, destroy the Doors of Death, and walk out. Maybe stop at the gift shop.rdquo;
ldquo;Yeah,rdquo; Frank said. ldquo;Thatrsquo;ll happen.rdquo;
The tunnel shook. Rubble rained down from the ceiling.
Hazel grabbed Frankrsquo;s hand. ldquo;That was close,rdquo; she muttered. ldquo;These passageways wonrsquo;t take much more.rdquo;
ldquo;The Doors of Death just opened again,rdquo; Nico said.
ldquo;Itrsquo;s happening like every fifteen minutes,rdquo; Piper noted.
ldquo;Every twelve,rdquo; Nico corrected, though he didnrsquo;t explain how he knew. ldquo;Wersquo;d better hurry. Percy and Annabeth are close. Theyrsquo;re in danger. I can sense it.rdquo;
As they traveled deeper, the corridors widened. The ceilings rose to six meters high, decorated with elaborate paintings of owls in the branches of white poplars. The extra space should have made Frank feel better, but all he could think about was the tactical situation. The tunnels were big enough to accommodate large monsters, even giants. There were blind corners everywhere, perfect for ambushes. Their group could be flanked or surrounded easily. They would have no good options for retreat.
All of Frankrsquo;s instincts told him to get out of these tunnels. If no monsters were visible, that just meant they were hiding, waiting to spring a trap. Even though Frank knew that, there wasnrsquo;t much he could do about it. They had to find the Doors of Death.
Leo held his fire close to the walls. Frank saw Ancient Greek graffiti scratched into the stone. He couldnrsquo;t read Ancient Greek, but he guessed they were prayers or supplications to the dead, written by pilgrims thousands of years ago. The tunnel floor was littered with ceramic shards and silver coins.
ldquo;Offerings?rdquo; Piper guessed.
ldquo;Yes,rdquo; Nico said. ldquo;If you wanted your ancestors to appear, you had to make an offering.rdquo;
ldquo;Letrsquo;s not make an offering,rdquo; Jason suggested.
Nobody argued.
ldquo;The tunnel from here is unstable,rdquo; Hazel warned. ldquo;The floor mighthellip;well, just follow me. Step exactly where I step.rdquo;
She made her way forward. Frank walked right behind hermdash;not because he felt particularly brave, but because he wanted to be close if Hazel needed his help. The voices of the war gods were arguing again in his ears. He could sense dangermdash;very close now.
Fai Zhang.
He stopped cold. That voicehellip;it wasnrsquo;t Ares or Mars. It seemed to come from right next to him, like someone whispering in his ear.
ldquo;Frank?rdquo; Jason whispered behind him. ldquo;Hazel, hold up a second. Frank, whatrsquo;s wrong?rdquo;
ldquo;Nothing,rdquo; Frank murmured. ldquo;I justmdash;rdquo;
Pylos, the voice said. I await you in Pylos.
Frank felt like the poison was bubbling back up his throat. Hersquo;d been scared plenty of times before. Hersquo;d even faced the god of Death.
But this voice terrified him in a different way. It resonated right down to his bones, as if it knew everything about himmdash;his curse, his history, his future.
His grandmother had always been big on honoring the ancestors. It was a Chinese thing. You had to appease ghosts. You had to take them seriously.
Frank always thought his grandmotherrsquo;s superstitions were silly. Now he changed his mind. He had no doubthellip;the voice that spoke to him was one of his ancestors.
He looked down and realized hersquo;d been about to step out of line.
To survive, you must lead, the voice said. At the break, you must take charge.
ldquo;Lead where?rdquo; he asked aloud.
Then the voice was gone. Frank could feel its absence, as if the humidity had suddenly dropped.
ldquo;Uh, big guy?rdquo; Leo said. ldquo;Could you not freak out on us? Please and thank you.rdquo;
Frankrsquo;s friends were all looking at him with concern.
ldquo;Irsquo;m okay,rdquo; he managed. ldquo;Justhellip;a voice.rdquo;
Nico nodded. ldquo;I did warn you. Itrsquo;ll only get worse. We shouldmdash;rdquo;
Hazel held up her hand for silence. ldquo;Wait here, everybody.rdquo;
Frank didnrsquo;t like it, but she forged ahead alone. He counted to twenty-three before she came back, her face drawn and pensive.
ldquo;Scary room ahead,rdquo; she warned. ldquo;Donrsquo;t panic.rdquo;
ldquo;Those two things donrsquo;t go together,rdquo; Leo murmured. But they followed Hazel into the cavern.
The place was like a circular cathedral, with a ceiling so high it was lost in the gloom. Dozens of other tunnels led off in different directions, each echoing with ghostly voices. The thing that made Frank nervous was the floor. It was a gruesome mosaic of bones and gemsmdash;human femurs, hip bones, and ribs twisted and fused together into a smooth surface, dotted with diamonds and rubies. The bones formed patterns, like skeletal contortionists tumbling together, curling to protect the precious stonesmdash;a dance of death and riches.
ldquo;Touch nothing,rdquo; Hazel said.
ldquo;Wasnrsquo;t planning on it,rdquo; Leo muttered.
Jason scanned the exits. ldquo;Which way now?rdquo;
For once, Nico looked uncertain. ldquo;This should be the room where the priests invoked the most powerful spirits. One of these passages leads deeper into the temple, to the third level and the altar of Hades himself. But whichmdash;?rdquo;
ldquo;That one.rdquo; Frank pointed. In a doorway at the opposite end of the room, a ghostly Roman legionnaire beckoned to them. His face was misty and indistinct, but Frank got the feeling the ghost was looking directly at him.
Hazel frowned. ldquo;Why that one?rdquo;
ldquo;You donrsquo;t see the ghost?rdquo; Frank asked.
ldquo;Ghost?rdquo; Nico asked.
Okayhellip;if Frank was seeing a ghost that the Underworld kids couldnrsquo;t see, something was definitely wrong. He felt like the floor was vibrating underneath him. Then he realized it was vibrating.
ldquo;We need to get to that exit,rdquo; he said. ldquo;Now!rdquo;
Hazel almost had to tackle him to restrain him. ldquo;Wait, Frank! This floor is not stable, and underneathhellip;well, Irsquo;m not sure whatrsquo;s underneath. I need to scout a safe path.rdquo;
ldquo;Hurry, then,rdquo; he urged.
He drew his bow and herded Hazel along as fast as he dared. Leo scrambled behind him to provide light. The others guarded the rear. Frank could tell he was scaring his friends, but he couldnrsquo;t help it. He knew in his gut they had only seconds beforehellip;
In front of them, the legionnaire ghost vaporized. The cavern reverberated with monstrous roarsmdash;dozens, maybe hundreds of enemies coming from every direction. Frank recognized the throaty bellow of the Earthborn, the screech of gryphons, the guttural war cries of Cyclopesmdash;all sounds he remembered from the Battle of New Rome, amplified underground, echoing in his head even louder than the war godrsquo;s voices.
ldquo;Hazel, donrsquo;t stop!rdquo; Nico ordered. He pulled the scepter of Diocletian from his belt. Piper and Jason drew their swords as the monsters spilled into the cavern.
A vanguard of six-armed Earthborn threw a volley of stones that shattered the bone-and-jewel floor like ice. A fissure spread across the center of the room, coming straight toward Leo and Hazel.
No time for caution. Frank tackled his friends, and the three of them skidded across the cavern, landing at the edge of the ghostrsquo;s tunnel as rocks and spears flew overhead.
ldquo;Go!rdquo; Frank yelled. ldquo;Go, go!rdquo;
Hazel and Leo scrambled into the tunnel, which seemed to be the only one free of monsters. Frank wasnrsquo;t sure that was a good sign.
Two meters in, Leo turned. ldquo;The others!rdquo;
The entire cavern shuddered. Frank looked back and his courage crumbled to dust. Dividing the cavern was a new fifteen-meter-wide chasm, spanned only by two rickety stretches of bone flooring. The bulk of the monster army was on the opposite side, howling in frustration and throwing whatever they could find, including each other. Some attempted to cross the bridges, which creaked and crackled under their weight.
Jason, Piper, and Nico stood on the near side of the chasm, which was good, but they were surrounded by a ring of Cyclopes and hellhounds. More monsters kept pouring in from the side corridors, while gryphons wheeled overhead, undeterred by the crumbling floor.
The three demigods would never make it to the tunnel. Even if Jason tried to fly them, theyrsquo;d be shot out of the air.
Frank remembered the voice of his ancestor: At the break
ldquo;Nico!rdquo; he yelled. ldquo;The scepter.rdquo;
Nico raised Diocletianrsquo;s scepter, and the cavern air shimmered purple. Ghosts climbed from the fissure and seeped from the wallsmdash;an entire Roman legion in full battle gear. They began taking on physical form, like walking corpses, but they seemed confused. Jason yelled in Latin, ordering them to form ranks and attack. The undead just shuffled among the monsters, causing momentary confusion, but that wouldnrsquo;t last.
Frank turned to Hazel and Leo. ldquo;You two keep going.rdquo;
Hazelrsquo;s eyes widened. ldquo;What? No!rdquo;
ldquo;You have to.rdquo; It was the hardest thing Frank had ever done, but he knew it was the only choice. ldquo;Find the Doors. Save Annabeth and Percy.rdquo;
ldquo;Butmdash;rdquo; Leo glanced over Frankrsquo;s shoulder. ldquo;Hit the deck!rdquo;
Frank dove for cover as a volley of rocks slammed overhead. When he managed to get up, coughing and covered in dust, the entrance to the tunnel was gone. An entire section of wall had collapsed, leaving a slope of smoking rubble.
ldquo;Hazelhellip;rdquo; Frankrsquo;s voice broke. He had to hope she and Leo were alive on the other side. He couldnrsquo;t afford to think otherwise.
Anger swelled in his chest. He turned and charged toward the monster army.
FRANK WAS NO EXPERT ON GHOSTS, but the dead legionnaires must have all been demigods, because they were totally ADHD.
They clawed their way out of the pit, then milled about aimlessly, chest-bumping each other for no apparent reason, pushing one another back into the chasm, shooting arrows into the air as if trying to kill flies, and occasionally, out of sheer luck, throwing a javelin, a sword, or an ally in the direction of the enemy.
Meanwhile, the army of monsters got thicker and angrier. Earthborn threw volleys of stones that plowed into the zombie legionnaires, crushing them like paper. Female demons with mismatched legs and fiery hair (Frank guessed they were empousai) gnashed their fangs and shouted orders at the other monsters. A dozen Cyclopes advanced on the crumbling bridges, while seal-shaped humanoidsmdash;telkhines, like Frank had seen in Atlantamdash;lobbed vials of Greek fire across the chasm. There were even some wild centaurs in the mix, shooting flaming arrows and trampling their smaller allies under hoof. In fact, most of the enemy seemed to be armed with some kind of fiery weapon. Despite his new fireproof pouch, Frank found that extremely uncool.
He pushed through the crowd of dead Romans, shooting down monsters until his arrows were spent, slowly making his way toward his friends.
A little late, he realizedmdash;duhmdash;he should turn into something big and powerful, like a bear or a dragon. As soon as the thought occurred, pain flared in his arm. He stumbled, looked down, and was astonished to find an arrow shaft protruding from his left biceps. His sleeve was soaked with blood.
The sight made him dizzy. Mostly it made him angry. He tried to turn into a dragon, with no luck. The pain made it too hard to focus. Maybe he couldnrsquo;t change shape while wounded.
Great, he thought. Now I find out.
He dropped his bow and picked up a sword from a fallenhellip;well, he actually wasnrsquo;t sure what it wasmdash;some sort of reptilian lady warrior with snake trunks instead of legs. He slashed his way forward, trying to ignore the pain and the blood dripping down his arm.
About five meters ahead, Nico was swinging his black sword with one hand, holding the scepter of Diocletian aloft with the other. He kept shouting orders at the legionnaires, but they paid him no attention.
Of course not, Frank thought. Hersquo;s Greek.
Jason and Piper stood at Nicorsquo;s back. Jason summoned gusts of wind to blast aside javelins and arrows. He deflected a vial of Greek fire right up the throat of a gryphon, which burst into flames and spiraled into the pit. Piper put her new sword to good use, while spraying food from the cornucopia in her other handmdash;using hams, chickens, apples, and oranges as interceptor missiles. The air above the chasm turned into a fireworks show of flaming projectiles, exploding rocks, and fresh produce.
Still, Frankrsquo;s friends couldnrsquo;t hold out forever. Jasonrsquo;s face was already beaded with sweat. He kept shouting in Latin: ldquo;Form ranks!rdquo; But the dead legionnaires wouldnrsquo;t listen to him, either. Some of the zombies were helpful just by standing in the way, blocking monsters and taking fire. If they kept getting mowed down, though, there wouldnrsquo;t be enough of them left to organize.
ldquo;Make way!rdquo; Frank shouted. To his surprise, the dead legionnaires parted for him. The closest ones turned and stared at him with blank eyes, as if waiting for further orders.
ldquo;Oh, greathellip;rdquo; Frank mumbled.
In Venice, Mars had warned him that his true test of leadership was coming. Frankrsquo;s ghostly ancestor had urged him to take charge. But if these dead Romans wouldnrsquo;t listen to Jason, why should they listen to him? Because he was a child of Mars, or maybe becausehellip;
The truth hit him. Jason wasnrsquo;t quite Roman anymore. His time at Camp Half-Blood had changed him. Reyna had recognized that. Apparently, so did the undead legionnaires. If Jason no longer gave off the right sort of vibe, or the aura of a Roman leaderhellip;
Frank made it to his friends as a wave of Cyclopes crashed into them. He lifted his sword to parry a Cyclopsrsquo;s club, then stabbed the monster in the leg, sending him backward into the pit. Another one charged. Frank managed to impale him, but blood loss was making him weak. His vision blurred. His ears rang.
He was dimly aware of Jason on his left flank, deflecting the incoming missiles with wind; Piper on his right, yelling charmspeak commandsmdash;encouraging the monsters to attack each other or take a refreshing jump into the chasm.
ldquo;Itrsquo;ll be fun!rdquo; she promised.
A few listened, but across the pit, the empousai were countering her orders. Apparently they had charmspeak too. The monsters crowded so thickly around Frank that he could barely use his sword. The stench of their breath and body odor was almost enough to knock him out, even without the arrow throbbing in his arm.
What was Frank supposed to do? Hersquo;d had a plan, but his thoughts were getting fuzzy.
ldquo;Stupid ghosts!rdquo; Nico shouted.
ldquo;They wonrsquo;t listen!rdquo; Jason agreed.
That was it. Frank had to make the ghosts listen.
He summoned all his strength and yelled, ldquo;Cohortsmdash;lock shields!rdquo;
The zombies around him stirred. They lined up in front of Frank, putting their shields together in a ragged defensive formation. But they were moving too slowly, like sleepwalkers, and only a few had responded to his voice.
ldquo;Frank, how did you do that?rdquo; Jason yelled.
Frankrsquo;s head swam with pain. He forced himself not to pass out. ldquo;Irsquo;m the ranking Roman officer,rdquo; he said. ldquo;Theymdash;uh, they donrsquo;t recognize you. Sorry.rdquo;
Jason grimaced, but he didnrsquo;t look particularly surprised. ldquo;How can we help?rdquo;
Frank wished he had an answer. A gryphon soared overhead, almost decapitating him with its talons. Nico smacked it with the scepter of Diocletian, and the monster veered into a wall.
ldquo;Orbem formate!rdquo; Frank ordered.
About two dozen zombies obeyed, struggling to form a defensive ring around Frank and his friends. It was enough to give the demigods a little respite, but there were too many enemies pressing forward. Most of the ghostly legionnaires were still wandering around in a daze.
ldquo;My rank,rdquo; Frank realized.
ldquo;All these monsters are rank!rdquo; Piper yelled, stabbing a wild centaur.
ldquo;No,rdquo; Frank said. ldquo;Irsquo;m only a centurion.rdquo;
Jason cursed in Latin. ldquo;He means he canrsquo;t control a whole legion. Hersquo;s not of high enough rank.rdquo;
Nico swung his black sword at another gryphon. ldquo;Well, then, promote him!rdquo;
Frankrsquo;s mind was sluggish. He didnrsquo;t understand what Nico was saying. Promote him? How?
Jason shouted in his best drill-sergeant voice: ldquo;Frank Zhang! I, Jason Grace, praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, give you my final order: I resign my post and give you emergency field promotion to praetor, with the full powers of that rank. Take command of this legion!rdquo;
Frank felt as if a door had opened somewhere in the House of Hades, letting in a blast of fresh air that swept through the tunnels. The arrow in his arm suddenly didnrsquo;t matter. His thoughts cleared. His eyesight sharpened. The voices of Mars and Ares spoke in his mind, strong and unified: Break them!
Frank hardly recognized his own voice when he yelled: ldquo;Legion, agmen formate!rdquo;
Instantly, every dead legionnaire in the cavern drew his sword and raised his shield. They scrambled toward Frankrsquo;s position, pushing and hacking monsters out of their way until they stood shoulder to shoulder with the comrades, arranging themselves in a square formation. Stones, javelins, and fire rained down, but now Frank had a disciplined defensive line sheltering them behind a wall of bronze and leather.
ldquo;Archers!rdquo; Frank yelled. ldquo;Eiaculare flammas!rdquo;
He didnrsquo;t hold out much hope the command would work. The zombiesrsquo; bows couldnrsquo;t be in good shape. But to his surprise, several dozen ghostly skirmishers nocked arrows in unison. Their arrowheads caught fire spontaneously and a flaming wave of death arced over the legionrsquo;s line, straight into the enemy. Cyclopes fell. Centaurs stumbled. A telkhine shrieked and ran in circles with a burning arrow impaled in his forehead.
Frank heard a laugh behind him. He glanced back and couldnrsquo;t believe what he saw. Nico di Angelo was actually smiling.
ldquo;Thatrsquo;s more like it,rdquo; Nico said. ldquo;Letrsquo;s turn this tide!rdquo;
ldquo;Cuneum formate!rdquo; Frank yelled. ldquo;Advance with pila!rdquo;
The zombie line thickened in the center, forming a wedge designed to break through the enemy host. They lowered their spears in a bristling row and pushed forward.
Earthborn wailed and threw boulders. Cyclopes smashed their fists and clubs against the locked shields, but the zombie legionnaires were no longer paper targets. They had inhuman strength, hardly wavering under the fiercest attacks. Soon the floor was covered with monster dust. The line of javelins chewed through the enemy like a set of giant teeth, felling ogres and snake women and hellhounds. Frankrsquo;s archers shot gryphons out of the air and caused chaos in the main body of the monster army across the chasm.
Frankrsquo;s forces began to take control of their side of the cavern. One of the stone bridges collapsed, but more monsters kept pouring over the other one. Frank would have to stop that.
ldquo;Jason,rdquo; he called, ldquo;can you fly a few legionnaires across the pit? The enemyrsquo;s left flank is weakmdash;see? Take it!rdquo;
Jason smiled. ldquo;With pleasure.rdquo;
Three dead Romans rose into the air and flew across the chasm. Then three more joined them. Finally Jason flew himself across and his squad began cutting through some very surprised-looking telkhines, spreading fear through the ene
ldquo;Piper!rdquo; Frank yelled. ldquo;Counter those empousai! We need some chaos.rdquo;
ldquo;Thought yoursquo;d never ask.rdquo; She started catcalling at the female demons: ldquo;Your makeup is smeared! Your friend called you ugly! That one is making a face behind your back!rdquo; Soon the vampire ladies were too busy fighting one another to shout any commands.
The legionnaires moved forward, keeping up the pressure. They had to take the bridge before Jason got overwhelmed.
ldquo;Time to lead from the front,rdquo; Frank decided. He raised his borrowed sword and called for a charge.
FRANK DIDNrsquo;T NOTICE THAT HE WAS GLOWING. Later Jason told him that the blessing of Mars had shrouded him in red light, like it had in Venice. Javelins couldnrsquo;t touch him. Rocks somehow got deflected. Even with an arrow sticking out of his left biceps, Frank had never felt so full of energy.
The first Cyclops he met went down so quickly it was almost a joke. Frank sliced him in half from shoulder to waist. The big guy exploded into dust. The next Cyclops backed up nervously, so Frank cut his legs out from under him and sent him into the pit.
The remaining monsters on their side of the chasm tried to retreat, but the legion cut them down.
ldquo;Tetsudo formation!rdquo; Frank shouted. ldquo;Single file, advance!rdquo;
Frank was the first one across the bridge. The dead followed, their shields locked on either side and over their heads, deflecting all attacks. As the last of the zombies crossed, the stone bridge crumbled into the darkness, but by then it didnrsquo;t matter.
Nico kept summoning more legionnaires to join the fight. Over the history of the empire, thousands of Romans had served and died in Greece. Now they were back, answering the call of Diocletianrsquo;s scepter.
Frank waded forward, destroying everything in his path.
ldquo;I will burn you!rdquo; a telkhine squeaked, desperately waving a vial of Greek fire. ldquo;I have fire!rdquo;
Frank took him down. As the vial dropped toward the ground, Frank kicked it over the cliff before it could explode.
An empousa raked her claws across Frankrsquo;s chest, but Frank felt nothing. He sliced the demon into dust and kept moving. Pain was unimportant. Failure was unthinkable.
He was a leader of the legion now, doing what he was born to domdash;fighting the enemies of Rome, upholding its legacy, protecting the lives of his friends and comrades. He was Praetor Frank Zhang.
His forces swept the enemy away, breaking their every attempt to regroup. Jason and Piper fought at his side, yelling defiantly. Nico waded through the last group of Earthborn, slashing them into mounds of wet clay with his black Stygian sword.
Before Frank knew it, the battle was over. Piper chopped through the last empousa, who vaporized with an anguished wail.
ldquo;Frank,rdquo; Jason said, ldquo;yoursquo;re on fire.rdquo;
He looked down. A few drops of oil must have splattered on his pants, because they were starting to smolder. Frank batted at them until they stopped smoking, but he wasnrsquo;t particularly worried. Thanks to Leo, he no longer had to fear fire.
Nico cleared his throat. ldquo;Uhhellip;you also have an arrow sticking through your arm.rdquo;
ldquo;I know.rdquo; Frank snapped off the point of the arrow and pulled out the shaft by the tail. He felt only a warm, tugging sensation. ldquo;Irsquo;ll be fine.rdquo;
Piper made him eat a piece of ambrosia. As she bandaged his wound, she said, ldquo;Frank, you were amazing. Completely terrifying, but amazing.rdquo;
Frank had trouble processing her words. Terrifying couldnrsquo;t apply to him. He was just Frank.
His adrenaline drained away. He looked around him, wondering where all the enemies had gone. The only monsters left were his own undead Romans, standing in a stupor with their weapons lowered.
Nico held up his scepter, its orb dark and dormant. ldquo;The dead wonrsquo;t stay much longer, now that the battle is over.rdquo;
Frank faced his troops. ldquo;Legion!rdquo;
The zombie soldiers snapped to attention.
ldquo;You fought well,rdquo; Frank told them. ldquo;Now you may rest. Dismissed.rdquo;
They crumbled into piles of bones, armor, shields, and weapons. Then even those disintegrated.
Frank felt as if he might crumble too. Despite the ambrosia, his wounded arm began to throb. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion. The blessing of Mars faded, leaving him depleted. But his work wasnrsquo;t done yet.
ldquo;Hazel and Leo,rdquo; he said. ldquo;We need to find them.rdquo;
His friends peered across the chasm. At the other end of the cavern, the tunnel Hazel and Leo had entered was buried under tons of rubble.
ldquo;We canrsquo;t go that way,rdquo; Nico said. ldquo;Maybehellip;rdquo;
Suddenly he staggered. He would have fallen, if Jason hadnrsquo;t caught him.
ldquo;Nico!rdquo; Piper said. ldquo;What is it?rdquo;
ldquo;The Doors,rdquo; Nico said. ldquo;Somethingrsquo;s happening. Percy and Annabethhellip;we need to go now.rdquo;
ldquo;But how?rdquo; Jason said. ldquo;That tunnel is gone.rdquo;
Frank clenched his jaw. He hadnrsquo;t come this far to stand around helplessly while his friends were in trouble. ldquo;It wonrsquo;t be fun,rdquo; he said, ldquo;but therersquo;s another way.rdquo;
GETTING KILLED BY TARTARUS didnrsquo;t seem like much of an honor.
As Annabeth stared up at his dark whirlpool face, she decided shersquo;d rather die in some less memorable waymdash;maybe falling down the stairs, or going peacefully in her sleep at age eighty, after a nice quiet life with Percy. Yes, that sounded good.
It wasnrsquo;t the first time Annabeth had faced an enemy she couldnrsquo;t defeat by force. Normally, this wouldrsquo;ve been her cue to stall for time with some clever Athena-like chitchat.
Except her voice wouldnrsquo;t work. She couldnrsquo;t even close her mouth. For all she knew, she was drooling as badly as Percy did when he slept.
She was dimly aware of the army of monsters swirling around her, but after their initial roar of triumph, the horde had fallen silent. Annabeth and Percy should have been ripped to pieces by now. Instead, the monsters kept their distance, waiting for Tartarus to act.
The god of the pit flexed his fingers, examining his own polished black talons. He had no expression, but he straightened his shoulders as if he were pleased.
It is good to have form, he intoned. With these hands, I can eviscerate you.
His voice sounded like a backward recordingmdash;as if the words were being sucked into the vortex of his face rather than projected. In fact, everything seemed to be drawn toward the face of this godmdash;the dim light, the poisonous clouds, the essence of the monsters, even Annabethrsquo;s own fragile life force. She looked around and realized that every object on this vast plain had grown a vaporous cometrsquo;s tailmdash;all pointing toward Tartarus.
Annabeth knew she should say something, but her instincts told her to hide, to avoid doing anything that would draw the godrsquo;s attention.
Besides, what could she say? You wonrsquo;t get away with this!
That wasnrsquo;t true. She and Percy had only survived this long because Tartarus was savoring his new form. He wanted the pleasure of physically ripping them to pieces. If Tartarus wished, Annabeth had no doubt he could devour her existence with a single thought, as easily as hersquo;d vaporized Hyperion and Krios. Would there be any rebirth from that? Annabeth didnrsquo;t want to find out.
Next to her, Percy did something shersquo;d never seen him do. He dropped his sword. It just fell out of his hand and hit the ground with a thud. Death Mist no longer shrouded his face, but he still had the complexion of a corpse.
Tartarus hissed againmdash;possibly laughing.
Your fear smells wonderful, said the god. I see the appeal of having a physical body with so many senses. Perhaps my beloved Gaea is right, wishing to wake from her slumber.
He stretched out his massive purple hand and might have plucked up Percy like a weed, but Bob interrupted.
ldquo;Begone!rdquo; The Titan leveled his spear at the god. ldquo;You have no right to meddle!rdquo;
Meddle? Tartarus turned. I am the lord of all creatures of the darkness, puny Iapetus. I can do as I please.
His black cyclone face spun faster. The howling sound was so horrible, Annabeth fell to her knees and clutched her ears. Bob stumbled, the wispy comet tail of his life force growing longer as it was sucked toward the face of the god.
Bob roared in defiance. He charged and thrust his spear at Tartarusrsquo;s chest. Before it could connect, Tartarus swatted Bob aside like he was a pesky insect. The Titan went sprawling.
Why do you not disintegrate? Tartarus mused. You are nothing. You are even weaker than Krios and Hyperion.
ldquo;I am Bob,rdquo; said Bob.
Tartarus hissed. What is that? What is Bob?
ldquo;I choose to be more than Iapetus,rdquo; said the Titan. ldquo;You do not control me. I am not like my brothers.rdquo;
The collar of his coveralls bulged. Small Bob leaped out. The kitten landed on the ground in front of his master, then arched his back and hissed at the lord of the abyss.
As Annabeth watched, Small Bob began to grow, his form flickering until the little kitten had become a full-sized, translucent skeletal saber-toothed tiger.
ldquo;Also,rdquo; Bob announced, ldquo;I have a good cat.rdquo;
No-Longer-Small Bob sprang at Tartarus, sinking his claws into Tartarusrsquo;s thigh. The tiger scrambled up his leg, straight under the godrsquo;s chain-link skirt. Tartarus stomped and howled, apparently no longer enamored with having a physical form. Meanwhile, Bob thrust his spear into the godrsquo;s side, right below his breastplate.
Tartarus roared. He swatted at Bob, but the Titan backed out of reach. Bob thrust out his fingers. His spear yanked itself free of the godrsquo;s flesh and flew back to Bobrsquo;s hand, which made Annabeth gulp in amazement. Shersquo;d never imagined a broom could have so many useful features. Small Bob dropped out of Tartarusrsquo;s skirt. He ran to his masterrsquo;s side, his saber-toothed fangs dripping with golden ichor.
You will die first, Iapetus, Tartarus decided. Afterward, I will add your soul to my armor, where it will slowly dissolve, over and over, in eternal agony.
Tartarus pounded his fist against his breastplate. Milky faces swirled in the metal, silently screaming to get out.
Bob turned toward Percy and Annabeth. The Titan grinned, which probably would not have been Annabethrsquo;s reaction to a threat of eternal agony.
ldquo;Take the Doors,rdquo; Bob said. ldquo;I will deal with Tartarus.rdquo;
Tartarus threw back his head and bellowedmdash;creating a vacuum so strong that the nearest flying demons were pulled into his vortex face and shredded.
Deal with me? the god mocked. You are only a Titan, a lesser child of Gaea! I will make you suffer for your arrogance. And as for your tiny mortal friendshellip;
Tartarus swept his hand toward the monster army, beckoning them forward. DESTROY THEM!
DESTROY THEM.
Annabeth had heard those words often enough that they shocked her out of her paralysis. She raised her sword and yelled, ldquo;Percy!rdquo;
The Doors shuddered, then opened with a pleasant Ding!
Bob and his saber-toothed sidekick continued to weave around Tartarusrsquo;s legs, attacking, and dodging to stay out of his clutches. They didnrsquo;t seem to be doing much damage, but Tartarus lurched around, obviously not used to fighting in a humanoid body. He swiped and missed, swiped and missed.
More monsters surged toward the Doors. A spear flew past Annabethrsquo;s head. She turned and stabbed an empousa through the gut, then dove for the Doors as they started to close.
She kept them open with her foot as she fought. At least with her back to the elevator car, she didnrsquo;t have to worry about attacks from behind.
ldquo;Percy, get over here!rdquo; she yelled.
He joined her in the doorway, his face dripping with sweat, and blood from several cuts.
ldquo;You okay?rdquo; she asked.
He nodded. ldquo;Got some kind of pain curse from that arai.rdquo; He hacked a gryphon out of the air. ldquo;Hurts, but it wonrsquo;t kill me. Get in the elevator. Irsquo;ll hold the button.rdquo;
ldquo;Yeah, right!rdquo; She smacked a carnivorous horse in the snout with the butt of her sword and sent the monster stampeding through the crowd. ldquo;You promised, Seaweed Brain. We would not get separated! Ever again!rdquo;
ldquo;Yoursquo;re impossible!rdquo;
ldquo;Love you too!rdquo;
An entire phalanx of Cyclopes charged forward, knocking smaller monsters out of the way. Annabeth figured she was about to die. ldquo;It had to be Cyclopes,rdquo; she grumbled.
Percy gave a battle cry. At the Cyclopesrsquo; feet, a red vein in the ground burst open, spraying the monsters with liquid fire from the Phlegethon. The firewater might have healed mortals, but it didnrsquo;t do the Cyclopes any favors. They combusted in a tidal wave of heat. The burst vein sealed itself, but nothing remained of the monsters except a row of scorch marks.
ldquo;Annabeth, you have to go!rdquo; Percy said. ldquo;We canrsquo;t both stay!rdquo;
ldquo;No!rdquo; she cried. ldquo;Duck!rdquo;
He didnrsquo;t ask why. He crouched, and Annabeth vaulted over him, bringing her sword down on the head of a heavily tattooed ogre.
She and Percy stood shoulder to shoulder in the doorway, waiting for the next wave. The exploding vein had given the monsters pause, but it wouldnrsquo;t be long before they remembered: Hey, wait, therersquo;s seventy-five gazillion of us, and only two of them.
ldquo;Well, then,rdquo; Percy said, ldquo;you have a better idea?rdquo;
Annabeth wished she did.
The Doors of Death stood right behind themmdash;their exit from this nightmarish world. But they couldnrsquo;t use the Doors without someone manning the controls for twelve long minutes. If they stepped inside and let the Doors close without someone holding the button, Annabeth didnrsquo;t think the results would be healthy. And if they stepped away from the Doors for any reason, she imagined the elevator would close and disappear without them.
The situation was so pathetically sad, it was almost funny.
The crowd of monsters inched forward, snarling and gathering their courage.
Meanwhile, Bobrsquo;s attacks were getting slower. Tartarus was learning to control his new body. Saber-toothed Small Bob lunged at the god, but Tartarus smacked the cat sideways. Bob charged, bellowing with rage, but Tartarus grabbed his spear and yanked it out of his hands. He kicked Bob downhill, knocking over a row of telkhines like sea mammal bowling pins.
YIELD! Tartarus thundered.
ldquo;I will not,rdquo; Bob said. ldquo;You are not my master.rdquo;
Die in defiance, then, said the god of the pit. You Titans are nothing to me. My children the giants were always better, stronger, and more vicious. They will make the upper world as dark as my realm!
Tartarus snapped the spear in half. Bob wailed in agony. Saber-toothed Small Bob leaped to his aid, snarling at Tartarus and baring his fangs. The Titan struggled to rise, but Annabeth knew it was over. Even the monsters turned to watch, as if sensing that their master Tartarus was about to take the spotlight. The death of a Titan was worth seeing.
Percy gripped Annabethrsquo;s hand. ldquo;Stay here. Irsquo;ve got to help him.rdquo;
ldquo;Percy, you canrsquo;t,rdquo; she croaked. ldquo;Tartarus canrsquo;t be fought. Not by us.rdquo;
She knew she was right. Tartarus was in a class by himself. He was more powerful than the gods or Titans. Demigods were nothing to him. If Percy charged to help Bob, he would get squashed like an ant.
But Annabeth also knew that Percy wouldnrsquo;t listen. He couldnrsquo;t leave Bob to die alone. That just wasnrsquo;t himmdash;and that was one of the many reasons she loved him, even if he was an Olympian-sized pain in the podex.
ldquo;Wersquo;ll go together,rdquo; Annabeth decided, knowing this would be their final battle. If they stepped away from the Doors, they would never leave Tartarus. At least they would die fighting side by side.
She was about to say: Now.
A ripple of alarm passed through the army. In the distance, Annabeth heard shrieks, screams, and a persistent boom, boom, boom that was too fast to be the heartbeat in the groundmdash;more like something large and heavy, running at full speed. An Earthborn spun into the air as if hersquo;d been tossed. A plume of bright-green gas billowed across the top of the monstrous horde like the spray from a poison riot hose. Everything in its path dissolved.
Across the swath of sizzling, newly empty ground, Annabeth saw the cause of the commotion. She started to grin.
The Maeonian drakon spread its frilled collar and hissed, its poison breath filling the battlefield with the smell of pine and ginger. It shifted its hundred-foot-long body, flicking its dappled green tail and wiping out a battalion of ogres.
Riding on its back was a red-skinned giant with flowers in his rust-colored braids, a jerkin of green leather, and a drakon-rib lance in his hand.
ldquo;Damasen!rdquo; Annabeth cried.
The giant inclined his head. ldquo;Annabeth Chase, I took your advice. I chose myself a new fate.rdquo;
WHAT IS THIS? THE GOD OF THE PIT HISSED. Why have you come, my disgraced son?
Damasen glanced at Annabeth, a clear message in his eyes: Go. Now.
He turned toward Tartarus. The Maeonian drakon stamped its feet and snarled.
ldquo;Father, you wished for a more worthy opponent?rdquo; Damasen asked calmly. ldquo;I am one of the giants you are so proud of. You wished me to be more warlike? Perhaps I will start by destroying you!rdquo;
Damasen leveled his lance and charged.
The monstrous army swarmed him, but the Maeonian drakon flattened everything in its path, sweeping its tail and spraying poison while Damasen jabbed at Tartarus, forcing the god to retreat like a cornered lion.
Bob stumbled away from the battle, his saber-toothed cat at his side. Percy gave them as much cover as he couldmdash;causing blood vessels in the ground to burst one after the other. Some monsters were vaporized in Styx water. Others got a Cocytus shower and collapsed, weeping hopelessly. Others were doused with liquid Lethe and stared blankly around them, no longer sure where they were or even who they were.
Bob limped to the Doors. Golden ichor flowed from the wounds on his arms and chest. His janitorrsquo;s outfit hung in tatters. His posture was twisted and hunched, as if Tartarusrsquo;s breaking the spear had broken something inside him. Despite all that, he was grinning, his silver eyes bright with satisfaction.
ldquo;Go,rdquo; he ordered. ldquo;I will hold the button.rdquo;
Percy gawked at him. ldquo;Bob, yoursquo;re in no conditionmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Percy.rdquo; Annabethrsquo;s voice threatened to break. She hated herself for letting Bob do this, but she knew it was the only way. ldquo;We have to.rdquo;
ldquo;We canrsquo;t just leave them!rdquo;
ldquo;You must, friend.rdquo; Bob clapped Percy on the arm, nearly knocking him over. ldquo;I can still press a button. And I have a good cat to guard me.rdquo;
Small Bob the saber-toothed tiger growled in agreement.
ldquo;Besides,rdquo; Bob said, ldquo;it is your destiny to return to the world. Put an end to this madness of Gaea.rdquo;
A screaming Cyclops, sizzling from poison spray, sailed over their heads.
Fifty yards away, the Maeonian drakon trampled through monsters, its feet making sickening squish squish noises as if stomping grapes. On its back, Damasen yelled insults and jabbed at the god of the pit, taunting Tartarus farther away from the Doors.
Tartarus lumbered after him, his iron boots making craters in the ground.
You cannot kill me! he bellowed. I am the pit itself. You might as well try to kill the earth. Gaea and Imdash;we are eternal. We own you, flesh and spirit!
He brought down his massive fist, but Damasen sidestepped, impaling his javelin in the side of Tartarusrsquo;s neck.
Tartarus growled, apparently more annoyed than hurt. He turned his swirling vacuum face toward the giant, but Damasen got out of the way in time. A dozen monsters were sucked into the vortex and disintegrated.
ldquo;Bob, donrsquo;t!rdquo; Percy said, his eyes pleading. ldquo;Hersquo;ll destroy you permanently. No coming back. No regeneration.rdquo;
Bob shrugged. ldquo;Who knows what will be? You must go now. Tartarus is right about one thing. We cannot defeat him. We can only buy you time.rdquo;
The Doors tried to close on Annabethrsquo;s foot.
ldquo;Twelve minutes,rdquo; said the Titan. ldquo;I can give you that.rdquo;
ldquo;Percyhellip;hold the Doors.rdquo; Annabeth jumped and threw her arms around the Titanrsquo;s neck. She kissed his cheek, her eyes so full of tears, she couldnrsquo;t see straight. Bobrsquo;s stubbly face smelled of cleaning suppliesmdash;fresh lemony furniture polish and Murphy Oil wood soap.
ldquo;Monsters are eternal,rdquo; she told him, trying to keep herself from sobbing. ldquo;We will remember you and Damasen as heroes, as the best Titan and the best giant. Wersquo;ll tell our children. Wersquo;ll keep the story alive. Someday, you will regenerate.rdquo;
Bob ruffled her hair. Smile lines crinkled around his eyes. ldquo;That is good. Until then, my friends, tell the sun and the stars hello for me. And be strong. This may not be the last sacrifice you must make to stop Gaea.rdquo;
He pushed her away gently. ldquo;No more time. Go.rdquo;
Annabeth grabbed Percyrsquo;s arm. She dragged him into the elevator car. She had one last glimpse of the Maeonian drakon shaking an ogre like a sock puppet, Damasen jabbing at Tartarusrsquo;s legs.
The god of the pit pointed at the Doors of Death and yelled: Monsters, stop them!
Small Bob the saber-toothed crouched and snarled, ready for action.
Bob winked at Annabeth. ldquo;Hold the Doors closed on your side,rdquo; he said. ldquo;They will resist your passage. Hold themmdash;rdquo;
The panels slid shut.
ldquo;PERCY, HELP ME!rdquo; ANNABETH YELPED.
She shoved her entire body against the left door, pressing it toward the center. Percy did the same on the right. There were no handles, or anything else to hold on to. As the elevator car ascended, the Doors shook and tried to open, threatening to spill them into whatever was between life and death.
Annabethrsquo;s shoulders ached. The elevatorrsquo;s easy-
ldquo;I know,rdquo; she murmured. ldquo;Gods of Olympus, Percy, I know.rdquo;
Annabeth was almost glad for the job of keeping the Doors closed. The terror racing through her heart at least kept her from dissolving into misery. Abandoning Damasen and Bob had been the hardest thing shersquo;d ever done.
For years at Camp Half-Blood, she had chafed as other campers went on quests while she stayed behind. Shersquo;d watched as others gained gloryhellip;or failed and didnrsquo;t come back. Since she was seven years old, she had thought: Why donrsquo;t I get to prove my skills? Why canrsquo;t I lead a quest?
Now she realized that the hardest test for a child of Athena wasnrsquo;t leading a quest or facing death in combat. It was making the strategic decision to step back, to let someone else take the brunt of the dangermdash;especially when that person was your friend. She had to face the fact that she couldnrsquo;t protect everyone she loved. She couldnrsquo;t solve every problem.
She hated it, but she didnrsquo;t have time for self-pity. She blinked away her tears.
ldquo;Percy, the Doors,rdquo; she warned.
The panels had started to slide apart, letting in a whiff ofhellip;ozone? Sulfur?
Percy pushed on his side furiously and the ***** closed. His eyes blazed with anger. She hoped he wasnrsquo;t mad at her, but if he was, she couldnrsquo;t blame him.
If it keeps him going, she thought, then let him be angry.
ldquo;I will kill Gaea,rdquo; he muttered. ldquo;I will tear her apart with my bare hands.rdquo;
Annabeth nodded, but she was thinking about Tartarusrsquo;s boast. He could not be killed. Neither could Gaea. Against such power, even Titans and giants were hopelessly outmatched. Demigods stood no chance.
She also remembered Bobrsquo;s warning: This may not be the last sacrifice you must make to stop Gaea.
She felt that truth deep in her bones.
ldquo;Twelve minutes,rdquo; she murmured. ldquo;Just twelve minutes.rdquo;
She prayed to Athena that Bob could hold the UP button that long. She prayed for strength and wisdom. She wondered what they would find once they reached the top of this elevator ride.
If their friends werenrsquo;t there, controlling the other sidehellip;
ldquo;We can do this,rdquo; Percy said. ldquo;We have to.rdquo;
ldquo;Yeah,rdquo; Annabeth said. ldquo;Yeah, we do.rdquo;
They held the Doors shut as the elevator shuddered and the music played, while somewhere below them, a Titan and a giant sacrificed their lives for their escape.
HAZEL WASNrsquo;T PROUD OF CRYING.
After the tunnel collapsed, she wept and screamed like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum. She couldnrsquo;t move the debris that separated her and Leo from the others. If the earth shifted any more, the entire complex might collapse on their heads. Still, she pounded her fists against the stones and yelled curses that wouldrsquo;ve earned her a mouth-washing with lye soap back at St. Agnes Academy.
Leo stared at her, wide-eyed and speechless.
She wasnrsquo;t being fair to him.
The last time the two of them had been together, shersquo;d zapped him into her past and shown him Sammy, his great-grandfathermdash;Hazelrsquo;s first boyfriend. Shersquo;d burdened him with emotional baggage he didnrsquo;t need, and left him so dazed they had almost gotten killed by a giant shrimp monster.
Now here they were, alone again, while their friends might be dying at the hands of a monster army, and she was throwing a fit.
ldquo;Sorry.rdquo; She wiped her face.
ldquo;Hey, you knowhellip;rdquo; Leo shrugged. ldquo;Irsquo;ve attacked a few rocks in my day.rdquo;
She swallowed with difficulty. ldquo;Frank ishellip;hersquo;smdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Listen,rdquo; Leo said. ldquo;Frank Zhang has moves. Hersquo;s probably gonna turn into a kangaroo and do some marsupial jujitsu on their ugly faces.rdquo;
He helped her to her feet. Despite the panic simmering inside her, she knew Leo was right. Frank and the others werenrsquo;t helpless. They would find a way to survive. The best thing she and Leo could do was carry on.
She studied Leo. His hair had grown out longer and shaggier, and his face was leaner, so he looked less like an imp and more like one of those willowy elves in the fairy tales. The biggest difference was his eyes. They constantly drifted, as if Leo was trying to spot something over the horizon.
ldquo;Leo, Irsquo;m sorry,rdquo; she said.
He raised an eyebrow. ldquo;Okay. For what?rdquo;
ldquo;Forhellip;rdquo; She gestured around her helplessly. ldquo;Everything. For thinking you were Sammy, for leading you on. I mean, I didnrsquo;t mean to, but if I didmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Hey.rdquo; He squeezed her hand, though Hazel sensed nothing romantic in the gesture. ldquo;Machines are designed to work.rdquo;
ldquo;Uh, what?rdquo;
ldquo;I figure the universe is basically like a machine. I donrsquo;t know who made it, if it was the Fates, or the gods, or capital-G God, or whatever. But it chugs along the way itrsquo;s supposed to most of the time. Sure, little pieces break and stuff goes haywire once in a while, but mostlyhellip;things happen for a reason. Like you and me meeting.rdquo;
ldquo;Leo Valdez,rdquo; Hazel marveled, ldquo;yoursquo;re a philosopher.rdquo;
ldquo;Nah,rdquo; he said. ldquo;Irsquo;m just a mechanic. But I figure my bisabuelo Sammy knew what was what. He let you go, Hazel. My job is to tell you that itrsquo;s okay. You and Frankmdash;yoursquo;re good together. Wersquo;re all going to get through this. I hope you guys get a chance to be happy. Besides, Zhang couldnrsquo;t tie his shoes without your help.rdquo;
ldquo;Thatrsquo;s mean,rdquo; Hazel chided, but she felt like something was untangling inside hermdash;a knot of tension shersquo;d been carrying for weeks.
Leo really had changed. Hazel was starting to think shersquo;d found a good friend.
ldquo;What happened to you when you were on your own?rdquo; she asked. ldquo;Who did you meet?rdquo;
Leorsquo;s eye twitched. ldquo;Long story. Irsquo;ll tell you sometime, but Irsquo;m still waiting to see how it shakes out.rdquo;
ldquo;The universe is a machine,rdquo; Hazel said, ldquo;so itrsquo;ll be fine.rdquo;
ldquo;Hopefully.rdquo;
ldquo;As long as itrsquo;s not one of your machines,rdquo; Hazel added. ldquo;Because your machines never do what theyrsquo;re supposed to.rdquo;
ldquo;Yeah, ha-ha.rdquo; Leo summoned fire into his hand. ldquo;Now, which way, Miss Underground?rdquo;
Hazel scanned the path in front of them. About thirty feet down, the tunnel split into four smaller arteries, each one identical, but the one on the left radiated cold.
ldquo;That way,rdquo; she decided. ldquo;It feels the most dangerous.rdquo;
ldquo;Irsquo;m sold,rdquo; said Leo.
They began their descent.
As soon as they reached the first archway, the polecat Gale found them.
She scurried up Hazelrsquo;s side and curled around her neck, chittering crossly as if to say: Where have you been? Yoursquo;re late.
ldquo;Not the farting weasel again,rdquo; Leo complained. ldquo;If that thing lets loose in close quarters like this, with my fire and all, wersquo;re gonna explode.rdquo;
Gale barked a polecat insult at Leo.
Hazel hushed them both. She could sense the tunnel ahead, sloping gently down for about three hundred feet, then opening into a large chamber. In that chamber was a presencehellip;cold, heavy, and powerful. Hazel hadnrsquo;t felt anything like it since the cave in Alaska where Gaea had forced her to resurrect Porphyrion the giant king. Hazel had thwarted Gaearsquo;s plans that time, but shersquo;d had to pull down the cavern, sacrificing her life and her motherrsquo;s. She wasnrsquo;t anxious to have a similar experience.
ldquo;Leo, be ready,rdquo; she whispered. ldquo;Wersquo;re getting close.rdquo;
ldquo;Close to what?rdquo;
A womanrsquo;s voice echoed down the corridor: ldquo;Close to me.rdquo;
A wave of nausea hit Hazel so hard her knees buckled. The whole world shifted. Her sense of direction, usually flawless underground, became completely unmoored.
She and Leo didnrsquo;t seem to move, but suddenly they were three hundred feet down the corridor, at the entrance of the chamber.
ldquo;Welcome,rdquo; said the womanrsquo;s voice. ldquo;Irsquo;ve looked forward to this.rdquo;
Hazelrsquo;s eyes swept the cavern. She couldnrsquo;t see the speaker.
The room reminded her of the Pantheon in Rome, except this place had been decorated in Hades Modern.
The obsidian walls were carved with scenes of death: plague victims, corpses on the battlefield, torture chambers with skeletons hanging in iron cagesmdash;all of it embellished with precious gems that somehow made the scenes even more ghastly.
As in the Pantheon, the domed roof was a waffle pattern of recessed square panels, but here each panel was a stelamdash;a grave marker with Ancient Greek inscriptions. Hazel wondered if actual bodies were buried behind them. With her underground senses out of whack, she couldnrsquo;t be sure.
She saw no other exits. At the apex of the ceiling, where the Pantheonrsquo;s skylight wouldrsquo;ve been, a circle of pure black stone gleamed, as if to reinforce the sense that there was no way out of this placemdash;no sky above, only darkness.
Hazelrsquo;s eyes drifted to the center of the room.
ldquo;Yep,rdquo; Leo muttered. ldquo;Those are doors, all right.rdquo;
Fifty feet away was a set of freestanding elevator doors, their panels etched in silver and iron. Rows of chains ran down either side, bolting the frame to large hooks in the floor.
The area around the doors was littered with black rubble. With a tightening sense of anger, Hazel realized that an ancient altar to Hades had once stood there. It had been destroyed to make room for the Doors of Death.
ldquo;Where are you?rdquo; she shouted.
ldquo;Donrsquo;t you see us?rdquo; taunted the womanrsquo;s voice. ldquo;I thought Hecate chose you for your skill.rdquo;
Another bout of queasiness churned through Hazelrsquo;s gut. On her shoulder, Gale barked and passed gas, which didnrsquo;t help.
Dark spots floated in Hazelrsquo;s eyes. She tried to blink them away, but they only turned darker. The spots consolidated into a twenty-foot-tall shadowy figure looming next to the Doors.
The giant Clytius was shrouded in the black smoke, just as shersquo;d seen in her vision at the crossroads, but now Hazel could dimly make out his formmdash;dragon-like legs with ash-colored scales; a massive humanoid upper body encased in Stygian armor; long, braided hair that seemed to be made from smoke. His complexion was as dark as Deathrsquo;s (Hazel should know, since she had met Death personally). His eyes glinted cold as diamonds. He carried no weapon, but that didnrsquo;t make him any less terrifying.
Leo whistled. ldquo;You know, Clytiushellip;for such a big dude, yoursquo;ve got a beautiful voice.rdquo;
ldquo;Idiot,rdquo; hissed the woman.
Halfway between Hazel and the giant, the air shimmered. The sorceress appeared.
She wore an elegant sleeveless dress of woven gold, her dark hair piled into a cone, encircled with diamonds and emeralds. Around her neck hung a pendant like a miniature maze, on a cord set with rubies that made Hazel think of crystallized blood drops.
Leo coughed. ldquo;You two know each other? Like Underworld chums, ormdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Silence, fool.rdquo; Pasiphaërsquo;s voice was soft, but full of venom. ldquo;I have no use for demigod boysmdash;always so full of themselves, so brash and destructive.rdquo;
ldquo;Hey, lady,rdquo; Leo protested. ldquo;I donrsquo;t destroy things much. Irsquo;m a son of Hephaestus.rdquo;
ldquo;A tinkerer,rdquo; snapped Pasiphaë. ldquo;Even worse. I knew Daedalus. His inventions brought me nothing but trouble.rdquo;
Leo blinked. ldquo;Daedalushellip;like, the Daedalus? Well, then, you should know all about us tinkerers. Wersquo;re more into fixing, building, occasionally sticking wads of oilcloth in the mouths of rude ladiesmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Leo.rdquo; Hazel put her arm across his chest. She had a feeling the sorceress was about to turn him into something unpleasant if he didnrsquo;t shut up. ldquo;Let me take this, okay?rdquo;
ldquo;Listen to your friend,rdquo; Pasiphaë said. ldquo;Be a good boy and let the women talk.rdquo;
Pasiphaë paced in front of them, examining Hazel, her eyes so full of hate it made Hazelrsquo;s skin tingle. The sorceressrsquo;s power radiated from her like heat from a furnace. Her expression was unsettling and vaguely familiar.hellip;
Somehow, though, the giant Clytius unnerved Hazel more.
He stood in the background, silent and motionless except for the dark smoke pouring from his body, pooling around his feet. He was the cold presence Hazel had felt earliermdash;like a vast deposit of obsidian, so heavy that Hazel couldnrsquo;t possibly move it, powerful and indestructible and completely devoid of emotion.
ldquo;Yourmdash;your friend doesnrsquo;t say much,rdquo; Hazel noted.
Pasiphaë looked back at the giant and sniffed with disdain. ldquo;Pray he stays silent, my dear. Gaea has given me the pleasure of dealing with you; but Clytius is my, ah, insurance. Just between you and me, as sister sorceresses, I think hersquo;s also here to keep my powers in check, in case I forget my new mistressrsquo;s orders. Gaea is careful that way.rdquo;
Hazel was tempted to protest that she wasnrsquo;t a sorceress. She didnrsquo;t want to know how Pasiphaë planned to ldquo;dealrdquo; with them, or how the giant kept her magic in check. But she straightened her back and tried to look confident.
ldquo;Whatever yoursquo;re planning,rdquo; Hazel said, ldquo;it wonrsquo;t work. Wersquo;ve cut through every monster Gaearsquo;s put in our path. If yoursquo;re smart, yoursquo;ll get out of our way.rdquo;
Gale the polecat gnashed her teeth in approval, but Pasiphaë didnrsquo;t seem impressed.
ldquo;You donrsquo;t look like much,rdquo; the sorceress mused. ldquo;But then you demigods never do. My husband, Minos, king of Crete? He was a son of Zeus. You would never have known it by looking at him. He was almost as scrawny as that one.rdquo; She flicked a hand toward Leo.
Pasiphaërsquo;s nostrils flared. ldquo;Ohhellip;you have no idea. He was too proud to make the proper sacrifices to Poseidon, so the gods punished me for his arrogance.rdquo;
The story was so revolting and grotesque Hazel had always shut her ears when they told it at Camp Jupiter. Pasiphaë had been cursed to fall in love with her husbandrsquo;s prize bull. Shersquo;d given birth to the Minotaurmdash;half man, half bull.
Now, as Pasiphaë glared daggers at her, Hazel realized why her expression was so familiar.
The sorceress had the same bitterness and hatred in her eyes that Hazelrsquo;s mother sometimes had. In her worst moments, Marie Levesque would look at Hazel as if Hazel were a monstrous child, a curse from the gods, the source of all Mariersquo;s problems. Thatrsquo;s why the Minotaur story bothered Hazelmdash;not just the repellent idea of Pasiphaë and the bull, but the idea that a child, any child, could be considered a monster, a punishment to its parents, to be locked away and hated. To Hazel, the Minotaur had always seemed like a victim in the story.
ldquo;Yes,rdquo; Pasiphaë said at last. ldquo;My disgrace was unbearable. After my son was born and locked in the Labyrinth, Minos refused to have anything to do with me. He said I had ruined his reputation! And do you know what happened to Minos, Hazel Levesque? For his crimes and his pride? He was rewarded. He was made a judge of the dead in the Underworld, as if he had any right to judge others! Hades gave him that position. Your father.rdquo;
ldquo;Pluto, actually.rdquo;
Pasiphaë sneered. ldquo;Irrelevant. So you see, I hate demigods as much as I hate the gods. Any of your brethren who survive the war, Gaea has promised to me, so that I may watch them die slowly in my new domain. I only wish I had more time to torture you two properly. Alasmdash;rdquo;
In the center of the room, the Doors of Death made a pleasant chiming sound. The green UP button on the right side of the frame began to glow. The chains shook.
ldquo;There, you see?rdquo; Pasiphaë shrugged apologetically. ldquo;The Doors are in use. Twelve minutes, and they will open.rdquo;
Hazelrsquo;s gut trembled almost as much as the chains. ldquo;More giants?rdquo;
ldquo;Thankfully, no,rdquo; said the sorceress. ldquo;They are all accounted formdash;back in the mortal world and in place for the final assault.rdquo; Pasiphaë gave her a cold smile. ldquo;No, I would imagine the Doors are being used by someone elsehellip;someone unauthorized.rdquo;
Leo inched forward. Smoke rose from his fists. ldquo;Percy and Annabeth.rdquo;
Hazel couldnrsquo;t speak. She wasnrsquo;t sure whether the lump in her throat was from joy or frustration. If their friends had made it to the Doors, if they were really going to show up here in twelve minuteshellip;
ldquo;Oh, not to worry.rdquo; Pasiphaë waved her hand dismissively. ldquo;Clytius will handle them. You see, when the chime sounds again, someone on our side needs to push the UP button or the Doors will fail to open and whoever is insidemdash;poof. Gone. Or perhaps Clytius will let them out and deal with them in person. That depends on you two.rdquo;
Hazelrsquo;s mouth tasted like tin. She didnrsquo;t want to ask, but she had to. ldquo;How exactly does it depend on us?rdquo;
ldquo;Well, obviously, we need only one set of demigods alive,rdquo; Pasiphaë said. ldquo;The lucky two will be taken to Athens and sacrificed to Gaea at the Feast of Hope.rdquo;
ldquo;Obviously,rdquo; Leo muttered.
ldquo;So will it be you two, or your friends in the elevator?rdquo; The sorceress spread her hands. ldquo;Letrsquo;s see who is still alive in twelvehellip;actually, eleven minutes, now.rdquo;
The cavern dissolved into darkness.
HAZELrsquo;S INTERNAL COMPASS SPUN WILDLY.
She remembered when she was very small, in New Orleans in the late 1930s, her mother had taken her to the dentist to get a bad tooth pulled. It was the first and only time Hazel had ever received ether. The dentist promised it would make her sleepy and relaxed, but Hazel felt like she was floating away from her own body, panicky and out of control. When the ether wore off, shersquo;d been sick for three days.
This felt like a massive dose of ether.
Part of her knew she was still in the cavern. Pasiphaë stood only a few feet in front of them. Clytius waited silently at the Doors of Death.
But layers of Mist enfolded Hazel, twisting her sense of reality. She took one step forward and bumped into a wall that shouldnrsquo;t have been there.
Leo pressed his hands against the stone. ldquo;What the heck? Where are we?rdquo;
A corridor stretched out to their left and right. Torches guttered in iron sconces. The air smelled of mildew, as in an old tomb. On Hazelrsquo;s shoulder, Gale barked angrily, digging her claws into Hazelrsquo;s collarbone.
ldquo;Yes, I know,rdquo; Hazel muttered to the weasel. ldquo;Itrsquo;s an illusion.rdquo;
Leo pounded on the wall. ldquo;Pretty solid illusion.rdquo;
Pasiphaë laughed. Her voice sounded watery and far away. ldquo;Is it an illusion, Hazel Levesque, or something more? Donrsquo;t you see what I have created?rdquo;
Hazel felt so off-balance she could barely stand, much less think straight. She tried to extend her senses, to see through the Mist and find the cavern again, but all she felt were tunnels splitting off in a dozen directions, going everywhere except forward.
Random thoughts glinted in her mind, like gold nuggets coming to the surface: Daedalus. The Minotaur locked away. Die slowly in my new domain.
ldquo;The Labyrinth,rdquo; Hazel said. ldquo;Shersquo;s remaking the Labyrinth.rdquo;
ldquo;What now?rdquo; Leo had been tapping the wall with a ball-peen hammer, but he turned and frowned at her. ldquo;I thought the Labyrinth collapsed during that battle at Camp Half-Bloodmdash;like, it was connected to Daedalusrsquo;s life force or something, and then he died.rdquo;
Pasiphaërsquo;s voice clucked disapprovingly. ldquo;Ah, but I am still alive. You credit Daedalus with all the mazersquo;s secrets? I breathed magical life into his Labyrinth. Daedalus was nothing compared to memdash;the immortal sorceress, daughter of Helios, sister of Circe! Now the Labyrinth will be my domain.rdquo;
ldquo;Itrsquo;s an illusion,rdquo; Hazel insisted. ldquo;We just have to break through it.rdquo;
Even as she said it, the walls seemed to grow more solid, the smell of mildew more intense.
ldquo;Too late, too late,rdquo; Pasiphaë crooned. ldquo;The maze is already awake. It will spread under the skin of the earth once more while your mortal world is leveled. You demigodshellip;you heroeshellip; will wander its corridors, dying slowly of thirst and fear and misery. Or perhaps, if I am feeling merciful, you will die quickly, in great pain!rdquo;
Holes opened in the floor beneath Hazelrsquo;s feet. She grabbed Leo and pushed him aside as a row of spikes shot upward, impaling the ceiling.
ldquo;Run!rdquo; she yelled.
Pasiphaërsquo;s laughter echoed down the corridor. ldquo;Where are you going, young sorceress? Running from an illusion?rdquo;
Hazel didnrsquo;t answer. She was too busy trying to stay alive. Behind them, row after row of spikes shot toward the ceiling with a persistent thunk, thunk, thunk.
She pulled Leo down a side corridor, leaped over a trip wire, then stumbled to a halt in front of a pit twenty feet across.
ldquo;How deep is that?rdquo; Leo gasped for breath. His pants leg was ripped where one of the spikes had grazed him.
Hazelrsquo;s senses told her that the pit was at least fifty feet straight down, with a pool of poison at the bottom. Could she trust her senses? Whether or not Pasiphaë had created a new Labyrinth, Hazel believed they were still in the same cavern, being made to run aimlessly back and forth while Pasiphaë and Clytius watched in amusement. Illusion or not: unless Hazel could figure out how to get out of this maze, the traps would kill them.
ldquo;Eight minutes now,rdquo; said the voice of Pasiphaë. ldquo;Irsquo;d love to see you survive, truly. That would prove you worthy sacrifices to Gaea in Athens. But then, of course, we wouldnrsquo;t need your friends in the elevator.rdquo;
But Pasiphaë was an immortal sorceress with thousands of years of experience in weaving spells. Hazel couldnrsquo;t defeat her through sheer willpower. Shersquo;d managed to fool the bandit Sciron by showing him what he expected to see. Hazel needed to figure out what Pasiphaë wanted most.
ldquo;Seven minutes now,rdquo; Pasiphaë lamented. ldquo;If only we had more time! So many indignities Irsquo;d like you to suffer.rdquo;
That was it, Hazel realized. She had to run the gauntlet. She had to make the maze more dangerous, more spectacularmdash;make Pasiphaë focus on the traps rather than the direction the Labyrinth was leading.
ldquo;Leo, wersquo;re going to jump,rdquo; Hazel said.
ldquo;Butmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Itrsquo;s not as far as it looks. Go!rdquo; She grabbed his hand and they launched themselves across the pit. When they landed, Hazel looked back and saw no pit at allmdash;just a three-inch ***** in the floor.
ldquo;Come on!rdquo; she urged.
They ran as the voice of Pasiphaë droned on. ldquo;Oh, dear, no. Yoursquo;ll never survive that way. Six minutes.rdquo;
The ceiling above them cracked apart. Gale the weasel squeaked in alarm, but Hazel imagined a new tunnel leading off to the leftmdash;a tunnel even more dangerous, going the wrong direction. The Mist softened under her will. The tunnel appeared, and they dashed to one side.
Pasiphaë sighed with disappointment. ldquo;You really arenrsquo;t very good at this, my dear.rdquo;
But Hazel felt a spark of hope. Shersquo;d created a tunnel. Shersquo;d driven a small wedge into the magic fabric of the Labyrinth.
The floor collapsed under them. Hazel jumped to one side, dragging Leo with her. She imagined another tunnel, veering back the way theyrsquo;d come, but full of poisonous gas. The maze obliged.
ldquo;Leo, hold your breath,rdquo; she warned.
They plunged through the toxic fog. Hazelrsquo;s eyes felt like they were being rinsed in pepper juice, but she kept running.
ldquo;Five minutes,rdquo; Pasiphaë said. ldquo;Alas! If only I could watch you suffer longer.rdquo;
They burst into a corridor with fresh air. Leo coughed. ldquo;If only she would shut up.rdquo;
They ducked under a bronze garrote wire. Hazel imagined the tunnel curving back toward Pasiphaë, ever so slightly. The Mist bent to her will.
The walls of the tunnel began to close in on either side. Hazel didnrsquo;t try to stop them. She made them close faster, shaking the floor and cracking the ceiling. She and Leo ran for their lives, following the curve as it brought them closer to what she hoped was the center of the room.
ldquo;A pity,rdquo; said Pasiphaë. ldquo;I wish I could kill you and your friends in the elevator, but Gaea has insisted that two of you must be kept alive until the Feast of Hope, when your blood will be put to good use! Ah, well. I will have to find other victims for my Labyrinth. You two have been second-rate failures.rdquo;
Hazel and Leo stumbled to a stop. In front of them stretched a chasm so wide, Hazel couldnrsquo;t see the other side. From somewhere below in the darkness came the sound of hissingmdash;thousands and thousands of snakes.
Hazel was tempted to retreat, but the tunnel was closing behind them, leaving them stranded on a tiny ledge. Gale the weasel paced across Hazelrsquo;s shoulders and farted with anxiety.
ldquo;Okay, okay,rdquo; Leo muttered. ldquo;The walls are moving parts. They gotta be mechanical. Give me a second.rdquo;
ldquo;No, Leo,rdquo; Hazel said. ldquo;Therersquo;s no way back.rdquo;
ldquo;Butmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Hold my hand,rdquo; she said. ldquo;On three.rdquo;
ldquo;Butmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Three!rdquo;
ldquo;What?rdquo;
Hazel leaped into the pit, pulling Leo with her. She tried to ignore his screaming and the flatulent weasel clinging to her neck. She bent all her will into redirecting the magic of the Labyrinth.
Pasiphaë laughed with delight, knowing that any moment they would be crushed or bitten to death in a pit of snakes.
Instead, Hazel imagined a chute in the darkness, just to their left. She twisted in midair and fell toward it. She and Leo hit the chute hard and slid into the cavern, landing right on top of Pasiphaë.
ldquo;Ack!rdquo; The sorceressrsquo;s head smacked against the floor as Leo sat down hard on her chest.
For a moment, the three of them and the weasel were a pile of sprawling bodies and flailing limbs. Hazel tried to draw her sword, but Pasiphaë managed to extricate herself first. The sorceress backed away, her hairdo bent sideways like a collapsed cake. Her dress was smeared with grease stains from Leorsquo;s tool belt.
ldquo;You miserable wretches!rdquo; she howled.
The maze was gone. A few feet away, Clytius stood with his back to them, watching the Doors of Death. By Hazelrsquo;s calculation, they had about thirty seconds until their friends arrived. Hazel felt exhausted from her run through the maze while controlling the Mist, but she needed to pull off one more trick.
She had successfully made Pasiphaë see what she most desired. Now Hazel had to make the sorceress see what she most feared.
ldquo;You must really hate demigods,rdquo; Hazel said, trying to mimic Pasiphaërsquo;s cruel smile. ldquo;We always get the best of you, donrsquo;t we, Pasiphaë?rdquo;
ldquo;Nonsense!rdquo; screamed Pasiphaë. ldquo;I will tear you apart! I willmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Wersquo;re always pulling the rug out from under your feet,rdquo; Hazel sympathized. ldquo;Your husband betrayed you. Theseus killed the Minotaur and stole your daughter Ariadne. Now two second-rate failures have turned your own maze against you. But you knew it would come to this, didnrsquo;t you? You always fall in the end.rdquo;
ldquo;I am immortal!rdquo; Pasiphaë wailed. She took a step back, fingering her necklace. ldquo;You cannot stand against me!rdquo;
ldquo;You canrsquo;t stand at all,rdquo; Hazel countered. ldquo;Look.rdquo;
She pointed at the feet of the sorceress. A trapdoor opened underneath Pasiphaë. She fell, screaming, into a bottomless pit that didnrsquo;t really exist.
The floor solidified. The sorceress was gone.
Leo stared at Hazel in amazement. ldquo;How did youmdash;rdquo;
Just then the elevator dinged. Rather than pushing the UP button, Clytius stepped back from the controls, keeping their friends trapped inside.
ldquo;Leo!rdquo; Hazel yelled.
They were thirty feet awaymdash;much too far to reach the elevatormdash;but Leo pulled out a screwdriver and chucked it like a throwing knife. An impossible shot. The screwdriver spun straight past Clytius and slammed into the UP button.
The Doors of Death opened with a hiss. Black smoke billowed out, and two bodies spilled face-first onto the floormdash;Percy and Annabeth, limp as corpses.
Hazel sobbed. ldquo;Oh, godshellip;rdquo;
She and Leo started forward, but Clytius raised his hand in an unmistakable gesturemdash;stop. He lifted his massive reptilian foot over Percyrsquo;s head.
The giantrsquo;s smoky shroud poured over the floor, covering Annabeth and Percy in a pool of dark fog.
ldquo;Clytius, yoursquo;ve lost,rdquo; Hazel snarled. ldquo;Let them go, or yoursquo;ll end up like Pasiphaë.rdquo;
The giant tilted his head. His diamond eyes gleamed. At his feet, Annabeth lurched like shersquo;d hit a power line. She rolled on her back, black smoke coiling from her mouth.
ldquo;I am not Pasiphaë.rdquo; Annabeth spoke in a voice that wasnrsquo;t hersmdash;the words as deep as a bass guitar. ldquo;You have won nothing.rdquo;
ldquo;Stop that!rdquo; Even from thirty feet away, Hazel could sense Annabethrsquo;s life force waning, her pulse becoming thready. Whatever Clytius was doing, pulling words from her mouthmdash;it was killing her.
Clytius nudged Percyrsquo;s head with his foot. Percyrsquo;s face lolled to one side.
ldquo;Not quite dead.rdquo; The giantrsquo;s words boomed from Percyrsquo;s mouth. ldquo;A terrible shock to the mortal body, I would imagine, coming back from Tartarus. Theyrsquo;ll be out for a while.rdquo;
He turned his attention back to Annabeth. More smoke poured from between her lips. ldquo;Irsquo;ll tie them up and take them to Porphyrion in Athens. Just the sacrifice we need. Unfortunately, that means I have no further use for you two.rdquo;
ldquo;Oh, yeah?rdquo; Leo growled. ldquo;Well, maybe you got the smoke, buddy, but Irsquo;ve got the fire.rdquo;
His hands blazed. He shot white-hot columns of flame at the giant, but Clytiusrsquo;s smoky aura absorbed them on impact. Tendrils of black haze traveled back up the lines of fire, snuffing out the light and heat and covering Leo in darkness.
Leo fell to his knees, clutching at his throat.
ldquo;No!rdquo; Hazel ran toward him, but Gale chattered urgently on her shouldermdash;a clear warning.
ldquo;I would not.rdquo; Clytiusrsquo;s voice reverberated from Leorsquo;s mouth. ldquo;You do not understand, Hazel Levesque. I devour magic. I destroy the voice and the soul. You cannot oppose me.rdquo;
Black fog spread farther across the room, covering Annabeth and Percy, billowing toward Hazel.
Blood roared in Hazelrsquo;s ears. She had to actmdash;but how? If that black smoke could incapacitate Leo so quickly, what chance did she have?
ldquo;F-fire,rdquo; she stammered in a small voice. ldquo;Yoursquo;re supposed to be weak against it.rdquo;
The giant chuckled, using Annabethrsquo;s vocal cords this time. ldquo;You were counting on that, eh? It is true I do not like fire. But Leo Valdezrsquo;s flames are not strong enough to trouble me.rdquo;
Somewhere behind Hazel, a soft, lyrical voice said, ldquo;What about my flames, old friend?rdquo;
Gale squeaked excitedly and jumped from Hazelrsquo;s shoulder, scampering to the entrance of the cavern where a blond woman stood in a black dress, the Mist swirling around her.
The giant stumbled backward, bumping into the Doors of Death.
ldquo;You,rdquo; he said from Percyrsquo;s mouth.
ldquo;Me,rdquo; Hecate agreed. She spread her arms. Blazing torches appeared in her hands. ldquo;It has been millennia since I fought at the side of a demigod, but Hazel Levesque has proven herself worthy. What do you say, Clytius? Shall we play with fire?rdquo;
IF THE GIANT HAD RUN AWAY SCREAMING, Hazel wouldrsquo;ve been grateful. Then they all could have taken the rest of the day off.
Clytius disappointed her.
When he saw the goddessrsquo;s torches blazing, the giant seemed to recover his wits. He stomped his foot, shaking the floor and almost stepping on Annabethrsquo;s arm. Dark smoke billowed around him until Annabeth and Percy were totally hidden. Hazel could see nothing but the giantrsquo;s gleaming eyes.
ldquo;Bold words.rdquo; Clytius spoke from Leorsquo;s mouth. ldquo;You forget, goddess. When we last met, you had the help of Hercules and Dionysusmdash;the most powerful heroes in the world, both of them destined to become gods. Now you bringhellip;these?rdquo;
Leorsquo;s unconscious body contorted in pain.
ldquo;Stop it!rdquo; Hazel yelled.
She didnrsquo;t plan what happened next. She simply knew she had to protect her friends. She imagined them behind her, the same way shersquo;d imagined new tunnels appearing in Pasiphaërsquo;s Labyrinth. Leo dissolved. He reappeared at Hazelrsquo;s feet, along
Leo opened his eyes and gasped. ldquo;Wh-whathellip;?rdquo;
Annabeth and Percy remained motionless, but Hazel could sense their heartbeats getting stronger, their breath coming more evenly.
On Hecatersquo;s shoulder, Gale the polecat barked with admiration.
The goddess stepped forward, her dark eyes glittering in the torchlight. ldquo;Yoursquo;re right, Clytius. Hazel Levesque is not Hercules or Dionysus, but I think you will find her just as formidable.rdquo;
Through the smoky shroud, Hazel saw the giant open his mouth. No words came out. Clytius sneered in frustration.
Leo tried to sit up. ldquo;Whatrsquo;s going on? What can Imdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Watch Percy and Annabeth.rdquo; Hazel drew her spatha. ldquo;Stay behind me. Stay in the Mist.rdquo;
ldquo;Butmdash;rdquo;
The look Hazel gave him must have been more severe than she realized.
Leo gulped. ldquo;Yeah, got it. White Mist good. Black smoke bad.rdquo;
Hazel advanced. The giant spread his arms. The domed ceiling shook, and the giantrsquo;s voice echoed through the room, magnified a hundred times.
Formidable? the giant demanded. It sounded as if he were speaking through a chorus of the dead, using all the unfortunate souls whorsquo;d been buried behind the domersquo;s stelae. Because the girl has learned your magic tricks, Hecate? Because you allow these weaklings to hide in your Mist?
A sword appeared in the giantrsquo;s handmdash;a Stygian iron blade much like Nicorsquo;s, except five times the size. I do not understand why Gaea would find any of these demigods worthy of sacrifice. I will crush them like empty nutshells.
Hazelrsquo;s fear turned to rage. She screamed. The walls of the chamber made a crackling sound like ice in warm water, and dozens of gems streaked toward the giant, punching through his armor like buckshot.
Clytius staggered backward. His disembodied voice bellowed with pain. His iron breastplate was peppered with holes.
Golden ichor trickled from a wound on his right arm. His shroud of darkness thinned. Hazel could see the murderous expression on his face.
You, Clytius growled. You worthlessmdash;
ldquo;Worthless?rdquo; Hecate asked quietly. ldquo;Irsquo;d say Hazel Levesque knows a few tricks even I could not teach her.rdquo;
Hazel stood in front of her friends, determined to protect them, but her energy was fading. Her sword was already heavy in her hand, and she hadnrsquo;t even swung it yet. She wished Arion were here. She could use the horsersquo;s speed and strength. Unfortunately, her equine friend would not be able to help her this time. He was a creature of the wide-open spaces, not the underground.
The giant dug his fingers into the wound on his biceps. He pulled out a diamond and flicked it aside. The wound closed.
So, daughter of Pluto, Clytius rumbled, do you really believe Hecate has your interests at heart? Circe was a favorite of hers. And Medea. And Pasiphaë. How did they end up, eh?
Behind her, Hazel heard Annabeth stirring, groaning in pain. Percy muttered something that sounded like, ldquo;Bob-bob-bob?rdquo;
Clytius stepped forward, holding his sword casually at his side as if they were comrades rather than enemies. Hecate will not tell you the truth. She sends acolytes like you to do her bidding and take all the risk. If by some miracle you incapacitate me, only then will she be able to set me on fire. Then she will claim the glory of the kill. You heard how Bacchus dealt with the Alodai twins in the Colosseum. Hecate is worse. She is a Titan who betrayed the Titans. Then she betrayed the gods. Do you really think she will keep faith with you?
Hecatersquo;s face was unreadable.
ldquo;I cannot answer his accusations, Hazel,rdquo; said the goddess. ldquo;This is your crossroads. You must choose.rdquo;
Yes, crossroads. The giantrsquo;s laughter echoed. His wounds seemed to have healed completely. Hecate offers you obscurity, choices, vague promises of magic. I am the anti-Hecate. I will give you truth. I will eliminate choices and magic. I will strip away the Mist, once and for all, and show you the world in all its true horror.
Leo struggled to his feet, coughing like an asthmatic. ldquo;Irsquo;m loving this guy,rdquo; he wheezed. ldquo;Seriously, we should keep him around for inspirational seminars.rdquo; His hands ignited like blowtorches. ldquo;Or I could just light him up.rdquo;
ldquo;Leo, no,rdquo; Hazel said. ldquo;My fatherrsquo;s temple. My call.rdquo;
ldquo;Yeah, okay. Butmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Hazelhellip;rdquo; Annabeth wheezed.
Hazel was so elated to hear her friendrsquo;s voice that she almost turned, but she knew she shouldnrsquo;t take her eyes off Clytius.
ldquo;The chainshellip;rdquo; Annabeth managed.
Hazel inhaled sharply. Shersquo;d been a fool! The Doors of Death were still open, shuddering against the chains that held them in place. Hazel had to cut them free so they would disappearmdash;and finally be beyond Gaearsquo;s reach.
The only problem: a big smoky giant stood in her way.
You canrsquo;t seriously believe you have the strength, Clytius chided. What will you do, Hazel Levesquemdash;pelt me with more rubies? Shower me with sapphires?
Hazel gave him an answer. She raised her spatha and charged.
Apparently, Clytius hadnrsquo;t expected her to be quite so suicidal. He was slow raising his sword. By the time he slashed, Hazel had ducked between his legs and jabbed her Imperial gold blade into his gluteus maximus. Not very ladylike. The nuns at St. Agnes would never have approved. But it worked.
Clytius roared and arched his back, waddling away from her. Mist still swirled around Hazel, hissing as it met the giantrsquo;s black smoke.
Hazel realized that Hecate was assisting hermdash;lending her the strength to keep up a defensive shroud. Hazel also knew that the instant her own concentration wavered and that darkness touched her, she would collapse. If that happened, she wasnrsquo;t sure Hecate would be ablemdash;or willingmdash;to stop the giant from crushing her and her friends.
Hazel sprinted toward the Doors of Death. Her blade shattered the chains on the left side like they were made of ice. She lunged to the right, but Clytius yelled, NO!
By sheer luck, she wasnrsquo;t cut in half. The flat of the giantrsquo;s blade caught her in the chest and sent her flying. She slammed into the wall and felt bones *****.
Across the room, Leo screamed her name.
Through her blurry vision, she saw a flash of fire. Hecate stood nearby, her form shimmering as if she were about to dissolve. Her torches seemed to be flickering out, but that might have just been that Hazel was starting to lose consciousness.
She couldnrsquo;t give up now. She forced herself to stand. Her side felt like it was embedded with razor blades. Her sword lay on the ground about five feet away. She staggered toward it.
ldquo;Clytius!rdquo; she shouted.
She meant it to sound like a brave challenge, but it came out as more of a croak.
At least it got his attention. The giant turned from Leo and the others. When he saw her limping forward, he laughed.
A good try, Hazel Levesque, Clytius admitted. You did better than I anticipated. But magic alone cannot defeat me, and you do not have sufficient strength. Hecate has failed you, as she fails all of her followers in the end.
The Mist around her was thinning. At the other end of the room, Leo tried to force-feed Percy some ambrosia, though Percy was still pretty much out of it. Annabeth was awake but struggling, barely able to lift her head.
Hecate stood with her torches, watching and waitingmdash;which infuriated Hazel so much, she found one last burst of energy.
She threw her swordmdash;not at the giant, but at the Doors of Death. The chains on the right side shattered. Hazel collapsed in agony, her side burning, as the Doors shuddered and disappeared in a flash of purple light.
Clytius roared so loudly that a half dozen stelae fell from the ceiling and shattered.
ldquo;That was for my brother, Nico,rdquo; Hazel gasped. ldquo;And for destroying my fatherrsquo;s altar.rdquo;
You have forfeited your right to a quick death, the giant snarled. I will suffocate you in darkness, slowly, painfully. Hecate cannot help you. NO ONE can help you!
The goddess raised her torches. ldquo;I would not be so certain, Clytius. Hazelrsquo;s friends simply needed a little time to reach hermdash;time you have given them with your boasting and bragging.rdquo;
Clytius snorted. What friends? These weaklings? They are no challenge.
In front of Hazel, the air rippled. The Mist thickened, creating a doorway, and four people stepped through.
Hazel wept with relief. Frankrsquo;s arm was bleeding and bandaged, but he was alive. Next to him stood Nico, Piper, and Jasonmdash;all with their swords drawn.
ldquo;Sorry wersquo;re late,rdquo; Jason said. ldquo;Is this the guy who needs killing?rdquo;
HAZEL ALMOST FELT SORRY FOR CLYTIUS.
They attacked him from every directionmdash;Leo shooting fire at his legs, Frank and Piper jabbing at his chest, Jason flying into the air and kicking him in the face. Hazel was proud to see how well Piper remembered her sword-fighting lessons.
Each time the giantrsquo;s smoky veil started creeping around one of them, Nico was there, slashing through it, drinking in the darkness with his Stygian blade.
Percy and Annabeth were on their feet, looking weak and dazed, but their swords were drawn. When did Annabeth get a sword? And what was it made ofmdash;ivory? They looked like they wanted to help, but there was no need. The giant was surrounded.
Clytius snarled, turning back and forth as if he couldnrsquo;t decide which of them to kill first. Wait! Hold still! No! Ouch!
The darkness around him dispelled completely, leaving nothing to protect him except his battered armor. Ichor oozed from a dozen wounds. The damage healed almost as fast as it was inflicted, but Hazel could tell the giant was tiring.
One last time Jason flew at him, kicking him in the chest, and the giantrsquo;s breastplate shattered. Clytius staggered backward. His sword dropped to the floor. He fell to his knees, and the demigods encircled him.
Only then did Hecate step forward, her torches raised. Mist curled around the giant, hissing and bubbling as it touched his skin.
ldquo;And so it ends,rdquo; Hecate said.
It does not end. Clytiusrsquo;s voice echoed from somewhere above, muffled and slurred. My brethren have risen. Gaea waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes?
Hecate turned her torches upside down. She thrust them like daggers at Clytiusrsquo;s head. The giantrsquo;s hair went up faster than dry tinder, spreading down his head and across his body until the heat of the bonfire made Hazel wince. Clytius fell without a sound, face-first in the rubble of Hadesrsquo;s altar. His body crumbled to ashes.
For a moment, no one spoke. Hazel heard a ragged, painful noise and realized it was her own breathing. Her side felt like it had been kicked in with a battering ram.
The goddess Hecate faced her. ldquo;You should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place.rdquo;
Hazel gritted her teeth, trying to hold in her anger. ldquo;Just like that? No lsquo;thank yours
The chamber rumbled. Another stela crashed to the floor and shattered.
ldquo;The House of Hades is unstable,rdquo; Hecate said. ldquo;Leave now. We shall meet again.rdquo;
The goddess dissolved. The Mist evaporated.
ldquo;Shersquo;s friendly,rdquo; Percy grumbled.
The others turned toward him and Annabeth, as if just realizing they were there.
ldquo;Dude.rdquo; Jason gave Percy a bear hug.
ldquo;Back from Tartarus!rdquo; Leo whooped. ldquo;Thatrsquo;s my peeps!rdquo;
Piper threw her arms around Annabeth and cried.
Frank ran to Hazel. He gently folded his arms around her. ldquo;Yoursquo;re hurt,rdquo; he said.
ldquo;Ribs probably broken,rdquo; she admitted. ldquo;But Frankmdash;what happened to your arm?rdquo;
He managed a smile. ldquo;Long story. Wersquo;re alive. Thatrsquo;s what matters.rdquo;
She was so giddy with relief it took her a moment to notice Nico, standing by himself, his expression full of pain and conflict.
ldquo;Hey,rdquo; she called to him, beckoning with her good arm.
He hesitated, then came over and kissed her forehead. ldquo;Irsquo;m glad yoursquo;re okay,rdquo; he said. ldquo;The ghosts were right. Only one of us made it to the Doors of Death. Youhellip;you would have made Dad proud.rdquo;
She smiled, cupping her hand gently to his face. ldquo;We couldnrsquo;t have defeated Clytius without you.rdquo;
She brushed her thumb under Nicorsquo;s eye and wondered if he had been crying. She wanted so badly to understand what was going on with himmdash;what had happened to him over the last few weeks. After all theyrsquo;d just been through, Hazel was more grateful than ever to have a brother.
Before she could say that, the ceiling shuddered. Cracks appeared in the remaining tiles. Columns of dust spilled down.
ldquo;Wersquo;ve got to get out of here,rdquo; Jason said. ldquo;Uh, Frankhellip;?rdquo;
Frank shook his head. ldquo;I think one favor from the dead is all I can manage today.rdquo;
ldquo;Wait, what?rdquo; Hazel asked.
Piper raised her eyebrows. ldquo;Your unbelievable boyfriend called in a favor as a child of Mars. He summoned the spirits of some dead warriors, made them lead us here throughhellip;um, well, Irsquo;m not sure, actually. The passages of the dead? All I know is that it was very, very dark.rdquo;
To their left, a section of the wall split. Two ruby eyes from a carved stone skeleton popped out and rolled across the floor.
ldquo;Wersquo;ll have to shadow-travel,rdquo; Hazel said.
Nico winced. ldquo;Hazel, I can barely manage that with only myself. With seven more peoplemdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Irsquo;ll help you.rdquo; She tried to sound confident. Shersquo;d never shadow-traveled before, had no idea if she could; but after working with the Mist, altering the Labyrinthmdash;she had to believe it was possible.
An entire section of tiles peeled loose from the ceiling.
ldquo;Everyone, grab hands!rdquo; Nico yelled.
They made a hasty circle. Hazel envisioned the Greek countryside above them. The cavern collapsed, and she felt herself dissolving into shadow.
They appeared on the hillside overlooking the River Acheron. The sun was just rising, making the water glitter and the clouds glow orange. The cool morning air smelled of honeysuckle.
Hazel was holding hands with Frank on her left, Nico on her right. They were all alive and mostly whole. The sunlight in the trees was the most beautiful thing shersquo;d ever seen. She wanted to live in that momentmdash;free of monsters and gods and evil spirits.
Then her friends began to stir.
Nico realized that he was holding Percyrsquo;s hand and quickly let go.
Leo staggered backward. ldquo;You knowhellip;I think Irsquo;ll sit down.rdquo;
He collapsed. The others joined him. The Argo II still floated over the river a few hundred yards away. Hazel knew that they should signal Coach Hedge and tell him they were alive. Had they been in the temple all night? Or several nights? But at the moment, the group was too tired to do anything except sit and relax and marvel at the fact that they were okay.
They began to exchange stories.
Frank explained what had happened with the ghostly legion and the army of monstersmdash;how Nico had used the scepter of Diocletian, and how bravely Jason and Piper had fought.
ldquo;Frank is being modest,rdquo; Jason said. ldquo;He controlled the entire legion. You shouldrsquo;ve seen him. Oh, by the wayhellip;rdquo; Jason glanced at Percy. ldquo;I resigned my office, gave Frank a field promotion to praetor. Unless you want to contest that ruling.rdquo;
Percy grinned. ldquo;No argument here.rdquo;
ldquo;Praetor?rdquo; Hazel stared at Frank.
He shrugged uncomfortably. ldquo;Wellhellip;yeah. I know it seems weird.rdquo;
She tried to throw her arms around him, then winced as she remembered her busted ribs. She settled for kissing him. ldquo;It seems perfect.rdquo;
Leo clapped Frank on the shoulder. ldquo;Way to go, Zhang. Now you can order Octavian to fall on his sword.rdquo;
ldquo;Tempting,rdquo; Frank agreed. He turned apprehensively to Percy. ldquo;But, you guyshellip;Tartarus has to be the real story. What happened down there? How did youhellip;?rdquo;
Percy laced his fingers through Annabethrsquo;s.
Hazel happened to glance at Nico and saw pain in his eyes. She wasnrsquo;t sure, but maybe he was thinking how lucky Percy and Annabeth were to have each other. Nico had gone through Tartarus alone.
ldquo;Wersquo;ll tell you the story,rdquo; Percy promised. ldquo;But not yet, okay? Irsquo;m not ready to remember that place.rdquo;
ldquo;No,rdquo; Annabeth agreed. ldquo;Right nowhellip;rdquo; She gazed toward the river and faltered. ldquo;Uh, I think our ride is coming.rdquo;
Hazel turned. The Argo II veered to port, its aerial oars in motion, its sails catching the wind. Festusrsquo;s head glinted in the sunlight. Even from a distance, Hazel could hear him creaking and clanking in jubilation.
ldquo;Thatrsquo;s my boy!rdquo; Leo yelled.
As the ship got closer, Hazel saw Coach Hedge standing at the prow.
ldquo;About time!rdquo; the coach yelled down. He was doing his best to scowl, but his eyes gleamed as if maybe, just maybe, he was happy to see them. ldquo;What took you so long, cupcakes? You kept your visitor waiting!rdquo;
ldquo;Visitor?rdquo; Hazel murmured.
At the rail next to Coach Hedge, a dark-haired girl appeared wearing a purple cloak, her face so covered with soot and bloody scratches that Hazel almost didnrsquo;t recognize her.
Reyna had arrived.
PERCY STARED AT THE ATHENA PARTHENOS, waiting for it to strike him down.
Leorsquo;s new mechanical hoist system had lowered the statue onto the hillside with surprising ease. Now the forty-foot-tall goddess gazed serenely over the River Acheron, her gold dress like molten metal in the sun.
ldquo;Incredible,rdquo; Reyna admitted.
She was still red-eyed from crying. Soon after shersquo;d landed on the Argo II, her pegasus Scipio had collapsed, overwhelmed by poisoned claw marks from a gryphon attack the night before. Reyna had put the horse out of his misery with her golden knife, turning the pegasus into dust that scattered in the sweet-smelling Greek air. Maybe not a bad end for a flying horse, but Reyna had lost a loyal friend. Percy figured that shersquo;d given up too much in her life already.
The praetor circled the Athena Parthenos warily. ldquo;It looks newly made.rdquo;
ldquo;Yeah,rdquo; Leo said. ldquo;We brushed off the cobwebs, used a little Windex. It wasnrsquo;t hard.rdquo;
The Argo II hovered just overhead. With Festus keeping watch for threats on the radar, the entire crew had decided to eat lunch on the hillside while they discussed what to do. After the last few weeks, Percy figured theyrsquo;d earned a good meal togethermdash;really anything that wasnrsquo;t fire water or drakon meat soup.
ldquo;Hey, Reyna,rdquo; Annabeth called. ldquo;Have some food. Join us.rdquo;
The praetor glanced over, her dark eyebrows furrowed, as if join us didnrsquo;t quite compute. Percy had never seen Reyna without her armor before. It was on board the ship, being repaired by Buford the Wonder Table. She wore a pair of jeans and a purple Camp Jupiter T-shirt and looked almost like a normal teenagermdash;except for the knife at her belt and that guarded expression, like she was ready for an attack from any direction.
ldquo;All right,rdquo; she said finally.
They scooted over to make room for her in the circle. She sat cross-legged next to Annabeth, picked up a cheese sandwich, and nibbled at the edge.
ldquo;So,rdquo; Reyna said. ldquo;Frank Zhanghellip;praetor.rdquo;
Frank shifted, wiping crumbs from his chin. ldquo;Well, yeah. Field promotion.rdquo;
ldquo;To lead a different legion,rdquo; Reyna noted. ldquo;A legion of ghosts.rdquo;
Hazel put her arm protectively through Frankrsquo;s. After an hour in sick bay, they both looked a lot better; but Percy could tell they werenrsquo;t sure what to think about their old boss from Camp Jupiter dropping in for lunch.
ldquo;Reyna,rdquo; Jason said, ldquo;you shouldrsquo;ve seen him.rdquo;
ldquo;He was amazing,rdquo; Piper agreed.
ldquo;Frank is a leader,rdquo; Hazel insisted. ldquo;He makes a great praetor.rdquo;
Reynarsquo;s eyes stayed on Frank, like she was trying to guess his weight. ldquo;I believe you,rdquo; she said. ldquo;I approve.rdquo;
Frank blinked. ldquo;You do?rdquo;
Reyna smiled dryly. ldquo;A son of Mars, the hero who helped to bring back the eagle of the legionhellip;I can work with a demigod like that. Irsquo;m just wondering how to convince the Twelfth Fulminata.rdquo;
Frank scowled. ldquo;Yeah. Irsquo;ve been wondering the same thing.rdquo;
Percy still couldnrsquo;t get over how much Frank had changed. A ldquo;growth spurtrdquo; was putting it mildly. He was at least three inches taller, less pudgy, and more bulky, like a linebacker. His face looked sturdier, his jawline more rugged. It was as if Frank had turned into a bull and then back to human, but hersquo;d kept some of the bullishness.
ldquo;The legion will listen to you, Reyna,rdquo; Frank said. ldquo;You made it here alone, across the ancient lands.rdquo;
Reyna chewed her sandwich as if it were cardboard. ldquo;In doing so, I broke the laws of the legion.rdquo;
ldquo;Caesar broke the law when he crossed the Rubicon,rdquo; Frank said. ldquo;Great leaders have to think outside the box sometimes.rdquo;
She shook her head. ldquo;Irsquo;m not Caesar. After finding Jasonrsquo;s note in Diocletianrsquo;s Palace, tracking you down was easy. I only did what I thought was necessary.rdquo;
Percy couldnrsquo;t help smiling. ldquo;Reyna, yoursquo;re too modest. Flying halfway across the world by yourself to answer Annabethrsquo;s plea, because you knew it was our best chance for peace? Thatrsquo;s pretty freaking heroic.rdquo;
Reyna shrugged. ldquo;Says the demigod who fell into Tartarus and found his way back.rdquo;
ldquo;He had help,rdquo; Annabeth said.
ldquo;Oh, obviously,rdquo; Reyna said. ldquo;Without you, I doubt Percy could find his way out of a paper bag.rdquo;
ldquo;True,rdquo; Annabeth agreed.
ldquo;Hey!rdquo; Percy complained.
The others started laughing, but Percy didnrsquo;t mind. It felt good to see them smi
Percyrsquo;s smile melted. Bob and Damasen had sacrificed their lives so that Percy and Annabeth could sit here now, enjoying the sunlight and laughing with their friends.
It wasnrsquo;t fair.
Leo pulled a tiny screwdriver from his tool belt. He stabbed a chocolate-covered strawberry and passed it to Coach Hedge. Then he pulled out another screwdriver and speared a second strawberry for himself.
ldquo;So, the twenty-million-peso question,rdquo; Leo said. ldquo;We got this slightly used forty-foot-tall statue of Athena. What do we do with it?rdquo;
Reyna squinted at the Athena Parthenos. ldquo;As fine as it looks on this hill, I didnrsquo;t come all this way to admire it. According to Annabeth, it must be returned to Camp Half-Blood by a Roman leader. Do I understand correctly?rdquo;
Annabeth nodded. ldquo;I had a dream down inhellip;you know, Tartarus. I was on Half-Blood Hill, and Athenarsquo;s voice said, I must stand here. The Roman must bring me.rdquo;
Percy studied the statue uneasily. Hersquo;d never had the best relationship with Annabethrsquo;s mom. He kept expecting Big Mama Statue to come alive and chew him out for getting her daughter into so much troublemdash;or maybe just step on him without a word.
ldquo;It makes sense,rdquo; Nico said.
Percy flinched. It almost sounded like Nico had read his mind and was agreeing that Athena should step on him.
The son of Hades sat at the other end of the circle, eating nothing but half a pomegranate, the fruit of the Underworld. Percy wondered if that was Nicorsquo;s idea of a joke.
ldquo;The statue is a powerful symbol,rdquo; Nico said. ldquo;A Roman returning it to the Greekshellip;that could heal the historic rift, maybe even heal the gods of their split personalities.rdquo;
Coach Hedge swallowed his strawberry along with half the screwdriver. ldquo;Now, hold on. I like peace as much as the next satyrmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;You hate peace,rdquo; Leo said.
ldquo;The point is, Valdez, wersquo;re onlymdash;what, a few days from Athens? We got an army of giants waiting for us there. We went to all the trouble of saving this statuemdash;rdquo;
ldquo;I went to most of the trouble,rdquo; Annabeth reminded him.
ldquo;mdash;because that prophecy called it the giantsrsquo; bane,rdquo; the coach continued. ldquo;So why arenrsquo;t we taking it to Athens with us? Itrsquo;s obviously our secret weapon.rdquo; He eyed the Athena Parthenos. ldquo;It looks like a ballistic missile to me. Maybe if Valdez strapped some engines to itmdash;rdquo;
Piper cleared her throat. ldquo;Uh, great idea, Coach, but a lot of us have had dreams and visions of Gaea rising at Camp Half-Bloodhellip;rdquo;
She unsheathed her dagger Katoptris and set it on her plate. At the moment, the blade showed nothing except sky, but looking at it still made Percy uncomfortable.
ldquo;Since we got back to the ship,rdquo; Piper said, ldquo;Irsquo;ve been seeing some bad stuff in the knife. The Roman legion is almost within striking distance of Camp Half-Blood. Theyrsquo;re gathering reinforcements: spirits, eagles, wolves.rdquo;
ldquo;Octavian,rdquo; Reyna growled. ldquo;I told him to wait.rdquo;
ldquo;When we take over command,rdquo; Frank suggested, ldquo;our first order of business should be to load Octavian into the nearest catapult and fire him as far away as possible.rdquo;
ldquo;Agreed,rdquo; Reyna said. ldquo;But for nowmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Hersquo;s intent on war,rdquo; Annabeth put in. ldquo;Hersquo;ll have it, unless we stop him.rdquo;
Piper turned the blade of her knife. ldquo;Unfortunately, thatrsquo;s not the worst of it. I saw images of a possible futuremdash;the camp in flames, Roman and Greek demigods lying dead. And Gaeahellip;rdquo; Her voice failed her.
Percy remembered the god Tartarus in physical form, looming over him. Hersquo;d never felt such helplessness and terror. He still burned with shame, remembering how his sword had slipped out of his hand.
You might as well try to kill the earth, Tartarus had said.
If Gaea was that powerful, and she had an army of giants at her side, Percy didnrsquo;t see how seven demigods could stop her, especially when most of the gods were incapacitated. They had to stop the giants before Gaea woke, or it was game over.
If the Athena Parthenos was a secret weapon, taking it to Athens was pretty tempting. Heck, Percy kind of liked the coachrsquo;s idea of using it as a missile and sending Gaea up in a godly nuclear mushroom cloud.
Unfortunately, his gut told him that Annabeth was right. The statue belonged back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop the war between the two camps.
ldquo;So Reyna takes the statue,rdquo; Percy said. ldquo;And we continue on to Athens.rdquo;
Leo shrugged. ldquo;Cool with me. But, uh, a few pesky logistical problems. We got whatmdash;two weeks until that Roman feast day when Gaea is supposed to rise?rdquo;
ldquo;The Feast of Spes,rdquo; Jason said. ldquo;Thatrsquo;s on the first of August. Today ismdash;rdquo;
ldquo;July eighteenth,rdquo; Frank offered. ldquo;So, yeah, from tomorrow, exactly fourteen days.rdquo;
Hazel winced. ldquo;It took us eighteen days to get from Rome to heremdash;a trip that shouldrsquo;ve only taken two or three days, max.rdquo;
ldquo;So, given our usual luck,rdquo; Leo said, ldquo;maybe we have enough time to get the Argo II to Athens, find the giants, and stop them from waking Gaea. Maybe. But how is Reyna supposed to get this massive statue back to Camp Half-Blood before the Greeks and Romans put each other through the blender? She doesnrsquo;t even have her pegasus anymore. Uh, sorrymdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Fine,rdquo; Reyna snapped. She might be treating them like allies rather than enemies, but Percy could tell Reyna still had a not-so-soft spot for Leo, probably because hersquo;d blown up half the Forum in New Rome.
She took a deep breath. ldquo;Unfortunately, Leo is correct. I donrsquo;t see how I can transport something so large. I was assumingmdash;well, I was hoping you all would have an answer.rdquo;
ldquo;The Labyrinth,rdquo; Hazel said. ldquo;Imdash;I mean, if Pasiphaë really has reopened it, and I think she hashellip;rdquo; She looked at Percy apprehensively. ldquo;Well, you said the Labyrinth could take you anywhere. So maybemdash;rdquo;
ldquo;No.rdquo; Percy and Annabeth spoke in unison.
ldquo;Not to shoot you down, Hazel,rdquo; Percy said. ldquo;Itrsquo;s justhellip;rdquo;
He struggled to find the right words. How could he describe the Labyrinth to someone whorsquo;d never explored it? Daedalus had created it to be a living, growing maze. Over the centuries it had spread like the roots of a tree under the entire surface of the world. Sure, it could take you anywhere. Distance inside was meaningless. You could enter the maze in New York, walk ten feet, and exit the maze in Los Angelesmdash;but only if you found a reliable way to navigate. Otherwise the Labyrinth would trick you and try to kill you at every turn. When the tunnel network collapsed after Daedalus died, Percy had been relieved. The idea that the maze was regenerating itself, honeycombing its way under the earth again and providing a spacious new home for monstershellip;that didnrsquo;t make him happy. He had enough problems already.
ldquo;For one thing,rdquo; he said, ldquo;the passages in the Labyrinth are way too small for the Athena Parthenos. Therersquo;s no chance you could take it down theremdash;rdquo;
ldquo;And even if the maze is reopening,rdquo; Annabeth continued, ldquo;we donrsquo;t know what it might be like now. It was dangerous enough before, under Daedalusrsquo;s control, and he wasnrsquo;t evil. If Pasiphaë has remade the Labyrinth the way she wantedhellip;rdquo; She shook her head. ldquo;Hazel, maybe your underground senses could guide Reyna through, but no one else would stand a chance. And we need you here. Besides, if you got lost down theremdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Yoursquo;re right,rdquo; Hazel said glumly. ldquo;Never mind.rdquo;
Reyna cast her eyes around the group. ldquo;Other ideas?rdquo;
ldquo;I could go,rdquo; Frank offered, not sounding very happy about it. ldquo;If Irsquo;m a praetor, I should go. Maybe we could rig some sort of sled, ormdash;rdquo;
ldquo;No, Frank Zhang.rdquo; Reyna gave him a weary smile. ldquo;I hope we will work side by side in the future, but for now your place is with the crew of this ship. You are one of the seven of the prophecy.rdquo;
ldquo;Irsquo;m not,rdquo; Nico said.
Everybody stopped eating. Percy stared across the circle at Nico, trying to decide if he was joking.
Hazel set down her fork. ldquo;Nicomdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Irsquo;ll go with Reyna,rdquo; he said. ldquo;I can transport the statue with shadow-travel.rdquo;
ldquo;Uhhellip;rdquo; Percy raised his hand. ldquo;I mean, I know you just got all eight of us to the surface, and that was awesome. But a year ago you said transporting just yourself was dangerous and unpredictable. A couple of times you ended up in China. Transporting a forty-foot statue and two people halfway across the worldmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Irsquo;ve changed since I came back from Tartarus.rdquo; Nicorsquo;s eyes glittered with angermdash;more intensely than Percy understood. He wondered if hersquo;d done something to offend the guy.
ldquo;Nico,rdquo; Jason intervened, ldquo;wersquo;re not questioning your power. We just want to make sure you donrsquo;t kill yourself trying.rdquo;
ldquo;I can do it,rdquo; he insisted. ldquo;Irsquo;ll make short jumpsmdash;a few hundred miles each time. Itrsquo;s true, after each jump I wonrsquo;t be in any shape to fend off monsters. Irsquo;ll need Reyna to defend me and the statue.rdquo;
Reyna had an excellent poker face. She studied the group, scanning their faces, but betraying none of her own thoughts. ldquo;Any objections?rdquo;
No one spoke.
ldquo;Very well,rdquo; she said, with the finality of a judge. If she had a gavel, Percy suspected she would have banged it. ldquo;I see no better option. But there will be many monster attacks. I would feel better taking a third person. Thatrsquo;s the optimal number for a quest.rdquo;
ldquo;Coach Hedge,rdquo; Frank blurted.
Percy stared at him, not sure hersquo;d heard correctly. ldquo;Uh, what, Frank?rdquo;
ldquo;The coach is the best choice,rdquo; Frank said. ldquo;The only choice. Hersquo;s a good fighter. Hersquo;s a certified protector. Hersquo;ll get the job done.rdquo;
ldquo;A faun,rdquo; Reyna said.
ldquo;Satyr!rdquo; barked the coach. ldquo;And, yeah, Irsquo;ll go. Besides, when you get to Camp Half-Blood, yoursquo;ll need somebody with connections and diplomatic skills to keep the Greeks from attacking you. Just let me go make a callmdash;er, I mean, get my baseball bat.rdquo;
He got up and shot Frank an unspoken message that Percy couldnrsquo;t quite read. Despite the fact that hersquo;d just been volunteered for a likely suicide mission, the coach looked grateful. He jogged off toward the shiprsquo;s ladder, tapping his hooves together like an excited kid.
Nico rose. ldquo;I should go, too, and rest before the first passage. Wersquo;ll meet at the statue at sunset.rdquo;
Once he was gone, Hazel frowned. ldquo;Hersquo;s acting strangely. Irsquo;m not sure hersquo;s thinking this through.rdquo;
Percy wished he could say something encouraging, but he felt unsettled. Despite all theyrsquo;d been through and all the battles theyrsquo;d won, they still seemed no closer to defeating Gaea. Sure, theyrsquo;d released Thanatos. Theyrsquo;d closed the Doors of Death. At least now they could kill monsters and make them stay in Tartarus for a while. But the giants were backmdash;all the giants.
ldquo;One thing bothers me,rdquo; he said. ldquo;If the Feast of Spes is in two weeks, and Gaea needs the blood of two demigods to wakemdash;what did Clytius call it? The blood of Olympus?mdash;then arenrsquo;t we doing exactly what Gaea wants, heading to Athens? If we donrsquo;t go, and she canrsquo;t sacrifice any of us, doesnrsquo;t that mean she canrsquo;t wake up fully?rdquo;
Annabeth took his hand. He drank in the sight of her now that they were back in the mortal world, without the Death Mist, her blond hair catching the sunlightmdash;even if she was still thin and wan, like him, and her gray eyes were stormy with thought.
ldquo;Percy, prophecies cut both ways,rdquo; she said. ldquo;If we donrsquo;t go, we may lose our best and only chance to stop her. Athens is where our battle lies. We canrsquo;t avoid it. Besides, trying to thwart prophecies never works. Gaea could capture us somewhere else, or spill the blood of some other demigods.rdquo;
ldquo;Yeah, yoursquo;re right,rdquo; Percy said. ldquo;I donrsquo;t like it, but yoursquo;re right.rdquo;
The mood of the group became as gloomy as Tartarus air, until Piper broke the tension.
ldquo;Well!rdquo; She sheathed her blade and patted her cornucopia. ldquo;Good picnic. Who wants dessert?rdquo;
AT SUNSET, PERCY FOUND NICO tying ropes around the pedestal of the Athena Parthenos.
ldquo;Thank you,rdquo; Percy said.
Nico frowned. ldquo;What for?rdquo;
ldquo;You promised to lead the others to the House of Hades,rdquo; Percy said. ldquo;You did it.rdquo;
Nico tied the ends of the ropes together, making a halter. ldquo;You got me out of that bronze jar in Rome. Saved my life yet again. It was the least I could do.rdquo;
His voice was steely, guarded. Percy wished he could figure out what made this guy tick, but hersquo;d never been able to. Nico was no longer the geeky kid from Westover Hall with the Mythomagic cards. Nor was he the angry loner whorsquo;d followed the ghost of Minos through the Labyrinth. But who was he?
He told Nico about their trip through Tartarus. He figured if anyone could understand, Nico could. ldquo;You convinced Bob that I could be trusted, even though I never visited him. I never gave him a second thought. You probably saved our lives by being nice to him.rdquo;
ldquo;Yeah, well,rdquo; Nico said, ldquo;not giving people a second thoughthellip;that can be dangerous.rdquo;
ldquo;Dude, Irsquo;m trying to say thank you.rdquo;
Nico laughed without humor. ldquo;Irsquo;m trying to say you donrsquo;t need to. Now I need to finish this, if you could give me some space?rdquo;
ldquo;Yeah. Yeah, okay.rdquo; Percy stepped back while Nico took up the slack on his ropes. He slipped them over his shoulders as if the Athena Parthenos were a giant backpack.
Percy couldnrsquo;t help feeling a little hurt, being told to take a hike. Then again, Nico had been through a lot. The guy had survived in Tartarus on his own. Percy understood firsthand just how much strength that must have taken.
Annabeth walked up the hill to join them. She took Percyrsquo;s hand, which made him feel better.
ldquo;Good luck,rdquo; she told Nico.
ldquo;Yeah.rdquo; He didnrsquo;t meet her eyes. ldquo;You too.rdquo;
A minute later, Reyna and Coach Hedge arrived in full armor with packs over their shoulders. Reyna looked grim and ready for combat. Coach Hedge grinned like he was expecting a surprise party.
Reyna gave Annabeth a hug. ldquo;We will succeed,rdquo; she promised.
ldquo;I know you will,rdquo; Annabeth said.
Coach Hedge shouldered his baseball bat. ldquo;Yeah, donrsquo;t worry. Irsquo;m going to get to camp and see my baby! Uh, I mean Irsquo;m going to get this baby to camp!rdquo; He patted the leg of the Athena Parthenos.
ldquo;All right,rdquo; said Nico. ldquo;Grab the ropes, please. Here we go.rdquo;
Reyna and Hedge took hold. The air darkened. The Athena Parthenos collapsed into its own shadow and disappeared, along with its three escorts.
The Argo II sailed after nightfall.
They veered southwest until they reached the coast, then splashed down in the Ionian Sea. Percy was relieved to feel the waves beneath him again.
It would have been a shorter trip to Athens over land, but after the crewrsquo;s experience with mountain spirits in Italy, theyrsquo;d decided not to fly over Gaearsquo;s territory any more than they had to. They would sail around the Greek mainland, following the routes that Greek heroes had taken in the ancient times.
That was fine with Percy. He loved being back in his fatherrsquo;s elementmdash;with the fresh sea air in his lungs and the salty spray on his arms. He stood at the starboard rail and closed his eyes, sensing the currents beneath them. But images of Tartarus kept burning in his mindmdash;the River Phlegethon, the blistered ground where monsters regenerated, the dark forest where arai circled overhead in the blood-mist clouds. Most of all, he thought about a hut in the swamp with a warm fire and racks of drying herbs and drakon jerky. He wondered if that hut was empty now.
Annabeth pressed next to him at the rail, her warmth reassuring.
ldquo;I know,rdquo; she murmured, reading his expression. ldquo;I canrsquo;t get that place out of my head, either.rdquo;
ldquo;I know.rdquo; Her voice was fragile. ldquo;We have to make their sacrifice worth it. We have to beat Gaea.rdquo;
Percy stared into the night sky. He wished they were looking at it from the beach on Long Island rather than from halfway around the world, sailing toward almost certain death.
He wondered where Nico, Reyna, and Hedge were now, and how long it would take them to make it backmdash;assuming they survived. He imagined the Romans drawing up battle lines right now, encircling Camp Half-Blood.
Fourteen days to reach Athens. Then one way or another, the war would be decided.
Over in the bow, Leo whistled happily as he tinkered with Festusrsquo;s mechanical brain, muttering something about a crystal and an astrolabe. Amidships, Piper and Hazel practiced their swordplay, gold and bronze blades ringing in the night. Jason and Frank stood at the helm, talking in low tonesmdash;maybe telling stories of the legion, or sharing thoughts on being praetor.
ldquo;Wersquo;ve got a good crew,rdquo; Percy said. ldquo;If I have to sail to my deathmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Yoursquo;re not dying on me, Seaweed Brain,rdquo; Annabeth said. ldquo;Remember? Never separated again. And after we get homehellip;rdquo;
ldquo;What?rdquo; Percy asked.
She kissed him. ldquo;Ask me again, once we defeat Gaea.rdquo;
He smiled, happy to have something to look forward to. ldquo;Whatever you say.rdquo;
As they sailed farther from the coast, the sky darkened and more stars came out.
Percy studied the constellationsmdash;the ones Annabeth had taught him so many years ago.
ldquo;Bob says hello,rdquo; he told the stars.
The Argo II sailed into the night.
Glossary
Achelous a potamus, or river god
Aegis Thalia Gracersquo;s terror-inducing shield
Aeolus god of all winds
Akhlys Greek goddess of misery; goddess of poisons; controller of the Death Mist; daughter of Chaos and Night
Alcyoneus the eldest of the giants born to Gaea, destined to fight Pluto
Alodai twin giants who attempted to storm Mount Olympus by piling three Greek mountains on top of each other. Ares tried to stop them, but he was defeated and imprisoned in a bronze urn, until Hermes rescued him. Artemis later brought about the giantsrsquo; destruction when she raced between them in the form of a deer. They both took aim with their spears, but missed and instead struck each other.
Aphrodite the Greek goddess of love and beauty. She was married to Hephaestus, but she loved Ares, the god of war. Roman form: Venus
Aquilo Roman god of the North Wind. Greek form: Boreas
Arachne a weaver who claimed to have skills superior to Athenarsquo;s. This angered the goddess, who destroyed Arachnersquo;s tapestry and loom. Arachne hung herself, and Athena brought her back to life as a spider.
arai female spirits of curses; wrinkled hags with batlike wings, brass talons, and glowing red eyes; daughters of Nyx (Night)
Archimedes a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer who lived between 287ndash;212 BCE and is regarded as one of the leading scientists in classical antiquity; he discovered how to determine the volume of a sphere
Ares the Greek god of war; the son of Zeus and Hera, and half brother to Athena. Roman form: Mars
argentum silver; the name of one of Reynarsquo;s two metallic greyhounds that can detect lies
Argo II the fantastical ship built by Leo, which can both sail and fly and has Festus the bronze dragon as its figurehead. The ship was named after the Argo, the vessel used by a band of Greek heroes who accompanied Jason on his quest to find the Golden Fleece.
Argonauts in Greek mythology, a band of heroes who sailed with Jason on the Argo, in search of the Golden Fleece
Ariadne a daughter of Minos who helped Theseus escape from the Labyrinth
Arion an incredibly fast magical horse that runs wild and free, but occasionally answers Hazelrsquo;s summons; his favorite snack is gold nuggets
astrolabe an instrument used to navigate based on the position of planets and stars
Athena the Greek goddess of wisdom. Roman form: Minerva
Athena Parthenos a giant statue of Athena, the most famous Greek statue of all time
augury a sign of something coming, an omen; the practice of divining the future
aurum gold; the name of one of Reynarsquo;s two metallic greyhounds that can detect lies
Auster Roman god of the South Wind. Greek form: Notus
Bacchus the Roman god of wine and revelry. Greek form: Dionysus
ballista (ballistae, pl.) a Roman missile siege weapon that launched a large projectile at a distant target (see also scorpion ballista)
barracks the living quarters of Roman soldiers
Bellona a Roman goddess of war
Boreads Calais and Zethes, sons of Boreas, god of the North Wind
Boreas god of the North Wind. Roman form: Aquilo
braccae Latin for trousers
Bunker Nine a hidden workshop Leo discovered at Camp Half-Blood, filled with tools and weapons. It is at least two hundred years old and was used during the Demigod Civil War.
Cadmus a demigod whom Ares turned into a snake when Cadmus killed his dragon son
Calypso the goddess nymph of the mythical island of Ogygia; a daughter of the Titan Atlas. She detained the hero Odysseus for many years.
Camp Half-Blood the training ground for Greek demigods, located on Long Island, New York
Camp Jupiter the training ground for Roman demigods, located between the Oakland Hills and the Berkeley Hills, in California
chiton a Greek garment; a sleeveless piece of linen or wool secured at the shoulders by brooches and at the waist by a belt
Circe a Greek goddess of magic
Clytius a giant created by Gaea to absorb and defeat all of Hecatersquo;s magic
Cocytus the River of Lamentation in Tartarus, made of pure misery
cohort one of ten divisions in a Roman legion; a group of soldiers
Colosseum an elliptical amphitheater in the center of Rome, Italy. Capable of seating fifty thousand spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, reenactments of famous battles, and dramas.
cornucopia a large horn-shaped container overflowing with edibles or wealth in some form. The cornucopia was created when Heracles (Roman: Hercules) wrestled with the river god Achelous and wrenched off one of his horns.
Cupid Roman god of love. Greek form: Eros
Cyclops a member of a primordial race of giants (Cyclopes, pl.), each with a single eye in the middle of his or her forehead
Daedalus in Greek mythology, a skilled craftsman who created the Labyrinth on Crete in which the Minotaur (part man, part bull) was kept
Damasen giant son of Tartarus and Gaea; created to oppose Ares; condemned to Tartarus for slaying a drakon that was ravaging the land
Demeter the Greek goddess of agriculture; a daughter of the Titans Rhea and Kronos. Roman form: Ceres
denarius (denarii, pl.) the most common coin in the Roman currency system
Diocletian the last great pagan emperor, and the first to retire peacefully; a demigod (son of Jupiter). According to legend, his scepter could raise a ghost army.
Diomedes a principal Greek hero in the Trojan War
Dionysus the Greek god of wine and revelry; a son of Zeus. Roman form: Bacchus
Doors of Death the doorway to the House of Hades, located in Tartarus. The Doors have two sidesmdash;one in the mortal world and one in the Underworld.
drachma the silver coin of Ancient Greece
drakon a gigantic yellow and green serpent-like monster, with frills around its neck, reptilian eyes, and huge talons; it spits poison
dryads tree nymphs
Earthborn Gegenees in Greek; monsters that wear only a loincloth and have six arms
eidolons possessing spirits
Elysium the section of the Underworld where those who are blessed by the gods are sent to rest in eternal peace after death
empousa a vampire with fangs, claws, a bronze left leg, a donkey right leg, hair made of fire, and skin as white as bone. Empousai [pl.] have the ability to manipulate the Mist, change shape, and charmspeak in order to attract their mortal victims.
Epirus a region presently in northwestern Greece and southern Albania
Eris goddess of strife
Eros Greek god of love. Roman form: Cupid
faun a Roman forest god, part goat and part man. Greek form: satyr
Favonius Roman god of the West Wind. Greek form: Zephyros
Fields of Asphodel the section of the Underworld where people who lived neither a good nor a bad life are sent after death
Fields of Punishment the section of the Underworld where people who were evil during their lives are sent after death to face eternal punishment for their crimes
Furies Roman goddesses of vengeance; usually characterized as three sistersmdash;Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera; the children of Gaia and Uranus. They reside in the Underworld, tormenting evildoers and sinners. Greek form: the Erinyes
Gaea the Greek earth goddess; mother of Titans, giants, Cyclopes, and other monsters. Roman form: Terra
Geras god of old age
Geryon a monster with three bodies that was slain by Heracles/Hercules
gladius a short sword
Graecus the word Romans used for Greek
greaves shin armor
Greek fire an incendiary weapon used in naval battles because it can continue burning in water
gris-gris In this New Orleans Voodoo practice named after the French word for gray (gris), special herbs and other ingredients are combined and put into a small red flannel bag that is worn or stored to restore the balance between the black and white aspects of a personrsquo;s life.
gryphon a creature with the forequarters (including talons) and wings of an eagle and the hindquarters of a lion
Hades the Greek god of death and riches. Roman form: Pluto
Hannibal a Carthaginian commander who lived between 247 and 183/182 BCE and is generally considered to be one of the greatest military strategists in history. One of his most famous achievements was marching an army, which included war elephants, from Iberia over the Pyrenees and the Alps into northern Italy.
harpy a winged female creature that snatches things
Hecate goddess of magic and crossroads; controls the Mist; daughter of Titans Perses and Asteria
Hemera goddess of day; daughter of Night
Hephaestus the Greek god of fire and crafts and of blacksmiths; the son of Zeus and Hera, and married to Aphrodite. Roman form: Vulcan
Hera the Greek goddess of marriage; Zeusrsquo;s wife and sister. Roman form: Juno
Heracles the son of Zeus and Alcmene; the strongest of all mortals. Roman form: Hercules
Hercules the son of Jupiter and Alcmene, who was born with great strength. Greek form: Heracles
Hermes Greek god of travelers; guide to spirits of the dead; god of communication. Roman form: Mercury
Hesiod a Greek poet who speculated that it would take nine days to fall to the bottom of Tartarus
Horatius a Roman general who single-handedly held off a horde of invaders, sacrificing himself on a bridge to keep the barbarians from crossing the Tiber River. By giving his fellow Romans time to finish their defenses, he saved the Republic.
House of Hades a place in the Underworld where Hades, the Greek god of death, and his wife, Persephone, rule over the souls of the departed; an old temple in Epirus in Greece
Hyperion one of the twelve Titans; Titan lord of the east
Hypnos Greek god of sleep. Roman form: Somnus
hypogeum the area under a coliseum that housed set pieces and machinery used for special effects
Iapetus one of the twelve Titans; lord of the west; his name means the Piercer. When Percy fought him in Hadesrsquo;s realm, Iapetus fell into the River Lethe and lost his memory; Percy renamed him Bob.
ichor the golden fluid that is the blood of gods and immortals
Imperial gold a rare metal deadly to monsters, consecrated at the Pantheon; its existence was a closely guarded secret of the emperors
Janus Roman god of doorways, beginnings, and transitions; depicted as having two faces, because he looks to the future and to the past
Juno the Roman goddess of women, marriage, and fertility; sister and wife of Jupiter; mother of Mars. Greek form: Hera
Jupiter the Roman king of the gods; also called Jupiter Optimus Maximus (the best and the greatest). Greek form: Zeus
Kampê a monster with the upper body of a snake-haired woman and the lower body of a drakon; appointed by the Titan Kronos to guard the Cyclopes of Tartarus. Zeus slew her and freed the giants from their prison to aid him in his war against the Titans.
katobleps a cow monster whose name means ldquo;down-lookerrdquo; (katoblepones, pl.). They were accidentally imported to Venice from Africa. They eat poisonous roots that grow by the canals and have a poisonous gaze and poisonous breath.
Katoptris Piperrsquo;s dagger
Kerkopes a pair of chimpanzee-like dwarfs who steal shiny things and create chaos
Khione the Greek goddess of snow; daughter of Boreas
Koios one of the twelve Titans; Titan lord of the north
Krios one of the twelve Titans; Titan lord of the south
Kronos the youngest of the twelve Titans; the son of Ouranos and Gaea; the father of Zeus. He killed his father at his motherrsquo;s bidding. Titan lord of fate, harvest, justice, and time. Roman form: Saturn
Labyrinth an underground maze originally built on the island of Crete by the craftsman Daedalus to hold the Minotaur (part man, part bull)
Laistrygonian giant a monstrous cannibal from the far north
Lar a house god, ancestral spirit (Lares, pl.)
legionnaire Roman soldier
lemures Roman term for angry ghosts
Leto daughter of the Titan Koios; mother of Artemis and Apollo with Zeus; goddess of motherhood
Lotus Hotel a casino in Las Vegas where Percy, Annabeth, and Grover lost valuable time during their quest after eating enchanted lotus blossoms
Mansion of Night Nyxrsquo;s palace
manticore a creature with a human head, a lionrsquo;s body, and a scorpionrsquo;s tail
Mars the Roman god of war; also called Mars Ultor. Patron of the empire; divine father of Romulus and Remus. Greek form: Ares
Medea a follower of Hecate and one of the great sorceresses of the ancient world
Mercury Roman messenger of the gods; god of trade, profit, and commerce. Greek form: Hermes
Minerva the Roman goddess of wisdom. Greek form: Athena
Minos king of Crete; son of Zeus; every year he made King Aegus pick seven boys and seven girls to be sent to the Labyrinth, where they would be eaten by the Minotaur. After his death he became a judge in the Underworld.
Minotaur a monster with the head of a bull on the body of a man
Mist a magic force that disguises things from mortals
Mount Tamalpais the site in the Bay Area (Northern California) where the Titans built a palace
naiads water nymphs
Necromanteion the Oracle of Death, or House of Hades in Greek; a multileveled temple where people went to consult with the dead
Neptune the Roman god of the sea. Greek form: Poseidon
New Rome a community near Camp Jupiter where demigods can live together in peace, without interference from mortals or monsters
Notus Greek god of the South Wind. Roman form: Auster
numina montanum Roman mountain god (montana, pl). Greek form: ourae
nymph a female nature deity who animates nature
nymphaeum a shrine to nymphs
Nyx goddess of night; one of the ancient, firstborn elemental gods
Odysseus legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homerrsquo;s epic poem The Odyssey. Roman form: Ulysses
Ogygia the island homemdash;and prisonmdash;of the nymph Calypso
ourae Greek for mountain god. Roman form: numina montanum
Ouranos father of the Titans
Pasiphaë the wife of Minos, cursed to fall in love with his prize bull and give birth to the Minotaur (part man, part bull); mistress of magical herbal arts
Pegasus in Greek mythology, a winged divine horse; sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa; the brother of Chrysaor
Periclymenus an Argonaut, the son of two demigods, and the grandson of Poseidon, who granted him the ability to change into various animals
peristyle entrance to an emperorrsquo;s private residence
Persephone the Greek queen of the Underworld; wife of Hades; daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Roman form: Proserpine
phalanx a compact body of heavily armed troops
Phlegethon the River of Fire that flows from Hadesrsquo;s realm down into Tartarus; it keeps the wicked alive so they can endure the torments of the Fields of Punishment
pilum (pila, pl.) a javelin used by the Roman army
Pluto the Roman god of death and riches. Greek form: Hades
Proserpine Roman queen of the Underworld. Greek form: Persephone
Psyche a young mortal woman who fell in love with Eros and was forced by his mother, Aphrodite, to earn her way back to him
quoits a game in which players toss hoops at a stake
Riptide the name of Percy Jacksonrsquo;s sword; Anaklusmos in Greek
River Acheron the fifth river of the Underworld; the river of pain; the ultimate punishment for the souls of the damned
River Lethe one of several rivers in the Underworld; drinking from it will make someone forget his identity
Romulus and Remus the twin sons of Mars and the priestess Rhea Silvia. They were thrown into the River Tiber by their human father, Amulius, and were rescued and raised by a she-wolf. Upon reaching adulthood, they founded Rome.
Saturn the Roman god of agriculture; the son of Uranus and Gaea, and the father of Jupiter. Greek form: Kronos
satyr a Greek forest god, part goat and part man. Roman equivalent: faun
Scipio Reynarsquo;s pegasus
Sciron an infamous robber who ambushed passersby and forced them to wash his feet as a toll. When they knelt, he kicked his victims into the sea, where they were eaten by a giant turtle.
scorpion ballista a Roman missile siege weapon that launches a large projectile at a distant target
Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) meaning ldquo;The Senate and People of Rome,rdquo; it refers to the government of the Roman Republic and is used as an official emblem of Rome
shadow-travel a form of transportation that allows creatures of the Underworld and children of Hades to travel to any desired place on earth or in the Underworld, although it makes the user extremely fatigued
Sibylline Books a collection of prophecies in rhyme written in Greek. Tarquinius Superbus, a king of Rome, bought them from a prophetess named Sibyl and consulted them in times of great danger.
spatha a heavy sword used by Roman cavalry
Spes goddess of hope; the Feast of Spes, the Day of Hope, falls on August 1
stela (stelae, pl.) an inscribed stone used as a monument
Stygian iron a magical metal, forged in the River Styx, capable of absorbing the very essence of monsters and injuring mortals, gods, Titans, and giants. It has a significant effect on ghosts and creatures from the Underworld.
Tantalus In Greek mythology, this king was such a good friend of the gods that he was allowed to dine at their tablemdash;until he spilled their secrets on earth. He was sent to the Underworld, where his curse was to be stuck in a pool of water under a fruit tree, but never to be able to drink or eat.
Tartarus husband of Gaea; spirit of the abyss; father of the giants
telkhine a sea demon with flippers instead of hands, and a dogrsquo;s head
Tempest Jasonrsquo;s friend; a storm spirit in the form of a horse
Terminus the Roman god of boundaries and landmarks
Terra the Roman goddess of the Earth. Greek form: Gaea
Thanatos the Greek god of death; servant of Hades. Roman form: Letus
Theseus a king of Athens who was known for many exploits, including killing the Minotaur
Three Fates In Greek mythology, even before there were gods, there were the Fates: Clotho, who spins the thread of life; Lachesis, the measurer, who determines how long a life will be; and Atropos, who cuts the thread of life with her shears.
Tiber River the third-longest river in Italy. Rome was founded on its banks. In Ancient Rome, executed criminals were thrown into the river.
Tiberius was emperor of Rome from 14ndash;37 CE. He was one of Romersquo;s greatest generals, but he came to be remembered as a reclusive and somber ruler who never really wanted to be emperor.
Titans a race of powerful Greek deities, descendants of Gaea and Uranus, who ruled during the Golden Age and were overthrown by a race of younger gods, the Olympians
Triptolemus god of farming; he aided Demeter when she was searching for her daughter, Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades
trireme an Ancient Greek or Roman warship, having three tiers of oars on each side
Trojan Horse a tale from the Trojan War about a huge wooden horse that the Greeks built and left near Troy with a select force of men inside. After the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy, the Greeks emerged at night, let the rest of their army into Troy, and destroyed it, decisively ending the war.
Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband, Menelaus, king of Sparta.
venti air spirits
Venus the Roman goddess of love and beauty. She was married to Vulcan, but she loved Mars, the god of war. Greek form: Aphrodite
Vulcan the Roman god of fire and crafts and of blacksmiths; the son of Jupiter and Juno, and married to Venus. Greek form: Hephaestus
Wolf House where Percy Jackson was trained as a Roman demigod by Lupa
Zephyros Greek god of the West Wind. Roman form: Favonius
Zeus Greek god of the sky and king of the gods. Roman form: Jupiter
Coming Fall 2014
The Heroes of Olympus, Book Five
THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS
Don't miss Rick Riordan's hit series, The Kane Chronicles! Keep reading for a preview of book one in the series, The Red Pyramid.
We only have a few hours, so listen carefully.
If yoursquo;re hearing this story, yoursquo;re already in danger. Sadie and I might be your only chance.
Go to the school. Find the locker. I wonrsquo;t tell you which school or which locker, because if yoursquo;re the right person, yoursquo;ll find it. The combination is 13/32/33. By the time you finish listening, yoursquo;ll know what those numbers mean. Just remember the story wersquo;re about to tell you isnrsquo;t complete yet. How it ends will depend on you.
The most important thing: when you open the package and find whatrsquo;s inside, donrsquo;t keep it longer than a week. Sure, itrsquo;ll be tempting. I mean, it will grant you almost unlimited power. But if you possess it too long, it will consume you. Learn its secrets quickly and pass it on. Hide it for the next person, the way Sadie and I did for you. Then be prepared for your life to get very interesting.
Okay, Sadie is telling me to stop stalling and get on with the story. Fine. I guess it started in London, the night our dad blew up the British Museum.
My name is Carter Kane. Irsquo;m fourteen and my home is a suitcase.
You think Irsquo;m kidding? Since I was eight years old, my dad and I have traveled the world. I was born in L.A. but my dadrsquo;s an archaeologist, so his work takes him all over. Mostly we go to Egypt, since thatrsquo;s his specialty. Go into a bookstore, find a book about Egypt, therersquo;s a pretty good chance it was written by Dr. Julius Kane. You want to know how Egyptians pulled the brains out of mummies, or built the pyramids, or cursed King Tutrsquo;s tomb? My dad is your man. Of course, there are other reasons my dad moved around so much, but I didnrsquo;t know his secret back then.
I didnrsquo;t go to school. My dad homeschooled me, if you can call it ldquo;homerdquo; schooling when you donrsquo;t have a home. He sort of taught me whatever he thought was important, so I learned a lot about Egypt and basketball stats and my dadrsquo;s favorite musicians. I read a lot, toomdash;pretty much anything I could get my hands on, from dadrsquo;s history books to fantasy novelsmdash;because I spent a lot of time sitting around in hotels and airports and dig sites in foreign countries where I didnrsquo;t know anybody. My dad was always telling me to put the book down and play some ball. You ever try to start a game of pick-up basketball in Aswan, Egypt? Itrsquo;s not easy.
Anyway, my dad trained me early to keep all my possessions in a single suitcase that fits in an airplanersquo;s overhead compartment. My dad packed the same way, except he was allowed an extra workbag for his archaeology tools. Rule number one: I was not allowed to look in his workbag. Thatrsquo;s a rule I never broke until the day of the explosion.
It happened on Christmas Eve. We were in London for visitation day with my sister, Sadie.
See, Dadrsquo;s only allowed two days a year with hermdash;one in the winter, one in the summermdash;because our grandparents hate him. After our mom died, her parents (our grandparents) had this big court battle with Dad. After six lawyers, two fistfights, and a near fatal attack with a spatula (donrsquo;t ask), they won the right to keep Sadie with them in England. She was only six, two years younger than me, and they couldnrsquo;t keep us bothmdash;at least that was their excuse for not taking me. So Sadie was raised as a British schoolkid, and I traveled around with my dad. We only saw Sadie twice a year, which was fine with me.
[Shut up, Sadie. Yesmdash;Irsquo;m getting to that part.]
So anyway, my dad and I had just flown into Heathrow after a couple of delays. It was a drizzly, cold afternoon. The whole taxi ride into the city, my dad seemed kind of nervous.
Now, my dad is a big guy. You wouldnrsquo;t think anything could make him nervous. He has dark brown skin like mine, piercing brown eyes, a bald head, and a goatee, so he looks like a buff evil scientist. That afternoon he wore his cashmere winter coat and his best brown suit, the one he used for public lectures. Usually he exudes so much confidence that he dominates any room he walks into, but sometimesmdash;like that afternoonmdash;I saw another side to him that I didnrsquo;t really understand. He kept looking over his shoulder like we were being hunted.
ldquo;Dad?rdquo; I said as we were getting off the A-40. ldquo;Whatrsquo;s wrong?rdquo;
ldquo;No sign of them,rdquo; he muttered. Then he mustrsquo;ve realized hersquo;d spoken aloud, because he looked at me kind of startled. ldquo;Nothing, Carter. Everythingrsquo;s fine.rdquo;
Which bothered me because my dadrsquo;s a terrible liar. I always knew when he was hiding something, but I also knew no amount of pestering would get the truth out of him. He was probably trying to protect me, though from what I didnrsquo;t know. Sometimes I wondered if he had some dark secret in his past, some old enemy following him, maybe; but the idea seemed ridiculous. Dad was just an archaeologist.
The other thing that troubled me: Dad was clutching his workbag. Usually when he does that, it means wersquo;re in danger. Like the time gunmen stormed our hotel in Cairo. I heard shots coming from the lobby and ran downstairs to check on my dad. By the time I got there, he was just calmly zipping up his workbag while three unconscious gunmen hung by their feet from the chandelier, their robes falling over their heads so you could see their boxer shorts. Dad claimed not to have witnessed anything, and in the end the police blamed a freak chandelier malfunction.
Another time, we got caught in a riot in Paris. My dad found the nearest parked car, pushed me into the backseat, and told me to stay down. I pressed myself against the floorboards and kept my eyes shut tight. I could hear Dad in the driverrsquo;s seat, rummaging in his bag, mumbling something to himself while the mob yelled and destroyed things outside. A few minutes later he told me it was safe to get up. Every other car on the block had been overturned and set on fire. Our car had been freshly washed and polished, and several twenty-euro notes had been tuc
I mean, you wouldnrsquo;t think my dadrsquo;s work was dangerous. He does lectures on topics like ldquo;Can Egyptian Magic Really Kill You?rdquo; and ldquo;Favorite Punishments in the Egyptian Underworldrdquo; and other stuff most people wouldnrsquo;t care about. But like I said, therersquo;s that other side to him. Hersquo;s always very cautious, checking every hotel room before he lets me walk into it. Hersquo;ll dart into a museum to see some artifacts, take a few notes, and rush out again like hersquo;s afraid to be caught on security cameras.
One time when I was younger, we raced across the Charles de Gaulle airport to catch a last-minute flight, and Dad didnrsquo;t relax until the plane was off the ground, I asked him point blank what he was running from, and he looked at me like Irsquo;d just pulled the pin out of a grenade. For a second I was scared he might actually tell me the truth. Then he said, ldquo;Carter, itrsquo;s nothing.rdquo; As if ldquo;nothingrdquo; were the most terrible thing in the world.
After that, I decided maybe it was better not to ask questions.
My grandparents, the Fausts, lived in a housing development near Canary Wharf, right on the banks of the River Thames. The taxi let us off at the curb, and my dad asked the driver to wait.
We were halfway up the walk when Dad froze. He turned and looked behind us.
ldquo;What?rdquo; I asked.
Then I saw the man in the trench coat. He was across the street, leaning against a big dead tree. He was barrel shaped, with skin the color of roasted coffee. His coat and black pinstriped suit looked expensive. He had long braided hair and wore a black fedora pulled down low over his dark round glasses. He reminded me of a jazz musician, the kind my dad would always drag me to see in concert. Even though I couldnrsquo;t see his eyes, I got the impression he was watching us. He mightrsquo;ve been an old friend or colleague of Dadrsquo;s. No matter where we went, Dad was always running into people he knew. But it did seem strange that the guy was waiting here, outside my grandparentsrsquo;. And he didnrsquo;t look happy.
ldquo;Carter,rdquo; my dad said, ldquo;go on ahead.rdquo;
ldquo;Butmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Get your sister. Irsquo;ll meet you back at the taxi.rdquo;
He crossed the street toward the man in the trench coat, which left me with two choices: follow my dad and see what was going on, or do what I was told.
I decided on the slightly less dangerous path. I went to retrieve my sister.
Before I could even knock, Sadie opened the door.
ldquo;Late as usual,rdquo; she said.
She was holding her cat, Muffin, whorsquo;d been a ldquo;going awayrdquo; gift from Dad six years before. Muffin never seemed to get older or bigger. She had fuzzy yellow-and-black fur like a miniature leopard, alert yellow eyes, and pointy ears that were too tall for her head. A silver Egyptian pendant dangled from her collar. She didnrsquo;t look anything like a muffin, but Sadie had been little when she named her, so I guess you have to cut her some slack.
Sadie hadnrsquo;t changed much either since last summer.
[As Irsquo;m recording this, shersquo;s standing next to me, glaring, so I guess Irsquo;d better be careful how I describe her.]
You would never guess shersquo;s my sister. First of all, shersquo;d been living in England so long, she has a British accent. Second, she takes after our mom, who was white, so Sadiersquo;s skin is much lighter than mine. She has straight caramel-colored hair, not exactly blond but not brown, which she usually dyes with streaks of bright colors. That day it had red streaks down the left side. Her eyes are blue. Irsquo;m serious. Blue eyes, just like our momrsquo;s. Shersquo;s only twelve, but shersquo;s exactly as tall as me, which is really annoying. She was chewing gum as usual, dressed for her day out with Dad in battered jeans, a leather jacket, and combat boots, like she was going to a concert and was hoping to stomp on some people. She had headphones dangling around her neck in case we bored her.
[Okay, she didnrsquo;t hit me, so I guess I did an okay job of describing her.]
ldquo;Our plane was late,rdquo; I told her.
She popped a bubble, rubbed Muffinrsquo;s head, and tossed the cat inside. ldquo;Gran, going out!rdquo;
From somewhere in the house, Grandma Faust muttered something I couldnrsquo;t make out, probably ldquo;Donrsquo;t let them in!rdquo;
Sadie closed the door and regarded me as if I were a dead mouse her cat had just dragged in. ldquo;So, here you are again.rdquo;
ldquo;Yep.rdquo;
ldquo;Come on, then.rdquo; She sighed. ldquo;Letrsquo;s get on with it.rdquo;
Thatrsquo;s the way she was. No ldquo;Hi, how you been the last six months? So glad to see you!rdquo; or anything. But that was okay with me. When you only see each other twice a year, itrsquo;s like yoursquo;re distant cousins rather than siblings. We had absolutely nothing in common except our parents.
We trudged down the steps. I was thinking how she smelled like a combination of old peoplersquo;s house and bubble gum when she stopped so abruptly, I ran into her.
ldquo;Whorsquo;s that?rdquo; she asked.
Irsquo;d almost forgotten about the dude in the trench coat. He and my dad were standing across the street next to the big tree, having what looked like a serious argument. Dadrsquo;s back was turned so I couldnrsquo;t see his face, but he gestured with his hands like he does when hersquo;s agitated. The other guy scowled and shook his head.
ldquo;Dunno,rdquo; I said. ldquo;He was there when we pulled up.rdquo;
ldquo;He looks familiar.rdquo; Sadie frowned like she was trying to remember. ldquo;Come on.rdquo;
ldquo;Dad wants us to wait in the cab,rdquo; I said, even though I knew it was no use. Sadie was already on the move.
Instead of going straight across the street, she dashed up the sidewalk for half a block, ducking behind cars, then crossed to the opposite side and crouched under a low stone wall. She started sneaking toward our dad. I didnrsquo;t have much choice but to follow her example, but it made me feel kind of stupid.
ldquo;Six years in England,rdquo; I muttered, ldquo;and she thinks shersquo;s James Bond.rdquo;
Sadie swatted me without looking back and kept creeping forward.
A couple more steps and we were right behind the big dead tree. I could hear my dad on the other side, saying, ldquo;mdash;have to, Amos. You know itrsquo;s the right thing.rdquo;
ldquo;No,rdquo; said the other man, who mustrsquo;ve been Amos. His voice was deep and evenmdash;very insistent. His accent was American. ldquo;If I donrsquo;t stop you, Julius, they will. The Per Ankh is shadowing you.rdquo;
Sadie turned to me and mouthed the words ldquo;Per what?rdquo;
I shook my head, just as mystified. ldquo;Letrsquo;s get out of here,rdquo; I whispered, because I figured wersquo;d be spotted any minute and get in serious trouble. Sadie, of course, ignored me.
ldquo;They donrsquo;t know my plan,rdquo; my father was saying. ldquo;By the time they figure it outmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;And the children?rdquo; Amos asked. The hairs stood up on the back of my neck. ldquo;What about them?rdquo;
ldquo;Irsquo;ve made arrangements to protect them,rdquo; my dad said. ldquo;Besides, if I donrsquo;t do this, wersquo;re all in danger. Now, back off.rdquo;
ldquo;I canrsquo;t, Julius.rdquo;
ldquo;Then itrsquo;s a duel you want?rdquo; Dadrsquo;s tone turned deadly serious. ldquo;You never could beat me, Amos.rdquo;
I hadnrsquo;t seen my dad get violent since the Great Spatula Incident, and I wasnrsquo;t anxious to see a repeat of that, but the two men seemed to be edging toward a fight.
Before I could react, Sadie popped up and shouted, ldquo;Dad!rdquo;
He looked surprised when she tackle-hugged him, but not nearly as surprised as the other guy, Amos. He backed up so quickly, he tripped over his own trench coat.
Hersquo;d taken off his glasses. I couldnrsquo;t help thinking that Sadie was right. He did look familiarmdash;like a very distant memory.
ldquo;Imdash;I must be going,rdquo; he muttered. He straightened his fedora and lumbered down the road.
Our dad watched him go. He kept one arm protectively around Sadie and one hand inside the workbag slung over his shoulder. Finally, when Amos disappeared around the corner, Dad relaxed. He took his hand out of the bag and smiled at Sadie. ldquo;Hello, sweetheart.rdquo;
Sadie pushed away from him and crossed her arms. ldquo;Oh, now itrsquo;s sweetheart, is it? Yoursquo;re late. Visitation Dayrsquo;s nearly over! And what was that about? Whorsquo;s Amos, and whatrsquo;s the Per Ankh?rdquo;
Dad stiffened. He glanced at me like he was wondering how much wersquo;d overheard.
ldquo;Itrsquo;s nothing,rdquo; he said, trying to sound upbeat. ldquo;I have a wonderful evening planned. Whorsquo;d like a private tour of the British Museum?rdquo;
Sadie slumped in the back of the taxi between Dad and me.
ldquo;I canrsquo;t believe it,rdquo; she grumbled. ldquo;One evening together, and you want to do research.rdquo;
Dad tried for a smile. ldquo;Sweetheart, itrsquo;ll be fun. The curator of the Egyptian collection personally invitedmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;Right, big surprise.rdquo; Sadie blew a strand of red-streaked hair out of her face. ldquo;Christmas Eve, and wersquo;re going to see some moldy old relics from Egypt. Do you ever think about anything else?rdquo;
Dad didnrsquo;t get mad. He never gets mad at Sadie. He just stared out the window at the darkening sky and the rain.
ldquo;Yes,rdquo; he said quietly. ldquo;I do.rdquo;
Whenever Dad got quiet like that and stared off into nowhere, I knew he was thinking about our mom. The last few months, it had been happening a lot. Irsquo;d walk into our hotel room and find him with his cell phone in his hands, Momrsquo;s picture smiling up at him from the screenmdash;her hair tucked under a headscarf, her blue eyes startlingly bright against the desert backdrop.
Or wersquo;d be at some dig site. Irsquo;d see Dad staring at the horizon, and Irsquo;d know he was remembering how hersquo;d met hermdash;two young scientists in the Valley of the Kings, on a dig to discover a lost tomb. Dad was an Egyptologist. Mom was an anthropologist looking for ancient DNA. Hersquo;d told me the story a thousand times.
Our taxi snaked its way along the banks of the Thames. Just past Waterloo Bridge, my dad tensed.
ldquo;Driver,rdquo; he said. ldquo;Stop here a moment.rdquo;
The cabbie pulled over on the Victoria Embankment.
ldquo;What is it, Dad?rdquo; I asked.
He got out of the cab like he hadnrsquo;t heard me. When Sadie and I joined him on the sidewalk, he was staring up at Cleopatrarsquo;s Needle.
In case yoursquo;ve never seen it: the Needle is an obelisk, not a needle, and it doesnrsquo;t have anything to do with Cleopatra. I guess the British just thought the name sounded cool when they brought it to London. Itrsquo;s about seventy feet tall, which wouldrsquo;ve been really impressive back in Ancient Egypt, but on the Thames, with all the tall buildings around, it looks small and sad. You could drive right by it and not even realize yoursquo;d just passed something that was a thousand years older than the city of London.
ldquo;God.rdquo; Sadie walked around in a frustrated circle. ldquo;Do we have to stop for ever
ldquo;What, Dad?rdquo; I asked. ldquo;What happened here?rdquo;
ldquo;The last place I saw her.rdquo;
Sadie stopped pacing. She scowled at me uncertainly, then back at Dad. ldquo;Hang on. Do you mean Mum?rdquo;
Dad brushed Sadiersquo;s hair behind her ear, and she was so surprised, she didnrsquo;t even push him away.
I felt like the rain had frozen me solid. Momrsquo;s death had always been a forbidden subject. I knew shersquo;d died in an accident in London. I knew my grandparents blamed my dad. But no one would ever tell us the details. Irsquo;d given up asking my dad, partly because it made him so sad, partly because he absolutely refused to tell me anything. ldquo;When yoursquo;re olderrdquo; was all he would say, which was the most frustrating response ever.
ldquo;Yoursquo;re telling us she died here,rdquo; I said. ldquo;At Cleopatrarsquo;s Needle? What happened?rdquo;
He lowered his head.
ldquo;Dad!rdquo; Sadie protested. ldquo;I go past this every day, and you mean to saymdash;all this timemdash;and I didnrsquo;t even know?rdquo;
ldquo;Do you still have your cat?rdquo; Dad asked her, which seemed like a really stupid question.
ldquo;Of course Irsquo;ve still got the cat!rdquo; she said. ldquo;What does that have to do with anything?rdquo;
ldquo;And your amulet?rdquo;
Sadiersquo;s hand went to her neck. When we were little, right before Sadie went to live with our grandparents, Dad had given us both Egyptian amulets. Mine was an Eye of Horus, which was a popular protection symbol in Ancient Egypt.
In fact my dad says the modern pharmacistrsquo;s symbol, Rx, is a simplified version of the Eye of Horus, because medicine is supposed to protect you.
Anyway, I always wore my amulet under my shirt, but I figured Sadie wouldrsquo;ve lost hers or thrown it away.
To my surprise, she nodded. ldquo;rsquo;Course I have it, Dad, but donrsquo;t change the subject. Granrsquo;s always going on about how you caused Mumrsquo;s death. Thatrsquo;s not true, is it?rdquo;
We waited. For once, Sadie and I wanted exactly the same thingmdash;the truth.
ldquo;The night your mother died,rdquo; my father started, ldquo;here at the Needlemdash;rdquo;
A sudden flash illuminated the embankment. I turned, half blind, and just for a moment I glimpsed two figures: a tall pale man with a forked beard and wearing cream-colored robes, and a coppery-skinned girl in dark blue robes and a headscarfmdash;the kind of clothes Irsquo;d seen hundreds of times in Egypt. They were just standing there side by side, not twenty feet away, watching us. Then the light faded. The figures melted into a fuzzy afterimage. When my eyes readjusted to the darkness, they were gone.
ldquo;Um...rdquo; Sadie said nervously. ldquo;Did you just see that?rdquo;
ldquo;Get in the cab,rdquo; my dad said, pushing us toward the curb. ldquo;Wersquo;re out of time.rdquo;
From that point on, Dad clammed up.
ldquo;This isnrsquo;t the place to talk,rdquo; he said, glancing behind us. Hersquo;d promised the cabbie an extra ten pounds if he got us to the museum in under five minutes, and the cabbie was doing his best.
ldquo;Dad,rdquo; I tried, ldquo;those people at the rivermdash;rdquo;
ldquo;And the other bloke, Amos,rdquo; Sadie said. ldquo;Are they Egyptian police or something?rdquo;
ldquo;Look, both of you,rdquo; Dad said, ldquo;Irsquo;m going to need your help tonight. I know itrsquo;s hard, but you have to be patient. Irsquo;ll explain everything, I promise, after we get to the museum. Irsquo;m going to make everything right again.rdquo;
ldquo;What do you mean?rdquo; Sadie insisted. ldquo;Make what right?rdquo;
Dadrsquo;s expression was more than sad. It was almost guilty. With a chill, I thought about what Sadie had said: about our grandparents blaming him for Momrsquo;s death. That couldnrsquo;t be what he was talking about, could it?
The cabbie swerved onto Great Russell Street and screeched to a halt in front of the museumrsquo;s main gates.
ldquo;Just follow my lead,rdquo; Dad told us. ldquo;When we meet the curator, act normal.rdquo;
I was thinking that Sadie never acted normal, but I decided not to say that.
We climbed out of the cab. I got our luggage while Dad paid the driver with a big wad of cash. Then he did something strange. He threw a handful of small objects into the backseatmdash;they looked like stones, but it was too dark for me to be sure. ldquo;Keep driving,rdquo; he told the cabbie. ldquo;Take us to Chelsea.rdquo;
That made no sense since we were already out of the cab, but the driver sped off. I glanced at Dad, then back at the cab, and before it turned the corner and disappeared in the dark, I caught a weird glimpse of three passengers in the backseat: a man and two kids.
I blinked. There was no way the cab couldrsquo;ve picked up another fare so fast. ldquo;Dadmdash;rdquo;
ldquo;London cabs donrsquo;t stay empty very long,rdquo; he said matter-of-factly. ldquo;Come along, kids.rdquo;
He marched off through the wrought iron gates. For a second, Sadie and I hesitated.
ldquo;Carter, what is going on?rdquo;
I shook my head. ldquo;Irsquo;m not sure I want to know.rdquo;
ldquo;Well, stay out here in the cold if you want, but Irsquo;m not leaving without an explanation.rdquo; She turned and marched after our dad.
Looking back on it, I shouldrsquo;ve run. I shouldrsquo;ve dragged Sadie out of there and gotten as far away as possible. Instead I followed her through the gates.
