AlsobyRickRiordanPercyJacksonandtheOlympians,BookOne:TheLightningThiefPercyJacksonandtheOlympians,BookTwo:TheSeaofMonstersPercyJacksonandtheOlympians,BookThree:TheTitan’sCursePercyJacksonandtheOlympians,BookFour:TheBattleoftheLabyrinthPercyJacksonandtheOlympians,BookFive:

TheLastOlympianTheKaneChronicles,BookOne:TheRedPyramidTheKaneChronicles,BookTwo:

TheThroneofFireTheKaneChronicles,BookThree:

TheSerpent’sShadowTheHeroesofOlympus,BookOne:

TheLostHeroTheHeroesofOlympus,BookTwo:

TheSonofNeptune

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ManythankstoSeánHemingway,curatorofGreekandRomanantiquitiesattheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,NewYork,forhelpingmefollowtheMarkof

Athenatoitssource.

Copyright©2012byRickRiordanAllrightsreserved.PublishedbyDisney•HyperionBooks,animprintofDisneyBookGroup.Nopartofthisbookmaybe

reproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,orbyanyinformationstorage

andretrievalsystem,withoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher.ForinformationaddressDisney•HyperionBooks,114FifthAvenue,NewYork,

NewYork10011-5690.

ISBN978-1-4231-5516-4

Visitwww.disneyhyperionbooks.com

Contents

AlsobyRickRiordanTitlePageCopyrightDedicationIIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIIXXXIXIIXIIIXIVXVXVIXVIIXVIIIXIXXXXXIXXIIXXIIIXXIVXXVXXVIXXVIIXXVIIIXXIX

XXXXXXIXXXIIXXXIIIXXXIVXXXVXXXVIXXXVIIXXXVIIIXXXIXXLXLIXLIIXLIIIXLIVXLVXLVIXLVIIXLVIIIXLIXLLILIIGlossaryAbouttheAuthor

ToSpeedyStraysandwanderersareoftensentbythegods.

UNTILSHEMETTHEEXPLODINGSTATUE,Annabeth thoughtshewaspreparedforanything.

She’d paced the deck of their flying warship, the Argo II, checking anddouble-checking the ballistae to make sure they were locked down. Sheconfirmedthatthewhite“Wecomeinpeace”flagwasflyingfromthemast.Shereviewed the plan with the rest of the crew—and the backup plan, and thebackupplanforthebackupplan.

Mostimportant,shepulledasidetheirwar-crazedchaperone,CoachGleesonHedge, and encouraged him to take the morning off in his cabin and watchrerunsofmixedmartialartschampionships.Thelast thingtheyneededastheyflew a magical Greek trireme into a potentially hostile Roman camp was amiddle-agedsatyringymclotheswavingaclubandyelling“Die!”

Everything seemed to be in order. Even that mysterious chill she’d beenfeelingsincetheshiplaunchedhaddissipated,atleastfornow.

The warship descended through the clouds, but Annabeth couldn’t stopsecond-guessing herself. What if this was a bad idea? What if the Romanspanickedandattackedthemonsight?

TheArgoIIdefinitelydidnot lookfriendly.Twohundred feet long,witha

bronze-platedhull,mounted repeatingcrossbows fore andaft, a flamingmetaldragon for a figurehead, and two rotating ballistae amidships that could fireexplosiveboltspowerfulenough toblast throughconcrete…well, itwasn’t themostappropriaterideforameet-and-greetwiththeneighbors.

AnnabethhadtriedtogivetheRomansaheads-up.She’daskedLeotosendoneofhisspecialinventions—aholographicscroll—toalerttheirfriendsinsidethecamp.Hopefullythemessagehadgottenthrough.Leohadwantedtopaintagiantmessage on the bottom of the hull—WASSUP?with a smiley face—butAnnabethvetoedtheidea.Shewasn’tsuretheRomanshadasenseofhumor.

Toolatetoturnbacknow.Thecloudsbrokearoundtheirhull,revealingthegold-and-greencarpetofthe

OaklandHillsbelowthem.Annabethgrippedoneofthebronzeshieldsthatlinedthestarboardrail.

Herthreecrewmatestooktheirplaces.On the stern quarterdeck, Leo rushed around like amadman, checking his

gauges and wrestling levers. Most helmsmen would’ve been satisfied with apilot’s wheel or a tiller. Leo had also installed a keyboard, monitor, aviationcontrolsfromaLearjet,adubstepsoundboard,andmotion-controlsensorsfromaNintendoWii.Hecouldturntheshipbypullingonthethrottle,fireweaponsbysamplinganalbum,or raisesailsbyshakinghisWiicontrollers really fast.Evenbydemigodstandards,LeowasseriouslyADHD.

Piperpacedbackandforthbetweenthemainmastandtheballistae,practicingherlines.

“Loweryourweapons,”shemurmured.“Wejustwanttotalk.”Her charmspeakwas so powerful, thewords flowed overAnnabeth, filling

herwiththedesiretodropherdaggerandhaveanicelongchat.ForachildofAphrodite,Pipertriedhardtoplaydownherbeauty.Todayshe

wasdressedintatteredjeans,worn-outsneakers,andawhitetanktopwithpinkHello Kitty designs. (Maybe as a joke, thoughAnnabeth could never be surewith Piper.) Her choppy brown hair was braided down the right sidewith aneagle’sfeather.

ThentherewasPiper’sboyfriend—Jason.Hestoodatthebowontheraised

crossbowplatform,wheretheRomanscouldeasilyspothim.Hisknuckleswerewhiteonthehiltofhisgoldensword.Otherwisehelookedcalmforaguywhowasmaking himself a target.Over his jeans and orangeCampHalf-BloodT-shirt,he’ddonnedatogaandapurplecloak—symbolsofhisoldrankaspraetor.With his wind-ruffled blond hair and his icy blue eyes, he looked ruggedlyhandsomeand in control—just like a sonof Jupiter should.He’dgrownup atCampJupiter,sohopefullyhisfamiliarfacewouldmaketheRomanshesitanttoblowtheshipoutofthesky.

Annabeth tried to hide it, but she still didn’t completely trust the guy. Heactedtooperfect—alwaysfollowingtherules,alwaysdoingthehonorablething.Heevenlookedtooperfect.Inthebackofhermind,shehadanaggingthought:Whatifthisisatrickandhebetraysus?WhatifwesailintoCampJupiter,andhe says,Hey,Romans!Checkout theseprisonersand this cool ship Ibroughtyou!

Annabethdoubtedthatwouldhappen.Still,shecouldn’tlookathimwithoutgettingabitter taste inhermouth.He’dbeenpartofHera’s forced“exchangeprogram” to introduce the two camps.HerMostAnnoyingMajesty,QueenofOlympus,hadconvincedtheothergodsthattheirtwosetsofchildren—Romanand Greek—had to combine forces to save the world from the evil goddessGaea,whowasawakeningfromtheearth,andherhorriblechildrenthegiants.

Withoutwarning,HerahadpluckedupPercyJackson,Annabeth’sboyfriend,wipedhismemory,andsenthimto theRomancamp.Inexchange, theGreekshadgottenJason.NoneofthatwasJason’sfault;buteverytimeAnnabethsawhim,sherememberedhowmuchshemissedPercy.

Percy…whowassomewherebelowthemrightnow.Oh,gods.Panicwelledupinsideher.Sheforceditdown.Shecouldn’tafford

togetoverwhelmed.I’machildofAthena,shetoldherself.Ihavetosticktomyplanandnotget

distracted.Shefeltitagain—thatfamiliarshiver,asifapsychoticsnowmanhadcreptup

behindherandwasbreathingdownherneck.Sheturned,butnoonewasthere.Mustbehernerves.Eveninaworldofgodsandmonsters,Annabethcouldn’t

believeanewwarshipwouldbehaunted.TheArgoIIwaswellprotected.TheCelestialbronzeshieldsalongtherailwereenchantedtowardoffmonsters,andtheironboardsatyr,CoachHedge,wouldhavesniffedoutanyintruders.

Annabethwishedshecouldpraytohermotherforguidance,butthatwasn’tpossiblenow.Notafterlastmonth,whenshe’dhadthathorribleencounterwithhermomandgottentheworstpresentofherlife.…

The cold pressed closer. She thought she heard a faint voice in the wind,laughing.Everymuscleinherbodytensed.Somethingwasabouttogoterriblywrong.

ShealmostorderedLeo to reversecourse.Then, in thevalleybelow,hornssounded.TheRomanshadspottedthem.

Annabeth thought she knew what to expect. Jason had described CampJupitertoheringreatdetail.Still,shehadtroublebelievinghereyes.RingedbytheOaklandHills,thevalleywasatleasttwicethesizeofCampHalf-Blood.Asmall river snaked aroundone side and curled toward the center like a capitalletterG,emptyingintoasparklingbluelake.

Directlybelowtheship,nestledattheedgeofthelake,thecityofNewRomegleamed in thesunlight.Sherecognized landmarksJasonhad toldherabout—thehippodrome,thecoliseum,thetemplesandparks,theneighborhoodofSevenHillswithitswindingstreets,colorfulvillas,andfloweringgardens.

ShesawevidenceoftheRomans’recentbattlewithanarmyofmonsters.Thedomewascrackedopenonabuildingsheguessedwas theSenateHouse.Theforum’sbroadplazawaspittedwithcraters.Somefountainsandstatueswereinruins.

Dozens of kids in togas were streaming out of the Senate House to get abetter view of theArgo II.More Romans emerged from the shops and cafés,gawkingandpointingastheshipdescended.

Abouthalfamile to thewest,wherethehornswereblowing,aRomanfortstoodonahill.ItlookedjustliketheillustrationsAnnabethhadseeninmilitaryhistory books—with a defensive trench lined with spikes, high walls, andwatchtowers armed with scorpion ballistae. Inside, perfect rows of whitebarrackslinedthemainroad—theViaPrincipalis.

A column of demigods emerged from the gates, their armor and spearsglintingastheyhurriedtowardthecity.Inthemidstoftheirrankswasanactualwarelephant.

Annabeth wanted to land the Argo II before those troops arrived, but thegroundwasstillseveralhundredfeetbelow.Shescannedthecrowd,hopingtocatchaglimpseofPercy.

ThensomethingbehindherwentBOOM!

Theexplosionalmostknockedheroverboard.Shewhirledandfoundherselfeyetoeyewithanangrystatue.

“Unacceptable!”heshrieked.Apparentlyhehadexplodedintoexistence,rightthereonthedeck.Sulfurous

yellow smoke rolled off his shoulders. Cinders popped around his curly hair.From thewaist down, hewas nothing but a squaremarble pedestal. From thewaistup,hewasamuscularhumanfigureinacarvedtoga.

“IwillnothaveweaponsinsidethePomerianLine!”heannouncedinafussyteachervoice.“IcertainlywillnothaveGreeks!”

JasonshotAnnabethalookthatsaid,I’vegotthis.“Terminus,”hesaid.“It’sme.JasonGrace.”“Oh,Irememberyou,Jason!”Terminusgrumbled.“Ithoughtyouhadbetter

sensethantoconsortwiththeenemiesofRome!”“Butthey’renotenemies—”“That’sright,”Piperjumpedin.“Wejustwanttotalk.Ifwecould—”“Ha!”snappedthestatue.“Don’ttrythatcharmspeakonme,younglady.And

putdownthatdaggerbeforeIslapitoutofyourhands!”Piperglancedatherbronzedagger,whichshe’dapparentlyforgottenshewas

holding.“Um…okay.Buthowwouldyouslapit?Youdon’thaveanyarms.”“Impertinence!”TherewasasharpPOPandaflashofyellow.Piperyelped

anddroppedthedagger,whichwasnowsmokingandsparking.“Lucky foryou I’ve justbeen throughabattle,”Terminusannounced.“If I

wereat full strength, Iwould’veblasted this flyingmonstrosityoutof the skyalready!”

“Holdup.”Leostepped forward,wagginghisWiicontroller. “Didyou justcallmyshipamonstrosity?Iknowyoudidn’tdothat.”

TheideathatLeomightattackthestatuewithhisgamingdevicewasenoughtosnapAnnabethoutofhershock.

“Let’sallcalmdown.”Sheraisedherhandstoshowshehadnoweapons.“Itake it you’reTerminus, the godof boundaries. Jason toldmeyouprotect thecityofNewRome,right?I’mAnnabethChase,daughterof—”

“Oh,Iknowwhoyouare!”Thestatueglaredatherwithitsblankwhiteeyes.“A child ofAthena,Minerva’sGreek form. Scandalous!YouGreeks have nosenseofdecency.WeRomansknowtheproperplaceforthatgoddess.”

Annabeth clenched her jaw. This statue wasn’t making it easy to bediplomatic. “What exactly do you mean, that goddess? And what’s soscandalousabout—”

“Right!”Jasoninterrupted.“Anyway,Terminus,we’rehereonamissionofpeace.We’dlovepermissiontolandsowecan—”

“Impossible!” the god squeaked. “Lay down your weapons and surrender!Leavemycityimmediately!”

“Whichisit?”Leoasked.“Surrender,orleave?”“Both!”Terminus said. “Surrender, then leave. I am slappingyour face for

askingsuchastupidquestion,youridiculousboy!Doyoufeelthat?”“Wow.”LeostudiedTerminuswithprofessionalinterest.“You’rewoundup

prettytight.Yougotanygearsintherethatneedloosening?Icouldtakealook.”Heexchanged theWiicontroller fora screwdriver fromhismagic toolbelt

andtappedthestatue’spedestal.“Stop that!”Terminus insisted.AnothersmallexplosionmadeLeodrophis

screwdriver. “Weapons are not allowed on Roman soil inside the PomerianLine.”

“Thewhat?”Piperasked.“Citylimits,”Jasontranslated.“Andthisentireshipisaweapon!”Terminussaid.“Youcannotland!”Downinthevalley,thelegionreinforcementswerehalfwaytothecity.The

crowdintheforumwasoverahundredstrongnow.Annabethscannedthefaces

and…oh, gods. She saw him. Hewaswalking toward the ship with his armsaround two other kids like they were best buddies—a stout boywith a blackbuzzcut,andagirlwearingaRomancavalryhelmet.Percylookedsoatease,sohappy.HeworeapurplecapejustlikeJason’s—themarkofapraetor.

Annabeth’sheartdidagymnasticsroutine.“Leo,stoptheship,”sheordered.“What?”“Youheardme.Keepusrightwhereweare.”Leopulledouthiscontrollerandyankeditupward.Allninetyoarsfrozein

place.Theshipstoppedsinking.“Terminus,” Annabeth said, “there’s no rule against hovering over New

Rome,isthere?”Thestatuefrowned.“Well,no…”“We can keep the ship aloft,” Annabeth said. “We’ll use a rope ladder to

reachtheforum.Thatway,theshipwon’tbeonRomansoil.Nottechnically.”The statue seemed toponder this.Annabethwondered if hewas scratching

hischinwithimaginaryhands.“Iliketechnicalities,”headmitted.“Still…”“Allourweaponswillstayaboardtheship,”Annabethpromised.“Iassume

theRomans—eventhosereinforcementsmarchingtowardus—willalsohavetohonoryourrulesinsidethePomerianLineifyoutellthemto?”

“Ofcourse!”Terminussaid.“DoIlooklikeItoleraterulebreakers?”“Uh,Annabeth…”Leosaid.“Yousurethisisagoodidea?”She closedher fists to keep them from shaking.That cold feelingwas still

there.Itfloatedjustbehindher,andnowthatTerminuswasnolongershoutingandcausingexplosions,shethoughtshecouldhearthepresencelaughing,asifitwasdelightedbythebadchoicesshewasmaking.

ButPercywasdownthere…hewassoclose.Shehadtoreachhim.“It’ll be fine,” she said. “No one will be armed. We can talk in peace.

Terminuswillmake sureeach sideobeys the rules.”She lookedat themarblestatue.“Dowehaveanagreement?”

Terminussniffed.“Isuppose.Fornow.Youmayclimbdownyourladderto

NewRome,daughterofAthena.Pleasetrynottodestroymytown.”

A SEA OF HASTILY ASSEMBLED demigods parted for Annabeth as she walkedthrough the forum. Some looked tense, some nervous. Some were bandagedfromtheirrecentbattlewiththegiants,butnoonewasarmed.Nooneattacked.

Entire families had gathered to see the newcomers. Annabeth saw coupleswithbabies,toddlersclingingtotheirparents’legs,evensomeelderlyfolksinacombinationofRomanrobesandmodernclothes.Wereallofthemdemigods?Annabethsuspectedso,thoughshe’dneverseenaplacelikethis.AtCampHalf-Blood,mostdemigodswereteens.Iftheysurvivedlongenoughtograduatefromhighschool,theyeitherstayedonascounselorsorlefttostartlivesasbesttheycouldinthemortalworld.Here,itwasanentiremultigenerationalcommunity.

Atthefarendofthecrowd,AnnabethspottedTysontheCyclopsandPercy’shellhound, Mrs. O’Leary—who had been the first scouting party from CampHalf-Blood to reach Camp Jupiter. They looked to be in good spirits. Tysonwavedandgrinned.HewaswearinganSPQRbannerlikeagiantbib.

Some part of Annabeth’s mind registered how beautiful the city was—thesmells from the bakeries, the gurgling fountains, the flowers blooming in thegardens.And thearchitecture…gods, thearchitecture—gildedmarblecolumns,dazzlingmosaics,monumentalarches,andterracedvillas.

Infrontofher,thedemigodsmadewayforagirlinfullRomanarmorandapurplecape.Darkhairtumbledacrosshershoulders.Hereyeswereasblackasobsidian.Reyna.Jason had described her well. Even without that, Annabeth would have

singled her out as the leader.Medals decorated her armor. She carried herselfwithsuchconfidencetheotherdemigodsbackedawayandavertedtheirgaze.

Annabethrecognizedsomethingelseinherface,too—inthehardsetofhermouthand thedeliberatewayshe raisedherchin likeshewas ready toacceptany challenge. Reyna was forcing a look of courage, while holding back amixtureofhopefulnessandworryandfearthatshecouldn’tshowinpublic.

Annabethknewthatexpression.Shesawiteverytimeshelookedinamirror.Thetwogirlsconsideredeachother.Annabeth’sfriendsfannedoutoneither

side.TheRomansmurmuredJason’sname,staringathiminawe.Then someone else appeared from the crowd, and Annabeth’s vision

tunneled.Percysmiledather—thatsarcastic,troublemakersmilethathadannoyedher

for years but eventually had become endearing. His sea-green eyes were asgorgeousassheremembered.Hisdarkhairwasswepttooneside,likehe’djustcomefromawalkonthebeach.Helookedevenbetterthanhehadsixmonthsago—tannerandtaller,leanerandmoremuscular.

Annabethwastoostunnedtomove.Shefeltthatifshegotanyclosertohim,allthemoleculesinherbodymightcombust.She’dsecretlyhadacrushonhimsince they were twelve years old. Last summer, she’d fallen for him hard.They’dbeenahappycoupleforfourmonths—andthenhe’ddisappeared.

During their separation, something had happened to Annabeth’s feelings.They’dgrownpainfullyintense—likeshe’dbeenforcedtowithdrawfromalife-savingmedication.Nowshewasn’t surewhichwasmoreexcruciating—livingwiththathorribleabsence,orbeingwithhimagain.

ThepraetorReynastraightened.Withapparentreluctance,sheturnedtowardJason.

“JasonGrace,myformercolleague…”Shespokethewordcolleague likeit

wasadangerousthing.“Iwelcomeyouhome.Andthese,yourfriends—”Annabethdidn’tmeanto,butshesurgedforward.Percyrushedtowardherat

thesametime.Thecrowdtensed.Somereachedforswordsthatweren’tthere.Percythrewhisarmsaroundher.Theykissed,andforamomentnothingelse

mattered. An asteroid could have hit the planet and wiped out all life, andAnnabethwouldn’thavecared.

Percysmelledofoceanair.Hislipsweresalty.SeaweedBrain,shethoughtgiddily.Percypulledawayandstudiedherface.“Gods,Ineverthought—”Annabethgrabbedhiswristandflippedhimoverhershoulder.Heslammed

into the stone pavement. Romans cried out. Some surged forward, but Reynashouted,“Hold!Standdown!”

AnnabethputherkneeonPercy’schest.Shepushedherforearmagainsthisthroat. She didn’t care what the Romans thought. Awhite-hot lump of angerexpandedinherchest—atumorofworryandbitternessthatshe’dbeencarryingaroundsincelastautumn.

“Ifyoueverleavemeagain,”shesaid,hereyesstinging,“Isweartoallthegods—”

Percyhadthenervetolaugh.SuddenlythelumpofheatedemotionsmeltedinsideAnnabeth.

“Considermewarned,”Percysaid.“Imissedyou,too.”Annabeth roseandhelpedhim tohis feet.Shewanted tokisshimagainso

badly,butshemanagedtorestrainherself.Jasonclearedhisthroat.“So,yeah.…It’sgoodtobeback.”He introduced Reyna to Piper, who looked a little miffed that she hadn’t

gotten to say the lines she’d been practicing, then to Leo, who grinned andflashedapeacesign.

“And this is Annabeth,” Jason said. “Uh, normally she doesn’t judo-flippeople.”

Reyna’s eyes sparkled. “You sure you’re not a Roman, Annabeth? Or anAmazon?”

Annabethdidn’tknowifthatwasacompliment,butsheheldoutherhand.“I

onlyattackmyboyfriendlikethat,”shepromised.“Pleasedtomeetyou.”Reyna clasped her hand firmly. “It seems we have a lot to discuss.

Centurions!”AfewoftheRomancampershustledforward—apparentlytheseniorofficers.

Two kids appeared at Percy’s side, the same ones Annabeth had seen himchummingaroundwithearlier.TheburlyAsianguywiththebuzzcutwasaboutfifteen.Hewascuteinasortofoversized-cuddly-panda-bearway.Thegirlwasyounger, maybe thirteen, with amber eyes and chocolate skin and long curlyhair.Hercavalryhelmetwastuckedunderherarm.

Annabeth could tell from their body language that they felt close toPercy.Theystoodnexttohimprotectively,likethey’dalreadysharedmanyadventures.Shefoughtdownatwingeofjealousy.WasitpossiblePercyandthisgirl…no.Thechemistrybetween the threeof themwasn’t like that.Annabethhadspentherwholelifelearningtoreadpeople.Itwasasurvivalskill.Ifshehadtoguess,she’dsaythebigAsianguywasthegirl’sboyfriend,thoughshesuspectedtheyhadn’tbeentogetherlong.

Therewasonethingshedidn’tunderstand:whatwasthegirlstaringat?ShekeptfrowninginPiperandLeo’sdirection,likesherecognizedoneofthemandthememorywaspainful.

Meanwhile, Reyna was giving orders to her officers. “…tell the legion tostand down. Dakota, alert the spirits in the kitchen. Tell them to prepare awelcomefeast.And,Octavian—”

“You’relettingtheseintrudersintothecamp?”Atallguywithstringyblondhairelbowedhiswayforward.“Reyna,thesecurityrisks—”

“We’renot taking them to the camp,Octavian.”Reyna flashedhima sternlook.“We’lleathere,intheforum.”

“Oh,much better,”Octaviangrumbled.He seemed tobe theonlyonewhodidn’tdefer toReynaashissuperior,despite thefact thathewasscrawnyandpaleandforsomereasonhadthreeteddybearshangingfromhisbelt.“Youwantustorelaxintheshadowoftheirwarship.”

“These are our guests.” Reyna clipped off everyword. “Wewill welcomethem,andwewilltalktothem.Asaugur,youshouldburnanofferingtothank

thegodsforbringingJasonbacktoussafely.”“Goodidea,”Percyputin.“Goburnyourbears,Octavian.”Reynalookedlikeshewastryingnottosmile.“Youhavemyorders.Go.”Theofficersdispersed.OctavianshotPercyalookofabsoluteloathing.Then

hegaveAnnabethasuspiciousonce-overandstalkedaway.Percy slipped his hand intoAnnabeth’s. “Don’tworry aboutOctavian,” he

said. “Most of the Romans are good people—like Frank andHazel here, andReyna.We’llbefine.”

Annabeth felt as if someone had draped a coldwashcloth across her neck.She heard thatwhispering laughter again, as if the presence had followed herfromtheship.

ShelookedupattheArgoII.Itsmassivebronzehullglitteredinthesunlight.Part of herwanted to kidnapPercy right now, climbonboard, and get out ofherewhiletheystillcould.

Shecouldn’tshakethefeelingthatsomethingwasabouttogoterriblywrong.AndtherewasnowayshewouldeverrisklosingPercyagain.

“We’llbefine,”sherepeated,tryingtobelieveit.“Excellent,” Reyna said. She turned to Jason, and Annabeth thought there

wasahungrysortofgleaminhereyes.“Let’s talk,andwecanhaveaproperreunion.”

ANNABETHWISHEDSHEHADANAPPETITE,becausetheRomansknewhowtoeat.Setsofcouchesandlowtableswerecartedintotheforumuntilitresembleda

furniture showroom. Romans lounged in groups of ten or twenty, talking andlaughing while wind spirits—aurae—swirled overhead, bringing an endlessassortment of pizzas, sandwiches, chips, cold drinks, and fresh-baked cookies.Driftingthroughthecrowdwerepurpleghosts—Lares—intogasandlegionnairearmor. Around the edges of the feast, satyrs (no, fauns, Annabeth thought)trottedfromtabletotable,panhandlingforfoodandsparechange.Inthenearbyfields, thewar elephant frolickedwithMrs. O’Leary, and children played tagaroundthestatuesofTerminusthatlinedthecitylimits.

The whole scene was so familiar yet so completely alien that it gaveAnnabethvertigo.

All shewanted to dowas bewith Percy—preferably alone. She knew shewould have to wait. If their quest was going to succeed, they needed theseRomans,whichmeantgettingtoknowthemandbuildingsomegoodwill.

Reyna and a few of her officers (including the blond kidOctavian, freshlybackfromburninga teddybear for thegods)satwithAnnabethandhercrew.Percyjoinedthemwithhistwonewfriends,FrankandHazel.

As a tornado of food platters settled onto the table, Percy leaned over andwhispered,“IwanttoshowyouaroundNewRome.Justyouandme.Theplaceisincredible.”

Annabeth should’ve felt thrilled. Just you and me was exactly what shewanted. Instead, resentment swelled in her throat. How could Percy talk soenthusiastically about this place?What about Camp Half-Blood—their camp,theirhome?

She triednot to stareat thenewmarksonPercy’s forearm—anSPQR tattoolike Jason’s. At Camp Half-Blood, demigods got bead necklaces tocommemorate years of training. Here, the Romans burned a tattoo into yourflesh,asiftosay:Youbelongtous.Permanently.

Sheswallowedbacksomebitingcomments.“Okay.Sure.”“I’vebeenthinking,”hesaidnervously.“Ihadthisidea—”HestoppedasReynacalledatoasttofriendship.After introductions all around, the Romans and Annabeth’s crew began

exchanging stories. Jason explained how he’d arrived at Camp Half-Bloodwithouthismemory,andhowhe’dgoneonaquestwithPiperandLeotorescuethegoddessHera(orJuno,takeyourpick—shewasequallyannoyinginGreekorRoman)fromimprisonmentattheWolfHouseinnorthernCalifornia.

“Impossible!”Octavianbrokein.“That’sourmostsacredplace.Ifthegiantshadimprisonedagoddessthere—”

“Theywould’ve destroyed her,”Piper said. “Andblamed it on theGreeks,andstartedawarbetweenthecamps.Now,bequietandletJasonfinish.”

Octavianopenedhismouth, but no sound cameout.Annabeth really lovedPiper’s charmspeak.ShenoticedReyna lookingback and forth between JasonandPiper,herbrowcreased,asifjustbeginningtorealizethetwoofthemwereacouple.

“So,” Jason continued, “that’s how we found out about the earth goddessGaea. She’s still half asleep, but she’s the one freeing the monsters fromTartarusandraisingthegiants.Porphyrion,thebigleaderdudewefoughtattheWolfHouse: he saidhewas retreating to the ancient lands—Greece itself.Heplans on awakening Gaea and destroying the gods by…what did he call it?

Pullinguptheirroots.”Percy nodded thoughtfully. “Gaea’s been busy over here, too.We had our

ownencounterwithQueenDirtFace.”Percyrecountedhissideofthestory.HetalkedaboutwakingupattheWolf

Housewithnomemoriesexceptforonename—Annabeth.When sheheard that,Annabethhad to tryhardnot to cry.Percy told them

how he’d traveled toAlaskawith Frank andHazel—how they’d defeated thegiantAlcyoneus,freedthedeathgodThanatos,andreturnedwiththelostgoldeneaglestandardoftheRomancamptorepelanattackbythegiants’army.

When Percy had finished, Jason whistled appreciatively. “No wonder theymadeyoupraetor.”

Octavian snorted. “Which means we now have three praetors! The rulesclearlystatewecanonlyhavetwo!”

“Onthebrightside,”Percysaid,“bothJasonandIoutrankyou,Octavian.Sowecanbothtellyoutoshutup.”

OctavianturnedaspurpleasaRomanT-shirt.JasongavePercyafistbump.EvenReynamanagedasmile,thoughhereyeswerestormy.“We’ll have to figureout the extra praetor problem later,” she said. “Right

nowwehavemoreseriousissuestodealwith.”“I’llstepasideforJason,”Percysaideasily.“It’snobiggie.”“Nobiggie?”Octavianchoked.“ThepraetorshipofRomeisnobiggie?”PercyignoredhimandturnedtoJason.“You’reThaliaGrace’sbrother,huh?

Wow.Youguyslooknothingalike.”“Yeah,Inoticed,”Jasonsaid.“Anyway,thanksforhelpingmycampwhileI

wasgone.Youdidanawesomejob.”“Backatyou,”Percysaid.Annabeth kicked his shin. She hated to interrupt a budding bromance, but

Reynawasright: theyhadseriousthingstodiscuss.“Weshouldtalkabout theGreatProphecy.ItsoundsliketheRomansareawareofittoo?”

Reyna nodded. “We call it the Prophecy of Seven. Octavian, you have itcommittedtomemory?”

“Ofcourse,”hesaid.“But,Reyna—”

“Reciteit,please.InEnglish,notLatin.”Octaviansighed.“Sevenhalf-bloodsshallanswer thecall.Tostormor fire

theworldmustfall—”“Anoathtokeepwithafinalbreath,”Annabethcontinued.“Andfoesbear

armstotheDoorsofDeath.”Everyonestaredather—exceptforLeo,whohadconstructedapinwheelout

ofaluminumfoiltacowrappersandwasstickingitintopassingwindspirits.Annabeth wasn’t sure why she had blurted out the lines of the prophecy.

She’djustfeltcompelled.The big kid, Frank, sat forward, staring at her in fascination, as if she’d

grownathirdeye.“Isittrueyou’reachildofMin—Imean,Athena?”“Yes,”shesaid,suddenlyfeelingdefensive.“Whyisthatsuchasurprise?”Octavianscoffed.“Ifyou’retrulyachildofthewisdomgoddess—”“Enough,”Reynasnapped.“Annabethiswhatshesays.She’shereinpeace.

Besides…”ShegaveAnnabetha lookofgrudging respect. “Percyhas spokenhighlyofyou.”

TheundertonesinReyna’svoicetookAnnabethamomenttodecipher.Percylookeddown,suddenlyinterestedinhischeeseburger.

Annabeth’s face felt hot. Oh, gods…Reyna had tried to make a move onPercy.That explained the tinge of bitterness,maybe even envy, in herwords.PercyhadturnedherdownforAnnabeth.

At thatmoment, Annabeth forgave her ridiculous boyfriend for everythinghe’d ever done wrong. She wanted to throw her arms around him, but shecommandedherselftostaycool.

“Uh, thanks,” she told Reyna. “At any rate, some of the prophecy isbecomingclear.FoesbearingarmstotheDoorsofDeath…thatmeansRomansandGreeks.Wehavetocombineforcestofindthosedoors.”

Hazel, the girl with the cavalry helmet and the long curly hair, picked upsomething next to her plate. It looked like a large ruby; but beforeAnnabethcouldbesure,Hazelslippeditintothepocketofherdenimshirt.

“Mybrother,Nico,wentlookingforthedoors,”shesaid.“Wait,”Annabethsaid.“NicodiAngelo?He’syourbrother?”

Hazelnoddedasifthiswereobvious.AdozenmorequestionscrowdedintoAnnabeth’shead,butitwasalreadyspinninglikeLeo’spinwheel.Shedecidedtoletthemattergo.“Okay.Youweresaying?”

“Hedisappeared.”Hazelmoistenedherlips.“I’mafraid…I’mnotsure,butIthinksomething’shappenedtohim.”

“We’lllookforhim,”Percypromised.“WehavetofindtheDoorsofDeathanyway.Thanatos tolduswe’d findboth answers inRome—like, theoriginalRome.That’sonthewaytoGreece,right?”

“Thanatostoldyouthis?”Annabethtriedtowraphermindaroundthatidea.“Thedeathgod?”

She’dmetmanygods.She’devenbeentotheUnderworld;butPercy’sstoryaboutfreeingtheincarnationofdeathitselfreallycreepedherout.

Percy took a bite of his burger. “Now that Death is free, monsters willdisintegrate and return to Tartarus again like they used to. But as long as theDoorsofDeathareopen,they’lljustkeepcomingback.”

Pipertwistedthefeatherinherhair.“Likewaterleakingthroughadam,”shesuggested.

“Yeah.”Percysmiled.“We’vegotadamhole.”“What?”Piperasked.“Nothing,”hesaid.“Insidejoke.Thepointiswe’llhavetofindthedoorsand

closethembeforewecanheadtoGreece.It’stheonlywaywe’llstandachanceofdefeatingthegiantsandmakingsuretheystaydefeated.”

Reynapluckedanapplefromapassingfruittray.Sheturneditinherfingers,studying the dark red surface. “You propose an expedition to Greece in yourwarship. You do realize that the ancient lands—and the Mare Nostrum—aredangerous?”

“Marywho?”Leoasked.“MareNostrum,”Jasonexplained.“OurSea. It’swhat theAncientRomans

calledtheMediterranean.”Reynanodded.“TheterritorythatwasoncetheRomanEmpireisnotonlythe

birthplaceof thegods. It’salso theancestralhomeof themonsters,Titansandgiants…and worse things. As dangerous as travel is for demigods here in

America,thereitwouldbetentimesworse.”“YousaidAlaskawouldbebad,”Percyremindedher.“Wesurvivedthat.”Reynashookherhead.Herfingernailscutlittlecrescentsintotheappleasshe

turned it. “Percy, traveling in theMediterranean is a different level of dangeraltogether.It’sbeenofflimitstoRomandemigodsforcenturies.Noheroinhisrightmindwouldgothere.”

“Then we’re good!” Leo grinned over the top of his pinwheel. “Becausewe’reallcrazy,right?Besides,theArgoIIisatop-of-the-linewarship.She’llgetusthrough.”

“We’llhavetohurry,”Jasonadded.“Idon’tknowexactlywhatthegiantsareplanning, but Gaea is growing more conscious all the time. She’s invadingdreams, appearing in weird places, summoning more and more powerfulmonsters.Wehavetostopthegiantsbeforetheycanwakeherupfully.”

Annabethshuddered.She’dhadherownshareofnightmareslately.“Seven half-bloodsmust answer the call,” she said. “It needs to be amix

frombothourcamps.Jason,Piper,Leo,andme.That’sfour.”“Andme,”Percysaid.“AlongwithHazelandFrank.That’sseven.”“What?” Octavian shot to his feet. “We’re just supposed to accept that?

Withoutavoteinthesenate?Withoutaproperdebate?Without—”“Percy!”TysontheCyclopsboundedtowardthemwithMrs.O’Learyathis

heels.Onthehellhound’sbacksattheskinniestharpyAnnabethhadeverseen—asickly-lookinggirlwith stringy redhair, a sackclothdress, and red-featheredwings.

Annabethdidn’tknowwheretheharpyhadcomefrom,butherheartwarmedto seeTyson inhis tattered flannel anddenimwith thebackwardSPQR banneracross his chest. She’d had some pretty bad experiences with Cyclopes, butTysonwas a sweetheart.Hewas alsoPercy’s half brother (long story),whichmadehimalmostlikefamily.

Tysonstoppedbytheircouchandwrunghismeatyhands.Hisbigbrowneyewasfullofconcern.“Ellaisscared,”hesaid.

“N-n-nomoreboats,”theharpymutteredtoherself,pickingfuriouslyatherfeathers.“Titanic,Lusitania,Pax…boatsarenotforharpies.”

Leo squinted. He looked at Hazel, whowas seated next to him. “Did thatchickengirljustcomparemyshiptotheTitanic?”

“She’snotachicken.”Hazelavertedhereyes,as ifLeomadehernervous.“Ella’saharpy.She’sjustalittle…high-strung.”

“Ellaispretty,”Tysonsaid.“Andscared.Weneedtotakeheraway,butshewillnotgoontheship.”

“Noships,”Ellarepeated.ShelookedstraightatAnnabeth.“Badluck.Theresheis.Wisdom’sdaughterwalksalone—”

“Ella!”Frankstoodsuddenly.“Maybeit’snotthebesttime—”“The Mark of Athena burns through Rome,” Ella continued, cupping her

handsoverherearsandraisinghervoice.“Twinssnuffout theangel’sbreath,Who holds the key to endless death.Giants’ bane stands gold and pale,Wonthroughpainfromawovenjail.”

Theeffectwaslikesomeonedroppingaflashgrenadeonthetable.Everyonestaredattheharpy.Noonespoke.Annabeth’sheartwaspounding.TheMarkofAthena…Sheresistedtheurgetocheckherpocket,butshecouldfeelthesilvercoin growing warmer—the cursed gift from her mother. Follow the Mark ofAthena.Avengeme.

Aroundthem,thesoundsofthefeastcontinued,butmutedanddistant,asiftheirlittleclusterofcoucheshadslippedintoaquieterdimension.

Percywasthefirsttorecover.HestoodandtookTyson’sarm.“Iknow!”hesaidwithfeignedenthusiasm.“HowaboutyoutakeEllatoget

somefreshair?YouandMrs.O’Leary—”“Hold on.” Octavian gripped one of his teddy bears, strangling it with

shakinghands.HiseyesfixedonElla.“Whatwasthatshesaid?Itsoundedlike—”

“Ellareadsalot,”Frankblurtedout.“Wefoundheratalibrary.”“Yes!”Hazelsaid.“Probablyjustsomethingshereadinabook.”“Books,”Ellamutteredhelpfully.“Ellalikesbooks.”Nowthatshe’dsaidherpiece,theharpyseemedmorerelaxed.Shesatcross-

leggedonMrs.O’Leary’sback,preeningherwings.AnnabethgavePercya curiousglance.Obviously,he andFrankandHazel

were hiding something. Just as obviously, Ella had recited a prophecy—aprophecythatconcernedher.

Percy’sexpressionsaid,Help.“Thatwasaprophecy,”Octavianinsisted.“Itsoundedlikeaprophecy.”Nooneanswered.Annabeth wasn’t exactly sure what was going on, but she understood that

Percywasonthevergeofbigtrouble.Sheforcedalaugh.“Really,Octavian?Maybeharpiesaredifferenthere,on

theRoman side.Ours have just enough intelligence to clean cabins and cooklunches. Do yours usually foretell the future? Do you consult them for yourauguries?”

Herwords had the intended effect.TheRomanofficers laughed nervously.SomesizedupElla,thenlookedatOctavianandsnorted.TheideaofachickenladyissuingprophecieswasapparentlyjustasridiculoustoRomansasitwastoGreeks.

“I,uh…”Octaviandroppedhisteddybear.“No,but—”“She’s just spouting lines from some book,” Annabeth said, “like Hazel

suggested.Besides,wealreadyhavearealprophecytoworryabout.”She turned to Tyson. “Percy’s right. Why don’t you take Ella and Mrs.

O’Learyandshadow-travelsomewhereforawhile.IsEllaokaywiththat?”“‘Large dogs are good,’” Ella said. “Old Yeller, 1957, screenplay by Fred

GipsonandWilliamTunberg.”Annabeth wasn’t sure how to take that answer, but Percy smiled like the

problemwassolved.“Great!” Percy said. “We’ll Iris-message you guys when we’re done and

catchupwithyoulater.”The Romans looked at Reyna, waiting for her ruling. Annabeth held her

breath.Reynahadanexcellentpokerface.ShestudiedElla,butAnnabethcouldn’t

guesswhatshewasthinking.“Fine,”thepraetorsaidatlast.“Go.”“Yay!”Tysonwentaroundthecouchesandgaveeveryoneabighug—even

Octavian,whodidn’t lookhappyabout it.ThenheclimbedonMrs.O’Leary’sbackwithElla,andthehellhoundboundedoutoftheforum.TheydovestraightintoashadowontheSenateHousewallanddisappeared.

“Well.” Reyna set down her uneaten apple. “Octavian is right about onething.Wemustgainthesenate’sapprovalbeforeweletanyofourlegionnairesgoonaquest—especiallyoneasdangerousasyou’resuggesting.”

“Thiswholethingsmellsoftreachery,”Octaviangrumbled.“Thattriremeisnotashipofpeace!”

“Come aboard,man,”Leo offered. “I’ll give you a tour.You can steer theboat,andifyou’rereallygoodI’llgiveyoualittlepapercaptain’shattowear.”

Octavian’snostrilsflared.“Howdareyou—”“It’sagood idea,”Reynasaid.“Octavian,gowithhim.See theship.We’ll

conveneasenatemeetinginonehour.”“But…”Octavianstopped.ApparentlyhecouldtellfromReyna’sexpression

thatfurtherarguingwouldnotbegoodforhishealth.“Fine.”Leogot up.He turned toAnnabeth, andhis smile changed. It happened so

quickly,Annabeth thought she’d imagined it; but just for amoment someoneelseseemedtobestandinginLeo’splace,smilingcoldlywithacruellightinhiseyes.ThenAnnabethblinked,andLeowasjustregularoldLeoagain,withhisusualimpishgrin.

“Backsoon,”hepromised.“Thisisgonnabeepic.”Ahorrible chill settled over her.AsLeo andOctavian headed for the rope

ladder, she thought about calling themback—buthowcould she explain that?Telleveryoneshewasgoingcrazy,seeingthingsandfeelingcold?

Thewindspiritsbeganclearingtheplates.“Uh,Reyna,”Jasonsaid,“ifyoudon’tmind, I’d like toshowPiperaround

beforethesenatemeeting.She’sneverseenNewRome.”Reyna’sexpressionhardened.AnnabethwonderedhowJasoncouldbesodense.Wasitpossiblehereally

didn’t understand how much Reyna liked him? It was obvious enough toAnnabeth.AskingtoshowhisnewgirlfriendaroundReyna’scitywasrubbingsaltinawound.

“Ofcourse,”Reynasaidcoldly.PercytookAnnabeth’shand.“Yeah,me,too.I’dliketoshowAnnabeth—”“No,”Reynasnapped.Percyknithiseyebrows.“Sorry?”“I’dlikeafewwordswithAnnabeth,”Reynasaid.“Alone.Ifyoudon’tmind,

myfellowpraetor.”Hertonemadeitclearshewasn’treallyaskingpermission.Thechill spreaddownAnnabeth’sback.ShewonderedwhatReynawasup

to. Maybe the praetor didn’t like the idea of two guys who had rejected hergiving their girlfriends tours of her city. Or maybe there was something shewanted to say in private. Eitherway,Annabethwas reluctant to be alone andunarmedwiththeRomanleader.

“Come,daughterofAthena.”Reynarosefromhercouch.“Walkwithme.”

ANNABETH WANTED TO HATE NEW ROME. But as an aspiring architect, shecouldn’t help admiring the terraced gardens, the fountains and temples, thewindingcobblestonestreetsandgleamingwhitevillas.AftertheTitanWarlastsummer, she’d gotten her dream job of redesigning the palaces of MountOlympus.Now,walkingthroughthisminiaturecity,shekeptthinking,Ishouldhave made a dome like that. I love the way those columns lead into thatcourtyard.WhoeverdesignedNewRomehadclearlypoureda lotof timeandloveintotheproject.

“We have the best architects and builders in the world,” Reyna said, as ifreadingher thoughts.“Romealwaysdid, in theancient times.Manydemigodsstayontolivehereaftertheirtimeinthelegion.Theygotoouruniversity.Theysettledowntoraisefamilies.Percyseemedinterestedinthisfact.”

Annabethwonderedwhat thatmeant.Shemusthavescowledmore fiercelythansherealized,becauseReynalaughed.

“You’reawarrior,allright,”thepraetorsaid.“You’vegotfireinyoureyes.”“Sorry.”Annabethtriedtotonedowntheglare.“Don’tbe.I’mthedaughterofBellona.”“Romangoddessofwar?”

Reynanodded.Sheturnedandwhistledlikeshewashailingacab.Amomentlater,twometaldogsracedtowardthem—automatongreyhounds,onesilverandone gold. They brushed against Reyna’s legs and regarded Annabeth withglisteningrubyeyes.

“Mypets,”Reynaexplained.“AurumandArgentum.Youdon’tmindiftheywalkwithus?”

Again,Annabethgotthefeelingitwasn’treallyarequest.Shenotedthatthegreyhounds had teeth like steel arrowheads.Maybe weapons weren’t allowedinsidethecity,butReyna’spetscouldstilltearhertopiecesiftheychose.

Reyna led her to an outdoor café, where the waiter clearly knew her. Hesmiledandhandedherato-gocup,thenofferedonetoAnnabeth.

“Wouldyoulikesome?”Reynaasked.“Theymakewonderfulhotchocolate.NotreallyaRomandrink—”

“Butchocolateisuniversal,”Annabethsaid.“Exactly.”Itwas awarm June afternoon, butAnnabeth accepted the cupwith thanks.

Thetwoofthemwalkedon,Reyna’sgoldandsilverdogsroamingnearby.“Inourcamp,”Reynasaid,“AthenaisMinerva.Areyoufamiliarwithhow

herRomanformisdifferent?”Annabeth hadn’t really considered it before. She remembered the way

TerminushadcalledAthena thatgoddess, as if shewere scandalous.OctavianhadactedlikeAnnabeth’sveryexistencewasaninsult.

“ItakeitMinervaisn’t…uh,quiteasrespectedhere?”Reynablewsteamfromhercup.“WerespectMinerva.She’sthegoddessof

craftsandwisdom…butsheisn’treallyagoddessofwar.NotforRomans.She’salsoamaidengoddess, likeDiana…theoneyoucallArtemis.Youwon’t findany children of Minerva here. The idea that Minerva would have children—frankly,it’salittleshockingtous.”

“Oh.”Annabethfeltherfaceflush.Shedidn’twanttogetintothedetailsofAthena’schildren—howtheywerebornstraightfromthemindofthegoddess,just as Athena herself had sprung from the head of Zeus. Talking about thatalways made Annabeth feel self-conscious, like she was some sort of freak.

Peopleusually askedherwhetherornot shehadabellybutton, since shehadbeen born magically.Of course she had a belly button. She couldn’t explainhow.Shedidn’treallywanttoknow.

“I understand that you Greeks don’t see things the same way,” Reynacontinued. “ButRomans take vows ofmaidenhood very seriously.TheVestalVirgins,forinstance…iftheybroketheirvowsandfellinlovewithanyone,theywouldbeburiedalive.So the idea thatamaidengoddesswouldhavechildren—”

“Gotit.”Annabeth’shotchocolatesuddenlytastedlikedust.NowondertheRomanshadbeengivingherstrangelooks.“I’mnotsupposedtoexist.AndevenifyourcamphadchildrenofMinerva—”

“Theywouldn’tbelikeyou,”Reynasaid.“Theymightbecraftsmen,artists,maybeadvisers,butnotwarriors.Notleadersofdangerousquests.”

Annabeth started to object that she wasn’t the leader of the quest. Notofficially.ButshewonderedifherfriendsontheArgoIIwouldagree.Thepastfewdays,theyhadbeenlookingtoherfororders—evenJason,whocouldhavepulledrankasthesonofJupiter,andCoachHedge,whodidn’ttakeordersfromanyone.

“There’s more.” Reyna snapped her fingers, and her golden dog, Aurum,trottedover.Thepraetor strokedhis ears. “TheharpyElla…itwas aprophecyshespoke.Webothknowthat,don’twe?”

Annabethswallowed.SomethingaboutAurum’srubyeyesmadeheruneasy.She had heard that dogs could smell fear, even detect changes in a human’sbreathingandheartbeat.Shedidn’tknowifthatappliedtomagicalmetaldogs,butshedecideditwouldbebettertotellthetruth.

“Itsoundedlikeaprophecy,”sheadmitted.“ButI’venevermetEllabeforetoday,andI’veneverheardthoselinesexactly.”

“Ihave,”Reynamurmured.“Atleastsomeofthem—”Afewyardsaway,thesilverdogbarked.Agroupofchildrenspilledoutofa

nearbyalleywayandgatheredaroundArgentum,petting thedogand laughing,unfazedbyitsrazor-sharpteeth.

“Weshouldmoveon,”Reynasaid.

They wound their way up the hill. The greyhounds followed, leaving thechildren behind. Annabeth kept glancing at Reyna’s face. A vague memorystartedtuggingather—thewayReynabrushedherhairbehindherear,thesilverringsheworewiththetorchandsworddesign.

“We’vemetbefore,”Annabethventured.“Youwereyounger,Ithink.”Reyna gave her a dry smile. “Very good. Percy didn’t remember me. Of

courseyou spokemostlywithmyolder sisterHylla,who isnowqueenof theAmazons.Sheleft just thismorning,beforeyouarrived.Atanyrate,whenwelastmet,IwasamerehandmaideninthehouseofCirce.”

“Circe…”Annabethrememberedhertriptotheislandofthesorceress.She’dbeenthirteen.PercyandshehadwashedashorefromtheSeaofMonsters.Hyllahadwelcomed them.ShehadhelpedAnnabethgetcleanedupandgivenherabeautifulnewdress anda completemakeover.ThenCircehadmadeher salespitch: if Annabeth stayed on the island, she could have magical training andincredible power. Annabeth had been tempted, maybe just a little, until sherealizedtheplacewasatrap,andPercyhadbeenturnedintoarodent.(Thatlastpart seemed funny afterward; but at the time, it had been terrifying.) As forReyna…she’dbeenoneoftheservantswhohadcombedAnnabeth’shair.

“You…”Annabethsaidinamazement.“AndHyllaisqueenoftheAmazons?Howdidyoutwo—?”

“Long story,”Reyna said. “But I remember youwell.Youwere brave. I’dnever seen anyone refuse Circe’s hospitality, much less outwit her. It’s nowonderPercycaresforyou.”

Hervoicewaswistful.Annabeththoughtitmightbesafernottorespond.Theyreachedthetopofthehill,whereaterraceoverlookedtheentirevalley.“Thisismyfavoritespot,”Reynasaid.“TheGardenofBacchus.”Grapevine trellises made a canopy overhead. Bees buzzed through

honeysuckleandjasmine,whichfilledtheafternoonairwithadizzyingmixofperfumes. In themiddle of the terrace stood a statue of Bacchus in a sort ofballetposition,wearingnothingbuta loincloth,hischeekspuffedoutand lipspursed,spoutingwaterintoafountain.

Despite her worries, Annabeth almost laughed. She knew the god in his

Greekform,Dionysus—orMr.D,astheycalledhimbackatCampHalf-Blood.Seeing their crankyold campdirector immortalized in stone,wearingadiaperandspewingwaterfromhismouth,madeherfeelalittlebetter.

Reynastoppedattheedgeoftheterrace.Theviewwasworththeclimb.Thewholecityspreadoutbelowthemlikea3-Dmosaic.Tothesouth,beyondthelake,aclusteroftemplesperchedonahill.Tothenorth,anaqueductmarchedtoward the Berkeley Hills. Work crews were repairing a broken section,probablydamagedintherecentbattle.

“Iwantedtohearitfromyou,”Reynasaid.Annabethturned.“Hearwhatfromme?”“The truth,” Reyna said. “Convinceme that I’m not making amistake by

trusting you. Tell me about yourself. Tell me about Camp Half-Blood. YourfriendPiperhassorcery inherwords. Ispentenough timewithCirce toknowcharmspeakwhenIhearit.Ican’ttrustwhatshesays.AndJason…well,hehaschanged.Heseemsdistant,nolongerquiteRoman.”

Thehurtinhervoicewasassharpasbrokenglass.Annabethwonderedifshehadsounded thatway,all themonthsshe’dspentsearchingforPercy.At leastshe’dfoundherboyfriend.Reynahadnoone.Shewasresponsibleforrunninganentirecampallbyherself.AnnabethcouldsensethatReynawantedJasontolove her. But he had disappeared, only to come back with a new girlfriend.Meanwhile, Percy had risen to praetor, but he had rebuffed Reyna too. NowAnnabeth had come to take him away. Reyna would be left alone again,shoulderingajobmeantfortwopeople.

When Annabeth had arrived at Camp Jupiter, she’d been prepared tonegotiatewithReynaoreven fighther ifneeded.Shehadn’tbeenprepared tofeelsorryforher.

Shekeptthatfeelinghidden.Reynadidn’tstrikeherassomeonewhowouldappreciatepity.

Instead, she told Reyna about her own life. She talked about her dad andstepmomandhertwostepbrothersinSanFrancisco,andhowshehadfeltlikeanoutsider inherown family.She talkedabouthowshehad runawaywhenshewas only seven, finding her friends Luke and Thalia and making her way to

Camp Half-Blood on Long Island. She described the camp and her yearsgrowingupthere.ShetalkedaboutmeetingPercyandtheadventuresthey’dhadtogether.

Reynawasagoodlistener.Annabethwastemptedtotellheraboutmorerecentproblems:herfightwith

hermom, the gift of the silver coin, and the nightmares she’d been having—aboutanoldfearsoparalyzing,she’dalmostdecidedthatshecouldn’tgoonthisquest.Butshecouldn’tbringherselftoopenupquitethatmuch.

WhenAnnabethwasdonetalking,ReynagazedoverNewRome.Hermetalgreyhounds sniffed around the garden, snapping at bees in the honeysuckle.FinallyReynapointedtotheclusteroftemplesonthedistanthill.

“The small red building,” she said, “there on the northern side?That’s thetemple ofmymother,Bellona.”Reyna turned towardAnnabeth. “Unlike yourmother,BellonahasnoGreekequivalent.She is fully, trulyRoman.She’s thegoddessofprotectingthehomeland.”

Annabethsaidnothing.Sheknewvery littleabout theRomangoddess.Shewishedshehadstudiedup,butLatinnevercameaseasilytoherasGreek.Downbelow, thehullof theArgo II gleamedas it floatedover the forum, like somemassivebronzepartyballoon.

“WhentheRomansgotowar,”Reynacontinued,“wefirstvisittheTempleofBellona.Insideisasymbolicpatchofgroundthatrepresentsenemysoil.Wethrow a spear into that ground, indicating that we are now at war. You see,Romanshavealwaysbelievedthatoffenseisthebestdefense.Inancienttimes,wheneverourancestorsfeltthreatenedbytheirneighbors,theywouldinvadetoprotectthemselves.”

“They conquered everyone around them,” Annabeth said. “Carthage, theGauls—”

“And theGreeks.” Reyna let that comment hang. “My point, Annabeth, isthatitisn’tRome’snaturetocooperatewithotherpowers.EverytimeGreekandRomandemigodshavemet,we’vefought.Conflictsbetweenourtwosideshavestartedsomeofthemosthorriblewarsinhumanhistory—especiallycivilwars.”

“Itdoesn’thavetobethatway,”Annabethsaid.“We’vegottoworktogether,

orGaeawilldestroyusboth.”“I agree,”Reyna said. “But is cooperationpossible?What if Juno’splan is

flawed?Evengoddessescanmakemistakes.”Annabeth waited for Reyna to get struck by lightning or turned into a

peacock.Nothinghappened.Unfortunately, Annabeth shared Reyna’s doubts. Hera did make mistakes.

Annabethhadhadnothingbuttroublefromthatoverbearinggoddess,andshe’dneverforgiveHerafortakingPercyaway,evenifitwasforanoblecause.

“I don’t trust the goddess,”Annabeth admitted. “But I do trustmy friends.Thisisn’tatrick,Reyna.Wecanworktogether.”

Reynafinishedhercupofchocolate.Shesetthecupontheterracerailingandgazedoverthevalleyasifimaginingbattlelines.

“I believe you mean it,” she said. “But if you go to the ancient lands,especiallyRomeitself,thereissomethingyoushouldknowaboutyourmother.”

Annabeth’sshoulderstensed.“My—mymother?”“WhenIlivedonCirce’sisland,”Reynasaid,“wehadmanyvisitors.Once,

perhapsayearbeforeyouandPercyarrived,ayoungmanwashedashore.Hewashalfmadfromthirstandheat.He’dbeendriftingatseafordays.Hiswordsdidn’tmakemuchsense,buthesaidhewasasonofAthena.”

Reynapausedasifwaitingforareaction.Annabethhadnoideawhotheboymighthavebeen.Shewasn’tawareofanyotherAthenakidswho’dgoneonaquestintheSeaofMonsters,butstillshefeltasenseofdread.Thelightfilteringthroughthegrapevinesmadeshadowswritheacrossthegroundlikeaswarmofbugs.

“Whathappenedtothisdemigod?”sheasked.Reynawavedherhandasifthequestionwastrivial.“Circeturnedhimintoa

guinea pig, of course.Hemade quite a crazy little rodent.Butbefore that, hekeptravingabouthisfailedquest.Heclaimedthathe’dgonetoRome,followingtheMarkofAthena.”

Annabethgrabbedtherailingtokeepherbalance.“Yes,” Reyna said, seeing her discomfort. “He kept muttering about

wisdom’s child, the Mark of Athena, and the giants’ bane standing pale and

gold.ThesamelinesEllawasjustreciting.Butyousaythatyou’veneverheardthembeforetoday?”

“Not—notthewayEllasaidthem.”Annabeth’svoicewasweak.Shewasn’tlying. She’d never heard that prophecy, but hermother had charged her withfollowingtheMarkofAthena;andasshethoughtaboutthecoininherpocket,ahorriblesuspicionbegantakingrootinhermind.Sherememberedhermother’sscathing words. She thought about the strange nightmares she’d been havinglately.“Didthisdemigod—didheexplainhisquest?”

Reynashookherhead.“Atthetime,Ihadnoideawhathewastalkingabout.Muchlater,whenIbecamepraetorofCampJupiter,Ibegantosuspect.”

“Suspect…what?”“ThereisanoldlegendthatthepraetorsofCampJupiterhavepasseddown

through the centuries. If it’s true, it may explain why our two groups ofdemigods have never been able to work together. It may be the cause of ouranimosity.Untilthisoldscoreisfinallysettled,sothelegendgoes,RomansandGreekswillneverbeatpeace.AndthelegendcentersonAthena—”

Ashrillsoundpiercedtheair.LightflashedinthecornerofAnnabeth’seye.She turned in time to see an explosion blast a new crater in the forum.A

burningcouchtumbledthroughtheair.Demigodsscatteredinpanic.“Giants?”Annabethreachedforherdagger,whichofcoursewasn’tthere.“I

thoughttheirarmywasdefeated!”“It isn’t thegiants.”Reyna’s eyes seethedwith rage. “You’vebetrayedour

trust.”“What?No!”Assoonasshesaidit,theArgoIIlaunchedasecondvolley.Itsportballista

firedamassivespearwreathed inGreekfire,whichsailedstraight through thebrokendomeoftheSenateHouseandexplodedinside,lightingupthebuildinglikeajack-o’-lantern.Ifanyonehadbeeninthere…

“Gods, no.” A wave of nausea almost made Annabeth’s knees buckle.“Reyna,itisn’tpossible.We’dneverdothis!”

Themetal dogs ran to their mistress’s side. They snarled at Annabeth butpaceduncertainly,asifreluctanttoattack.

“You’retellingthetruth,”Reynajudged.“Perhapsyouwerenotawareofthistreachery,butsomeonemustpay.”

Downintheforum,chaoswasspreading.Crowdswerepushingandshoving.Fistfightswerebreakingout.

“Bloodshed,”Reynasaid.“Wehavetostopit!”Annabeth had a horrible feeling thismight be the last timeReyna and she

everactedinagreement,buttogethertheyrandownthehill.

Ifweaponshadbeenallowedinthecity,Annabeth’sfriendswouldhavealreadybeendead.TheRomandemigodsintheforumhadcoalescedintoanangrymob.Somethrewplates,food,androcksattheArgoII,whichwaspointless,asmostofthestufffellbackintothecrowd.

SeveraldozenRomanshadsurroundedPiperandJason,whowere tryingtocalmthemwithoutmuchluck.Piper’scharmspeakwasuselessagainstsomanyscreaming, angry demigods. Jason’s forehead was bleeding. His purple cloakhadbeenrippedtoshreds.Hekeptpleading,“I’monyourside!”buthisorangeCamp Half-Blood T-shirt didn’t help matters—nor did the warship overhead,firing flaming spears into New Rome. One landed nearby and blasted a togashoptorubble.

“Pluto’spauldrons,”Reynacursed.“Look.”Armedlegionnaireswerehurryingtowardtheforum.Twoartillerycrewshad

setupcatapultsjustoutsidethePomerianLineandwerepreparingtofireattheArgoII.

“That’lljustmakethingsworse,”Annabethsaid.“Ihatemyjob,”Reynagrowled.Sherushedofftowardthelegionnaires,her

dogsatherside.Percy,Annabeththought,scanningtheforumdesperately.Whereareyou?Two Romans tried to grab her. She ducked past them, plunging into the

crowd. As if the angry Romans, burning couches, and exploding buildingsweren’tconfusingenough,hundredsofpurpleghostsdriftedthroughtheforum,passing straight through the demigods’ bodies and wailing incoherently. The

faunshad also taken advantageof the chaos.They swarmed thedining tables,grabbingfood,plates,andcups.OnetrottedbyAnnabethwithhisarmsfulloftacosandanentirepineapplebetweenhisteeth.

A statue of Terminus exploded into being, right in front of Annabeth. Heyelled at her in Latin, no doubt calling her a liar and a rule breaker; but shepushedthestatueoverandkeptrunning.

FinallyshespottedPercy.Heandhisfriends,HazelandFrank,werestandingin themiddleof a fountainasPercy repelled theangryRomanswithblastsofwater.Percy’stogawasintatters,buthelookedunhurt.

Annabethcalledtohimasanotherexplosionrockedtheforum.Thistimetheflashoflightwasdirectlyoverhead.OneoftheRomancatapultshadfired,andtheArgoIIgroanedandtiltedsideways,flamesbubblingoveritsbronze-platedhull.

Annabethnoticed a figure clingingdesperately to the rope ladder, trying toclimbdown.ItwasOctavian,hisrobessteamingandhisfaceblackwithsoot.

Over by the fountain, Percy blasted the Roman mob with more water.Annabeth ran toward him, ducking a Roman fist and a flying plate ofsandwiches.

“Annabeth!”Percycalled.“What—?”“Idon’tknow!”sheyelled.“I’ll tell you what!” cried a voice from above. Octavian had reached the

bottomof the ladder.“TheGreekshave firedonus!YourboyLeohas trainedhisweaponsonRome!”

Annabeth’schestfilledwithliquidhydrogen.Shefelt likeshemightshatterintoamillionfrozenpieces.

“You’relying,”shesaid.“Leowouldnever—”“Iwasjustthere!”Octavianshrieked.“Isawitwithmyowneyes!”TheArgoII returnedfire.Legionnaires in thefieldscatteredasoneof their

catapultswasblastedtosplinters.“Yousee?”Octavianscreamed.“Romans,killtheinvaders!”Annabethgrowledinfrustration.Therewasnotimeforanyonetofigureout

thetruth.ThecrewfromCampHalf-Bloodwasoutnumberedahundredtoone,

andevenifOctavianhadmanagedtostagesomesortoftrick(whichshethoughtlikely), they’dneverbeabletoconvincetheRomansbeforetheywereoverrunandkilled.

“Wehavetoleave,”shetoldPercy.“Now.”He nodded grimly. “Hazel, Frank, you’ve got to make a choice. Are you

coming?”Hazellookedterrified,butshedonnedhercavalryhelmet.“Ofcourseweare.

Butyou’llnevermakeittotheshipunlesswebuyyousometime.”“How?”Annabethasked.Hazelwhistled. Instantly a blur of beige shot across the forum.Amajestic

horsematerializednexttothefountain.Hereared,whinnyingandscatteringthemob.Hazel climbed on his back like she’d been born to ride. Strapped to thehorse’ssaddlewasaRomancavalrysword.

Hazelunsheathedhergoldenblade.“Sendmean Iris-messagewhenyou’resafelyaway,andwe’llrendezvous,”shesaid.“Arion,ride!”

The horse zipped through the crowd with incredible speed, pushing backRomansandcausingmasspanic.

Annabethfeltaglimmerofhope.Maybetheycouldmakeitoutofherealive.Then,fromhalfwayacrosstheforum,sheheardJasonshouting.

“Romans!”hecried.“Please!”HeandPiperwerebeingpeltedwithplatesandstones.Jasontriedtoshield

Piper,butabrickcaughthimabovetheeye.Hecrumpled,andthecrowdsurgedforward.

“Get back!” Piper screamed.Her charmspeak rolled over themob,makingthem hesitate, but Annabeth knew the effect wouldn’t last. Percy and shecouldn’tpossiblyreachthemintimetohelp.

“Frank,”Percysaid,“it’suptoyou.Canyouhelpthem?”Annabethdidn’tunderstandhowFrankcoulddo that allbyhimself,buthe

swallowednervously.“Oh,gods,”hemurmured.“Okay,sure.Justgetuptheropes.Now.”PercyandAnnabethlungedfortheladder.Octavianwasstillclingingtothe

bottom,butPercyyankedhimoffandthrewhimintothemob.

Theybegan toclimbas armed legionnaires flooded into the forum.ArrowswhistledpastAnnabeth’shead.Anexplosionalmostknockedherofftheladder.Halfwayup,sheheardaroarbelowandglanceddown.

Romans screamed and scattered as a full-sized dragon charged through theforum—abeastevenscarierthanthebronzedragonfigureheadontheArgoII.IthadroughgrayskinlikeaKomodolizard’sandleatherybatwings.Arrowsandrocks bounced harmlessly off its hide as it lumbered toward Piper and Jason,grabbedthemwithitsfrontclaws,andvaultedintotheair.

“Isthat…?”Annabethcouldn’tevenputthethoughtintowords.“Frank,” Percy confirmed, a few feet above her. “He has a few special

talents.”“Understatement,”Annabethmuttered.“Keepclimbing!”Without the dragon and Hazel’s horse to distract the archers, they never

wouldhavemadeituptheladder;butfinallytheyclimbedpastarowofbrokenaerialoarsandontothedeck.Theriggingwasonfire.Theforesailwasrippeddownthemiddle,andtheshiplistedbadlytostarboard.

There was no sign of Coach Hedge, but Leo stood amidships, calmlyreloadingtheballista.Annabeth’sguttwistedwithhorror.

“Leo!”shescreamed.“Whatareyoudoing?”“Destroythem…”HefacedAnnabeth.Hiseyeswereglazed.Hismovements

werelikearobot’s.“Destroythemall.”Heturnedbacktotheballista,butPercytackledhim.Leo’sheadhitthedeck

hard,andhiseyesrolledupsothatonlythewhitesshowed.Thegraydragonsoaredintoview.Itcircledtheshiponceandlandedatthe

bow,depositingJasonandPiper,whobothcollapsed.“Go!”Percyyelled.“Getusoutofhere!”Withashock,Annabethrealizedhewastalkingtoher.Sheranforthehelm.Shemadethemistakeofglancingovertherailandsaw

armedlegionnairesclosingranksintheforum,preparingflamingarrows.HazelspurredArion, and they raced out of the citywith amob chasing after them.Morecatapultswerebeingwheeledintorange.AllalongthePomerianLine,thestatuesofTerminuswereglowingpurple,asifbuildingupenergyforsomekind

ofattack.Annabeth looked over the controls. She cursed Leo for making them so

complicated. No time for fancy maneuvers, but she did know one basiccommand:Up.

She grabbed the aviation throttle and yanked it straight back. The shipgroaned.Thebowtiltedupatahorrifyingangle.Themooringlinessnapped,andtheArgoIIshotintotheclouds.

LEOWISHEDHECOULDINVENTatimemachine.He’dgobacktwohoursandundowhat had happened. Either that, or he could invent a Slap-Leo-in-the-Facemachinetopunishhimself,thoughhedoubteditwouldhurtasbadlyasthelookAnnabethwasgivinghim.

“Onemoretime,”shesaid.“Exactlywhathappened?”Leoslumpedagainstthemast.Hisheadstillthrobbedfromhittingthedeck.

Allaroundhim,hisbeautifulnewshipwasinshambles.Theaftcrossbowswerepilesofkindling.Theforesailwastattered.ThesatellitearraythatpoweredtheonboardInternetandTVwasblowntobits,whichhadreallymadeCoachHedgemad.Their bronze dragon figurehead, Festus,was coughing up smoke like hehadahairball,andLeocouldtellfromthegroaningsoundsontheportsidethatsome of the aerial oars had been knocked out of alignment or broken offcompletely,whichexplainedwhytheshipwaslistingandshudderingasitflew,theenginewheezinglikeanasthmaticsteamtrain.

Hechokedbackasob.“Idon’tknow.It’sfuzzy.”Toomany people were looking at him: Annabeth (Leo hated to make her

angry; thatgirl scaredhim),CoachHedgewithhis furrygoat legs, hisorangepoloshirt,andhisbaseballbat(didhehavetocarrythateverywhere?),andthe

newcomer,Frank.Leowasn’tsurewhattomakeofFrank.Helookedlikeababysumowrestler,

thoughLeowasn’tstupidenoughtosaythataloud.Leo’smemorywashazy,butwhilehe’dbeenhalfconscious,hewasprettysurehe’dseenadragon landontheship—adragonthathadturnedintoFrank.

Annabethcrossedherarms.“Youmeanyoudon’tremember?”“I…”Leofeltlikehewastryingtoswallowamarble.“Iremember,butit’s

likeIwaswatchingmyselfdothings.Icouldn’tcontrolit.”CoachHedgetappedhisbatagainstthedeck.Inhisgymclothes,withhiscap

pulledoverhishorns,he looked just likeheused toat theWildernessSchool,wherehe’dspentayearundercoverasJason,Piper,andLeo’sP.E.teacher.Thewaytheoldsatyrwasglowering,Leoalmostwonderedifthecoachwasgoingtoorderhimtodopush-ups.

“Look, kid,” Hedge said, “you blew up some stuff. You attacked someRomans. Awesome! Excellent! But did you have to knock out the satellitechannels?Iwasrightinthemiddleofwatchingacagematch.”

“Coach,”Annabethsaid,“whydon’tyoumakesureallthefiresareout?”“ButIalreadydidthat.”“Doitagain.”Thesatyrtrudgedoff,mutteringunderhisbreath.EvenHedgewasn’tcrazy

enoughtodefyAnnabeth.She knelt next to Leo. Her gray eyes were as steely as ball bearings. Her

blondhairfellloosearoundhershoulders,butLeodidn’tfindthatattractive.Hehadnoideawherethestereotypeofdumbgigglyblondescamefrom.Eversincehe’dmetAnnabethattheGrandCanyonlastwinter,whenshe’dmarchedtowardhimwiththatGivemePercyJacksonorI’llkillyouexpression,Leothoughtofblondesasmuchtoosmartandmuchtoodangerous.

“Leo,”shesaidcalmly,“didOctaviantrickyousomehow?Didheframeyou,or—”

“No.”LeocouldhaveliedandblamedthatstupidRoman,buthedidn’twanttomake a bad situationworse. “The guywas a jerk, but he didn’t fire on thecamp.Idid.”

Thenewkid,Frank,scowled.“Onpurpose?”“No!”Leosqueezedhiseyesshut.“Well,yes…Imean,Ididn’twantto.But

atthesametime,IfeltlikeIwantedto.Somethingwasmakingmedoit.Therewasthiscoldfeelinginsideme—”

“Acoldfeeling.”Annabeth’stonechanged.Shesoundedalmost…scared.“Yeah,”Leosaid.“Why?”Frombelowdecks,Percycalledup,“Annabeth,weneedyou.”Oh,gods,Leothought.PleaseletJasonbeokay.Assoonasthey’dgottenonboard,PiperhadtakenJasonbelow.Thecuton

his head had looked pretty bad. Leo had known Jason longer than anyone atCampHalf-Blood.Theywerebestfriends.IfJasondidn’tmakeit…

“He’llbefine.”Annabeth’sexpressionsoftened.“Frank,I’llbeback.Just…watchLeo.Please.”

Franknodded.If it was possible for Leo to feel worse, he did. Annabeth now trusted a

Romandemigodshe’dknownforlike,threeseconds,morethanshetrustedLeo.Onceshewasgone,LeoandFrankstaredateachother.Thebigdudelooked

prettyoddinhisbedsheet toga,withhisgraypulloverhoodieand jeans,andabow and quiver from the ship’s armory slung over his shoulder. LeorememberedthetimehehadmettheHuntersofArtemis—abunchofcutelithegirlsinsilveryclothes,allarmedwithbows.HeimaginedFrankfrolickingalongwiththem.Theideawassoridiculous,italmostmadehimfeelbetter.

“So,”Franksaid.“Yournameisn’tSammy?”Leoscowled.“Whatkindofquestionisthat?”“Nothing,” Frank said quickly. “I just— Nothing. About the firing on the

camp…Octaviancouldbebehindit,likemagicallyorsomething.Hedidn’twanttheRomansgettingalongwithyouguys.”

Leowantedtobelievethat.Hewasgratefultothiskidfornothatinghim.Butheknewithadn’tbeenOctavian.Leohadwalkedtoaballistaandstartedfiring.Partofhimhadknownitwaswrong.He’daskedhimself:What theheckamIdoing?Buthe’ddoneitanyway.

Maybe hewas going crazy. The stress of all thosemonthsworking on the

ArgoIImight’vefinallymadehimcrack.Buthecouldn’tthinkaboutthat.Heneededtodosomethingproductive.His

handsneededtobebusy.“Look,” he said, “I should talk to Festus and get a damage report. You

mind…?”Frankhelpedhimup.“WhoisFestus?”“My friend,” Leo said. “His name isn’t Sammy either, in case you’re

wondering.Comeon.I’llintroduceyou.”

Fortunately the bronze dragonwasn’t damaged.Well, aside from the fact thatlastwinterhe’dlosteverythingexcepthishead—butLeodidn’tcountthat.

Whentheyreachedthebowoftheship,thefigureheadturnedahundredandeightydegreestolookatthem.Frankyelpedandbackedaway.

“It’salive!”hesaid.Leowouldhavelaughedifhehadn’tfeltsobad.“Yeah.Frank,thisisFestus.

Heusedtobeafullbronzedragon,butwehadanaccident.”“Youhavealotofaccidents,”Franknoted.“Well,someofuscan’tturnintodragons,sowehavetobuildourown.”Leo

arched his eyebrows at Frank. “Anyway, I revived him as a figurehead. He’skindoftheship’smaininterfacenow.Howarethingslooking,Festus?”

Festussnortedsmokeandmadeaseriesofsqueaking,whirringsounds.Overthe last fewmonths,Leohadlearnedto interpret thismachine language.Otherdemigods could understand Latin and Greek. Leo could speak Creak andSqueak.

“Ugh,” Leo said. “Could beworse, but the hull is compromised in severalplaces.Theportaerialoarshavetobefixedbeforewecangofullspeedagain.We’llneedsomerepairmaterials:Celestialbronze,tar,lime—”

“Whatdoyouneedlimesfor?”“Dude,lime.Calciumcarbonate,usedincementandabunchofother—Ah,

nevermind.Thepointis,thisshipisn’tgoingfarunlesswecanfixit.”Festusmadeanotherclick-creaknoise thatLeodidn’t recognize. Itsounded

likeAY-zuhl.

“Oh…Hazel,”hedeciphered.“That’sthegirlwiththecurlyhair,right?”Frankgulped.“Issheokay?”“Yeah,she’sfine,”Leosaid.“AccordingtoFestus,herhorseisracingalong

below.She’sfollowingus.”“We’vegottoland,then,”Franksaid.Leostudiedhim.“She’syourgirlfriend?”Frankchewedhislip.“Yes.”“Youdon’tsoundsure.”“Yes.Yes,definitely.I’msure.”Leoraisedhishands.“Okay,fine.Theproblemiswecanonlymanageone

landing.Theway the hull and the oars are,wewon’t be able to lift off againuntilwerepair,sowe’llhavetomakesurewelandsomewherewithalltherightsupplies.”

Frankscratchedhishead.“WheredoyougetCelestialbronze?Youcan’tjuststockupatHomeDepot.”

“Festus,doascan.”“Hecanscanformagicbronze?”Frankmarveled.“Isthereanythinghecan’t

do?”Leothought:Youshould’veseenhimwhenhehadabody.Buthedidn’tsay

that.Itwastoopainful,rememberingthewayFestususedtobe.Leopeeredover the ship’s bow.TheCentralCalifornia valleywaspassing

below.Leodidn’tholdoutmuchhopethattheycouldfindwhattheyneededallin one place, but they had to try.Leo alsowanted to put asmuchdistance aspossible between himself and New Rome. The Argo II could cover vastdistances pretty quickly, thanks to its magical engine, but Leo figured theRomanshadmagictravelmethodsoftheirown.

Behindhim, thestairscreaked.PercyandAnnabethclimbedup, their facesgrim.

Leo’sheartstumbled.“IsJason—?”“He’sresting,”Annabethsaid.“Piper’skeepinganeyeonhim,butheshould

befine.”Percygavehimahardlook.“Annabethsaysyoudidfiretheballista?”

“Man,I—Idon’tunderstandhowithappened.I’msosorry—”“Sorry?”Percygrowled.Annabethputahandonherboyfriend’schest.“We’llfigureitoutlater.Right

now,wehavetoregroupandmakeaplan.What’sthesituationwiththeship?”Leo’s legs trembled. Theway Percy had looked at himmade him feel the

sameaswhenJasonsummonedlightning.Leo’sskintingled,andeveryinstinctinhisbodyscreamed,Duck!

HetoldAnnabethaboutthedamageandthesuppliestheyneeded.Atleasthefeltbettertalkingaboutsomethingfixable.

Hewas bemoaning the shortage of Celestial bronze when Festus began towhirandsqueak.

“Perfect.”Leosighedwithrelief.“What’sperfect?”Annabethsaid.“Icouldusesomeperfectaboutnow.”Leomanageda smile.“Everythingweneed inoneplace.Frank,whydon’t

youturnintoabirdorsomething?FlydownandtellyourgirlfriendtomeetusattheGreatSaltLakeinUtah.”

Oncetheygotthere, itwasn’taprettylanding.Withtheoarsdamagedandtheforesailtorn,Leocouldbarelymanageacontrolleddescent.Theothersstrappedthemselvesinbelow—exceptforCoachHedge,whoinsistedonclingingtotheforwardrail,yelling,“YEAH!Bringiton,lake!”Leostoodastern,aloneatthehelm,andaimedasbesthecould.

Festuscreakedandwhirredwarningsignals,whichwererelayedthroughtheintercomtothequarterdeck.

“Iknow,Iknow,”Leosaid,grittinghisteeth.Hedidn’thavemuchtimetotakeinthescenery.Tothesoutheast,acitywas

nestled in the foothills of amountain range, blue and purple in the afternoonshadows.Aflatdesertlandscapespreadtothesouth.DirectlybeneaththemtheGreatSaltLakeglitteredlikealuminumfoil,theshorelineetchedwithwhitesaltmarshesthatremindedLeoofaerialphotosofMars.

“Hangon,Coach!”heshouted.“Thisisgoingtohurt.”“Iwasbornforhurt!”

WHOOM!Aswellofsaltwaterwashedoverthebow,dousingCoachHedge.TheArgoIIlisteddangerouslytostarboard,thenrighteditselfandrockedonthesurface of the lake. Machinery hummed as the aerial blades that were stillworkingchangedtonauticalform.

Three banks of robotic oars dipped into thewater and beganmoving themforward.

“Goodjob,Festus,”Leosaid.“Takeustowardthesouthshore.”“Yeah!”CoachHedgepumpedhisfistsintheair.Hewasdrenchedfromhis

hornstohooves,butgrinninglikeacrazygoat.“Doitagain!”“Uh…maybe later,” Leo said. “Just stay above deck, okay?You can keep

watch,incase—youknow,thelakedecidestoattackusorsomething.”“Onit,”Hedgepromised.Leorang theAllclearbellandheaded for thestairs.Beforehegot there,a

loudclump-clump-clump shook the hull.A tan stallion appearedondeckwithHazelLevesqueonhisback.

“How—?”Leo’squestiondiedinhisthroat.“We’reinthemiddleofalake!Canthatthingfly?”

Thehorsewhinniedangrily.“Arion can’t fly,” Hazel said. “But he can run across just about anything.

Water,verticalsurfaces,smallmountains—noneofthatbothershim.”“Oh.”Hazelwaslookingathimstrangely, thewayshehadduringthefeast inthe

forum—likeshewassearchingforsomethinginhisface.Hewastemptedtoaskiftheyhadmetbefore,buthewassuretheyhadn’t.Hewouldrememberaprettygirlpayingsuchcloseattentiontohim.Thatdidn’thappenalot.She’sFrank’sgirlfriend,heremindedhimself.Frankwasstillbelow,butLeoalmostwishedthebigguywouldcomeupthe

stairs. The way Hazel was studying Leo made him feel uneasy and self-conscious.

Coach Hedge crept forward with his baseball bat, eyeing the magic horsesuspiciously.“Valdez,doesthiscountasaninvasion?”

“No!” Leo said. “Um, Hazel, you’d better come with me. I built a stable

belowdecks,ifArionwantsto—”“He’smore of a free spirit.” Hazel slipped out of the saddle. “He’ll graze

aroundthelakeuntilIcallhim.ButIwanttoseetheship.Leadtheway.”TheArgoIIwasdesignedlikeanancienttrireme,onlytwiceasbig.Thefirst

deck had one central corridor with crew cabins on either side. On a normaltrireme,mostof thespacewould’vebeen takenupwith threerowsofbenchesfor a few hundred sweaty guys to do the manual labor, but Leo’s oars wereautomatedandretractable,sotheytookupverylittleroominsidethehull.Theship’spowercamefromtheengineroomonthesecondandlowestdeck,whichalsohousedsickbay,storage,andthestables.

Leoledthewaydownthehall.He’dbuilttheshipwitheightcabins—sevenfor the demigods of the prophecy, and a room forCoachHedge (Seriously—Chironconsideredhimaresponsibleadultchaperone?).Atthesternwasalargemesshall/lounge,whichwaswhereLeoheaded.

On theway, theypassedJason’s room.Thedoorwasopen.Pipersatat thesideofhisberth,holdingJason’shandwhilehesnoredwithanicepackonhishead.

PiperglancedatLeo.Sheheld a finger toher lips forquiet, but shedidn’tlookangry.Thatwassomething.Leotriedtoforcedownhisguilt,andtheykeptwalking. When they reached the mess hall, they found the others—Percy,Annabeth,andFrank—sittingdejectedlyaroundthediningtable.

Leo had made the lounge as nice as possible, since he figured they’d bespendingalotoftimethere.ThecupboardwaslinedwithmagiccupsandplatesfromCampHalf-Blood,whichwould fill upwithwhatever foodor drink youwanted on command. Therewas also amagical ice chestwith canned drinks,perfectforpicnicsashore.Thechairswerecushyreclinerswiththousand-fingermassage,built-inheadphones,andswordanddrinkholdersforallyourdemigodkicking-back needs. Therewere nowindows, but thewallswere enchanted toshow real-time footage from Camp Half-Blood—the beach, the forest, thestrawberry fields—although now Leo was wondering if this made peoplehomesickratherthanhappy.

Percywas staring longinglyat a sunsetviewofHalf-BloodHill,where the

GoldenFleeceglitteredinthebranchesofthetallpinetree.“Sowe’velanded,”Percysaid.“Whatnow?”Frankpluckedonhisbowstring.“Figureouttheprophecy?Imean…thatwas

aprophecyEllaspoke,right?FromtheSibyllineBooks?”“Thewhat?”Leoasked.Frankexplainedhow their harpy friendwas freakishlygoodatmemorizing

books.Atsomepointinthepast,she’dinhaledacollectionofancientpropheciesthathadsupposedlybeendestroyedaroundthefallofRome.

“That’s why you didn’t tell the Romans,” Leo guessed. “You didn’t wantthemtogetholdofher.”

PercykeptstaringattheimageofHalf-BloodHill.“Ella’ssensitive.Shewasacaptivewhenwefoundher.I justdidn’twant…”Hemadeafist.“Itdoesn’tmatternow.IsentTysonanIris-message, toldhimto takeElla toCampHalf-Blood.They’llbesafethere.”

Leo doubted thatanyof themwould be safe, now that he had stirred up acampofangryRomansontopoftheproblemstheyalreadyhadwithGaeaandthegiants;buthekeptquiet.

Annabethlacedherfingers.“Letmethinkabouttheprophecy—butrightnowwehavemoreimmediateproblems.Wehavetogetthisshipfixed.Leo,whatdoweneed?”

“Theeasiest thing is tar.”Leowasglad tochange thesubject.“Wecangetthatinthecity,ataroofing-supplystoreorsomeplacelikethat.Also,Celestialbronzeandlime.AccordingtoFestus,wecanfindbothofthoseonanislandinthelake,justwestofhere.”

“We’llhavetohurry,”Hazelwarned.“IfIknowOctavian,he’ssearchingforuswithhisauguries.TheRomanswillsendastrikeforceafterus.It’samatterofhonor.”

Leo felt everyone’s eyes on him. “Guys…I don’t know what happened.Honestly,I—”

Annabeth raised her hand. “We’ve been talking.We agree it couldn’t havebeenyou,Leo.Thatcoldfeelingyoumentioned…Ifeltittoo.Itmusthavebeensomesortofmagic,eitherOctavianorGaeaoroneofherminions.Butuntilwe

understandwhathappened—”Frankgrunted.“Howcanwebesureitwon’thappenagain?”Leo’sfingersheatedupliketheywereabouttocatchfire.Oneofhispowers

asasonofHephaestuswasthathecouldsummonflamesatwill;buthehadtobecarefulnot todosobyaccident, especiallyona ship filledwithexplosivesandflammablesupplies.

“I’mfinenow,”heinsisted,thoughhewishedhecouldbesure.“Maybeweshouldusethebuddysystem.Nobodygoesanywherealone.WecanleavePiperand Coach Hedge on board with Jason. Send one team into town to get tar.Anotherteamcangoafterthebronzeandthelime.”

“Splitup?”Percysaid.“Thatsoundslikeareallybadidea.”“It’llbequicker,”Hazelputin.“Besides,there’sareasonaquestisusually

limitedtothreedemigods,right?”Annabeth raised her eyebrows, as if reappraising Hazel’s merits. “You’re

right.ThesamereasonweneededtheArgoII…outsidecamp,sevendemigodsinoneplacewillattractwaytoomuchmonstrousattention.Theshipisdesignedtoconceal and protect us.We should be safe enough on board; but ifwe go onexpeditions,we shouldn’t travel in groups larger than three.No sense alertingmoreofGaea’sminionsthanwehaveto.”

Percystilldidn’tlookhappyaboutit,buthetookAnnabeth’shand.“Aslongasyou’remybuddy,I’mgood.”

Hazel smiled. “Oh, that’s easy. Frank, you were amazing, turning into adragon!CouldyoudoitagaintoflyAnnabethandPercyintotownforthetar?”

Frankopenedhismouth likehewanted toprotest.“I…Isuppose.Butwhataboutyou?”

“I’llrideArionwithSa—withLeo,here.”Shefidgetedwithherswordhilt,whichmadeLeouneasy.Shehadevenmorenervousenergythanhedid.“We’llgetthebronzeandthelime.Wecanallmeetbackherebydark.”

Frank scowled. Obviously, he didn’t like the idea of Leo going off withHazel.For some reason,Frank’sdisapprovalmadeLeowant togo.Hehad toprovehewastrustworthy.Hewasn’tgoingtofireanyrandomballistaeagain.

“Leo,”saidAnnabeth,“ifwegetthesupplies,howlongtofixtheship?”

“Withluck,justafewhours.”“Fine,”shedecided.“We’llmeetyoubackhereassoonaspossible,butstay

safe.Wecouldusesomegoodluck.Thatdoesn’tmeanwe’llgetit.”

RIDING ARIONWAS THE BEST THING that had happened to Leo all day—whichwasn’t sayingmuch, since his day had sucked.The horse’s hooves turned thesurfaceof the lake tosaltymist.Leoputhishandagainst thehorse’ssideandfelt the muscles working like a well-oiled machine. For the first time, heunderstoodwhy car enginesweremeasured in horsepower.Arionwas a four-leggedMaserati.

Aheadofthemlayanisland—alineofsandsowhite,itmighthavebeenpuretablesalt.Behindthatroseanexpanseofgrassydunesandweatheredboulders.

LeosatbehindHazel,onearmaroundherwaist.Theclosecontactmadehima little uncomfortable, but it was the only way he could stay on board (orwhateveryoucalleditwithahorse).

Beforetheyleft,PercyhadpulledhimasidetotellhimHazel’sstory.PercymadeitsoundlikehewasjustdoingLeoafavor,butthere’dbeenanundertonelikeIfyoumesswithmyfriend,Iwillpersonallyfeedyoutoagreatwhiteshark.

AccordingtoPercy,HazelwasadaughterofPluto.She’ddiedinthe1940sandbeenbroughtbacktolifeonlyafewmonthsago.

Leofoundthathardtobelieve.Hazelseemedwarmandveryalive,notliketheghostsortheotherrebornmortalsLeohadtangledwith.

She seemed good with people, too, unlike Leo, who was much morecomfortablewithmachines.Livingstuff, likehorsesandgirls?Hehadnoideawhatmadethemwork.

HazelwasalsoFrank’sgirlfriend,soLeoknewheshouldkeephisdistance.Still, her hair smelled good, and riding with her made his heart race almostagainsthiswill.Itmust’vebeenthespeedofthehorse.

Arion thundered onto the beach. He stomped his hooves and whinniedtriumphantly,likeCoachHedgeyellingabattlecry.

HazelandLeodismounted.Arionpawedthesand.“Heneedstoeat,”Hazelexplained.“Helikesgold,but—”“Gold?”Leoasked.“He’llsettleforgrass.Goon,Arion.Thanksfortheride.I’llcallyou.”Justlikethat,thehorsewasgone—nothingleftbutasteamingtrailacrossthe

lake.“Fasthorse,”Leosaid,“andexpensivetofeed.”“Notreally,”Hazelsaid.“Goldiseasyforme.”Leoraisedhiseyebrows.“Howisgoldeasy?Pleasetellmeyou’renotrelated

toKingMidas.Idon’tlikethatguy.”Hazelpursedherlips,asifsheregrettedraisingthesubject.“Nevermind.”ThatmadeLeoevenmorecurious,buthedecided itmightbebetternot to

press her.He knelt and cupped a handful ofwhite sand. “Well…one problemsolved,anyway.Thisislime.”

Hazelfrowned.“Thewholebeach?”“Yeah. See? The granules are perfectly round. It’s not really sand. It’s

calciumcarbonate.”LeopulledaZiplocbagfromhistoolbeltanddughishandintothelime.

Suddenlyhefroze.HerememberedallthetimestheearthgoddessGaeahadappearedtohimintheground—hersleepingfacemadeofdustorsandordirt.She loved to taunt him.He imagined her closed eyes and her dreaming smileswirlinginthewhitecalcium.Walkaway,littlehero,Gaeasaid.Withoutyou,theshipcannotbefixed.“Leo?”Hazelasked.“Youokay?”

Hetookashakybreath.Gaeawasn’there.Hewasjustfreakinghimselfout.“Yeah,”hesaid.“Yeah,fine.”Hestartedtofillthebag.Hazel knelt next to him and helped. “We should’ve brought a pail and

shovels.”TheideacheeredLeoup.Heevensmiled.“Wecould’vemadeasandcastle.”“Alimecastle.”Theireyeslockedforasecondtoolong.Hazellookedaway.“Youaresomuchlike—”“Sammy?”Leoguessed.Shefellbackward.“Youknow?”“IhavenoideawhoSammyis.ButFrankaskedmeifIwassurethatwasn’t

myname.”“And…itisn’t?”“No!Jeez.”“Youdon’t have a twinbrotheror…”Hazel stopped. “Is your family from

NewOrleans?”“Nah.Houston.Why?IsSammyaguyyouusedtoknow?”“I…It’snothing.Youjustlooklikehim.”Leocouldtellshewastooembarrassedtosaymore.ButifHazelwasakid

fromthepast,didthatmeanSammywasfromthe1940s?Ifso,howcouldFrankknowtheguy?AndwhywouldHazelthinkLeowasSammy,allthesedecadeslater?

Theyfinishedfillingthebaginsilence.Leostuffeditinhistoolbeltandthebagvanished—noweight,nomass,novolume—thoughLeoknewitwouldbethereassoonashereachedforit.Anythingthatcouldfitintothepockets,Leocouldtotearound.Helovedhistoolbelt.Hejustwishedthepocketswerelargeenoughforachainsaw,ormaybeabazooka.

Hestoodandscannedtheisland—bleach-whitedunes,blanketsofgrass,andbouldersencrustedwithsaltlikefrosting.“FestussaidtherewasCelestialbronzecloseby,butI’mnotsurewhere—”

“Thatway.”Hazelpointedupthebeach.“Aboutfivehundredyards.”

“Howdoyou—?”“Preciousmetals,”Hazelsaid.“It’saPlutothing.”Leorememberedwhatshe’dsaidaboutgoldbeingeasy.“Handytalent.Lead

theway,MissMetalDetector.”

The sun began to set. The sky turned a bizarremix of purple and yellow. Inanotherreality,Leomight’veenjoyedawalkonthebeachwithaprettygirl,butthefarthertheywent,theedgierhefelt.FinallyHazelturnedinland.

“Yousurethisisagoodidea?”heasked.“We’reclose,”shepromised.“Comeon.”Justoverthedunes,theysawthewoman.She sat on a boulder in the middle of a grassy field. A black-and-chrome

motorcycle was parked nearby, but each of the wheels had a big pie sliceremovedfromthespokesandrim,sothattheyresembledPac-Men.Nowaywasthebikedrivableinthatcondition.

Thewomanhadcurlyblackhairandabony frame.Sheworeblack leatherbiker’spants,tallleatherboots,andabloodredleatherjacket—sortofaMichaelJackson joins theHell’sAngels look.Aroundher feet, thegroundwas litteredwithwhat looked likebroken shells.Shewashunchedover, pullingnewonesoutofasackandcrackingthemopen.Shuckingoysters?Leowasn’tsureiftherewereoystersintheGreatSaltLake.Hedidn’tthinkso.

Hewasn’tanxioustoapproach.He’dhadbadexperienceswithstrangeladies.Hisoldbabysitter,TíaCallida,hadturnedouttobeHeraandhadanastyhabitofputtinghimdownfornapsinablazingfireplace.TheearthgoddessGaeahadkilled hismother in aworkshop firewhen Leowas eight. The snow goddessKhionehadtriedtoturnhimintoafrozendairytreatinSonoma.

ButHazelforgedahead,sohedidn’thavemuchchoiceexcepttofollow.As theygotcloser,Leonoticeddisturbingdetails.Attached to thewoman’s

beltwasacurledwhip.Herred-leatherjackethadasubtledesigntoit—twistedbranches of an apple tree populated with skeletal birds. The oysters she wasshuckingwereactuallyfortunecookies.

Apileofbrokencookieslayankle-deepallaroundher.Shekeptpullingnew

ones from her sack, cracking them open, and reading the fortunes. Most shetossedaside.Afewmadehermutterunhappily.Shewouldswipeherfingerovertheslipofpaperlikeshewassmudgingit,thenmagicallyresealthecookieandtossitintoanearbybasket.

“Whatareyoudoing?”Leoaskedbeforehecouldstophimself.Thewomanlookedup.Leo’slungsfilledsofast,hethoughttheymightburst.“AuntRosa?”heasked.Itdidn’tmakesense,butthiswomanlookedexactlylikehisaunt.Shehadthe

samebroadnosewithamoleononeside,thesamesourmouthandhardeyes.Butitcouldn’tbeRosa.Shewouldneverwearclotheslikethat,andshewasstilldown inHouston, as far asLeoknew.Shewouldn’tbe crackingopen fortunecookiesinthemiddleoftheGreatSaltLake.

“Is that what you see?” the woman asked. “Interesting. And you, Hazel,dear?”

“Howdidyou—?”Hazelsteppedback inalarm.“You—youlook likeMrs.Leer.Mythirdgradeteacher.Ihatedyou.”

The woman cackled. “Excellent. You resented her, eh? She judged youunfairly?”

“You—she tapedmyhands to thedesk formisbehaving,”Hazel said. “Shecalledmymotherawitch.SheblamedmeforeverythingIdidn’tdoand—No.Shehastobedead.Whoareyou?”

“Oh, Leo knows,” the woman said. “How do you feel about Aunt Rosa,mijo?”Mijo.That’swhatLeo’smomhad always called him.After hismomdied,

RosahadrejectedLeo.She’dcalledhimadevilchild.She’dblamedhimforthefirethathadkilledhersister.Rosahadturnedhisfamilyagainsthimandlefthim—ascrawnyorphanedeight-year-old—atthemercyofsocialservices.Leohadbouncedaroundfromfosterhometofosterhomeuntilhe’dfinallyfoundahomeatCampHalf-Blood.Leodidn’thatemanypeople,butafteralltheseyears,AuntRosa’sfacemadehimboilwithresentment.

Howdidhefeel?Hewantedtogeteven.Hewantedrevenge.Hiseyesdrifted to themotorcyclewith thePac-Manwheels.Wherehadhe

seen something like that before? Cabin 16, back at Camp Half-Blood—thesymbolabovetheirdoorwasabrokenwheel.

“Nemesis,”hesaid.“You’rethegoddessofrevenge.”“Yousee?”ThegoddesssmiledatHazel.“Herecognizesme.”Nemesiscrackedanothercookieandwrinkledhernose.“Youwillhavegreat

fortunewhenyouleastexpectit,”sheread.“That’sexactlythesortofnonsenseIhate.Someoneopensacookie,andsuddenlytheyhaveaprophecythatthey’llberich! I blame that tramp Tyche. Always dispensing good luck to people whodon’tdeserveit!”

Leolookedatthemoundofbrokencookies.“Uh…youknowthosearen’trealprophecies,right?They’rejuststuffedinthecookiesatsomefactory—”

“Don’t try to excuse it!” Nemesis snapped. “It’s just like Tyche to getpeople’shopesup.No,no.Imustcounterher.”Nemesisflickedafingerovertheslipofpaper, and the letters changed to red. “Youwill diepainfullywhenyoumostexpectit.There!Muchbetter.”

“That’shorrible!”Hazelsaid.“You’d letsomeoneread that in their fortunecookie,anditwouldcometrue?”

Nemesissneered.Itreallywascreepy,seeingthatexpressiononAuntRosa’sface.“MydearHazel,haven’tyoueverwishedhorriblethingsonMrs.Leerforthewayshetreatedyou?”

“Thatdoesn’tmeanI’dwantthemtocometrue!”“Bah.”Thegoddess resealed thecookieand tossed it inherbasket.“Tyche

wouldbeFortunaforyou, Isuppose,beingRoman.Like theothers,she’s inahorrible way right now. Me? I’m not affected. I am called Nemesis in bothGreekandRoman.Idonotchange,becauserevengeisuniversal.”

“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”Leoasked.“Whatareyoudoinghere?”Nemesis opened another cookie. “Lucky numbers. Ridiculous! That’s not

evenaproperfortune!”Shecrushedthecookieandscatteredthepiecesaroundherfeet.

“To answer your question, Leo Valdez, the gods are in terrible shape. ItalwayshappenswhenacivilwarisbrewingbetweenyouRomansandGreeks.TheOlympiansaretornbetweentheirtwonatures,calledonbybothsides.They

becomequiteschizophrenic,I’mafraid.Splittingheadaches.Disorientation.”“Butwe’renotatwar,”Leoinsisted.“Um,Leo…”Hazelwinced.“Except for the fact thatyou recentlyblewup

largesectionsofNewRome.”Leostaredather,wonderingwhosesideshewason.“Notonpurpose!”“I know…”Hazel said, “but theRomans don’t realize that.And they’ll be

pursuingusinretaliation.”Nemesiscackled.“Leo,listentothegirl.Wariscoming.Gaeahasseentoit,

with your help. And can you guess whom the gods blame for theirpredicament?”

Leo’smouthtastedlikecalciumcarbonate.“Me.”The goddess snorted. “Well, don’t you have a high opinion of yourself.

You’rejustapawnonthechessboard,LeoValdez.Iwasreferringtotheplayerwho set this ridiculous quest in motion, bringing the Greeks and Romanstogether. The gods blame Hera—or Juno, if you prefer! The queen of theheavenshasfledOlympustoescapethewrathofherfamily.Don’texpectanymorehelpfromyourpatron!”

Leo’shead throbbed.Hehadmixed feelings aboutHera.She’dmeddled inhis life since he was a baby, molding him to serve her purpose in this bigprophecy,butatleastshehadbeenontheirside,moreorless.Ifshewasoutofthepicturenow…

“Sowhyareyouhere?”heasked.“Why,tooffermyhelp!”Nemesissmiledwickedly.LeoglancedatHazel.Shelookedlikeshe’djustbeenofferedafreesnake.“Yourhelp,”Leosaid.“Ofcourse!”saidthegoddess.“Ienjoytearingdowntheproudandpowerful,

and therearenonewhodeserve tearingdown likeGaeaandhergiants.Still, Imustwarnyou that Iwillnotsufferundeservedsuccess.Goodluck isasham.ThewheeloffortuneisaPonzischeme.Truesuccessrequiressacrifice.”

“Sacrifice?” Hazel’s voice was tight. “I lost my mother. I died and cameback.Nowmybrotherismissing.Isn’tthatenoughsacrificeforyou?”

Leocouldtotallyrelate.Hewantedtoscreamthathe’dlosthismomtoo.His

wholelifehadbeenonemiseryafteranother.He’dlosthisdragon,Festus.He’dnearlykilledhimselftryingtofinishtheArgoII.Nowhe’dfiredontheRomancamp,mostlikelystartedawar,andmaybelostthetrustofhisfriends.

“Rightnow,”hesaid,tryingtocontrolhisanger,“allIwantissomeCelestialbronze.”

“Oh,that’seasy,”Nemesissaid.“It’sjustovertherise.You’llfinditwiththesweethearts.”

“Wait,”Hazelsaid.“Whatsweethearts?”Nemesis popped a cookie in her mouth and swallowed it, fortune and all.

“You’llsee.Perhapstheywillteachyoualesson,HazelLevesque.Mostheroescannot escape their nature, even when given a second chance at life.” Shesmiled.“AndspeakingofyourbrotherNico,youdon’thavemuch time.Let’ssee…it’sJunetwenty-fifth?Yes,aftertoday,sixmoredays.Thenhedies,alongwiththeentirecityofRome.”

Hazel’seyeswidened.“How…what—?”“Andasforyou,childoffire.”SheturnedtoLeo.“Yourworsthardshipsare

yet tocome.Youwillalwaysbe theoutsider, theseventhwheel.Youwillnotfind a place among your brethren. Soon you will face a problem you cannotsolve,thoughIcouldhelpyou…foraprice.”

Leo smelled smoke. He realized fingers on his left hand were ablaze, andHazelwasstaringathiminterror.

Heshovedhishandinhispockettoextinguishtheflames.“Iliketosolvemyownproblems.”

“Verywell.”Nemesisbrushedcookiedustoffherjacket.“But,um,whatsortofpricearewetalkingabout?”The goddess shrugged. “One ofmy children recently traded an eye for the

abilitytomakearealdifferenceintheworld.”Leo’sstomachchurned.“You…wantaneye?”“In your case, perhaps another sacrifice would do. But something just as

painful. Here.” She handed him an unbroken fortune cookie. “If you need ananswer,breakthis.Itwillsolveyourproblem.”

Leo’shandtrembledasheheldthefortunecookie.“Whatproblem?”

“You’llknowwhenthetimecomes.”“No, thanks,” Leo said firmly. But his hand, as though it had awill of its

own,slippedthecookieintohistoolbelt.Nemesispickedanothercookiefromherbagandcrackeditopen.“Youwill

have cause to reconsider your choices soon. Oh, I like that one. No changesneededhere.”

Sheresealedthecookieandtosseditintothebasket.“Veryfewgodswillbeabletohelpyouonthequest.Mostarealreadyincapacitated,andtheirconfusionwill onlygrowworse.One thingmightbringunity toOlympusagain—anoldwrong finally avenged. Ah, that would be sweet indeed, the scales finallybalanced!Butitwillnothappenunlessyouacceptmyhelp.”

“Isupposeyouwon’ttelluswhatyou’retalkingabout,”Hazelmuttered.“Orwhymy brotherNico has only six days to live.OrwhyRome is going to bedestroyed.”

Nemesischuckled.Sheroseandslunghersackofcookiesoverhershoulder.“Oh,it’salltiedtogether,HazelLevesque.Asformyoffer,LeoValdez,giveitsomethought.You’reagoodchild.Ahardworker.Wecoulddobusiness.ButIhavedetainedyoutoolong.Youshouldvisitthereflectingpoolbeforethelightfades.Mypoorcursedboygetsquite…agitatedwhenthedarknesscomes.”

Leodidn’tlikethesoundofthat,butthegoddessclimbedonhermotorcycle.Apparently, it was drivable, despite those Pac-Man–shaped wheels, becauseNemesis revved her engine and disappeared in a mushroom cloud of blacksmoke.

Hazelbentdown.Allthebrokencookiesandfortuneshaddisappearedexceptforonecrumpledslipofpaper.Shepickeditupandread,“Youwillseeyourselfreflected,andyouwillhavereasontodespair.”

“Fantastic,”Leogrumbled.“Let’sgoseewhatthatmeans.”

“WHOISAUNTROSA?”HAZELASKED.Leodidn’twanttotalkabouther.Nemesis’swordswerestillbuzzinginhis

ears.Histoolbeltseemedheaviersincehe’dputthecookieinthere—whichwasimpossible.Itspocketscouldcarryanythingwithoutaddingextraweight.Eventhemostfragilethingswouldneverbreak.Still,Leoimaginedhecouldfeelitinthere,dragginghimdown,waitingtobecrackedopen.

“Longstory,”he said.“Sheabandonedmeaftermymomdied,gaveme tofostercare.”

“I’msorry.”“Yeah,well…”Leowas anxious to change the subject. “What about you?

WhatNemesissaidaboutyourbrother?”Hazelblinkedlikeshe’dgottensalt inhereyes.“Nico…hefoundmeinthe

Underworld.HebroughtmebacktothemortalworldandconvincedtheRomansat Camp Jupiter to accept me. I owe him for my second chance at life. IfNemesisisright,andNico’sindanger…Ihavetohelphim.”

“Sure,”Leosaid,thoughtheideamadehimuneasy.Hedoubtedtherevengegoddessevergaveadviceoutofthegoodnessofherheart.“AndwhatNemesissaidaboutyourbrotherhavingsixdays to live,andRomegettingdestroyed…

anyideawhatshemeant?”“None,”Hazeladmitted.“ButI’mafraid…”Whatevershewas thinking,shedecidednot toshare it.Sheclimbedoneof

thelargestboulderstogetabetterview.Leotriedtofollowandlosthisbalance.Hazelcaughthishand.Shepulledhimupand they found themselvesatop therock,holdinghands,face-to-face.

Hazel’seyesglitteredlikegold.Goldiseasy,she’dsaid.Itdidn’tseemthatwaytoLeo—notwhenhelooked

at her. He wondered who Sammy was. Leo had a nagging suspicion that heshould know, but he just couldn’t place the name. Whoever he was, he wasluckyifHazelcaredforhim.

“Um,thanks.”Heletgoofherhand,buttheywerestillstandingsoclose,hecould feel the warmth of her breath. She definitely didn’t seem like a deadperson.

“When we were talking to Nemesis,” Hazel said uneasily, “your hands…Isawflames.”

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s a Hephaestus power. Usually I can keep it undercontrol.”

“Oh.”Sheputonehandprotectivelyonherdenimshirt,likeshewasabouttosaythePledgeofAllegiance.Leogotthefeelingshewantedtobackawayfromhim,buttheboulderwastoosmall.

Great,hethought.AnotherpersonwhothinksI’mascaryfreak.Hegazedacrosstheisland.Theoppositeshorewasonlyafewhundredyards

away.Betweenhereandthereweredunesandclumpsofboulders,butnothingthatlookedlikeareflectingpool.Youwill always be the outsider,Nemesis had told him, the seventhwheel.

Youwillnotfindaplaceamongyourbrethren.Shemightaswellhavepouredacidinhisears.Leodidn’tneedanybodyto

tell him hewas oddman out.He’d spentmonths alone inBunker 9 atCampHalf-Blood,working on his shipwhile his friends trained together and sharedmealsandplayedcapture-the-flagforfunandprizes.Evenhistwobestfriends,PiperandJason,oftentreatedhimlikeanoutsider.Sincethey’dstarteddating,

theirideaof“qualitytime”didn’tincludeLeo.Hisonlyotherfriend,Festusthedragon, had been reduced to a figurehead when his control disk had gottendestroyedontheirlastadventure.Leodidn’thavethetechnicalskilltorepairit.Theseventhwheel.Leohadheardofafifthwheel—anextra,uselesspieceof

equipment.Hefiguredaseventhwheelwasworse.He’d thoughtmaybe thisquestwouldbe a fresh start forhim.All hishard

work on the Argo II would pay off. He’d have six good friends who wouldadmire and appreciate him, and they’d go sailing off into the sunrise to fightgiants.Maybe,Leosecretlyhoped,he’devenfindagirlfriend.Dothemath,hechidedhimself.Nemesiswas right.Hemight be part of a group of seven, but hewas still

isolated. He had fired on the Romans and brought his friends nothing buttrouble.Youwillnotfindaplaceamongyourbrethren.

“Leo?”Hazelaskedgently.“Youcan’ttakewhatNemesissaidtoheart.”Hefrowned.“Whatifit’strue?”“She’s thegoddessof revenge,”Hazel remindedhim.“Maybeshe’sonour

side,maybenot;butsheexiststostirupresentment.”Leo wished he could dismiss his feelings that easily. He couldn’t. Still, it

wasn’tHazel’sfault.“We should keep going,” he said. “I wonder what Nemesis meant about

finishingbeforedark.”Hazelglancedatthesun,whichwasjusttouchingthehorizon.“Andwhois

thecursedboyshementioned?”Belowthem,avoicesaid,“Cursedboyshementioned.”Atfirst,Leosawnoone.Thenhiseyesadjusted.Herealizedayoungwoman

wasstandingonlytenfeetfromthebaseoftheboulder.HerdresswasaGreek-styletunicthesamecolorastherocks.Herwispyhairwassomewherebetweenbrownandblondandgray,soitblendedwiththedrygrass.Shewasn’tinvisible,exactly,butshewasalmostperfectlycamouflageduntilshemoved.Eventhen,Leohadtroublefocusingonher.Herfacewasprettybutnotmemorable.Infact,eachtimeLeoblinked,hecouldn’trememberwhatshelookedlike,andhehadtoconcentratetofindheragain.

“Hello,”Hazelsaid.“Whoareyou?”“Who are you?” the girl answered.Her voice soundedweary, like shewas

tiredofansweringthatquestion.Hazel and Leo exchanged looks. With this demigod gig, you never knew

what you’d run into. Nine times out of ten, it wasn’t good. A ninja girlcamouflaged in earth tones didn’t strike Leo as something he wanted to dealwithjustthen.

“AreyouthecursedkidNemesismentioned?”Leoasked.“Butyou’reagirl.”“You’reagirl,”saidthegirl.“Excuseme?”Leosaid.“Excuseme,”thegirlsaidmiserably.“You’re repeating…”Leo stopped. “Oh.Hold it.Hazel,wasn’t there some

mythaboutagirlwhorepeatedeverything—?”“Echo,”Hazelsaid.“Echo,” thegirlagreed.Sheshifted,herdresschangingwith the landscape.

Hereyeswerethecolorofthesaltwater.Leotriedtohomeinonherfeatures,buthecouldn’t.

“I don’t remember themyth,” he admitted. “Youwere cursed to repeat thelastthingyouheard?”

“Youheard,”Echosaid.“Poorthing,”Hazelsaid.“IfIrememberright,agoddessdidthis?”“Agoddessdidthis,”Echoconfirmed.Leoscratchedhishead.“Butwasn’tthatthousandsofyears…oh.You’reone

of themortals who came back through the Doors of Death. I really wish wecouldstoprunningintodeadpeople.”

“Deadpeople,”Echosaid,likeshewaschastisinghim.HerealizedHazelwasstaringatherfeet.“Uh…sorry,”hemuttered.“Ididn’tmeanitthatway.”“Thatway.”Echopointedtowardthefarshoreoftheisland.“You want to show us something?” Hazel asked. She climbed down the

boulder,andLeofollowed.Evenupclose,Echowashardtosee.Infact,sheseemedtogetmoreinvisible

thelongerhelookedather.“Yousureyou’rereal?”heasked.“Imean…fleshandblood?”“Fleshandblood.”ShetouchedLeo’sfaceandmadehimflinch.Herfingers

werewarm.“So…youhavetorepeateverything?”heasked.“Everything.”Leocouldn’thelpsmiling.“Thatcouldbefun.”“Fun,”shesaidunhappily.“Blueelephants.”“Blueelephants.”“Kissme,youfool.”“Youfool.”“Hey!”“Hey!”“Leo,”Hazelpleaded,“don’tteaseher.”“Don’tteaseher,”Echoagreed.“Okay,okay,”Leosaid,thoughhehadtoresisttheurge.Itwasn’teveryday

hemetsomebodywithabuilt-in talkbackfeature.“Sowhatwereyoupointingat?Doyouneedourhelp?”

“Help,” Echo agreed emphatically. She gestured for them to follow andsprinteddowntheslope.Leocouldonlyfollowherprogressbythemovementofthegrassandtheshimmerofherdressasitchangedtomatchtherocks.

“We’dbetterhurry,”Hazelsaid.“Orwe’llloseher.”

Theyfoundtheproblem—ifyoucancallamobofgood-lookinggirlsaproblem.Echo led them down into a grassymeadow shaped like a blast crater, with asmall pond in the middle. Gathered at the water’s edge were several dozennymphs.Atleast,Leoguessedtheywerenymphs.LiketheonesatCampHalf-Blood, these wore gossamer dresses. Their feet were bare. They had elfishfeatures,andtheirskinhadaslightlygreenishtinge.

Leo didn’t understand what they were doing, but they were all crowdedtogetherinonespot,facingthepondandjostlingforabetterview.Severalheld

up phone cameras, trying to get a shot over the heads of the others. Leo hadnever seen nymphswith phones.Hewondered if theywere looking at a deadbody.Ifso,whyweretheybouncingupanddownandgigglingsoexcitedly?

“Whataretheylookingat?”Leowondered.“Lookingat,”Echosighed.“Onewaytofindout.”Hazelmarchedforwardandbegannudgingherway

throughthecrowd.“Excuseus.Pardonme.”“Hey!”onenymphcomplained.“Wewereherefirst!”“Yeah,”anothersniffed.“Hewon’tbeinterestedinyou.”Thesecondnymphhadlargeredheartspaintedonhercheeks.Overherdress,

sheworeaT-shirtthatread:OMG,I<3N!!!!

“Uh, demigod business,” Leo said, trying to sound official. “Make room.Thanks.”

Thenymphsgrumbled,buttheypartedtorevealayoungmankneelingattheedgeofthepond,gazingintentlyatthewater.

Leo usually didn’t pay much attention to how other guys looked. Hesupposed that came from hanging around Jason—tall, blond, rugged, andbasicallyeverythingLeocouldneverbe.Leowasusedtonotbeingnoticedbygirls. At least, he knew he’d never get a girl by his looks. He hoped hispersonality and sense of humor would do that someday, though it definitelyhadn’tworkedyet.

Atanyrate,Leocouldn’tmissthefactthattheguyatthepondwasonesupergood-looking dude. He had a chiseled face with lips and eyes that weresomewhere between feminine beautiful and masculine handsome. Dark hairsweptoverhisbrow.Hemight’vebeenseventeenortwenty,itwashardtosay,but he was built like a dancer—with long graceful arms and muscular legs,perfect posture and an air of regal calm.Hewore a simplewhite T-shirt andjeans, with a bow and quiver strapped to his back. The weapons obviouslyhadn’t been used in a while. The arrows were covered in dust. A spider hadwovenawebinthetopofthebow.

AsLeoedgedcloser,herealizedtheguy’sfacewasunusuallygolden.Inthesunset,thelightwasbouncingoffalargeflatsheetofCelestialbronzethatlayat

thebottomofthepond,washingMr.Handsome’sfeaturesinawarmglow.Theguyseemedfascinatedwithhisreflectioninthemetal.Hazelinhaledsharply.“He’sgorgeous.”Aroundher,thenymphssquealedandclappedinagreement.“Iam,”theyoungmanmurmureddreamily,hisgazestillfixedonthewater.

“Iamsogorgeous.”OneofthenymphsshowedheriPhonescreen.“HislatestYouTubevideogot

amillionhitsinlike,anhour.IthinkIwashalfofthose!”Theothernymphsgiggled.“YouTubevideo?”Leoasked.“Whatdoeshedointhevideo,sing?”“No, silly!” the nymph chided. “He used to be a prince, and a wonderful

hunterandstuff.Butthatdoesn’tmatter.Nowhejust…well,look!”SheshowedLeothevideo.Itwasexactlywhattheywereseeinginreallife—theguystaringathimselfinthepond.

“Heissooooohot!”saidanothergirl.HerT-shirtread:MRS.NARCISSUS.“Narcissus?”Leoasked.“Narcissus,”Echoagreedsadly.Leo had forgotten Echo was there. Apparently none of the nymphs had

noticedhereither.“Oh, not you again!” Mrs. Narcissus tried to push Echo away, but she

misjudgedwherethecamouflagedgirlwasandendedupshovingseveralothernymphs.

“Youhadyourchance,Echo!”saidthenymphwiththeiPhone.“Hedumpedyoufourthousandyearsago!Youaresonotgoodenoughforhim.”

“Forhim,”Echosaidbitterly.“Wait.”Hazelclearlyhadtroubletearinghereyesawayfromthehandsome

guy,butshemanagedit.“What’sgoingonhere?WhydidEchobringushere?”One nymph rolled her eyes. She was holding an autograph pen and a

crumpledposterofNarcissus.“Echowasanymphlikeus,alongtimeago,butshewasatotalchatterbox!Gossiping,blah,blah,blah,allthetime.”

“I know!” another nymph shrieked. “Like, who could stand that? Just theotherday, I toldCleopeia—youknowshe lives in thebouldernext tome?—I

said:Stopgossipingoryou’llendup likeEcho.Cleopeia issuchabigmouth!Didyouhearwhatshesaidaboutthatcloudnymphandthesatyr?”

“Totally!” said the nymphwith the poster. “So anyway, as punishment forblabbing,HeracursedEchososhecouldonlyrepeatthings,whichwasfinewithus.ButthenEchofellinlovewithourgorgeousguy,Narcissus—asifhewouldevernoticeher.”

“Asif!”saidhalfadozenothers.“Nowshe’sgotsomeweirdideaheneedssaving,”saidMrs.Narcissus.“She

shouldjustgoaway.”“Goaway,”Echogrowledback.“I’msogladNarcissus is aliveagain,” saidanothernymph inagraydress.

She had thewordsNARCISSUS + LAIEA written up and down her arms in blackmarker.“He’slikethebest!Andhe’sinmyterritory.”

“Oh, stop it,Laiea,”her friend said. “I’m thepondnymph.You’re just therocknymph.”

“Well,I’mthegrassnymph,”anotherprotested.“No,heobviouslycameherebecausehelikesthewildflowers!”anothersaid.

“Thosearemine!”Thewholemob began arguingwhileNarcissus stared at the lake, ignoring

them.“Holdit!”Leoyelled.“Ladies,holdit!IneedtoaskNarcissussomething.”Slowlythenymphssettleddownandwentbacktotakingpictures.Leokneltnexttothehandsomedude.“So,Narcissus.What’sup?”“Couldyoumove?”Narcissusaskeddistractedly.“You’reruiningtheview.”Leolookedinthewater.HisownreflectionripplednexttoNarcissus’sonthe

surfaceofthesubmergedbronze.Leodidn’thaveanydesiretostareathimself.Compared toNarcissus, he looked like an undergrown troll.But therewas nodoubt the metal was a sheet of hammered Celestial bronze, roughly circular,aboutfivefeetindiameter.

Whatitwasdoinginthispond,Leowasn’tsure.Celestialbronzefelltoearthinoddplaces.He’dheardthatmostpieceswerecastofffromhisdad’svariousworkshops.Hephaestuswould lose his temperwhen projects didn’twork out,

andhe’d tosshis scraps into themortalworld.Thispiece looked like itmighthavebeenmeantasashieldforagod,butithadn’tturnedoutproperly.IfLeocouldgetitbacktotheship,itwouldbejustenoughbronzeforhisrepairs.

“Right, great view,” Leo said. “Happy tomove, but if you’re not using it,couldIjusttakethatsheetofbronze?”

“No,”Narcissussaid.“Ilovehim.He’ssogorgeous.”Leolookedaroundtoseeifthenymphswerelaughing.Thishadtobeahuge

joke.But theywere swooning and nodding in agreement.OnlyHazel seemedappalled. She wrinkled her nose as if she’d come to the conclusion thatNarcissussmelledworsethanhelooked.

“Man,”LeosaidtoNarcissus.“Youdorealizethatyou’relookingatyourselfinthewater,right?”

“Iamsogreat,”Narcissussighed.Hestretchedoutahandlonginglytotouchthe water, but held back. “No, I can’t make ripples. That ruins the image.Wow…Iamsogreat.”

“Yeah,”Leomuttered.“ButifItookthebronze,youcouldstillseeyourselfin the water. Or here…”He reached in his tool belt and pulled out a simplemirrorthesizeofamonocle.“I’lltradeyou.”

Narcissustookthemirror,reluctantly,andadmiredhimself.“Evenyoucarrya picture of me? I don’t blame you. I am gorgeous. Thank you.” He set themirrordownandreturnedhisattentiontothepond.“ButIalreadyhaveamuchbetterimage.Thecolorflattersme,don’tyouthink?”

“Oh,gods,yes!”anymphscreamed.“Marryme,Narcissus!”“No,me!”anothercried.“Wouldyousignmyposter?”“No,signmyshirt!”“No,signmyforehead!”“No,signmy—”“Stopit!”Hazelsnapped.“Stopit,”Echoagreed.LeohadlostsightofEchoagain,butnowherealizedshewaskneelingonthe

othersideofNarcissus,wavingherhandinfrontofhisfaceasiftryingtobreakhisconcentration.Narcissusdidn’tevenblink.

Thenymph fanclub tried to shoveHazeloutof theway,but shedrewhercavalryswordandforcedthemback.“Snapoutofit!”sheyelled.

“Hewon’tsignyoursword,”theposternymphcomplained.“Hewon’tmarryyou,”saidtheiPhonegirl.“Andyoucan’ttakehisbronze

mirror!That’swhatkeepshimhere!”“You’re all ridiculous,”Hazel said. “He’s so full of himself!Howcan you

possiblylikehim?”“Likehim,”Echosighed,stillwavingherhandinfrontofhisface.Theotherssighedalongwithher.“Iamsohot,”Narcissussaidsympathetically.“Narcissus,listen.”Hazelkeptherswordattheready.“Echobroughtushere

tohelpyou.Didn’tyou,Echo?”“Echo,”saidEcho.“Who?”Narcissussaid.“Theonlygirlwhocareswhathappenstoyou,apparently,”Hazelsaid.“Do

yourememberdying?”Narcissusfrowned.“I…no.Thatcan’tberight. Iammuchtooimportant to

die.”“You died staring at yourself,”Hazel insisted. “I remember the story now.

Nemesiswas thegoddesswhocursedyou,becauseyoubrokesomanyhearts.Yourpunishmentwastofallinlovewithyourownreflection.”

“Ilovemeso,somuch,”Narcissusagreed.“You finally died,” Hazel continued. “I don’t know which version of the

storyistrue.Youeitherdrownedyourselforturnedintoaflowerhangingoverthewateror—Echo,whichisit?”

“Whichisit?”shesaidhopelessly.Leostood.“Itdoesn’tmatter.Thepointisyou’realiveagain,man.Youhave

asecondchance.That’swhatNemesiswastellingus.Youcangetup,andgetonwith your life. Echo is trying to save you. Or you can stay here and stare atyourselfuntilyoudieagain.”

“Stayhere!”allthenymphsscreamed.“Marrymebeforeyoudie!”anothersqueaked.

Narcissusshookhishead.“Youjustwantmyreflection.Idon’tblameyou,butyoucan’thaveit.Ibelongtome.”

Hazelsighedinexasperation.Sheglancedatthesun,whichwassinkingfast.Thenshegesturedwithherswordtowardtheedgeofthecrater.“Leo,couldwetalkforaminute?”

“Excuseus,”LeotoldNarcissus.“Echo,wanttocomewith?”“Comewith,”Echoconfirmed.The nymphs clustered around Narcissus again and began recording new

videosandtakingmorephotos.Hazel led thewayuntil theywereoutof earshot. “Nemesiswas right,” she

said.“Somedemigodscan’tchangetheirnature.Narcissusisgoingtostaythereuntilhediesagain.”

“No,”Leosaid.“No,”Echoagreed.“Weneedthatbronze,”Leosaid.“Ifwetakeitaway,itmightgiveNarcissus

areasontosnapoutofit.Echocouldhaveachancetosavehim.”“Achancetosavehim,”Echosaidgratefully.Hazel stabbed her sword in the sand. “It could also make several dozen

nymphsveryangrywithus,”shesaid.“AndNarcissusmightstillknowhowtoshoothisbow.”

Leo pondered that. The sunwas just about down. Nemesis hadmentionedthat Narcissus got agitated after dark, probably because he couldn’t see hisreflectionanymore.Leodidn’twanttostickaroundlongenoughtofindoutwhatthegoddessmeantbyagitated.He’dalsohadexperiencewithmobsofcrazednymphs.Hewasn’tanxioustorepeatthat.

“Hazel,”hesaid,“yourpowerwithpreciousmetal—Canyoujustdetect it,orcanyouactuallysummonittoyou?”

Shefrowned.“SometimesIcansummonit. I’venever triedwithapieceofCelestial bronze that big before. Imight be able to draw it tome through theearth,butI’dhavetobefairlyclose.Itwouldtakealotofconcentration,anditwouldn’tbefast.”

“Befast,”Echowarned.

Leo cursed. He had hoped they could just go back to the ship, and HazelcouldteleporttheCelestialbronzefromasafedistance.

“All right,” he said. “We’ll have to try something risky.Hazel, how aboutyou try to summon thebronze fromrighthere?Make it sink through the sandandtunnelovertoyou,thengrabitandrunfortheship.”

“ButNarcissusislookingatitallthetime,”shesaid.“Allthetime,”Echoechoed.“That’llbemyjob,”Leosaid,hatinghisownplanalready.“EchoandIwill

causeadistraction.”“Distraction?”Echoasked.“I’llexplain,”Leopromised.“Areyouwilling?”“Willing,”Echosaid.“Great,”Leosaid.“Now,let’shopewedon’tdie.”

LEOPSYCHEDHIMSELFUPforanextrememakeover.Hesummonedsomebreathmints and a pair of welding goggles from his tool belt. The goggles weren’texactlysunglasses,but they’dhavetodo.Herolledupthesleevesofhisshirt.Heusedsomemachineoiltogreasebackhishair.Hestuckawrenchinhisbackpocket (why exactly, he wasn’t sure) and he had Hazel draw a tattoo on hisbicepswithamarker:HOTSTUFF,withaskullandcrossbones.

“Whatintheworldareyouthinking?”Shesoundedprettyflustered.“I try not to think,” Leo admitted. “It interferes with being nuts. Just

concentrateonmovingthatCelestialbronze.Echo,youready?”“Ready,”shesaid.Leotookadeepbreath.Hestruttedbacktowardthepond,hopinghelooked

awesome and not like he had some sort of nervous affliction. “Leo is thecoolest!”heshouted.

“Leoisthecoolest!”Echoshoutedback.“Yeah,baby,checkmeout!”“Checkmeout!”Echosaid.“Makewayfortheking!”“Theking!”

“Narcissusisweak!”“Weak!”Thecrowdofnymphsscatteredinsurprise.Leoshooedthemawayasifthey

werebotheringhim.“Noautographs,girls.IknowyouwantsomeLeotime,butI’mwaytoocool.YoubetterjusthangaroundthatuglydweebNarcissus.He’slame!”

“Lame!”Echosaidwithenthusiasm.Thenymphsmutteredangrily.“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”onedemanded.“You’relame,”saidanother.Leoadjustedhisgogglesandsmiled.Heflexedhisbiceps,thoughhedidn’t

havemuch to flex, and showed off hisHOT STUFF tattoo.He had the nymphs’attention,ifonlybecausetheywerestunned;butNarcissuswasstillfixedonhisownreflection.

“You know how uglyNarcissus is?” Leo asked the crowd. “He’s so ugly,whenhewasbornhismamathoughthewasabackwardcentaur—withahorsebuttforaface.”

Someof thenymphsgasped.Narcissus frowned,as thoughhewasvaguelyawareofagnatbuzzingaroundhishead.

“Youknowwhyhisbowhascobwebs?”Leocontinued.“Heusesit tohuntfordates,buthecan’tfindone!”

Oneofthenymphslaughed.Theothersquicklyelbowedherintosilence.NarcissusturnedandscowledatLeo.“Whoareyou?”“I’mtheSuper-sizedMcShizzle,man!”Leosaid.“I’mLeoValdez,badboy

supreme.Andtheladiesloveabadboy.”“Loveabadboy!”Echosaid,withaconvincingsqueal.Leotookoutapenandautographedthearmofoneofthenymphs.“Narcissus

is a loser!He’s soweak,hecan’tbench-pressaKleenex.He’s so lame,whenyou look up lame on Wikipedia, it’s got a picture of Narcissus—only thepicture’ssougly,nooneeverchecksitout.”

Narcissusknithishandsomeeyebrows.Hisfacewasturningfrombronzetosalmon pink. For themoment, he’d totally forgotten about the pond, and Leo

couldseethesheetofbronzesinkingintothesand.“What are you talking about?” Narcissus demanded. “I am amazing.

Everyoneknowsthis.”“Amazingatpuresuck,”Leosaid.“IfIwasassuckasyou,I’ddrownmyself.

Ohwait,youalreadydidthat.”Anothernymphgiggled.Then another.Narcissusgrowled,whichdidmake

him look a little less handsome. Meanwhile Leo beamed and wiggled hiseyebrowsoverhisgogglesandspreadhishands,gesturingforapplause.

“That’sright!”hesaid.“TeamLeoforthewin!”“Team Leo for the win!” Echo shouted. She’d wriggled into the mob of

nymphs,andbecauseshewassohardtosee,thenymphsapparentlythoughtthevoicecamefromoneoftheirown.

“Ohmygod,Iamsoawesome!”Leobellowed.“Soawesome!”Echoyelledback.“Heisfunny,”anymphventured.“Andcute,inascrawnyway,”anothersaid.“Scrawny?” Leo asked. “Baby, I invented scrawny. Scrawny is the new

sizzling hot. And I GOT the scrawny. Narcissus? He’s such a loser even theUnderworlddidn’twanthim.Hecouldn’tgettheghostgirlstodatehim.”

“Eww,”saidanymph.“Eww!”Echoagreed.“Stop!”Narcissusgottohisfeet.“Thisisnotright!Thispersonisobviously

notawesome,sohemustbe…”Hestruggledfortherightwords.Ithadprobablybeenalongtimesincehe’dtalkedaboutanythingotherthanhimself.“Hemustbetrickingus.”

ApparentlyNarcissuswasn’t completely stupid. Realization dawned on hisface.He turned back to the pond. “The bronzemirror is gone!My reflection!Givemebacktome!”

“Team Leo!” one of the nymphs squeaked. But the others returned theirattentiontoNarcissus.

“I’mthebeautifulone!”Narcissusinsisted.“He’sstolenmymirror,andI’mgoingtoleaveunlesswegetitback!”

Thegirlsgasped.Onepointed.“There!”Hazelwasat the topof thecrater, runningawayas fast as shecouldwhile

luggingalargesheetofbronze.“Getitback!”criedanymph.Probablyagainstherwill,Echomuttered,“Getitback.”“Yes!” Narcissus unslung his bow and grabbed an arrow from his dusty

quiver.“Thefirstonewhogetsthatbronze,IwilllikeyoualmostasmuchasIlikeme.Imightevenkissyou,rightafterIkissmyreflection!”

“Ohmygods!”thenymphsscreamed.“And kill those demigods!” Narcissus added, glaring very handsomely at

Leo.“Theyarenotascoolasme!”

Leocouldrunprettyfastwhensomeonewastryingtokillhim.Sadly,he’dhadalotofpractice.

He overtook Hazel, which was easy, since she was struggling with fiftypounds of Celestial bronze. He took one side of the metal plate and glancedback.Narcissuswasnockinganarrow,butitwassooldandbrittle,itbrokeintosplinters.

“Ow!”heyelledveryattractively.“Mymanicure!”Normallynymphswerequick—atleasttheonesatCampHalf-Bloodwere—

but these were burdened with posters, T-shirts, and other Narcissus™merchandise.Thenymphs alsoweren’t great atworking as a team.Theykeptstumblingoveroneanother,pushingandshoving.Echomade thingsworsebyrunningamongthem,trippingandtacklingasmanyasshecould.

Still,theywereclosingrapidly.“CallArion!”Leogasped.“Alreadydid!”Hazelsaid.Theyranforthebeach.Theymadeittotheedgeofthewaterandcouldsee

theArgoII,buttherewasnowaytogetthere.Itwasmuchtoofartoswim,eveniftheyhadn’tbeentotingbronze.

Leo turned. The mob was coming over the dunes, Narcissus in the lead,holdinghisbowlikeabandmajor’sbaton.Thenymphshadconjuredassorted

weapons.Someheldrocks.Somehadwoodenclubswreathedinflowers.Afewofthewaternymphshadsquirtguns—whichseemednotquiteasterrifying—butthelookintheireyeswasstillmurderous.

“Oh, man,” Leo muttered, summoning fire in his free hand. “Straight-upfightingisn’tmything.”

“HoldtheCelestialbronze.”Hazeldrewhersword.“Getbehindme!”“Getbehindme!”Echorepeated.Thecamouflagedgirlwasracingaheadof

themobnow.ShestoppedinfrontofLeoandturned,spreadingherarmsasifshemeanttopersonallyshieldhim.

“Echo?”Leocouldhardlytalkwiththelumpinhisthroat.“You’reonebravenymph.”

“Bravenymph?”Hertonemadeitaquestion.“I’m proud to have you on Team Leo,” he said. “If we survive this, you

shouldforgetNarcissus.”“ForgetNarcissus?”shesaiduncertainly.“You’rewaytoogoodforhim.”Thenymphssurroundedtheminasemicircle.“Trickery!”Narcissussaid.“Theydon’tloveme,girls!Weallloveme,don’t

we?”“Yes!”thegirlsscreamed,exceptforoneconfusednymphinayellowdress

whosqueaked,“TeamLeo!”“Killthem!”Narcissusordered.Thenymphssurged forward,but the sand in frontof themexploded.Arion

raced out of nowhere, circling the mob so quickly he created a sandstorm,showeringthenymphsinwhitelime,sprayingtheireyes.

“Ilovethishorse!”Leosaid.The nymphs collapsed, coughing and gagging. Narcissus stumbled around

blindly,swinginghisbowlikehewastryingtohitapiñata.Hazelclimbedintothesaddle,hoistedupthebronze,andofferedLeoahand.“Wecan’tleaveEcho!”Leosaid.“LeaveEcho,”thenymphrepeated.Shesmiled,andfor thefirst timeLeocouldclearlyseeher face.Shereally

waspretty.Hereyeswerebluerthanhe’drealized.Howhadhemissedthat?“Why?”Leoasked.“Youdon’tthinkyoucanstillsaveNarcissus…”“SaveNarcissus,”shesaidconfidently.Andeventhoughitwasonlyanecho,

Leocould tell thatshemeant it.She’dbeengivenasecondchanceat life,andshe was determined to use it to save the guy she loved—even if he was acompletelyhopeless(thoughveryhandsome)moron.

Leowantedtoprotest,butEcholeanedforwardandkissedhimonthecheek,thenpushedhimgentlyaway.

“Leo,comeon!”Hazelcalled.Theothernymphswerestartingtorecover.Theywipedthelimeoutoftheir

eyes,whichwerenowglowinggreenwithanger.LeolookedforEchoagain,butshehaddissolvedintothescenery.

“Yeah,”hesaid,histhroatdry.“Yeah,okay.”He climbed up behindHazel.Arion took off across thewater, the nymphs

screaming behind them, and Narcissus shouting, “Bring me back! Bring meback!”

AsArionracedtowardtheArgoII,LeorememberedwhatNemesishadsaidaboutEchoandNarcissus:Perhapsthey’llteachyoualesson.

Leo had thought she’d meant Narcissus, but now he wondered if the reallessonforhimwasEcho—invisibletoherbrethren,cursedtolovesomeonewhodidn’tcareforher.Aseventhwheel.Hetriedtoshakethatthought.Heclungtothesheetofbronzelikeashield.

Hewas determined never to forget Echo’s face. She deserved at least onepersonwhosawherandknewhowgoodshewas.Leoclosedhiseyes,butthememoryofhersmilewasalreadyfading.

PIPERDIDN’TWANTTOUSETHEKNIFE.But sitting in Jason’scabin,waiting forhim towakeup, she felt aloneand

helpless.Jason’sfacewassopale,hemight’vebeendead.Sherememberedtheawful

sound of that brick hitting his forehead—an injury that had happened onlybecausehe’dtriedtoshieldherfromtheRomans.

Evenwiththenectarandambrosiathey’dmanagedtoforce-feedhim,Pipercouldn’t be sure he would be okay when he woke up.What if he’d lost hismemoriesagain—butthistime,hismemoriesofher?

Thatwouldbe thecruelest trick thegodshadplayedonheryet,and they’dplayedsomeprettycrueltricks.

SheheardGleesonHedge inhis roomnextdoor, hummingamilitary song—“StarsandStripesForever,”maybe?SincethesatelliteTVwasout,thesatyrwas probably sitting on his bunk reading back issues of Guns & Ammomagazine.Hewasn’tabadchaperone,buthewasdefinitelythemostwarlikeoldgoatPiperhadevermet.

Ofcourseshewasgratefultothesatyr.Hehadhelpedherdad,movieactorTristanMcLean, get backonhis feet after beingkidnappedbygiants the past

winter.Afewweeksago,Hedgehadaskedhisgirlfriend,Mellie,totakechargeoftheMcLeanhouseholdsohecouldcomealongtohelpwiththisquest.

CoachHedgehadtriedtomakeitsoundlikereturningtoCampHalf-Bloodhad been all his idea, but Piper suspected there wasmore to it. The last fewweeks,wheneverPipercalledhome,herdadandMelliehadaskedherwhatwaswrong.Maybesomethinginhervoicehadtippedthemoff.

Piper couldn’t share the visions she’d seen. They were too disturbing.Besides, her dad had taken a potion that had erased all of Piper’s demigodsecretsfromhismemory.Buthecouldstilltellwhenshewasupset,andshewasprettysureherdadhadencouragedCoachtolookoutforher.

Sheshouldn’tdrawherblade.Itwouldonlymakeherfeelworse.Finallythetemptationwastoogreat.SheunsheathedKatoptris.Itdidn’tlook

veryspecial,justatriangularbladewithanunadornedhilt,butithadoncebeenownedbyHelenofTroy.Thedagger’snamemeant“lookingglass.”

Pipergazedat thebronzeblade.At first, she sawonlyher reflection.Thenlightrippledacrossthemetal.ShesawacrowdofRomandemigodsgatheredintheforum.Theblondscarecrow-lookingkid,Octavian,wasspeakingtothemob,shakinghisfist.Pipercouldn’thearhim,but thegistwasobvious:WeneedtokillthoseGreeks!

Reyna,thepraetor,stoodtooneside,herfacetightwithsuppressedemotion.Bitterness?Anger?Piperwasn’tsure.

She’dbeenpreparedtohateReyna,butshecouldn’t.Duringthefeastintheforum,PiperhadadmiredthewayReynakeptherfeelingsincheck.

ReynahadsizedupPiperandJason’srelationshiprightaway.AsadaughterofAphrodite,Pipercouldtellstufflikethat.YetReynahadstayedpoliteandincontrol. She’d put her camp’s needs ahead of her emotions. She’d given theGreeksafairchance…rightupuntiltheArgoIIhadstarteddestroyinghercity.

She’d almostmade Piper feel guilty about being Jason’s girlfriend, thoughthatwassilly.Jasonhadn’teverbeenReyna’sboyfriend,notreally.

MaybeReynawasn’tsobad,butitdidn’tmatternow.They’dmessedupthechanceforpeace.Piper’spowerofpersuasionhad,foronce,doneabsolutelynogood.

Hersecretfear?Maybeshehadn’ttriedhardenough.PiperhadneverwantedtomakefriendswiththeRomans.ShewastooworriedaboutlosingJasontohisoldlife.Maybeunconsciouslyshehadn’tputherbesteffortintothecharmspeak.

NowJasonwashurt.Theshiphadbeenalmostdestroyed.Andaccordingtoher dagger, that crazy teddy-bear-strangling kid, Octavian, was whipping theRomansintoawarfrenzy.

Thesceneinherbladeshifted.Therewasarapidseriesofimagesshe’dseenbefore, but she still didn’t understand them: Jason riding into battle onhorseback,hiseyesgoldinsteadofblue;awomaninanold-fashionedSouthernbelledress,standinginanoceansideparkwithpalmtrees;abullwiththefaceofabeardedman, risingoutofa river;and twogiants inmatchingyellow togas,hoistingaropeonapulleysystem,liftingalargebronzevaseoutofapit.

Thencametheworstvision:shesawherselfwithJasonandPercy,standingwaist-deepinwaterat thebottomofadarkcircularchamber,likeagiantwell.Ghostlyshapesmovedthroughthewaterasitroserapidly.Piperclawedat thewalls, trying to escape, but therewas nowhere to go. Thewater reached theirchests.Jasonwaspulledunder.Percystumbledanddisappeared.

Howcouldachildoftheseagoddrown?Piperdidn’tknow,butshewatchedherself in thevision,aloneand thrashing in thedark,until thewater roseoverherhead.

Piper shut her eyes. Don’t show me that again, she pleaded. Show mesomethinghelpful.

Sheforcedherselftolookatthebladeagain.This time, she saw an empty highway cutting between fields ofwheat and

sunflowers. A mileage marker read: TOPEKA 32. On the shoulder of the roadstood aman in khaki shorts and a purple camp shirt.His facewas lost in theshadow of a broad hat, the brimwreathed in leafy vines.He held up a silvergobletandbeckonedtoPiper.Somehowsheknewhewasofferinghersomesortofgift—acure,oranantidote.

“Hey,”Jasoncroaked.Piperwassostartledshedroppedtheknife.“You’reawake!”“Don’t soundsosurprised.”Jason touchedhisbandagedheadandfrowned.

“What…whathappened?Iremembertheexplosions,and—”“YourememberwhoIam?”Jasontriedtolaugh,butitturnedintoapainfulwince.“LastIchecked,you

weremyawesomegirlfriendPiper.Unless somethinghaschangedsince Iwasout?”

Piperwassorelievedshealmostsobbed.Shehelpedhimsitupandgavehimsomenectar tosipwhileshebroughthimuptospeed.ShewasjustexplainingLeo’splantofixtheshipwhensheheardhorsehoovesclompingacrossthedeckovertheirheads.

Momentslater,LeoandHazelstumbledtoastopinthedoorway,carryingalargesheetofhammeredbronzebetweenthem.

“GodsofOlympus.”PiperstaredatLeo.“Whathappenedtoyou?”Hishairwasgreasedback.Hehadweldinggogglesonhisforehead,alipstick

markonhischeek, tattoosalloverhisarms,andaT-shirt thatreadHOTSTUFF,BADBOY,andTEAMLEO.

“Longstory,”hesaid.“Othersback?”“Notyet,”Pipersaid.Leocursed.ThenhenoticedJasonsittingup,andhisfacebrightened.“Hey,

man!Gladyou’rebetter.I’llbeintheengineroom.”Heranoffwiththesheetofbronze,leavingHazelinthedoorway.Piperraisedaneyebrowather.“TeamLeo?”“We met Narcissus,” Hazel said, which didn’t really explain much. “Also

Nemesis,therevengegoddess.”Jasonsighed.“Imissallthefun.”On the deck above, something went THUMP, as if a heavy creature had

landed. Annabeth and Percy came running down the hall. Percy was toting asteamingfive-gallonplasticbucketthatsmelledhorrible.Annabethhadapatchofblackstickystuffinherhair.Percy’sshirtwascoveredinit.

“Roofingtar?”Piperguessed.Frankstumbledupbehindthem,whichmadethehallwayprettyjam-packed

withdemigods.Frankhadabigsmearoftheblacksludgedownhisface.“Ran into some tar monsters,” Annabeth said. “Hey, Jason, glad you’re

awake.Hazel,where’sLeo?”Shepointeddown.“Engineroom.”Suddenlytheentireshiplistedtoport.Thedemigodsstumbled.Percyalmost

spilledhisbucketoftar.“Uh,whatwasthat?”hedemanded.“Oh…”Hazellookedembarrassed.“Wemayhaveangeredthenymphswho

liveinthislake.Like…allofthem.”“Great.”Percyhanded thebucketof tar toFrankandAnnabeth.“Youguys

helpLeo.I’llholdoffthewaterspiritsaslongasIcan.”“Onit!”Frankpromised.The three of them ran off, leavingHazel at the cabin door.The ship listed

again,andHazelhuggedherstomachlikeshewasgoingtobesick.“I’ll just…”Sheswallowed,pointedweaklydown thepassageway,and ran

off.JasonandPiperstayedbelowastheshiprockedbackandforth.Forahero,

Piper felt pretty useless.Waves crashed against thehull as angryvoices camefromabovedeck—Percyshouting,CoachHedgeyellingat thelake.Festusthefigureheadbreathedfireseveraltimes.Downthehall,Hazelmoanedmiserablyinhercabin.Intheengineroombelow,itsoundedlikeLeoandtheothersweredoingan Irish linedancewithanvils tied to their feet.Afterwhat seemed likehours,theenginebegantohum.Theoarscreakedandgroaned,andPiperfelttheshipliftintotheair.

Therockingandshakingstopped.Theshipbecamequietexceptforthedroneof machinery. Finally Leo emerged from the engine room. He was caked insweat, lime dust, and tar. His T-shirt looked like it had been caught in anescalatorandchewed toshreds.TheTEAMLEOonhischestnowread:AMLEO.Buthegrinnedlikeamadmanandannouncedthattheyweresafelyunderway.

“Meetinginthemesshall,onehour,”hesaid.“Crazyday,huh?”

Aftereveryonehadcleanedup,CoachHedge took thehelmand thedemigodsgatheredbelowfordinner.Itwasthefirsttimethey’dallsatdowntogether—justthesevenof them.Maybe theirpresenceshould’ve reassuredPiper,but seeing

all of them in one place only reminded her that the Prophecy of Seven wasunfoldingatlast.NomorewaitingforLeotofinishtheship.NomoreeasydaysatCampHalf-Blood,pretendingthefuturewasstillalongwayoff.Theywereunderway,with a bunchof angryRomansbehind themand the ancient landsahead.Thegiantswouldbewaiting.Gaeawasrising.Andunlesstheysucceededinthisquest,theworldwouldbedestroyed.

The others must’ve felt it too. The tension in the mess hall was like anelectrical storm brewing, which was totally possible, considering Percy’s andJason’spowers. In an awkwardmoment, the twoboys tried to sit in the samechairat theheadof the table.Sparks literallyflewfromJason’shands.Afterabriefsilentstandoff, liketheywereboththinking,Seriously,dude?, theycededthechairtoAnnabethandsatatoppositesidesofthetable.

ThecrewcomparednotesonwhathadhappenedinSaltLakeCity,butevenLeo’sridiculousstoryabouthowhetrickedNarcissuswasn’tenoughtocheerupthegroup.

“Sowheretonow?”Leoaskedwithamouthfulofpizza.“Ididaquickrepairjobtogetusoutofthelake,butthere’sstillalotofdamage.WeshouldreallyputdownagainandfixthingsrightbeforeweheadacrosstheAtlantic.”

Percywaseatingapieceofpie,whichforsomereasonwascompletelyblue—filling, crust, even the whipped cream. “We need to put some distancebetween us andCamp Jupiter,” he said. “Frank spotted some eagles over SaltLakeCity.WefiguretheRomansaren’tfarbehindus.”

That didn’t improve the mood around the table. Piper didn’t want to sayanything,butshefeltobliged…andalittleguilty.“Idon’tsupposeweshouldgoback and try to reason with the Romans? Maybe—maybe I didn’t try hardenoughwiththecharmspeak.”

Jason took her hand. “It wasn’t your fault, Pipes. Or Leo’s,” he addedquickly. “Whatever happened, it was Gaea’s doing, to drive the two campsapart.”

Piper was grateful for his support, but she still felt uneasy. “Maybe if wecouldexplainthat,though—”

“With no proof?” Annabeth asked. “And no idea what really happened? I

appreciatewhatyou’resaying,Piper.Idon’twanttheRomansonourbadside,butuntilweunderstandwhatGaea’supto,goingbackissuicide.”

“She’s right,”Hazel said. She still looked a little queasy from seasickness,but she was trying to eat a few saltine crackers. The rim of her plate wasembeddedwith rubies, andPiperwaspretty sure theyhadn’tbeen thereat thebeginning of themeal. “Reynamight listen, butOctavianwon’t.TheRomanshave honor to think about. They’ve been attacked. They’ll shoot first and askquestionsposthac.”

Piperstaredatherowndinner.Themagicalplatescouldconjureupagreatselectionofvegetarianstuff.Sheespeciallylikedtheavocadoandgrilledpepperquesadilla,buttonightshedidn’thavemuchofanappetite.

Shethoughtaboutthevisionsshe’dseeninherknife:Jasonwithgoldeneyes;thebullwiththehumanhead; thetwogiants inyellowtogashoistingabronzejarfromapit.Worstofall,sherememberedherselfdrowninginblackwater.

Piperhadalwayslikedthewater.Shehadgoodmemoriesofsurfingwithherdad.Butsinceshe’dstartedseeingthatvisioninKatoptris,she’dbeenthinkingmoreandmoreofanoldCherokeestoryhergranddadused to tell tokeepherawayfromtherivernearhiscabin.HetoldhertheCherokeesbelievedingoodwaterspirits, likethenaiadsoftheGreeks;buttheyalsobelievedinevilwaterspirits,thewatercannibals,whohuntedmortalswithinvisiblearrowsandwereespeciallyfondofdrowningsmallchildren.

“You’reright,”shedecided.“Wehavetokeepgoing.NotjustbecauseoftheRomans.Wehavetohurry.”

Hazel nodded. “Nemesis said we have only six days until Nico dies andRomeisdestroyed.”

Jasonfrowned.“YoumeanRomeRome,notNewRome?”“Ithink,”Hazelsaid.“Butifso,that’snotmuchtime.”“Why six days?” Percy wondered. “And how are they going to destroy

Rome?”Nooneanswered.Piperdidn’twanttoaddfurtherbadnews,butshefeltshe

hadto.“There’smore,”shesaid.“I’vebeenseeingsomethingsinmyknife.”

Thebigkid,Frank, frozewith a forkful of spaghetti halfway tohismouth.“Thingssuchas…?”

“Theydon’t reallymakesense,”Pipersaid,“justgarbled images,but I sawtwogiants,dressedalike.Maybetwins.”

Annabeth stared at the magical video feed from Camp Half-Blood on thewall.RightnowitshowedthelivingroomintheBigHouse:acozyfireonthehearth and Seymour, the stuffed leopard head, snoring contentedly above themantel.

“Twins,likeinElla’sprophecy,”Annabethsaid.“Ifwecouldfigureoutthoselines,itmighthelp.”“Wisdom’sdaughterwalksalone,” Percy said. “TheMarkofAthenaburns

throughRome.Annabeth,that’sgottomeanyou.Junotoldme…well,shesaidyouhadahardtaskaheadofyouinRome.Shesaidshedoubtedyoucoulddoit.ButIknowshe’swrong.”

Annabeth took a longbreath. “Reynawas about to tellme something rightbeforetheshipfiredonus.ShesaidtherewasanoldlegendamongtheRomanpraetors—somethingthathadtodowithAthena.ShesaiditmightbethereasonGreeksandRomanscouldnevergetalong.”

LeoandHazelexchangednervouslooks.“Nemesismentionedsomethingsimilar,”Leosaid.“Shetalkedaboutanold

scorethathadtobesettled—”“Theonethingthatmightbringthegods’twonaturesintoharmony,”Hazel

recalled.“‘Anoldwrongfinallyavenged.’”Percydrewafrownyface inhisbluewhippedcream.“Iwasonlyapraetor

forabouttwohours.Jason,youeverhearalegendlikethat?”JasonwasstillholdingPiper’shand.Hisfingershadturnedclammy.“I…uh,I’mnotsure,”hesaid.“I’llgiveitsomethought.”Percynarrowedhiseyes.“You’renotsure?”Jasondidn’trespond.Piperwantedtoaskhimwhatwaswrong.Shecouldtell

he didn’twant to discuss this old legend. She caught his eye, and he pleadedsilently,Later.

Hazelbrokethesilence.“Whatabouttheotherlines?”Sheturnedherruby-

encrusted plate. “Twins snuff out the angel’s breath, Who holds the key toendlessdeath.”“Giants’banestandsgoldandpale,”Frankadded,“Wonthroughpainfrom

awovenjail.”“Giants’ bane,” Leo said. “Anything that’s a giants’ bane is good for us,

right? That’s probablywhatwe need to find. If it can help the gods get theirschizophrenicacttogether,that’sgood.”

Percynodded.“Wecan’tkillthegiantswithoutthehelpofthegods.”JasonturnedtoFrankandHazel.“Ithoughtyouguyskilledthatonegiantin

Alaskawithoutagod’shelp,justthetwoofyou.”“Alcyoneuswas a special case,”Frank said. “Hewas only immortal in the

territorywherehewasreborn—Alaska.ButnotinCanada.IwishIcouldkillallthegiantsbydraggingthemacrosstheborderfromAlaskaintoCanada,but…”Heshrugged.“Percy’sright,we’llneedthegods.”

Pipergazedatthewalls.ShereallywishedLeohadn’tenchantedthemwithimagesofCampHalf-Blood.Itwaslikeadoorwaytohomethatshecouldnevergothrough.ShewatchedthehearthofHestiaburninginthemiddleofthegreenasthecabinsturnedofftheirlightsforcurfew.

ShewonderedhowtheRomandemigods,FrankandHazel, feltabout thoseimages.They’dneverevenbeentoCampHalf-Blood.Diditseemalientothem,orunfairthatCampJupiterwasn’trepresented?Diditmakethemmisstheirownhome?

Theother linesof theprophecy turned inPiper’smind.Whatwasawovenjail? How could twins snuff out an angel’s breath? The key to endless deathdidn’tsoundverycheerful,either.

“So…”Leopushedhischairawayfromthetable.“Firstthingsfirst,Iguess.We’llhavetoputdowninthemorningtofinishrepairs.”

“Someplaceclosetoacity,”Annabethsuggested,“incaseweneedsupplies.Butsomewhereoutoftheway,sotheRomanswillhavetroublefindingus.Anyideas?”

Noonespoke.Piperrememberedhervisionintheknife:thestrangemaninpurple,holdingoutagobletandbeckoningtoher.He’dbeenstandinginfrontof

asignthatreadTOPEKA32.“Well,”sheventured,“howdoyouguysfeelaboutKansas?”

PIPERHADTROUBLEFALLINGASLEEP.CoachHedgespentthefirsthouraftercurfewdoinghisnightlyduty,walking

upanddownthepassagewayyelling,“Lightsout!Settledown!Trytosneakout,andI’llsmackyoubacktoLongIsland!”

Hebangedhisbaseballbatagainstacabindoorwheneverheheardanoise,shoutingateveryonetogotosleep,whichmadeitimpossibleforanyonetogoto sleep. Piper figured this was the most fun the satyr had had since he’dpretendedtobeagymteacherattheWildernessSchool.

Shestaredatthebronzebeamsontheceiling.Hercabinwasprettycozy.Leohad programmed their quarters to adjust automatically to the occupant’spreferredtemperature,soitwasnevertoocoldortoohot.Themattressandthepillowswerestuffedwithpegasusdown(nopegasiwereharmedinthemakingof these products, Leo had assured her), so they were über-comfortable. Abronze lantern hung from the ceiling, glowing at whatever brightness Piperwished. The lantern’s sides were perforated with pinholes, so at nightglimmeringconstellationsdriftedacrossherwalls.

Piper had somany things on hermind, she thought she’d never sleep.But

therewassomethingpeacefulabouttherockingoftheboatandthedroneoftheaerialoarsastheyscoopedthroughthesky.

Finallyhereyelidsgotheavy,andshedriftedoff.It seemed like only a few seconds had passed before she woke to the

breakfastbell.“Yo,Piper!”Leoknockedonherdoor.“We’relanding!”“Landing?”Shesatupgroggily.Leoopenedherdoorandpokedhisheadin.Hehadhishandoverhiseyes,

which would’ve been a nice gesture if he hadn’t been peeking through hisfingers.“Youdecent?”

“Leo!”“Sorry.”Hegrinned.“Hey,nicePowerRangerjammies.”“TheyarenotPowerRangers!They’reCherokeeeagles!”“Yeah, sure. Anyway, we’re setting down a fewmiles outside Topeka, as

requested.And, um…”He glanced out in the passageway, then leaned insideagain.“Thanksfornothatingme,aboutblowinguptheRomansyesterday.”

Piper rubbed her eyes. The feast in New Rome had been only yesterday?“That’sokay,Leo.Youweren’tincontrolofyourself.”

“Yeah,butstill…youdidn’thavetostickupforme.”“Are you kidding? You’re like the annoying little brother I never had. Of

courseI’llstickupforyou.”“Uh…thanks?”Fromabove,CoachHedgeyelled,“Tharsheblows!Kansas,ahoy!”“HolyHephaestus,”Leomuttered.“Hereallyneedstoworkonhisshipspeak.

I’dbettergetabovedeck.”BythetimePiperhadshowered,changed,andgrabbedabagelfromthemess

hall,shecouldheartheship’slandinggearextending.SheclimbedondeckandjoinedtheothersastheArgoIIsettledinthemiddleofafieldofsunflowers.Theoarsretracted.Thegangplanklowereditself.

Themorningairsmelledofirrigation,warmplants,andfertilizedearth.Notabadsmell.ItremindedPiperofGrandpaTom’splaceinTahlequah,Oklahoma,backonthereservation.

Percy was the first to notice her. He smiled in greeting, which for somereason surprised Piper.Hewaswearing faded jeans and a fresh orangeCampHalf-BloodT-shirt, as if he’dnever been away from theGreek side.Thenewclothes had probably helped his mood—and of course the fact that he wasstandingattherailwithhisarmaroundAnnabeth.

Piperwashappy to seeAnnabethwitha sparkle inher eyes,becausePiperhad never had a better friend. For months, Annabeth had been tormentingherself, her everywakingmoment consumedwith the search for Percy.Now,despite the dangerous quest they were facing, at least she had her boyfriendback.

“So!”Annabeth plucked the bagel out of Piper’s hand and took a bite, butthatdidn’tbotherPiper.Backatcamp,they’dhadarunningjokeaboutstealingeachother’sbreakfast.“Hereweare.What’stheplan?”

“I want to check out the highway,” Piper said. “Find the sign that saysTopeka32.”

LeospunhisWiicontrollerinacircle,andthesailsloweredthemselves.“Weshouldn’tbefar,”hesaid.“FestusandIcalculatedthelandingasbestwecould.Whatdoyouexpecttofindatthemilemarker?”

Piper explained what she’d seen in the knife—the man in purple with agoblet.Shekeptquietabout theotherimages, though, likethevisionofPercy,Jason, and herself drowning. She wasn’t sure what it meant, anyway; andeveryoneseemedinsuchbetterspiritsthismorning,shedidn’twanttoruinthemood.

“Purpleshirt?”Jasonasked.“Vinesonhishat?SoundslikeBacchus.”“Dionysus,”Percymuttered.“IfwecameallthewaytoKansastoseeMr.D

—”“Bacchusisn’tsobad,”Jasonsaid.“Idon’tlikehisfollowersmuch.…”Pipershuddered.Jason,Leo,andshehadhadanencounterwiththemaenads

afewmonthsagoandalmostgottentorntopieces.“Butthegodhimselfisokay,”Jasoncontinued.“Ididhimafavoronceupin

thewinecountry.”Percy looked appalled. “Whatever, man.Maybe he’s better on the Roman

side.Butwhywould he be hanging around inKansas?Didn’t Zeus order thegodstoceaseallcontactwithmortals?”

Frankgrunted.Thebigguywaswearingabluetracksuitthismorning,likehewasreadytogoforajoginthesunflowers.

“The gods haven’t been very good at following that order,” he noted.“Besides,ifthegodshavegoneschizophreniclikeHazelsaid—”

“AndLeosaid,”addedLeo.Frank scowled at him. “Then who knows what’s going on with the

Olympians?Couldbesomeprettybadstuffoutthere.”“Soundsdangerous!”Leoagreedcheerfully.“Well…youguyshavefun.I’ve

got to finish repairs on the hull. Coach Hedge is gonna work on the brokencrossbows.And, uh,Annabeth—I could really use your help.You’re the onlyotherpersonwhoevensortofunderstandsengineering.”

AnnabethlookedapologeticallyatPercy.“He’sright.Ishouldstayandhelp.”“I’llcomebacktoyou.”Hekissedheronthecheek.“Promise.”Theyweresoeasytogether,itmadePiper’sheartache.Jasonwasgreat,ofcourse.Butsometimesheactedsodistant,likelastnight,

when he’d been reluctant to talk about that old Roman legend. So often heseemed to be thinking of his old life at Camp Jupiter. Piper wondered if shewouldeverbeabletobreakthroughthatbarrier.

ThetriptoCampJupiter,seeingReynainperson,hadn’thelped.Neitherdidthe fact that Jason had chosen to wear a purple shirt today—the color of theRomans.

Frankslidhisbowoffhisshoulderandproppeditagainsttherail.“IthinkIshouldturnintoacroworsomethingandflyaround,keepaneyeoutforRomaneagles.”

“Whyacrow?”Leoasked.“Man, ifyoucan turn intoadragon,whydon’tyoujustturnintoadragoneverytime?That’sthecoolest.”

Frank’s face looked like itwas being infusedwith cranberry juice. “That’slike askingwhyyou don’t bench-press yourmaximumweight every timeyoulift.Becauseit’shard,andyou’dhurtyourself.Turningintoadragonisn’teasy.”

“Oh.”Leonodded.“Iwouldn’tknow.Idon’tliftweights.”

“Yeah.Well,maybeyoushouldconsiderit,Mr.—”Hazelsteppedbetweenthem.“I’ll helpyou,Frank,” she said, shootingLeoan evil look. “I can summon

Arionandscoutaroundbelow.”“Sure,”Franksaid,stillglaringatLeo.“Yeah,thanks.”Piperwonderedwhatwasgoingonwith those three.Theboysshowingoff

for Hazel and razzing each other—that she understood. But it almost seemedlikeHazel andLeohad ahistory.So far as sheknew, they’dmet for the firsttimejustyesterday.ShewonderedifsomethingelsehadhappenedontheirtriptotheGreatSaltLake—somethingtheyhadn’tmentioned.

HazelturnedtoPercy.“Justbecarefulwhenyougooutthere.Lotsoffields,lotsofcrops.Couldbekarpoiontheloose.”“Karpoi?”Piperasked.“Grainspirits,”Hazelsaid.“Youdon’twanttomeetthem.”Piper didn’t see how a grain spirit could be so bad, but Hazel’s tone

convincedhernottoask.“That leaves three of us to check on the mile marker,” Percy said. “Me,

Jason,Piper.I’mnotpsychedaboutseeingMr.Dagain.Thatguyisapain.But,Jason,ifyou’reonbettertermswithhim—”

“Yeah,”Jasonsaid.“Ifwefindhim,I’ll talktohim.Piper, it’syourvision.Youshouldtakethelead.”

Pipershivered.She’dseenthethreeofthemdrowninginthatdarkwell.WasKansaswhereitwouldhappen?Thatdidn’tseemright,butshecouldn’tbesure.

“Ofcourse,”shesaid,tryingtosoundupbeat.“Let’sfindthehighway.”

Leohadsaidtheywereclose.Hisideaof“close”neededsomework.Aftertrudginghalfamilethroughhotfields,gettingbittenbymosquitoesand

whackedinthefacewithscratchysunflowers,theyfinallyreachedtheroad.AnoldbillboardforBubba’sGas’n’GrubindicatedtheywerestillfortymilesfromthefirstTopekaexit.

“Correctmymath,”Percysaid,“butdoesn’tthatmeanwehaveeightmilestowalk?”

Jason peered both ways down the deserted road. He looked better today,thanks to the magical healing of ambrosia and nectar. His color was back tonormal,andthescaronhisforeheadhadalmostvanished.ThenewgladiusthatHerahadgivenhim lastwinter hung at his belt.Most guyswould lookprettyawkwardwalkingaroundwithascabbardstrappedtotheirjeans,butonJasonitseemedperfectlynatural.

“Nocars…”hesaid.“ButIguesswewouldn’twanttohitchhike.”“No,” Piper agreed, gazing nervously down the highway. “We’ve already

spenttoomuchtimegoingoverland.TheearthisGaea’sterritory.”“Hmm…”Jasonsnappedhisfingers.“Icancallafriendforaride.”Percy raisedhiseyebrows.“Oh,yeah?Me too.Let’s seewhose friendgets

herefirst.”Jason whistled. Piper knew what he was doing, but he’d succeeded in

summoning Tempest only three times since they’dmet the storm spirit at theWolf House last winter. Today, the sky was so blue, Piper didn’t see how itcouldwork.

Percysimplyclosedhiseyesandconcentrated.Piper hadn’t studied him up close before. After hearing somuch at Camp

Half-Blood about Percy Jackson this and Percy Jackson that, she thought helooked…well,unimpressive,especiallynext to Jason.Percywasmore slender,aboutaninchshorter,withslightlylonger,muchdarkerhair.

Hewasn’treallyPiper’stype.Ifshe’dseenhiminthemallsomewhere,sheprobablywould’vethoughthewasaskater—cuteinascruffyway,alittleonthewild side, definitely a troublemaker. She would have steered clear. She hadenoughtroubleinherlife.ButshecouldseewhyAnnabethlikedhim,andshecould definitely seewhyPercy neededAnnabeth in his life. If anybody couldkeepaguylikethatundercontrol,itwasAnnabeth.

Thundercrackledintheclearsky.Jasonsmiled.“Soon.”“Too late.” Percy pointed east, where a black winged shape was spiraling

toward them.At first,Piper thought itmightbeFrank incrowform.Thensherealizeditwasmuchtoobigtobeabird.

“Ablackpegasus?”shesaid.“Neverseenonelikethat.”The winged stallion came in for a landing. He trotted over to Percy and

nuzzledhisface,thenturnedhisheadinquisitivelytowardPiperandJason.“Blackjack,”Percysaid,“thisisPiperandJason.They’refriends.”Thehorsenickered.“Uh,maybelater,”Percyanswered.PiperhadheardthatPercycouldspeaktohorses,beingthesonofthehorse

lordPoseidon,butshe’dneverseenitinaction.“WhatdoesBlackjackwant?”sheasked.“Donuts,”Percysaid.“Alwaysdonuts.Hecancarryallthreeofusif—”Suddenlytheairturnedcold.Piper’searspopped.Aboutfiftyyardsaway,a

miniaturecyclonethreestoriestall toreacrossthetopsofthesunflowerslikeascene fromTheWizardofOz. It toucheddownon the roadnext to Jason andtook the form of a horse—amisty steed with lightning flickering through itsbody.

“Tempest,”Jasonsaid,grinningbroadly.“Longtime,myfriend.”Thestormspiritrearedandwhinnied.Blackjackbackedupskittishly.“Easy, boy,” Percy said. “He’s a friend too.” He gave Jason an impressed

look.“Niceride,Grace.”Jasonshrugged.“ImadefriendswithhimduringourfightattheWolfHouse.

He’safreespirit,literally,butonceinawhileheagreestohelpme.”Percy and Jason climbed on their respective horses. Piper had never been

comfortablewithTempest.Ridingfullgalloponabeast thatcouldvaporizeatanymomentmade her a bit nervous.Nevertheless, she accepted Jason’s handandclimbedon.

TempestraceddowntheroadwithBlackjacksoaringoverhead.Fortunately,theydidn’tpassanycars,or theymighthavecausedawreck.Innotime, theyarrivedatthethirty-two-milemarker,whichlookedexactlyasPiperhadseenitinhervision.

Blackjacklanded.Bothhorsespawedtheasphalt.Neither lookedpleasedtohavestoppedsosuddenly,justwhenthey’dfoundtheirstride.

Blackjackwhinnied.

“You’reright,”Percysaid.“Nosignofthewinedude.”“Ibegyourpardon?”saidavoicefromthefields.Tempestturnedsoquickly,Piperalmostfelloff.Thewheatparted,andthemanfromhervisionsteppedintoview.Heworea

wide-brimmed hat wreathed in grapevines, a purple short-sleeved shirt, khakishorts,andBirkenstockswithwhitesocks.Helookedmaybethirty,withaslightpotbelly,likeafratboywhohadn’tyetrealizedcollegewasover.

“Did someone just callme thewinedude?” he asked in a lazy drawl. “It’sBacchus, please. OrMr. Bacchus. Or Lord Bacchus. Or, sometimes, Oh-My-Gods-Please-Don’t-Kill-Me,LordBacchus.”

PercyurgedBlackjackforward,thoughthepegasusdidn’tseemhappyaboutit.

“Youlookdifferent,”Percytoldthegod.“Skinnier.Yourhairislonger.Andyourshirtisn’tsoloud.”

Thewine god squinted up at him. “What in blazes are you talking about?Whoareyou,andwhereisCeres?”

“Uh…whatseries?”“IthinkhemeansCeres,”Jasonsaid.“Thegoddessofagriculture.You’dcall

her Demeter.” He nodded respectfully to the god. “Lord Bacchus, do yourememberme?IhelpedyouwiththatmissingleopardinSonoma.”

Bacchusscratchedhisstubblychin.“Ah…yes.JohnGreen.”“JasonGrace.”“Whatever,”thegodsaid.“DidCeressendyou,then?”“No,LordBacchus,”Jasonsaid.“Wereyouexpectingtomeetherhere?”The god snorted. “Well, I didn’t come to Kansas to party, my boy. Ceres

asked me here for a council of war. What with Gaea rising, the crops arewithering. Droughts are spreading. The karpoi are in revolt. Even my grapesaren’tsafe.Cereswantedaunitedfrontintheplantwar.”

“Theplantwar,”Percysaid.“You’regoing toarmall the littlegrapeswithtinyassaultrifles?”

Thegodnarrowedhiseyes.“Havewemet?”“AtCampHalf-Blood,”Percysaid,“IknowyouasMr.D—Dionysus.”

“Agh!”Bacchuswincedandpressedhishandstohistemples.Foramoment,his image flickered. Piper saw a different person—fatter, dumpier, in amuchlouder,leopard-patternedshirt.ThenBacchusreturnedtobeingBacchus.“Stopthat!”hedemanded.“StopthinkingaboutmeinGreek!”

Percyblinked.“Uh,but—”“Doyouhaveanyideahowharditistostayfocused?Splittingheadachesall

the time! I never know what I’m doing or where I’m going! Constantlygrumpy!”

“Thatsoundsprettynormalforyou,”Percysaid.Thegod’snostrilsflared.Oneofthegrapeleavesonhishatburstintoflame.

“Ifweknoweachother from thatother camp, it’s awonder I haven’t alreadyturnedyouintoadolphin.”

“Itwasdiscussed,”Percyassuredhim.“Ithinkyouwerejusttoolazytodoit.”

Piperhadbeenwatchingwithhorrifiedfascination,thewayshemightwatchacarwreckinprogress.NowsherealizedPercywasnotmakingthingsbetter,andAnnabethwasn’taroundtoreinhimin.PiperfiguredherfriendwouldneverforgiveherifshebroughtPercybacktransformedintoaseamammal.

“LordBacchus!”sheinterrupted,slippingoffTempest’sback.“Piper,careful,”Jasonsaid.Sheshothimawarningglance:I’vegotthis.“Sorrytotroubleyou,mylord,”shetoldthegod,“butactuallywecamehere

togetyouradvice.Please,weneedyourwisdom.”Sheusedhermostagreeabletone,pouringrespectintohercharmspeak.The god frowned, but the purple glow faded in his eyes. “You’re well-

spoken, girl. Advice, eh? Very well. I would avoid karaoke. Really, themepartiesingeneralareout.Intheseausteretimes,peoplearelookingforasimple,low-keyaffair,withlocallyproducedorganicsnacksand—”

“Not about parties,” Piper interrupted. “Although that’s incredibly usefuladvice,LordBacchus.Wewerehopingyou’dhelpusonourquest.”

She explained about theArgo II and their voyage to stop the giants fromawakeningGaea.She toldhimwhatNemesishadsaid: that insixdays,Rome

would be destroyed. She described the vision reflected in her knife, whereBacchusofferedherasilvergoblet.

“Silvergoblet?”Thegoddidn’tsoundveryexcited.HegrabbedaDietPepsifromnowhereandpoppedthetopofthecan.

“YoudrinkDietCoke,”Percysaid.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bacchus snapped. “As to this

visionofthegoblet,younglady,IhavenothingforyoutodrinkunlessyouwantaPepsi. Jupiterhasputmeunder strictorders toavoidgivingwine tominors.Bothersome,butthereyouhaveit.Asforthegiants,Iknowthemwell.IfoughtinthefirstGiantWar,youknow.”

“Youcanfight?”Percyasked.Piperwishedhehadn’tsoundedsoincredulous.Dionysussnarled.HisDietPepsitransformedintoafive-footstaffwreathed

inivy,toppedwithapinecone.“Athyrsus!”Pipersaid,hopingtodistractthegodbeforehewhackedPercy

onthehead.She’dseenweaponslikethatbeforeinthehandsofcrazynymphs,andwasn’tthrilledtoseeoneagain,butshetriedtosoundimpressed.“Oh,whatamightyweapon!”

“Indeed,”Bacchus agreed. “I’m glad someone in your group is smart. Thepineconeisafearsometoolofdestruction!Iwasademigodmyself in thefirstGiantWar,youknow.ThesonofJupiter!”

Jason flinched. Probably he wasn’t thrilled to be reminded that the WineDudewastechnicallyhisbigbrother.

Bacchus swung his staff through the air, though his potbelly almost threwhimoffbalance.“OfcoursethatwaslongbeforeIinventedwineandbecameanimmortal. Ifoughtsidebysidewiththegodsandsomeotherdemigod…HarryCleese,Ithink.”

“Heracles?”Pipersuggestedpolitely.“Whatever,” Bacchus said. “Anyway, I killed the giant Ephialtes and his

brotherOtis.Horribleboors,thosetwo.Pineconeinthefaceforbothofthem!”Piperheldherbreath.Allatonce,severalideascametogetherinherhead—

the visions in the knife, the lines of the prophecy they’d been discussing the

nightbefore.Shefeltlikesheusedtowhenshewasscubadivingwithherfather,and he would wipe her mask for her underwater. Suddenly, everything wasclearer.

“Lord Bacchus,” she said, trying to control the nervousness in her voice.“Thosetwogiants,EphialtesandOtis…wouldtheyhappentobetwins?”

“Hmm?”Thegodseemeddistractedbyhisthyrsus-swinging,buthenodded.“Yes,twins.That’sright.”

Piper turned to Jason. She could tell hewas following her thoughts:Twinssnuffouttheangel’sbreath.

InthebladeofKatoptris,she’dseentwogiantsinyellowrobes,liftingajarfromadeeppit.

“That’swhywe’rehere,”Pipertoldthegod.“You’repartofourquest!”Bacchusfrowned.“I’msorry,mygirl.I’mnotademigodanymore.Idon’tdo

quests.”“But giants can only be killed by heroes and gods working together,” she

insisted.“You’reagodnow,andthe twogiantswehavetofightareEphialtesand Otis. I think…I think they’re waiting for us in Rome. They’re going todestroy the city somehow. The silver goblet I saw in my vision—maybe it’smeantasasymbolforyourhelp.Youhavetohelpuskillthegiants!”

Bacchusglaredather,andPiperrealizedshe’dchosenherwordspoorly.“Mygirl,”hesaidcoldly,“Idon’thavetodoanything.Besides,Ionlyhelp

thosewho giveme proper tribute,which no one hasmanaged to do inmany,manycenturies.”

Blackjackwhinnieduneasily.Piper couldn’t blame him. She didn’t like the sound of tribute. She

rememberedthemaenads, thecrazedfollowersofBacchus,whowouldtearupnonbelievers with their bare hands. And that was when they were in a goodmood.

Percy voiced the question that she was too scared to ask. “What kind oftribute?”

Bacchuswaved his hand dismissively. “Nothingyou could handle, insolentGreek. But I will give you some free advice, since this girl does have some

manners.SeekoutGaea’sson,Phorcys.Healwayshatedhismother,notthatIcanblamehim.Hedidn’thavemuchuseforhissiblingsthetwins,either.You’llfindhiminthecitytheynamedafterthatheroine—Atalanta.”

Piperhesitated.“YoumeanAtlanta?”“That’stheone.”“ButthisPhorcys,”Jasonsaid.“Isheagiant?ATitan?”Bacchuslaughed.“Neither.Seekoutthesaltwater.”“Saltwater…”Percysaid.“InAtlanta?”“Yes,” Bacchus said. “Are you hard of hearing? If anyone can give you

insightonGaeaandthetwins,it’sPhorcys.Justwatchoutforhim.”“Whatdoyoumean?”Jasonasked.The god glanced at the sun,which had climbed almost to high noon. “It’s

unlike Ceres to be late, unless she sensed something dangerous in this area.Or…”

Thegod’sfacesuddenlywentslack.“Oratrap.Well,Imustbegoing!AndifIwereyou,I’ddothesame!”

“LordBacchus,wait!”Jasonprotested.Thegodshimmeredanddisappearedwithasoundlikeasoda-cantopbeing

popped.The wind rustled through the sunflowers. The horses paced in agitation.

Despitethedry,hotday,Pipershivered.Acoldfeeling…AnnabethandLeohadbothdescribedacoldfeeling.…

“Bacchusisright,”shesaid.“Weneedtoleave—”Toolate,saidasleepyvoice,hummingthroughthefieldsallaroundthemand

resonatinginthegroundatPiper’sfeet.Percy and Jasondrew their swords. Piper stoodon the road between them,

frozenwithfear.ThepowerofGaeawassuddenlyeverywhere.Thesunflowersturnedtolookatthem.Thewheatbenttowardthemlikeamillionscythes.Welcome to my party, Gaea murmured. Her voice reminded Piper of corn

growing—a crackling, hissing, hot and persistent noise she used to hear atGrandpaTom’sonthosequietnightsinOklahoma.What didBacchus say? the goddessmocked. A simple, low-key affairwith

organic snacks? Yes. For my snacks, I need only two: the blood of a femaledemigod,and thebloodofamale.Piper,mydear,choosewhichherowilldiewithyou.

“Gaea!”Jasonyelled.“Stophidinginthewheat.Showyourself!”Such bravado, Gaea hissed. But the other one, Percy Jackson, also has

appeal.Choose,PiperMcLean,orIwill.Piper’sheart raced.Gaeameant tokillher.Thatwasnosurprise.Butwhat

wasthisaboutchoosingoneoftheboys?WhywouldGaealeteitherofthemgo?Ithadtobeatrap.

“You’reinsane!”sheshouted.“I’mnotchoosinganythingforyou!”SuddenlyJasongasped.Hesatupstraightinhissaddle.“Jason!”Pipercried.“What’swrong—?”Helookeddownather,hisexpressiondeadlycalm.Hiseyeswerenolonger

blue.Theyglowedsolidgold.“Percy,help!”PiperstumbledbackfromTempest.But Percy galloped away from them.He stopped thirty feet down the road

andwheeledhispegasusaround.HeraisedhisswordandpointedthetiptowardJason.“Onewilldie,”Percysaid,butthevoicewasn’this.Itwasdeepandhollow,

likesomeonewhisperingfrominsidethebarrelofacannon.“Iwillchoose,”Jasonanswered,inthesamehollowvoice.“No!”Piperyelled.All around her, the fields crackled and hissed, laughing inGaea’s voice as

PercyandJasonchargedateachother,theirweaponsready.

IFNOTFORTHEHORSES,PIPERWOULD’VEDIED.JasonandPercychargedeachother,butTempestandBlackjackbalkedlong

enoughforPipertoleapoutoftheway.Sherolledtotheedgeoftheroadandlookedback,dazedandhorrified,asthe

boyscrossedswords,goldagainstbronze.Sparks flew.Theirbladesblurred—strike and parry—and the pavement trembled. The first exchange took only asecond,butPipercouldn’tbelievethespeedoftheirswordfighting.Thehorsespulled away from each other—Tempest thundering in protest, Blackjackflappinghiswings.

“Stopit!”Piperyelled.For amoment, Jasonheededhervoice.Hisgoldeneyes turned towardher,

andPercycharged,slamminghisbladeintoJason.Thankthegods,Percyturnedhissword—maybeonpurpose,maybeaccidentally—sotheflatofithitJason’schest;buttheimpactwasstillenoughtoknockJasonoffhismount.

Blackjack cantered away as Tempest reared in confusion. The spirit horsechargedintothesunflowersanddissipatedintovapor.

Percystruggledtoturnhispegasusaround.“Percy!”Piperyelled.“Jason’syourfriend.Dropyourweapon!”

Percy’s sword arm dipped. Pipermight have been able to bring him undercontrol,butunfortunatelyJasongottohisfeet.

Jasonroared.Aboltoflightningarcedoutoftheclearbluesky.ItricochetedoffhisgladiusandblastedPercyoffhishorse.

Blackjackwhinnied and fled into thewheat fields. Jason charged at Percy,whowasnowonhisback,hisclothessmokingfromthelightningblast.

For a horrible moment, Piper couldn’t find her voice. Gaea seemed to bewhisperingtoher:Youmustchooseone.WhynotletJasonkillhim?

“No!”shescreamed.“Jason,stop!”Hefroze,hisswordsixinchesfromPercy’sface.Jasonturned,thegoldlightinhiseyesflickeringuncertainly.“Icannotstop.

Onemustdie.”Somethingaboutthatvoice…itwasn’tGaea.Itwasn’tJason.Whoeveritwas

spokehaltingly,asifEnglishwasitssecondlanguage.“Whoareyou?”Piperdemanded.Jason’smouth twisted in a gruesome smile.“Weare the eidolons.Wewill

liveagain.”“Eidolons… ?” Piper’s mind raced. She’d studied all sorts of monsters at

CampHalf-Blood,butthattermwasn’tfamiliar.“You’re—you’resomesortofghost?”“He must die.” Jason turned his attention back to Percy, but Percy had

recoveredmorethaneitherofthemrealized.HesweptouthislegandknockedJasonoffhisfeet.

Jason’sheadhittheasphaltwithanauseatingconk.Percyrose.“Stop it!”Piperscreamedagain,but therewasnocharmspeak inhervoice.

Shewasshoutinginsheerdesperation.PercyraisedRiptideoverJason’schest.PanicclosedupPiper’s throat.Shewanted toattackPercywithherdagger,

but she knew that wouldn’t help. Whatever was controlling him had all ofPercy’sskill.Therewasnowayshecouldbeathimincombat.

She forced herself to focus. She poured all of her anger into her voice.

“Eidolon,stop.”Percyfroze.“Faceme,”Piperordered.Thesonoftheseagodturned.Hiseyesweregoldinsteadofgreen,hisface

paleandcruel,notatalllikePercy’s.“Youhavenotchosen,”hesaid.“Sothisonewilldie.”“You’re a spirit from the Underworld,” Piper guessed. “You’re possessing

PercyJackson.Isthatit?”Percy sneered. “I will live again in this body. The Earth Mother has

promised.IwillgowhereIplease,controlwhomIwish.”AwaveofcoldwashedoverPiper.“Leo…that’swhathappenedtoLeo.He

wasbeingcontrolledbyaneidolon.”ThethinginPercy’sformlaughedwithouthumor.“Toolateyourealize.You

cantrustnoone.”Jasonstillwasn’tmoving.Piperhadnohelp,nowaytoprotecthim.BehindPercy, something rustled in thewheat. Piper saw the tip of a black

wing,andPercybegantoturntowardthesound.“Ignoreit!”sheyelped.“Lookatme.”Percyobeyed.“Youcannotstopme.IwillkillJasonGrace.”Behindhim,Blackjackemergedfromthewheatfield,movingwithsurprising

stealthforsuchalargeanimal.“Youwon’t kill him,”Piper ordered.But shewasn’t looking atPercy.She

lockedeyeswiththepegasus,pouringallherpowerintoherwordsandhopingBlackjackwouldunderstand.“Youwillknockhimout.”

ThecharmspeakwashedoverPercy.Heshiftedhisweightindecisively.“I…willknockhimout?”

“Oh,sorry.”Pipersmiled.“Iwasn’ttalkingtoyou.”BlackjackrearedandbroughthishoofdownonPercy’shead.PercycrumpledtothepavementnexttoJason.“Oh,gods!”Piperrantotheboys.“Blackjack,youdidn’tkillhim,didyou?”Thepegasus snorted.Piper couldn’t speakHorse,but she thoughthemight

havesaid:Please.Iknowmyownstrength.

Tempestwasnowheretobeseen.Thelightningsteedhadapparentlyreturnedtowhereverstormspiritsliveoncleardays.

Piper checked on Jason.Hewas breathing steadily, but two knocks on theskullintwodayscouldn’thavebeengoodforhim.ThensheexaminedPercy’shead.Shedidn’t seeanyblood,but a largeknotwas formingwhere thehorsehad kicked him. “We have to get them both back to the ship,” she toldBlackjack.

Thepegasusbobbedhishead inagreement.Heknelt to theground, so thatPiper could drape Percy and Jason over his back. After a lot of hard work(unconsciousboyswereheavy),shegotthemreasonablysecured,climbedontoBlackjack’sbackherself,andtheytookofffortheship.

TheotherswerealittlesurprisedwhenPipercamebackonapegasuswithtwounconsciousdemigods.WhileFrankandHazel tended toBlackjack,AnnabethandLeohelpedgetPiperandtheboystothesickbay.

“Atthisrate,we’regoingtorunoutofambrosia,”CoachHedgegrumbledashetendedtheirwounds.“HowcomeInevergetinvitedontheseviolenttrips?”

PipersatatJason’sside.Sheherselffeltfineafteraswigofnectarandsomewater,butshewasstillworriedabouttheboys.

“Leo,”Pipersaid,“arewereadytosail?”“Yeah,but—”“SetcourseforAtlanta.I’llexplainlater.”“But…okay.”Hehurriedoff.Annabeth didn’t argue with Piper either. She was too busy examining the

horseshoe-shapeddentonthebackofPercy’shead.“Whathithim?”shedemanded.“Blackjack,”Pipersaid.“What?”Piper tried toexplainwhileCoachHedgeappliedsomehealingpaste to the

boys’heads.She’dneverbeenimpressedwithHedge’snursingabilitiesbefore,buthemusthavedonesomethingright.Eitherthat,orthespiritsthatpossessedtheboyshadalsomadethemextraresilient.Theybothgroanedandopenedtheir

eyes.Withinafewminutes,JasonandPercyweresittingupintheirberthsandable

totalkincompletesentences.Bothhadfuzzymemoriesofwhathadhappened.WhenPiperdescribedtheirduelonthehighway,Jasonwinced.

“Knockedouttwiceintwodays,”hemuttered.“Somedemigod.”HeglancedsheepishlyatPercy.“Sorry,man.Ididn’tmeantoblastyou.”

Percy’s shirt was peppered with burn holes. His hair was even moredisheveled thannormal.Despite that,hemanagedaweak laugh.“Not the firsttime.Yourbigsistergotmegoodonceatcamp.”

“Yeah,but…Icouldhavekilledyou.”“OrIcouldhavekilledyou,”Percysaid.Jasonshrugged.“Ifthere’dbeenanoceaninKansas,maybe.”“Idon’tneedanocean—”“Boys,”Annabethinterrupted,“I’msureyoubothwould’vebeenwonderful

atkillingeachother.Butrightnow,youneedsomerest.”“Food first,”Percysaid.“Please?Andwe reallyneed to talk.Bacchussaid

somethingsthatdon’t—”“Bacchus?”Annabeth raised her hand. “Okay, fine.We need to talk.Mess

hall.Tenminutes. I’ll tell theothers.Andplease,Percy…changeyourclothes.Yousmelllikeyou’vebeenrunoverbyanelectrichorse.”

Leo gave the helm to CoachHedge again, aftermaking the satyr promise hewouldnotsteerthemtothenearestmilitarybase“forfun.”

They gathered around the dining table, and Piper explained what hadhappened at TOPEKA 32—their conversation with Bacchus, the trap sprung byGaea,theeidolonsthathadpossessedtheboys.

“Of course!” Hazel slapped the table, which startled Frank so much, hedroppedhisburrito.“That’swhathappenedtoLeotoo.”

“Soitwasn’tmyfault.”Leoexhaled.“Ididn’tstartWorldWarThree.Ijustgotpossessedbyanevilspirit.That’sarelief!”

“But the Romans don’t know that,” Annabeth said. “Andwhywould theytakeourwordforit?”

“WecouldcontactReyna,”Jasonsuggested.“Shewouldbelieveus.”HearingthewayJasonsaidhername,likeitwasalifelinetohispast,made

Piper’sheartsink.Jason turned toherwithahopefulgleam inhis eyes. “Youcouldconvince

her,Pipes.Iknowyoucould.”Piperfeltlikeallthebloodinherbodywasdrainingintoherfeet.Annabeth

looked at her sympathetically, as if to say:Boys are so clueless.Even Hazelwinced.

“I could try,” she said halfheartedly. “But Octavian is the onewe have toworryabout.Inmydaggerblade,IsawhimtakingcontroloftheRomancrowd.I’mnotsureReynacanstophim.”

Jason’sexpressiondarkened.Piperdidn’tgetanypleasurefromburstinghisbubble,buttheotherRomans—HazelandFrank—noddedinagreement.

“She’s right,”Frank said. “This afternoonwhenwewere scouting,we saweagles again. They were a long way off, but closing fast. Octavian is on thewarpath.”

Hazelgrimaced.“ThisisexactlythesortofopportunityOctavianhasalwayswanted.He’ll try to seize power. IfReyna objects, he’ll say she’s soft on theGreeks.Asforthoseeagles…It’sliketheycouldsmellus.”

“Theycan,”Jasonsaid.“Romaneaglescanhuntdemigodsbytheirmagicalscentevenbetterthanmonsterscan.Thisshipmightconcealussomewhat,butnotcompletely—notfromthem.”

Leodrummedhisfingers.“Great.Ishouldhaveinstalledasmokescreenthatmakestheshipsmelllikeagiantchickennugget.Remindmetoinventthat,nexttime.”

Hazelfrowned.“Whatisachickennugget?”“Oh, man…” Leo shook his head in amazement. “That’s right. You’ve

missedthelastlike,seventyyears.Well,myapprentice,achickennugget—”“Doesn’tmatter,”Annabethinterrupted.“Thepointis,we’llhaveahardtime

explainingthetruthtotheRomans.Eveniftheybelieveus—”“You’re right.” Jason leaned forward. “We should just keep going. Once

we’reovertheAtlantic,we’llbesafe—atleastfromthelegion.”

Hesoundedsodepressed,Piperdidn’tknowwhethertofeelsorryforhimorresentful.“Howcanyoubesure?”sheasked.“Whywouldn’ttheyfollowus?”

He shook his head. “You heard Reyna talking about the ancient lands.They’remuchtoodangerous.Romandemigodshavebeenforbiddentogothereforgenerations.EvenOctaviancouldn’tgetaroundthatrule.”

Frankswallowedabiteofburritolikeithadturnedtocardboardinhismouth.“So,ifwegothere…”

“We’ll be outlaws as well as traitors,” Jason confirmed. “Any Romandemigodwould have the right to kill us on sight.But Iwouldn’tworry aboutthat.IfwegetacrosstheAtlantic,they’llgiveuponchasingus.They’llassumethatwe’lldieintheMediterranean—theMareNostrum.”

PercypointedhispizzasliceatJason.“You,sir,arearayofsunshine.”Jason didn’t argue. The other demigods stared at their plates, except for

Percy,whocontinuedtoenjoyhispizza.Whereheputallthatfood,Piperdidn’tknow.Theguycouldeatlikeasatyr.

“Solet’splanahead,”Percysuggested,“andmakesurewedon’tdie.Mr.D—Bacchus—Ugh,doIhavetocallhimMr.Bnow?Anyway,hementionedthetwinsinElla’sprophecy.Twogiants.Otisand,uh,somethingthatstartedwithanF?”

“Ephialtes,”Jasonsaid.“Twingiants, likePipersawinherblade…”Annabethranher fingeralong

the rimofhercup.“I remembera storyabout twingiants.They tried to reachMountOlympusbypilingupabunchofmountains.”

Franknearlychoked.“Well,that’sgreat.Giantswhocanusemountainslikebuildingblocks.Andyou sayBacchuskilled theseguyswith a pineconeon astick?”

“Somethinglikethat,”Percysaid.“Idon’tthinkweshouldcountonhishelpthistime.Hewantedatribute,andhemadeitprettyclearitwouldbeatributewecouldn’thandle.”

Silence fell around the table. Piper could hear Coach Hedge above decksinging“BlowtheManDown,”excepthedidn’tknowthelyrics,sohemostlysang,“Blah-blah-hum-de-dum-dum.”

Pipercouldn’t shake the feeling thatBacchuswasmeant tohelp them.ThegianttwinswereinRome.Theywerekeepingsomethingthedemigodsneeded—somethinginthatbronzejar.Whateveritwas,shegotthefeelingitheldtheanswer to sealing theDoors ofDeath—the key to endless death.She also feltsure they could never defeat the giants without Bacchus’s help. And if theycouldn’t do that in five days,Romewould be destroyed, andHazel’s brother,Nico,woulddie.

Ontheotherhand, if thevisionofBacchusofferingherasilvergobletwasfalse,maybe the other visions didn’t have to come true either—especially theoneofher,Percy,andJasondrowning.Maybethatwasjustsymbolic.The blood of a female demigod, Gaea had said, and the blood of a male.

Piper,mydear,choosewhichherowilldiewithyou.“Shewantstwoofus,”Pipermurmured.Everyoneturnedtolookather.Piperhatedbeingthecenterofattention.Maybethatwasstrangeforachild

of Aphrodite, but she’d watched her dad, the movie star, deal with fame foryears.SherememberedwhenAphroditehadclaimedheratthebonfireinfrontoftheentirecamp,zappingherwithamagicbeauty-queenmakeover.Thathadbeenthemostembarrassingmomentofherlife.Evenhere,withonlysixotherdemigods,Piperfeltexposed.

They’remyfriends,shetoldherself.It’sokay.Butshehadastrangefeeling…asifmorethansixsetsofeyeswerewatching

her.“Todayonthehighway,”shesaid,“Gaeatoldmethatsheneededtheblood

of only two demigods—one female, onemale. She—she askedme to choosewhichboywoulddie.”

Jasonsqueezedherhand.“Butneitherofusdied.Yousavedus.”“Iknow.It’sjust…Whywouldshewantthat?”Leowhistled softly. “Guys, remember at theWolfHouse?Our favorite ice

princess,Khione?ShetalkedaboutspillingJason’sblood,howitwouldtainttheplaceforgenerations.Maybedemigodbloodhassomekindofpower.”

“Oh…”Percy set down his third pizza slice.He leaned back and stared at

nothing,asifthehorsekicktohisheadhadjustnowregistered.“Percy?”Annabethgrippedhisarm.“Oh,bad,”hemuttered.“Bad.Bad.”HelookedacrossthetableatFrankand

Hazel.“YouguysrememberPolybotes?”“ThegiantwhoinvadedCampJupiter,”Hazelsaid.“Theanti-Poseidonyou

whackedintheheadwithaTerminusstatue.Yes,IthinkIremember.”“Ihadadream,”Percysaid,“whenwewereflyingtoAlaska.Polyboteswas

talking to thegorgons,andhe said—hesaidhewantedme takenprisoner,notkilled.Hesaid:‘Iwantthatonechainedatmyfeet,soIcankillhimwhenthetimeisripe.HisbloodshallwaterthestonesofMountOlympusandwakeEarthMother!’”

Piper wondered if the room’s temperature controls were broken, becausesuddenly she couldn’t stop shaking. It was the same way she’d felt on thehighwayoutsideTopeka.“Youthinkthegiantswoulduseourblood…thebloodoftwoofus—”

“Idon’tknow,”Percysaid.“Butuntilwefigureitout,Isuggestwealltrytoavoidgettingcaptured.”

Jasongrunted.“ThatIagreewith.”“Buthowdowefigureitout?”Hazelasked.“TheMarkofAthena,thetwins,

Ella’sprophecy…howdoesitallfittogether?”Annabeth pressed her hands against the edge of the table. “Piper, you told

LeotosetourcourseforAtlanta.”“Right,” Piper said. “Bacchus told us we should seek out…what was his

name?”“Phorcys,”Percysaid.Annabethlookedsurprised,likeshewasn’tusedtoherboyfriendhavingthe

answers.“Youknowhim?”Percy shrugged. “I didn’t recognize the name at first. Then Bacchus

mentionedsaltwater,anditrangabell.Phorcysisanoldseagodfrombeforemydad’stime.Nevermethim,butsupposedlyhe’sasonofGaea.Istilldon’tunderstandwhataseagodwouldbedoinginAtlanta.”

Leosnorted.“What’sawinegoddoinginKansas?Godsareweird.Anyway,

weshouldreachAtlantabynoontomorrow,unlesssomethingelsegoeswrong.”“Don’t even say that,”Annabethmuttered. “It’sgetting late.We should all

getsomesleep.”“Wait,”Pipersaid.Oncemore,everyonelookedather.Shewas rapidly losinghercourage,wondering ifher instinctswerewrong,

butsheforcedherselftospeak.“There’s one last thing,” she said. “The eidolons—the possessing spirits.

They’restillhere,inthisroom.”

PIPERCOULDN’TEXPLAINHOWSHEKNEW.Storiesofphantomsandtorturedsoulshadalwaysfreakedherout.Herdad

usedtojokeaboutGrandpaTom’sCherokeelegendsfrombackontherez,buteven at home in their big Malibu mansion, looking out over the Pacific,wheneverherdadrecountedtheghoststoriesforher,shecouldnevergetthemoutofherhead.

Cherokeespiritswerealwaysrestless.TheyoftenlosttheirwaytotheLandof the Dead, or stayed behind with the living out of sheer stubbornness.Sometimestheydidn’tevenrealizetheyweredead.

ThemorePiperlearnedaboutbeingademigod,themoreconvincedshewasthat Cherokee legends and Greek myths weren’t so different. These eidolonsactedalotlikethespiritsinherdad’sstories.

Piperhadagutsensetheywerestillpresent,simplybecausenoonehadtoldthemtogoaway.

Whenshewasdoneexplaining, theothers lookedatheruncomfortably.Upondeck,Hedgesangsomethingthatsoundedlike“IntheNavy”whileBlackjackstompedhishooves,whinnyinginprotest.

FinallyHazelexhaled.“Piperisright.”

“Howcanyoubesure?”Annabethasked.“I’ve met eidolons,” Hazel said. “In the Underworld, when I was…you

know.”Dead.PiperhadforgottenthatHazelwasasecond-timer.Inherownway,Hazeltoo

wasaghostreborn.“So…” Frank rubbed his hand across his buzz-cut hair as if some ghosts

mighthaveinvadedhisscalp.“Youthinkthesethingsarelurkingontheship,or—”

“Possiblylurkinginsidesomeofus,”Pipersaid.“Wedon’tknow.”Jasonclenchedhisfist.“Ifthat’strue—”“Wehavetotakesteps,”Pipersaid.“IthinkIcandothis.”“Dowhat?”Percyasked.“Justlisten,okay?”Pipertookadeepbreath.“Everybodylisten.”Pipermettheireyes,onepersonatatime.“Eidolons,”shesaid,usinghercharmspeak,“raiseyourhands.”Therewastensesilence.Leolaughednervously.“Didyoureallythinkthatwasgoingto—?”Hisvoicedied.Hisfacewentslack.Heraisedhishand.JasonandPercydidthesame.Theireyeshadturnedglassyandgold.Hazel

caughtherbreath.NexttoLeo,Frankscrambledoutofhischairandputhisbackagainstthewall.

“Oh,gods.”AnnabethlookedatPiperimploringly.“Canyoucurethem?”Piperwantedtowhimperandhideunderthetable,butshehadtohelpJason.

Shecouldn’tbelieveshe’dheldhandswith…No,sherefusedtothinkaboutit.ShefocusedonLeobecausehewastheleastintimidating.“Aretheremoreofyouonthisship?”sheasked.“No,” Leo said in a hollow voice. “The Earth Mother sent three. The

strongest,thebest.Wewillliveagain.”“Nothere,youwon’t,”Pipergrowled.“Allthreeofyou,listencarefully.”Jason and Percy turned toward her. Those gold eyes were unnerving, but

seeingallthreeboyslikethatfueledPiper’sanger.

“Youwillleavethosebodies,”shecommanded.“No,”Percysaid.Leoletoutasofthiss.“Wemustlive.”Frankfumbledforhisbow.“MarsAlmighty,that’screepy!Getoutofhere,

spirits!Leaveourfriendsalone!”Leo turned towardhim.“You cannot commandus, child ofwar.Yourown

lifeisfragile.Yoursoulcouldburnatanymoment.”Piper wasn’t sure what that meant, but Frank staggered like he’d been

punchedinthegut.Hedrewanarrow,hishandsshaking.“I—I’vefaceddownworsethingsthanyou.Ifyouwantafight—”

“Frank,don’t.”Hazelrose.Nexttoher,Jasondrewhissword.“Stop!”Piperordered,buthervoicequavered.Shewasrapidlylosingfaithin

her plan. She’d made the eidolons appear, but what now? If she couldn’tpersuade them to leave, any bloodshedwould be her fault. In the back of hermind,shecouldalmosthearGaealaughing.

“ListentoPiper.”HazelpointedatJason’ssword.Thegoldbladeseemedtogrow heavy in his hand. It clunked to the table and Jason sank back into hischair.

Percy growled in a very un-Percy-like way. “Daughter of Pluto, you maycontrolgemsandmetals.Youdonotcontrolthedead.”

Annabethreachedtowardhimasiftorestrainhim,butHazelwavedheroff.“Listen, eidolons,”Hazel said sternly, “you do not belong here. Imay not

commandyou,butPiperdoes.Obeyher.”SheturnedtowardPiper,herexpressionclear:Tryagain.Youcandothis.Pipermusteredallhercourage.ShelookedstraightatJason—straightintothe

eyesofthethingthatwascontrollinghim.“Youwillleavethosebodies,”Piperrepeated,evenmoreforcefully.

Jason’sfacetightened.Hisforeheadbeadedwithsweat.“We—wewillleavethesebodies.”

“You will vow on the River Styx never to return to this ship,” Pipercontinued,“andnevertopossessanymemberofthiscrew.”

LeoandPercybothhissedinprotest.“YouwillpromiseontheRiverStyx,”Piperinsisted.Amomentof tension—shecouldfeel theirwillsfightingagainsthers.Then

allthreeeidolonsspokeinunison:“WepromiseontheRiverStyx.”“Youaredead,”Pipersaid.“Wearedead,”theyagreed.“Now,leave.”Allthreeboysslumpedforward.Percyfellface-firstintohispizza.“Percy!”Annabethgrabbedhim.PiperandHazelcaughtJason’sarmsasheslippedoutofhischair.Leowasn’tsolucky.HefelltowardFrank,whomadenoattempttointercept

him.Leohitthefloor.“Ow!”hegroaned.“Areyouallright?”Hazelasked.Leopulledhimselfup.Hehadapieceofspaghettiintheshapeofa3stuckto

hisforehead.“Diditwork?”“It worked,” Piper said, feeling pretty sure she was right. “I don’t think

they’llbeback.”Jasonblinked.“DoesthatmeanIcanstopgettingheadinjuriesnow?”Piperlaughed,exhalingallhernervousness.“Comeon,LightningBoy.Let’s

getyousomefreshair.”

PiperandJasonwalkedbackandforthalongthedeck.Jasonwasstillwobbly,soPiperencouragedhimtowraphisarmaroundherforsupport.

Leostoodatthehelm,conferringwithFestusthroughtheintercom;heknewfromexperiencetogiveJasonandPipersomespace.SincethesatelliteTVwasup again, Coach Hedge was in his cabin happily catching up on his mixedmartialartscagematches.Percy’spegasusBlackjackhadflownoffsomewhere.Theotherdemigodsweresettlinginforthenight.

The Argo II raced east, cruising several hundred feet above the ground.Belowthemsmalltownspassedbylikelit-upislandsinadarkseaofprairie.

Piper remembered last winter, flying Festus the dragon over the city of

Quebec. She had never seen anything so beautiful, or felt so happy to haveJason’sarmsaroundher—butthiswasevenbetter.

The nightwaswarm. The ship sailed alongmore smoothly than a dragon.Best of all, theywere flying away fromCamp Jupiter as fast as theypossiblycould.Nomatterhowdangeroustheancient landswere,Pipercouldn’twait toget there. She hoped Jason was right that the Romans wouldn’t follow themacrosstheAtlantic.

Jasonstoppedamidshipsandleanedagainsttherail.Themoonlightturnedhisblondhairsilver.

“Thanks,Pipes,”hesaid.“Yousavedmeagain.”Heputhisarmaroundherwaist.Shethoughtaboutthedaythey’dfalleninto

theGrandCanyon—thefirsttimeshe’dlearnedthatJasoncouldcontroltheair.He’dheldhersotightly,shecouldfeelhisheartbeat.Thenthey’dstoppedfallingandfloatedinmidair.Best.Boyfriend.Ever.

Shewantedtokisshimnow,butsomethingheldherback.“Idon’tknowifPercywill trustmeanymore,”shesaid.“NotafterI lethis

horseknockhimout.”Jason laughed. “Don’t worry about that. Percy’s a nice guy, but I get the

feelingheneedsaknockontheheadeveryonceinawhile.”“Youcouldhavekilledhim.”Jason’ssmilefaded.“Thatwasn’tme.”“But I almost let you,” Piper said. “When Gaea said I had to choose, I

hesitatedand…”Sheblinked,cursingherselfforcrying.“Don’tbesohardonyourself,”Jasonsaid.“Yousavedusboth.”“Butiftwoofourcrewreallyhavetodie,aboyandagirl—”“Idon’tacceptthat.We’regoingtostopGaea.Allsevenofusaregoingto

comebackalive.Ipromiseyou.”Piperwished that he hadn’t promised. Theword only reminded her of the

ProphecyofSeven:anoathtokeepwithafinalbreath.Please,shethought,wonderingifhermom,thegoddessoflove,couldhear

her.Don’tletitbeJason’sfinalbreath.Iflovemeansanything,don’ttakehim

away.Assoonasshehadmadethewish,shefeltguilty.Howcouldshestandtosee

AnnabethinthatkindofpainifPercydied?Howcouldshelivewithherselfifanyof thesevendemigodsdied?Already,eachof themhadenduredsomuch.EventhetwonewRomankids,HazelandFrank,whomPiperbarelyknew,feltlike kin. At Camp Jupiter, Percy had recounted their trip to Alaska, whichsounded as harrowing as anything Piper had experienced. And from the wayHazel and Frank tried to help during the exorcism, she could tell they werebrave,goodpeople.

“The legend that Annabeth mentioned,” she said, “about the Mark ofAthena…whydidn’tyouwanttotalkaboutit?”

Shewas afraid Jasonmight shut her out, but he just lowered his head likehe’dbeenexpecting thequestion.“Pipes, Idon’tknowwhat’s trueandwhat’snot.Thatlegend…itcouldbereallydangerous.”

“Forwho?”“Allofus,”hesaidgrimly.“ThestorygoesthattheRomansstolesomething

importantfromtheGreeks,backinancienttimes,whentheRomansconqueredtheGreeks’cities.”

Piperwaited,butJasonseemedlostinthought.“Whatdidtheysteal?”sheasked.“Idon’tknow,”hesaid.“I’mnotsureanyoneinthelegionhaseverknown.

Butaccordingtothestory,thisthingwastakenawaytoRomeandhiddenthere.The children of Athena, Greek demigods, have hated us ever since. They’vealways stirredup theirbrethrenagainst theRomans.Like I said, Idon’tknowhowmuchofthatistrue—”

“ButwhynotjusttellAnnabeth?”Piperasked.“She’snotgoingtosuddenlyhateyou.”

Heseemedtohavetroublefocusingonher.“Ihopenot.Butthelegendsaysthat the children of Athena have been searching for this thing for millennia.Everygeneration,afewarechosenbythegoddesstofindit.Apparently,they’reledtoRomebysomesign…theMarkofAthena.”

“IfAnnabethisoneofthosesearchers…weshouldhelpher.”

Jasonhesitated.“Maybe.WhenwegetclosertoRome,I’lltellherwhatlittleIknow.Honest.But thestory,at least thewayIheard it—itclaims that if theGreekseverfoundwhatwasstolen,they’dneverforgiveus.They’ddestroythelegionandRome,onceandforall.AfterwhatNemesistoldLeo,aboutRome’sbeingdestroyedfivedaysfromnow…”

PiperstudiedJason’sface.Hewas,withoutadoubt,thebravestpersonshe’deverknown,butsherealizedhewasafraid.Thislegend—theideathatitmighttearaparttheirgroupandlevelacity—absolutelyterrifiedhim.

PiperwonderedwhatcouldhavebeenstolenfromtheGreeksthatwouldbeso important. She couldn’t imagine anything that would make Annabethsuddenlyturnvengeful.

Then again, Piper couldn’t imagine choosing one demigod’s life overanother, and today on that deserted road, just for amoment,Gaea had almosttemptedher.…

“I’msorry,bytheway,”Jasonsaid.Piperwiped the last tear fromherface.“Sorryforwhat?Itwas theeidolon

whoattacked—”“Notaboutthat.”ThelittlescaronJason’supperlipseemedtoglowwhitein

themoonlight. She’d always loved that scar. The imperfectionmade his facemuchmoreinteresting.

“IwasstupidtoaskyoutocontactReyna,”hesaid.“Iwasn’tthinking.”“Oh.”Piperlookedupatthecloudsandwonderedifhermother,Aphrodite,

wassomehowinfluencinghim.Hisapologyseemedtoogoodtobetrue.Butdon’tstop,shethought.“Really,it’sokay.”“It’sjust…IneverfeltthatwaytowardReyna,”Jasonsaid,“soIdidn’tthink

aboutitsmakingyouuncomfortable.You’vegotnothingtoworryabout,Pipes.”“I wanted to hate her,” Piper admitted. “I was so afraid you’d go back to

CampJupiter.”Jasonlookedsurprised.“Thatwouldneverhappen.Notunlessyoucamewith

me.Ipromise.”Piper held his hand. She managed a smile, but she was thinking: Another

promise.Anoathtokeepwithafinalbreath.

She tried to put those thoughts out of hermind. She knew she should justenjoythisquietmomentwithJason.Butasshelookedoverthesideoftheship,shecouldn’thelp rememberinghowmuch theprairieatnight looked likedarkwater—likethedrowningroomshe’dseeninthebladeofherknife.

FORGET THE CHICKEN-NUGGET SMOKE SCREEN. Percy wanted Leo to invent ananti-dreamhat.

That night he had horrible nightmares. First he dreamed he was back inAlaskaonthequestforthelegion’seagle.Hewashikingalongamountainroad,but as soon as he stepped off the shoulder he was swallowed by the bog—muskeg,Hazelhadcalledit.Hefoundhimselfchokinginmud,unabletomoveorseeorbreathe.Forthefirsttimeinhislife,heunderstoodwhatitwasliketodrown.It’sjustadream,hetoldhimself.I’llwakeup.Butthatdidn’tmakeitanylessterrifying.Percyhadneverbeenscaredofwater.Itwashisfather’selement.Butsince

themuskeg experience, he’d developed a fear of suffocation. He could neveradmitthistoanyone,butithadevenmadehimnervousaboutgoinginthewater.He knew that was silly. He couldn’t drown. But he also suspected that if hedidn’tcontrolthefear,itmightstartcontrollinghim.

He thoughtabouthis friendThalia,whowasscaredofheightseven thoughshewasthedaughteroftheskygod.Herbrother,Jason,couldflybysummoningthewinds. Thalia couldn’t,maybe because shewas too afraid to try. If Percy

startedtobelievehecoulddrown…Themuskegpressedagainsthischest.Hislungswantedtoburst.Stoppanicking,hetoldhimself.Thisisn’treal.Justwhenhecouldn’tholdhisbreathanylonger,thedreamchanged.Hestoodinavastgloomyspacelikeanundergroundparkinggarage.Rows

of stone pillars marched off in every direction, holding up the ceiling abouttwentyfeetabove.Freestandingbrazierscastadimredglowoverthefloor.

Percycouldn’tseeveryfarintheshadows,buthangingfromtheceilingwerepulley systems, sandbags, and rows of dark theater lights. Piled around thechamber,woodencrateswerelabeledPROPS,WEAPONS,andCOSTUMES.Oneread:ASSORTEDROCKETLAUNCHERS.

Percy heard machinery creaking in the darkness, huge gears turning, andwaterrushingthroughpipes.

Thenhesawthegiant…oratleastPercyguessedthathewasagiant.Hewasabout twelve feet tall—arespectableheight foraCyclops,butonly

halfastallasothergiantsPercyhaddealtwith.Healsolookedmorehumanthana typical giant,without thedragonlike legsof his larger kin.Nevertheless, hislongpurplehairwasbraidedinaponytailofdreadlocks,wovenwithgoldandsilvercoins,whichstruckPercyasagiantishhairstyle.Hehadaten-footspearstrappedtohisback—agiantishweapon.

Hewore the largest black turtleneckPercy had ever seen, black pants, andblack leather shoeswithpoints so longandcurly, theymighthavebeen jesterslippers. He paced back and forth in front of a raised platform, examining abronzejaraboutthesizeofPercy.

“No, no, no,” the giantmuttered to himself. “Where’s the splash?Where’sthevalue?”Heyelledintothedarkness,“Otis!”

Percyheardsomethingshufflinginthedistance.Anothergiantappearedoutof the gloom.Hewore exactly the same black outfit, right down to the curlyshoes.Theonlydifferencebetweenthetwogiantswasthatthesecondone’shairwasgreenratherthanpurple.

Thefirstgiantcursed.“Otis,whydoyoudothistomeeveryday?ItoldyouIwaswearingtheblackturtlenecktoday.Youcouldwearanythingbuttheblack

turtleneck!”Otisblinkedasifhe’djustwokenup.“Ithoughtyouwerewearingtheyellow

togatoday.”“Thatwasyesterday!Whenyoushowedupintheyellowtoga!”“Oh.Right.Sorry,Ephie.”His brother snarled. They had to be twins, because their faces were

identicallyugly.“Anddon’tcallmeEphie,”Ephiedemanded.“CallmeEphialtes.That’smy

name.Oryoucanusemystagename:TheBIGF!”Otisgrimaced.“I’mstillnotsureaboutthatstagename.”“Nonsense!It’sperfect.Now,howarethepreparationscomingalong?”“Fine.” Otis didn’t sound very enthusiastic. “The man-eating tigers, the

spinningblades…ButIstillthinkafewballerinaswouldbenice.”“Noballerinas!”Ephialtessnapped.“Andthisthing.”Hewavedatthebronze

jarindisgust.“Whatdoesitdo?It’snotexciting.”“Butthat’sthewholepointoftheshow.Hediesunlesstheothersrescuehim.

Andiftheyarriveonschedule—”“Oh,they’dbetter!”Ephialtessaid.“JulyFirst,theKalendsofJuly,sacredto

Juno.That’swhenMotherwantstodestroythosestupiddemigodsandreallyrubitinJuno’sface.Besides,I’mnotpayingovertimeforthosegladiatorghosts!”

“Well, then, theyalldie,”Otissaid,“andwestart thedestructionofRome.Just likeMotherwants. It’ll be perfect.The crowdwill love it.Romanghostsadorethissortofthing.”

Ephialtes looked unconvinced. “But the jar just stands there. Couldn’t wesuspenditaboveafire,ordissolveitinapoolofacidorsomething?”

“We need him alive for a few more days,” Otis reminded his brother.“Otherwise,thesevenwon’ttakethebaitandrushtosavehim.”

“Hmm. I suppose. I’d still like a littlemore screaming. This slow death isboring. Ah, well, what about our talented friend? Is she ready to receive hervisitor?”

Otis made a sour face. “I really don’t like talking to her. She makes menervous.”

“Butissheready?”“Yes,”Otissaidreluctantly.“She’sbeenreadyforcenturies.Noonewillbe

removingthatstatue.”“Excellent.”Ephialtesrubbedhishandstogetherinanticipation.“Thisisour

bigchance,mybrother.”“That’swhatyousaidaboutourlaststunt,”Otismumbled.“Iwashangingin

thatblockoficesuspendedovertheRiverLetheforsixmonths,andwedidn’tevengetanymediaattention.”

“This is different!” Ephialtes insisted. “We will set a new standard forentertainment! IfMother is pleased,we canwrite our own ticket to fame andfortune!”

“Ifyou say so,”Otis sighed. “Though I still think thoseballerina costumesfromSwanLakewouldlooklovely—”

“Noballet!”“Sorry.”“Come,”Ephialtessaid.“Let’sexaminethetigers.Iwanttobesuretheyare

hungry!”Thegiantslumberedoffintothegloom,andPercyturnedtowardthejar.Ineedtoseeinside,hethought.Hewilledhisdreamforward,righttothesurfaceofthejar.Thenhepassed

through.Theairinthejarsmelledofstalebreathandtarnishedmetal.Theonlylight

came from the dim purple glow of a dark sword, its Stygian iron blade setagainstonesideofthecontainer.Huddlednexttoitwasadejected-lookingboyin tattered jeans, a black shirt, and an old aviator jacket.On his right hand, asilverskullringglittered.

“Nico,”Percycalled.ButthesonofHadescouldn’thearhim.Thecontainerwascompletelysealed.Theairwasturningpoisonous.Nico’s

eyeswereclosed,hisbreathingshallow.Heappearedtobemeditating.Hisfacewaspale,andthinnerthanPercyremembered.

Ontheinnerwallofthejar,itlookedasthoughNicohadscratchedthreehashmarkswithhissword—maybeithadbeenthreedaysthathe’dbeenimprisoned?

Itdidn’t seempossiblehecouldhavesurvivedso longwithout suffocating.Even in a dream,Percywas already starting to feel panicky, struggling to getenoughoxygen.

Then he noticed something between Nico’s feet—a small collection ofglisteningobjectsnobiggerthanbabyteeth.

Seeds,Percyrealized.Pomegranateseeds.Threehadbeeneatenandspitout.Fivewerestillencasedindarkredpulp.

“Nico,”Percysaid,“whereisthisplace?We’llsaveyou.…”Theimagefaded,andagirl’svoicewhispered:“Percy.”Atfirst,Percythoughthewasstillasleep.Whenhe’dlosthismemory,he’d

spentweeksdreamingaboutAnnabeth,theonlypersonherememberedfromhispast.Ashiseyesopenedandhisvisioncleared,herealizedshewasreallythere.

Shewasstandingbyhisberth,smilingdownathim.Her blond hair fell across her shoulders. Her storm-gray eyes were bright

withamusement.He rememberedhis firstdayatCampHalf-Blood, fiveyearsago,whenhe’dwokenfromadazeandfoundAnnabethstandingoverhim.Shehadsaid,Youdroolwhenyousleep.

Shewassentimentalthatway.“Wh—what’sgoingon?”heasked.“Arewethere?”“No,”shesaid,hervoicelow.“It’sthemiddleofthenight.”“You mean…” Percy’s heart started to race. He realized he was in his

pajamas,inbed.Heprobablyhadbeendrooling,oratleastmakingweirdnoisesas he dreamed. No doubt he had a severe case of pillow hair and his breathdidn’tsmellgreat.“Yousneakedintomycabin?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Percy, you’ll be seventeen in twomonths.Youcan’tseriouslybeworriedaboutgettingintotroublewithCoachHedge.”

“Uh,haveyouseenhisbaseballbat?”“Besides,SeaweedBrain, I just thoughtwe could take awalk.Wehaven’t

hadanytimetobetogetheralone.Iwanttoshowyousomething—myfavoriteplaceaboardtheship.”

Percy’s pulsewas still in overdrive, but itwasn’t from fear of getting intotrouble.“CanI,youknow,brushmyteethfirst?”

“You’dbetter,”Annabeth said. “Because I’mnot kissingyouuntil youdo.Andbrushyourhairwhileyou’reatit.”

For a trireme, the shipwashuge,but it still felt cozy toPercy—likehisdormbuilding back at Yancy Academy, or any of the other boarding schools he’dgotten kicked out of. Annabeth and he crept downstairs to the second deck,whichPercyhadn’texploredexceptforsickbay.

She led him past the engine room, which looked like a very dangerous,mechanizedjunglegym,withpipesandpistonsandtubesjuttingfromacentralbronze sphere. Cables resembling giantmetal noodles snaked across the floorandranupthewalls.

“Howdoesthatthingevenwork?”Percyasked.“No idea,” Annabeth said. “And I’m the only one besides Leo who can

operateit.”“That’sreassuring.”“Itshouldbefine.It’sonlythreatenedtoblowuponce.”“You’rekidding,Ihope.”Shesmiled.“Comeon.”Theyworked theirway past the supply rooms and the armory.Toward the

sternoftheship,theyreachedasetofwoodendoubledoorsthatopenedintoalargestable.The roomsmelledof freshhayandwoolblankets.Lining the leftwall were three empty horse stalls like the ones they used for pegasi back atcamp.Therightwallhadtwoemptycagesbigenoughforlargezooanimals.

In the center of the floor was a twenty-foot-square see-through panel. Farbelow,thenightlandscapewhiskedby—milesofdarkcountrysidecrisscrossedwithilluminatedhighwayslikethestrandsofaweb.

“Aglass-bottomedboat?”Percyasked.Annabethgrabbedablanketfromtheneareststablegateandspreaditacross

partoftheglassfloor.“Sitwithme.”Theyrelaxedontheblanketasiftheywerehavingapicnic,andwatchedthe

worldgobybelow.“Leobuilt the stables sopegasi could comeandgoeasily,”Annabeth said.

“Onlyhedidn’trealizethatpegasiprefertoroamfree,sothestablesarealwaysempty.”

Percy wondered where Blackjack was—roaming the skies somewhere,hopefully following their progress. Percy’s head still throbbed from gettingwhoppedbyBlackjack’shoof,buthedidn’tholdthatagainstthehorse.

“What do youmean,comeandgo easily?” he asked. “Wouldn’t a pegasushavetomakeitdowntwoflightsofstairs?”

Annabethrappedherknucklesontheglass.“Thesearebaydoors, likeonabomber.”

Percygulped.“Youmeanwe’resittingondoors?Whatiftheyopened?”“Isupposewe’dfalltoourdeaths.Buttheywon’topen.Mostlikely.”“Great.”Annabethlaughed.“YouknowwhyIlikeithere?It’snotjusttheview.What

doesthisplaceremindyouof?”Percy looked around: the cages and stables, the Celestial bronze lamp

hangingfromthebeam,thesmellofhay,andofcourseAnnabethsittingclosetohim,herfaceghostlyandbeautifulinthesoftamberlight.

“Thatzootruck,”Percydecided.“TheonewetooktoLasVegas.”Hersmiletoldhimhe’dgottentheanswerright.“Thatwassolongago,”Percysaid.“Wewereinbadshape,strugglingtoget

across the country to find that stupid lightning bolt, trapped in a truckwith abunchofmistreatedanimals.Howcanyoubenostalgicforthat?”

“Because,SeaweedBrain, it’s thefirst timewereally talked,youandme.Itoldyouaboutmyfamily,and…”Shetookouthercampnecklace,strungwithher dad’s college ring and a colorful clay bead for each year at Camp Half-Blood.Now therewas somethingelseon the leathercord: a redcoralpendantPercy had given her when they had started dating. He’d brought it from hisfather’spalaceatthebottomofthesea.

“And,” Annabeth continued, “it reminds me how long we’ve known eachother.Weweretwelve,Percy.Canyoubelievethat?”

“No,”headmitted.“So…youknewyoulikedmefromthatmoment?”Shesmirked.“Ihatedyouatfirst.Youannoyedme.ThenItoleratedyoufor

afewyears.Then—”“Okay,fine.”Sheleanedoverandkissedhim:agood,properkisswithoutanyonewatching

—noRomansanywhere,noscreamingsatyrchaperones.Shepulledaway.“Imissedyou,Percy.”Percywantedtotellherthesamething,butitseemedtoosmallacomment.

WhilehehadbeenontheRomanside,he’dkepthimselfalivealmostsolelybythinkingofAnnabeth.Imissedyoudidn’treallycoverthat.

He remembered earlier in the night, when Piper had forced the eidolon toleavehismind.Percyhadn’tbeenawareof itspresenceuntilshehadusedhercharmspeak. After the eidolon was gone, he felt as if a hot spike had beenremovedfromhis forehead.Hehadn’t realizedhowmuchpainhehadbeen inuntil the spirit left. Then his thoughts became clearer. His soul settledcomfortablybackintohisbody.

Sitting here with Annabeth made him feel the same way. The past fewmonthscouldhavebeenoneofhisstrangedreams.TheeventsatCampJupiterseemedas fuzzyandunrealas that fightwith Jason,when theyhadbothbeencontrolledbytheeidolons.

Yethedidn’t regret the timehe’d spentatCampJupiter. Ithadopenedhiseyesinalotofways.

“Annabeth,” he said hesitantly, “in New Rome, demigods can live theirwholelivesinpeace.”

Her expression turnedguarded. “Reynaexplained it tome.But,Percy,youbelongatCampHalf-Blood.Thatotherlife—”

“Iknow,”Percysaid.“ButwhileIwasthere,Isawsomanydemigodslivingwithoutfear:kidsgoingtocollege,couplesgettingmarriedandraisingfamilies.There’s nothing like that at CampHalf-Blood. I kept thinking about you andme…andmaybesomedaywhenthiswarwiththegiantsisover…”

Itwashardtotellinthegoldenlight,buthethoughtAnnabethwasblushing.“Oh,”shesaid.

Percywas afraid he’d said toomuch.Maybe he’d scared her with his bigdreams of the future. She was usually the one with the plans. Percy cursed

himselfsilently.As long as he’d known Annabeth, he still felt like he understood so little

abouther.Evenafter they’dbeendatingseveralmonths, their relationshiphadalways felt new and delicate, like a glass sculpture.Hewas terrified of doingsomethingwrongandbreakingit.

“I’msorry,”hesaid.“Ijust…Ihadtothinkofthattokeepgoing.Togivemehope.ForgetImentioned—”

“No!” she said. “No, Percy.Gods, that’s so sweet. It’s just…wemay haveburnedthatbridge.Ifwecan’trepairthingswiththeRomans—well,thetwosetsof demigodshavenever gotten along.That’swhy thegodskept us separate. Idon’tknowifwecouldeverbelongthere.”

Percydidn’twanttoargue,buthecouldn’tletgoofthehope.Itfeltimportant—not just forAnnabeth and him, but for all the other demigods. Ithad to bepossibletobelongintwodifferentworldsatonce.Afterall,that’swhatbeingademigodwas all about—not quite belonging in themortalworld or onMountOlympus,buttryingtomakepeacewithbothsidesoftheirnature.

Unfortunately,thatgothimthinkingaboutthegods,thewartheywerefacing,andhisdreamaboutthetwinsEphialtesandOtis.

“Iwashavinganightmarewhenyouwokemeup,”headmitted.HetoldAnnabethwhathe’dseen.Eventhemosttroublingpartsdidn’tseemtosurpriseher.Sheshookherhead

sadly when he described Nico’s imprisonment in the bronze jar. She got anangryglintinhereyeswhenhetoldheraboutthegiantsplanningsomesortofRome-destroying extravaganza that would include their painful deaths as theopeningevent.

“Nico is the bait,” shemurmured. “Gaea’s forcesmust have captured himsomehow.Butwedon’tknowexactlywherethey’reholdinghim.”

“SomewhereinRome,”Percysaid.“Somewhereunderground.TheymadeitsoundlikeNicostillhadafewdaystolive,butIdon’tseehowhecouldholdoutsolongwithnooxygen.”

“Fivemore days, according to Nemesis,” Annabeth said. “The Kalends ofJuly.Atleastthedeadlinemakessensenow.”

“What’saKalends?”Annabethsmirked,likeshewaspleasedtheywerebackintheiroldfamiliar

pattern—Percybeingignorant,sheherselfexplainingstuff.“It’sjusttheRomantermforthefirstofthemonth.That’swherewegetthewordcalendar.ButhowcanNicosurvivethatlong?WeshouldtalktoHazel.”

“Now?”Shehesitated.“No.Itcanwaituntilmorning.Idon’twanttohitherwiththis

newsinthemiddleofthenight.”“The giants mentioned a statue,” Percy recalled. “And something about a

talentedfriendwhowasguarding it.Whoever this friendwas,shescaredOtis.Anyonewhocanscareagiant…”

Annabethgazeddownatahighwaysnakingthroughdarkhills.“Percy,haveyouseenPoseidonlately?Orhadanykindofsignfromhim?”

Heshookhishead.“Notsince…Wow.IguessIhaven’tthoughtaboutit.NotsincetheendoftheTitanWar.IsawhimatCampHalf-Blood,butthatwaslastAugust.”Asenseofdreadsettledoverhim.“Why?HaveyouseenAthena?”

Shedidn’tmeethiseyes.“Afewweeksago,”sheadmitted.“It…itwasn’tgood.Shedidn’tseemlike

herself.Maybeit’stheGreek/RomanschizophreniathatNemesisdescribed.I’mnotsure.Shesaidsomehurtfulthings.ShesaidIhadfailedher.”

“Failed her?” Percy wasn’t sure he’d heard her right. Annabeth was theperfect demigod child. She was everything a daughter of Athena should be.“Howcouldyouever—?”

“I don’t know,” she said miserably. “On top of that, I’ve been havingnightmaresofmyown.Theydon’tmakeasmuchsenseasyours.”

Percywaited,butAnnabethdidn’tshareanymoredetails.Hewantedtomakeherfeelbetterandtellheritwouldbeokay,butheknewhecouldn’t.Hewantedtofixeverythingforbothofthemsotheycouldhaveahappyending.Afteralltheseyears,eventhecruelestgodswouldhavetoadmittheydeservedit.

ButhehadagutfeelingthattherewasnothinghecoulddotohelpAnnabeththistime,otherthansimplybethere.Wisdom’sdaughterwalksalone.

Hefeltastrappedandhelplessaswhenhe’dsunkintothemuskeg.

Annabethmanaged a faint smile. “Some romantic evening, huh? Nomorebad things until themorning.”Shekissedhimagain. “We’ll figure everythingout.I’vegotyouback.Fornow,that’sallthatmatters.”

“Right,” Percy said. “No more talk about Gaea rising, Nico being heldhostage,theworldending,thegiants—”

“Shutup,SeaweedBrain,”sheordered.“Justholdmeforawhile.”They sat together cuddling, enjoying each other’s warmth. Before Percy

knewit,thedroneoftheship’sengine,thedimlight,andthecomfortablefeelingofbeingwithAnnabethmadehiseyesheavy,andhedriftedtosleep.

When he woke, daylight was coming through the glass floor, and a boy’svoicesaid,“Oh…Youareinsomuchtrouble.”

PERCY HAD SEEN FRANK SURROUNDED by cannibal ogres, facing down anunkillablegiant,andevenunleashingThanatos,thegodofdeath.Buthe’dneverseenFranklookasterrifiedashedidnow,findingthetwoofthempassedoutinthestables.

“What…?”Percyrubbedhiseyes.“Oh,wejustfellasleep.”Frankswallowed.Hewasdressedinrunningshoes,darkcargopants,anda

VancouverWinterOlympicsT-shirtwithhisRomancenturionbadgepinnedtothe neck (which seemed either sad or hopeful to Percy, now that they wererenegades).Frankavertedhis eyes as if the sightof them togethermightburnhim.

“Everyonethinksyou’vebeenkidnapped,”hesaid.“We’vebeenscouringtheship.WhenCoachHedgefindsout—oh,gods,you’vebeenhereallnight?”

“Frank!”Annabeth’searswereas redasstrawberries.“Wejustcamedownheretotalk.Wefellasleep.Accidentally.That’sit.”

“Kissedacoupleoftimes,”Percysaid.Annabethglaredathim.“Nothelping!”“We’dbetter…”Frankpointed to the stabledoors. “Uh,we’re supposed to

meet for breakfast. Would you explain what you did—I mean didn’t do? I

mean…Ireallydon’twantthatfaun—Imeansatyr—tokillme.”Frankran.When everyone finally gathered in themess hall, itwasn’t quite as bad as

Frank had feared. Jason and Piper were mostly relieved. Leo couldn’t stopgrinning and muttering, “Classic. Classic.” Only Hazel seemed scandalized,maybebecauseshewasfromthe1940s.Shekeptfanningherfaceandwouldn’tmeetPercy’seyes.

Naturally, CoachHedgewent ballistic; but Percy found it hard to take thesatyrseriouslysincehewasbarelyfivefeettall.

“Never in my life!” Coach bellowed, waving his bat and knocking over aplateofapples.“Againsttherules!Irresponsible!”

“Coach,”Annabeth said, “itwas an accident.Wewere talking, andwe fellasleep.”

“Besides,”Percysaid,“you’restartingtosoundlikeTerminus.”Hedge narrowed his eyes. “Is that an insult, Jackson? ’Cause I’ll—I’ll

terminusyou,buddy!”Percy tried not to laugh. “It won’t happen again, Coach. I promise. Now,

don’twehaveotherthingstodiscuss?”Hedge fumed. “Fine! But I’m watching you, Jackson. And you, Annabeth

Chase,Ithoughtyouhadmoresense—”Jasonclearedhisthroat.“Sograbsomefood,everybody.Let’sgetstarted.”

Themeetingwaslikeawarcouncilwithdonuts.Thenagain,backatCampHalf-Blood they used to have theirmost serious discussions around the Ping-PongtableintherecroomwithcrackersandCheezWhiz,soPercyfeltrightathome.

Hetoldthemabouthisdream—thetwingiantsplanningareceptionfortheminanundergroundparkinglotwithrocketlaunchers;NicodiAngelotrappedinabronzejar,slowlydyingfromasphyxiationwithpomegranateseedsathisfeet.

Hazelchokedbackasob.“Nico…Oh,gods.Theseeds.”“Youknowwhattheyare?”Annabethasked.Hazelnodded.“Heshowedthemtomeonce.They’refromourstepmother’s

garden.”

“Yourstep…oh,”Percysaid.“YoumeanPersephone.”Percy hadmet thewife ofHades once. She hadn’t been exactlywarm and

sunny. He had also been to her Underworld garden—a creepy place full ofcrystaltreesandflowersthatbloomedbloodredandghostwhite.

“The seeds are a last-resort food,” Hazel said. Percy could tell she wasnervous,becauseallthesilverwareonthetablewasstartingtomovetowardher.“Only children ofHades can eat them.Nico always kept some in case he gotstucksomewhere.Butifhe’sreallyimprisoned—”

“Thegiantsaretryingtolureus,”Annabethsaid.“They’reassumingwe’lltrytorescuehim.”

“Well, they’re right!” Hazel looked around the table, her confidenceapparentlycrumbling.“Won’twe?”

“Yes!” Coach Hedge yelled with a mouthful of napkins. “It’ll involvefighting,right?”

“Hazel, of coursewe’ll help him,” Frank said. “But how long dowe havebefore…uh,Imean,howlongcanNicoholdout?”

“Oneseedaday,”Hazelsaidmiserably.“That’sifheputshimselfinadeathtrance.”

“Adeathtrance?”Annabethscowled.“Thatdoesn’tsoundfun.”“Itkeepshimfromconsumingallhisair,”Hazelsaid.“Likehibernation,ora

coma.Oneseedcansustainhimoneday,barely.”“Andhehasfiveseedsleft,”Percysaid.“That’sfivedays, includingtoday.

Thegiantsmusthaveplannedit thatway,sowe’dhave toarrivebyJulyfirst.AssumingNicoishiddensomewhereinRome—”

“That’s not much time,” Piper summed up. She put her hand on Hazel’sshoulder. “We’ll find him. At least we know what the lines of the prophecymean now. ‘Twins snuff out the angel’s breath,who holds the key to endlessdeath.’Yourbrother’slastname:diAngelo.AngeloisItalianfor‘angel.’”

“Oh,gods,”Hazelmuttered.“Nico…”Percystaredathisjellydonut.HehadarockyhistorywithNicodiAngelo.

TheguyhadoncetrickedhimintovisitingHades’spalace,andPercyhadendedupinacell.Butmostofthetime,Nicosidedwiththegoodguys.Hecertainly

didn’tdeserveslowsuffocationinabronzejar,andPercycouldn’tstandseeingHazelinpain.

“We’ll rescue him,” he promised her. “We have to. The prophecy says heholdsthekeytoendlessdeath.”

“That’sright,”Pipersaidencouragingly.“Hazel,yourbrotherwentsearchingfortheDoorsofDeathintheUnderworld,right?Hemust’vefoundthem.”

“Hecantelluswherethedoorsare,”Percysaid,“andhowtoclosethem.”Hazeltookadeepbreath.“Yes.Good.”“Uh…”Leoshiftedinhischair.“Onething.Thegiantsareexpectingustodo

this,right?Sowe’rewalkingintoatrap?”HazellookedatLeolikehe’dmadearudegesture.“Wehavenochoice!”“Don’t get me wrong, Hazel. It’s just that your brother, Nico… he knew

aboutbothcamps,right?”“Well,yes,”Hazelsaid.“He’sbeengoingbackandforth,”Leosaid,“andhedidn’ttelleitherside.”Jasonsatforward,hisexpressiongrim.“You’rewonderingifwecantrustthe

guy.SoamI.”Hazelshottoherfeet.“Idon’tbelievethis.He’smybrother.Hebroughtme

backfromtheUnderworld,andyoudon’twanttohelphim?”Frank put his hand on her shoulder. “Nobody’s saying that.” He glared at

Leo.“Nobodyhadbetterbesayingthat.”Leoblinked.“Look,guys.AllImeanis—”“Hazel,”Jasonsaid.“Leoisraisingafairpoint.IrememberNicofromCamp

Jupiter.Now I findout he alsovisitedCampHalf-Blood.That does strikemeas…well,alittleshady.Dowereallyknowwherehisloyaltieslie?Wejusthavetobecareful.”

Hazel’sarmsshook.Asilverplatterzoomed towardherandhit thewall toherleft,splatteringscrambledeggs.“You…thegreatJasonGrace…thepraetorIlookedupto.Youweresupposedtobesofair,suchagoodleader.Andnowyou…”Hazelstompedherfootandstormedoutofthemesshall.

“Hazel!”Leocalledafterher.“Ah,jeez.Ishould—”“You’ve done enough,” Frank growled.He got up to followher, but Piper

gesturedforhimtowait.“Give her time,” Piper advised.Then she frowned atLeo and Jason. “You

guys,thatwasprettycold.”Jasonlookedshocked.“Cold?I’mjustbeingcautious!”“Herbrotherisdying,”Pipersaid.“I’llgotalktoher,”Frankinsisted.“No,”Pipersaid.“Lethercooldownfirst.Trustmeonthis.I’llgocheckon

herinafewminutes.”“But…”Frankhuffedlikeanirritatedbear.“Fine.I’llwait.”Fromupabovecameawhirringsoundlikealargedrill.“That’sFestus,”Leosaid.“I’vegothimonautopilot,butwemustbenearing

Atlanta.I’llhavetogetupthere…uh,assumingweknowwheretoland.”EveryoneturnedtoPercy.Jason raised an eyebrow. “You’re Captain SaltWater. Any ideas from the

expert?”Was that resentment in his voice? Percy wondered if Jason was secretly

miffedabouttheduelinKansas.Jasonhadjokedaboutit,butPercyfiguredthattheybothharboredalittlegrudge.Youcouldn’tputtwodemigodsinafightandnothavethemwonderwhowasstronger.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Somewhere central, high up sowe can get agoodviewofthecity.Maybeaparkwithsomewoods?Wedon’twanttolandawarship in the middle of downtown. I doubt even the Mist could cover upsomethingthathuge.”

Leonodded.“Onit.”Heracedforthestairs.Franksettledbackinhischairuneasily.Percyfeltbadforhim.Onthetripto

Alaska,hehadwatchedHazelandFrankgrowclose.HeknewhowprotectiveFrankfelttowardher.HealsonoticedthebalefullookFrankwasgivingLeo.HedecideditmightbeagoodideatogetFrankofftheshipforawhile.

“Whenweland,I’llscoutaroundinAtlanta,”Percysaid.“Frank,Icoulduseyourhelp.”

“Youmeanturnintoadragonagain?Honestly,Percy,Idon’twanttospendthewholequestbeingeveryone’sflyingtaxi.”

“No,” Percy said. “I want you with me because you’ve got the blood ofPoseidon.Maybeyoucanhelpmefigureoutwheretofindsaltwater.Besides,you’regoodinafight.”

ThatseemedtomakeFrankfeelalittlebetter.“Sure.Iguess.”“Great,”Percysaid.“Weshouldtakeonemore.Annabeth—”“Oh,no!”CoachHedgebarked.“Younglady,youaregrounded.”Annabeth stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language. “Excuse

me?”“You and Jackson are not going anywhere together!” Hedge insisted. He

glared atPercy, daringhim tomouthoff. “I’llgowithFrank andMr.SneakyJackson.TherestofyouguardtheshipandmakesureAnnabethdoesn’tbreakanymorerules!”

Wonderful, Percy thought. A boys’ day out with Frank and a bloodthirstysatyr,tofindsaltwaterinalandlockedcity.

“This,”hesaid,“isgoingtobesomuchfun.”

PERCYCLIMBEDOUTONDECKANDSAID,“WOW.”They had landed near the summit of a forested hill. A complex of white

buildings,likeamuseumorauniversity,nestledinagroveofpinestotheleft.BelowthemspreadthecityofAtlanta—aclusterofbrownandsilverdowntownskyscraperstwomilesaway,risingfromwhatlookedlikeanendlessflatsprawlofhighways,railroadtracks,houses,andgreenswathesofforest.

“Ah, lovely spot.” Coach Hedge inhaled the morning air. “Good choice,Valdez.”

Leo shrugged. “I just picked a tall hill. That’s a presidential library orsomethingoverthere.Atleastthat’swhatFestussays.”

“Idon’tknowaboutthat!”Hedgebarked.“Butdoyourealizewhathappenedonthishill?FrankZhang,youshouldknow!”

Frankflinched.“Ishould?”“AsonofAresstoodhere!”Hedgecriedindignantly.“I’mRoman…soMars,actually.”“Whatever!FamousspotintheAmericanCivilWar!”“I’mCanadian,actually.”“Whatever!GeneralSherman,Union leader.He stoodon thishillwatching

thecityofAtlantaburn.Cutapathofdestructionall thewayfromhere to thesea.Burning,looting,pillaging—nowtherewasademigod!”

Frankinchedawayfromthesatyr.“Uh,okay.”Percydidn’tcaremuchabouthistory,buthewonderedwhetherlandinghere

was a bad omen. He’d heard that most human civil wars started as fightsbetweenGreekandRomandemigods.Nowtheywerestandingonthesiteofonesuchbattle.TheentirecitybelowthemhadbeenleveledonordersofachildofAres.

Percy could imagine some of the kids at Camp Half-Blood giving such acommand. Clarisse La Rue, for instance, wouldn’t hesitate. But he couldn’timagineFrankbeingsoharsh.

“Anyway,”Percysaid,“let’strynottoburndownthecitythistime.”Thecoachlookeddisappointed.“Allright.Butwhereto?”Percypointedtowarddowntown.“Whenindoubt,startinthemiddle.”

Catchingaridetherewaseasierthantheythought.Thethreeofthemheadedtothe presidential library—which turned out to be theCarterCenter—and askedthestaffiftheycouldcallataxiorgivethemdirectionstothenearestbusstop.PercycouldhavesummonedBlackjack,buthewasreluctanttoaskthepegasusfor help so soon after their last disaster. Frank didn’twant to polymorph intoanything.Andbesides,Percywaskindofhopingtotravellikearegularmortalforachange.

One of the librarians, whose name was Esther, insisted on driving thempersonally. Shewas so nice about it, Percy thought shemust be amonster indisguise;butHedgepulledhimasideandassuredhimthatEsthersmelledlikeanormalhuman.

“Withahintofpotpourri,”hesaid.“Cloves.Rosepetals.Tasty!”They piled into Esther’s big black Cadillac and drove toward downtown.

Estherwassotiny,shecouldbarelyseeoverthesteeringwheel;butthatdidn’tseemtobotherher.Shemuscledhercarthroughtrafficwhileregalingthemwithstories about the crazy families of Atlanta—the old plantation owners, thefoundersofCoca-Cola,thesportsstars,andtheCNNnewspeople.Shesounded

soknowledgeablethatPercydecidedtotryhisluck.“Uh, so, Esther,” he said, “here’s a hard question for you. Salt water in

Atlanta.What’sthefirstthingthatcomestomind?”Theoldladychuckled.“Oh,sugar.That’seasy.Whalesharks!”FrankandPercyexchangedlooks.“Whalesharks?”Frankaskednervously.“YouhavethoseinAtlanta?”“At the aquarium, sugar,” Esther said. “Very famous! Right downtown. Is

thatwhereyouwantedtogo?”Anaquarium.Percyconsideredthat.Hedidn’tknowwhatanAncientGreek

sea godwould be doing at aGeorgia aquarium, but he didn’t have any betterideas.

“Yes,”Percysaid.“That’swherewe’regoing.”Estherdroppedthematthemainentrance,wherealinewasalreadyforming.

Sheinsistedongivingthemhercellphonenumberforemergencies,moneyforataxi ride back to the Carter Center, and a jar of homemade peach preserves,whichforsomereasonshekeptinaboxinhertrunk.FrankstuckthejarinhisbackpackandthankedEsther,whohadalreadyswitchedfromcallinghimsugartoson.

Asshedroveaway,Franksaid,“AreallpeopleinAtlantathatnice?”Hedgegrunted.“Hopenot.Ican’tfightthemifthey’renice.Let’sgobeatup

somewhalesharks.Theysounddangerous!”Ithadn’toccurredtoPercythattheymighthavetopayadmission,orstandin

linebehindabunchoffamiliesandkidsfromsummercamps.Looking at the elementary schoolers in their colorful T-shirts from various

day camps,Percy felt a twingeof sadness.He should be atCampHalf-Bloodright now, settling into his cabin for the summer, teaching sword-fightinglessonsinthearena,planningpranksontheothercounselors.Thesekidshadnoideajusthowcrazyasummercampcouldbe.

Hesighed.“Well,Iguesswewaitinline.Anybodyhavemoney?”Frank checked his pockets. “Three denarii fromCamp Jupiter. Five dollars

Canadian.”Hedgepattedhisgymshortsandpulledoutwhathefound.“Threequarters,

twodimes,arubberbandand—score!Apieceofcelery.”He startedmunching on the celery, eyeing the change and the rubber band

liketheymightbenext.“Great,”Percysaid.Hisownpocketswereemptyexceptforhispen/sword,

Riptide.Hewasponderingwhetherornottheycouldsneakinsomehow,whenawoman in a blue-and-greenGeorgiaAquarium shirt cameup to them, smilingbrightly.

“Ah, VIP visitors!” She had perky dimpled cheeks, thick-framed glasses,braces,andfrizzyblackhairpulledtothesidesinpigtails,sothateventhoughshewasprobablyinherlatetwenties,shelookedlikeaschoolgirlnerd—sortofcute, but sort of odd. Alongwith herGeorgiaAquarium polo shirt, sheworedarkslacksandblacksneakers,andshebouncedontheballsofherfeetlikeshesimplycouldn’tcontainherenergy.HernametagreadKATE.

“Youhaveyourpayment,Isee,”shesaid.“Excellent!”“What?”Percyasked.Katescooped the threedenariioutofFrank’shand.“Yes, that’s fine.Right

thisway!”Shespunandtrottedofftowardthemainentrance.PercylookedatCoachHedgeandFrank.“Atrap?”“Probably,”Franksaid.“She’snotmortal,”Hedgesaid,sniffingtheair.“Probablysomesortofgoat-

eating,demigod-destroyingfiendfromTartarus.”“Nodoubt,”Percyagreed.“Awesome.”Hedgegrinned.“Let’sgo.”Kategotthempasttheticketqueueandintotheaquariumwithnoproblem.“Rightthisway.”KategrinnedatPercy.“It’sawonderfulexhibit.Youwon’t

bedisappointed.SorarewegetVIPs.”“Uh,youmeandemigods?”Frankasked.Katewinkedathimimpishlyandputafingertohermouth.“Sooverhereis

thecold-waterexperience,withyourpenguinsandbelugawhalesandwhatnot.Andoverthere…well,thosearesomefish,obviously.”

Foranaquariumworker,shedidn’tseemtoknowmuchorcaremuchabout

the smaller fish.Theypassedonehuge tank fullof tropical species, andwhenFrankpointed toaparticularfishandaskedwhat itwas,Katesaid,“Oh, thosearetheyellowones.”

Theypassedthegiftshop.Franksloweddowntocheckoutaclearancetablewithclothesandtoys.

“Takewhatyouwant,”Katetoldhim.Frankblinked.“Really?”“Ofcourse!You’reaVIP!”Frankhesitated.ThenhestuffedsomeT-shirtsinhisbackpack.“Dude,”Percysaid,“whatareyoudoing?”“ShesaidIcould,”Frankwhispered.“Besides,Ineedmoreclothes.Ididn’t

packforalongtrip!”Headdedasnowglobetohisstash,whichdidn’tseemlikeclothingtoPercy.

ThenFrankpickedupabraidedcylinderaboutthesizeofacandybar.Hesquintedatit.“Whatis—?”“Chinesehandcuffs,”Percysaid.Frank,whowasChineseCanadian,lookedoffended.“HowisthisChinese?”“Idon’tknow,”Percysaid.“That’sjustwhatit’scalled.It’slikeagaggift.”“Comealong,boys!”Katecalledfromacrossthehall.“I’llshowyoulater,”Percypromised.Frankstuffedthehandcuffsinhisbackpack,andtheykeptwalking.Theypassedthroughanacrylictunnel.Fishswamovertheirheads,andPercy

feltirrationalpanicbuildinginhisthroat.Thisisdumb,hetoldhimself.I’vebeenunderwateramilliontimes.AndI’m

noteveninthewater.The real threatwasKate,he remindedhimself.Hedgehadalreadydetected

thatshewasn’thuman.Anyminuteshemight turn intosomehorriblecreatureandattackthem.Unfortunately,Percydidn’tseemuchchoicebuttoplayalongwithherVIP touruntil theycouldfind theseagodPhorcys,even if theywerewalkingdeeperintoatrap.

Theyemergedinaviewingroomawashwithbluelight.Ontheothersideofa glass wall was the biggest aquarium tank Percy had ever seen. Cruising in

circles were dozens of huge fish, including two spotted sharks, each twicePercy’ssize.Theywerefatandslow,withopenmouthsandnoteeth.

“Whalesharks,”CoachHedgegrowled.“Nowweshallbattletothedeath!”Kate giggled. “Silly satyr. Whale sharks are peaceful. They only eat

plankton.”Percyscowled.HewonderedhowKateknewthecoachwasasatyr.Hedge

waswearingpantsandspeciallyfittedshoesoverhishooves,likesatyrsusuallydidtoblendinwithmortals.Hisbaseballcapcoveredhishorns.ThemoreKategiggled and acted friendly, the more Percy didn’t like her; but Coach Hedgedidn’tseemfazed.

“Peacefulsharks?”thecoachsaidwithdisgust.“What’sthepointofthat?”Frankreadtheplaquenexttothetank.“Theonlywhalesharksincaptivityin

theworld,”hemused.“That’skindofamazing.”“Yes, and these are small,” Kate said. “You should see some ofmy other

babiesoutinthewild.”“Yourbabies?”Frankasked.JudgingfromthewickedglintinKate’seyes,Percywasprettysurehedidn’t

wanttomeetKate’sbabies.Hedecideditwastimetogettothepoint.Hedidn’twanttogoanyfartherintothisaquariumthanhehadto.

“So,Kate,”hesaid,“we’relookingforaguy…Imeanagod,namedPhorcys.Wouldyouhappentoknowhim?”

Kate snorted. “Know him? He’s my brother. That’s where we’re going,sillies.Therealexhibitsarerightthroughhere.”

She gestured at the far wall. The solid black surface rippled, and anothertunnelappeared,leadingthroughaluminouspurpletank.

Kate strolled inside. The last thing Percy wanted to do was follow, but ifPhorcyswasreallyontheotherside,andifhehadinformationthatwouldhelptheirquest…Percytookadeepbreathandfollowedhisfriendsintothetunnel.

Assoonastheyentered,CoachHedgewhistled.“Nowthat’sinteresting.”Gliding above themweremulticolored jellyfish the sizeof trash cans, each

withhundredsoftentaclesthatlookedlikesilkybarbedwire.Onejellyfishhadaparalyzed ten-foot-long swordfish tangled in its grasp. The jellyfish slowly

wrappeditstendrilstighterandtighterarounditsprey.Kate beamed at Coach Hedge. “You see? Forget the whale sharks! And

there’smuchmore.”Kate led themintoaneven largerchamber, linedwithmoreaquariums.On

onewall,aglowingredsignproclaimed:DEATHINTHEDEEPSEAS!SponsoredbyMonsterDonut.

Percyhadtoreadthesigntwicebecauseofhisdyslexia,andthentwicemoretoletthemessagesinkin.“MonsterDonut?”

“Oh,yes,”Katesaid.“Oneofourcorporatesponsors.”Percygulped.HislastexperiencewithMonsterDonuthadn’tbeenpleasant.

Ithadinvolvedacid-spittingserpentheads,muchscreaming,andacannon.Inoneaquarium,adozenhippocampi—horseswiththetailsoffish—drifted

aimlessly.Percyhadseenmanyhippocampiinthewild.He’devenriddenafew;buthehadneverseenanyinanaquarium.Hetriedtospeakwiththem,buttheyjustfloatedaround,occasionallybonkingagainsttheglass.Theirmindsseemedaddled.

“Thisisn’tright,”Percymuttered.He turnedandsawsomethingevenworse.At thebottomofasmaller tank,

twoNereids—femaleseaspirits—satcross-legged,facingeachother,playingagameofGoFish.They looked incrediblybored.Their longgreenhair floatedlistlesslyaroundtheirfaces.Theireyeswerehalfclosed.

Percyfeltsoangry,hecouldhardlybreathe.HeglaredatKate.“Howcanyoukeepthemhere?”

“Iknow.”Katesighed.“Theyaren’tveryinteresting.Wetriedtoteachthemsometricks,butwithnoluck,I’mafraid.Ithinkyou’lllikethistankoverheremuchbetter.”

Percystartedtoprotest,butKatehadalreadymovedon.“Holymotherofgoats!”criedCoachHedge.“Lookatthesebeauties!”Hewasgawkingattwoseaserpents—thirty-foot-longmonsterswithglowing

bluescalesandjawsthatcouldhavebittenawhalesharkinhalf.Inanothertank,peekingoutfromitscementcave,wasasquidthesizeofaneighteen-wheeler,withabeaklikeagiantboltcutter.

Athirdtankheldadozenhumanoidcreatureswithsleeksealbodies,doglikefaces,andhumanhands.Theysatonthesandatthebottomofthetank,buildingthingsoutofLegos,thoughthecreaturesseemedjustasdazedastheNereids.

“Arethose—?”Percystruggledtoformthequestion.“Telkhines?”Katesaid.“Yes!Theonlyonesincaptivity.”“But they fought for Kronos in the last war!” Percy said. “They’re

dangerous!”Kate rolledhereyes.“Well,wecouldn’tcall it ‘Death in theDeepSeas’ if

theseexhibitsweren’tdangerous.Don’tworry.Wekeepthemwellsedated.”“Sedated?”Frankasked.“Isthatlegal?”Kate appeared not to have heard. She kept walking, pointing out other

exhibits.Percylookedbackatthetelkhines.Onewasobviouslyayoungster.HewastryingtomakeaswordoutofLegos,butheseemedtoogroggytoputthepieces together. Percy had never liked sea demons, but now he felt sorry forthem.

“And these seamonsters,”Katenarratedupahead, “cangrow fivehundredfeetlonginthedeepocean.Theyhaveoverathousandteeth.Andthese?Theirfavoritefoodisdemigod—”

“Demigod?”Frankyelped.“But they will eat whales or small boats, too.” Kate turned to Percy and

blushed.“Sorry…I’msuchamonsternerd!I’msureyouknowallthis,beingthesonofPoseidon,andall.”

Percy’s ears were ringing like alarm bells. He didn’t like howmuch Kateknew about him. He didn’t like the way she casually tossed out informationabout drugging captive creatures or which of her babies liked to devourdemigods.

“Whoareyou?”hedemanded.“DoesKatestandforsomething?”“Kate?” She lookedmomentarily confused. Then she glanced at her name

tag.“Oh…”Shelaughed.“No,it’s—”“Hello!”saidanewvoice,boomingthroughtheaquarium.Asmallmanscuttledoutofthedarkness.Hewalkedsidewaysonbowedlegs

likeacrab,hisbackhunched,hisarmsraisedoneithersidelikehewasholding

invisibleplates.Heworeawetsuit thatwasseveralhorribleshadesofgreen.Glitterysilver

wordsprinteddownthesideread:PORKY’SFOLLIES.Aheadsetmicrophonewasclampedoverhisgreasywiryhair.Hiseyesweremilkyblue,onehigherthantheother, and though he smiled, he didn’t look friendly—more like his facewasbeingpeeledbackinawindtunnel.

“Visitors!” theman said, theword thundering through themicrophone.HehadaDJ’svoice,deepandresonant,whichdidnotatallmatchhisappearance.“WelcometoPhorcys’sFollies!”

He swept his arms in one direction, as if directing their attention to anexplosion.Nothinghappened.

“Curseit,”themangrumbled.“Telkhines,that’syourcue!Iwavemyhands,andyouleapenergeticallyinyourtank,doasynchronizeddoublespin,andlandinpyramidformation.Wepracticedthis!”

Theseademonspaidhimnoattention.CoachHedge leaned toward the crabman and sniffed his glitterywet suit.

“Niceoutfit.”Hedidn’tsoundlikehewaskidding.Ofcourse,thesatyrworegymuniforms

forfun.“Thankyou!”Themanbeamed.“IamPhorcys.”Frankshiftedhisweightfromfoottofoot.“WhydoesyoursuitsayPorky?”Phorcyssnarled.“Stupiduniformcompany!Theycan’tgetanythingright.”Katetappedhernametag.“ItoldthemmynamewasKeto.Theymisspelled

itasKate.Mybrother…well,nowhe’sPorky.”“Iamnot!”themansnapped.“I’mnotevenalittleporky.Thenamedoesn’t

workwithFollies,either.WhatkindofshowiscalledPorky’sFollies?Butyoufolksdon’twanttohearuscomplain.Behold,thewondrousmajestyofthegiantkillersquid!”

Hegestureddramaticallytowardthesquidtank.Thistime,fireworksshotoffinfrontoftheglassrightoncue,sendingupgeysersofgoldensparkles.Musicswelledfromtheloudspeakers.Thelightsbrightenedandrevealedthewondrousmajestyofanemptytank.

Thesquidhadapparentlyskulkedbackintoitscave.“Curseit!”Phorcysyelledagain.Hewheeledonhissister.“Keto,trainingthe

squidwasyourjob.Juggling,Isaid.Maybeabitofflesh-rendingforthefinale.Isthattoomuchtoask?”

“He’sshy,”Ketosaiddefensively.“Besides,eachofhistentacleshassixty-tworazorlikebarbsthathavetobesharpeneddaily.”SheturnedtowardFrank.“Did you know themonstrous squid is the only beast known to eat demigodswhole,armorandall,withoutgettingindigestion?It’strue!”

Frankstumbledawayfromher,hugginghisgutasifmakingsurehewasstillinonepiece.

“Keto!”Porkysnapped—literally,sinceheclickedhisfingerstohisthumbslike crab claws. “You’ll bore our guests with so much information. Lesseducation,moreentertainment!We’vediscussedthis.”

“But—”“No buts!We’re here to present ‘Death in the Deep Seas!’ Sponsored by

MonsterDonut!”Thelastwordsreverberatedthroughtheroomwithextraecho.Lightsflashed.

Smokecloudsbillowedfromthefloor,makingdonut-shapedringsthatsmelledlikerealdonuts.

“Availableattheconcessionstand,”Phorcysadvised.“Butyou’vespentyourhard-earneddenariitogettheVIPtour,andsoyoushall!Comewithme!”

“Um,holdit,”Percysaid.Phorcys’ssmilemeltedinanuglyway.“Yes?”“You’reaseagod,aren’tyou?”Percyasked.“SonofGaea?”The crabman sighed. “Five thousandyears, and I’m still knownasGaea’s

little boy.Nevermind that I’m one of the oldest sea gods in existence.Olderthan your upstart father, by the way. I’m god of the hidden depths! Lord ofwateryterrors!Fatherofathousandmonsters!But,no…nobodyevenknowsme.Imakeonelittlemistake,supportingtheTitansintheirwar,andI’mexiledfromtheocean—toAtlanta,ofallplaces.”

“WethoughttheOlympianssaidAtlantis,”Ketoexplained.“Their ideaofajoke,Iguess,sendingushereinstead.”

Percynarrowedhiseyes.“Andyou’reagoddess?”“Keto, yes!” She smiled happily. “Goddess of sea monsters, naturally!

Whales,sharks,squids,andothergiantsealife,butmyheartalwaysbelongedtothemonsters.Didyouknowthatyoungseaserpentscanregurgitatethefleshoftheirvictimsandkeepthemselvesfedforuptosixyearsonthesamemeal?It’strue!”

Frankwasstillclutchinghisstomachlikehewasgoingtobesick.CoachHedgewhistled.“Sixyears?That’sfascinating.”“Iknow!”Ketobeamed.“Andhowexactlydoesakillersquidrendthefleshfromitsvictims?”Hedge

asked.“Ilovenature.”“Oh,well—”“Stop!” Phorcys demanded. “You’re ruining the show! Now, witness our

Nereidgladiatorsfighttothedeath!”Amirrored disco ball descended into theNereid exhibit,making thewater

dancewithmulticoloredlight.Twoswordsfelltothebottomandplunkedinthesand.TheNereidsignoredthemandkeptplayingGoFish.

“Curseit!”Phorcysstompedhislegssideways.Ketogrimaced atCoachHedge. “Don’tmindPorky.He’s such awindbag.

Comewithme,myfinesatyr.I’llshowyoufull-colordiagramsofthemonsters’huntinghabits.”

“Excellent!”BeforePercycouldobject,Keto ledCoachHedgeaway throughamazeof

aquariumglass,leavingFrankandhimalonewiththecrabbyseagod.AbeadofsweattraceditswaydownPercy’sneck.Heexchangedanervous

lookwithFrank.Thisfeltlikeadivide-and-conquerstrategy.Hedidn’tseeanywaytheencounterwasgoingtoendwell.PartofhimwantedtoattackPhorcysnow—at least that might give them the element of surprise—but they hadn’tfound out any useful information yet. Percywasn’t sure he could find CoachHedgeagain.Hewasn’tevensurehecouldfindtheexit.

Phorcysmust’vereadhisexpression.“Oh,it’sfine!”thegodassuredhim.“Ketomightbealittleboring,butshe’ll

takegoodcareofyourfriend.Andhonestly, thebestpartof the tour isstill tocome!”

Percytriedtothink,buthewasstartingtogetaheadache.Hewasn’tsureifitwas from yesterday’s head injury, Phorcys’s special effects, or his sister’slecturesonnauseatingseamonsterfacts.“So…”hemanaged.“Dionysussentushere.”

“Bacchus,”Frankcorrected.“Right.” Percy tried to keep his annoyance in check. He could barely

remember one name for each god. Two was pushing it. “The wine god.Whatever.” He looked at Phorcys. “Bacchus said youmight knowwhat yourmomGaeaisupto,andthesetwingiantbrothersofyours—EphialtesandOtis.AndifyouhappentoknowanythingaboutthisMarkofAthena—”

“BacchusthoughtIwouldhelpyou?”Phorcysasked.“Well, yeah,” Percy said. “I mean, you’re Phorcys. Everybody talks about

you.”Phorcys tiltedhishead so thathismismatchedeyesalmost linedup. “They

do?”“Ofcourse.Don’tthey,Frank?”“Oh…sure!”Franksaid.“Peopletalkaboutyouallthetime.”“Whatdotheysay?”thegodasked.Franklookeduncomfortable.“Well,youhavegreatpyrotechnics.Andagood

announcer’svoice.And,um,adiscoball—”“It’strue!”Phorcysclackedhisfingersandthumbsexcitedly.“Ialsohavethe

largestcollectionofcaptiveseamonstersintheworld!”“Andyouknowstuff,”Percyadded.“Likeaboutthetwinsandwhatthey’re

upto.”“Thetwins!”Phorcysmadehisvoiceecho.Sparklersblazedtolifeinfrontof

theseaserpenttank.“Yes,IknowallaboutEphialtesandOtis.Thosewannabes!Theyneverfitinwiththeothergiants.Toopuny—andthosesnakesforfeet.”

“Snakes for feet?” Percy remembered the long, curly shoes the twins hadbeenwearinginhisdream.

“Yes, yes,” Phorcys said impatiently. “They knew they couldn’t get by on

theirstrength,sotheydecidedtogofordrama—illusions,stagetricks,thatsortofthing.Yousee,Gaeashapedhergiantchildrenwithspecificenemiesinmind.Eachgiantwasborntokillacertaingod.EphialtesandOtis…well,togethertheyweresortoftheanti-Dionysus.”

Percytriedtowraphismindaroundthatidea.“So…theywanttoreplaceallwinewithcranberryjuiceorsomething?”

Theseagodsnorted.“Nothinglikethat!EphialtesandOtisalwayswantedtodo things better, flashier,more spectacular!Oh, of course theywanted to killDionysus.But first theywanted tohumiliatehimbymakinghis revelries looktame!”

Frank glanced at the sparklers. “By using stuff like fireworks and discoballs?”

Phorcys’smouthstretchedintothatwindtunnelsmile.“Exactly!Itaughtthetwinseverythingtheyknow,oratleastItriedto.Theyneverlistened.Theirfirstbig trick? They tried to reach Olympus by piling mountains on top of oneanother. Itwas just an illusion, of course. I told them itwas ridiculous. ‘Youshouldstartsmall,’Isaid.‘Sawingeachother inhalf,pullinggorgonsoutofahat.Thatsortofthing.Andmatchingsequinedoutfits.Twinsneedthose!’”

“Goodadvice,”Percyagreed.“Andnowthetwinsare—”“Oh, preparing for their doomsday show in Rome,” Phorcys sneered. “It’s

one ofMother’s silly ideas. They’re keeping some prisoner in a large bronzejar.”HeturnedtowardFrank.“You’reachildofAres,aren’tyou?You’vegotthatsmell.Thetwinsimprisonedyourfatherthesameway,once.”

“ChildofMars,”Frankcorrected.“Wait…thesegiants trappedmydad inabronzejar?”

“Yes,another stupid stunt,” said the seagod.“Howcanyoushowoffyourprisoner if he’s in a bronze jar? No entertainment value. Not like my lovelyspecimens!”

Hegestured to thehippocampi,whowerebonking theirheadsapatheticallyagainsttheglass.

Percytriedtothink.Hefeltlikethelethargyoftheaddledseacreatureswasstartingtoaffecthim.“Yousaidthis—thisdoomsdayshowwasGaea’sidea?”

“Well…Mother’splansalwayshave lotsof layers.”He laughed.“Theearthhaslayers!Isupposethatmakessense!”

“Uh-huh,”Percysaid.“Andsoherplan…”“Oh, she’s put out a general bountyon somegroupof demigods,”Phorcys

said.“Shedoesn’treallycarewhokillsthem,aslongasthey’rekilled.Well…Itakethatback.Shewasveryspecificthattwomustbespared.Oneboyandonegirl. Tartarus only knows why. At any rate, the twins have their little showplanned,hopingitwill lure thesedemigods toRome.Isupposetheprisoner inthejarisafriendoftheirsorsomesuch.That,orperhapstheythinkthisgroupofdemigodswillbefoolishenoughtocomeintotheirterritorysearchingfortheMarkofAthena.”PhorcyselbowedFrankintheribs.“Ha!Goodluckwiththat,eh?”

Franklaughednervously.“Yeah.Ha-ha.Thatwouldbereallydumbbecause,uh…”

Phorcysnarrowedhiseyes.Percyslippedhishandintohispocket.HeclosedhisfingersaroundRiptide.

Eventhisoldseagodmustbesmartenoughtorealizetheywerethedemigodswiththebountyontheirheads.

ButPhorcysjustgrinnedandelbowedFrankagain.“Ha!Goodone,childofMars. I suppose you’re right.No point talking about it. Even if the demigodsfoundthatmapinCharleston,they’dnevermakeittoRomealive!”

“Yes,theMAPINCHARLESTON,”Franksaidloudly,givingPercyawide-eyedlooktomakesurehehadn’tmissedtheinformation.Hecouldn’thavebeenmoreobviousifhehadheldupalargesignthatreadCLUE!!!!!

“But enough boring educational stuff!” Phorcys said. “You’ve paid for theVIP treatment. Won’t you please let me finish the tour? The three denariientrancefeeisnonrefundable,youknow.”

Percy wasn’t excited about more fireworks, donut-scented smoke, ordepressing captive sea creatures. But he glanced at Frank and decided they’dbetterhumorthecrabbyoldgod,atleastuntiltheyfoundCoachHedgeandgotsafely to the exit. Besides, theymight be able to getmore information out ofPhorcys.

“Afterward,”Percysaid,“canweaskquestions?”“Ofcourse!I’lltellyoueverythingyouneedtoknow.”Phorcysclappedhis

hands twice.On thewall under the glowing red sign, a new tunnel appeared,leadingintoanothertank.

“Walkthisway!”Phorcysscuttledsidewaysthroughthetunnel.Frankscratchedhishead.“Dowehaveto—?”Heturnedsideways.“It’sjustafigureofspeech,man,”Percysaid.“Comeon.”

THETUNNELRANALONGTHEFLOORofagymnasium-sizedtank.Exceptforwaterandsomecheapdecorations,itseemedmajesticallyempty.Percyguessedtherewereaboutfiftythousandgallonsofwaterovertheirheads.Ifthetunnelweretoshatterforsomereason…

No big deal, Percy thought. I’ve been surrounded by water thousands oftimes.Thisismyhomecourt.

But his heartwas pounding.He remembered sinking into the coldAlaskanbog—blackmudcoveringhiseyes,mouth,andnose.

Phorcys stopped in the middle of the tunnel and spread his arms proudly.“Beautifulexhibit,isn’tit?”

Percy tried todistract himself by concentratingondetails. Inone cornerofthe tank,snuggled ina forestof fakekelp,wasa life-sizedplasticgingerbreadcottagewithbubblescomingoutofthechimney.Intheoppositecorner,aplasticsculptureofaguyinanold-fashioneddivingsuitkneltbesideatreasurechest,which popped open every few seconds, spewed bubbles, and closed again.Litteredacrossthewhitesandfloorwereglassmarblesthesizeofbowlingballs,and a strange assortment of weapons like tridents and spearguns. Outside thetank’sdisplaywallwasanamphitheaterwithseatingforseveralhundred.

“Whatdoyoukeepinhere?”Frankasked.“Giantkillergoldfish?”Phorcysraisedhiseyebrows.“Oh,thatwouldbegood!But,no,FrankZhang,

descendantofPoseidon.Thistankisnotforgoldfish.”At descendant of Poseidon, Frank flinched. He stepped back, gripping his

backpacklikeamacehewaspreparedtoswing.A sense of dread trickled down Percy’s throat like cough syrup.

Unfortunately,itwasafeelinghewasusedto.“HowdoyouknowFrank’s lastname?”hedemanded.“Howdoyouknow

he’sdescendedfromPoseidon?”“Well…”Phorcys shrugged, trying to lookmodest. “Itwasprobably in the

descriptionsGaeaprovided.Youknow,forthebounty,PercyJackson.”Percy uncapped his pen. Instantly, Riptide appeared in his hand. “Don’t

double-crossme,Phorcys.Youpromisedmeanswers.”“After the VIP treatment, yes,” Phorcys agreed. “I promised to tell you

everythingyouneed toknow.The thing is, however, youdon’t reallyneed toknow anything.” His grotesque smile stretched wide. “You see, even if youmadeittoRome,whichisquiteunlikely,you’dneverdefeatmygiantbrotherswithoutagodfightingatyourside.Andwhatgodwouldhelpyou?SoIhaveabetterplan.You’renotleaving.You’reVIPs—VeryImportantPrisoners!”

Percy lunged. Frank hurled his backpack at the sea god’s head. Phorcyssimplydisappeared.

Thegod’svoicereverberatedthroughtheaquarium’ssoundsystem,echoingdownthe tunnel.“Yes,good!Fighting isgood!Yousee,Mothernever trustedmewithbigassignments,butshedidagreethatIcouldkeepanythingIcaught.Youtwowillmakeanexcellentexhibit—theonlydemigodspawnofPoseidonincaptivity.‘DemigodTerrors’—yes,I likethat!WealreadyhavesponsorshiplinedupwithBargainMart.YoucanfighteachothereverydayatelevenAMandonePM,withaneveningshowatsevenPM.”

“You’recrazy!”Frankyelled.“Don’tsellyourselfshort!”Phorcyssaid.“You’llbeourbiggestdraw!”Frankranfortheexit,onlytoslamintoaglasswall.Percyrantheotherway

andfounditblockedaswell.Theirtunnelhadbecomeabubble.Heputhishand

againsttheglassandrealizeditwassoftening,meltinglikeice.Soonthewaterwouldcomecrashingin.

“Wewon’tcooperate,Phorcys!”heshouted.“Oh, I’moptimistic,” theseagod’svoiceboomed.“Ifyouwon’t fighteach

otheratfirst,noproblem!Icansendinfreshseamonsterseveryday.Afteryougetusedtothefoodhere,you’llbeproperlysedatedandwillfollowdirections.Believeme,you’llcometoloveyournewhome.”

OverPercy’shead,theglassdomecrackedandbegantoleak.“I’mthesonofPoseidon!”Percytriedtokeepthefearoutofhisvoice.“You

can’timprisonmeinwater.ThisiswhereI’mstrongest.”Phorcys’slaughseemedtocomefromallaroundthem.“Whatacoincidence!

It’s also where I’m strongest. This tank is specially designed to containdemigods.Now,havefun,youtwo.I’llseeyouatfeedingtime!”

Theglassdomeshattered,andthewatercrashedin.

Percyheldhisbreathuntilhecouldn’tstandit.Whenhefinallyfilledhislungswithwater, it felt just like normal breathing.Thewater pressure didn’t botherhim.Hisclothesdidn’tevengetwet.Hisunderwaterabilitieswereasgoodasever.

It’sjustastupidphobia,heassuredhimself.I’mnotgoingtodrown.Then he remembered Frank, and he immediately felt a surge of panic and

guilt.Percyhadbeensoworriedabouthimselfthathe’dforgottenhisfriendwasonlyadistantdescendantofPoseidon.Frankcouldn’tbreatheunderwater.

Butwherewashe?Percy turned in a full circle.Nothing.Thenheglancedup.Hovering about

himwasagiantgoldfish.Frankhadturned—clothes,backpack,andall—intoakoithesizeofateenagedboy.Dude.Percysenthisthoughtsthroughthewater,thewayhespokewithother

seacreatures.Agoldfish?Frank’svoicecamebacktohim:I freaked.Weweretalkingaboutgoldfish,

soitwasonmymind.Sueme.I’mhavingatelepathicconversationwithagiantkoi,Percysaid.Great.Can

youturnintosomethingmore…useful?Silence.Maybe Frank was concentrating, though it was impossible to tell,

sincekoidon’thavemanyexpressions.Sorry.Franksoundedembarrassed.I’mstuck.Thathappenssometimeswhen

Ipanic.Fine.Percygrittedhisteeth.Let’sfigureouthowtoescape.Frankswamaroundthetankandreportednoexits.Thetopwascoveredwith

Celestialbronzemesh,likethecurtainsthatrolldownoverclosedstorefrontsatthemall.PercytriedtocutthroughwithRiptide,buthecouldn’tmakeadent.Hetriedtosmashthroughtheglasswallwithhisswordhilt—again,noluck.Thenherepeatedhiseffortswithseveralof theweapons lyingaround thebottomofthetankandmanagedtobreakthreetridents,asword,andaspeargun.

Finallyhe tried to control thewater.Hewanted it to expandandbreak thetank,orexplodeoutthetop.Thewaterdidn’tobey.Maybeitwasenchanted,orunder the power ofPhorcys.Percy concentrateduntil his ears popped, but thebesthecoulddowasblowthelidofftheplastictreasurechest.

Well,that’sit,hethoughtdejectedly.I’llhavetoliveinaplasticgingerbreadhouse the rest of my life, fighting my giant goldfish friend and waiting forfeedingtime.

Phorcyshadpromisedthey’dlearntoloveit.Percythoughtaboutthedazedtelkhines,theNereidsandhippocampi,allswimminginbored,lazycircles.Thethoughtofendinguplikethatdidn’thelptolowerhisanxietylevel.

He wondered if Phorcys was right. Even if they managed to escape, howcouldtheydefeatthegiantsifthegodswereallincapacitated?Bacchusmightbeabletohelp.Hehadkilledthetwingiantsoncebefore,buthewouldonlyjointhefightifhegotanimpossibletribute,andtheideaofgivingBacchusanykindoftributemadePercywanttogaghimselfwithaMonsterDonut.Look!Franksaid.Outsidetheglass,KetowasleadingCoachHedgethroughtheamphitheater,

lecturing him on somethingwhile the coach nodded and admired the stadiumseating.Coach! Percy yelled.Thenhe realized itwas hopeless.The coach couldn’t

heartelepathicyelling.Frankbumpedhisheadagainsttheglass.Hedge didn’t seem to notice. Keto walked him briskly across the

amphitheater. She didn’t even look through the glass, probably because sheassumed the tankwasstillempty.Shepointed to the farendof the roomas ifsaying,Comeon.Moregruesomeseamonstersthisway.

Percyrealizedhehadonlyafewsecondsbeforethecoachwouldbegone.Heswamafterthem,butthewaterdidn’thelphimmoveasitusuallydid.Infact,itseemedtobepushinghimback.HedroppedRiptideandusedbotharms.

CoachHedgeandKetowerefivefeetfromtheexit.Indesperation,Percy scoopedupagiantmarble andhurled it underhanded

likeabowlingball.Ithittheglasswithathunk—notnearlyloudenoughtoattractattention.Percy’sheartsank.ButCoachHedgehadtheearsofasatyr.Heglancedoverhisshoulder.When

he saw Percy, his expression went through several changes in a matter ofmicroseconds—incomprehension,surprise,outrage,thenamaskofcalm.

BeforeKetocouldnotice,Hedgepointedtowardthetopoftheamphitheater.Itlookedlikehemightbescreaming,GodsofOlympus,whatisthat?

Ketoturned.CoachHedgepromptly tookoffhisfakefootandninja-kickedherinthebackoftheheadwithhisgoathoof.Ketocrumpledtothefloor.

Percywinced.Hisownrecentlywhoppedheadthrobbedinsympathy,buthehadneverbeenhappier tohaveachaperonewholikedmixedmartialartscagematches.

Hedge ran to the glass.He held up his palms like:What are you doing inthere,Jackson?

Percypoundedhisfistontheglassandmouthed:Breakit!Hedgeyelledaquestionthatmighthavebeen:Where’sFrank?Percypointedatthegiantkoi.Frankwavedhisleftdorsalfin.’Sup?BehindHedge,theseagoddessbegantomove.Percypointedfrantically.Hedge shook his leg like he was warming up his kicking hoof, but Percy

waved his arms,No. They couldn’t keepwhoppingKeto on the head forever.Sinceshewasimmortal,shewouldn’tstaydown,anditwouldn’tgetthemoutofthis tank. Itwas only amatter of timebeforePhorcys cameback to checkonthem.Onthree,Percymouthed,holdingupthreefingersandthengesturingat the

glass.Allofushititatthesametime.Percy had never been good at charades, but Hedge nodded like he

understood.Hittingthingswasalanguagethesatyrknewwell.Percy hefted another giant marble. Frank, we’ll need you too. Can you

changeformyet?Maybebacktohuman.Humanisfine!Justholdyourbreath.Ifthisworks…Ketorosetoherknees.Notimetowaste.Percycountedonhisfingers.One,two,three!Frankturnedtohumanandshovedhisshoulderagainsttheglass.Thecoach

didaChuckNorrisroundhousekickwithhishoof.Percyusedallhisstrengthtoslamthemarbleintothewall,buthedidmorethanthat.Hecalledonthewatertoobeyhim,and this timehe refused to takeno forananswer.He feltall thepent-up pressure inside the tank, and he put it to use.Water liked to be free.Given time,watercouldovercomeanybarrier,and ithated tobe trapped, justlike Percy. He thought about getting back to Annabeth. He thought aboutdestroying this horrible prison for sea creatures. He thought about shovingPhorcys’s microphone down his ugly throat. Fifty thousand gallons of waterrespondedtohisanger.

The glasswall cracked. Fracture lines zigzagged from the point of impact,and suddenly the tank burst. Percy was sucked out in a torrent of water. Hetumbled across the amphitheater floor with Frank, some largemarbles, and aclumpofplasticseaweed.Ketowasjustgettingtoherfeetwhenthediverstatueslammedintoherlikeitwantedahug.

CoachHedgespitsaltwater.“Pan’spipes,Jackson!Whatwereyoudoinginthere?”

“Phorcys!”Percyspluttered.“Trap!Run!”

Alarmsblaredastheyfledtheexhibits.TheyranpasttheNereids’tank,thenthe telkhines. Percy wanted to free them, but how? They were drugged andsluggish,andtheywereseacreatures.Theywouldn’tsurviveunlesshefoundawaytotransportthemtotheocean.

Besides, ifPhorcyscaught them,Percywasprettysure theseagod’spowerwouldovercomehis.AndKetowouldbeafterthemtoo,readytofeedthemtoherseamonsters.I’ll be back, Percypromised, but if the creatures in the exhibits couldhear

him,theygavenosign.Overthesoundsystem,Phorcys’svoiceboomed:“PercyJackson!”Flashpotsandsparklersexplodedrandomly.Donut-scentedsmokefilledthe

halls.Dramaticmusic—fiveorsixdifferenttracks—blaredsimultaneouslyfromthe speakers. Lights popped and caught fire as all the special effects in thebuildingweretriggeredatonce.

Percy,CoachHedge,andFrankstumbledoutof theglass tunneland foundthemselvesback in thewhale shark room.Themortal sectionof the aquariumwas filled with screaming crowds—families and day camp groups running ineverydirectionwhilethestaffracedaroundfrantically,tryingtoassureeveryoneitwasjustafaultyalarmsystem.

Percyknewbetter.Heandhisfriendsjoinedthemortalsandranfortheexit.

ANNABETHWASTRYINGTOCHEERUPHAZEL, regalingherwithPercy’s greatestSeaweedBrainmoments,whenFrankstumbleddownthehallandburstintohercabin.

“Where’sLeo?”hegasped.“Takeoff!Takeoff!”Bothgirlsshottotheirfeet.“Where’sPercy?”Annabethdemanded.“Andthegoat?”Frankgrabbedhisknees,tryingtobreathe.Hisclotheswerestiffanddamp,

like they’d beenwashed in pure starch. “On deck. They’re fine.We’re beingfollowed!”

Annabeth pushed past him and took the stairs three at a time, Hazel rightbehindherandFranktrailing,stillgaspingforair.PercyandHedgelayonthedeck, lookingexhausted.Hedgewasmissinghis shoes.Hegrinnedat the sky,muttering,“Awesome.Awesome.”Percywascoveredwithnicksandscratches,like he’d jumped through a window. He didn’t say anything, but he graspedAnnabeth’s handweakly as if to say,Be rightwith you, as soonas theworldstopsspinning.

Leo,Piper,andJason,who’dbeeneatinginthemesshall,camerushingupthestairs.

“What? What?” Leo cried, holding a half-eaten grilled cheese sandwich.“Can’taguyeventakealunchbreak?What’swrong?”

“Followed!”Frankyelledagain.“Followedbywhat?”Jasonasked.“I don’t know!” Frank panted. “Whales? Sea monsters? Maybe Kate and

Porky!”Annabethwantedtostrangletheguy,butshewasn’tsureherhandswouldfit

aroundhisthickneck.“Thatmakesabsolutelynosense.Leo,you’dbettergetusoutofhere.”

Leoputhissandwichbetweenhisteeth,piratestyle,andranforthehelm.SoontheArgoIIwasrisingintothesky.Annabethmannedtheaftcrossbow.

Shesawnosignofpursuitbywhalesorotherwise,butPercy,Frank,andHedgedidn’t start to recover until the Atlanta skyline was a hazy smudge in thedistance.

“Charleston,”Percysaid,hobblingaroundthedecklikeanoldman.Hestillsoundedprettyshakenup.“SetcourseforCharleston.”

“Charleston?”Jasonsaidthenameasifitbroughtbackbadmemories.“WhatexactlydidyoufindinAtlanta?”

Frank unzipped his backpack and starting bringing out souvenirs. “Somepeachpreserves.AcoupleofT-shirts.Asnowglobe.And,um,thesenot-really-Chinesehandcuffs.”

Annabethforcedherselftostaycalm.“Howaboutyoustartfromthetop—ofthestory,notthebackpack.”

Theygatheredon thequarterdecksoLeocouldhear theconversationashenavigated.PercyandFranktookturnsrelatingwhathadhappenedattheGeorgiaAquarium, with Coach Hedge interjecting from time to time: “That wasawesome!”or“ThenIkickedherinthehead!”

AtleastthecoachseemedtohaveforgottenaboutPercyandAnnabethfallingasleepinthestablethenightbefore.ButjudgingfromPercy’sstory,Annabethhadworseproblemstoworryaboutthanbeinggrounded.

WhenPercy explained about the captive sea creatures in the aquarium, sheunderstoodwhyheseemedsoupset.

“That’sterrible,”shesaid.“Weneedtohelpthem.”“Wewill,”Percypromised.“Intime.ButIhavetofigureouthow.Iwish…”

Heshookhishead.“Nevermind.Firstwehavetodealwiththisbountyonourheads.”

CoachHedgehadlostinterestintheconversation—probablybecauseitwasnolongerabouthim—andwanderedtowardthebowoftheship,practicinghisroundhousekicksandcomplimentinghimselfonhistechnique.

Annabethgripped thehiltofherdagger.“Abountyonourheads…as ifwedidn’tattractenoughmonstersalready.”

“DowegetWANTED posters?”Leoasked. “Anddo theyhaveourbounties,like,brokendownonapricelist?”

Hazelwrinkledhernose.“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”“JustcurioushowmuchI’mgoingforthesedays,”Leosaid.“Imean,Ican

understandnotbeingaspriceyasPercyorJason,maybe…butamIworth,like,twoFranks,orthreeFranks?”

“Hey!”Frankcomplained.“Knockitoff,”Annabethordered.“Atleastweknowournextstepistogoto

Charleston,tofindthismap.”Piper leaned against the control panel. She’d done her braid with white

feathers today, which looked good with her dark brown hair. Annabethwondered how she found the time.Annabeth could barely remember tobrushherhair.

“Amap,”Pipersaid.“Butamaptowhat?”“TheMark of Athena.” Percy looked cautiously at Annabeth, like he was

afraidhe’doverstepped.ShemusthavebeenputtingoutastrongIdon’twanttotalkaboutitvibe.

“Whateverthatis,”hecontinued.“WeknowitleadstosomethingimportantinRome,somethingthatmighthealtheriftbetweentheRomansandGreeks.”“Thegiants’bane,”Hazeladded.Percy nodded. “And inmy dream, the twin giants said something about a

statue.”“Um…”Frankrolledhisnot-exactly-Chinesehandcuffsbetweenhisfingers.

“AccordingtoPhorcys,we’dhavetobeinsanetotrytofindit.Butwhatisit?”Everyone looked at Annabeth. Her scalp tingled, as if the thoughts in her

brain were agitating to get out: a statue…Athena…Greek and Roman, hernightmares, and her argument with her mom. She saw how the pieces werecomingtogether,butshecouldn’tbelieve itwas true.Theanswerwas toobig,tooimportant,andmuchtooscary.

ShenoticedJasonstudyingher,asifheknewexactlywhatshewasthinkinganddidn’t like it anymore than shedid.Again shecouldn’thelpbutwonder:Whydoesthisguymakemesonervous?Ishereallyonmyside?Ormaybethatwashermomtalking.…

“I—I’mclose toananswer,”shesaid.“I’llknowmoreifwefindthismap.Jason, the way you reacted to the name Charleston…have you been therebefore?”

JasonglanceduneasilyatPiper,thoughAnnabethwasn’tsurewhy.“Yeah,”he admitted. “Reyna and I did a quest there about a year ago.We

weresalvagingImperialgoldweaponsfromtheC.S.S.Hunley.”“Thewhat?”Piperasked.“Whoa!”Leosaid.“That’sthefirstsuccessfulmilitarysubmarine.Fromthe

CivilWar.Ialwayswantedtoseethat.”“ItwasdesignedbyRomandemigods,”Jasonsaid.“Itheldasecretstashof

Imperialgoldtorpedoes—untilwerescuedthemandbroughtthembacktoCampJupiter.”

Hazelcrossedherarms.“SotheRomansfoughtontheConfederateside?Asagirlwhosegrandmotherwasaslave,canIjustsay…notcool?”

Jason put his hands in front of him, palms up. “I personallywas not alivethen.Anditwasn’tallGreeksononesideandallRomansontheother.But,yes.Not cool. Sometimes demigods make bad choices.” He looked sheepishly atHazel.“Likesometimeswe’retoosuspicious.Andwespeakwithoutthinking.”

Hazel stared at him. Slowly it seemed to dawn on her that he wasapologizing.

JasonelbowedLeo.“Ow!”Leoyelped. “Imean, yeah…bad choices.Like not trusting people’s

brotherswho,youknow,mightneedsaving.Hypotheticallyspeaking.”Hazelpursedherlips.“Fine.BacktoCharleston.Areyousayingweshould

checkthatsubmarineagain?”Jason shrugged. “Well…I can think of two places in Charleston wemight

search.Themuseumwhere theykeeptheHunley—that’soneof them.Ithasalot of relics from the CivilWar. Amap could be hidden in one. I know thelayout.Icouldleadateaminside.”

“I’llgo,”Leosaid.“Thatsoundscool.”Jasonnodded.HeturnedtoFrank,whowastryingtopullhisfingersoutof

theChinesehandcuffs.“Youshouldcometoo,Frank.Wemightneedyou.”Franklookedsurprised.“Why?NotlikeIwasmuchgoodatthataquarium.”“You did fine,” Percy assured him. “It took all three of us to break that

glass.”“Besides,you’reachildofMars,”Jasonsaid.“Theghostsofdefeatedcauses

are bound to serve you. And the museum in Charleston has plenty ofConfederateghosts.We’llneedyoutokeeptheminline.”

Frankgulped.Annabeth rememberedPercy’scommentaboutFrank turningintoagiantgoldfish,andsheresistedtheurgetosmile.Shewouldneverbeabletolookatthebigguyagainwithoutseeinghimasakoi.

“Okay.”Frankrelented.“Sure.”Hefrownedathisfingers,tryingtopullthemoutofthetrap.“Uh,howdoyou—?”

Leochuckled.“Man,you’veneverseenthosebefore?There’sasimpletricktogettingout.”

Franktuggedagainwithnoluck.EvenHazelwastryingnottolaugh.Frankgrimacedwith concentration.Suddenly, he disappeared.On the deck

where he’d been standing, a green iguana crouched next to an empty set ofChinesehandcuffs.

“Well done,FrankZhang,”Leo said dryly, doinghis impressionofChironthecentaur.“ThatisexactlyhowpeoplebeatChinesehandcuffs.Theyturnintoiguanas.”

Everybodybustedout laughing.Frank turnedback tohuman,pickedup thehandcuffs,andshovedtheminhisbackpack.Hemanagedanembarrassedsmile.

“Anyway,”Franksaid,clearlyanxioustochangethesubject.“Themuseumisoneplacetosearch.But,uh,Jason,yousaidthereweretwo?”

Jason’ssmilefaded.Whateverhewasthinkingabout,Annabethcouldtellitwasn’tpleasant.

“Yeah,”hesaid.“TheotherplaceiscalledtheBattery—it’saparkrightbytheharbor.ThelasttimeIwasthere…withReyna…”HeglancedatPiper,thenrushedon.“Wesawsomethinginthepark.Aghostorsomesortofspirit,likeaSouthern belle from the Civil War, glowing and floating along. We tried toapproach it, but it disappeared whenever we got close. Then Reyna had thisfeeling—shesaidsheshouldtryitalone.Likemaybeitwouldonlytalktoagirl.Shewentuptothespiritbyherself,andsureenough,itspoketoher.”

Everyonewaited.“Whatdiditsay?”Annabethasked.“Reynawouldn’ttellme,”Jasonadmitted.“Butitmusthavebeenimportant.

Sheseemed…shakenup.Maybeshegotaprophecyorsomebadnews.Reynaneveractedthesamearoundmeafterthat.”

Annabethconsideredthat.Aftertheirexperiencewiththeeidolons,shedidn’tliketheideaofapproachingaghost,especiallyonethatchangedpeoplewithbadnewsorprophecies.Ontheotherhand,hermomwasthegoddessofknowledge,andknowledgewasthemostpowerfulweapon.Annabethcouldn’tturndownapossiblesourceofinformation.

“Agirls’adventure, then,”Annabeth said.“PiperandHazelcancomewithme.”

Both nodded, though Hazel looked nervous. No doubt her time in theUnderworldhadgivenher enoughghost experiences for two lifetimes.Piper’seyesflasheddefiantly,likeanythingReynacoulddo,shecoulddo.

Annabethrealizedthatifsixofthemwentonthesetwoquests,itwouldleavePercyaloneontheshipwithCoachHedge,whichwasmaybenotasituationacaringgirlfriend should put him in.Norwas she eager to let Percyout of hersightagain—notafterthey’dbeenapartforsomanymonths.Ontheotherhand,Percylookedsotroubledbyhisexperiencewiththoseimprisonedseacreatures,she thoughtmaybe he could use a rest. Shemet his eyes, asking him a silent

question.Henoddedasiftosay,Yeah.It’llbefine.“So that’s settled.”Annabeth turned toLeo,whowas studyinghis console,

listening toFestuscreakandclickover the intercom.“Leo,how longuntilwereachCharleston?”

“Goodquestion,”hemuttered.“Festus justdetecteda largegroupofeaglesbehindus—long-rangeradar,stillnotinsight.”

Piperleanedovertheconsole.“Areyousurethey’reRoman?”Leorolledhiseyes.“No,Pipes. Itcouldbea randomgroupofgianteagles

flyinginperfectformation.Ofcourse they’reRoman!Isupposewecouldturntheshiparoundandfight—”

“Whichwouldbeaverybadidea,”Jasonsaid,“andremoveanydoubt thatwe’reenemiesofRome.”

“OrI’vegotanotheridea,”Leosaid.“IfwewentstraighttoCharleston,wecould be there in a few hours. But the eagles would overtake us, and thingswouldgetcomplicated. Instead,wecouldsendoutadecoy to trick theeagles.We take the ship on a detour, go the long way to Charleston, and get theretomorrowmorning—”

Hazelstartedtoprotest,butLeoraisedhishand.“Iknow,Iknow.Nico’sintroubleandwehavetohurry.”

“It’sJunetwenty-seventh,”Hazelsaid.“Aftertoday,fourmoredays.Thenhedies.”

“Iknow!ButthismightthrowtheRomansoffourtrail.WestillshouldhaveenoughtimetoreachRome.”

Hazelscowled.“Whenyousayshouldhaveenough…”Leoshrugged.“Howdoyoufeelaboutbarelyenough?”Hazelputherfaceinherhandsforacountofthree.“Soundsabouttypicalfor

us.”Annabeth decided to take that as a green light. “Okay, Leo.What kind of

decoyarewetalkingabout?”“I’msogladyouasked!”Hepunchedafewbuttonsontheconsole,rotated

the turntable, and repeatedlypressed theA buttononhisWii controller really,reallyfast.Hecalledintotheintercom,“Buford?Reportforduty,please.”

Frank took a step back. “There’s somebody else on the ship? Who isBuford?”

Apuffofsteamshotfromthestairwell,andLeo’sautomatictableclimbedondeck.

Annabethhadn’t seenmuchofBufordduring the trip.Hemostly stayed intheengineroom.(LeoinsistedthatBufordhadasecretcrushontheengine.)Hewas a three-legged table with a mahogany top. His bronze base had severaldrawers,spinninggears,andasetofsteamvents.Bufordwastotingabaglikeamailsacktiedtooneofhislegs.Heclatteredtothehelmandmadeasoundlikeatrainwhistle.

“ThisisBuford,”Leoannounced.“Younameyourfurniture?”Frankasked.Leosnorted.“Man,youjustwishyouhadfurniturethiscool.Buford,areyou

readyforOperationEndTable?”Bufordspewedsteam.Hesteppedtotherailing.Hismahoganytopsplitinto

four pie slices, which elongated into wooden blades. The blades spun, andBufordtookoff.

“Ahelicoptertable,”Percymuttered.“Gottaadmit,that’scool.What’sinthebag?”

“Dirtydemigodlaundry,”Leosaid.“Ihopeyoudon’tmind,Frank.”Frankchoked.“What?”“It’llthrowtheeaglesoffourscent.”“Thoseweremyonlyextrapants!”Leoshrugged.“IaskedBufordtoget themlaunderedandfoldedwhilehe’s

out.Hopefullyhewill.”He rubbedhishandsandgrinned. “Well! I call that agood day’s work. I’m gonna calculate our detour route now. See you all atdinner!”

Percypassedoutearly,which leftAnnabethwithnothing todo in theeveningexceptstareathercomputer.

She’dbroughtDaedalus’s laptopwithher, of course.Twoyears ago, she’dinherited themachine from thegreatest inventorofall time,and itwas loaded

with invention ideas, schematics, and diagrams,most ofwhichAnnabethwasstilltryingtofigureout.Aftertwoyears,atypicallaptopwouldhavebeenoutofdate,butAnnabethfiguredDaedalus’smachinewasstillaboutfiftyyearsaheadofitstime.Itcouldexpandintoafull-sizelaptop,shrinkintoatabletcomputer,or fold into awafer ofmetal smaller than a cell phone. It ran faster than anycomputer she’d ever had, could access satellites orHephaestus-TV broadcastsfromMountOlympus,andrancustom-madeprogramsthatcoulddojustaboutanythingexcept tie shoelaces.Theremighthavebeenanapp for that, too,butAnnabethhadn’tfoundityet.

She sat on her bunk, using one of Daedalus’s 3-D-rendering programs tostudyamodeloftheParthenoninAthens.She’dalwaysyearnedtovisitit,bothbecauseshelovedarchitectureandbecauseitwasthemostfamoustempletohermother.

Nowshemightgetherwish,iftheylivedlongenoughtoreachGreece.Butthe more she thought about the Mark of Athena, and the old Roman legendReynahadmentioned,themorenervousshegot.

Shedidn’twantto,butsherecalledherargumentwithhermother.Evenaftersomanyweeks,thewordsstillstung.

Annabethhadbeen riding the subwayback from theUpperEastSide aftervisiting Percy’s mom. During those long months when Percy was missing,Annabethmadethetripatleastonceaweek—partlytogiveSallyJacksonandher husband Paul an update on the search, and partly because Annabeth andSally needed to lift each other’s spirits and convince one another that Percywouldbefine.

Thespringhadbeenespeciallyhard.Bythen,AnnabethhadreasontohopePercywasalive,sinceHera’splanseemedtoinvolvesendinghimtotheRomanside, but she couldn’t be sure where he was. Jason had remembered his oldcamp’s location more or less, but all the Greeks’ magic—even that of thecampersofHecate’scabin—couldn’tconfirmthatPercywasthere,oranywhere.Heseemedtohavedisappearedfromtheplanet.RacheltheOraclehadtriedtoread the future, andwhile she couldn’t seemuch, she’d been certain thatLeoneededtofinishtheArgoIIbeforetheycouldcontacttheRomans.

Nevertheless,Annabethhad spent every sparemoment scouring all sourcesfor any rumors of Percy. She had talked to nature spirits, read legends aboutRome, dug for clues on Daedalus’s notebook, and spent hundreds of goldendrachmas on Iris-messages to every friendly spirit, demigod, ormonster she’devermet,allwithnoluck.

Thatparticularafternoon,comingbackfromSally’s,Annabethhadfeltevenmoredrainedthanusual.SheandSallyhadfirstcriedandthenattemptedtopullthemselves together, but their nerves were frayed. Finally Annabeth took theLexingtonAvenuesubwaydowntoGrandCentral.

TherewereotherwaystogetbacktoherhighschooldormfromtheUpperEast Side, but Annabeth liked going through Grand Central Terminal. Thebeautiful design and the vast open space reminded her of Mount Olympus.Grand buildings made her feel better—maybe because being in a place sopermanentmadeherfeelmorepermanent.

ShehadjustpassedSweetonAmerica, thecandyshopwherePercy’smomusedtowork,andwasthinkingaboutgoinginsidetobuysomebluecandyforoldtimes’sake,whenshesawAthenastudyingthesubwaymaponthewall.

“Mother!”Annabethcouldn’tbelieveit.Shehadn’tseenhermominmonths—not since Zeus had closed the gates of Olympus and forbidden allcommunicationwithdemigods.

Many times,Annabeth had tried to call on hermom anyway, pleading forguidance, sending up burnt offerings with everymeal at camp. She’d had noresponse.Now herewasAthena, dressed in jeans and hiking boots and a redflannel shirt, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. She held a backpackandawalkingsticklikeshewaspreparedforalongjourney.

“I must return home,” Athena murmured, studying the map. “The way iscomplex.IwishOdysseuswerehere.Hewouldunderstand.”

“Mom!”Annabethsaid.“Athena!”The goddess turned. She seemed to look right through Annabeth with no

recognition.“That wasmy name,” the goddess said dreamily. “Before they sackedmy

city, tookmy identity,mademe this.”She lookedat her clothes indisgust. “I

mustreturnhome.”Annabethsteppedbackinshock.“You’re…you’reMinerva?”“Don’tcallme that!”Thegoddess’sgrayeyesflaredwithanger.“Iused to

carryaspearandashield.Iheldvictoryinthepalmofmyhand.Iwassomuchmorethanthis.”

“Mom.”Annabeth’svoicetrembled.“It’sme,Annabeth.Yourdaughter.”“Mydaughter…”Athenarepeated.“Yes,mychildrenwillavengeme.They

mustdestroytheRomans.Horrible,dishonorable,copycatRomans.Heraarguedthat we must keep the two camps apart. I said, No, let them fight. Let mychildrendestroytheusurpers.”

Annabeth’s heartbeat thumped in her ears. “You wanted that? But you’rewise.Youunderstandwarfarebetterthanany—”

“Once!”thegoddesssaid.“Replaced.Sacked.Lootedlikeatrophyandcartedoff—away frommybelovedhomeland. I lost somuch. I swore Iwouldneverforgive.Neitherwouldmy children.” She focusedmore closely onAnnabeth.“Youaremydaughter?”

“Yes.”Thegoddessfishedsomethingfromthepocketofhershirt—anold-fashioned

subwaytoken—andpresseditintoAnnabeth’shand.“FollowtheMarkofAthena,”thegoddesssaid.“Avengeme.”Annabeth had looked at the coin.As shewatched, it changed from aNew

Yorksubwaytokentoanancientsilverdrachma,thekindusedbyAthenians.Itshowedanowl,Athena’ssacredanimal,withanolivebranchononesideandaGreekinscriptionontheother.TheMarkofAthena.Atthetime,Annabethhadhadnoideawhatitmeant.Shedidn’tunderstand

whyhermomwasactinglikethis.Minervaornot,sheshouldn’tbesoconfused.“Mom…” She tried to make her tone as reasonable as possible. “Percy is

missing.Ineedyourhelp.”ShehadstartedtoexplainHera’splanforbringingthecamps together tobattleGaeaand thegiants,but thegoddess stampedherwalkingstickagainstthemarblefloor.

“Never!”shesaid.“AnyonewhohelpsRomemustperish.Ifyouwouldjoin

them,youarenochildofmine.Youhavealreadyfailedme.”“Mother!”“IcarenothingaboutthisPercy.IfhehasgoneovertotheRomans,lethim

perish. Kill him. Kill all the Romans. Find theMark, follow it to its source.WitnesshowRomehasdisgracedme,andpledgeyourvengeance.”

“Athena isn’t thegoddessof revenge.”Annabeth’snailsbit intoherpalms.Thesilvercoinseemedtogrowwarmerinherhand.“Percyiseverythingtome.”

“And revenge is everything to me,” the goddess snarled. “Which of us iswiser?”

“Somethingiswrongwithyou.What’shappened?”“Rome happened!” the goddess said bitterly. “See what they have done,

makingaRomanofme.Theywishmetobetheirgoddess?Thenletthemtastetheirownevil.Killthem,child.”

“No!”“Then you are nothing.” The goddess turned to the subway map. Her

expression softened, becoming confused and unfocused. “If I could find theroute…thewayhome,thenperhaps—But,no.Avengemeorleaveme.Youarenochildofmine.”

Annabeth’seyesstung.Shethoughtofathousandhorriblethingsshewantedtosay,butshecouldn’t.Shehadturnedandfled.

She’d tried to throw away the silver coin, but it simply reappeared in herpocket, thewayRiptidedidforPercy.Unfortunately,Annabeth’sdrachmahadnomagicalpowers—atleastnothinguseful.Itonlygavehernightmares,andnomatterwhatshetried,shecouldn’tgetridofit.

Now,sittinginhercabinaboardtheArgoII,shecouldfeelthecoingrowingwarminherpocket.Shestaredat themodelof theParthenononhercomputerscreen and thought about the argumentwithAthena.Phrases she’dheardoverthelastfewdaysswirledinherhead:Atalentedfriend,readyforhervisitor.Noonewillretrievethatstatue.Wisdom’sdaughterwalksalone.

Shewas afraid she finally understoodwhat it allmeant. She prayed to thegodsthatshewaswrong.

Aknockonherdoormadeherjump.

ShehopeditmightbePercy,butinsteadFrankZhangpokedhisheadin.“Um,sorry,”hesaid.“CouldI—?”Shewassostartledtoseehim,ittookheramomenttorealizehewantedto

comein.“Sure,”shesaid.“Yes.”Hestepped inside, lookingaround thecabin.Therewasn’tmuch tosee.On

herdesksatastackofbooks,ajournalandpen,andapictureofherdadflyinghisSopwithCamelbiplane,grinningandgivingthethumbs-up.Annabethlikedthat photo. It reminded her of the time she’d felt closest to him, when he’dstrafedanarmyofmonsterswithCelestialbronzemachinegunsjust toprotecther—prettymuchthebestpresentagirlcouldhopefor.

HangingfromahookonthewallwasherNewYorkYankeescap,hermostprized possession fromhermom.Once, the caphadhad the power to turn itswearer invisible.SinceAnnabeth’s argumentwithAthena, the caphad lost itsmagic.Annabethwasn’tsurewhy,butshe’dstubbornlybroughtitalongonthequest.Everymorningshewouldtryiton,hopingitwouldworkagain.Sofarithadonlyservedasareminderofhermother’swrath.

Otherwise,hercabinwasbare.Shekeptitcleanandsimple,whichhelpedherto think.Percydidn’tbelieve itbecauseshealwaysmadeexcellentgrades,butlikemostdemigods,shewasADHD.Whenthereweretoomanydistractionsinherpersonalspace,shewasneverabletofocus.

“So…Frank,”sheventured.“WhatcanIdoforyou?”Outofallthekidsontheship,Frankwastheoneshethoughtleastlikelyto

payheravisit.Shedidn’tfeelanylessconfusedwhenheblushedandpulledhisChinesehandcuffsoutofhispocket.

“Idon’tlikebeinginthedarkaboutthis,”hemuttered.“Couldyoushowmethetrick?Ididn’tfeelcomfortableaskinganyoneelse.”

Annabethprocessedhiswordswithaslightdelay.Wait…Frankwasaskingherforhelp?Thenitdawnedonher:ofcourse,Frankwasembarrassed.Leohadbeen razzing him pretty hard. Nobody liked being a laughingstock. Frank’sdeterminedexpressionsaidheneverwantedthattohappenagain.Hewantedtounderstandthepuzzle,withouttheiguanasolution.

Annabeth felt strangelyhonored.Frank trustedhernot tomake funofhim.Besides, she had a soft spot for anyone who was seeking knowledge—evenaboutsomethingassimpleasChinesehandcuffs.

Shepattedthebunknexttoher.“Absolutely.Sitdown.”Frank sat on the edge of the mattress, as if preparing for a quick escape.

AnnabethtooktheChinesehandcuffsandheldthemnexttohercomputer.Shehitthekeyforaninfraredscan.Afewsecondslatera3-Dmodelofthe

Chinesehandcuffsappearedon thescreen.She turned the laptopso thatFrankcouldsee.

“Howdidyoudothat?”hemarveled.“Cutting-edge Ancient Greek technology,” she said. “Okay, look. The

structure is a cylindrical biaxial braid, so it has excellent resilience.” Shemanipulatedtheimagesoitsqueezedinandoutlikeanaccordion.“Whenyouput your fingers inside, it loosens. But when you try to remove them, thecircumferenceshrinksasthebraidcatchesandtightens.There’snowayyoucanpullfreebystruggling.”

Frankstaredatherblankly.“Butwhat’stheanswer?”“Well…” She showed him some of her calculations—how the handcuffs

couldresisttearingunderincrediblestress,dependingonthematerialusedinthebraid.“Prettyamazingforawovenstructure,right?Doctorsuse it for traction,andelectricalcontractors—”

“Uh,buttheanswer?”Annabeth laughed. “You don’t fightagainst the handcuffs.You push your

fingersin,notout.Thatloosensthebraid.”“Oh.”Franktriedit.Itworked.“Thanks,but…couldn’tyouhavejustshown

meonthehandcuffswithoutthe3-Dprogramandthecalculations?”Annabethhesitated.Sometimeswisdomcamefromstrangeplaces,evenfrom

giant teenaged goldfish. “I guess you’re right. That was silly. I learnedsomethingtoo.”

Franktriedthehandcuffsagain.“It’seasywhenyouknowthesolution.”“Manyofthebesttrapsaresimple,”Annabethsaid.“Youjusthavetothink

aboutit,andhopeyourvictimdoesn’t.”

Franknodded.Heseemedreluctanttoleave.“Youknow,”Annabethsaid,“Leodoesn’tintendtobemean.He’sjustgota

bigmouth.Whenpeoplemakehimnervous,heuseshumorasadefense.”Frankfrowned.“WhywouldImakehimnervous?”“You’re twice his size.You can turn into a dragon.”AndHazel likes you,

Annabeththought,thoughshedidn’tsaythat.Frank didn’t look convinced. “Leo can summon fire.” He twisted the

handcuffs. “Annabeth…sometime, maybe could you help me with anotherproblemthat’snotsosimple?I’vegot…Iguessyou’dcallitanAchilles’heel.”

Annabethfeltlikeshe’djusthadadrinkofRomanhotchocolate.She’dneverreallygottenthetermwarmandfuzzy,butFrankgaveherthatsensation.Hewasjustabigteddybear.ShecouldseewhyHazellikedhim.“I’dbehappyto,”shesaid.“DoesanyoneelseknowaboutthisAchilles’heel?”

“Percy and Hazel,” he said. “That’s it. Percy…he’s a really good guy. Iwouldfollowhimanywhere.Thoughtyoushouldknow.”

Annabethpattedhisarm.“Percyhasaknackforpickinggoodfriends.Likeyou.But,Frank,youcantrustanyoneonthisship.EvenLeo.We’reallateam.Wehavetotrusteachother.”

“I—Isuppose.”“Sowhat’stheweaknessyou’reworriedabout?”Thedinnerbellsounded,andFrankjumped.“Maybe…maybe later,” he said. “It’s hard to talk about. But thanks,

Annabeth.”HehelduptheChinesehandcuffs.“Keepitsimple.”

THATNIGHT,ANNABETHSLEPTwithoutnightmares,which justmadeheruneasywhenshewokeup—likethecalmbeforeastorm.

LeodockedtheshipatapierinCharlestonHarbor,rightnexttotheseawall.Along the shore was a historical district with tall mansions, palm trees, andwrought-ironfences.Antiquecannonspointedatthewater.

Bythe timeAnnabethcameupondeck,Jason,Frank,andLeohadalreadyleftforthemuseum.AccordingtoCoachHedge,they’dpromisedtobebackbysunset. Piper andHazelwere ready to go, but firstAnnabeth turned to Percy,whowasleaningonthestarboardrail,gazingoverthebay.

Annabethtookhishand.“Whatareyougoingtodowhilewe’regone?”“Jump into the harbor,” he said casually, like another kid might say, I’m

going to get a snack. “I want to try communicating with the local Nereids.Maybe they can give me some advice about how to free those captives inAtlanta.Besides,I thinktheseamightbegoodforme.Beinginthataquariummademefeel…unclean.”

Hishairwasdarkandtangledasusual,butAnnabeththoughtaboutthestreakofgrayheusedtohaveononeside.Whenthetwoofthemwerefourteen,they’dtakenturns(unwillingly)holdingtheweightofthesky.Thestrainleftthemboth

withsomegrayhair.Overthelastyear,whilePercyhadbeenmissing,thegraystreaks had finally disappeared fromboth of them,whichmadeAnnabeth sadandalittleworried.Shefeltlikeshe’dlostasymbolicbondwithPercy.

Annabeth kissed him. “Good luck, Seaweed Brain. Just come back tome,okay?”

“Iwill,”hepromised.“Youdothesame.”Annabethtriedtopushdownhergrowingunease.She turned to Piper and Hazel. “Okay, ladies. Let’s find the ghost of the

Battery.”

Afterward,Annabethwishedshe’djumpedintotheharborwithPercy.Sheevenwould’vepreferredamuseumfullofghosts.

Not that shemindedhangingoutwithHazelandPiper.At first, theyhadaprettygoodtimewalkingalongtheBattery.Accordingtothesigns,theseasideparkwascalledWhitePointGardens.Theoceanbreezesweptawaythemuggyheatofthesummerafternoon,anditwaspleasantlycoolundertheshadeofthepalmettotrees.LiningtheroadwereoldCivilWarcannonsandbronzestatuesofhistoricalfigures,whichmadeAnnabethshudder.Shethoughtaboutthestatuesin New York City during the Titan War, which had come to life thanks toDaedalus’s command sequence twenty-three. She wondered how many otherstatuesaroundthecountryweresecretlyautomatons,waitingtobetriggered.

CharlestonHarborglitteredinthesun.Tothenorthandsouth,stripsoflandstretchedoutlikearmsenclosingthebay,andsittinginthemouthoftheharbor,aboutamileout,wasanislandwithastonefort.Annabethhadavaguememoryof that fort being important in theCivilWar, but she didn’t spendmuch timethinkingaboutit.

MostlyshebreathedintheseaairandthoughtaboutPercy.Godsforbidsheeverhadtobreakupwithhim.She’dneverbeabletovisittheseaagainwithoutrememberingher brokenheart.Shewas relievedwhen they turned away fromtheseawallandexploredtheinlandsideofthegardens.

The park wasn’t crowded. Annabeth imagined that most of the locals hadgone on summer vacation, or were holed up at home taking a siesta. They

strolled along South Battery Street, which was lined with four-story Colonialmansions. The brick walls were blanketed with ivy. The facades had soaringwhite columns like Roman temples. The front gardens were bursting withrosebushes, honeysuckle, and flowering bougainvillea. It looked like Demeterhadsetthetimeronalltheplantstogrowseveraldecadesago,thenforgottentocomebackandcheckonthem.

“KindofremindsmeofNewRome,”Hazelsaid.“Allthebigmansionsandthegardens.Thecolumnsandarches.”

Annabeth nodded. She remembered reading how the American South hadoftencompareditself toRomebackbeforetheCivilWar.Intheolddaystheirsocietyhadbeenallaboutimpressivearchitecture,honor,andcodesofchivalry.And on the evil side, it had also been about slavery.Rome had slaves, someSouthernershadargued,sowhyshouldn’twe?

Annabeth shivered. She loved the architecture here. The houses and thegardens were very beautiful, very Roman. But she wondered why beautifulthingshadtobewrappedupwithevilhistory.Orwasittheotherwayaround?Maybetheevilhistorymadeitnecessarytobuildbeautiful things, tomaskthedarkeraspects.

She shook her head. Percywould hate her getting so philosophical. If shetriedtotalktohimaboutstufflikethat,hiseyesglazedover.

Theothergirlsdidn’tsaymuch.Piperkept lookingaround likesheexpectedanambush.Shehadsaidshe’d

seen this park in the blade of her knife, but shewouldn’t elaborate.Annabethguessedshewasafraid to.Afterall, the last timePiperhad tried to interpretavisionfromherknife,PercyandJasonhadalmostkilledeachotherinKansas.

Hazelalsoseemedpreoccupied.Maybeshewastakingintheirsurroundings,ormaybeshewasworryingaboutherbrother.Inlessthanfourdays,unlesstheyfoundhimandfreedhim,Nicowouldbedead.

Annabeth felt that deadlineweighing on her, too. She’d always hadmixedfeelingsaboutNicodiAngelo.Shesuspectedthathe’dhadacrushonhereversincetheyrescuedhimandhisbigsisterBiancafromthatmilitaryacademyinMaine; butAnnabethhadnever felt any attraction toNico.Hewas tooyoung

andtoomoody.Therewasadarknessinhimthatmadeheruneasy.Still,shefeltresponsibleforhim.Backwhentheyhadmet,neitherof them

hadknownabouthishalfsister,Hazel.Atthetime,BiancahadbeenNico’sonlyliving family. When she had died, Nico became a homeless orphan, driftingthroughtheworldalone.Annabethcouldrelatetothat.

Shewas so deep in thought, shemight have keptwalking around the parkforever,butPipergrabbedherarm.

“There.”Shepointedacross theharbor.Ahundredyardsout,ashimmeringwhitefigurefloatedonthewater.Atfirst,Annabeththoughtitmightbeabuoyorasmallboatreflectingthesunlight,butitwasdefinitelyglowing,anditwasmovingmoresmoothlythanaboat,makingastraightlinetowardthem.Asitgotcloser,Annabethcouldtellitwasthefigureofawoman.

“Theghost,”shesaid.“That’snotaghost,”Hazelsaid.“Nokindofspiritglowsthatbrightly.”Annabethdecidedtotakeherwordforit.Shecouldn’timaginebeingHazel,

dying at such a young age and coming back from the Underworld, knowingmoreaboutthedeadthantheliving.

As if in a trance, Piper walked across the street toward the edge of theseawall,narrowlyavoidingahorse-drawncarriage.

“Piper!”Annabethcalled.“We’dbetterfollowher,”Hazelsaid.BythetimeAnnabethandHazelcaughtuptoher,theghostlyapparitionwas

onlyafewyardsaway.Piperglaredatitlikethesightoffendedher.“Itisher,”shegrumbled.Annabethsquintedattheghost,butitblazedtoobrightlytomakeoutdetails.

Then the apparition floated up the seawall and stopped in front of them. Theglowfaded.

Annabeth gasped. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful and strangelyfamiliar.Herfacewashardtodescribe.Herfeaturesseemedtoshiftfromthoseof one glamorous movie star to another. Her eyes sparkled playfully—sometimesgreenorblueoramber.Herhairchangedfromlong,straightblondto

darkchocolateycurls.Annabethwasinstantlyjealous.She’dalwayswishedshehaddarkhair.She

feltlikenobodytookherseriouslyasablonde.Shehadtoworktwiceashardtoget recognition as a strategist, an architect, a senior counselor—anything thathadtodowithbrains.

Thewomanwasdressed like aSouthernbelle, just as Jasonhaddescribed.Hergownhada low-cutbodiceofpink silkanda three-tieredhoopskirtwithwhitescallopedlace.Sheworetallwhitesilkgloves,andheldafeatheredpink-and-whitefantoherchest.

Everythingabouther seemedcalculated tomakeAnnabeth feel inadequate:the easy grace with which she wore her dress, the perfect yet understatedmakeup,thewaysheradiatedfemininecharmthatnomancouldpossiblyresist.

Annabeth realized thather jealousywas irrational.Thewomanwasmakingherfeelthisway.She’dhadthisexperiencebefore.Sherecognizedthiswoman,eventhoughherfacechangedbythesecond,becomingmoreandmorebeautiful.

“Aphrodite,”shesaid.“Venus?”Hazelaskedinamazement.“Mom,”Pipersaid,withnoenthusiasm.“Girls!”Thegoddessspreadherarmslikeshewantedagrouphug.Thethreedemigodsdidnotoblige.Hazelbackedintoapalmettotree.“I’m so glad you’re here,” Aphrodite said. “War is coming. Bloodshed is

inevitable.Sothere’sreallyonlyonethingtodo.”“Uh…andthatis?”Annabethventured.“Why,haveteaandchat,obviously.Comewithme!”

Aphroditeknewhowtodotea.

Sheledthemtothecentralpavilioninthegardens—awhite-pillaredgazebo,whereatablewassetwithsilverware,chinacups,andofcourseasteamingpotof tea, the fragrance shifting as easily as Aphrodite’s appearance—sometimescinnamon, or jasmine, or mint. There were plates of scones, cookies, andmuffins,freshbutterandjam—allofwhich,Annabethfigured,wereincrediblyfattening;unless,ofcourse,youweretheimmortalgoddessoflove.

Aphroditesat—orheldcourt,rather—inawickerpeacockchair.Shepouredteaandservedcakeswithoutgettingaspeckonherclothes,herposturealwaysperfect,hersmiledazzling.

Annabethhatedhermoreandmorethelongertheysat.“Oh,mysweetgirls,”thegoddesssaid.“IdoloveCharleston!Theweddings

I’veattendedinthisgazebo—theybringtearstomyeyes.AndtheelegantballsinthedaysoftheOldSouth.Ah,theywerelovely.Manyofthesemansionsstillhavestatuesofmeintheirgardens,thoughtheycalledmeVenus.”

“Whichareyou?”Annabethasked.“VenusorAphrodite?”The goddess sipped her tea. Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “Annabeth

Chase, you’ve grown into quite a beautiful young lady.You really should dosomethingwithyourhair,though.And,HazelLevesque,yourclothes—”

“My clothes?” Hazel looked down at her rumpled denim, not self-consciously,butbaffled,asifshecouldn’timaginewhatwaswrongwiththem.

“Mother!”Pipersaid.“You’reembarrassingme.”“Well,Idon’tseewhy,”thegoddesssaid.“Justbecauseyoudon’tappreciate

my fashion tips, Piper, doesn’t mean the others won’t. I could do a quickmakeoverforAnnabethandHazel,perhapssilkballgownslikemine—”

“Mother!”“Fine,” Aphrodite sighed. “To answer your question, Annabeth, I am both

AphroditeandVenus.UnlikemanyofmyfellowOlympians,Ichangedhardlyatall fromoneageto theother. Infact, I like to thinkIhaven’tagedabit!”Herfingersflutteredaroundherfaceappreciatively.“Loveislove,afterall,whetheryou’reGreekorRoman.Thiscivilwarwon’taffectmeasmuchas itwill theothers.”

Wonderful, Annabeth thought. Her own mother, the most levelheadedOlympian,wasreducedtoaraving,viciousscatterbraininasubwaystation.Andofall thegodswhomighthelpthem,theonlyonesnotaffectedbytheGreek–RomanschismseemedtobeAphrodite,Nemesis,andDionysus.Love,revenge,wine.Veryhelpful.

Hazelnibbledasugarcookie.“We’renotinawaryet,mylady.”“Oh,dearHazel.”Aphrodite foldedher fan. “Suchoptimism,yet youhave

heartrendingdaysaheadofyou.Ofcoursewariscoming.Loveandwaralwaysgo together.Theyare thepeaksofhumanemotion!Evilandgood,beautyandugliness.”

She smiled at Annabeth as if she knewwhat Annabeth had been thinkingearlierabouttheOldSouth.

Hazel set down her sugar cookie. She had a few crumbs on her chin, andAnnabethlikedthefactthatHazeleitherdidn’tknowordidn’tcare.

“Whatdoyoumean,”Hazelasked,“heartrendingdays?”ThegoddesslaughedasifHazelwereacutepuppy.“Well,Annabethcould

give you some idea. I once promised to make her love life interesting. Anddidn’tI?”

Annabethalmostsnappedthehandleoffherteacup.Foryears,herhearthadbeentorn.FirsttherewasLukeCastellan,herfirstcrush,whohadseenheronlyasalittlesister;thenhe’dturnedevilanddecidedhelikedher—rightbeforehedied.NextcamePercy,whowasinfuriatingbutsweet,yethehadseemedtobefalling for another girl namedRachel, and thenhe almost died, several times.FinallyAnnabethhadgottenPercy to herself, only to havehimvanish for sixmonthsandlosehismemory.

“Interesting,”Annabethsaid,“isamildwayofputtingit.”“Well, Ican’t takecredit forallyour troubles,” thegoddesssaid.“ButIdo

lovetwistsandturnsinalovestory.Oh,allofyouaresuchexcellentstories—Imean,girls.Youdomeproud!”

“Mother,”Pipersaid,“isthereareasonyou’rehere?”“Hmm?Oh,youmeanbesidesthetea?Ioftencomehere.Ilovetheview,the

food,theatmosphere—youcanjustsmelltheromanceandheartbreakintheair,can’tyou?Centuriesofit.”

Shepointedtoanearbymansion.“Doyouseethatrooftopbalcony?Wehada party there the night the American Civil War began. The shelling of FortSumter.”

“That’s it,”Annabeth remembered. “The island in theharbor.That’swherethefirstfightingoftheCivilWarhappened.TheConfederatesshelledtheUniontroopsandtookthefort.”

“Oh,suchaparty!”Aphroditesaid.“Astringquartet,andallthemenintheirelegant new officers’ uniforms. The women’s dresses—you should’ve seenthem!IdancedwithAres—orwasheMars?I’mafraidIwasalittlegiddy.Andthebeautifulburstsoflightacrosstheharbor,theroarofthecannonsgivingthemenanexcusetoputtheirarmsaroundtheirfrightenedsweethearts!”

Annabeth’s tea was cold. She hadn’t eaten anything, but she felt like shewantedtothrowup.“You’retalkingaboutthebeginningofthebloodiestwarinU.S.history.Oversixhundredthousandpeopledied—moreAmericansthaninWorldWarOneandWorldWarTwocombined.”

“And the refreshments!” Aphrodite continued. “Ah, they were divine.GeneralBeauregardhimselfmadeanappearance.Hewassuchascoundrel.Hewasonhis secondwife, then, but you shouldhave seen thewayhe looked atLisbethCooper—”

“Mother!”Pipertossedhersconetothepigeons.“Yes, sorry,” the goddess said. “Tomake the story short, I’m here to help

you,girls.Idoubtyou’llbeseeingHeramuch.Yourlittlequesthashardlymadeherwelcome in the throne room.And the other gods are rather indisposed, asyouknow,tornbetweentheirRomanandGreeksides.Somemorethanothers.”Aphrodite fixed her gaze on Annabeth. “I suppose you’ve told your friendsaboutyourfalling-outwithyourmother?”

HeatrosetoAnnabeth’scheeks.HazelandPiperlookedathercuriously.“Falling-out?”Hazelasked.“Anargument,”Annabethsaid.“It’snothing.”“Nothing!”thegoddesssaid.“Well,Idon’tknowaboutthat.Athenawasthe

mostGreekofallgoddesses.ThepatronofAthens,afterall.WhentheRomanstookover…oh, theyadoptedAthenaafter a fashion.ShebecameMinerva, thegoddessofcraftsandcleverness.ButtheRomanshadotherwargodswhoweremoretotheirtaste,morereliablyRoman—likeBellona—”

“Reyna’smom,”Pipermuttered.“Yes, indeed,” thegoddessagreed.“Ihada lovely talkwithReynaawhile

back, right here in the park.And theRomans hadMars, of course.And later,there was Mithras—not even properly Greek or Roman, but the legionnaires

werecrazyabouthiscult. Ialwaysfoundhimcrassand terriblynouveaudieu,personally. At any rate, the Romans quite sidelined poor Athena. They tookawaymostofhermilitaryimportance.TheGreeksneverforgavetheRomansforthatinsult.NeitherdidAthena.”

Annabeth’searsbuzzed.“TheMarkofAthena,”shesaid.“Itleadstoastatue,doesn’tit?Itleadsto…

tothestatue.”Aphrodite smiled. “You are clever, like your mother. Understand, though,

your siblings, the childrenofAthena,havebeen searching for centuries.Nonehassucceeded in recovering thestatue. In themeantime, they’vebeenkeepingalivetheGreekfeudwiththeRomans.Everycivilwar…somuchbloodshedandheartbreak…hasbeenorchestratedlargelybyAthena’schildren.”

“That’s…” Annabeth wanted to say impossible, but she rememberedAthena’sbitterwordsinGrandCentralStation,theburninghatredinhereyes.

“Romantic?”Aphroditeoffered.“Yes,Isupposeditis.”“But…”Annabethtriedtoclearthefogfromherbrain.“TheMarkofAthena,

howdoesitwork?Isitaseriesofclues,oratrailsetbyAthena—”“Hmm.” Aphrodite looked politely bored. “I couldn’t say. I don’t believe

Athenacreated theMarkconsciously. Ifsheknewwhereherstatuewas,she’dsimplytellyouwheretofindit.No…I’dguesstheMarkismorelikeaspiritualtrailofbreadcrumbs.It’saconnectionbetweenthestatueandthechildrenofthegoddess.Thestatuewantstobefound,yousee,butitcanonlybefreedbythemostworthy.”

“Andforthousandsofyears,”Annabethsaid,“noonehasmanaged.”“Holdon,”Pipersaid.“Whatstatuearewetalkingabout?”Thegoddesslaughed.“Oh,I’msureAnnabethcanfillyouin.Atanyrate,the

clueyouneediscloseby:amapofsorts,leftbythechildrenofAthenain1861—aremembrancethatwillstartyouonyourpath,onceyoureachRome.Butasyousaid,AnnabethChase,noonehaseversucceededinfollowingtheMarkofAthenatoitsend.Thereyouwillfaceyourworstfear—thefearofeverychildofAthena.Andevenifyousurvive,howwillyouuseyourreward?Forwarorforpeace?”

Annabethwasgladforthetablecloth,becauseunderthetable,herlegsweretrembling.“Thismap,”shesaid,“whereisit?”

“Guys!”Hazelpointedtothesky.Circling above the palmetto trees were two large eagles. Higher up,

descending rapidly, was a flying chariot pulled by pegasi. Apparently Leo’sdiversionwithBufordtheendtablehadn’tworked—atleastnotforlong.

Aphroditespreadbutteronamuffinas if shehadall the time in theworld.“Oh,themapisatFortSumter,ofcourse.”Shepointedherbutterknifetowardthe islandacross theharbor.“It looks like theRomanshavearrived tocutyouoff.I’dgetbacktoyourshipinahurryifIwereyou.Wouldyoucareforsometeacakestogo?”

THEYDIDN’TMAKEITTOTHESHIP.Halfwayacrossthedock,threegianteaglesdescendedinfrontofthem.Each

depositedaRomancommandoinpurpleanddenimwithglitteringgoldarmor,sword,andshield.Theeaglesflewaway,andtheRomaninthemiddle,whowasscrawnierthantheothers,raisedhisvisor.

“SurrendertoRome!”Octavianshrieked.Hazeldrewhercavalryswordandgrumbled,“Fatchance,Octavian.”Annabeth cursed under her breath. By himself, the skinny augur wouldn’t

havebotheredher,butthetwootherguyslookedlikeseasonedwarriors—alotbigger and stronger thanAnnabethwanted todealwith, especially sincePiperandshewerearmedonlywithdaggers.

Piper raised her hands in a placating gesture. “Octavian,what happened atcampwasasetup.Wecanexplain.”

“Can’t hear you!” Octavian yelled. “Wax in our ears—standard procedurewhen battling evil sirens. Now, throw down your weapons and turn aroundslowlysoIcanbindyourhands.”

“Letmeskewerhim,”Hazelmuttered.“Please.”Theshipwasonlyfiftyfeetaway,butAnnabethsawnosignofCoachHedge

on deck. He was probably below, watching his stupid martial arts programs.Jason’s group wasn’t due back until sunset, and Percy would be underwater,unaware of the invasion. If Annabeth could get on board, she could use theballistae;buttherewasnowaytogetaroundthesethreeRomans.

Shewasrunningoutoftime.Theeaglescircledoverhead,cryingoutasiftoalert their brethren: Hey, some tasty Greek demigods over here! Annabethcouldn’t see the flyingchariot anymore,but she assumed itwas closeby.ShehadtofigureoutsomethingbeforemoreRomansarrived.

She needed help…some kind of distress signal to Coach Hedge, or evenbetter—Percy.

“Well?”Octaviandemanded.Histwofriendsbrandishedtheirswords.Very slowly,usingonly two fingers,Annabethdrewherdagger. Insteadof

droppingit,shetosseditasfarasshecouldintothewater.Octavianmadeasqueakingsound.“Whatwas that for? Ididn’tsay toss it!

Thatcould’vebeenevidence.Orspoilsofwar!”Annabeth tried for a dumb-blonde smile, like:Oh, silly me. Nobody who

knewherwouldhavebeenfooled.ButOctavianseemedtobuyit.Hehuffedinexasperation.

“You other two…” He pointed his blade at Hazel and Piper. “Put yourweaponsonthedock.Nofunnybus—”

AllaroundtheRomans,CharlestonHarboreruptedlikeaLasVegasfountainputtingonashow.Whenthewallofseawatersubsided,thethreeRomanswereinthebay,splutteringandfranticallytryingtostayafloat intheirarmor.Percystoodonthedock,holdingAnnabeth’sdagger.

“Youdroppedthis,”hesaid,totallypoker-faced.Annabeththrewherarmsaroundhim.“Iloveyou!”“Guys,”Hazel interrupted. She had a little smile on her face. “Weneed to

hurry.”Downinthewater,Octavianyelled,“Getmeoutofhere!I’llkillyou!”“Tempting,”Percycalleddown.“What?”Octavianshouted.Hewasholdingontooneofhisguards,whowas

havingtroublekeepingthembothafloat.

“Nothing!”Percyshoutedback.“Let’sgo,guys.”Hazelfrowned.“Wecan’tletthemdrown,canwe?”“Theywon’t,” Percy promised. “I’ve got thewater circulating around their

feet.Assoonaswe’reoutofrange,I’llspitthemashore.”Pipergrinned.“Nice.”TheyclimbedaboardtheArgoII,andAnnabethrantothehelm.“Piper,get

below.Use the sink in thegalley for an Iris-message.Warn Jason toget backhere!”

Pipernoddedandracedoff.“Hazel, go findCoachHedge and tell him to get his furry hindquarters on

deck!”“Right!”“AndPercy—youandIneedtogetthisshiptoFortSumter.”Percynoddedandrantothemast.Annabethtookthehelm.Herhandsflew

acrossthecontrols.She’djusthavetohopesheknewenoughtooperatethem.AnnabethhadseenPercycontrolfull-sizedsailingshipsbeforewithonlyhis

willpower.Thistime,hedidn’tdisappoint.Ropesflewontheirown—releasingthe dock ties, weighing the anchor. The sails unfurled and caught the wind.Meanwhile Annabeth fired the engine. The oars extended with a sound likemachine-gunfire,andtheArgoIIturnedfromthedock,headingfortheislandinthedistance.

Thethreeeaglesstillcircledoverhead,but theymadenoattempttolandonthe ship, probably because Festus the figurehead blew firewhenever they gotclose. More eagles were flying in formation toward Fort Sumter—at least adozen.IfeachofthemcarriedaRomandemigod…thatwasalotofenemies.

CoachHedgecamepoundingupthestairswithHazelathishooves.“Wherearethey?”hedemanded.“WhodoIkill?”“Nokilling!”Annabethordered.“Justdefendtheship!”“ButtheyinterruptedaChuckNorrismovie!”Piperemergedfrombelow.“GotamessagethroughtoJason.Kindoffuzzy,

buthe’salreadyonhisway.Heshouldbe—oh!There!”Soaring over the city, heading in their direction, was a giant bald eagle,

unlikethegoldenRomanbirds.“Frank!”Hazelsaid.Leowas holding on to the eagle’s feet, and even from the ship,Annabeth

couldhearhimscreamingandcursing.BehindthemflewJason,ridingthewind.“Never seen Jason fly before,” Percy grumbled. “He looks like a blond

Superman.”“Thisisn’tthetime!”Piperscoldedhim.“Look,they’reintrouble!”Sureenough,theRomanflyingchariothaddescendedfromacloudandwas

divingstraighttowardthem.JasonandFrankveeredoutoftheway,pullinguptoavoidgettingtrampledbythepegasi.Thecharioteersfiredtheirbows.ArrowswhistledunderLeo’sfeet,whichledtomorescreamingandcursing.JasonandFrankwereforcedtoovershoottheArgoIIandflytowardFortSumter.

“I’llget’em!”yelledCoachHedge.He spun the port ballista. Before Annabeth could yell, “Don’t be stupid!”

Hedgefired.Aflamingspearrocketedtowardthechariot.It exploded over the heads of the pegasi and threw them into a panic.

UnfortunatelyitalsosingedFrank’swingsandsenthimspiralingoutofcontrol.Leoslippedfromhisgrasp.ThechariotshottowardFortSumter,slammingintoJason.

AnnabethwatchedinhorrorasJason—obviouslydazedandinpain—lungedforLeo,caughthim, thenstruggled togainaltitude.Heonlymanaged to slowtheirfall.Theydisappearedbehindtherampartsofthefort.Franktumbledafterthem.Thenthechariotdroppedsomewhereinsideandhitwithabone-shatteringCRACK!Onebrokenwheelspunintotheair.

“Coach!”Piperscreamed.“What?”Hedgedemanded.“Thatwasjustawarningshot!”Annabethgunned theengines.Thehull shudderedas theypickedupspeed.

Thedocksoftheislandwereonlyahundredyardsawaynow,butadozenmoreeaglesweresoaringoverhead,eachcarryingaRomandemigodinitsclaws.

TheArgoII’screwwouldbeoutnumberedatleastthreetoone.“Percy,”Annabethsaid,“we’regoingtocomeinhard.Ineedyoutocontrol

thewatersowedon’tsmashintothedocks.Oncewe’rethere,you’regoingtohavetoholdofftheattackers.Therestofyouhelphimguardtheship.”

“But—Jason!”Pipersaid.“FrankandLeo!”Hazeladded.“I’llfindthem,”Annabethpromised.“I’vegottofigureoutwherethemapis.

AndI’mprettysureI’mtheonlyonewhocandothat.”“The fort is crawling with Romans,” Percy warned. “You’ll have to fight

yourwaythrough,findourfriends—assumingthey’reokay—findthismap,andgeteverybodybackalive.Allonyourown?”

“Just an average day.” Annabeth kissed him. “Whatever you do, don’t letthemtakethisship!”

THENEWCIVILWARHADBEGUN.Leo had somehow escaped his fall unharmed. Annabeth saw him ducking

fromporticotoportico,blastingfireatthegianteaglesswoopingdownonhim.Roman demigods tried to chase him, tripping over piles of cannonballs anddodgingtourists,whoscreamedandranincircles.

Tourguideskeptyelling,“It’sjustareenactment!”Thoughtheydidn’tsoundsure.TheMistcouldonlydosomuchtochangewhatmortalssaw.

Inthemiddleof thecourtyard,afull-grownelephant—couldthatbeFrank?—rampagedaroundtheflagpoles,scatteringRomanwarriors.Jasonstoodaboutfiftyyardsaway,sword-fightingwithastockycenturionwhoselipswerestainedcherryred,likeblood.Awannabevampire,ormaybeaKool-Aidfreak?

AsAnnabethwatched,Jasonyelled,“Sorryaboutthis,Dakota!”Hevaultedstraightoverthecenturion’sheadlikeanacrobatandslammedthe

hiltofhisgladiusintothebackoftheRoman’shead.Dakotacrumpled.“Jason!”Annabethcalled.Hescannedthebattlefielduntilhesawher.She pointed to where the Argo II was docked. “Get the others aboard!

Retreat!”

“Whataboutyou?”hecalled.“Don’twaitforme!”Annabethboltedoffbeforehecouldprotest.Shehadahardtimemaneuveringthroughthemobsof tourists.Whydidso

many people want to see Fort Sumter on a sweltering summer day? ButAnnabethquicklyrealizedthecrowdshadsavedtheirlives.Withoutthechaosofall these panicked mortals, the Romans would have already surrounded theiroutnumberedcrew.

Annabethdodgedintoasmallroomthatmusthavebeenpartofthegarrison.Shetriedtosteadyherbreathing.Sheimaginedwhatitwouldhavebeenliketobe aUnion soldier on this island in 1861. Surrounded by enemies.Dwindlingfoodandsupplies,noreinforcementscoming.

SomeoftheUniondefendershadbeenchildrenofAthena.They’dhiddenanimportantmap here—something they didn’twant falling into enemy hands. IfAnnabethhadbeenoneofthosedemigods,wherewouldshehaveputit?

Suddenly thewallsglistened.Theairbecamewarm.Annabethwondered ifshewashallucinating.Shewasabouttorunfortheexitwhenthedoorslammedshut. The mortar between the stones blistered. The bubbles popped, andthousandsoftinyblackspidersswelledforth.

Annabeth couldn’t move. Her heart seemed to have stopped. The spidersblanketed thewalls, crawlingoverone another, spreading across the floor andgraduallysurroundingher.Itwasimpossible.Thiscouldn’tbereal.

Terrorplungedher intomemories.Shewas sevenyearsoldagain, alone inherbedroominRichmond,Virginia.Thespiderscameatnight.Theycrawledinwavesfromherclosetandwaitedintheshadows.Sheyelledforherfather,butherfatherwasawayforwork.Healwaysseemedtobeawayforwork.

Herstepmothercameinstead.Idon’tmindbeing thebadcop, shehadonce toldAnnabeth’s father,when

shedidn’tthinkAnnabethcouldhear.It’s only your imagination, her stepmother said about the spiders. You’re

scaringyourbabybrothers.They’re not my brothers, Annabeth argued, which made her stepmother’s

expressionharden.Hereyeswerealmostasscaryasthespiders.Gotosleepnow,herstepmotherinsisted.Nomorescreaming.Thespiderscamebackassoonasherstepmotherhadlefttheroom.Annabeth

tried to hide under the covers, but it was no good. Eventually she fell asleepfrom sheer exhaustion. She woke up in the morning, freckled with bites,cobwebscoveringhereyes,hermouth,andnose.

Thebitesfadedbeforesheevengotdressed,soshehadnothingtoshowherstepmother except cobwebs, which her stepmother thought was some sort ofclevertrick.Nomoretalkofspiders,herstepmothersaidfirmly.You’reabiggirlnow.Thesecondnight,thespiderscameagain.Herstepmothercontinuedtobethe

bad cop.Annabethwasn’t allowed to call her father and bother himwith thisnonsense.No,hewouldnotcomehomeearly.

Thethirdnight,Annabethranawayfromhome.Later, at Camp Half-Blood, she learned that all children of Athena feared

spiders.Longago,AthenahadtaughtthemortalweaverArachneahardlesson—cursingherforherpridebyturningherintothefirstspider.Eversince,spidershadhatedthechildrenofAthena.

But thatdidn’tmakeher feareasier todealwith.Once, she’dalmostkilledConnorStollatcampforputtingatarantulainherbunk.Yearslater,she’dhadapanicattackatawaterpark inDenver,whenPercyandshewereassaultedbymechanicalspiders.Andthepastfewweeks,Annabethhaddreamedofspidersalmosteverynight—crawlingoverher,suffocatingher,wrappingherinwebs.

Now, standing in the barracks at Fort Sumter, she was surrounded. Hernightmareshadcometrue.

A sleepy voice murmured in her head: Soon, my dear. You will meet theweaversoon.

“Gaea?”Annabethmurmured.Shefearedtheanswer,butsheasked:“Who—whoistheweaver?”

The spiders became excited, swarming over the walls, swirling aroundAnnabeth’sfeetlikeaglisteningblackwhirlpool.OnlythehopethatitmightbeanillusionkeptAnnabethfrompassingoutfromfear.

Ihopeyousurvive,child,thewoman’svoicesaid.Iwouldpreferyouasmysacrifice.Butwemustlettheweavertakeherrevenge…

Gaea’svoicefaded.Onthefarwall,inthecenterofthespiderswarm,aredsymbolblazed to life: the figureofanowl like theoneon thesilverdrachma,staringstraightatAnnabeth.Then,justasinhernightmares,theMarkofAthenaburned across the walls, incinerating the spiders until the room was emptyexceptforthesmellofsicklysweetashes.Go,saidanewvoice—Annabeth’smother.Avengeme.FollowtheMark.Theblazingsymboloftheowlfaded.Thegarrisondoorburstopen.Annabeth

stoodstunnedinthemiddleoftheroom,unsurewhethershe’dseensomethingreal,orjustavision.

Anexplosionshookthebuilding.Annabethrememberedthatherfriendswereindanger.She’dstayedheremuchtoolong.

Sheforcedherselftomove.Stilltrembling,shestumbledoutside.Theoceanair helped clear hermind. She gazed across the courtyard—past the panickedtourists and fighting demigods—to the edge of the battlements,where a largemortarpointedouttosea.

ItmighthavebeenAnnabeth’simagination,buttheoldartillerypieceseemedto be glowing red. She dashed toward it. An eagle swooped at her, but sheducked and kept running. Nothing could possibly scare her asmuch as thosespiders.

RomandemigodshadformedranksandwereadvancingtowardtheArgoII,butaminiaturestormhadgatheredovertheirheads.Thoughthedaywasclearallaroundthem,thunderrumbled,andlightningflashedabovetheRomans.Rainandwindpushedthemback.

Annabethdidn’tstoptothinkaboutit.She reached themortar and put her hand on themuzzle. On the plug that

blockedtheopening,theMarkofAthenabegantoglow—theredoutlineofanowl.

“Inthemortar,”shesaid.“Ofcourse.”Shepriedattheplugwithherfingers.Noluck.Cursing,shedrewherdagger.

AssoonastheCelestialbronzetouchedtheplug,theplugshrankandloosened.

Annabethpulleditoffandstuckherhandinsidethecannon.Her fingers touched something cold, smooth, and metal. She pulled out a

small disk of bronze the size of a tea saucer, etchedwith delicate letters andillustrations.Shedecidedtoexamineitlater.Shethrustitinherpackandturned.

“Rushingoff?”Reynaasked.Thepraetorstoodtenfeetaway,infullbattlearmor,holdingagoldenjavelin.

Hertwometalgreyhoundsgrowledatherside.Annabeth scanned the area. They were more or less alone. Most of the

combathadmoved toward thedocks.Hopefullyher friendshadallmade itonboard,but they’dhave tosetsail immediatelyor riskbeingoverrun.Annabethhadtohurry.

“Reyna,” she said, “what happened at Camp Jupiter was Gaea’s fault.Eidolons,possessingspirits—”

“Saveyourexplanations,”Reynasaid.“You’llneedthemforthetrial.”Thedogssnarledand inchedforward.This time, itdidn’tseemtomatter to

them thatAnnabethwas telling the truth.She tried to thinkofanescapeplan.ShedoubtedshecouldtakeReynainone-on-onecombat.Withthosemetaldogs,shestoodnochanceatall.

“If you let Gaea drive our camps apart,” Annabeth said, “the giants havealreadywon.They’lldestroytheRomans,theGreeks,thegods,thewholemortalworld.”

“Don’t you think I know that?”Reyna’s voicewas as hard as iron. “Whatchoicehaveyouleftme?Octaviansmellsblood.He’swhippedthelegionintoafrenzy,andIcan’tstopit.Surrendertome.I’llbringyoubacktoNewRomefortrial.Itwon’tbefair.You’llbepainfullyexecuted.Butitmaybeenoughtostopfurther violence. Octavian won’t be satisfied, of course, but I think I canconvincetheotherstostanddown.”

“Itwasn’tme!”“Itdoesn’tmatter!”Reynasnapped.“Someonemustpayforwhathappened.

Letitbeyou.It’sthebetteroption.”Annabeth’sskincrawled.“Betterthanwhat?”“Use that wisdom of yours,” Reyna said. “If you escape today, we won’t

follow.Itoldyou—notevenamadmanwouldcrosstheseatotheancientlands.IfOctaviancan’thavevengeanceonyourship,he’llturnhisattentiontoCampHalf-Blood.Thelegionwillmarchonyourterritory.Wewillrazeitandsalttheearth.”KilltheRomans,sheheardhermotherurging.Theycanneverbeyourallies.Annabeth wanted to sob. Camp Half-Blood was the only real home she’d

everknown,andinabidforfriendship,shehadtoldReynaexactlywheretofindit.Shecouldn’t leaveitat themercyoftheRomansandtravelhalfwayaroundtheworld.

But their quest, and everything she’d suffered to get Percy back…if shedidn’tgototheancient lands, itwouldallmeannothing.Besides, theMarkofAthenadidn’thavetoleadtorevenge.IfIcouldfindtheroute,hermotherhadsaid,thewayhome…Howwillyouuseyourreward?Aphroditehadasked.Forwarorpeace?There was an answer. The Mark of Athena could lead her there—if she

survived.“I’mgoing,”shetoldReyna.“I’mfollowingtheMarkofAthenatoRome.”Thepraetorshookherhead.“Youhavenoideawhatawaitsyou.”“Yes,Ido,”Annabethsaid.“Thisgrudgebetweenourcamps…Icanfixit.”“Ourgrudgeisthousandsofyearsold.Howcanonepersonfixit?”Annabeth wished she could give a convincing answer, show Reyna a 3-D

diagramorabrilliantschematic,butshecouldn’t.Shejustknewshehadtotry.Sherememberedthatlostlookonhermother’sface:Imustreturnhome.

“Thequesthastosucceed,”shesaid.“Youcantrytostopme,inwhichcasewe’llhavetofighttothedeath.Oryoucanletmego,andI’lltrytosavebothourcamps.IfyoumustmarchonCampHalf-Blood,atleasttrytodelay.SlowOctaviandown.”

Reyna’seyesnarrowed.“Onedaughterofawargoddesstoanother,Irespectyourboldness.Butifyouleavenow,youdoomyourcamptodestruction.”

“Don’tunderestimateCampHalf-Blood,”Annabethwarned.“You’veneverseenthelegionatwar,”Reynacountered.Overbythedocks,afamiliarvoiceshriekedoverthewind:“Killthem!Kill

themall!”Octavian had survived his swim in the harbor. He crouched behind his

guards, screaming encouragement at the other Roman demigods as theystruggled toward the ship, holdingup their shields as if thatwoulddeflect thestormragingallaroundthem.

On the deck of the Argo II, Percy and Jason stood together, their swordscrossed. Annabeth got a tingle down her spine as she realized the boys wereworkingasone,summoningtheskyandtheseatodotheirbidding.Waterandwind churned together. Waves heaved against the ramparts and lightningflashed. Giant eagles were knocked out of the sky. Wreckage of the flyingchariot burned in the water, and Coach Hedge swung a mounted crossbow,takingpotshotsattheRomanbirdsastheyflewoverhead.

“Yousee?”Reynasaidbitterly.“Thespearisthrown.Ourpeopleareatwar.”“NotifIsucceed,”Annabethsaid.Reyna’s expression looked the same as it had at Camp Jupiter when she

realizedJasonhadfoundanothergirl.Thepraetorwastooalone,toobitterandbetrayedtobelieveanythingcouldgorightforhereveragain.Annabethwaitedforhertoattack.

Instead, Reyna flicked her hand. Themetal dogs backed away. “AnnabethChase,” she said, “when we meet again, we will be enemies on the field ofbattle.”

The praetor turned andwalked across the ramparts, her greyhounds behindher.

Annabeth feared it might be some sort of trick, but she had no time towonder.Sheranfortheship.

ThewindsthatbatteredtheRomansdidn’tseemtoaffecther.Annabethsprintedthroughtheirlines.Octavianyelled,“Stopher!”A spear flew past her ear. TheArgo IIwas already pulling away from the

dock.Piperwasatthegangplank,herhandoutstretched.AnnabethleapedandgrabbedPiper’shand.Thegangplankfell intothesea,

andthetwogirlstumbledontothedeck.“Go!”Annabethscreamed.“Go,go,go!”

The engines rumbled beneath her. The oars churned. Jason changed thecourseof thewind,andPercycalledupamassivewave,which lifted theshiphigher than the fort’swalls and pushed it out to sea.By the time theArgo IIreached top speed,FortSumterwasonlyablot in thedistance, and theywereracingacrossthewavestowardtheancientlands.

AFTERRAIDINGAMUSEUMFULLOFConfederateghosts,Leodidn’tthinkhisdaycouldgetanyworse.Hewaswrong.

They hadn’t found anything in the Civil War sub or elsewhere in themuseum; just a few elderly tourists, a dozing security guard, and—when theytriedtoinspecttheartifacts—awholebattalionofglowingzombiedudesingrayuniforms.

The idea thatFrankshouldbeable tocontrol thespirits?Yeah…thatprettymuch failed. By the time Piper sent her Iris-messagewarning them about theRomanattack,theywerealreadyhalfwaybacktotheship,havingbeenchasedthroughdowntownCharlestonbyapackofangrydeadConfederates.

Then—oh, boy!—Leo got to hitch a ridewith Frank the FriendlyEagle sotheycouldfightabunchofRomans.Rumormust’vegottenaroundthatLeowasthe one who had fired on their little city, because those Romans seemedespeciallyanxioustokillhim.

But wait! There wasmore! CoachHedge shot them out of the sky; Frankdroppedhim(thatwasnoaccident);andtheycrash-landedinFortSumter.

Now,astheArgoIIracedacrossthewaves,Leohadtouseallhisskilljusttokeeptheshipinonepiece.PercyandJasonwerealittletoogoodatcookingup

massivestorms.At one point, Annabeth stood next to him, yelling against the roar of the

wind:“PercysayshetalkedtoaNereidinCharlestonHarbor!”“Goodforhim!”Leoyelledback.“TheNereidsaidweshouldseekhelpfromChiron’sbrothers.”“Whatdoesthatmean?ThePartyPonies?”LeohadnevermetChiron’scrazy

centaur relatives, but he’d heard rumors of Nerf sword-fights, root beer–chuggingcontests,andSuperSoakersfilledwithpressurizedwhippedcream.

“Notsure,”Annabethsaid.“ButI’vegotcoordinates.Canyouinputlatitudeandlongitudeinthisthing?”

“Icaninputstarchartsandorderyouasmoothie,ifyouwant.OfcourseIcandolatitudeandlongitude!”

Annabethrattledoff thenumbers.Leosomehowmanagedtopunchtheminwhile holding the wheel with one hand. A red dot popped up on the bronzedisplayscreen.

“ThatlocationisinthemiddleoftheAtlantic,”hesaid.“DothePartyPonieshaveayacht?”

Annabeth shrugged helplessly. “Just hold the ship together until we getfartherfromCharleston.JasonandPercywillkeepupthewinds!”

“Happyfuntime!”Itseemedlikeforever,butfinallytheseacalmedandthewindsdied.“Valdez,” said Coach Hedge, with surprising gentleness. “Let me take the

wheel.You’vebeensteeringfortwohours.”“Twohours?”“Yeah.Givemethewheel.”“Coach?”“Yeah,kid?”“Ican’tunclenchmyhands.”Itwastrue.Leo’sfingersfeltliketheyhadturnedtostone.Hiseyesburned

from staring at the horizon. His knees were marshmallows. Coach Hedgemanagedtopryhimfromthewheel.

Leotookone last lookat theconsole, listening toFestuschatterandwhira

statusreport.Leofeltlikehewasforgettingsomething.Hestaredatthecontrols,tryingtothink,butitwasnogood.Hiseyescouldhardlyfocus.“Justwatchformonsters,”hetoldthecoach.“Andbecarefulwiththedamagedstabilizer.And—”

“I’vegotitcovered,”CoachHedgepromised.“Now,goaway!”Leonoddedwearily.Hestaggeredacrossthedecktowardhisfriends.PercyandJasonsatwiththeirbacksagainstthemast,theirheadsslumpedin

exhaustion.AnnabethandPiperweretryingtogetthemtodrinksomewater.HazelandFrankstoodjustoutofearshot,havinganargumentthatinvolved

lots of armwaving and head shaking. Leo should not have felt pleased aboutthat,butpartofhimdid.Theotherpartofhimfeltbadthathefeltpleased.

TheargumentstoppedabruptlywhenHazelsawLeo.Everybodygatheredatthemast.

Frank scowled like hewas trying hard to turn into a bulldog. “No sign ofpursuit,”hesaid.

“Orland,”Hazeladded.Shelookedalittlegreen,thoughLeowasn’tsureifthatwasfromtherockingoftheboatorfromarguing.

Leo scanned the horizon. Nothing but ocean in every direction. Thatshouldn’t have surprised him. He’d spent six months building a ship that heknewwouldcrosstheAtlantic.Butuntiltoday,theirembarkingonajourneytotheancientlandshadn’tseemedreal.LeohadneverbeenoutsidetheU.S.before—exceptforaquickdragonflightuptoQuebec.Nowtheywereinthemiddleoftheopensea,completelyon theirown,sailing to theMareNostrum,whereallthe scary monsters and nasty giants had come from. The Romans might notfollowthem,buttheycouldn’tcountonanyhelpfromCampHalf-Blood,either.

Leopattedhiswaisttomakesurehistoolbeltwasstillthere.Unfortunatelythat just reminded him ofNemesis’s fortune cookie, tucked inside one of thepockets.Youwillalwaysbeanoutsider.Thegoddess’svoicestillwriggledaroundin

hishead.Theseventhwheel.Forgether,Leotoldhimself.Concentrateonthestuffyoucanfix.HeturnedtoAnnabeth.“Didyoufindthemapyouwanted?”

Shenodded,thoughshelookedpale.Leowonderedwhatshe’dseenatFortSumterthatcouldhaveshakenherupsobadly.

“I’llhavetostudyit,”shesaid,asifthatwastheendofthesubject.“Howfararewefromthosecoordinates?”

“At top rowing speed, about an hour,” Leo said. “Any idea what we’relookingfor?”

“No,”sheadmitted.“Percy?”Percy raised his head. His green eyes were bloodshot and droopy. “The

Nereid said Chiron’s brothers were there, and they’d want to hear about thataquariuminAtlanta.Idon’tknowwhatshemeant,but…”Hepaused,likehe’dused up all his energy saying thatmuch. “She also warnedme to be careful.Keto,thegoddessattheaquarium:she’sthemotherofseamonsters.ShemightbestuckinAtlanta,butshecanstillsendherchildrenafterus.TheNereidsaidweshouldexpectanattack.”

“Wonderful,”Frankmuttered.Jason tried to stand,whichwasn’t a good idea. Piper grabbed him to keep

himfromfallingover,andheslidbackdownthemast.“Canwegettheshipaloft?”heasked.“Ifwecouldfly—”“That’dbegreat,”Leosaid.“ExceptFestustellsmetheportaerialstabilizer

gotpulverizedwhentheshiprakedagainstthedockatFortSumter.”“Wewereinahurry,”Annabethsaid.“Tryingtosaveyou.”“And savingme is a very noble cause,” Leo agreed. “I’m just saying, it’ll

takesometimetofix.Untilthen,we’renotflyinganywhere.”Percyflexedhisshouldersandwinced.“Finewithme.Theseaisgood.”“Speakforyourself.”Hazelglancedattheeveningsun,whichwasalmostto

thehorizon.“Weneedtogofast.We’veburnedanotherday,andNicoonlyhasthreemoreleft.”

“We can do it,” Leo promised. He hoped Hazel had forgiven him for nottrustingherbrother(hey,ithadseemedlikeareasonablesuspiciontoLeo),buthedidn’twanttoreopenthatwound.“WecanmakeittoRomeinthreedays—assuming,youknow,nothingunexpectedhappens.”

Frank grunted. He looked like he was still working on that bulldog

transformation.“Isthereanygoodnews?”“Actually, yes,” Leo said. “According to Festus, our flying table, Buford,

madeitbacksafelywhilewewereinCharleston,sothoseeaglesdidn’tgethim.Unfortunately,helostthelaundrybagwithyourpants.”

“Dang it!”Frank barked,whichLeo figuredwas probably severe profanityforhim.

NodoubtFrankwould’vecursedsomemore—bustingoutthegollygeesandthegoshdarns—butPercyinterruptedbydoublingoverandgroaning.

“Didtheworldjustturnupsidedown?”heasked.Jasonpressedhishands tohishead.“Yeah,andit’sspinning.Everythingis

yellow.Isitsupposedtobeyellow?”AnnabethandPiperexchangedconcernedlooks.“Summoning that storm really sapped your strength,” Piper told the boys.

“You’vegottorest.”Annabeth nodded agreement. “Frank, can you help us get the guys

belowdecks?”FrankglancedatLeo,nodoubtreluctanttoleavehimalonewithHazel.“It’s fine,man,”Leo said. “Just trynot todrop themon thewaydown the

stairs.”Once the others were below, Hazel and Leo faced each other awkwardly.

They were alone except for Coach Hedge, who was back on the quarterdecksinging thePokémon themesong.Thecoachhadchanged thewords to:GottaKill’EmAll,andLeoreallydidn’twanttoknowwhy.

Thesongdidn’tseemtohelpHazel’snausea.“Ugh…”She leaned over and hugged her sides. She had nice hair—frizzy

andgoldenbrownlikecurlsofcinnamon.HerhairremindedLeoofaplaceinHoustonthatmadeexcellentchurros.Thethoughtmadehimhungry.

“Don’t lean over,” he advised. “Don’t close your eyes. It makes thequeasinessworse.”

“Itdoes?Doyougetseasicktoo?”“Notseasick.Butcarsmakemenauseous,and…”Hestoppedhimself.Hewantedtosaytalkingtogirls,buthedecidedtokeep

thattohimself.“Cars?” Hazel straightened with difficulty. “You can sail a ship or fly a

dragon,butcarsmakeyousick?”“Iknow,right?”Leoshrugged.“I’mspecialthatway.Look,keepyoureyes

onthehorizon.That’safixedpoint.It’llhelp.”Hazeltookadeepbreathandstaredintothedistance.Hereyeswerelustrous

gold,likethecopperandbronzedisksinsideFestus’smechanicalhead.“Anybetter?”heasked.“Maybe a little.” She sounded like shewas just being polite. She kept her

eyes on the horizon, but Leo got the feeling she was gauging his mood,consideringwhattosay.

“Frankdidn’tdropyouonpurpose,”shesaid.“He’snotlikethat.He’sjustalittleclumsysometimes.”“Oops,”Leosaid,inhisbestFrankZhangvoice.“DroppedLeointoasquad

ofenemysoldiers.Dangit!”Hazeltriedtosuppressasmile.Leofiguredsmilingwasbetterthanthrowing

up.“Goeasyonhim,”Hazelsaid.“YouandyourfireballsmakeFranknervous.”“Theguycanturnintoanelephant,andImakehimnervous?”Hazelkepthereyesonthehorizon.Shedidn’tlookquitesoqueasy,despite

thefactthatCoachHedgewasstillsinginghisPokémonsongatthehelm.“Leo,”shesaid,“aboutwhathappenedattheGreatSaltLake…”Hereitcomes,Leothought.HerememberedtheirmeetingwiththerevengegoddessNemesis.Thefortune

cookie in his tool belt started to feel heavier. Last night, as they flew fromAtlanta, Leo had lain in his cabin and thought about how angry he’d madeHazel.Hehadthoughtaboutwayshecouldmakeitright.Soonyouwill faceaproblemyoucannotsolve,Nemesishadsaid, thoughI

couldhelpyou…foraprice.Leo had taken the fortune cookie out of his tool belt and turned it in his

fingers,wonderingwhatpricehewouldhavetopayifhebrokeitopen.Maybenowwasthemoment.

“I’dbewilling,”hetoldHazel.“Icouldusethefortunecookietofindyourbrother.”

Hazellookedstunned.“What?No!Imean…I’dneveraskyoutodothat.NotafterwhatNemesissaidaboutthehorriblecost.Webarelyknoweachother!”

Thebarelyknoweachothercommentkindofhurt,thoughLeoknewitwastrue.

“So…that’snotwhatyouwantedtotalkabout?”heasked.“Uh,didyouwanttotalkabouttheholding-hands-on-the-bouldermoment?Because—”

“No!”shesaidquickly, fanningher face in thatcutewayshedidwhenshewasflustered.“No,IwasjustthinkingaboutthewayyoutrickedNarcissusandthosenymphs…”

“Oh, right.” Leo glanced self-consciously at his arm. TheHOT STUFF tattoohadn’tcompletelyfaded.“Seemedlikeagoodideaatthetime.”

“Youwereamazing,”Hazelsaid.“I’vebeenmullingitover,howmuchyouremindedmeof—”

“Sammy,”Leoguessed.“Iwishyou’dtellmewhoheis.”“Whohewas,”Hazelcorrected.Theeveningairwaswarm,butsheshivered.

“I’vebeenthinking…Imightbeabletoshowyou.”“Youmeanlikeaphoto?”“No.There’sasortof flashback thathappens tome. Ihaven’thadone ina

longtime,andI’venevertriedtomakeonehappenonpurpose.ButIsharedonewithFrankonce,soIthought…”

Hazellockedeyeswithhim.Leostartedtofeeljittery,likehe’dbeeninjectedwithcoffee.IfthisflashbackwassomethingFrankhadsharedwithHazel…well,eitherLeodidn’twantanypartofit,orhedefinitelywantedtotryit.Hewasn’tsurewhich.

“When you say flashback…”He swallowed. “What exactly arewe talkingabout?Isitsafe?”

Hazel held out her hand. “I wouldn’t ask you to do this, but I’m sure it’simportant.Itcan’tbeacoincidencewemet.Ifthisworks,maybewecanfinallyunderstandhowwe’reconnected.”

Leoglancedbackatthehelm.Hestillhadanaggingsuspicionhe’dforgotten

something,butCoachHedgeseemedtobedoingfine.Theskyaheadwasclear.Therewasnosignoftrouble.

Besides,aflashbacksoundedlikeaprettybrief thing. Itcouldn’thurt to letthecoachbeinchargeforafewmoreminutes,couldit?

“Okay,”herelented.“Showme.”HetookHazel’shand,andtheworlddissolved.

THEYSTOODINTHECOURTYARDofanoldcompound,likeamonastery.Redbrickwallswereovergrownwithvines.Bigmagnoliatreeshadcrackedthepavement.The sun beat down, and the humidity was about two hundred percent, evenstickierthaninHouston.Somewherenearby,Leosmelledfishfrying.Overhead,thecloudcoverwaslowandgray,stripedlikeatiger’spelt.

The courtyard was about the size of a basketball court. An old deflatedfootballsatinonecorner,atthebaseofaVirginMarystatue.

Alongthesidesofthebuildings,windowswereopen.Leocouldseeflickersofmovementinside,butitwaseerilyquiet.Hesawnosignofairconditioning,whichmeantitmusthavebeenathousanddegreesinthere.

“Wherearewe?”heasked.“Myoldschool,”Hazel saidnext tohim.“St.AgnesAcademyforColored

ChildrenandIndians.”“Whatkindofname—?”He turned toward Hazel and yelped. She was a ghost—just a vaporous

silhouette in the steamy air. Leo looked down and realized his own body hadturnedtomisttoo.

Everything around him seemed solid and real, but he was a spirit. After

having been possessed by an eidolon three days ago, he didn’t appreciate thefeeling.

Before he could ask questions, a bell rang inside: not amodern electronicsound,buttheold-fashionedbuzzofahammeronmetal.

“Thisisamemory,”Hazelsaid,“sonoonewillseeus.Look,herewecome.”“We?”Fromevery door, dozens of children spilled into the courtyard, yelling and

jostling each other. TheyweremostlyAfricanAmerican,with a sprinkling ofHispanic-lookingkids,asyoungaskindergartnersandasoldashighschoolers.Leocouldtellthiswasinthepast,becauseallthegirlsworedressesandbuckledleather shoes. The boys wore white collared shirts and pants held up bysuspenders.Manyworecapslikehorsejockeyswear.Somekidscarriedlunches.Manydidn’t.Theirclotheswereclean,butwornandfaded.Somehadholesinthekneesoftheirtrousers,orshoeswiththeheelscomingapart.

Afewofthegirlsbeganplayingjumpropewithanoldpieceofclothesline.The older guys tossed a ratty baseball back and forth. Kids with lunches sattogetherandateandchatted.

NoonepaidGhostHazelorLeoanyattention.Then Hazel—Hazel from the past—stepped into the courtyard. Leo

recognized her with no problem, though she looked about two years youngerthannow.Herhairwaspinnedbackinabun.Hergoldeyesdartedaroundthecourtyarduneasily.Sheworeadarkdress,unlike theothergirls in theirwhitecottonorpastelfloweryprints,soshestoodoutlikeamourneratawedding.

Shegrippedacanvaslunchbagandmovedalongthewall,asif tryinghardnottobenoticed.

It didn’t work. A boy called out, “Witch girl!” He lumbered toward her,backingherintoacorner.Theboycouldhavebeenfourteenornineteen.Itwashard to tell because he was so big and tall, easily the largest guy on theplayground.Leofiguredhe’dbeenheldbackafewtimes.Heworeadirtyshirtthe color of grease rags, threadbare wool trousers (in this heat, they couldn’thave been comfortable), and no shoes at all. Maybe the teachers were tooterrifiedtoinsistthatthiskidwearshoes,ormaybehejustdidn’thaveany.

“That’sRufus,”saidGhostHazelwithdistaste.“Seriously?NowayhisnameisRufus,”Leosaid.“Come on,” said Ghost Hazel. She drifted toward the confrontation. Leo

followed.Hewasn’tusedtodrifting,buthe’driddenaSegwayonceanditwaskindoflikethat.Hesimplyleanedinthedirectionhewantedtogoandglidedalong.

The big kid Rufus had flat features, as if he spent most of his time face-planting on the sidewalk. His hair was cut just as flat on top, so miniatureairplanescould’veuseditforalandingstrip.

Rufusthrustouthishand.“Lunch.”Hazelfromthepastdidn’tprotest.Shehandedoverhercanvasbaglikethis

wasaneverydayoccurrence.Afewoldergirlsdriftedovertowatchthefun.OnegiggledatRufus.“You

don’twanttoeatthat,”shewarned.“It’sprobablypoison.”“You’reright,”Rufussaid.“Didyourwitchmommakethis,Levesque?”“She’snotawitch,”Hazelmuttered.Rufus dropped the bag and stepped on it, smashing the contents under his

bareheel.“Youcanhaveitback.Iwantadiamond,though.Ihearyourmommacanmakethoseoutofthinair.Gimmeadiamond.”

“Idon’thavediamonds,”Hazelsaid.“Goaway.”Rufus balled his fists. Leo had been in enough rough schools and foster

homestosensewhenthingswereabout toturnugly.HewantedtostepinandhelpHazel,buthewasaghost.Besides,allthishadhappeneddecadesago.

Thenanotherkidstumbledoutsideintothesunlight.Leosuckedinhisbreath.Theboylookedexactlylikehim.“Yousee?”askedGhostHazel.FakeLeowas the sameheight asRegularLeo—meaninghewas short.He

hadthesamenervousenergy—tappinghisfingersagainsthistrousers,brushingat his white cotton shirt, adjusting the jockey cap on his curly brown hair.(Really,Leothought,shortpeopleshouldnotwearjockeycapsunlesstheywerejockeys.) Fake Leo had the same devilish smile that greeted Regular Leowheneverhelookedinamirror—anexpressionthatmadeteachersimmediately

shout,“Don’teventhinkaboutit!”andplophiminthefrontrow.Apparently,FakeLeohadjustbeenscoldedbyateacher.Hewasholdinga

duncecap—anhonest-to-goodnesscardboardconethatsaidDUNCE.Leothoughtthoseweresomethingyouonlysawincartoons.

HecouldunderstandwhyFakeLeowasn’twearing it.Bad enough to looklikeajockey.Withthatconeonhishead,hewould’velookedlikeagnome.

Some kids backed upwhen FakeLeo burst onto the scene.Others nudgedeachotherandrantowardhimliketheywereexpectingashow.

Meanwhile,FlatheadRufuswasstilltryingtopunkHazeloutofadiamond,oblivioustoFakeLeo’sarrival.

“Comeon,girl.”RufusloomedoverHazelwithhisfistsclenched.“Giveit!”Hazelpressedherselfagainstthewall.Suddenlythegroundatherfeetwent

snap, like a twig breaking.Aperfect diamond the size of a pistachio glitteredbetweenherfeet.

“Ha!” Rufus barked when he saw it. He started to lean down, but Hazelyelped,“No,please!”asifshewasgenuinelyconcernedforthebiggoon.

That’swhenFakeLeostrolledover.Hereitcomes,Leothought.FakeLeoisgonnabustoutsomeCoachHedge–

stylejujitsuandsavetheday.Instead,FakeLeoputthetopoftheduncecaptohismouthlikeamegaphone

andyelled,“CUT!”He said it with such authority all the other kids momentarily froze. Even

Rufusstraightenedandbackedawayinconfusion.Oneofthelittleboyssnickeredunderhisbreath:“HammySammy.”Sammy…Leoshivered.Whotheheckwasthiskid?Sammy/Fake Leo stormed up to Rufus with his dunce cap in his hand,

lookingangry.“No,no,no!”heannounced,wavinghisfreehandwildlyattheotherkids,whoweregatheringtowatchtheentertainment.

Sammy turned to Hazel. “Miss Lamarr, your line is…” Sammy lookedaroundinexasperation.“Script!WhatisHedyLamarr’sline?”“‘No,please,youvillain!’”oneoftheboyscalledout.“Thank you!” Sammy said. “Miss Lamarr, you’re supposed to say, No,

please,youvillain!Andyou,ClarkGable—”Thewholecourtyardburstintolaughter.LeovaguelyknewClarkGablewas

anold-timeyactor,buthedidn’tknowmuchelse.Apparently,though,theideathatFlatheadRufuscouldbeClarkGablewashilarioustothekids.

“Mr.Gable—”“No!”oneofthegirlscried.“MakehimGaryCooper.”Morelaughter.Rufuslookedasifhewereabouttoblowavalve.Heballed

hisfistslikehewantedtohitsomebody,buthecouldn’tattacktheentireschool.Heclearlyhatedbeing laughedat,buthisslowlittlemindcouldn’tquiteworkoutwhatSammywasupto.

Leo nodded in appreciation. Sammywas like him.Leo had done the samekindofstufftobulliesforyears.

“Right!” Sammy yelled imperiously. “Mr. Cooper, you say, Oh, but thediamondismine,mytreacherousdarling!Andthenyouscoopupthediamondlikethis!”

“Sammy,no!”Hazelprotested,butSammysnatchedupthestoneandslippeditintohispocketinonesmoothmove.

He wheeled on Rufus. “I want emotion! I want the ladies in the audienceswooning!Ladies,didMr.Coopermakeyouswoonjustnow?”

“No,”severalofthemcalledback.“There, you see?” Sammy cried. “Now, from the top!” he yelled into his

duncecap.“Action!”Rufuswasjuststartingtogetoverhisconfusion.HesteppedtowardSammy

andsaid,“Valdez,I’mgonna—”Thebellrang.Kidsswarmedthedoors.SammypulledHazeloutoftheway

asthelittleones—whoactedliketheywereonSammy’spayroll—herdedRufusalongwiththemsohewascarriedinsideonatideofkindergartners.

SoonSammyandHazelwerealoneexceptfortheghosts.SammyscoopedupHazel’ssmashedlunch,madeashowofdustingoff the

canvas bag, and presented it to herwith a deep bow, as if itwere her crown.“MissLamarr.”

Hazelfromthepasttookherruinedlunch.Shelookedlikeshewasaboutto

cry, but Leo couldn’t tell if that was from relief or misery or admiration.“Sammy…Rufusisgoingtokillyou.”

“Ah,heknowsbetterthantotanglewithme.”Sammyploppedtheduncecapontopofhisjockeycap.Hestoodupstraightandstuckouthisscrawnychest.Theduncecapfelloff.

Hazellaughed.“Youareridiculous.”“Why,thankyou,MissLamarr.”“You’rewelcome,mytreacherousdarling.”Sammy’s smile wavered. The air became uncomfortably charged. Hazel

stared at the ground. “You shouldn’t have touched that diamond. It’sdangerous.”

“Ah,comeon,”Sammysaid.“Notforme!”Hazel studied himwarily, like shewanted to believe it. “Bad thingsmight

happen.Youshouldn’t—”“Iwon’tsellit,”Sammysaid.“Ipromise!I’lljustkeepitasatokenofyour

flavor.”Hazelforcedasmile.“Ithinkyoumeantokenofmyfavor.”“There you are!We should get going. It’s time for our next scene:Hedy

LamarrnearlydiesofboredominEnglishclass.”Sammy held out his elbow like a gentleman, but Hazel pushed him away

playfully.“Thanksforbeingthere,Sammy.”“MissLamarr,Iwillalwaysbethereforyou!”hesaidbrightly.Thetwoof

themracedbackintotheschoolhouse.Leofeltmorelikeaghostthanever.Maybehehadactuallybeenaneidolon

hiswholelife,becausethiskidhe’djustseenshouldhavebeentherealLeo.Hewas smarter, cooler, and funnier. He flirted so well with Hazel that he hadobviouslystolenherheart.

NowonderHazel had looked at Leo so strangelywhen they firstmet. NowondershehadsaidSammywithsomuchfeeling.ButLeowasn’tSammy,anymorethanFlatheadRufuswasClarkGable.

“Hazel,”hesaid.“I—Idon’t—”Theschoolyarddissolvedintoadifferentscene.

Hazel andLeowere still ghosts, but now they stood in front of a rundownhousenexttoadrainageditchovergrownwithweeds.Aclumpofbananatreesdrooped in the yard. Perched on the steps, an old-fashioned radio playedconjuntomusic,andontheshadedporch,sittinginarockingchair,askinnyoldmangazedatthehorizon.

“Wherearewe?”Hazel asked.Shewas still onlyvapor,buthervoicewasfullofalarm.“Thisisn’tfrommylife!”

Leofeltasifhisghostlyselfwasthickening,becomingmorereal.Thisplaceseemedstrangelyfamiliar.

“It’sHouston,”herealized.“Iknowthisview.Thatdrainageditch…Thisismymom’s old neighborhood,where she grew up.HobbyAirport is over thatway.”

“Thisisyourlife?”Hazelsaid.“Idon’tunderstand!How—?”“You’reaskingme?”Leodemanded.Suddenlytheoldmanmurmured,“Ah,Hazel…”A shock went up Leo’s spine. The oldman’s eyes were still fixed on the

horizon.Howdidheknowtheywerehere?“Iguessweranoutoftime,”theoldmancontinueddreamily.“Well…”Hedidn’tfinishthethought.Hazel andLeo stayedvery still.The oldmanmadeno further sign that he

saw them or heard them. It dawned on Leo that the guy had been talking tohimself.ButthenwhyhadhesaidHazel’sname?

Hehad leatheryskin,curlywhitehair,andgnarledhands, likehe’dspentalifetimeworking inamachineshop.Heworeapaleyellowshirt, spotlessandclean,withgrayslacksandsuspendersandpolishedblackshoes.

Despite his age, his eyeswere sharp and clear.He satwith a kindof quietdignity.Helookedatpeace—amused,even,likehewasthinking,Dang,Ilivedthislong?Cool!

Leowasprettysurehehadneverseenthismanbefore.Sowhydidheseemfamiliar? Then he realized themanwas tapping his fingers on the arm of hischair,butthetappingwasn’trandom.HewasusingMorsecode,justlikeLeo’smotherusedtodowithhim…andtheoldmanwastappingthesamemessage:I

loveyou.The screen door opened.Ayoungwoman cameout. Shewore jeans and a

turquoiseblouse.Herhairwascut inashortblackwedge.Shewaspretty,butnot delicate. She had well-muscled arms and calloused hands. Like the oldman’s, her brown eyes glinted with amusement. In her arms was a baby,wrappedinablueblanket.

“Look,mijo,”shesaid to thebaby.“This isyourbisabuelo.Bisabuelo,youwanttoholdhim?”

WhenLeoheardhervoice,hesobbed.Itwas hismother—younger thanhe rememberedher, but verymuch alive.

Thatmeantthebabyinherarms…Theoldmanbrokeintoahugegrin.Hehadperfectteeth,aswhiteashishair.

Hisfacecrinkledwithsmilelines.“Aboy!Mibebito,Leo!”“Leo?”Hazelwhispered.“That—that’syou?Whatisbisabuelo?”Leocouldn’tfindhisvoice.Great-grandfather,hewantedtosay.The old man took baby Leo in his arms, chuckling with appreciation and

ticklingthebaby’schin—andGhostLeofinallyrealizedwhathewasseeing.Somehow, Hazel’s power to revisit the past had found the one event that

connectedbothoftheirlives—whereLeo’stimelinetouchedHazel’s.Thisoldman…“Oh…”Hazelseemedtorealizewhohewasatthesamemoment.Hervoice

becameverysmall,onthevergeoftears.“Oh,Sammy,no…”“Ah, littleLeo,” saidSammyValdez, agedwell into his seventies. “You’ll

havetobemystuntdouble,eh?That’swhattheycallit,Ithink.Tellherforme.IhopedIwouldbealive,but,ay,thecursewon’thaveit!”

Hazel sobbed. “Gaea…Gaea told me that he died of a heart attack, in the1960s.Butthisisn’t—thiscan’tbe…”

Sammy Valdez kept talking to the baby, while Leo’s mother, Esperanza,lookedonwithapainedsmile—perhapsalittleworriedthatLeo’sbisabuelowasrambling,alittlesadthathewasspeakingnonsense.

“That lady, Doña Callida, she warned me.” Sammy shook his head sadly.“ShesaidHazel’sgreatdangerwouldnothappeninmylifetime.ButIpromised

Iwouldbethereforher.YouwillhavetotellherI’msorry,Leo.Helpherifyoucan.”“Bisabeulo,”Esperanzasaid,“youmustbetired.”She extended her arms to take the baby, but the old man cuddled him a

momentlonger.BabyLeoseemedperfectlyfinewithit.“Tell her I’m sorry I sold the diamond, eh?” Sammy said. “I broke my

promise.Whenshedisappeared inAlaska…ah,so longago, I finallyused thatdiamond, moved to Texas as I always dreamed. I started my machine shop.Startedmyfamily!Itwasagoodlife,butHazelwasright.Thediamondcamewithacurse.Ineversawheragain.”

“Oh, Sammy,”Hazel said. “No, a curse didn’t keepme away. Iwanted tocomeback.Idied!”

Theoldmandidn’tseemtohear.Hesmileddownatthebaby,andkissedhimonthehead.“Igiveyoumyblessing,Leo.Firstmalegreat-grandchild!Ihaveafeelingyouarespecial, likeHazelwas.Youaremorethanaregularbaby,eh?Youwillcarryonforme.Youwillseehersomeday.Tellherhelloforme.”“Bisabuelo,”Esperanzasaid,alittlemoreinsistently.“Yes, yes.” Sammy chuckled. “El viejo loco rambles on. I am tired,

Esperanza.Youareright.ButI’llrestsoon.It’sbeenagoodlife.Raisehimwell,nieta.”

Thescenefaded.LeowasstandingonthedeckoftheArgoII,holdingHazel’shand.Thesun

hadgonedown,andtheshipwaslitonlybybronzelanterns.Hazel’seyeswerepuffyfromcrying.

What they’dseenwas toomuch.Thewholeoceanheavedunder them,andnowforthefirsttimeLeofeltasiftheyweretotallyadrift.

“Hello,HazelLevesque,”hesaid,hisvoicegravelly.Her chin trembled. She turned away and opened her mouth to speak, but

beforeshecould,theshiplurchedtooneside.“Leo!”CoachHedgeyelled.Festuswhirred inalarmandblewflames into thenightsky.Theship’sbell

rang.

“Those monsters you were worried about?” Hedge shouted. “One of ’emfoundus!”

LEODESERVEDADUNCECAP.If he’d been thinking straight, he would’ve switched the ship’s detection

systemfromradartosonarassoonastheyleftCharlestonHarbor.That’swhathehadforgotten.He’ddesignedthehulltoresonateeveryfewseconds,sendingwavesthroughtheMistandalertingFestustoanynearbymonsters,butitonlyworkedinonemodeatatime:waterorair.

He’dbeensorattledbytheRomans,thenthestorm,thenHazel,thathehadcompletelyforgotten.Now,amonsterwasrightunderneaththem.

The ship tilted to starboard. Hazel gripped the rigging. Hedge yelled,“Valdez,whichbuttonblowsupmonsters?Takethehelm!”

Leo climbed the tilting deck andmanaged to grab the port rail.He startedclamberingsidewaystowardthehelm,butwhenhesawthemonstersurface,heforgothowtomove.

Thethingwasthelengthoftheirship.Inthemoonlight,itlookedlikeacrossbetween a giant shrimp and a cockroach, with a pink chitinous shell, a flatcrayfish tail, and millipede-type legs undulating hypnotically as the monsterscrapedagainstthehulloftheArgoII.

Itsheadsurfacedlast—theslimypinkfaceofanenormouscatfishwithglassy

deadeyes,agapingtoothlessmaw,andaforestoftentaclessproutingfromeachnostril, making the bushiest nose beard Leo had ever had the displeasure tobehold.

LeorememberedspecialFridaynightdinnersheandhismomusedtoshareata local seafoodrestaurant inHouston.Theywouldeatshrimpandcatfish.Theideanowmadehimwanttothrowup.

“Comeon,Valdez!”Hedgeyelled.“TakethewheelsoIcangetmybaseballbat!”

“Abat’snotgoingtohelp,”Leosaid,buthemadehiswaytowardthehelm.Behindhim,therestofhisfriendsstumbledupthestairs.Percyyelled,“What’sgoing—Gah!Shrimpzilla!”FrankrantoHazel’sside.Shewasclutchingtherigging,stilldazedfromher

flashback,butshegesturedthatshewasallright.Themonsterrammedtheshipagain.Thehullgroaned.Annabeth,Piper,and

Jasontumbledtostarboardandalmostrolledoverboard.Leoreachedthehelm.Hishandsflewacrossthecontrols.Overtheintercom,

Festusclackedandclickedaboutleaksbelowdecks,buttheshipdidn’tseemtobeindangerofsinking—atleastnotyet.

Leo toggled the oars. They could convert into spears, which should beenough to drive the creature away. Unfortunately, they were jammed.Shrimpzillamusthaveknockedthemoutofalignment,andthemonsterwasinspittingdistance,whichmeantthatLeocouldn’tusetheballistaewithoutsettingtheArgoIIonfireaswell.

“Howdiditgetsoclose?”Annabethshouted,pullingherselfupononeoftherailshields.

“I don’t know!” Hedge snarled. He looked around for his bat, which hadrolledacrossthequarterdeck.

“I’mstupid!”Leoscoldedhimself.“Stupid,stupid!Iforgotthesonar!”The ship tilted farther to starboard. Either the monster was trying to give

themahug,oritwasabouttocapsizethem.“Sonar?”Hedgedemanded.“Pan’spipes,Valdez!Maybeifyouhadn’tbeen

staringintoHazel’seyes,holdinghandsforsolong—”

“What?”Frankyelped.“Itwasn’tlikethat!”Hazelprotested.“Itdoesn’tmatter!”Pipersaid.“Jason,canyoucallsomelightning?”Jason struggled to his feet. “I—” He only managed to shake his head.

Summoning thestormearlierhad taken toomuchoutofhim.Leodoubted thepoorguycouldpopasparkplugintheshapehewasin.

“Percy!”Annabeth said. “Canyou talk to that thing?Doyouknowwhat itis?”

The son of the sea god shook his head, clearlymystified. “Maybe it’s justcuriousabouttheship.Maybe—”

Themonster’s tendrils lashedacross thedeckso fast,Leodidn’tevenhavetimetoyell,Lookout!

One slammed Percy in the chest and sent him crashing down the steps.Anotherwrapped around Piper’s legs and dragged her, screaming, toward therail.Dozensmoretendrilscurledaroundthemasts,encirclingthecrossbowsandrippingdowntherigging.

“Nose-hairattack!”Hedgesnatcheduphisbatandleapedintoaction;buthishitsjustbouncedharmlesslyoffthetendrils.

Jasondrewhissword.HetriedtofreePiper,buthewasstillweak.Hisgoldblade cut through the tendrilswith no problem, but faster than he could severthem,moretooktheirplace.

Annabeth unsheathed her dagger. She ran through the forest of tentacles,dodging and stabbing at whatever target she could find. Frank pulled out hisbow.Hefiredoverthesideatthecreature’sbody,lodgingarrowsinthechinksofitsshell;butthatonlyseemedtoannoythemonster.Itbellowed,androckedtheship.Themastcreakedlikeitmightsnapoff.

Theyneededmorefirepower,buttheycouldn’tuseballistae.Theyneededtodeliverablastthatwouldn’tdestroytheship.Buthow…?

Leo’seyesfixedonasupplycratenexttoHazel’sfeet.“Hazel!”heyelled.“Thatbox!Openit!”Shehesitated, then saw theboxhemeant.The label readWARNING.DONOT

OPEN.

“Open it!” Leo yelled again. “Coach, take the wheel! Turn us toward themonster,orwe’llcapsize.”

Hedgedanced through the tentacleswithhisnimblegoathooves, smashingawaywithgusto.Heboundedtowardthehelmandtookthecontrols.

“Hopeyougotaplan!”heshouted.“Abadone.”Leoracedtowardthemast.The monster pushed against the Argo II. The deck lurched to forty-five

degrees. Despite everyone’s efforts, the tentacles were just too numerous tofight.Theyseemedabletoelongateasmuchastheywanted.Soonthey’dhavetheArgoIIcompletelyentangled.Percyhadn’tappearedfrombelow.Theotherswerefightingfortheirlivesagainstnosehair.

“Frank!”Leo called as he ran towardHazel. “Buy us some time!Can youturnintoasharkorsomething?”

Frank glanced over, scowling; and in thatmoment a tentacle slammed intothebigguy,knockinghimoverboard.

Hazel screamed.She’d opened the supply box and almost dropped the twoglassvialsshewasholding.

Leocaughtthem.Eachwasthesizeofanapple,andtheliquidinsideglowedpoisonousgreen.Theglasswaswarmtothetouch.Leo’schestfeltlikeitmightimplode fromguilt.He’d just distractedFrank and possibly gotten himkilled,buthecouldn’tthinkaboutit.Hehadtosavetheship.

“Comeon!”HehandedHazeloneof thevials.“Wecankill themonster—andsaveFrank!”

He hoped he wasn’t lying. Getting to the port rail was more like rockclimbingthanwalking,butfinallytheymadeit.

“Whatisthisstuff?”Hazelgasped,cradlingherglassvial.“Greekfire!”Her eyes widened. “Are you crazy? If these break, we’ll burn the whole

ship!”“Itsmouth!”Leosaid.“Justchuckitdownits—”SuddenlyLeowascrushedagainstHazel,andtheworldturnedsideways.As

they were lifted into the air, he realized they’d been wrapped together in a

tentacle. Leo’s armswere free, but itwas all he could do to keep hold of hisGreek fire vial. Hazel struggled. Her arms were pinned, which meant at anymoment the vial trapped between them might break…and that would beextremelybadfortheirhealth.

They rose ten feet, twenty feet, thirty feetabove themonster.Leocaughtaglimpse of his friends in a losing battle, yelling and slashing at themonster’snosehairs.HesawCoachHedgestrugglingtokeeptheshipfromcapsizing.Theseawasdark,butinthemoonlighthethoughthesawaglisteningobjectfloatingnearthemonster—maybetheunconsciousbodyofFrankZhang.

“Leo,”Hazelgasped,“Ican’t—myarms—”“Hazel,”hesaid.“Doyoutrustme?”“No!”“Me neither,” Leo admitted. “When this thing drops us, hold your breath.

Whateveryoudo,trytochuckyourvialasfarawayfromtheshipaspossible.”“Why—whywoulditdropus?”Leostareddownat themonster’shead.Thiswouldbea toughshot,buthe

had no choice. He raised the vial in his left hand. He pressed his right handagainstthetentacleandsummonedfiretohispalm—anarrowlyfocused,white-hotburst.

That got the creature’s attention. A tremble went all the way down thetentacle as its flesh blistered under Leo’s touch. Themonster raised itsmaw,bellowinginpain,andLeothrewhisGreekfirestraightdownitsthroat.

Afterthat,thingsgotfuzzy.Leofeltthetentaclereleasethem.Theyfell.Heheardamuffledexplosionand sawagreen flashof light inside thegiantpinklampshadeofthemonster’sbody.ThewaterhitLeo’sfacelikeabrickwrappedinsandpaper,andhesankintodarkness.Heclampedhismouthshut,tryingnottobreathe,buthecouldfeelhimselflosingconsciousness.

Throughthestingofthesaltwater,hethoughthesawthehazysilhouetteofthe ship’shull above—adarkoval surroundedbyagreen fierycorona,buthecouldn’ttelliftheshipwasactuallyonfire.

Killedbyagiantshrimp,Leothoughtbitterly.AtleastlettheArgoIIsurvive.Letmyfriendsbeokay.

Hisvisionbegantodim.Hislungsburned.Justashewasabouttogiveup,astrangefacehoveredoverhim—amanwho

looked like Chiron, their trainer back at Camp Half-Blood. He had the samecurlyhair,shaggybeard,andintelligenteyes—alooksomewherebetweenwildhippie and fatherly professor, except this man’s skin was the color of a limabean. The man silently held up a dagger. His expression was grim andreproachful,asiftosay:Now,holdstill,orIcan’tkillyouproperly.

Leoblackedout.

WhenLeowoke,hewonderedifhewasaghostinanotherflashback,becausehewasfloatingweightlessly.Hiseyesslowlyadjustedtothedimlight.

“About time.” Frank’s voice had too much reverb, like he was speakingthroughseverallayersofplasticwrap.

Leosatup…orratherhedriftedupright.Hewasunderwater,inacaveaboutthesizeofa two-cargarage.Phosphorescentmosscovered theceiling,bathingtheroominablue-and-greenglow.Thefloorwasacarpetofseaurchins,whichwouldhavebeenuncomfortabletowalkon,soLeowasgladhewasfloating.Hedidn’tunderstandhowhecouldbebreathingwithnoair.

Frank levitatednearby inmeditationposition.Withhischubbyfaceandhisgrumpyexpression,helookedlikeaBuddhawho’dachievedenlightenmentandwasn’tthrilledaboutit.

Theonlyexittothecavewasblockedbyamassiveabaloneshell—itssurfaceglisteninginpearlandroseandturquoise.Ifthiscavewasaprison,atleastithadanawesomedoor.

“Wherearewe?”Leoasked.“Whereiseveryoneelse?”“Everyone?”Frankgrumbled.“Idon’tknow.AsfarasIcantell,it’sjustyou

andmeandHazeldownhere.Thefish-horseguystookHazelaboutanhourago,leavingmewithyou.”

Frank’s tonemade it obvious he didn’t approve of those arrangements.Hedidn’tlookinjured,butLeorealizedthathenolongerhadhisboworquiver.Inapanic,Leopattedhiswaist.Histoolbeltwasgone.

“Theysearchedus,”Franksaid.“Tookanythingthatcouldbeaweapon.”

“Who?”Leodemanded.“Whoarethesefish-horse—?”“Fish-horseguys,”Frankclarified,whichwasn’tveryclear.“Theymusthave

grabbeduswhenwefellintheoceananddraggedus…whereverthisis.”Leo remembered the last thing he’d seen before he passed out—the lima-

bean-colored face of the beardedmanwith the dagger. “The shrimpmonster.TheArgoII—istheshipokay?”

“Idon’tknow,”Franksaiddarkly.“Theothersmightbeintroubleorhurt,or—orworse.ButIguessyoucaremoreaboutyourshipthanyourfriends.”

Leofeltlikehisfacehadjusthitthewateragain.“Whatkindofstupidthing—?”

Then he realized why Frank was so angry: the flashback. Things hadhappened so fast with the monster attack, Leo had almost forgotten. CoachHedgehadmade that stupidcommentaboutLeoandHazelholdinghandsandgazing into each other’s eyes. It probably hadn’t helped that Leo had gottenFrankknockedoverboardrightafterthat.

SuddenlyLeofoundithardtomeetFrank’sgaze.“Look,man…I’msorryIgotusintothismess.Itotallyjackedthingsup.”He

took a deep breath, which felt surprisingly normal, considering he wasunderwater. “Me andHazel holding hands…it’s not what you think. Shewasshowingmethisflashbackfromherpast,tryingtofigureoutmyconnectionwithSammy.”

Frank’sangryexpressionstartedtounknot,replacedbycuriosity.“Didshe…didyoufigureitout?”

“Yeah,” Leo said. “Well, sort of. We didn’t get a chance to talk about itafterwardbecauseofShrimpzilla,butSammywasmygreat-grandfather.”

He told Frankwhat they’d seen. Theweirdness hadn’t fully registered yet,butnow,tryingtoexplainitaloud,Leocouldhardlybelieveit.Hazelhadbeensweetonhisbisabuelo,aguywhohaddiedwhenLeowasababy.Leohadn’tmade the connection before, but he had a vague memory of older familymembers calling his grandfather Sam Junior. Which meant Sam Senior wasSammy,Leo’sbisabuelo.Atsomepoint,TíaCallida—Heraherself—hadtalkedwith Sammy, consoling him and giving him a glimpse into the future, which

meant that Hera had been shaping Leo’s life generations before he was evenborn.IfHazelhadstayedin the1940s, ifshe’dmarriedSammy,Leomight’vebeenhergreat-grandson.

“Oh,man,”Leosaidwhenhehad finished thestory.“Idon’t feel sogood.ButIswearontheStyx,that’swhatwesaw.”

Frankhadthesameexpressionasthemonstercatfishhead—wideglassyeyesand an openmouth. “Hazel…Hazel liked yourgreat-grandfather?That’swhyshelikesyou?”

“Frank, I know this isweird.Believeme.But I don’t likeHazel—not thatway.I’mnotmovinginonyourgirl.”

Frankknithiseyebrows.“No?”Leohopedhewasn’tblushing.Truthfully,hehadnoideahowhefeltabout

Hazel.Shewasawesomeandcute,andLeohadaweaknessforawesomecutegirls.Buttheflashbackhadcomplicatedhisfeelingsalot.

Besides,hisshipwasintrouble.Iguessyoucaremoreaboutyourshipthanyourfriends,Frankhadsaid.Thatwasn’t true,was it?Leo’sdad,Hephaestus,hadadmittedonce thathe

wasn’t good with organic life forms. And, yes, Leo had always been morecomfortablewithmachinesthanpeople.Buthedidcareabouthisfriends.PiperandJason…he’dknownthemthelongest,buttheotherswereimportanttohimtoo.EvenFrank.Theywerelikefamily.

Theproblemwas,ithadbeensolongsinceLeohadhadafamily,hecouldn’teven remember how it felt. Sure, lastwinter he’d become senior counselor ofHephaestus cabin; but most of his time had been spent building the ship. Helikedhiscabinmates.Heknewhowtoworkwiththem—butdidhereallyknowthem?

IfLeohadafamily,itwasthedemigodsontheArgoII—andmaybeCoachHedge,whichLeowouldneveradmitaloud.Youwill always be the outsider,warnedNemesis’s voice; but Leo tried to

pushthatthoughtaside.“Right,so…”Helookedaroundhim.“Weneedtomakeaplan.Howarewe

breathing? If we’re under the ocean, shouldn’t we be crushed by the water

pressure?”Frank shrugged. “Fish-horse magic, I guess. I remember the green guy

touchingmyheadwiththepointofadagger.ThenIcouldbreathe.”Leostudiedtheabalonedoor.“Canyoubustusout?Turnintoahammerhead

sharkorsomething?”Frankshookhisheadglumly.“Myshape-shiftingdoesn’twork.Idon’tknow

why.Maybetheycursedme,ormaybeI’mtoomesseduptofocus.”“Hazelcouldbeintrouble,”Leosaid.“We’vegottogetoutofhere.”Heswamtothedoorandranhisfingersalongtheabalone.Hecouldn’tfeel

anykindoflatchorothermechanism.Eitherthedoorcouldonlybeopenedbymagicorsheerforcewasrequired—neitherofwhichwasLeo’sspecialty.

“I’vealreadytried,”Franksaid.“Evenifwegetout,wehavenoweapons.”“Hmm…”Leohelduphishand.“Iwonder.”Heconcentrated,and fire flickeredoverhis fingers.Forasplit second,Leo

was excited, because he hadn’t expected it toworkunderwater.Thenhis planstartedworkingalittletoowell.Fireraceduphisarmandoverhisbodyuntilhewascompletelyshroudedinathinveilofflame.Hetriedtobreathe,buthewasinhalingpureheat.

“Leo!”Frankflailedbackwardlikehewasfallingoffabarstool.InsteadofracingtoLeo’said,hehuggedthewalltogetasfarawayaspossible.

Leoforcedhimselftostaycalm.Heunderstoodwhatwasgoingon.Thefireitselfcouldn’thurthim.Hewilledtheflamestodieandcountedtofive.Hetookashallowbreath.Hehadoxygenagain.

Frankstoppedtryingtomergewiththecavewall.“You’re…you’reokay?”“Yeah,”Leogrumbled.“Thanksfortheassist.”“I—I’msorry.”FranklookedsohorrifiedandashameditwashardforLeoto

staymadathim.“Ijust…whathappened?”“Clevermagic,”Leosaid.“There’sathinlayerofoxygenaroundus,likean

extra skin.Must be self-regenerating. That’s howwe’re breathing and stayingdry.Theoxygengavethefirefuel—exceptthefirealsosuffocatedme.”

“Ireallydon’t…”Frankgulped.“Idon’t like that firesummoningyoudo.”Hestartedgettingcozywiththewallagain.

Leodidn’tmean to, buthe couldn’thelp laughing. “Man, I’mnotgoing toattackyou.”

“Fire,”Frankrepeated,likethatonewordexplainedeverything.Leo remembered what Hazel had said—that his fire made Frank nervous.

He’d seen the discomfort in Frank’s face before, but Leo hadn’t taken itseriously.FrankseemedwaymorepowerfulandscarythanLeowas.

NowitoccurredtohimthatFrankmighthavehadabadexperiencewithfire.Leo’sownmomhaddiedinamachineshopblaze.Leohadbeenblamedforit.He’dgrownupbeingcalledafreak,anarsonist,becausewheneverhegotangry,thingsburned.

“Sorry I laughed,” he said, and he meant it. “My mom died in a fire. Iunderstand being afraid of it. Did, uh…did something like that happen withyou?”

Frank seemed to be weighing how much to say. “My house…mygrandmother’splace.Itburneddown.Butit’smorethanthat…”Hestaredattheseaurchinsonthefloor.“AnnabethsaidIcouldtrustthecrew.Evenyou.”

“Even me, huh?” Leo wondered how that had come up in conversation.“Wow,highpraise.”

“Myweakness…”Frankstarted,likethewordscuthismouth.“There’sthispieceoffirewood—”

Theabalonedoorrolledopen.Leoturnedandfoundhimselfface-to-facewithLimaBeanMan,whowasn’t

actuallyamanatall.NowthatLeocouldseehimclearly,theguywasbyfartheweirdestcreaturehe’devermet,andthatwassayingalot.

From thewaist up, hewasmore or less human—a thin, bare-chested dudewithadaggerinhisbeltandabandofseashellsstrappedacrosshischestlikeabandolier.His skinwas green, his beard scraggly brown, and his longish hairwastiedbackinaseaweedbandana.Apairoflobsterclawsstuckupfromhisheadlikehorns,turningandsnappingatrandom.

Leo decided he didn’t look somuch likeChiron.He lookedmore like theposter Leo’s mom used to keep in her workspace—that old Mexican banditPanchoVilla,exceptwithseashellsandlobsterhorns.

Fromthewaistdown,theguywasmorecomplicated.Hehadtheforelegsofablue-greenhorse, sort of like a centaur, but toward theback,hishorsebodymorphed into a long fishy tail about ten feet long,with a rainbow-colored,V-shapedtailfin.

NowLeounderstoodwhatFrankmeantaboutfish-horseguys.“IamBythos,”saidthegreenman.“IwillinterrogateFrankZhang.”Hisvoicewascalmandfirm,leavingnoroomfordebate.“Whydidyoucaptureus?”Leodemanded.“Where’sHazel?”Bythos narrowed his eyes. His expression seemed to say: Did this tiny

creaturejusttalktome?“You,LeoValdez,willgowithmybrother.”“Yourbrother?”Leo realized that amuch larger figurewas looming behindBythos,with a

shadowsowide,itfilledtheentirecaveentrance.“Yes,”Bythossaidwithadrysmile.“TrynottomakeAphrosmad.”

APHROS LOOKED LIKE HIS BROTHER, except he was blue instead of green andmuch,muchbigger.HehadArnold-as-Terminatorabsandarms,andasquare,brutishhead.AhugeConan-approvedswordwasstrappedacrosshisback.Evenhishairwasbigger—amassiveglobeofblue-blackfrizzsothickthathislobster-claw horns appeared to be drowning as they tried to swim their way to thesurface.

“Is thatwhy theynamedyouAphros?”Leoasked as theyglideddown thepathfromthecave.“BecauseoftheAfro?”

Aphrosscowled.“Whatdoyoumean?”“Nothing,” Leo said quickly. At least he would never have trouble

rememberingwhichfishdudewaswhich.“Sowhatareyouguys,exactly?”“Ichthyocentaurs,” Aphros said, like it was a question he was tired of

answering.“Uh,ickywhat?”“Fishcentaurs.WearethehalfbrothersofChiron.”“Oh,he’safriendofmine!”Aphros narrowed his eyes. “The one calledHazel told us this, butwewill

determinethetruth.Come.”

Leodidn’tlikethesoundofdeterminethetruth.Itmadehimthinkoftortureracksandred-hotpokers.

Hefollowedthefishcentaurthroughamassiveforestofkelp.Leocould’vedartedtoonesideandgottenlostintheplantsprettyeasily,buthedidn’ttry.Foronething,hefiguredAphroscouldtravelmuchfasterinthewater,andtheguymight be able to shut off themagic that let Leomove and breathe. Inside oroutsidethecave,Leowasjustasmuchacaptive.

Also,Leohadnocluewherehewas.Theydriftedbetweenrowsofkelpastallasapartmentbuildings.Thegreen-

and-yellowplants swayedweightlessly, likecolumnsofheliumballoons.Highabove,Leosawasmudgeofwhitethatmighthavebeenthesun.

Heguessedthatmeantthey’dbeenhereovernight.WastheArgoIIallright?Haditsailedonwithoutthem,orweretheirfriendsstillsearching?

Leocouldn’tevenbesurehowdeeptheywere.Plantscouldgrowhere—sonot toodeep, right?Still,heknewhecouldn’t just swimfor the surface.He’dheardaboutpeoplewhoascendedtooquicklyanddevelopednitrogenbubblesintheirblood.Leowantedtoavoidcarbonatedblood.

They drifted along for maybe half a mile. Leo was tempted to ask whereAphroswastakinghim,butthebigswordstrappedtothecentaur’sbacksortofdiscouragedconversation.

Finally the kelp forest opened up. Leo gasped. They were standing(swimming, whatever) at the summit of a high underwater hill. Below themstretchedanentiretownofGreek-stylebuildingsontheseafloor.

Theroofsweretiledwithmother-of-pearl.Thegardenswerefilledwithcoraland sea anemones. Hippocampi grazed in a field of seaweed. A team ofCyclopeswasplacingthedomedroofonanewtemple,usingabluewhaleasacrane. And swimming through the streets, hanging out in the courtyards,practicingcombatwithtridentsandswordsinthearenaweredozensofmermenandmermaids—honest-to-goodnessfish-people.

Leohadseenalotofcrazystuff,buthehadalwaysthoughtmerpeopleweresillyfictionalcreatures,likeSmurfsorMuppets.

Therewasnothingsillyorcuteaboutthesemerpeople,though.Evenfroma

distance, they looked fierce and not at all human. Their eyes glowed yellow.Theyhadsharkliketeethandleatheryskinincolorsrangingfromcoralredtoinkblack.

“It’satrainingcamp,”Leorealized.HelookedatAphrosinawe.“Youtrainheroes,thesamewayChirondoes?”

Aphrosnodded,aglintofprideinhiseyes.“Wehavetrainedallthefamousmer-heroes!Nameamer-hero,andwehavetrainedhimorher!”

“Oh,sure,”Leosaid.“Like…um,theLittleMermaid?”Aphrosfrowned.“Who?No!LikeTriton,Glaucus,Weissmuller,andBill!”“Oh.” Leo had no idea who any of those people were. “You trained Bill?

Impressive.”“Indeed!” Aphros pounded his chest. “I trained Bill myself. A great

merman.”“Youteachcombat,Iguess.”Aphros threw up his hands in exasperation. “Why does everyone assume

that?”Leoglancedatthemassiveswordonthefish-guy’sback.“Uh,Idon’tknow.”“I teachmusic andpoetry!”Aphros said. “Life skills!Homemaking!These

areimportantforheroes.”“Absolutely.”Leotriedtokeepastraightface.“Sewing?Cookiebaking?”“Yes.I’mgladyouunderstand.Perhapslater,ifIdon’thavetokillyou,Iwill

sharemy brownie recipe.”Aphros gestured behind him contemptuously. “MybrotherBythos—heteachescombat.”

Leowasn’t surewhetherhe felt relievedor insulted that thecombat trainerwasinterrogatingFrank,whileLeogotthehomeeconomicsteacher.“So,great.ThisisCamp…whatdoyoucallit?CampFish-Blood?”

Aphros frowned. “I hope that was a joke. This is Camp __________.”Hemadeasoundthatwasaseriesofsonarpingsandhisses.

“Sillyme,”Leo said. “And,youknow, I could reallygo for someof thosebrownies!Sowhatdowehavetodotogettothenotkillingmestage?”

“Tellmeyourstory,”Aphrossaid.Leohesitated, but not for long. Somehowhe sensed that he should tell the

truth.Hestartedatthebeginning—howHerahadbeenhisbabysitterandplacedhimintheflames;howhismotherhaddiedbecauseofGaea,whohadidentifiedLeo as a future enemy. He talked about how he had spent his childhoodbouncingaroundinfosterhomes,untilheandJasonandPiperhadbeentakentoCampHalf-Blood.HeexplainedtheProphecyofSeven,thebuildingoftheArgoII,andtheirquesttoreachGreeceanddefeatthegiantsbeforeGaeawoke.

Ashetalked,Aphrosdrewsomewicked-lookingmetalspikesfromhisbelt.Leowasafraidhehadsaidsomethingwrong,butAphrospulledsomeseaweedyarnfromhispouchandstartedknitting.“Goon,”heurged.“Don’tstop.”

By the timeLeohadexplained theeidolons, theproblemwith theRomans,andallthetroublestheArgoIIhadencounteredcrossingtheUnitedStatesandembarkingfromCharleston,Aphroshadknittedacompletebabybonnet.

Leowaitedwhile the fish centaur put away his supplies.Aphros’s lobster-clawhorns kept swimming around in his thick hair, andLeo had to resist theurgetotrytorescuethem.

“Verywell,”Aphrossaid.“Ibelieveyou.”“Assimpleasthat?”“Iamquitegoodatdiscerninglies.Ihearnonefromyou.Yourstoryalsofits

withwhatHazelLevesquetoldus.”“Isshe—?”“Ofcourse,”Aphrossaid.“She’sfine.”Heputhisfingerstohismouthand

whistled, which sounded strange underwater—like a dolphin screaming. “Mypeople will bring her here shortly. You must understand…our location is acarefullyguardedsecret.Youandyourfriendsshowedupinawarship,pursuedbyoneofKeto’sseamonsters.Wedidnotknowwhosesideyouwereon.”

“Istheshipallright?”“Damaged,”Aphrossaid,“butnotterribly.Theskolopendrawithdrewafterit

gotamouthfuloffire.Nicetouch.”“Thankyou.Skolopendra?Neverheardofit.”“Consider yourself lucky. They are nasty creatures. Keto must really hate

you.Atanyrate,werescuedyouandtheothertwofromthecreature’stentaclesasitretreatedintothedeep.Yourfriendsarestillabove,searchingforyou;but

we have obscured their vision. We had to be sure you were not a threat.Otherwise,wewouldhavehadto…takemeasures.”

Leogulped.Hewaspretty sure takingmeasuresdidnotmeanbakingextrabrownies.And if theseguysweresopowerful that theycouldkeep theircamphiddenfromPercy,whohadallthosePoseidonishwaterpowers,theywerenotfishdudestomesswith.“So…wecango?”

“Soon,” Aphros promised. “I must check with Bythos. When he is donetalkingwithyourfriendGank—”

“Frank.”“Frank.When they are done,wewill send you back to your ship.Andwe

mayhavesomewarningsforyou.”“Warnings?”“Ah.”Aphrospointed.Hazelemergedfromthekelpforest,escortedbytwo

vicious-lookingmermaids,whowerebaringtheirfangsandhissing.LeothoughtHazelmightbeindanger.Thenhesawshewascompletelyatease,grinningandtalkingwithherescorts,andLeorealizedthatthemermaidswerelaughing.

“Leo!”Hazelpaddledtowardhim.“Isn’tthisplaceamazing?”

Theywereleftaloneattheridge,whichmusthavemeantAphrosreallydidtrustthem.While the centaur and the mermaids went off to fetch Frank, Leo andHazelfloatedabovethehillandgazeddownattheunderwatercamp.

Hazeltoldhimhowthemermaidshadwarmeduptoherrightaway.AphrosandBythoshadbeen fascinatedbyherstory,as theyhadnevermetachildofPlutobefore.Ontopofthat,theyhadheardmanylegendsaboutthehorseArion,andtheywereamazedthatHazelhadbefriendedhim.

HazelhadpromisedtovisitagainwithArion.Themermaidshadwrittentheirphone numbers in waterproof ink on Hazel’s arm so that she could keep intouch.Leodidn’tevenwanttoaskhowmermaidsgotcell-phonecoverageinthemiddleoftheAtlantic.

AsHazeltalked,herhairfloatedaroundherfaceinacloud—likebrownearthand gold dust in a miner’s pan. She looked very sure of herself and verybeautiful—notat all like the shy,nervousgirl in thatNewOrleans schoolyard

withhersmashedcanvaslunchbagatherfeet.“Wedidn’tget to talk,”Leosaid.Hewas reluctant tobringup thesubject,

butheknewthismightbetheironlychancetobealone.“ImeanaboutSammy.”Hersmilefaded.“Iknow…Ijustneedsometimetoletitsinkin.It’sstrange

tothinkthatyouandhe…”Shedidn’tneedtofinishthethought.Leoknewexactlyhowstrangeitwas.“I’m not sure I can explain this to Frank,” she added. “About you andme

holdinghands.”Shewouldn’tmeetLeo’seyes.Downinthevalley,theCyclopesworkcrew

cheeredasthetempleroofwassetinplace.“Italkedtohim,”Leosaid.“ItoldhimIwasn’ttryingto…youknow.Make

troublebetweenyoutwo.”“Oh.Good.”Didshesounddisappointed?Leowasn’tsure,andhewasn’tsurehewanted

toknow.“Frank, um, seemed pretty freaked out when I summoned fire.” Leo

explainedwhathadhappenedinthecave.Hazellookedstunned.“Oh,no.Thatwouldterrifyhim.”Herhandwent toherdenimjacket, likeshewascheckingforsomething in

the insidepocket.Shealwayswore that jacket,or somesortofovershirt,evenwhen it was hot outside. Leo had assumed that she did it out ofmodesty, orbecause it was better for horseback riding, like a motorcycle jacket. Now hebegantowonder.

Hisbrainshiftedintohighgear.HerememberedwhatFrankhadsaidabouthisweakness…apieceoffirewood.Hethoughtaboutwhythiskidwouldhaveafearoffire,andwhyHazelwouldbesoattunedto thosefeelings.Leothoughtaboutsomeofthestorieshe’dheardatCampHalf-Blood.Forobviousreasons,he tended to pay attention to legends about fire. Now he remembered one hehadn’tthoughtaboutinmonths.

“Therewasanoldlegendaboutahero,”herecalled.“Hislifelinewastiedtoastickinafireplace,andwhenthatpieceofwoodburnedup…”

Hazel’sexpressionturneddark.Leoknewhe’dstruckonthetruth.

“Frank has that problem,” he guessed. “And the piece of firewood…” HepointedatHazel’sjacket.“Hegaveittoyouforsafekeeping?”

“Leo,pleasedon’t…Ican’ttalkaboutit.”Leo’s instincts as a mechanic kicked in. He started thinking about the

propertiesofwoodandthecorrosivenessofsaltwater.“Isthefirewoodokayintheoceanlikethis?Doesthelayerofairaroundyouprotectit?”

“It’sfine,”Hazelsaid.“Thewooddidn’tevengetwet.Besides,it’swrappedup in several layers of cloth and plastic and—” She bit her lip in frustration.“AndI’mnotsupposedtotalkaboutit!Leo,thepointisifFrankseemsafraidofyou,oruneasy,you’vegottounderstand…”

Leowasgladhewasfloating,becauseheprobablywould’vebeentoodizzyto stand.He imagined being in Frank’s position, his life so fragile, it literallycouldburnupatanytime.Heimaginedhowmuchtrustitwouldtaketogivehislifeline—hisentirefate—toanotherperson.

FrankhadchosenHazel,obviously.SowhenhehadseenLeo—aguywhocouldsummonfireatwill—movinginonhisgirl…

Leo shuddered. No wonder Frank didn’t like him. And suddenly Frank’sabilitytoturnintoabunchofdifferentanimalsdidn’tseemsoawesome—notifitcamewithabigcatchlikethat.

LeothoughtabouthisleastfavoritelineintheProphecyofSeven:Tostormor fire the worldmust fall. For a long time, he’d figured that Jason or Percystood for storm—maybebothof them together.Leowas the fireguy.Nobodysaid that, but itwaspretty clear.Leowasoneof thewild cards. If he did thewrongthing,theworldcouldfall.No…itmustfall.LeowonderedifFrankandhis firewood had something to dowith that line. Leo had alreadymade someepicmistakes.ItwouldbesoeasyforhimtoaccidentallysendFrankZhangupinflames.

“Thereyouare!”Bythos’svoicemadeLeoflinch.BythosandAphrosfloatedoverwithFrankbetweenthem, lookingpalebut

okay. Frank studiedHazel andLeo carefully, as if trying to readwhat they’dbeentalkingabout.

“You are free to go,”Bythos said.He opened his saddlebags and returned

theirconfiscatedsupplies.Leohadneverbeensogladtofithistoolbeltaroundhiswaist.

“TellPercyJacksonnot toworry,”Aphrossaid.“Wehaveunderstoodyourstoryabout the imprisonedseacreatures inAtlanta.KetoandPhorcysmustbestopped. We will send a quest of mer-heroes to defeat them and free theircaptives.PerhapsCyrus?”

“OrBill,”Bythosoffered.“Yes!Billwouldbe perfect,”Aphros agreed. “At any rate,we are grateful

thatPercybroughtthistoourattention.”“Youshouldtalktohiminperson,”Leosuggested.“Imean,sonofPoseidon,

andall.”Both fish-centaurs shook theirheads solemnly.“Sometimes it isbestnot to

interactwithPoseidon’sbrood,”Aphrossaid.“Wearefriendlywiththeseagod,ofcourse;butthepoliticsofunderseadeitiesis…complicated.Andwevalueourindependence.Nevertheless, tell Percy thank you.Wewill dowhatwe can tospeed you safely across the Atlantic without further interference from Keto’smonsters, but bewarned: in the ancient sea, theMareNostrum,more dangersawait.”

Franksighed.“Naturally.”Bythosclappedthebigguyontheshoulder.“Youwillbefine,FrankZhang.

Keeppracticingthosesealifetransformations.Thekoifishisgood,buttryforaPortugueseman-of-war.RememberwhatIshowedyou.It’sallinthebreathing.”

Franklookedmortallyembarrassed.Leobithislip,determinednottosmile.“And you,Hazel,”Aphros said, “come visit again, and bring that horse of

yours!Iknowyouareconcernedaboutthetimeyoulost,spendingthenightinourrealm.Youareworriedaboutyourbrother,Nico.…”

Hazelgrippedhercavalrysword.“Ishe—doyouknowwhereheis?”Aphrosshookhishead.“Notexactly.Butwhenyougetcloser,youshouldbe

able to sense his presence. Never fear! You must reach Rome the day aftertomorrowifyouaretosavehim,butthereisstilltime.Andyoumustsavehim.”

“Yes,”Bythosagreed.“Hewillbeessential foryour journey.Iamnotsurehow,butIsenseitistrue.”

Aphros planted his hand onLeo’s shoulder. “As for you,LeoValdez, stayclose to Hazel and Frank when you reach Rome. I sense they will face…ah,mechanicaldifficultiesthatonlyyoucanovercome.”

“Mechanicaldifficulties?”Leoasked.Aphrossmiledasifthatwasgreatnews.“AndIhavegiftsforyou,thebrave

navigatoroftheArgoII!”“Iliketothinkofmyselfascaptain,”Leosaid.“Orsupremecommander.”“Brownies!” Aphros said proudly, shoving an old-fashioned picnic basket

intoLeo’sarms.Itwassurroundedbyabubbleofair,whichLeohopedwouldkeepthebrowniesfromturningintosaltwaterfudgesludge.“Inthisbasketyouwillalsofindtherecipe.Nottoomuchbutter!That’s thetrick.AndI’vegivenyoua letterof introduction toTiberinus, thegodof theTiberRiver.OnceyoureachRome,yourfriendthedaughterofAthenawillneedthis.”

“Annabeth…”Leosaid.“Okay,butwhy?”Bythoslaughed.“ShefollowstheMarkofAthena,doesn’tshe?Tiberinuscan

guideher in thisquest.He’s an ancient, proudgodwhocanbe…difficult; butletters of introduction are everything to Roman spirits. This will convinceTiberinustohelpher.Hopefully.”

“Hopefully,”Leorepeated.Bythosproducedthreesmallpinkpearlsfromhissaddlebags.“Andnow,off

withyou,demigods!Goodsailing!”Hethrewapearlateachoftheminturn,andthreeshimmeringpinkbubbles

ofenergyformedaroundthem.Theybegantorisethroughthewater.Leojusthadtimetothink:Ahamster

ballelevator?Thenhegainedspeedandrocketedtowardthedistantglowofthesunabove.

PIPERHADANEWENTRYinhertop-tenlistofTimesPiperFeltUseless.FightingShrimpzillawithadaggerandaprettyvoice?Notsoeffective.Then

the monster had sunk into the deep and disappeared along with three of herfriends,andshe’dbeenpowerlesstohelpthem.

Afterward, Annabeth, Coach Hedge, and Buford the table rushed aroundrepairing thingsso that theshipwouldn’tsink.Percy,despitebeingexhausted,searchedtheoceanfortheirmissingfriends.Jason,alsoexhausted,flewaroundthe rigging like a blond Peter Pan, putting out fires from the second greenexplosionthathadlituptheskyjustabovethemainmast.

AsforPiper,allshecoulddowasstareatherknifeKatoptris,tryingtolocateLeo,Hazel,andFrank.Theonlyimagesthatcametoherwereonesshedidn’twant to see: three black SUVs driving north from Charleston, packed withRoman demigods, Reyna sitting at the wheel of the lead car. Giant eaglesescorted them from above. Every so often, glowing purple spirits in ghostlychariotsappearedoutofthecountrysideandfellinbehindthem,thunderingupI-95towardNewYorkandCampHalf-Blood.

Piper concentrated harder. She saw the nightmarish images she had seenbefore:thehuman-headedbullrisingfromthewater,thenthedarkwell-shaped

roomfillingwithblackwaterasJason,Percy,andshestruggledtostayafloat.She sheathed Katoptris, wondering how Helen of Troy had stayed sane

duringtheTrojanWar,ifthisbladehadbeenheronlysourceofnews.Thensheremembered thateveryonearoundHelenhadbeenslaughteredby the invadingGreekarmy.Maybeshehadn’tstayedsane.

By the time the sun rose, none of them had slept. Percy had scoured theseafloor and found nothing. TheArgo II was no longer in danger of sinking,though without Leo, they couldn’t do full repairs. The ship was capable ofsailing,butnoonesuggestedleavingthearea—notwithouttheirmissingfriends.

PiperandAnnabethsentadreamvisiontoCampHalf-Blood,warningChironofwhathadhappenedwiththeRomansatFortSumter.AnnabethexplainedherexchangeofwordswithReyna.PiperrelayedthevisionfromherknifeabouttheSUVsracingnorth.Thekindlycentaur’sfaceseemedtoagethirtyyearsduringthe course of their conversation, but he assured them he would see to thedefenses of the camp. Tyson, Mrs. O’Leary, and Ella had arrived safely. Ifnecessary,TysoncouldsummonanarmyofCyclopestothecamp’sdefense,andEllaandRachelDarewerealreadycomparingprophecies, tryingto learnmoreaboutwhat thefutureheld.The jobof thesevendemigodsaboard theArgoII,Chironremindedthem,wastofinishthequestandcomebacksafely.

AftertheIris-message,thedemigodspacedthedeckinsilence,staringatthewaterandhopingforamiracle.

Whenitfinallycame—threegiantpinkbubblesburstingatthesurfaceoffthestarboardbowandejectingFrank,Hazel,andLeo—Piperwentalittlecrazy.Shecriedoutwithreliefanddovestraightintothewater.

Whatwasshethinking?Shedidn’ttakearopeoralifevestoranything.Butat themoment, shewas just sohappy that shepaddledover toLeoandkissedhimonthecheek,whichkindofsurprisedhim.

“Missme?”Leolaughed.Piperwassuddenlyfurious.“Wherewereyou?Howareyouguysalive?”“Long story,” he said. A picnic basket bobbed to the surface next to him.

“Wantabrownie?”Once they got on board and changed into dry clothes (poor Frank had to

borrow a pair of too-small pants from Jason) the crew all gathered on thequarterdeckforacelebratorybreakfast—exceptforCoachHedge,whogrumbledthat the atmosphere was getting too cuddly for his tastes and went below tohammer out somedents in the hull.WhileLeo fussed over his helm controls,HazelandFrankrelatedthestoryofthefish-centaursandtheirtrainingcamp.

“Incredible,”Jasonsaid.“Thesearereallygoodbrownies.”“That’syouronlycomment?”Piperdemanded.He looked surprised. “What? I heard the story. Fish-centaurs. Merpeople.

LetterofintrototheTiberRivergod.Gotit.Butthesebrownies—”“I know,” Frank said, his mouth full. “Try them with Esther’s peach

preserves.”“That,”Hazelsaid,“isincrediblydisgusting.”“Passmethejar,man,”Jasonsaid.HazelandPiperexchangedalookoftotalexasperation.Boys.Percy, for his part,wanted tohear everydetail about the aquatic camp.He

keptcomingbacktoonepoint:“Theydidn’twanttomeetme?”“Itwasn’tthat,”Hazelsaid.“Just…underseapolitics,Iguess.Themerpeople

areterritorial.Thegoodnewsisthey’retakingcareofthataquariuminAtlanta.Andthey’llhelpprotecttheArgoIIaswecrosstheAtlantic.”

Percynoddedabsently.“Buttheydidn’twanttomeetme?”Annabeth swatted his arm. “Come on, Seaweed Brain! We’ve got other

thingstoworryabout.”“She’sright,”Hazelsaid.“Aftertoday,Nicohaslessthantwodays.Thefish-

centaurssaidwehavetorescuehim.He’sessentialtothequestsomehow.”She lookedarounddefensively,as ifwaiting for someone toargue.Noone

did.PipertriedtoimaginewhatNicodiAngelowasfeeling,stuckinajarwithonlytwopomegranateseedsleft tosustainhim,andnoideawhetherhewouldberescued.ItmadePiperanxioustoreachRome,eventhoughshehadahorriblefeelingshewassailingtowardherownsortofprison—adarkroomfilledwithwater.

“Nicomusthave informationabout theDoorsofDeath,”Pipersaid.“We’llsavehim,Hazel.Wecanmakeitintime.Right,Leo?”

“What?” Leo tore his eyes away from the controls. “Oh, yeah.We shouldreach the Mediterranean tomorrow morning. Then spend the rest of that daysailingtoRome,orflying,ifIcangetthestabilizerfixedbythen.…”

Jason suddenly looked as though his brownie with peach preserves didn’ttaste so good. “Whichwill put us inRome on the last possible day forNico.Twenty-fourhourstofindhim—atmost.”

Percy crossed his legs. “And that’s only part of the problem. There’s theMarkofAthena,too.”

Annabethdidn’tseemhappywiththechangeoftopic.Sherestedherhandonher backpack,which, since they’d leftCharleston, she always seemed to havewithher.

She opened the bag and brought out a thin bronze disk the diameter of adonut.“ThisisthemapthatIfoundatFortSumter.It’s…”

Shestoppedabruptly,staringatthesmoothbronzesurface.“It’sblank!”Percytookitandexaminedbothsides.“Itwasn’tlikethisearlier?”“No! Iwas looking at it inmy cabin and…”Annabethmuttered under her

breath.“ItmustbeliketheMarkofAthena.IcanonlyseeitwhenI’malone.Itwon’tshowitselftootherdemigods.”

Frank scooted back like the disk might explode. He had an orange-juicemustache and a brownie-crumb beard that made Piper want to hand him anapkin.

“Whatdidithaveonit?”Frankaskednervously.“Andwhat is theMarkofAthena?Istilldon’tgetit.”

Annabeth took the disk from Percy. She turned it in the sunlight, but itremainedblank.“Themapwashardtoread,but itshowedaspotontheTiberRiverinRome.Ithinkthat’swheremyqueststarts…thepathI’vegottotaketofollowtheMark.”

“Maybe that’s where you meet the river god Tiberinus,” Piper said. “ButwhatistheMark?”

“Thecoin,”Annabethmurmured.Percyfrowned.“Whatcoin?”Annabethdug intoherpocketandbroughtoutasilverdrachma.“I’vebeen

carryingthiseversinceIsawmymomatGrandCentral.It’sanAtheniancoin.”Shepasseditaround.Whileeachdemigodlookedatit,Piperhadaridiculous

memoryofshow-and-tellinelementaryschool.“Anowl,”Leonoted.“Well,thatmakessense.Iguessthebranchisanolive

branch?Butwhat’sthisinscription,ΑΘΕ—AreaOfEffect?”“It’s alpha, theta, epsilon,” Annabeth said. “In Greek it stands forOf The

Athenians…or you could read it as the children of Athena. It’s sort of theAthenianmotto.”

“LikeSPQRfortheRomans,”Piperguessed.Annabethnodded.“Anyway,theMarkofAthenaisanowl,justlikethatone.

Itappearsinfieryred.I’veseenitinmydreams.ThentwiceatFortSumter.”Shedescribedwhathadhappenedatthefort—thevoiceofGaea,thespiders

inthegarrison,theMarkburningthemaway.Pipercouldtellitwasn’teasyforhertotalkabout.

PercytookAnnabeth’shand.“Ishouldhavebeenthereforyou.”“Butthat’sthepoint,”Annabethsaid.“Noonecanbethereforme.WhenI

get to Rome, I’ll have to strike out on my own. Otherwise, the Mark won’tappear.I’llhavetofollowitto…tothesource.”

FranktookthecoinfromLeo.Hestaredattheowl.“Thegiants’banestandsgoldandpale,Wonwithpain fromawoven jail.”He lookedupatAnnabeth.“Whatisit…thisthingatthesource?”

BeforeAnnabethcouldanswer,Jasonspokeup.“Astatue,”hesaid.“AstatueofAthena.Atleast…that’smyguess.”Piperfrowned.“Yousaidyoudidn’tknow.”“Idon’t.ButthemoreIthinkaboutit…there’sonlyoneartifactthatcouldfit

the legend.” He turned to Annabeth. “I’m sorry. I should have told youeverythingI’veheard,muchearlier.Buthonestly,Iwasscared.Ifthislegendistrue—”

“Iknow,”Annabethsaid.“I figured itout,Jason. Idon’tblameyou.But ifwemanage tosave thestatue,GreekandRomans together…Don’tyousee? Itcouldhealtherift.”

“Holdon.”Percymadeatime-outgesture.“Whatstatue?”

Annabeth took back the silver coin and slipped it into her pocket. “TheAthenaParthenos,”shesaid.“ThemostfamousGreekstatueofalltime.Itwasfortyfeettall,coveredinivoryandgold.ItstoodinthemiddleoftheParthenoninAthens.”

Theshipwentsilent,exceptforthewaveslappingagainstthehull.“Okay,I’llbite,”Leosaidatlast.“Whathappenedtoit?”“Itdisappeared,”Annabethsaid.Leo frowned. “How does a forty-foot-tall statue in the middle of the

Parthenonjustdisappear?”“That’sagoodquestion,”Annabethsaid.“It’soneofthebiggestmysteriesin

history. Some people thought the statue was melted down for its gold, ordestroyedbyinvaders.Athenswassackedanumberoftimes.Somethoughtthestatuewascarriedoff—”

“By Romans,” Jason finished. “At least, that’s one theory, and it fits thelegendIheardatCampJupiter.TobreaktheGreeks’spirit,theRomanscartedofftheAthenaParthenoswhentheytookoverthecityofAthens.TheyhiditinanundergroundshrineinRome.TheRomandemigodssworeitwouldneverseethe light of day. They literally stole Athena, so she could no longer be thesymbolofGreekmilitarypower.ShebecameMinerva,amuchtamergoddess.”

“AndthechildrenofAthenahavebeensearchingfor thestatueeversince,”Annabethsaid.“Mostdon’tknowaboutthelegend,butineachgeneration,afeware chosen by the goddess. They’re given a coin like mine. They follow theMarkofAthena…akindofmagicaltrailthatlinksthemtothestatue…hopingtofindtherestingplaceoftheAthenaParthenosandgetthestatueback.”

Piper watched the two of them—Annabeth and Jason—with quietamazement.Theyspokelikeateam,withoutanyhostilityorblame.Thetwoofthemhadneverreallytrustedeachother.Piperwascloseenoughtobothofthemtoknowthat.Butnow…iftheycoulddiscusssuchahugeproblemsocalmly—theultimatesourceofGreek/Romanhatred—maybetherewashopeforthetwocamps,afterall.

Percy seemed be having similar thoughts, judging from his surprisedexpression.“Soifwe—Imeanyou—findthestatue…whatwouldwedowithit?

Couldweevenmoveit?”“I’m not sure,” Annabeth admitted. “But if we could save it somehow, it

could unite the two camps. It could heal mymother of this hatred she’s got,tearingher twoaspects apart.Andmaybe…maybe the statuehas some sort ofpowerthatcouldhelpusagainstthegiants.”

Piper stared at Annabeth with awe, just starting to appreciate the hugeresponsibilityherfriendhadtakenon.AndAnnabethmeanttodoitalone.

“Thiscouldchangeeverything,”Pipersaid.“Itcouldendthousandsofyearsofhostility.ItmightbethekeytodefeatingGaea.Butifwecan’thelpyou…”

Shedidn’tfinish,butthequestionseemedtohangintheair:Wassavingthestatueevenpossible?

Annabethsquaredhershoulders.Piperknewshemustbeterrifiedinside,butshedidagoodjobhidingit.

“Ihavetosucceed,”Annabethsaidsimply.“Theriskisworthit.”Hazeltwirledherhairpensively.“Idon’tliketheideaofyouriskingyourlife

alone,butyou’reright.Wesawwhat recovering thegoldeneaglestandarddidfortheRomanlegion.IfthisstatueisthemostpowerfulsymbolofAthenaevercreated—”

“Itcouldkicksomeseriousbooty,”Leooffered.Hazelfrowned.“Thatwasn’tthewayI’dputit,butyes.”“Except…”PercytookAnnabeth’shandagain.“NochildofAthenahasever

foundit.Annabeth,what’sdownthere?What’sguardingit?Ifit’sgottodowithspiders—?”“Wonthroughpainfromawovenjail,”Frankrecalled.“Woven,likewebs?”Annabeth’s face turned as white as printer paper. Piper suspected that

Annabethknewwhatawaitedher…oratleastthatshehadaverygoodidea.Shewastryingtoholddownawaveofpanicandterror.

“We’lldealwiththatwhenwegettoRome,”Pipersuggested,puttingalittlecharmspeakinhervoice tosootheherfriend’snerves.“It’sgoingtoworkout.Annabethisgoingtokicksomeseriousbooty,too.You’llsee.”

“Yeah,”Percysaid.“Ilearnedalongtimeago:NeverbetagainstAnnabeth.”Annabethlookedatthembothgratefully.

Judgingfromtheirhalf-eatenbreakfasts,theothersstillfeltuneasy;butLeomanagedtoshakethemoutofit.Hepushedabutton,andaloudblastofsteamexplodedfromFestus’smouth,makingeveryonejump.

“Well!”hesaid.“Goodpeprally,butthere’sstillatonofthingstofixonthisshipbeforewegettotheMediterranean.PleasereporttoSupremeCommanderLeoforyoursuperfunlistofchores!”

PiperandJasontookchargeofcleaningthelowerdeck,whichhadbeenthrownintochaosduringthemonsterattack.Reorganizingsickbayandbatteningdownthestorageareatookthemmostoftheday,butPiperdidn’tmind.Foronething,shegottospendtimewithJason.Foranother,lastnight’sexplosionshadgivenPiper a healthy respect forGreek fire. She didn’twant any loose vials of thatstuffrollingthroughthecorridorsinthemiddleofthenight.

As theywere fixingup the stables,Piper thoughtabout thenightAnnabethand Percy had spent down here accidentally. Piperwished that she could talkwithJasonallnight—justcurluponthestablefloorandenjoybeingwithhim.Whydidn’ttheygettobreaktherules?

ButJasonwasn’t like that.Hewashardwired tobea leaderandsetagoodexample.Breakingtherulesdidn’tcomenaturallytohim.

NodoubtReynaadmiredthatabouthim.Piperdidtoo…mostly.Theonetimeshe’dconvincedhimtobearebelwasbackattheWilderness

School,whentheyhadsneakedontotheroofatnighttowatchameteorshower.That’swherethey’dhadtheirfirstkiss.

Unfortunately,thatmemorywasatrickoftheMist,amagicallieimplantedinherheadbyHera.Piper and Jasonwere togethernow, in real life,but theirrelationshiphadbeenfoundedonanillusion.IfPipertriedtogettherealJasontosneakoutatnight,wouldhedoit?

Shesweptthehayintopiles.Jasonfixedabrokendoorononeofthestables.Theglass floorhatchglowed from theoceanbelow—agreenexpanseof lightand shadow that seemed to go down forever. Piper kept glancing over, afraidshe’d see a monster’s face peeping in, or the water cannibals from hergrandfather’soldstories;butallshesawwasanoccasionalschoolofherring.

As she watched Jason work, she admired how easily he did each task,whetheritwasfixingadoororoilingsaddles.Itwasn’tjusthisstrongarmsandhis skillful hands, though Piper liked those just fine, but theway he acted soupbeatandconfident.Hedidwhatneededtobedonewithoutcomplaint.Hekepthissenseofhumor,despitethefactthattheguyhadtobedeadonhisfeetafternothavingsleptthenightbefore.Pipercouldn’tblameReynaforhavingacrushonhim.Whenitcametoworkandduty,JasonwasRomantothecore.

Piperthoughtabouthermother’steapartyinCharleston.ShewonderedwhatthegoddesshadtoldReynaayearago,andwhyithadchangedthewayReynatreatedJason.HadAphroditeencouragedordiscouragedhertolikeJason?

Piperwasn’t sure, but shewished hermomhadn’t appeared inCharleston.Regularmotherswereembarrassingenough.Godlyglamourmomswhoinvitedyourfriendsoverforteaandguytalk—thatwasjustmortifying.

Aphrodite had paid somuch attention toAnnabeth andHazel, it hadmadePiperuneasy.Whenhermomgotinterestedinsomebody’slovelife,usuallythatwasabadsign.Itmeanttroublewascoming.OrasAphroditewouldsay,twistsandturns.

Butalso,Piperwassecretlyhurtnottohavehermothertoherself.Aphroditehad barely looked at her. She hadn’t said a word about Jason. She hadn’tbotheredexplainingherconversationwithReynaatall.

It was almost as if Aphrodite no longer found Piper interesting. Piper hadgottenherguy.Nowitwasup toher tomake thingswork,andAphroditehadmovedontonewergossipaseasilyasshemighttossoutanoldcopyofatabloidmagazine.Allofyouaresuchexcellentstories,Aphroditehadsaid.Imean,girls.Piperhadn’tappreciatedthat,butpartofherhadthought:Fine.Idon’twant

tobeastory.Iwantanicesteadylifewithanicesteadyboyfriend.Ifonlysheknewmoreaboutmakingrelationshipswork.Shewassupposedto

be an expert, being the head counselor forAphrodite cabin.Other campers atCampHalf-Bloodcametoherforadviceallthetime.Piperhadtriedtodoherbest,butwithherownboyfriend,shewasclueless.Shewasconstantlysecond-guessing herself, reading too much into Jason’s expressions, his moods, his

offhand comments.Why did it have to be so hard?Why couldn’t there be ahappily-ever-afterride-into-the-sunsetfeelingallthetime?

“Whatareyouthinking?”Jasonasked.Piper realized she’d beenmaking a sour face. In the reflectionof the glass

baydoors,shelookedlikeshe’dswallowedateaspoonofsalt.“Nothing,”shesaid.“Imean…alotofthings.Kindofallatonce.”Jason laughed. The scar on his lip almost disappeared when he smiled.

Consideringallthestuffhe’dbeenthrough,itwasamazingthathecouldbeinsuchagoodmood.

“It’sgoingtoworkout,”hepromised.“Yousaidsoyourself.”“Yeah,”Piperagreed.“ExceptIwasjustsayingthattomakeAnnabethfeel

better.”Jasonshrugged.“Still,it’strue.We’realmosttotheancientlands.We’veleft

theRomansbehind.”“Andnowthey’reontheirwaytoCampHalf-Bloodtoattackourfriends.”Jason hesitated, as if it was hard for him to put a positive spin on that.

“Chironwillfindawaytostallthem.TheRomansmighttakeweekstoactuallyfindthecampandplantheirattack.Besides,Reynawilldowhatshecantoslowthingsdown.She’sstillonourside.Iknowsheis.”

“Youtrusther.”Piper’svoicesoundedhollow,eventoherself.“Look,Pipes.Itoldyou,you’vegotnothingtobejealousabout.”“She’sbeautiful.She’spowerful.She’sso…Roman.”Jason put downhis hammer.He took her hand,which sent a tingle up her

arm.Piper’sdadhadoncetakenhertotheAquariumofthePacificandshownher an electric eel. He told her that the eel sent out pulses that shocked andparalyzeditsprey.EverytimeJasonlookedatherortouchedherhand,Piperfeltlikethat.

“You’re beautiful and powerful,” he said. “And I don’t want you to beRoman.IwantyoutobePiper.Besides,we’reateam,youandme.”

Shewanted to believe him. They’d been together, really, formonths now.Still,shecouldn’tgetridofherdoubts,anymorethanJasoncouldgetridoftheSPQRtattooburnedonhisforearm.

Abovethem,theship’sbellrangfordinner.Jasonsmirked.“We’dbettergetupthere.Wedon’twantCoachHedgetying

bellsaroundournecks.”Piper shuddered. Coach Hedge had threatened to do that after the

Percy/Annabethscandal,sohe’dknowifanyonesneakedoutatnight.“Yeah,” she said regretfully, looking at the glass doors below their feet. “I

guessweneeddinner…andagoodnight’ssleep.”

THE NEXTMORNING PIPERWOKE to a different ship’s horn—a blast so loud itliterallyshookheroutofbed.

ShewonderedifLeowaspullinganotherjoke.Thenthehornboomedagain.Itsoundedlikeitwascomingfromseveralhundredyardsaway—fromanothervessel.

She rushed to get dressed.By the time she got up on deck, the others hadalreadygathered—allhastilydressedexcept forCoachHedge,whohadpulledthenightwatch.

Frank’sVancouverWinterOlympicsshirtwasinsideout.Percyworepajamapants and a bronze breastplate, which was an interesting fashion statement.Hazel’s hair was all blown to one side, as though she’d walked through acyclone;andLeohadaccidentallysethimselfonfire.HisT-shirtwasincharredtatters.Hisarmsweresmoking.

About a hundred yards to port, amassive cruise ship glided past. Touristswavedatthemfromfifteenorsixteenrowsofbalconies.Somesmiledandtookpictures.NoneofthemlookedsurprisedtoseeanAncientGreektrireme.MaybetheMistmade it look like a fishing boat, or perhaps the cruisers thought theArgoIIwasatouristattraction.

Thecruiseshipblewitshornagain,andtheArgoIIhadashakingfit.CoachHedgepluggedhisears.“Dotheyhavetobesoloud?”“They’rejustsayinghi,”Frankspeculated.“WHAT?”Hedgeyelledback.The ship edged past them, heading out to sea.The tourists keptwaving. If

theyfounditstrangethattheArgoIIwaspopulatedbyhalf-asleepkidsinarmorandpajamasandamanwithgoatlegs,theydidn’tleton.

“Bye!”Leocalled,raisinghissmokinghand.“CanImantheballistae?”Hedgeasked.“No,”Leosaidthroughaforcedsmile.Hazelrubbedhereyesandlookedacross theglitteringgreenwater.“Where

are—oh…Wow.”Piper followedher gaze andgasped.Without the cruise ship blocking their

view,shesawamountainjuttingfromthesealessthanhalfamiletothenorth.Piper had seen impressive cliffs before. She’d driven Highway 1 along theCalifornia coast. She’d even fallen down the Grand Canyon with Jason andflownbackup.Butneitherwasasamazingasthismassivefistofblindingwhiterockthrustintothesky.Ononeside,thelimestonecliffswerealmostcompletelysheer,droppingintotheseaoverathousandfeetbelow,asnearasPipercouldfigure.Ontheotherside,themountainslopedintiers,coveredingreenforest,sothat thewhole thing remindedPiperofacolossal sphinx,worndownover themillennia,withamassivewhiteheadandchest,andagreencloakoveritsback.

“TheRock ofGibraltar,”Annabeth said in awe. “At the tip of Spain.Andoverthere—”Shepointedsouth,toamoredistantstretchofredandochrehills.“ThatmustbeAfrica.We’reatthemouthoftheMediterranean.”

Themorningwaswarm,butPipershivered.Despitethewidestretchofseainfrontofthem,shefeltlikeshewasstandingatanimpassablebarrier.OnceintheMediterranean—theMareNostrum—theywouldbe in theancient lands. If thelegendsweretrue,theirquestwouldbecometentimesmoredangerous.

“Whatnow?”sheasked.“Dowejustsailin?”“Whynot?”Leosaid.“It’sabigshippingchannel.Boatsgoinandoutallthe

time.”

Nottriremesfullofdemigods,Piperthought.Annabeth gazed at the Rock of Gibraltar. Piper recognized that brooding

expression on her friend’s face. It almost always meant that she anticipatedtrouble.

“In the old days,” Annabeth said, “they called this area the pillars ofHercules. TheRockwas supposed to be one pillar. The otherwas one of theAfricanmountains.Nobodyissurewhichone.”

“Hercules,huh?”Percyfrowned.“ThatguywasliketheStarbucksofAncientGreece.Everywhereyouturn—thereheis.”

A thunderous boom shook theArgo II, though Piper wasn’t sure where itcamefromthistime.Shedidn’tseeanyotherships,andtheskieswereclear.

Her mouth suddenly felt dry. “So…these Pillars of Hercules. Are theydangerous?”

Annabeth stayed focused on thewhite cliffs, as ifwaiting for theMark ofAthena to blaze to life. “ForGreeks, the pillarsmarked the endof the knownworld.TheRomanssaidthepillarswereinscribedwithaLatinwarning—”“Nonplusultra,”Percysaid.Annabeth looked stunned. “Yeah. Nothing Further Beyond.How did you

know?”Percypointed.“BecauseI’mlookingatit.”Directlyaheadofthem,inthemiddleofthestraits,anislandhadshimmered

intoexistence.Piperwaspositivenoislandhadbeentherebefore.Itwasasmallhillymassof land,covered in forestsandringedwithwhitebeaches.NotveryimpressivecomparedtoGibraltar,butinfrontoftheisland,juttingfromwavesaboutahundredyardsoffshore,weretwowhiteGreciancolumnsas tallas theArgo’smasts.Between the columns, huge silverwords glittered underwater—maybeanillusion,ormaybeinlaidinthesand:NONPLUSULTRA.

“Guys,doIturnaround?”Leoaskednervously.“Or…”No one answered—maybe because, like Piper, they had noticed the figure

standing on the beach. As the ship approached the columns, she saw a dark-hairedmaninpurplerobes,hisarmscrossed,staringintentlyattheirshipasifhewereexpectingthem.Pipercouldn’ttellmuchelseabouthimfromthisdistance,

butjudgingfromhisposture,hewasn’thappy.Frankinhaledsharply.“Couldthatbe—?”“Hercules,”Jasonsaid.“Themostpowerfuldemigodofalltime.”TheArgoIIwasonlyafewhundredyardsfromthecolumnsnow.“Need an answer,”Leo said urgently. “I can turn, orwe can take off. The

stabilizersareworkingagain.ButIneedtoknowquick—”“Wehavetokeepgoing,”Annabethsaid.“Ithinkhe’sguardingthesestraits.

If that’s really Hercules, sailing or flying away wouldn’t do any good. He’llwanttotalktous.”

Piperresistedtheurgetousecharmspeak.ShewantedtoyellatLeo:Fly!Getusoutofhere!Unfortunately,shehadafeelingthatAnnabethwasright.IftheywantedtopassintotheMediterranean,theycouldn’tavoidthismeeting.

“Won’tHerculesbeonourside?”sheaskedhopefully.“Imean…he’soneofus,right?”

Jasongrunted.“HewasasonofZeus,butwhenhedied,hebecameagod.Youcanneverbesurewithgods.”

PiperrememberedtheirmeetingwithBacchusinKansas—anothergodwhousedtobeademigod.Hehadn’tbeenexactlyhelpful.

“Great,”Percysaid.“SevenofusagainstHercules.”“Andasatyr!”Hedgeadded.“Wecantakehim.”“I’ve got a better idea,” Annabeth said. “We send ambassadors ashore. A

smallgroup—oneortwoatmost.Trytotalkwithhim.”“I’llgo,”Jasonsaid.“He’sasonofZeus.I’mthesonofJupiter.Maybehe’ll

befriendlytome.”“Ormaybehe’llhateyou,”Percysuggested.“Halfbrothersdon’talwaysget

along.”Jasonscowled.“Thankyou,Mr.Optimism.”“It’s worth a shot,” Annabeth said. “At least Jason and Hercules have

somethingincommon.Andweneedourbestdiplomat.Somebodywho’sgoodwithwords.”

AlleyesturnedtoPiper.Shetried toavoidscreamingandjumpingover theside.Abadpremonition

gnawedathergut.But if Jasonwasgoingashore, shewanted tobewithhim.Maybethishugelypowerfulgodwouldturnouttobehelpful.Theyhadtohavegoodluckonceinawhile,didn’tthey?

“Fine,”shesaid.“Justletmechangemyclothes.”

OnceLeo had anchored theArgo II between the pillars, Jason summoned thewindtocarryhimandPiperashore.

Themaninpurplewaswaitingforthem.Piper had heard tons of stories about Hercules. She’d seen several cheesy

moviesandcartoons.Beforetoday,ifshehadthoughtabouthimatall,she’djustroll her eyes and imagine some stupid hairy dude in his thirtieswith a barrelchestandagrosshippiebeard,withalionskinoverhisheadandabigclub,likeacaveman.Sheimaginedhewouldsmellbad,belch,andscratchhimselfalot,andspeakmostlyingrunts.

Shewasnotexpectingthis.His feetwerebare, covered inwhite sand.His robesmadehim look like a

priest, thoughPipercouldn’t rememberwhich rankofpriestworepurple.Wasthat cardinals? Bishops? And did the purple color mean he was the RomanversionofHercules rather than theGreek?Hisbeardwas fashionably scruffy,likePiper’sdadandhisactorfriendsworetheirs—thesortofIjusthappenednottoshavefortwodaysandIstilllookawesomelook.

He was well built, but not too stocky. His ebony hair was close-cropped,Romanstyle.HehadstartlingblueeyeslikeJason’s,buthisskinwascoppery,as ifhe’d spenthis entire lifeona tanningbed.Themost surprising thing:helookedabouttwenty.Definitelynoolder.Hewashandsomeinaruggedbutnot-at-all-cavemanway.

Hedidinfacthaveaclub,whichlayinthesandnexttohim,butitwasmorelikeanoversizedbaseballbat—afive-foot-longpolishedcylinderofmahoganywith a leather handgrip studded in bronze. Coach Hedge would have beenjealous.

Jason and Piper landed at the edge of the surf. They approached slowly,careful not to make any threatening moves. Hercules watched them with no

particularemotion, as if theywere some formof seabirdhehadnevernoticedbefore.

“Hello,”Pipersaid.Alwaysagoodstart.“What’sup?”Herculessaid.Hisvoicewasdeepbutcasual,verymodern.He

could’vebeengreetingtheminthehighschoollockerroom.“Uh,notmuch.”Piperwinced.“Well,actually,alot.I’mPiper.ThisisJason.

We—”“Where’syourlionskin?”Jasoninterrupted.Piperwantedtoelbowhim,butHerculeslookedmoreamusedthanannoyed.“It’sninetydegreesouthere,”hesaid.“WhywouldIwearmylionskin?Do

youwearafurcoattothebeach?”“I guess thatmakes sense.” Jason sounded disappointed. “It’s just that the

picturesalwaysshowyouwithalionskin.”Herculesglaredattheskyaccusingly,likehewantedtohavewordswithhis

father,Zeus.“Don’tbelieveeverythingyouhearaboutme.Beingfamousisn’tasfunasyoumightthink.”

“Tellmeaboutit,”Pipersighed.Herculesfixedthosebrilliantblueeyesonher.“Areyoufamous?”“Mydad…he’sinthemovies.”Herculessnarled.“Don’tgetmestartedwiththemovies.GodsofOlympus,

theynevergetanythingright.HaveyouseenonemovieaboutmewhereIlooklikeme?”

Piperhadtoadmithehadapoint.“I’msurprisedyou’resoyoung.”“Ha!Being immortal helps.But, yes, Iwasn’t so oldwhen I died.Not by

modernstandards.Ididalotduringmyyearsasahero…toomuch,really.”HiseyesdriftedtoJason.“SonofZeus,eh?”

“Jupiter,”Jasonsaid.“Notmuchdifference,”Herculesgrumbled.“Dad’sannoyingineitherform.

Me? I was called Heracles. Then the Romans came along and named meHercules. Ididn’t reallychange thatmuch, though lately just thinkingabout itgivesmesplittingheadaches…”

Theleftsideofhisfacetwitched.Hisrobesshimmered,momentarilyturning

white,thenbacktopurple.“Atanyrate,”Herculessaid,“ifyou’reJupiter’sson,youmightunderstand.

It’s a lot of pressure. Enough is never enough. Eventually it canmake a guysnap.”

HeturnedtoPiper.Shefeltlikeathousandantswerecrawlingupherback.Therewasamixtureofsadnessanddarknessinhiseyesthatseemednotquitesane,anddefinitelynotsafe.

“As for you,my dear,”Hercules said, “be careful. Sons of Zeus can be…well,nevermind.”

Piperwasn’t surewhat thatmeant.Suddenly shewanted toget as far fromthisgodaspossible,butshetriedtomaintainacalm,politeexpression.

“So, LordHercules,” she said, “we’re on a quest.We’d like permission topassintotheMediterranean.”

Hercules shrugged. “That’s why I’m here. After I died, Dadmademe thedoorkeeperofOlympus.Isaid,Great!Palaceduty!Partyallthetime!Whathedidn’tmentionisthatI’dbeguardingthedoorstotheancientlands,stuckonthisislandfortherestofeternity.Lotsoffun.”

Hepointedatthepillarsrisingfromthesurf.“Stupidcolumns.SomepeopleclaimIcreatedthewholeStraitofGibraltarbyshovingmountainsapart.Somepeoplesaythemountainsarethepillars.WhatabunchofAugeanmanure.Thepillarsarepillars.”

“Right,”Pipersaid.“Naturally.So…canwepass?”The god scratched his fashionable beard. “Well, I have to give you the

standard warning about how dangerous the ancient lands are. Not just anydemigodcansurvive theMareNostrum.Becauseof that, Ihave togiveyouaquesttocomplete.Proveyourworth,blah,blah,blah.Honestly,Idon’tmakeabigdealof it.Usually I givedemigods something simple like a shopping trip,singingafunnysong,thatsortofthing.AfterallthoselaborsIhadtocompleteformyevilcousinEurystheus,well…Idon’twanttobethatguy,youknow?”

“Appreciateit,”Jasonsaid.“Hey, no problem.” Hercules sounded relaxed and easygoing, but he still

madePipernervous.Thatdarkglintinhiseyesremindedherofcharcoalsoaked

inkerosene,readytogoupatamoment’snotice.“Soanyway,”Herculessaid,“what’syourquest?”“Giants,” Jason said. “We’re off to Greece to stop them from awakening

Gaea.”“Giants,”Herculesmuttered.“Ihatethoseguys.BackwhenIwasademigod

hero…ah, but never mind. So which god put you up to this—Dad? Athena?MaybeAphrodite?”He raisedaneyebrowatPiper.“Asprettyasyouare, I’mguessingthat’syourmom.”

Pipershould’vebeenthinkingfaster,butHerculeshadunsettledher.Toolate,sherealizedtheconversationhadbecomeaminefield.

“Herasentus,”Jasonsaid.“Shebroughtustogetherto—”“Hera.” SuddenlyHercules’s expressionwas like the cliffs ofGibraltar—a

solid,unforgivingsheetofstone.“Wehatehertoo,”Pipersaidquickly.Gods,whyhadn’titoccurredtoher?

HerahadbeenHercules’smortalenemy.“Wedidn’twanttohelpher.Shedidn’tgiveusmuchchoice,but—”

“Buthereyou are,”Hercules said, all friendlinessgone. “Sorry, you two. Idon’tcarehowworthyyourquestis.Idon’tdoanythingthatHerawants.Ever.”

Jason looked mystified. “But I thought you made up with her when youbecameagod.”

“LikeIsaid,”Herculesgrumbled,“don’tbelieveeverythingyouhear.Ifyouwant to pass into theMediterranean, I’mafraid I’ve got to give you an extra-hardquest.”

“Butwe’relikebrothers,”Jasonprotested.“Hera’smessedwithmylife,too.Iunderstand—”

“Youunderstandnothing,”Herculessaidcoldly.“Myfirstfamily:dead.Mylifewastedonridiculousquests.Mysecondwifedead,afterbeing tricked intopoisoningmeandleavingmetoapainfuldemise.Andmycompensation?Igottobecomeaminorgod.Immortal,soIcanneverforgetmypain.Stuckhereasagatekeeper, a doorman, a…a butler for the Olympians. No, you don’tunderstand.TheonlygodwhounderstandsmeevenalittlebitisDionysus.Andat leasthe invented somethinguseful. I havenothing to showexceptbad film

adaptationsofmylife.”Piper turned on the charmspeak. “That’s horribly sad, Lord Hercules. But

pleasegoeasyonus.We’renotbadpeople.”Shethoughtshe’dsucceeded.Herculeshesitated.Thenhisjawtightened,and

heshookhishead.“Ontheoppositesideof this island,over thosehills,you’llfindariver.InthemiddleofthatriverlivestheoldgodAchelous.”

Herculeswaited,asifthisinformationshouldsendthemrunninginterror.“And…?”Jasonasked.“And,”Herculessaid,“Iwantyoutobreakoffhisotherhornandbringitto

me.”“Hehashorns,”Jasonsaid.“Wait…hisotherhorn?What—?”“Figureitout,”thegodsnapped.“Here,thisshouldhelp.”Hesaidthewordhelplikeitmeanthurt.Fromunderhisrobes,Herculestook

asmallbookandtossedittoPiper.Shebarelycaughtit.Thebook’sglossycover showedaphotographicmontageofGreek temples

andsmilingmonsters.TheMinotaurwasgiving the thumbs-up.The title read:TheHerculesGuidetotheMareNostrum.

“Bringme thathornby sundown,”Hercules said. “Just the twoofyou.Nocontactingyourfriends.Yourshipwillremainwhereit is. Ifyousucceed,youmaypassintotheMediterranean.”

“Andifwedon’t?”Piperasked,prettysureshedidn’twanttheanswer.“Well,Achelouswillkillyou,obviously,”Herculessaid.“AndIwillbreak

yourshipinhalfwithmybarehandsandsendyourfriendstoanearlygrave.”Jasonshiftedhisfeet.“Couldn’twejustsingafunnysong?”“I’dgetgoing,”Herculessaidcoldly.“Sundown.Oryourfriendsaredead.”

THEHERCULESGUIDETOTHEMARENOSTRUMdidn’thelpmuchwithsnakesandmosquitoes.

“Ifthisisamagicisland,”Pipergrumbled,“whycouldn’titbeanicemagicisland?”

They tromped up a hill and down into a heavilywooded valley, careful toavoid the black-and-red-striped snakes sunning themselves on the rocks.Mosquitoes swarmed over stagnant ponds in the lowest areas. The treesweremostly stunted olives, cypress, and pines. The chirring of the cicadas and theoppressiveheatremindedPiperoftherezinOklahomaduringthesummer.

Sofartheyhadn’tfoundanyriver.“Wecouldfly,”Jasonsuggestedagain.“Wemightmisssomething,”Pipersaid.“Besides,I’mnotsureIwanttodrop

inonanunfriendlygod.Whatwashisname?Etch-a-Sketch?”“Achelous.”Jasonwastryingtoreadtheguidebookwhiletheywalked,sohe

keptrunningintotreesandstumblingoverrocks.“Saysherehe’sapotamus.”“He’sahippopotamus?”“No.Potamus.Arivergod.Accordingtothis,he’sthespiritofsomeriverin

Greece.”

“Sincewe’renot inGreece, let’sassumehe’smoved,”Pipersaid.“Doesn’tbodewellforhowusefulthatbookisgoingtobe.Anythingelse?”

“SaysHerculesfoughthimonetime,”Jasonoffered.“Herculesfoughtninety-ninepercentofeverythinginAncientGreece.”“Yeah.Let’ssee.PillarsofHercules…”Jasonflippedapage.“Saysherethis

islandhasnohotels,norestaurants,notransportation.Attractions:Herculesandtwopillars.Huh,thisisinteresting.Supposedlythedollarsign—youknow,theSwiththetwolinesthroughit?—thatcamefromtheSpanishcoatofarms,whichshowedthePillarsofHerculeswithabannercurlingbetweenthem.”

Great,Piperthought.JasonfinallygetsalongwithAnnabeth,andherbrainiactendenciesstartrubbingoffonhim.

“Anythinghelpful?”sheasked.“Wait.Here’s a tiny reference toAchelous:This rivergod foughtHercules

for thehandof thebeautifulDeianira.Duringthestruggle,Herculesbrokeoffoneoftherivergod’shorns,whichbecamethefirstcornucopia.”

“Cornofwhat?”“It’s that Thanksgiving decoration,” Jason said. “The horn with all the

goodiesspillingout?Wehavesome in themesshallatCampJupiter. Ididn’tknowtheoriginalonewasactuallysomeguy’shorn.”

“Andwe’re supposed to takehisotherone,”Piper said. “I’mguessing thatwon’tbesoeasy.WhowasDeianira?”

“Herculesmarried her,” Jason said. “I think…doesn’t say here.But I thinksomethingbadhappenedtoher.”

Piper remembered what Hercules had told them: his first family dead, hissecond wife dead after being tricked into poisoning him. She was liking thischallengelessandless.

Theytrudgedacrossaridgebetweentwohills,tryingtostayintheshade;butPiper was already soakedwith perspiration. Themosquitoes left welts on herankles,arms,andneck,sosheprobablylookedlikeasmallpoxvictim.

She’dfinallygottensomealonetimewithJason,andthiswashowtheyspentit.

Shewas irritatedwith Jason for havingmentionedHera, but she knew she

shouldn’t blame him.Maybe she was just irritated with him in general. EversinceCampJupiter,she’dbeencarryingaroundalotofworryandresentment.

ShewonderedwhatHerculeshadwantedtotellherabout thesonsofZeus.They couldn’t be trusted? Theywere under toomuch pressure? Piper tried toimagineJasonbecomingagodwhenhedied,standingonsomebeachguardingthegates toanoceanlongafterPiperandeveryoneelseheknewinhismortallifeweredead.

ShewonderedifHerculeshadeverbeenaspositiveasJason—moreupbeat,confident,quicktocomfort.Itwashardtopicture.

Astheyhikeddownintothenextvalley,PiperwonderedwhatwashappeningbackontheArgoII.ShewastemptedtosendanIris-message,butHerculeshadwarnedthemnottocontacttheirfriends.ShehopedAnnabethcouldguesswhatwasgoingonanddidn’ttrytosendanotherpartyashore.Piperwasn’tsurewhatHercules would do if he were bothered further. She imagined Coach Hedgegetting impatient and aiming a ballista at the man in purple, or eidolonspossessingthecrewandforcingthemtocommitsuicide-by-Hercules.

Pipershuddered.Shedidn’tknowwhattimeitwas,butthesunwasalreadystartingtosink.Howhadthedaypassedsoquickly?Shewouldhavewelcomedsundown for thecooler temperatures, except itwasalso theirdeadline.Acoolnight breeze wouldn’t meanmuch if they were dead. Besides, tomorrowwasJuly1,theKalendsofJuly.Iftheirinformationwascorrect,itwouldbeNicodiAngelo’slastdayoflife,andthedayRomewasdestroyed.

“Stop,”Jasonsaid.Piperwasn’tsurewhatwaswrong.Thensherealizedshecouldhearrunning

waterupahead.Theycreptthroughthetreesandfoundthemselvesonthebankofariver.Itwasmaybefortyfeetwidebutonlyafewinchesdeep,asilversheetofwaterracingoverasmoothbedofstones.Afewyardsdownstream,therapidsplungedintoadarkblueswimminghole.

Something about the river bothered her. The cicadas in the trees had gonequiet.No birdswere chirping. Itwas as if thewaterwas giving a lecture andwouldonlyallowitsownvoice.

ButthemorePiperlistened,themoreinvitingtheriverseemed.Shewanted

totakeadrink.Maybesheshouldtakeoffhershoes.Herfeetcouldreallyuseasoak.Andthatswimminghole…itwouldbesonicetojumpinwithJasonandrelaxintheshadeofthetrees,floatinginthenicecoolwater.Soromantic.

Piper shookherself.These thoughtsweren’thers.Somethingwaswrong. Italmostfeltliketheriverwascharmspeaking.

Jason sat on a rock and started taking off his shoes. He grinned at theswimmingholelikehecouldn’twaittogetin.

“Cutitout!”Piperyelledattheriver.Jasonlookedstartled.“Cutwhatout?”“Notyou,”Pipersaid.“Him.”Shefeltsillypointingatthewater,butshewascertainitwasworkingsome

sortofmagic,swayingtheirfeelings.Justwhenshe thought shehad lost it andJasonwould tellher so, the river

spoke:Forgiveme.SingingisoneofthefewpleasuresIhaveleft.Afigureemergedfromtheswimmingholeasifrisingonanelevator.Piper’sshoulderstensed.Itwasthecreatureshe’dseeninherknifeblade,the

bullwiththehumanface.Hisskinwasasblueasthewater.Hishooveslevitatedontheriver’ssurface.Atthetopofhisbovineneckwastheheadofamanwithshort curly black hair, a beard done in ringlets Ancient Greek style, deep,mournful eyes behind bifocal glasses, and a mouth that seemed set in apermanentpout.Sproutingfromtheleftsideofhisheadwasasinglebull’shorn—acurvedblack-and-whiteonelikewarriorsmightturnintodrinkingcups.Theimbalancemadehisheadtilttotheleft,sothathelookedlikehewastryingtogetwateroutofhisear.

“Hello,”hesaidsadly.“Cometokillme,Isuppose.”Jasonputhisshoesbackonandstoodslowly.“Um,well—”“No!”Piperintervened.“I’msorry.Thisisembarrassing.Wedidn’twantto

botheryou,butHerculessentus.”“Hercules!”Thebull-mansighed.Hishoovespawedthewaterasifreadyto

charge.“Tome,he’llalwaysbeHeracles.That’shisGreekname,youknow:thegloryofHera.”

“Funnyname,”Jasonsaid.“Sincehehatesher.”

“Indeed,”thebull-mansaid.“Perhapsthat’swhyhedidn’tprotestwhentheRomans renamedhimHercules.Of course, that’s thenamemostpeopleknowhimby…hisbrand,ifyouwill.Herculesisnothingifnotimage-conscious.”

Thebull-manspokewithbitternessbutfamiliarity,asifHerculeswasanoldfriendwhohadlosthisway.

“You’reAchelous?”Piperasked.Thebull-manbenthisfrontlegsandloweredhisheadinabow,whichPiper

found both sweet and a little sad. “At your service. River god extraordinaire.OncethespiritofthemightiestriverinGreece.Nowsentencedtodwellhere,ontheoppositesideoftheislandfrommyoldenemy.Oh,thegodsarecruel!Butwhether they put us so close together to punishme orHercules, I have neverbeensure.”

Piperwasn’tsurewhathemeant,but thebackgroundnoiseof theriverwasinvading her mind again—reminding her how hot and thirsty she felt, howpleasantaniceswimwouldbe.Shetriedtofocus.

“I’mPiper,” she said. “This is Jason.We don’twant to fight. It’s just thatHeracles—Hercules—whoeverheis,gotmadatusandsentushere.”

Sheexplainedabout theirquest to theancient lands to stop thegiants fromwakingGaea.Shedescribedhow their teamofGreeks andRomanshadcometogether, and howHercules had thrown a temper tantrumwhen he found outHerawasbehindit.

Achelous kept tipping his head to the left, so Piper wasn’t sure if he wasdozingoffordealingwithone-hornfatigue.

When she was done, Achelous regarded her as if she were developing aregrettableskinrash.“Ah,mydear…thelegendsaretrue,youknow.Thespirits,thewatercannibals.”

Piperhadtofightbackawhimper.Shehadn’ttoldAchelousanythingaboutthat.“H-how—?”

“River gods know many things,” he said. “Alas, you are focusing on thewrong story. If you hadmade it to Rome, the story of the floodwould haveservedyoubetter.”

“Piper?”Jasonasked.“What’shetalkingabout?”

Her thoughtswere suddenly as jumbledaskaleidoscopeglass.The storyoftheflood…IfyouhadmadeittoRome.

“I—I’mnotsure,”shesaid,thoughthementionofafloodstoryrangadistantbell.“Achelous,Idon’tunderstand—”

“No,youdon’t,”therivergodsympathized.“Poorthing.AnothergirlstuckwithasonofZeus.”

“Waitaminute,”Jasonsaid.“It’sJupiter,actually.Andhowdoesthatmakeherapoorthing?”

Achelous ignored him. “My girl, do you know the cause ofmy fightwithHercules?”

“Itwasoverawoman,”Piperrecalled.“Deianira?”“Yes.”Achelousheavedasigh.“Anddoyouknowwhathappenedtoher?”“Uh…”PiperglancedatJason.He took out his guidebook and began flipping through pages. “It doesn’t

really—”Acheloussnortedindignantly.“Whatisthat?”Jasonblinked.“Just…TheHerculesGuidetoMareNostrum.Hegaveusthe

guidebookso—”“Thatisnotabook,”Achelousinsisted.“Hegaveyouthatjusttogetunder

myskin,didn’the?HeknowsIhatethosethings.”“Youhate…books?”Piperasked.“Bah!” Achelous’s face flushed, turning his blue skin eggplant purple.

“That’snotabook.”Hepawedthewater.Ascrollshotfromtheriverlikeaminiaturerocketand

landed in front of him. He nudged it open with his hooves. The weatheredyellowparchmentunfurled,coveredwithfadedLatinscriptandelaboratehand-drawnpictures.

“This is a book!”Achelous said. “Oh, the smell of sheepskin! The elegantfeelofthescrollunrollingbeneathmyhooves.Yousimplycan’tduplicateitinsomethinglikethat.”

Henodded indignantlyat theguidebook inJason’shand.“Youyoungfolkstodayandyournewfangledgadgets.Boundpages.Littlecompactsquaresoftext

thatarenothoof-friendly.That’saboundbook,ab-book,ifyoumust.Butit’snotatraditionalbook.It’llneverreplacethegoodold-fashionedscroll!”

“Um, I’ll justput this awaynow.” Jason slipped theguidebook inhisbackpocketthewayhemightholsteradangerousweapon.

Achelous seemed to calm down a little, which was a relief to Piper. Shedidn’tneedtogetrunoverbyaone-hornedbullwithascrollobsession.

“Now,”Acheloussaid,tappingapictureonhisscroll.“ThisisDeianira.”Piperkneltdowntolook.Thehand-paintedportraitwassmall,butshecould

tell thewomanhad been very beautiful,with long dark hair, dark eyes, and aplayfulsmilethatprobablydroveguyscrazy.

“PrincessofCalydon,”therivergodsaidmournfully.“Shewaspromisedtome,untilHerculesbuttedin.Heinsistedoncombat.”

“Andhebrokeoffyourhorn?”Jasonguessed.“Yes,” Achelous said. “I could never forgive him for that. Horribly

uncomfortable, having only one horn. But the situation was worse for poorDeianira.Shecouldhavehadalong,happylifemarriedtome.”

“Aman-headedbull,”Pipersaid,“wholivesinariver.”“Exactly,” Achelous agreed. “It seems impossible she would refuse, eh?

Instead,shewentoffwithHercules.Shepickedthehandsome,flashyherooverthe good, faithful husband who would have treated her well.What happenednext?Well,sheshouldhaveknown.Herculeswasmuchtoowrappedupinhisownproblems to be a good husband.He had alreadymurdered onewife, youknow. Hera cursed him, so he flew into a rage and killed his entire family.Horriblebusiness.That’swhyhehadtodothosetwelvelaborsaspenance.”

Piperfeltappalled.“Wait…Heramadehimcrazy,andHerculeshadtodothepenance?”

Achelousshrugged.“TheOlympiansneverseemtopayfortheircrimes.AndHerahasalwayshatedthesonsofZeus…orJupiter.”HeglanceddistrustfullyatJason.“Atanyrate,mypoorDeianirahada tragicend.ShebecamejealousofHercules’smanyaffairs.Hegallivantedallovertheworld,yousee,justlikehisfatherZeus,flirtingwitheverywomanhemet.FinallyDeianiragotsodesperateshe listened tobad advice.Acrafty centaurnamedNessus toldher that if she

wantedHerculestobefaithfulforever,sheshouldspreadsomecentaurbloodontheinsideofHercules’sfavoriteshirt.UnfortunatelyNessuswas lyingbecausehewantedrevengeonHercules.Deianira followedhis instructions,but insteadofmakingHerculesafaithfulhusband—”

“Centaurbloodislikeacid,”Jasonsaid.“Yes,”Acheloussaid.“Herculesdiedapainfuldeath.WhenDeianirarealized

whatshe’ddone,she…”Therivergoddrewalineacrosshisneck.“That’sawful,”Pipersaid.“Andthemoral,mydear?”Acheloussaid.“BewarethesonsofZeus.”Piper couldn’t look at her boyfriend. She wasn’t sure she could mask the

uneasinessinhereyes.JasonwouldneverbelikeHercules.Butthestoryplayedinto all her fears. Hera had manipulated their relationship, just as she hadmanipulatedHercules.PiperwantedtobelievethatJasoncouldnevergointoamurderousfrenzylikeHerculeshad.Thenagain,onlyfourdaysagohehadbeencontrolledbyaneidolonandalmostkilledPercyJackson.

“Hercules is a god now,” Achelous said. “He married Hebe, the youthgoddess,but stillhe is rarelyathome.Hedwellshereon this island,guardingthosesillypillars.HesaysZeusmakeshimdothis,butIthinkheprefersbeingheretoMountOlympus,nursinghisbitternessandmourninghismortallife.Mypresenceremindshimofhisfailures—especially thewomanwhofinallykilledhim.AndhispresenceremindsmeofpoorDeianira,whocouldhavebeenmywife.”

Thebull-mantappedthescroll,whichrolleditselfupandsankintothewater.“Hercules wants my other horn in order to humiliate me,” Achelous said.

“Perhaps it would make him feel better about himself, knowing that I’mmiserable too. Besides, the hornwould become a cornucopia. Good food anddrinkwouldflowfromit, justasmypowercauses theriver toflow.NodoubtHerculeswould keep the cornucopia for himself. Itwould be a tragedy and awaste.”

Piper suspected the noise of the river and the drowsy sound ofAchelous’svoicewerestillaffectingher thoughts,but shecouldn’thelpagreeingwith therivergod.ShewasstartingtohateHercules.Thispoorbull-manseemedsosad

andlonely.Jasonstirred.“I’msorry,Achelous.Honestly,you’vegottenabumdeal.But

maybe…well,withouttheotherhorn,youmightnotbesolopsided.Itmightfeelbetter.”

“Jason!”Piperprotested.Jasonhelduphishands. “Just a thought.Besides, I don’t see thatwehave

manychoices.IfHerculesdoesn’tgetthathorn,he’llkillusandourfriends.”“He’s right,” Achelous said. “You have no choice. Which is why I hope

you’llforgiveme.”Piperfrowned.Therivergodsoundedsoheartbroken,shewantedtopathis

head.“Forgiveyouforwhat?”“Ihavenochoiceeither,”Acheloussaid.“Ihavetostopyou.”Theriverexploded,andawallofwatercrashedoverPiper.

THECURRENTGRABBEDHERLIKEAFISTandpulledherintothedeep.Strugglingwasuseless.Sheclampedhermouthshut,forcingherselfnottoinhale,butshecould barely keep from panicking. She couldn’t see anything but a torrent ofbubbles.Shecouldonlyhearherownthrashingandthedullroaroftherapids.

She’d just about decided this was how she would die: drowning in aswimmingholeonan island thatdidn’texist.Then,assuddenlyasshe’dbeenpulledunder,shewasthrusttothesurface.Shefoundherselfatthecenterofawhirlpool,abletobreathebutunabletobreakfree.

A few yards away, Jason broke the surface and gasped, his sword in onehand.Heswungwildly,buttherewasnothingtoattack.

TwentyfeettoPiper’sright,Achelousrosefromthewater.“I’mreallysorryaboutthis,”hesaid.

Jasonlungedtowardhim,summoningthewindstolifthimoutof theriver,but Achelous was quicker andmore powerful. A curl of water slammed intoJasonandsenthimunderoncemore.

“Stopit!”Piperscreamed.Usingcharmspeakwasn’teasywhenshewasflounderinginawhirlpool,but

shegotAchelous’sattention.

“I’m afraid I can’t stop,” said the river god. “I can’t letHercules havemyotherhorn.Itwouldbemortifying.”

“There’sanotherway!”Pipersaid.“Youdon’thavetokillus!”Jasonclawedhiswayto thesurfaceagain.Aminiaturestormcloudformed

overhishead.Thunderboomed.“Noneofthat,sonofJupiter,”Achelouschided.“Ifyoucalllightning,you’ll

justelectrocuteyourgirlfriend.”ThewaterpulledJasonunderagain.“Lethimgo!”Piperchargedhervoicewithallthepersuasivenessshecould

muster.“IpromiseIwon’tletHerculesgetthehorn!”Achelous hesitated. He cantered over to her, his head tilting to the left. “I

believeyoumeanthat.”“I do!” Piper promised. “Hercules is despicable. But, please, first let my

friendgo.”The water churned where Jason had gone under. Piper wanted to scream.

Howmuchlongercouldheholdhisbreath?Achelouslookeddownatherthroughhisbifocals.Hisexpressionsoftened.“I

see.YouwouldbemyDeianira.Youwouldbemybridetocompensateformyloss.”

“What?” Piper wasn’t sure if she’d heard him right. The whirlpool wasliterallymakingherheadspin.“Uh,actuallyIwasthinking—”

“Oh,Iunderstand,”Acheloussaid.“Youweretoomodesttosuggestthisinfrontofyourboyfriend.Youareright,ofcourse.IwouldtreatyoumuchbetterthanasonofZeuswould. Icouldmake things rightafterall thesecenturies. IcouldnotsaveDeianira,butIcouldsaveyou.”

Had it been thirty seconds now?Aminute? Jason couldn’t hold outmuchlonger.

“You would have to let your friends die,” Achelous continued. “Herculeswould be angry, but I can protect you from him. We could be quite happytogether.Let’sstartbylettingthatJasonfellowdrown,eh?”

Pipercouldbarelyhold it together,but shehad toconcentrate.Shemaskedherfearandheranger.ShewasachildofAphrodite.Shehadtousethetoolsshe

wasgiven.Shesmiledassweetlyasshecouldandraisedherarms.“Liftmeup,please.”Achelous’sfacebrightened.HegrabbedPiper’shandsandpulledheroutof

thewhirlpool.She’dneverriddenabullbefore,butshe’dpracticedbarebackpegasusriding

atCampHalf-Blood,andsherememberedwhattodo.Sheusedhermomentum,swingingonelegoverAchelous’sback.Thenshelockedheranklesaroundhisneck,wrappedonearmaroundhisthroat,anddrewherknifewiththeother.Shepressedthebladeundertherivergod’schin.

“Let—Jason—go.”Sheputallherforceintothecommand.“Now!”Piperrealizedthereweremanyflawsinherplan.Therivergodmightsimply

dissolve intowater.Orhecouldpullherunderandwait forher todrown.Butapparentlyhercharmspeakworked.OrmaybeAchelouswasjusttoosurprisedtothink straight. He probably wasn’t used to pretty girls threatening to cut histhroat.

Jason shotoutof thewater likeahumancannonball.Hebroke through thebranches of an olive tree and tumbled onto the grass. That couldn’t have feltgood,buthe struggled tohis feet,gaspingandcoughing.He raisedhis sword,andthedarkcloudsthickenedovertheriver.

Pipershothimawarninglook:Notyet.Shestillhadtogetoutofthisriverwithoutdrowningorgettingelectrocuted.

Achelousarchedhisbackasifcontemplatingatrick.Piperpressedtheknifeharderagainsthisthroat.

“Beagoodbull,”shewarned.“You promised,” Achelous said through gritted teeth. “You promised

Herculeswouldn’tgetmyhorn.”“Andhewon’t,”Pipersaid.“ButIwill.”Sheraisedherknifeandslashedoffthegod’shorn.TheCelestialbronzecut

through the base like it was wet clay. Achelous bellowed in rage. Before hecould recover,Piper stooduponhisback.With thehorn inonehandandherdaggerintheother,sheleapedfortheshore.

“Jason!”sheyelled.

Thank the gods, he understood.A gust ofwind caught her and carried hersafelyoverthebank.Piperhitthegroundrollingasthehairsonherneckstoodup. Ametallic smell filled the air. She turned toward the river in time to beblinded.BOOM!Lightning stirred the water into a boiling cauldron, steaming and

hissingwithelectricity.PiperblinkedtheyellowspotsoutofhereyesasthegodAchelous wailed and dissolved beneath the surface. His horrified expressionseemedtobeasking:Howcouldyou?

“Jason,run!”Shewasstilldizzyandsickwithfear,butsheandJasoncrashedthroughthewoods.

Assheclimbedthehill,claspingthebull’shorn toherchest,Piperrealizedshewassobbing—thoughshewasn’tsureifitwasfromfear,orrelief,orshameforwhatshe’ddonetotheoldrivergod.

Theydidn’tslowdownuntiltheyreachedthecrestofthehill.

Piperfeltsilly,butshekeptbreakingdownandcryingasshetoldJasonwhathadhappenedwhilehewasstrugglingunderwater.

“Piper,youhadnochoice.”Heputhishandonhershoulder.“Yousavedmylife.”

She wiped her eyes and tried to control herself. The sun was nearing thehorizon.TheyhadtogetbacktoHerculesquickly,ortheirfriendswoulddie.

“Achelous forced your hand,” Jason continued. “Besides, I doubt thatlightningboltkilledhim.He’sanancientgod.You’dhavetodestroyhisrivertodestroyhim.Andhecanlivewithoutahorn.IfyouhadtolieaboutnotgivingittoHercules,well—”

“Iwasn’tlying.”Jasonstaredather.“Pipes…wedon’thaveachoice.Herculeswillkill—”“Hercules doesn’t deserve this.” Piper wasn’t sure where this rage was

comingfrom,butshehadneverfeltmorecertainofanythinginherlife.Herculeswasabitter,selfishjerk.He’dhurttoomanypeople,andhewanted

tokeeponhurtingthem.Maybehe’dhadsomebadbreaks.Maybethegodshadkickedhimaround.Butthatdidn’texcuseit.Aherocouldn’tcontrolthegods,

butheshouldbeabletocontrolhimself.Jasonwouldneverbelikethat.Hewouldneverblameothersforhisproblems

ormakeagrudgemoreimportantthandoingtherightthing.PiperwasnotgoingtorepeatDeianira’sstory.Shewasn’tgoingtogoalong

withwhatHerculeswantedjustbecausehewashandsomeandstrongandscary.Hecouldn’tgethiswaythistime—notafterthreateningtheirlivesandsendingthemtomakeAchelousmiserableforthesakeofspitingHera.Herculesdidn’tdeserveahornofplenty.Piperwasgoingtoputhiminhisplace.

“Ihaveaplan,”shesaid.ShetoldJasonwhattodo.Shedidn’tevenrealizeshewasusingcharmspeak

untilhiseyesglazedover.“Whatever you say,” he promised. Then he blinked a few times. “We’re

goingtodie,butI’min.”

Herculeswaswaitingrightwherethey’dlefthim.HewasstaringattheArgoII,dockedbetween thepillarsas the sun setbehind it.The ship lookedokay,butPiper’splanhadstartedtofeelinsanetoher.

Toolatetoreconsider.She’dalreadysentanIris-messagetoLeo.Jasonwasprepared. And, seeing Hercules again, she felt more certain than ever shecouldn’tgivehimwhathewanted.

Herculesdidn’texactlybrightenwhenhesawPipercarryingthebull’shorn,buthisscowllineslessened.

“Good,”hesaid.“Yougotit.Inthatcase,youarefreetogo.”PiperglancedatJason.“Youheardhim.Hegaveuspermission.”Sheturned

back to the god. “That means our ship will be able to pass into theMediterranean?”

“Yes,yes.”Herculessnappedhisfingers.“Now,thehorn.”“No,”Pipersaid.Thegodfrowned.“Excuseme?”Sheraisedthecornucopia.Sinceshe’dcutitfromAchelous’shead,thehorn

had hollowed out, becoming smooth and dark on the inside. It didn’t appearmagical,butPiperwascountingonitspower.

“Achelouswas right,” she said. “You’rehis curse asmuch as he is yours.You’reasorryexcuseforahero.”

Hercules stared at her as if shewere speaking in Japanese. “You realize Icouldkillyouwithaflickofmyfinger,”hesaid.“Icouldthrowmyclubatyourshipandcutstraightthroughitshull.Icould—”

“You could shut up,” Jason said. He drew his sword. “Maybe Zeus isdifferentfromJupiter.BecauseIwouldn’tputupwithanybrotherwhoactslikeyou.”

TheveinsonHercules’sneckturnedaspurpleashisrobes.“YouwouldnotbethefirstdemigodI’vekilled.”

“Jasonisbetterthanyou,”Pipersaid.“Butdon’tworry.We’renotgoingtofightyou.We’regoingtoleavethisislandwiththehorn.Youdon’tdeserveitasaprize.I’mgoingtokeepit,toremindmeofwhatnottobelikeasademigod,andtoremindmeofpoorAchelousandDeianira.”

The god’s nostrils flared. “Do notmention that name!You can’t seriouslythinkI’mworriedaboutyourpunyboyfriend.Nooneisstrongerthanme.”

“Ididn’tsaystronger,”Pipercorrected.“Isaidhe’sbetter.”PiperpointedthemouthofthehornatHercules.Sheletgooftheresentment

anddoubtandangershe’dbeenharboringsinceCampJupiter.Sheconcentratedon all the good things she’d shared with Jason Grace: soaring upward in theGrandCanyon,walkingonthebeachatCampHalf-Blood,holdinghandsatthesing-along andwatching the stars, sitting by the strawberry fields together onlazyafternoonsandlisteningtothesatyrsplaytheirpipes.

She thought about a future when the giants had been defeated, Gaea wasasleep, and theywould livehappily together—no jealousy,nomonsters left tobattle.Shefilledherheartwiththosethoughts,andshefeltthecornucopiagrowwarm.

The horn blasted forth a flood of food as powerful asAchelous’s river. Atorrent of fresh fruit, baked goods, and smoked hams completely buriedHercules. Piper didn’t understand how all that stuff could fit through theentranceofthehorn,butshethoughtthehamswereespeciallyappropriate.

Whenithadspewedoutenoughgoodies tofillahouse, thehornshut itself

off. Piper heard Hercules shrieking and struggling somewhere underneath.Apparentlyeventhestrongestgodintheworldcouldbecaughtoffguardwhenburiedunderfreshproduce.

“Go!”shetoldJason,who’dforgottenhispartoftheplanandwasstaringinamazementatthefruitpile.“Go!”

HegrabbedPiper’swaistandsummonedthewind.Theyshotawayfromtheislandsoquickly,Piperalmostgotwhiplash;butitwasn’tasecondtoosoon.

Astheislandretreatedfromview,Hercules’sheadbrokeabovethemoundofgoodies.Halfacoconutwasstuckonhisnoggin likeawarhelmet.“Kill!”hebellowed,likehe’dhadalotofpracticesayingit.

JasontoucheddownonthedeckoftheArgoII.Thankfully,Leohaddonehispart. The ship’s oars were already in aerial mode. The anchor was up. Jasonsummonedagalesostrong,itpushedthemintothesky,whilePercysentaten-foot-tallwave against the shore, knockingHercules down a second time, in acascadeofseawaterandpineapples.

By the time thegod regainedhis feet and started lobbing coconuts at themfrom far below, theArgo II was already sailing through the clouds above theMediterranean.

PERCYWASNOTFEELINGTHELOVE.Badenoughhe’dbeenrunoutofAtlantabyevilseagods.Thenhehadfailed

tostopagiantshrimpattackontheArgoII.Thentheichthyocentaurs,Chiron’sbrothers,hadn’tevenwantedtomeethim.

After all that, they had arrived at thePillars ofHercules, andPercy had tostayaboardshipwhileJasontheBigShotvisitedhishalfbrother.Hercules,themostfamousdemigodofalltime,andPercydidn’tgettomeethimeither.

Okay,sure,fromwhatPipersaidafterward,Herculeswasa jerk,butstill…Percywasgettingkindoftiredofstayingaboardshipandpacingthedeck.

Theopenseawassupposedtobehisterritory.Percywassupposedtostepup,takecharge,andkeepeverybodysafe. Instead,all thewayacross theAtlantic,he’ddoneprettymuchnothingexceptmakesmalltalkwithsharksandlistentoCoachHedgesingTVthemesongs.

Tomakemattersworse,Annabethhadbeendistanteversince theyhad leftCharleston.She spentmost of her time in her cabin, studying the bronzemapshe’d retrieved from Fort Sumter, or looking up information on Daedalus’slaptop.

Whenever Percy stopped by to see her, shewas so lost in thought that the

conversationwentsomethinglikethis:Percy:“Hey,how’sitgoing?”Annabeth:“Uh,nothanks.”Percy:“Okay…haveyoueatenanythingtoday?”Annabeth:“IthinkLeoisonduty.Askhim.”Percy:“So,myhairisonfire.”Annabeth:“Okay.Inawhile.”Shegotlikethissometimes.ItwasoneofthechallengesofdatinganAthena

girl.Still,Percywonderedwhathehadtodotogetherattention.HewasworriedaboutherafterherencounterwiththespidersatFortSumter,andhedidn’tknowhowtohelpher,especiallyifsheshuthimout.

After leaving thePillars ofHercules—unscathed except for a few coconutslodgedin thehull’sbronzeplating—theship traveledbyairforafewhundredmiles.

Percyhopedtheancientlandswouldn’tbeasbadasthey’dheard.Butitwasalmostlikeacommercial:You’llnoticethedifferenceimmediately!

Several times anhour, something attacked the ship.A flockof flesh-eatingStymphalianbirdsswoopedoutofthenightsky,andFestustorchedthem.Stormspirits swirled around themast, and Jason blasted themwith lightning.WhileCoachHedgewashavingdinnerontheforedeck,awildpegasusappearedfromnowhere, stampeded over the coach’s enchiladas, and flew off again, leavingcheesyhoofprintsallacrossthedeck.

“Whatwasthatfor?”thecoachdemanded.The sight of the pegasusmadePercywishBlackjackwere here.He hadn’t

seen his friend in days. Tempest and Arion also hadn’t shown themselves.Maybetheydidn’twanttoventureintotheMediterranean.Ifso,Percycouldn’tblamethem.

Finallyaroundmidnight,aftertheninthortenthaerialattack,Jasonturnedtohim.“Howaboutyougetsomesleep?I’llkeepblastingstuffoutof theskyaslongasIcan.Thenwecangobyseaforawhile,andyoucantakepoint.”

Percywasn’tsurethathe’dbeabletosleepwiththeboatrockingthroughthecloudsasitwasshakenbyangrywindspirits,butJason’sideamadesense.He

wentbelowdecksandcrashedonhisbunk.Hisnightmares,ofcourse,wereanythingbutrestful.

Hedreamedhewas inadarkcavern.Hecouldonlyseea fewfeet in frontofhim,butthespacemusthavebeenvast.Waterdrippedfromsomewherenearby,and the sound echoed off distant walls. The way the air moved made Percysuspectthecave’sceilingwasfar,farabove.

Heheardheavyfootsteps,andthetwingiantsEphialtesandOtisshuffledoutofthegloom.Percycoulddistinguishthemonlybytheirhair—Ephialteshadthegreen locks braided with silver and gold coins; Otis had the purple ponytailbraidedwith…werethosefirecrackers?

Otherwisetheyweredressedidentically,andtheiroutfitsdefinitelybelongedinanightmare.TheyworematchingwhiteslacksandgoldbuccaneershirtswithV-necksthatshowedwaytoomuchchesthair.Adozensheatheddaggerslinedtheir rhinestone belts. Their shoeswere open-toed sandals, proving that—yes,indeed—they had snakes for feet. The straps wrapped around the serpents’necks.Theirheadscurledupwherethetoesshouldbe.Thesnakesflickedtheirtonguesexcitedlyandturnedtheirgoldeyesineverydirection,likedogslookingoutthewindowofacar.Maybeithadbeenalongtimesincethey’dhadshoeswithaview.

Thegiants stood in front ofPercy, but theypaid himno attention. Instead,theygazedupintothedarkness.

“We’re here,” Ephialtes announced. Despite his booming voice, his wordsdissipatedinthecavern,echoinguntiltheysoundedsmallandinsignificant.

Farabove,somethinganswered,“Yes.Icanseethat.Thoseoutfitsarehardtomiss.”

ThevoicemadePercy’sstomachdropaboutsix inches. It soundedvaguelyfemale,butnotatallhuman.Eachwordwasagarbledhissinmultipletones,asifaswarmofAfricankillerbeeshadlearnedtospeakEnglishinunison.

Itwasn’tGaea.Percywassureof that.Butwhateveritwas, thetwingiantsbecame nervous. They shifted on their snakes and bobbed their headsrespectfully.

“Ofcourse,YourLadyship,”Ephialtessaid.“Webringnewsof—”“Whyareyoudressedlikethat?”askedthethinginthedark.Shedidn’tseem

tobecominganycloser,whichwasfinewithPercy.Ephialtes shot his brother an irritated look. “My brother was supposed to

wearsomethingdifferent.Unfortunately—”“YousaidIwastheknifethrowertoday,”Otisprotested.“IsaidIwastheknifethrower!Youweresupposedtobethemagician!Ah,

forgiveme,YourLadyship.Youdon’twanttohearusarguing.Wecameasyourequested,tobringyounews.Theshipisapproaching.”

HerLadyship,whatever shewas,made a seriesofviolent hisses like a tirebeingslashedrepeatedly.Withashudder,Percyrealizedshewaslaughing.

“Howlong?”sheasked.“They should land inRomeshortlyafterdaybreak, I think,”Ephialtes said.

“Ofcourse,they’llhavetogetpastthegoldenboy.”Hesneered,asifthegoldenboywasnothisfavoriteperson.“I hope they arrive safely,” Her Ladyship said. “It would spoil our fun to

havethemcapturedtoosoon.Areyourpreparationsmade?”“Yes, Your Ladyship.” Otis stepped forward, and the cavern trembled. A

crackappearedunderOtis’sleftsnake.“Careful, you dolt!” Her Ladyship snarled. “Do you want to return to

Tartarusthehardway?”Otisscrambledback,hisfaceslackwithterror.Percyrealizedthatthefloor,

which looked like solid stone, was more like the glacier he’d walked on inAlaska—in some places solid, in other places…not somuch.Hewas glad heweighednothinginhisdreams.

“There is little left holding this place together,” Her Ladyship cautioned.“Except, of course, my own skill. Centuries of Athena’s rage can only becontained so well, and the great Earth Mother churns below us in her sleep.Betweenthosetwoforces,well…mynesthasquiteeroded.WemusthopethischildofAthenaprovestobeaworthyvictim.Shemaybemylastplaything.”

Ephialtesgulped.Hekepthiseyesonthecrackinthefloor.“Soonitwillnotmatter,YourLadyship.Gaeawillrise,andweallwillberewarded.Youwillno

longerhavetoguardthisplace,orkeepyourworkshidden.”“Perhaps,”said thevoice in thedark.“But Iwillmiss thesweetnessofmy

revenge.Wehaveworkedwelltogetheroverthecenturies,havewenot?”Thetwinsbowed.ThecoinsglitteredinEphialtes’shair,andPercyrealized

withnauseatingcertaintythatsomeofthemweresilverdrachma,exactlyliketheoneAnnabethhadgottenfromhermom.

Annabethhadtoldhimthatineachgeneration,afewchildrenofAthenaweresent on the quest to recover the missing Parthenon statue. None had eversucceeded.Wehaveworkedwelltogetheroverthecenturies.…ThegiantEphialteshadcenturies’worthofcoinsinhisbraids—hundredsof

trophies.PercypicturedAnnabethstandinginthisdarkplacealone.Heimaginedthe giant taking that coin she carried and adding it to his collection. Percywantedtodrawhisswordandgivethegiantahaircutstartingattheneck,buthewaspowerlesstoact.Hecouldonlywatch.

“Uh, Your Ladyship,” Ephialtes said nervously. “I would remind you thatGaeawishes thegirl tobe takenalive.Youcan tormenther.Driveher insane.Whatever you wish, of course. But her blood must be spilt on the ancientstones.”

HerLadyshiphissed.“Otherscouldbeusedforthatpurpose.”“Y-yes,”Ephialtessaid.“Butthisgirlispreferred.Andtheboy—thesonof

Poseidon.Youcanseewhythosetwowouldbemostsuitedforthetask.”Percywasn’tsurewhatthatmeant,buthewantedtocrackthefloorandsend

thesestupidgold-shirted twinsdown tooblivion.He’dnever letGaeaspillhisbloodforanytask—andtherewasnowayhe’dletanyonehurtAnnabeth.

“Wewillsee,”HerLadyshipgrumbled.“Leavemenow.Tendtoyourownpreparations.Youwillhaveyourspectacle.AndI…Iwillworkindarkness.”

Thedreamdissolved,andPercywokewithastart.Jasonwasknockingathisopendoorway.“We’ve set down in the water,” he said, looking utterly exhausted. “Your

turn.”

Percy didn’t want to, but he woke Annabeth. He figured even Coach Hedgewouldn’tmindtheirtalkingaftercurfewifitmeantgivingherinformationthatmightsaveherlife.

Theystoodondeck,aloneexceptforLeo,whowasstillmanningthehelm.Theguymusthavebeenshattered,butherefusedtogotosleep.

“Idon’twantanymoreShrimpzillasurprises,”heinsisted.They’d all tried to convince Leo that the skolopendra attack hadn’t been

entirelyhisfault,buthewouldn’tlisten.Percyknewhowhefelt.NotforgivinghimselfformistakeswasoneofPercy’sbiggesttalents.

Itwasaboutfourinthemorning.Theweatherwasmiserable.Thefogwassothick,Percycouldn’tseeFestusattheendoftheprow,andwarmdrizzlehungintheairlikeabeadcurtain.Astheysailedintotwenty-footswells,theseaheavingunderneaththem,PercycouldhearpoorHazeldowninhercabin…alsoheaving.

Despiteallthat,Percywasgratefultobebackonthewater.Hepreferredittoflying through storm clouds and being attacked by man-eating birds andenchilada-tramplingpegasi.

HestoodwithAnnabethattheforwardrailwhilehetoldherabouthisdream.Percy wasn’t sure how she’d take the news. Her reaction was even more

troublingthanheanticipated:shedidn’tseemsurprised.Shepeered into the fog. “Percy,youhave topromiseme something.Don’t

telltheothersaboutthisdream.”“Don’twhat?Annabeth—”“WhatyousawwasabouttheMarkofAthena,”shesaid.“Itwon’thelpthe

otherstoknow.It’llonlymakethemworry,andit’llmakeitharderformetogooffonmyown.”

“Annabeth,youcan’tbeserious.Thatthinginthedark,thebigchamberwiththecrumblingfloor—”

“I know.”Her face looked unnaturally pale, and Percy suspected itwasn’tjustthefog.“ButIhavetodothisalone.”

Percyswallowedbackhisanger.Hewasn’tsureifhewasmadatAnnabeth,or his dream, or the entire Greek/Roman world that had endured and shapedhuman history for five thousand years with one goal inmind: tomake Percy

Jackson’slifesuckasmuchaspossible.“You know what’s in that cavern,” he guessed. “Does it have to do with

spiders?”“Yes,”shesaidinasmallvoice.“Thenhowcanyoueven…?”Hemadehimselfstop.OnceAnnabeth hadmade up hermind, arguingwith her wouldn’t do any

good.Heremembered thenight threeandahalfyearsago,when they’dsavedNicoandBiancadiAngeloinMaine.AnnabethhadbeencapturedbytheTitanAtlas. For awhile, Percywasn’t sure if shewas alive or dead.He’d traveledacrossthecountrytosaveherfromtheTitan.Ithadbeenthehardestfewdaysofhislife—notjustthemonstersandthefighting,buttheworry.

How could he intentionally let her go now, knowing shewas heading intosomethingevenmoredangerous?

Thenitdawnedonhim: thewayhehadfeltbackthen,forafewdays,wasprobablyhowAnnabeth had felt for the sixmonths he hadbeenmissingwithamnesia.

Thatmadehimfeelguilty,andalittlebitselfish,tobestandingherearguingwithher.Shehadtogoonthisquest.Thefateoftheworldmightdependonit.Butpartofhimwantedtosay:Forgettheworld.Hedidn’twanttobewithouther.

Percystaredintothefog.Hecouldn’tseeanythingaroundthem,buthehadperfectbearingsatsea.Heknewtheirexactlatitudeandlongitude.Heknewthedepthoftheoceanandwhichwaythecurrentswereflowing.Heknewtheship’sspeed,andcouldsensenorocks,sandbars,orothernaturaldangersintheirpath.Still,beingblindwasunsettling.

They hadn’t been attacked since they had touched the water, but the seaseemeddifferent.Percyhadbeen in theAtlantic, thePacific, even theGulfofAlaska,butthisseafeltmoreancientandpowerful.Percycouldsenseitslayersswirlingbelowhim.EveryGreekorRomanherohadsailedthesewaters—fromHerculestoAeneas.Monstersstilldweltinthedepths,sodeeplywrappedintheMist that they slept most of the time; but Percy could feel them stirring,responding to theCelestialbronzehullofaGreek triremeand thepresenceof

demigodblood.Theyareback,themonstersseemedtosay.Finally,freshblood.“We’renotfarfromtheItaliancoast,”Percysaid,mostlytobreakthesilence.

“MaybeahundrednauticalmilestothemouthoftheTiber.”“Good,”Annabethsaid.“Bydaybreak,weshould—”“Stop.”Percy’sskinfeltwashedwithice.“Wehavetostop.”“Why?”Annabethasked.“Leo,stop!”heyelled.Toolate.Theotherboatappearedoutofthefogandrammedthemhead-on.

Inthatsplitsecond,Percyregisteredrandomdetails:anothertrireme;blacksailspaintedwithagorgon’shead;hulkingwarriors,notquitehuman,crowdedatthefrontoftheboatinGreekarmor,swordsandspearsready;andabronzeramatwaterlevel,slammingagainstthehulloftheArgoII.

AnnabethandPercywerealmostthrownoverboard.Festus blew fire, sending a dozen very surprised warriors screaming and

diving into the sea, but more swarmed aboard the Argo II. Grappling lineswrappedaroundtherailsandthemast,diggingironclawsintothehull’splanks.

By the time Percy had recovered hiswits, the enemywas everywhere.Hecouldn’t seewell through the fog and thedark, but the invaders seemed tobehumanlikedolphins,ordolphinlikehumans.Somehadgraysnouts.Othersheldtheirswordsinstuntedflippers.Somewaddledonlegspartiallyfusedtogether,whileothershadflippersforfeet,whichremindedPercyofclownshoes.

Leosoundedthealarmbell.Hemadeadashforthenearestballistabutwentdownunderapileofchatteringdolphinwarriors.

AnnabethandPercystoodback-to-back,as they’ddonemany timesbefore,theirweaponsdrawn.Percy tried to summon thewaves,hopinghecouldpushtheshipsapartorevencapsizetheenemyvessel,butnothinghappened.Italmostfelt like something was pushing against his will, wresting the sea from hiscontrol.

He raised Riptide, ready to fight, but they were hopelessly outnumbered.Several dozen warriors lowered their spears and made a ring around them,wisely keeping out of striking distance of Percy’s sword. The dolphin-men

opened their snouts and made whistling, popping noises. Percy had neverconsideredjusthowviciousdolphinteethlooked.

Hetriedto think.Maybehecouldbreakoutof thecircleanddestroyafewinvaders,butnotwithouttheothersskeweringhimandAnnabeth.

Atleastthewarriorsdidn’tseeminterestedinkillingthemimmediately.Theykept Percy and Annabeth contained while more of their comrades floodedbelowdecks and secured the hull. Percy could hear them breaking down thecabindoors,scufflingwithhisfriends.Evenif theotherdemigodshadn’tbeenfastasleep,theywouldn’thavestoodachanceagainstsomany.

Leowasdraggedacrossthedeck,half-consciousandgroaning,anddumpedonapileof ropes.Below, thesoundsof fighting taperedoff.Either theothershadbeensubduedor…orPercyrefusedtothinkaboutit.

Ononesideoftheringofspears,thedolphinwarriorspartedtoletsomeonethrough.Heappearedtobefullyhuman,butfromthewaythedolphinsfellbackbeforehim,hewasclearlytheleader.HewasdressedinGreekcombatarmor—sandals, kilt, and greaves, a breastplate decorated with elaborate sea monsterdesigns—andeverythingheworewasgold.Evenhissword,aGreekbladelikeRiptide,wasgoldinsteadofbronze.Thegoldenboy,Percythought, rememberinghisdream.They’llhave toget

pastthegoldenboy.WhatreallymadePercynervouswastheguy’shelmet.Hisvisorwasafull

face mask fashioned like a gorgon’s head—curved tusks, horrible featurespinched intoa snarl, andgoldensnakehaircurlingaround the face.Percyhadmetgorgonsbefore.Thelikenesswasgood—alittletoogoodforhistaste.

Annabeth turnedsoshewasshoulder toshoulderwithPercy.Hewanted toputhisarmaroundherprotectively,buthedoubtedshe’dappreciatethegesture,andhedidn’twanttogivethisgoldenguyanyindicationthatAnnabethwashisgirlfriend.Nosensegivingtheenemymoreleveragethantheyalreadyhad.

“Whoareyou?”Percydemanded.“Whatdoyouwant?”The golden warrior chuckled. With a flick of his blade, faster than Percy

couldfollow,hesmackedRiptideoutofPercy’shandandsentitflyingintothesea.

Hemightaswellhave thrownPercy’s lungs into thesea,becausesuddenlyPercycouldn’tbreathe.He’dneverbeendisarmedsoeasily.

“Hello, brother.”The goldenwarrior’s voicewas rich and velvety,with anexoticaccent—MiddleEastern,maybe—thatseemedvaguelyfamiliar.“AlwayshappytorobafellowsonofPoseidon.IamChrysaor,theGoldenSword.AsforwhatIwant…”HeturnedhismetalmasktowardAnnabeth.“Well,that’seasy.Iwanteverythingyouhave.”

PERCY’S HEART DID JUMPING JACKS while Chrysaor walked back and forth,inspectingthemlikeprizedcattle.Adozenofhisdolphin-manwarriorsstayedina ring around them, spears leveled at Percy’s chest, while dozens moreransackedtheship,bangingandcrashingaroundbelowdecks.Onecarriedaboxofambrosiaupthestairs.AnothercarriedanarmfulofballistaboltsandacrateofGreekfire.

“Carefulwiththat!”Annabethwarned.“It’llblowupbothourships.”“Ha!” Chrysaor said. “We know all about Greek fire, girl. Don’t worry.

We’vebeenlootingandpillagingshipsontheMareNostrumforeons.”“Youraccentsoundsfamiliar,”Percysaid.“Havewemet?”“Ihaven’thadthepleasure.”Chrysaor’sgoldengorgonmasksnarledathim,

though itwas impossible to tellwhathis real expressionmightbeunderneath.“ButI’veheardallaboutyou,PercyJackson.Oh,yes,theyoungmanwhosavedOlympus.Andhisfaithfulsidekick,AnnabethChase.”

“I’mnobody’ssidekick,”Annabethgrowled.“And,Percy,hisaccentsoundsfamiliarbecausehesoundslikehismother.WekilledherinNewJersey.”

Percyfrowned.“I’mprettysure thataccent isn’tNewJersey.Who’shis—?Oh.”

It all fell into place. Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium—the lair ofMedusa.She’dtalkedwiththatsameaccent,atleastuntilPercyhadcutoffherhead.

“Medusaisyourmom?”heasked.“Dude,thatsucksforyou.”JudgingfromthesoundinChrysaor’sthroat,hewasnowsnarlingunderthe

mask,too.“You are as arrogant as the first Perseus,”Chrysaor said. “But, yes, Percy

Jackson.Poseidonwasmy father.Medusawasmymother.AfterMedusawaschanged into a monster by that so-called goddess of wisdom…” The goldenmask turned onAnnabeth. “Thatwould be yourmother, I believe…Medusa’stwo children were trapped inside her, unable to be born. When the originalPerseuscutoffMedusa’shead—”

“Twochildrensprangout,”Annabethremembered.“Pegasusandyou.”Percyblinked.“Soyourbrother isawingedhorse.Butyou’realsomyhalf

brother, which means all the flying horses in the world are my…You knowwhat?Let’sforgetit.”

He’d learned years ago it was better not to dwell too much on who wasrelated towhomon thegodlysideof things.AfterTyson theCyclopsadoptedhimasabrother,Percydecidedthatthatwasaboutasfarashewantedtoextendthefamily.

“Butifyou’reMedusa’skid,”hesaid,“whyhaven’tIeverheardofyou?”Chrysaor sighed in exasperation. “When your brother is Pegasus, you get

usedtobeingforgotten.Oh,look,awingedhorse!Doesanyonecareaboutme?No!”HeraisedthetipofhisbladetoPercy’seyes.“Butdon’tunderestimateme.MynamemeanstheGoldenSwordforareason.”

“Imperialgold?”Percyguessed.“Bah!Enchantedgold,yes.Lateron,theRomanscalleditImperialgold,but

Iwas thefirst toeverwieldsuchablade.Ishouldhavebeenthemostfamousheroofalltime!Sincethelegend-tellersdecidedtoignoreme,Ibecameavillaininstead. I resolved to putmy heritage to use.As the son ofMedusa, Iwouldinspireterror.AsthesonofPoseidon,Iwouldruletheseas!”

“Youbecameapirate,”Annabethsummedup.

Chrysaorspreadhisarms,whichwasfinewithPercysince itgot theswordpointawayfromhiseyes.

“The best pirate,” Chrysaor said. “I’ve sailed these waters for centuries,waylayinganydemigods foolishenough toexplore theMareNostrum.This ismyterritorynow.Andallyouhaveismine.”

OneofthedolphinwarriorsdraggedCoachHedgeupfrombelow.“Letmego,youtunafish!”Hedgebellowed.Hetriedtokickthewarrior,but

hishoofclangedoffhiscaptor’sarmor.Judgingfromthehoof-shapedprintsinthe dolphin’s breastplate and helmet, the coach had already made severalattempts.

“Ah, a satyr,”Chrysaormused. “A littleold and stringy,butCyclopeswillpaywellforamorsellikehim.Chainhimup.”

“I’mnobody’sgoatmeat!”Hedgeprotested.“Gaghimaswell,”Chrysaordecided.“Whyyougildedlittle—”Hedge’sinsultwascutshortwhenthedolphinput

agreasywadofcanvas inhismouth.Soon thecoachwas trussed likea rodeocalf and dumpedwith the other loot—crates of food, extraweapons, even themagicalicechestfromthemesshall.

“Youcan’tdothis!”Annabethshouted.Chrysaor’slaughterreverberatedinsidehisgoldfacemask.Percywondered

ifhewashorriblydisfiguredunderthere,orifhisgazecouldpetrifypeoplethewayhismother’scould.

“IcandoanythingIwant,”Chrysaorsaid.“Mywarriorshavebeentrainedtoperfection.Theyarevicious,cutthroat—”

“Dolphins,”Percynoted.Chrysaorshrugged.“Yes.So?Theyhadsomebadluckafewmillenniaago,

kidnapped the wrong person. Some of their crew got turned completely intodolphins.Otherswentmad.Butthese…thesesurvivedashybridcreatures.WhenIfoundthemundertheseaandofferedthemanewlife,theybecamemyloyalcrew.Theyfearnothing!”

Oneofthewarriorschatteredathimnervously.“Yes, yes,” Chrysaor growled. “They fear one thing, but it hardlymatters.

He’snothere.”AnideabeganticklingatthebaseofPercy’sskull.Beforehecouldpursueit,

moredolphinwarriorsclimbedthestairs,haulinguptherestofhisfriends.Jasonwasunconscious.Judgingfromthenewbruisesonhisface,he’dtriedtofight.Hazel andPiperwere bound hand and foot. Piper had a gag in hermouth, soapparently the dolphins had discovered she could charmspeak. Frank was theonlyonemissing,thoughtwoofthedolphinshadbeestingscoveringtheirfaces.

CouldFrankactually turn intoaswarmofbees?Percyhopedso. Ifhewasfree aboard the ship somewhere, that could be an advantage, assuming Percycouldfigureouthowtocommunicatewithhim.

“Excellent!”Chrysaorgloated.HedirectedhiswarriorstodumpJasonbythecrossbows.ThenheexaminedthegirlsliketheywereChristmaspresents,whichmadePercygrithisteeth.

“The boy is no use tome,”Chrysaor said. “Butwe have an understandingwith the witch Circe. She will buy the women—either as slaves or trainees,dependingontheirskill.Butnotyou,lovelyAnnabeth.”

Annabethrecoiled.“Youarenottakingmeanywhere.”Percy’shandcrepttohispocket.Hispenhadappearedbackinhisjeans.He

onlyneededamoment’sdistractiontodrawhissword.MaybeifhecouldtakedownChrysaorquickly,hiscrewwouldpanic.

He wished he knew something about Chrysaor’s weaknesses. UsuallyAnnabeth provided him with information like that, but apparently Chrysaordidn’thaveanylegends,sotheywerebothinthedark.

Thegoldenwarriortutted.“Oh,sadly,Annabeth,youwillnotbestayingwithme.Iwouldlovethat.ButyouandyourfriendPercyarespokenfor.Acertaingoddessispayingahighbountyforyourcapture—alive,ifpossible,thoughshedidn’tsayyouhadtobeunharmed.”

At that moment, Piper caused the disturbance they needed. She wailed soloudly it couldbeheard throughher gag.Then she fainted against the nearestguard,knockinghimover.Hazelgottheideaandcrumpledtothedeck,kickingherlegsandthrashinglikeshewashavingafit.

Percy drew Riptide and lashed out. The blade should have gone straight

through Chrysaor’s neck, but the golden warrior was unbelievably fast. Hedodged and parried as the dolphin warriors backed up, guarding the othercaptiveswhilegivingtheircaptainroomtobattle.Theychatteredandsqueaked,egginghimon,andPercygotthesinkingsuspicionthecrewwasusedtothissortofentertainment.Theydidn’tfeeltheirleaderwasinanysortofdanger.

Percy hadn’t crossed swords with an opponent like this since…well, sincehe’dbattledthewargodAres.Chrysaorwasthatgood.ManyofPercy’spowershad gotten stronger over the years, but now, too late, Percy realized thatswordplaywasn’toneofthem.

Hewasrusty—atleastagainstanadversarylikeChrysaor.They battled back and forth, thrusting and parrying. Without meaning to,

PercyheardthevoiceofLukeCastellan,hisfirstsword-fightingmentoratCampHalf-Blood,throwingoutsuggestions.Butitdidn’thelp.

Thegoldengorgonmaskwas toounnerving.Thewarm fog, the slickdeckboards, thechatteringof thewarriors—noneof ithelped.And in thecornerofhiseye,Percycouldseeoneof thedolphin-menholdingaknifeatAnnabeth’sthroatincaseshetriedanythingtricky.

He feintedand thrustatChrysaor’sgut,butChrysaoranticipated themove.HeknockedPercy’s swordoutofhishandagain, andoncemoreRiptide flewintothesea.

Chrysaor laughed easily.Hewasn’t evenwinded.Hepressed the tip of hisgoldenswordagainstPercy’ssternum.

“Agoodtry,”saidthepirate.“Butnowyou’llbechainedandtransportedtoGaea’sminions.Theyarequiteeagertospillyourbloodandwakethegoddess.”

NOTHINGLIKETOTALFAILUREtogenerategreatideas.AsPercystoodthere,disarmedandoutmatched,theplanformedinhishead.

Hewas so used toAnnabeth providingGreek legend information that hewaskindofstunned toactually remembersomethinguseful,buthehad toact fast.Hecouldn’tletanythinghappentohisfriends.Hewasn’tgoingtoloseAnnabeth—notagain.

Chrysaor couldn’t be beat. At least not in single combat. But without hiscrew…maybethenhecouldbeoverwhelmedifenoughdemigodsattackedhimatonce.

HowtodealwithChrysaor’screw?Percyputthepiecestogether:thepirateshadbeen turned intodolphin-menmillenniaagowhen theyhadkidnapped thewrongperson.Percyknew that story.Heck, thewrongperson in question hadthreatenedtoturnhimintoadolphin.AndwhenChrysaorsaidthecrewwasn’tafraid of anything, one of the dolphins had nervously corrected him. Yes,Chrysaorsaid.Buthe’snothere.

Percyglanced toward the stern and spottedFrank, in human form, peekingoutfrombehindaballista,waiting.Percyresistedtheurgetosmile.Thebigguyclaimed to be clumsy and useless, but he always seemed to be in exactly the

rightplacewhenPercyneededhim.Thegirls…Frank…theicechest.Itwasacrazyidea.But,asusual,that’sallPercyhad.“Fine!”Percy shouted, so loudly thathegoteveryone’sattention. “Takeus

away,ifourcaptainwillletyou.”Chrysaorturnedhisgoldenmask.“Whatcaptain?Mymensearchedtheship.

Thereisnooneelse.”Percyraisedhishandsdramatically.“Thegodappearsonlywhenhewishes.

Butheisourleader.Herunsourcampfordemigods.Doesn’the,Annabeth?”Annabethwasquick.“Yes!”Shenoddedenthusiastically.“Mr.D!Thegreat

Dionysus!”A ripple of uneasiness passed through the dolphin-men. One dropped his

sword.“Stand fast!” Chrysaor bellowed. “There is no god on this ship. They are

tryingtoscareyou.”“You should be scared!” Percy looked at the pirate crew with sympathy.

“Dionysuswillbeseverelycrankywithyouforhavingdelayedourvoyage.Hewill punish all of us. Didn’t you notice the girls falling into the wine god’smadness?”

HazelandPiperhadstoppedtheshakingfits.Theyweresittingonthedeck,staringatPercy,butwhenheglaredatthempointedly,theystartedhammingitup again, trembling and flopping around like fish. The dolphin-men fell overthemselvestryingtogetawayfromtheircaptives.

“Fakes!” Chrysaor roared. “Shut up, Percy Jackson.Your camp director isnothere.HewasrecalledtoOlympus.Thisiscommonknowledge.”

“SoyouadmitDionysusisourdirector!”Percysaid.“Hewas,”Chrysaorcorrected.“Everyoneknowsthat.”Percy gestured at the goldenwarrior like he’d just betrayed himself. “You

see?Wearedoomed.Ifyoudon’tbelieveme,let’schecktheicechest!”Percy stormed over to the magical cooler. No one tried to stop him. He

knocked open the lid and rummaged through the ice. There had to be one.Please.Hewasrewardedwithasilver-and-redcanofsoda.Hebrandisheditat

thedolphinwarriorsasifsprayingthemwithbugrepellent.“Behold!” Percy shouted. “The god’s chosen beverage. Tremble before the

horrorofDietCoke!”The dolphin-men began to panic. They were on the edge of retreat. Percy

couldfeelit.“The god will take your ship,” Percy warned. “He will finish your

transformationintodolphins,ormakeyouinsane,or transformyouintoinsanedolphins!Youronlyhopeistoswimawaynow,quickly!”

“Ridiculous!”Chrysaor’s voice turned shrill.He didn’t seem surewhere tolevelhissword—atPercyorhisowncrew.

“Saveyourselves!”Percywarned.“Itistoolateforus!”Then he gasped and pointed to the spotwhereFrankwas hiding. “Oh, no!

Frankisturningintoacrazydolphin!”Nothinghappened.“Isaid,”Percyrepeated,“Frankisturningintoacrazydolphin!”Frank stumbledout of nowhere,making abig showof grabbinghis throat.

“Oh,no,”hesaid,likehewasreadingfromateleprompter.“Iamturningintoacrazydolphin.”

Hebegantochange,hisnoseelongatingintoasnout,hisskinbecomingsleekandgray.Hefelltothedeckasadolphin,histailthumpingagainsttheboards.

Thepiratecrewdisbandedinterror,chatteringandclickingastheydroppedtheir weapons, forgot the captives, ignored Chrysaor’s orders, and jumpedoverboard.Intheconfusion,AnnabethmovedquicklytocutthebondsonHazel,Piper,andCoachHedge.

Within seconds,Chrysaorwas alone and surrounded. Percy and his friendshad no weapons except for Annabeth’s knife and Hedge’s hooves, but themurderous lookson their facesevidentlyconvinced thegoldenwarriorhewasdoomed.

Hebackedtotheedgeoftherail.“Thisisn’tover,Jackson,”Chrysaorgrowled.“Iwillhavemyrevenge—”HiswordswerecutshortbyFrank,whohadchangedformagain.Aneight-

hundred-pound grizzly bear can definitely break up a conversation. He

sideswiped Chrysaor and raked the golden mask off his helmet. Chrysaorscreamed,instantlycoveringhisfacewithhisarmsandtumblingintothewater.

Theyrantotherail.Chrysaorhaddisappeared.Percythoughtaboutchasinghim,buthedidn’tknow thesewaters, andhedidn’twant toconfront thatguyaloneagain.

“That was brilliant!” Annabeth kissed him, which made him feel a littlebetter.

“Itwas desperate,” Percy corrected. “Andwe need to get rid of this piratetrireme.”

“Burnit?”Annabethasked.PercylookedattheDietCokeinhishand.“No.I’vegotanotheridea.”

IttookthemlongerthanPercywanted.Astheyworked,hekeptglancingatthesea,waitingforChrysaorandhispiratedolphinstoreturn,buttheydidn’t.

Leo got back on his feet, thanks to a little nectar. Piper tended to Jason’swounds,buthewasn’tasbadlyhurtashelooked.Mostlyhewasjustashamedthathe’dgottenoverpoweredagain,whichPercycouldrelateto.

Theyreturnedalltheirownsuppliestotheproperplacesandtidiedupfromthe invasionwhileCoachHedge had a field day on the enemy ship, breakingeverythinghecouldfindwithhisbaseballbat.

When hewas done, Percy loaded the enemy’sweapons back on the pirateship. Their storeroom was full of treasure, but Percy insisted that they touchnoneofit.

“I can sense about six million dollars’ worth of gold aboard,” Hazel said.“Plusdiamonds,rubies—”

“Sixm-million?”Frankstammered.“CanadiandollarsorAmerican?”“Leaveit,”Percysaid.“It’spartofthetribute.”“Tribute?”Hazelasked.“Oh.”Pipernodded.“Kansas.”Jasongrinned.He’dbeen there toowhen they’dmet thewinegod. “Crazy.

ButIlikeit.”Finally Percywent aboard the pirate ship and opened the flood valves.He

askedLeo to drill a few extra holes in the bottom of the hullwith his powertools,andLeowashappytooblige.

The crew of theArgo II assembled at the rail and cut the grappling lines.Piperbroughtouthernewhornofplentyand,onPercy’sdirection,willedittospewDietCoke,which cameoutwith the strengthof a firehose, dousing theenemydeck. Percy thought itwould take hours, but the ship sank remarkablyfast,fillingwithDietCokeandseawater.

“Dionysus,”Percycalled,holdingupChrysaor’sgoldenmask.“OrBacchus—whatever. You made this victory possible, even if you weren’t here. Yourenemies trembled at your name…or your Diet Coke, or something. So, yeah,thankyou.”

Thewordswerehardtogetout,butPercymanagednottogag.“Wegivethisshiptoyouastribute.Wehopeyoulikeit.”

“Sixmillioningold,”Leomuttered.“He’dbetterlikeit.”“Shh,”Hazelscolded.“Preciousmetalisn’tallthatgreat.Believeme.”Percythrewthegoldenmaskaboardthevessel,whichwasnowsinkingeven

faster,brownfizzyliquidspewingoutthetrireme’soarslotsandbubblingfromthecargohold,turningtheseafrothybrown.

Percysummonedawave,andtheenemyshipwasswamped.LeosteeredtheArgoIIawayasthepiratevesseldisappearedunderwater.

“Isn’tthatpolluting?”Piperasked.“I wouldn’t worry,” Jason told her. “If Bacchus likes it, the ship should

vanish.”Percy didn’t know if that would happen, but he felt like he’d done all he

could.Hehadnofaith thatDionysuswouldhear themorcare,much lesshelpthemintheirbattleagainstthetwingiants,buthehadtotry.

AstheArgoIIheadedeastintothefog,PercydecidedatleastonegoodthinghadcomeoutofhisswordfightwithChrysaor.Hewasfeelinghumble—evenhumbleenoughtopaytributetothewinedude.

Aftertheirboutwiththepirates,theydecidedtoflytherestofthewaytoRome.Jasoninsistedhewaswellenoughtotakesentryduty,alongwithCoachHedge,

whowasstillsochargedwithadrenalinethateverytimetheshiphitturbulence,heswunghisbatandyelled,“Die!”

Theyhadacoupleofhoursbeforedaybreak,soJasonsuggestedPercytrytogetafewmorehoursofsleep.

“It’sfine,man,”Jasonsaid.“Givesomebodyelseachancetosavetheship,huh?”

Percyagreed,thoughonceinhiscabin,hehadtroublefallingasleep.Hestaredat thebronze lantern swaying from theceilingand thoughtabout

howeasilyChrysaorhadbeatenhimatswordplay.Thegoldenwarriorcould’vekilled him without breaking a sweat. He’d only kept Percy alive becausesomeoneelsewantedtopayfortheprivilegeofkillinghimlater.

Percy felt likeanarrowhadslipped throughachink inhisarmor—as ifhestill had the blessing ofAchilles, and someone had found hisweak spot. Theolderhegot,thelongerhesurvivedasahalf-blood,themorehisfriendslookedup tohim.Theydependedonhimandreliedonhispowers.Even theRomanshadraisedhimonashieldandmadehimpraetor,andhe’donlyknownthemforacoupleofweeks.

But Percy didn’t feel powerful. Themore heroic stuff he did, themore herealizedhowlimitedhewas.Hefeltlikeafraud.I’mnotasgreatasyouthink,he wanted to warn his friends. His failures, like tonight, seemed to prove it.Maybethat’swhyhehadstartedtofearsuffocation.Itwasn’tsomuchdrowningin the earth or the sea, but the feeling that he was sinking into too manyexpectations,literallygettinginoverhishead.

Wow…when he started having thoughts like that, he knew he’d beenspendingtoomuchtimewithAnnabeth.

AthenahadoncetoldPercyhisfatalflaw:hewassupposedlytooloyaltohisfriends.Hecouldn’tseethebigpicture.Hewouldsaveafriendevenifitmeantdestroyingtheworld.

Atthetime,Percyhadshruggedthisoff.Howcouldloyaltybeabadthing?Besides,thingsworkedoutokayagainsttheTitans.He’dsavedhisfriendsandbeatenKronos.

Now, though, he started towonder.Hewould gladly throw himself at any

monster,god,orgianttokeephisfriendsfrombeinghurt.Butwhatifhewasn’tuptothetask?Whatifsomeoneelsehadtodoit?Thatwasveryhardforhimtoadmit.Heevenhad troublewith simple things like letting Jason takea turnatwatch. He didn’t want to rely on someone else to protect him, someonewhocouldgethurtonhisaccount.

Percy’smomhaddonethatforhim.She’dstayedinabadrelationshipwithagross mortal guy because she thought it would save Percy from monsters.Grover,hisbestfriend,hadprotectedPercyforalmostayearbeforePercyevenrealizedhewasademigod,andGroverhadalmostgottenkilledbytheMinotaur.

Percywasn’takidanymore.Hedidn’twantanybodyhelovedtakingariskforhim.Hehadtobestrongenoughtobetheprotectorhimself.Butnowhewassupposed to let Annabeth go off on her own to follow the Mark of Athena,knowingshemightdie. If itcametoachoice—saveAnnabethor let thequestsucceed—couldPercyreallychoosethequest?

Exhaustion finally overtook him. He fell asleep, and in his nightmare, therumbleofthunderbecamethelaughteroftheearthgoddessGaea.

PercydreamedhewasstandingonthefrontporchoftheBigHouseatCampHalf-Blood.ThesleepingfaceofGaeaappearedonthesideofHalf-BloodHill—hermassivefeaturesformedfromtheshadowsonthegrassyslopes.Herlipsdidn’tmove,buthervoiceechoedacrossthevalley.Sothisisyourhome,Gaeamurmured.Takealastlook,PercyJackson.You

shouldhavereturnedhere.AtleastthenyoucouldhavediedwithyourcomradeswhentheRomansinvade.Nowyourbloodwillbespilledfarfromhome,ontheancientstones,andIwillrise.

Thegroundshook.AtthetopofHalf-BloodHill,Thalia’spinetreeburstintoflames. Disruption rolled across the valley—grass turning to sand, forestcrumblingtodust.Theriverandthecanoelakedriedup.ThecabinsandtheBigHouseburnedtoashes.Whenthetremorstopped,CampHalf-Bloodlookedlikeawastelandafteranatomicblast.TheonlythingleftwastheporchwherePercystood.

Nexttohim,thedustswirledandsolidifiedintothefigureofawoman.Hereyes were closed, as if she were sleepwalking. Her robes were forest green,

dappledwith gold andwhite like sunlight shifting through branches.Her hairwasasblackastilledsoil.Herfacewasbeautiful,butevenwithadreamysmileonher lipssheseemedcoldanddistant.Percygot thefeelingshecouldwatchdemigodsdieorcitiesburn,andthatsmilewouldn’twaver.

“WhenIreclaimtheearth,”Gaeasaid,“Iwillleavethisspotbarrenforever,to remindmeofyourkindandhowutterlypowerless theywere tostopme. Itdoesn’tmatterwhenyoufall,mysweetlittlepawn—toPhorcysorChrysaorormydeartwins.Youwillfall,andIwillbetheretodevouryou.Youronlychoicenow…willyoufallalone?Cometomewillingly;bring thegirl.PerhapsIwillsparethisplaceyoulove.Otherwise…”

Gaeaopenedhereyes.Theyswirledingreenandblack,asdeepasthecrustof the earth.Gaea saweverything.Herpatiencewas infinite.Shewas slow towake,butonceshearose,herpowerwasunstoppable.

Percy’sskintingled.Hishandswentnumb.Helookeddownandrealizedhewascrumblingtodust,likeallthemonstershe’deverdefeated.

“EnjoyTartarus,mylittlepawn,”Gaeapurred.AmetallicCLANG-CLANG-CLANGjoltedPercyoutofhisdream.Hiseyes

shotopen.Herealizedhe’djustheardthelandinggearbeinglowered.Therewasaknockonhisdoor,andJasonpokedhisheadin.Thebruiseson

hisfacehadfaded.Hisblueeyesglitteredwithexcitement.“Hey,man,”hesaid.“We’redescendingoverRome.Youreallyshouldsee

this.”

Theskywasbrilliantblue,asifthestormyweatherhadneverhappened.Thesunroseoverthedistanthills,soeverythingbelowthemshoneandsparkledliketheentirecityofRomehadjustcomeoutofthecarwash.

Percyhadseenbigcitiesbefore.Hewas fromNewYork,afterall.But thesheervastnessofRomegrabbedhimbythethroatandmadeithardtobreathe.Thecityseemedtohavenoregardforthelimitsofgeography.Itspreadthroughhills andvalleys, jumpedover theTiberwith dozens of bridges, and just keptsprawlingtothehorizon.Streetsandalleyszigzaggedwithnorhymeorreasonthroughquiltsofneighborhoods.Glassofficebuildingsstoodnexttoexcavation

sites.AcathedralstoodnexttoalineofRomancolumns,whichstoodnexttoamodernsoccerstadium.Insomeneighborhoods,oldstuccovillaswithred-tiledroofscrowdedthecobblestonestreets,sothatifPercyconcentratedjustonthoseareas, he could imagine hewas back in ancient times.Everywhere he looked,therewerewidepiazzasandtraffic-cloggedstreets.Parkscutacrossthecitywitha crazy collection of palm trees, pines, junipers, and olive trees, as if Romecouldn’tdecidewhatpartoftheworlditbelongedto—ormaybeitjustbelievedalltheworldstillbelongedtoRome.

ItwasasifthecityknewaboutPercy’sdreamofGaea.Itknewthattheearthgoddessintendedonrazingallhumancivilization,andthiscity,whichhadstoodforthousandsofyears,wassayingbacktoher:Youwannadissolvethiscity,DirtFace?Giveitashot.

Inotherwords,itwastheCoachHedgeofmortalcities—onlytaller.“We’resettingdowninthatpark,”Leoannounced,pointingtoawidegreen

spacedottedwithpalm trees. “Let’s hope theMistmakesus look like a largepigeonorsomething.”

Percy wished Jason’s sister Thalia were here. She’d always had a way ofbending theMist tomake people seewhat shewanted. Percy had never beenvery good at that. He just kept thinking: Don’t look at me, and hoped theRomansbelowwouldfailtonoticethegiantbronzetriremedescendingontheircityinthemiddleofmorningrushhour.

It seemed to work. Percy didn’t notice any cars veering off the road orRomanspointing to theskyandscreaming,“Aliens!”TheArgoII setdowninthegrassyfieldandtheoarsretracted.

Thenoiseoftrafficwasallaroundthem,buttheparkitselfwaspeacefulanddeserted.Totheirleft,agreenlawnslopedtowardalineofwoods.Anoldvillanestledintheshadeofsomeweird-lookingpinetreeswiththincurvytrunksthatshot up thirty or forty feet, then sprouted into puffy canopies. They remindedPercyoftreesinthoseDr.Seussbookshismomusedtoreadhimwhenhewaslittle.

To their right, snaking along the top of a hill, was a long brickwall withnotchesatthetopforarchers—maybeamedievaldefensiveline,maybeAncient

Roman.Percywasn’tsure.Tothenorth,aboutamileawaythroughthefoldsofthecity,thetopofthe

Colosseum rose above the rooftops, looking just like it did in travel photos.That’swhenPercy’slegsstartedshaking.Hewasactuallyhere.He’dthoughthistrip toAlaska had been pretty exotic, but now hewas in the heart of the oldRomanEmpire,enemyterritoryforaGreekdemigod.Inaway, thisplacehadshapedhislifeasmuchasNewYork.

Jason pointed to the base of the archers’ wall, where steps led down intosomekindoftunnel.

“IthinkIknowwhereweare,”hesaid.“That’stheTomboftheScipios.”Percyfrowned.“Scipio…Reyna’spegasus?”“No,”Annabethput in.“TheywereanobleRomanfamily,and…wow,this

placeisamazing.”Jason nodded. “I’ve studied maps of Rome before. I’ve always wanted to

comehere,but…”Nobodybotheredfinishingthatsentence.Lookingathisfriends’faces,Percy

could tell theywere just asmuch in awe as he was. They’dmade it. They’dlandedinRome—theRome.

“Plans?”Hazelasked.“Nicohasuntilsunset—atbest.Andthisentirecityissupposedlygettingdestroyedtoday.”

Percyshookhimselfoutofhisdaze.“You’reright.Annabeth…didyouzeroinonthatspotfromyourbronzemap?”

Her gray eyes turned extra thunderstorm dark,which Percy could interpretjustfine:RememberwhatIsaid,buddy.Keepthatdreamtoyourself.

“Yes,”shesaidcarefully.“It’sontheTiberRiver.IthinkIcanfindit,butIshould—”

“Takemealong,”Percyfinished.“Yeah,you’reright.”Annabethglareddaggersathim.“That’snot—”“Safe,”hesupplied.“OnedemigodwalkingthroughRomealone.I’llgowith

youasfarastheTiber.Wecanusethatletterofintroduction,hopefullymeettherivergodTiberinus.Maybehecangiveyousomehelporadvice.Thenyoucangoonalonefromthere.”

Theyhadasilentstaringcontest,butPercydidn’tbackdown.WhenheandAnnabeth started dating, his mother had drummed it into his head: It’s goodmanners to walk your date to the door. If that was true, it had to be goodmannerstowalkhertothestartofherepicsolodeathquest.

“Fine,”Annabethmuttered. “Hazel, now thatwe’re inRome, do you thinkyoucanpinpointNico’slocation?”

Hazel blinked, as if coming out of a trance from watching thePercy/AnnabethShow.“Um…hopefully,ifIgetcloseenough.I’llhavetowalkaroundthecity.Frank,wouldyoucomewithme?”

Frankbeamed.“Absolutely.”“And,uh…Leo,”Hazel added. “Itmightbeagood idea ifyoucamealong

too.Thefish-centaurssaidwe’dneedyourhelpwithsomethingmechanical.”“Yeah,”Leosaid,“noproblem.”Frank’ssmileturnedintosomethingmorelikeChrysaor’smask.Percywasnogeniuswhenitcametorelationships,butevenhecouldfeelthe

tensionamong those three.Eversince they’dgottenknocked into theAtlantic,they hadn’t acted quite the same. It wasn’t just the two guys competing forHazel.Itwaslikethethreeofthemwerelockedtogether,actingoutsomekindofmurdermystery,buttheyhadn’tyetdiscoveredwhichofthemwasthevictim.

Piperdrewherknifeandsetitontherail.“JasonandIcanwatchtheshipfornow.I’llseewhatKatoptriscanshowme.But,Hazel, ifyouguysgetafixonNico’slocation,don’tgointherebyyourselves.Comebackandgetus.It’lltakeallofustofightthegiants.”

She didn’t say the obvious: even all of them togetherwouldn’t be enough,unlesstheyhadagodontheirside.Percydecidednottobringthatup.

“Goodidea,”Percysaid.“Howaboutweplantomeetbackhereat…what?”“Threethisafternoon?”Jasonsuggested.“That’sprobablythelatestwecould

rendezvousandstillhopetofightthegiantsandsaveNico.Ifsomethinghappenstochangetheplan,trytosendanIris-message.”

Theothersnoddedinagreement,butPercynoticedseveralofthemglancingat Annabeth. Another thing no one wanted to say: Annabeth would be on adifferentschedule.Shemightbebackatthree,ormuchlater,ornever.Butshe

wouldbeonherown,searchingfortheAthenaParthenos.CoachHedgegrunted.“That’llgivemetimetoeatthecoconuts—Imeandig

thecoconutsoutofourhull.Percy,Annabeth…Idon’tlikeyoutwogoingoffonyour own. Just remember: behave. If I hear about any funny business, I willgroundyouuntiltheStyxfreezesover.”

Theideaofgettinggroundedwhentheywereabouttorisktheirliveswassoridiculous,Percycouldn’thelpsmiling.

“We’llbebacksoon,”hepromised.He lookedaroundathis friends, tryingnot to feel like this was the last time they’d ever be together. “Good luck,everyone.”

Leoloweredthegangplank,andPercyandAnnabethwerefirstofftheship.

UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, wandering through Rome with Annabethwould have been pretty awesome. They held hands as they navigated thewindingstreets,dodgingcarsandcrazyVespadrivers,squeezingthroughmobsoftourists,andwadingthroughoceansofpigeons.Thedaywarmedupquickly.Oncetheygotawayfromthecarexhaustonthemainroads,theairsmelledofbakingbreadandfreshlycutflowers.

They aimed for the Colosseum because that was an easy landmark, butgettingthereprovedharderthanPercyanticipated.Asbigandconfusingasthecityhad lookedfromabove, itwasevenmoresoon theground.Several timesthey got lost on dead-end streets. They found beautiful fountains and hugemonumentsbyaccident.

Annabeth commented on the architecture, but Percy kept his eyes open forother things.Oncehe spottedaglowingpurpleghost—aLar—glaringat themfromthewindowofanapartmentbuilding.Anothertimehesawawhite-robedwoman—maybe a nymph or a goddess—holding a wicked-looking knife,slippingbetween ruined columns in a public park.Nothing attacked them, butPercyfeltliketheywerebeingwatched,andthewatcherswerenotfriendly.

Finally theyreached theColosseum,whereadozenguys incheapgladiator

costumes were scuffling with the police—plastic swords versus batons. Percywasn’tsurewhatthatwasabout,butheandAnnabethdecidedtokeepwalking.Sometimesmortalswereevenstrangerthanmonsters.

Theymadetheirwaywest,stoppingeveryonceinawhiletoaskdirectionstothe river. Percy hadn’t considered that—duh—people in Italy spoke Italian,whilehedidnot.Asitturnedout,though,thatwasn’tmuchofaproblem.Thefewtimessomeoneapproached themon thestreetandaskedaquestion,Percyjustlookedattheminconfusion,andtheyswitchedtoEnglish.

Next discovery: the Italians used euros, and Percy didn’t have any. Heregrettedthisassoonashefoundatouristshopthatsoldsodas.Bythenitwasalmostnoon,gettingreallyhot,andPercywasstartingtowishhehadatriremefilledwithDietCoke.

Annabethsolvedtheproblem.Shedugaroundinherbackpack,broughtoutDaedalus’slaptop,andtypedinafewcommands.Aplasticcardejectedfromaslotintheside.

Annabeth waved it triumphantly. “International credit card. Foremergencies.”

Percystaredatherinamazement.“Howdidyou—?No.Nevermind.Idon’twanttoknow.Justkeepbeingawesome.”

Thesodashelped,buttheywerestillhotandtiredbythetimetheyarrivedatthe Tiber River. The shore was edged with a stone embankment. A chaoticassortmentofwarehouses,apartments,stores,andcaféscrowdedtheriverfront.

TheTiberitselfwaswide,lazy,andcaramel-colored.Afewtallcypresstreeshung over the banks. The nearest bridge looked fairly new, made from irongirders,but rightnext to it stoodacrumbling lineofstonearches thatstoppedhalfwayacrosstheriver—ruinsthatmight’vebeenleftoverfromthedaysoftheCaesars.

“Thisisit.”Annabethpointedattheoldstonebridge.“Irecognizethatfromthemap.Butwhatdowedonow?”

Percywasgladshehadsaidwe.Hedidn’twanttoleaveheryet.Infact,hewasn’t sure he could make himself do it when the time came. Gaea’s wordscamebacktohim:Willyoufallalone?

Hestaredattheriver,wonderinghowtheycouldmakecontactwiththegodTiberinus.Hedidn’treallywanttojumpin.TheTiberdidn’tlookmuchcleanerthan the East River back home, where he’d had too many encounters withgrouchyriverspirits.

Hegestured to anearby caféwith tablesoverlooking thewater. “It’s aboutlunchtime.Howaboutwetryyourcreditcardagain?”

Eventhoughitwasnoon, theplacewasempty.Theypickeda tableoutsidebytheriver,andawaiterhurriedover.Helookedabitsurprisedtoseethem—especiallywhentheysaidtheywantedlunch.

“American?”heasked,withapainedsmile.“Yes,”Annabethsaid.“AndI’dloveapizza,”Percysaid.Thewaiterlookedlikehewastryingtoswallowaeurocoin.“Ofcourseyou

would,signor.Andletmeguess:aCoca-Cola?Withice?”“Awesome,”Percysaid.Hedidn’tunderstandwhy theguywasgivinghim

suchasourface.Itwasn’tlikePercyhadaskedforablueCoke.Annabeth ordered a panini and some fizzywater.After thewaiter left, she

smiledatPercy.“IthinkItalianseatalotlaterintheday.Theydon’tputiceintheirdrinks.Andtheyonlydopizzafortourists.”

“Oh.”Percyshrugged.“ThebestItalianfood,andtheydon’teveneatit?”“Iwouldn’tsaythatinfrontofthewaiter.”Theyheldhandsacrossthetable.PercywascontentjusttolookatAnnabeth

inthesunlight.Italwaysmadeherhairsobrightandwarm.Hereyestookonthecolorsoftheskyandthecobblestones,alternatelybrownorblue.

He wondered if he should tell Annabeth his dream about Gaea destroyingCampHalf-Blood.Hedecidedagainstit.Shedidn’tneedanythingelsetoworryabout—notwithwhatshewasfacing.

But itmadehimwonder…whatwouldhavehappened if theyhadn’t scaredoff Chrysaor’s pirates? Percy andAnnabeth would’ve been put in chains andtakentoGaea’sminions.Theirbloodwouldhavebeenspilledonancientstones.Percy guessed that meant they would’ve been taken to Greece for some bighorrible sacrifice. But Annabeth and he had been in plenty of bad situations

together. They could’ve figured out an escape plan, saved the day…andAnnabethwouldn’tbefacingthissoloquestinRome.Itdoesn’tmatterwhenyoufall,Gaeahadsaid.Percyknew itwasahorriblewish,buthealmost regretted that theyhadn’t

beencapturedatsea.AtleastAnnabethandhewould’vebeentogether.“You shouldn’t feel ashamed,” Annabeth said. “You’re thinking about

Chrysaor, aren’t you?Swords can’t solve everyproblem.You savedus in theend.”

In spiteofhimself,Percy smiled. “Howdoyoudo that?YoualwaysknowwhatI’mthinking.”

“Iknowyou,”shesaid.Andyoulikemeanyway?Percywantedtoask,buthehelditback.“Percy,” she said, “you can’t carry the weight of this whole quest. It’s

impossible.That’swhytherearesevenofus.Andyou’llhavetoletmesearchfortheAthenaParthenosonmyown.”

“Imissedyou,”heconfessed.“Formonths.Ahugechunkofour liveswastakenaway.IfIlostyouagain—”

Luncharrived.Thewaiterlookedmuchcalmer.Havingacceptedthefactthattheywere cluelessAmericans, he had apparently decided to forgive them andtreatthempolitely.

“Itisabeautifulview,”hesaid,noddingtowardtheriver.“Enjoy,please.”Onceheleft,theyateinsilence.Thepizzawasabland,doughysquarewith

notalotofcheese.Maybe,Percythought,that’swhyRomansdidn’teatit.PoorRomans.

“You’ll have to trust me,” Annabeth said. Percy almost thought she wastalking to her sandwich, because she didn’t meet his eyes. “You’ve got tobelieveI’llcomeback.”

He swallowed another bite. “I believe in you. That’s not the problem. Butcomebackfromwhere?”

ThesoundofaVespainterruptedthem.Percylookedalongtheriverfrontanddidadoubletake.Themotorscooterwasanold-fashionedmodel:bigandbabyblue.Thedriverwasaguyinasilkygraysuit.Behindhimsatayoungerwoman

withaheadscarf,herhandsaroundtheman’swaist.TheyweavedbetweencafétablesandputteredtoastopnexttoPercyandAnnabeth.

“Why,hello,”themansaid.Hisvoicewasdeep,almostcroaky,likeamovieactor’s. His hair was short and greased back from his craggy face. He washandsome in a 1950s dad-on-television way. Even his clothes seemed old-fashioned.When he stepped off his bike, thewaistline of his slackswaswayhigherthannormal,butsomehowhestillmanagedtolookmanlyandstylishandnot like a total goober. Percy had trouble guessing his age—maybe thirty-something,thoughtheman’sfashionandmannerseemedgrandfatherish.

Thewomanslidoffthebike.“We’vehadthemostlovelymorning,”shesaidbreathlessly.

She looked about twenty-one, also dressed in an old-fashioned style. Herankle-lengthmarigoldskirtandwhiteblousewerepinchedtogetherwithalargeleather belt, giving her the narrowest waist Percy had ever seen. When sheremoved her scarf, her shortwavy black hair bounced into perfect shape. Shehaddark playful eyes and a brilliant smile. Percy had seen naiads that lookedlesspixieishthanthislady.

Annabeth’ssandwichfelloutofherhands.“Oh,gods.How—how…?”SheseemedsostunnedthatPercyfiguredheoughttoknowthesetwo.“Youguysdolookfamiliar,”hedecided.Hethoughthemighthaveseentheir

facesontelevision.Itseemedliketheywerefromanoldshow,butthatcouldn’tberight.Theyhadn’tagedatall.Nevertheless,hepointedattheguyandtookaguess.“AreyouthatguyonMadMen?”

“Percy!”Annabethlookedhorrified.“What?”heprotested.“Idon’twatchalotofTV.”“That’s Gregory Peck!” Annabeth’s eyes were wide, and her mouth kept

falling open. “And…oh gods! Audrey Hepburn! I know this movie. RomanHoliday.Butthatwasfromthe1950s.How—?”

“Oh,mydear!”Thewoman twirled like an air spirit and sat down at theirtable. “I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me for someone else! My name is RheaSilvia. Iwas themother toRomulus andRemus, thousandsof years ago.Butyou’resokindtothinkIlookasyoungasthe1950s.Andthisismyhusband…”

“Tiberinus,” saidGregoryPeck, thrustingouthishand toPercy in amanlyway.“GodoftheRiverTiber.”

Percy shook his hand. The guy smelled of aftershave. Of course, if PercyweretheTiberRiver,he’dprobablywanttomaskthesmellwithcolognetoo.

“Uh,hi,”Percysaid.“DoyoutwoalwayslooklikeAmericanmoviestars?”“Dowe?”Tiberinusfrownedandstudiedhisclothes.“I’mnotsure,actually.

ThemigrationofWesterncivilizationgoesbothways,youknow.Romeaffectedthe world, but the world also affects Rome. There does seem to be a lot ofAmericaninfluencelately.I’veratherlosttrackoverthecenturies.”

“Okay,”Percysaid.“But…you’reheretohelp?”“Mynaiadstoldmeyoutwowerehere.”Tiberinuscasthisdarkeyestoward

Annabeth.“Youhavethemap,mydear?Andyourletterofintroduction?”“Uh…” Annabeth handed him the letter and the disk of bronze. She was

staringattherivergodsointentlyPercystartedtofeeljealous.“S-so…”shestammered,“you’vehelpedotherchildrenofAthenawith this

quest?”“Oh,my dear!” The pretty lady, Rhea Silvia, put her hand on Annabeth’s

shoulder. “Tiberinus is ever so helpful. He saved my children Romulus andRemus,youknow,andbroughtthemtothewolfgoddessLupa.Later,whenthatold kingNumen tried to killme,Tiberinus took pity onme andmademehiswife. I’ve been ruling the river kingdom at his side ever since. He’s justdreamy!”

“Thankyou,mydear,”Tiberinussaidwithawrysmile.“And,yes,AnnabethChase,I’vehelpedmanyofyoursiblings…toatleastbegintheirjourneysafely.A shame all of them died painfully later on. Well, your documents seem inorder.Weshouldgetgoing.TheMarkofAthenaawaits!”

Percy grippedAnnabeth’s hand—probably a little too tight. “Tiberinus, letmegowithher.Justalittlefarther.”

RheaSilvia laughed sweetly. “Butyou can’t, sillyboy.Youmust return toyour ship and gather your other friends. Confront the giants! The way willappear in your friend Piper’s knife. Annabeth has a different path. She mustwalkalone.”

“Indeed,”Tiberinussaid.“Annabethmustfacetheguardianoftheshrinebyherself. It is the only way. And Percy Jackson, you have less time than yourealizedtorescueyourfriendinthejar.Youmusthurry.”

Percy’spizzafeltlikeacementlumpinhisstomach.“But—”“It’sallright,Percy.”Annabethsqueezedhishand.“Ineedtodothis.”Hestartedtoprotest.Herexpressionstoppedhim.Shewasterrifiedbutdoing

herbesttohideit—forhissake.Ifhetriedtoargue,hewouldonlymakethingsharderforher.Orworse,hemightconvincehertostay.Thenshewouldhavetolivewith theknowledge that she’dbackeddown fromherbiggestchallenge…assuming that they survived at all, with Rome about to get leveled andGaeaabouttoriseanddestroytheworld.TheAthenastatueheldthekeytodefeatingthegiants.Percydidn’tknowwhyorhow,butAnnabethwastheonlyonewhocouldfindit.

“You’reright,”hesaid,forcingoutthewords.“Besafe.”RheaSilviagiggledlikeitwasaridiculouscomment.“Safe?Notatall!But

necessary.Come,Annabeth,mydear.Wewillshowyouwhereyourpathstarts.Afterthat,you’reonyourown.”

AnnabethkissedPercy.Shehesitated, like shewaswonderingwhat else tosay.Thensheshoulderedherbackpackandclimbedonthebackofthescooter.

Percyhatedit.Hewould’vepreferredtofightanymonsterintheworld.Hewould’vepreferredarematchwithChrysaor.Butheforcedhimselftostayinhischair and watch as Annabeth motored off through the streets of Rome withGregoryPeckandAudreyHepburn.

ANNABETH FIGURED ITCOULD’VEBEENWORSE. If she had to go on a horrifyingsolo quest, at least she’d gotten to have lunchwithPercy on the banks of theTiberfirst.NowshegottotakeascooterridewithGregoryPeck.

Sheonlyknewabout thatoldmoviebecauseofherdad.Over thepast fewyears,sincethetwoofthemhadmadeup,they’dspentmoretimetogether,andshehad learned that her dadhad a sappy side.Sure, he likedmilitary history,weapons,andbiplanes,buthealsolovedoldfilms,especiallyromanticcomediesfromthe1940sand’50s.RomanHolidaywasoneofhis favorites.He’dmadeAnnabethwatchit.

She thought theplotwas silly—aprincess escapesherminders and falls inlovewith anAmerican journalist inRome—but she suspectedherdad liked itbecauseitremindedhimofhisownromancewiththegoddessAthena:anotherimpossiblepairingthatcouldn’tendhappily.HerdadwasnothinglikeGregoryPeck. Athena certainly wasn’t anything like Audrey Hepburn. But Annabethknew that people sawwhat theywanted to see. They didn’t need theMist towarptheirperceptions.

As the baby-blue scooter zipped through the streets of Rome, the goddessRheaSilviagaveAnnabetharunningcommentaryonhowthecityhadchanged

overthecenturies.“The SublicianBridgewas over there,” she said, pointing to a bend in the

Tiber.“Youknow,whereHoratiusandhistwofriendsdefendedthecityfromaninvadingarmy?Now,therewasabraveRoman!”

“And look, dear,” Tiberinus added, “that’s the place where Romulus andRemuswashedashore.”

Heseemedtobetalkingaboutaspotontheriversidewheresomeducksweremakinganestoutoftorn-upplasticbagsandcandywrappers.

“Ah,yes,”RheaSilviasighedhappily.“Youweresokindtofloodyourselfandwashmybabiesashoreforthewolvestofind.”

“Itwasnothing,”Tiberinussaid.Annabeth felt light-headed.The rivergodwas talkingabout something that

hadhappenedthousandsofyearsago,whenthisareawasnothingbutmarshesandmaybesomeshacks.Tiberinussavedtwobabies,oneofwhomwentontofoundtheworld’sgreatestempire.Itwasnothing.

RheaSilviapointedoutalargemodernapartmentbuilding.“Thatusedtobea temple to Venus. Then it was a church. Then a palace. Then an apartmentbuilding.Itburneddownthreetimes.Nowit’sanapartmentbuildingagain.Andthatspotrightthere—”

“Please,”Annabethsaid.“You’remakingmedizzy.”RheaSilvialaughed.“I’msorry,dear.Layersuponlayersofhistoryhere,but

it’snothingcomparedtoGreece.AthenswasoldwhenRomewasacollectionofmudhuts.You’llsee,ifyousurvive.”

“Nothelping,”Annabethmuttered.“Here we are,” Tiberinus announced. He pulled over in front of a large

marble building, the facade covered in city grime but still beautiful. Ornatecarvings of Roman gods decorated the roofline. The massive entrance wasbarredwithirongates,heavilypadlocked.

“I’m going in there?” Annabeth wished she’d brought Leo, or at leastborrowedsomewirecuttersfromhistoolbelt.

RheaSilviacoveredhermouthandgiggled.“No,mydear.Not in it.Underit.”

Tiberinuspointedtoasetofstonestepsonthesideofthebuilding—thesortthatwouldhaveledtoabasementapartmentifthisplacewereinManhattan.

“Romeischaoticaboveground,”Tiberinussaid,“butthat’snothingcomparedtobelowground.Youmustdescendintotheburiedcity,AnnabethChase.Findthe altar of the foreign god.The failures of your predecessorswill guide you.Afterthat…Idonotknow.”

Annabeth’s backpack felt heavy on her shoulders. She’d been studying thebronze map for days now, scouring Daedalus’s laptop for information.Unfortunately, thefewthingsshehadlearnedmadethisquestseemevenmoreimpossible.“Mysiblings…noneof themmade itall theway to theshrine,didthey.”

Tiberinus shook his head. “But you know what prize awaits, if you canliberateit.”

“Yes,”Annabethsaid.“ItcouldbringpeacetothechildrenofGreeceandRome,”RheaSilviasaid.

“Itcouldchangethecourseofthecomingwar.”“IfIlive,”Annabethsaid.Tiberinusnoddedsadly.“Becauseyoualsounderstandtheguardianyoumust

face?”Annabeth remembered thespidersatFortSumter,and thedreamPercyhad

described—thehissingvoiceinthedark.“Yes.”RheaSilvialookedatherhusband.“Sheisbrave.Perhapssheisstrongerthan

theothers.”“Ihopeso,”saidtherivergod.“Good-bye,AnnabethChase.Andgoodluck.”Rhea Silvia beamed. “We have such a lovely afternoon planned! Off to

shop!”GregoryPeck andAudreyHepburn sped off on their baby-bluemotorbike.

ThenAnnabethturnedanddescendedthestepsalone.

She’dbeenundergroundplentyoftimes.But halfway down the steps, she realized just how long it had been since

she’dadventuredbyherself.Shefroze.

Gods…shehadn’tdonesomethinglikethissinceshewasakid.Afterrunningaway from home, she’d spent a few weeks surviving on her own, living inalleywaysandhidingfrommonstersuntilThaliaandLuketookherundertheirwings.Then,onceshe’darrivedatCampHalf-Blood,she’dlivedthereuntilshewastwelve.Afterthat,allherquestshadbeenwithPercyorherotherfriends.

Thelasttimeshehadfeltthisscaredandalone,she’dbeensevenyearsold.SherememberedthedayThalia,Luke,andshehadwanderedintoaCyclopes’lairinBrooklyn.ThaliaandLukehadgottencaptured,andAnnabethhadhadtocutthemfree.Shestillrememberedshiveringinadarkcornerofthatdilapidatedmansion,listeningtotheCyclopesmimickingherfriends’voices,tryingtotrickherintocomingoutintotheopen.

What if this is a trick, too? shewondered.What if those other children ofAthena died because Tiberinus and Rhea Silvia led them into a trap?WouldGregoryPeckandAudreyHepburndosomethinglikethat?

Sheforcedherselftokeepgoing.Shehadnochoice.IftheAthenaParthenoswasreallydownhere, itcoulddecide the fateof thewar.More importantly, itcouldhelphermom.Athenaneededher.

Atthebottomofthestepsshereachedanoldwoodendoorwithanironpullring. Above the ring was a metal plate with a keyhole. Annabeth startedconsideringways to pick the lock, but as soon as she touched the pull ring, afiery shape burned in themiddle of the door: the silhouette of Athena’s owl.Smokeplumedfromthekeyhole.Thedoorswunginward.

Annabethlookeduponelasttime.Atthetopofthestairwell,theskywasasquareofbrilliantblue.Mortalswouldbeenjoyingthewarmafternoon.Coupleswould be holding hands at the cafés. Tourists would be bustling through theshopsandmuseums.RegularRomanswouldbegoingabouttheirdailybusiness,probablynotconsideringthethousandsofyearsofhistoryundertheirfeet,anddefinitelyunawareofthespirits,gods,andmonstersthatstilldwelthere,orthefactthattheircitymightbedestroyedtodayunlessacertaingroupofdemigodssucceededinstoppingthegiants.

Annabethsteppedthroughthedoorway.She found herself in a basement that was an architectural cyborg. Ancient

brickwallswerecrisscrossedwithmodernelectricalcablesandplumbing.Theceiling was held up with a combination of steel scaffolding and old graniteRomancolumns.

The front half of the basement was stacked with crates. Out of curiosity,Annabethopenedafew.Somewerepackedwithmulticoloredspoolsofstring—likeforkitesorartsandcraftsprojects.Othercrateswerefullofcheapplasticgladiatorswords.Maybeatonepoint thishadbeenastoragearea fora touristshop.

Inthebackofthebasement,thefloorhadbeenexcavated,revealinganothersetofsteps—theseofwhitestone—leadingstilldeeperunderground.

Annabethcrepttotheedge.Evenwiththeglowcastbyherdagger,itwastoodarktoseebelow.Sherestedherhandonthewallandfoundalightswitch.

Sheflippedit.Glaringwhitefluorescentbulbsilluminatedthestairs.Below,shesawamosaicfloordecoratedwithdeerandfauns—maybearoomfromanAncientRomanvilla,juststashedawayunderthismodernbasementalongwiththecratesofstringandplasticswords.

Sheclimbeddown.The roomwas about twenty feet square.Thewallshadoncebeenbrightly painted, butmost of the frescoes hadpeeledor faded.Theonlyexitwasaholeduginonecornerofthefloorwherethemosaichadbeenpulledup.Annabethcrouchednexttotheopening.Itdroppedstraightdownintoalargercavern,butAnnabethcouldn’tseethebottom.

She heard running water maybe thirty or forty feet below. The air didn’tsmell like a sewer—just old and musty, and slightly sweet, like molderingflowers.Perhapsitwasanoldwaterlinefromtheaqueducts.Therewasnowaydown.

“I’mnotjumping,”shemutteredtoherself.Asifinreply,somethingglowedinthedarkness.TheMarkofAthenablazed

to life at the bottom of the cavern, revealing glistening brickwork along asubterranean canal forty feet below.The fiery owl seemed to be taunting her:Well,thisistheway,kid.Soyou’dbetterfiguresomethingout.

Annabeth considered her options. Too dangerous to jump. No ladders orropes.Shethoughtaboutborrowingsomemetalscaffoldingfromabovetouseas

afirepole,but itwasallboltedinplace.Besides,shedidn’twant tocausethebuildingtocollapseontopofher.

Frustrationcrawled throughher likeanarmyof termites.Shehadspentherlifewatchingotherdemigodsgainamazingpowers.Percycouldcontrolwater.Ifhewerehere,hecouldraisethewaterlevelandsimplyfloatdown.Hazel,fromwhatshehadsaid,couldfindherwayundergroundwithflawlessaccuracyandevencreateorchangethecourseoftunnels.Shecouldeasilymakeanewpath.Leowouldpull just theright toolsfromhisbeltandbuildsomethingtodothejob.Frankcouldturnintoabird.Jasoncouldsimplycontrolthewindandfloatdown. Even Piper with her charmspeak…she could have convinced TiberinusandRheaSilviatobealittlemorehelpful.

What didAnnabeth have?A bronze dagger that did nothing special, and acursedsilvercoin.ShehadherbackpackwithDaedalus’slaptop,awaterbottle,a few pieces of ambrosia for emergencies, and a box of matches—probablyuseless,butherdadhaddrilledintoherheadthatsheshouldalwayshaveawaytomakefire.

Shehadnoamazingpowers.Evenherone truemagic item,herNewYorkYankeescapofinvisibility,hadstoppedworking,andwasstillbackinhercabinontheArgoII.You’vegotyourintelligence,avoicesaid.AnnabethwonderedifAthenawas

speakingtoher,butthatwasprobablyjustwishfulthinking.Intelligence…like Athena’s favorite hero, Odysseus. He’d won the Trojan

Warwith cleverness, not strength.Hehadovercome all sorts ofmonsters andhardshipswithhisquickwits.That’swhatAthenavalued.Wisdom’sdaughterwalksalone.That didn’t mean just without other people, Annabeth realized. It meant

withoutanyspecialpowers.Okay…sohowtogetdowntheresafelyandmakesureshehadawaytoget

outagainifnecessary?Sheclimbedback to thebasementandstaredat theopencrates.Kitestring

andplasticswords.Theideathatcametoherwassoridiculous,shealmosthadtolaugh;butitwasbetterthannothing.

Sheset towork.Herhandsseemedtoknowexactlywhat todo.Sometimesthat happened, like when she was helping Leo with the ship’s machinery ordrawingarchitecturalplansonthecomputer.She’dnevermadeanythingoutofkitestringandplasticswords,butitseemedeasy,natural.Withinminutesshe’dusedadozenballsofstringandacratefulofswordstocreateamakeshiftropeladder—abraidedline,wovenforstrengthyetnottoothick,withswordstiedattwo-footintervalstoserveashand-andfootholds.

Asatest,shetiedoneendaroundasupportcolumnandleanedontheropewithallherweight.Theplasticswordsbentunderher,buttheyprovidedsomeextrabulktotheknotsinthecord,soatleastshecouldkeepabettergrip.

The ladder wouldn’t win any design awards, but it might get her to thebottom of the cavern safely. First, she stuffed her backpack with the leftoverspoolsofstring.Shewasn’tsurewhy,buttheywereonemoreresource,andnottooheavy.

Sheheadedbacktotheholeinthemosaicfloor.Shesecuredoneendofherladdertothenearestpieceofscaffolding,loweredtheropeintothecavern,andshinnieddown.

AS ANNABETH HUNG IN THE AIR, descending hand over hand with the ladderswinging wildly, she thanked Chiron for all those years of training on theclimbing course atCampHalf-Blood. She’d complained loudly and often thatrope climbingwouldnever help her defeat amonster.Chironhad just smiled,likeheknewthisdaywouldcome.

FinallyAnnabethmadeittothebottom.Shemissedthebrickworkedgeandlanded in the canal, but it turned out to be only a few inches deep. Freezingwatersoakedintoherrunningshoes.

Sheheldupherglowingdagger.Theshallowchannelrandownthemiddleofabrickwork tunnel.Every fewyards, ceramicpipes jutted from thewalls.Sheguessedthatthepipesweredrains,partoftheancientRomanplumbingsystem,though it was amazing to her that a tunnel like this had survived, crowdedundergroundwithalltheothercenturies’worthofpipes,basements,andsewers.

A sudden thought chilled her evenmore than thewater. A few years ago,PercyandshehadgoneonaquestinDaedalus’slabyrinth—asecretnetworkoftunnelsandrooms,heavilyenchantedandtrapped,whichranunderallthecitiesofAmerica.

When Daedalus died in the Battle of the Labyrinth, the entire maze had

collapsed—or so Annabeth believed. But what if that was only in America?Whatif thiswasanolderversionof thelabyrinth?Daedalusoncetoldherthathismazehadalifeofitsown.Itwasconstantlygrowingandchanging.Maybethelabyrinthcouldregenerate,likemonsters.Thatwouldmakesense.Itwasanarchetypalforce,asChironwouldsay—somethingthatcouldneverreallydie.

Ifthiswaspartofthelabyrinth…Annabethdecidednottodwellonthat,butshealsodecidednottoassumeher

directionswereaccurate.Thelabyrinthmadedistancemeaningless.Ifshewasn’tcareful,shecouldwalktwentyfeetinthewrongdirectionandendupinPoland.

Justtobesafe,shetiedanewballofstringtotheendofherropeladder.Shecouldunravelitbehindherassheexplored.Anoldtrick,butagoodone.

Shedebatedwhichwaytogo.Thetunnelseemedthesameinbothdirections.Then, about fifty feet to her left, theMark ofAthena blazed against thewall.Annabethcouldswearitwasglaringatherwiththosebigfieryeyes,asiftosay,What’syourproblem?Hurryup!

Shewasreallystartingtohatethatowl.Bythetimeshereachedthespot,theimagehadfaded,andshe’drunoutof

stringonherfirstspool.Asshewasattachinganewline,sheglancedacrossthetunnel.Therewasa

brokensectioninthebrickwork,asifasledgehammerhadknockedaholeinthewall. She crossed to take a look. Sticking her dagger through the opening forlight, Annabeth could see a lower chamber, long and narrow, with a mosaicfloor,paintedwalls,andbenchesrunningdowneitherside.Itwasshapedsortoflikeasubwaycar.

Shestuckherheadintothehole,hopingnothingwouldbiteitoff.Atthenearendoftheroomwasabricked-offdoorway.Atthefarendwasastonetable,ormaybeanaltar.

Hmm…The water tunnel kept going, but Annabeth was sure this was theway.SherememberedwhatTiberinushadsaid:Findthealtaroftheforeigngod.Theredidn’t seem tobeanyexits from thealtar room,but itwasa shortdropontothebenchbelow.Sheshouldbeabletoclimboutagainwithnoproblem.

Stillholdingherstring,sheloweredherselfdown.

Theroom’sceilingwasbarrel-shapedwithbrickarches,butAnnabethdidn’tlikethelookofthesupports.Directlyaboveherhead,onthearchnearesttothebricked-indoorway,thecapstonewascrackedinhalf.Stressfracturesranacrosstheceiling.Theplacehadprobablybeenintactfortwothousandyears,butshedecided she’d rather not spend too much time here. With her luck, it wouldcollapseinthenexttwominutes.

Thefloorwasalongnarrowmosaicwithsevenpicturesinarow,likeatimeline.AtAnnabeth’sfeetwasaraven.Nextwasalion.SeveralotherslookedlikeRomanwarriorswithvariousweapons.TherestweretoodamagedorcoveredindustforAnnabethtomakeoutdetails.Thebenchesoneithersidewerelitteredwithbrokenpottery.Thewallswerepaintedwithscenesofabanquet:arobedmanwithacurvedcaplikeanicecreamscoop,sittingnexttoalargerguywhoradiated sunbeams. Standing around themwere torchbearers and servants, andvarious animals like crows and lions wandered in the background. Annabethwasn’tsurewhatthepicturerepresented,butitdidn’tremindherofanyGreeklegendsthatsheknew.

At the far end of the room, the altar was elaborately carved with a friezeshowingthemanwiththeice-cream-scoophatholdingaknifetotheneckofabull. On the altar stood a stone figure of aman sunk to his knees in rock, adagger and a torch in his outraised hands.Again,Annabeth had no ideawhatthoseimagesmeant.

She took one step toward the altar. Her foot wentCRUNCH. She lookeddownandrealizedshe’djustputhershoethroughahumanribcage.

Annabeth swallowed back a scream.Where had that come from? She hadglanceddownonlyamomentbeforeandhadn’tseenanybones.Nowthefloorwas litteredwith them.Theribcagewasobviouslyold. Itcrumbled todustassheremovedherfoot.Nearbylayacorrodedbronzedaggerverymuchlikeherown.Eitherthisdeadpersonhadbeencarryingtheweapon,orithadkilledhim.

Sheheldoutherbladetoseeinfrontofher.Alittlefartherdownthemosaicpath sprawledamorecomplete skeleton in the remainsof anembroidered reddoublet, likeamanfromtheRenaissance.Hisfrilledcollarandskullhadbeenbadlyburned,asiftheguyhaddecidedtowashhishairwithablowtorch.

Wonderful,Annabeth thought.She liftedher eyes to thealtar statue,whichheldadaggerandatorch.

Somekindoftest,Annabethdecided.Thesetwoguyshadfailed.Correction:notjusttwoguys.Morebonesandscrapsofclothingwerescatteredallthewayto thealtar.Shecouldn’tguesshowmanyskeletonswere represented,but shewaswillingtobettheywerealldemigodsfromthepast,childrenofAthenaonthesamequest.

“Iwillnotbeanotherskeletononyourfloor,”shecalledtothestatue,hopingshesoundedbrave.Agirl,saidawateryvoice,echoingthroughtheroom.Girlsarenotallowed.Afemaledemigod,saidasecondvoice.Inexcusable.The chamber rumbled.Dust fell from the cracked ceiling.Annabeth bolted

for the hole she’d come through, but it had disappeared. Her string had beensevered.Sheclambereduponthebenchandpoundedonthewallwheretheholehadbeen,hopingthehole’sabsencewasjustanillusion,butthewallfeltsolid.

Shewastrapped.Along the benches, a dozen ghosts shimmered into existence—glowing

purplemen inRoman togas, like the Lares she’d seen at Camp Jupiter. Theyglaredatherasifshe’dinterruptedtheirmeeting.

Shedidtheonlythingshecould.Shesteppeddownfromthebenchandputher back to the bricked-in doorway. She tried to look confident, though thescowlingpurpleghostsandthedemigodskeletonsatherfeetmadeherwanttoturtleinherT-shirtandscream.

“I’machildofAthena,”shesaid,asboldlyasshecouldmanage.“AGreek,”oneoftheghostssaidwithdisgust.“Thatisevenworse.”At the other end of the chamber, an old-looking ghost rose with some

difficulty(doghostshavearthritis?)andstoodbythealtar,hisdarkeyesfixedon Annabeth. Her first thought was that he looked like the pope. He had aglitteringrobe,apointedhat,andashepherd’scrook.

“ThisisthecavernofMithras,”saidtheoldghost.“Youhavedisturbedoursacredrituals.Youcannotlookuponourmysteriesandlive.”

“I don’t want to look upon your mysteries,” Annabeth assured him. “I’m

followingtheMarkofAthena.Showmetheexit,andI’llbeonmyway.”Hervoicesoundedcalm,whichsurprisedher.Shehadnoideahowtogetout

ofhere,butsheknewshehadtosucceedwherehersiblingshadfailed.Herpathledfartheron—deeperintotheundergroundlayersofRome.The failures of your predecessorswill guide you,Tiberinus had said. After

that…Idonotknow.Theghostsmumbled toeachother inLatin.Annabethcaughta fewunkind

wordsaboutfemaledemigodsandAthena.Finally the ghostwith the pope hat struck his shepherd’s crook against the

floor.TheotherLaresfellsilent.“YourGreekgoddessispowerlesshere,”saidthepope.“Mithrasis thegod

ofRomanwarriors!Heisthegodofthelegion,thegodoftheempire!”“Hewasn’t evenRoman,”Annabethprotested. “Wasn’the, like,Persianor

something?”“Sacrilege!” theoldmanyelped, banginghis staff on the floor a fewmore

times.“Mithrasprotectsus!Iamthepaterofthisbrotherhood—”“Thefather,”Annabethtranslated.“Donotinterrupt!Aspater,Imustprotectourmysteries.”“What mysteries?” Annabeth asked. “A dozen dead guys in togas sitting

aroundinacave?”Theghostsmutteredandcomplained,until thepatergotthemundercontrol

withataxicabwhistle.Theoldguyhadagoodsetoflungs.“Youareclearlyanunbeliever.Liketheothers,youmustdie.”Theothers.Annabethmadeaneffortnottolookattheskeletons.Hermindworked furiously,grasping for anything sheknewaboutMithras.

Hehadasecretcultforwarriors.Hewaspopularinthelegion.Hewasoneofthegodswho’dsupplantedAthenaasawardeity.AphroditehadmentionedhimduringtheirteatimechatinCharleston.Asidefromthat,Annabethhadnoidea.Mithrasjustwasn’toneofthegodstheytalkedaboutatCampHalf-Blood.ShedoubtedtheghostswouldwaitwhileshewhippedoutDaedalus’slaptopanddidasearch.

She scanned the floor mosaic—seven pictures in a row. She studied the

ghostsandnoticedallofthemworesomesortofbadgeontheirtoga—araven,oratorch,orabow.

“Youhave ritesofpassage,”sheblurtedout.“Seven levelsofmembership.Andthetoplevelisthepater.”

Theghostsletoutacollectivegasp.Thentheyallbeganshoutingatonce.“Howdoessheknowthis?”onedemanded.“Thegirlhasgleanedoursecrets!”“Silence!”thepaterordered.“Butshemightknowabouttheordeals!”anothercried.“Theordeals!”Annabethsaid.“Iknowaboutthem!”Anotherroundofincredulousgasping.“Ridiculous!”Thepater yelled. “Thegirl lies!Daughter ofAthena, choose

yourwayofdeath.Ifyoudonotchoose,thegodwillchooseforyou!”“Fireordagger,”Annabethguessed.Eventhepaterlookedstunned.Apparentlyhehadn’trememberedtherewere

victimsofpastpunishmentslyingonthefloor.“How—howdidyou…?”Hegulped.“Whoareyou?”“AchildofAthena,”Annabethsaidagain.“Butnotjustanychild.Iam…uh,

thematerinmysisterhood.Themagnamater,infact.Therearenomysteriestome.Mithrascannothideanythingfrommysight.”

“Themagnamater!”aghostwailedindespair.“Thebigmother!”“Killher!”Oneof theghostscharged,hishandsout to strangleher,buthe

passedrightthroughher.“You’redead,”Annabethremindedhim.“Sitdown.”Theghostlookedembarrassedandtookhisseat.“Wedonotneedtokillyouourselves,”thepatergrowled.“Mithrasshalldo

thatforus!”Thestatueonthealtarbegantoglow.Annabethpressedherhandsagainstthebricked-indoorwayatherback.That

hadtobetheexit.Themortarwascrumbling,butitwasnotweakenoughforhertobreakthroughwithbruteforce.

She looked desperately around the room—the cracked ceiling, the floor

mosaic, the wall paintings, and the carved altar. She began to talk, pullingdeductionsfromthetopofherhead.

“Itisnogood,”shesaid.“Iknowall.YoutestyourinitiateswithfirebecausethetorchisthesymbolofMithras.Hisothersymbolisthedagger,whichiswhyyou can also be tested with the blade. You want to kill me, just as…uh, asMithraskilledthesacredbull.”

Itwasatotalguess,butthealtarshowedMithraskillingabull,soAnnabethfigured itmust be important. The ghostswailed and covered their ears. Someslappedtheirfacesasiftowakeupfromabaddream.

“Thebigmotherknows!”onesaid.“Itisimpossible!”Unless you look around the room, Annabeth thought, her confidence

growing.Sheglared at theghostwhohad just spoken.Hehad a ravenbadgeonhis

toga—thesamesymbolasontheflooratherfeet.“Youarejustaraven,”shescolded.“Thatisthelowestrank.Besilentandlet

mespeaktoyourpater.”Theghostcringed.“Mercy!Mercy!”At the front of the room, the pater trembled—either from rage or fear,

Annabethwasn’tsurewhich.Hispopehattiltedsidewaysonhisheadlikeagasgauge dropping toward empty. “Truly, you know much, big mother. Yourwisdom is great, but that is all the more reason why you cannot leave. Theweaverwarnedusyouwouldcome.”

“Theweaver…”Annabethrealizedwithasinkingfeelingwhatthepaterwastalking about: the thing in the dark from Percy’s dream, the guardian of theshrine.Thiswasonetimeshewishedshedidn’tknowtheanswer,butshetriedtomaintainhercalm.“Theweaverfearsme.Shedoesn’twantmetofollowtheMarkofAthena.Butyouwillletmepass.”

“Youmust choose an ordeal!” the pater insisted. “Fire or dagger! Surviveone,andthen,perhaps!”

Annabeth looked down at the bones of her siblings. The failures of yourpredecessorswillguideyou.

They’dallchosenoneortheother:fireordagger.Maybethey’dthoughtthey

couldbeattheordeal.Buttheyhadalldied.Annabethneededathirdchoice.Shestaredatthealtarstatue,whichwasglowingbrighterbythesecond.She

couldfeelitsheatacrosstheroom.Herinstinctwastofocusonthedaggerorthetorch,but insteadsheconcentratedon thestatue’sbase.Shewonderedwhy itslegs were stuck in stone. Then it occurred to her: maybe the little statue ofMithraswasn’tstuckintherock.Maybehewasemergingfromtherock.

“Neither torch nor dagger,” Annabeth said firmly. “There is a third test,whichIwillpass.”

“Athirdtest?”thepaterdemanded.“Mithras was born from rock,” Annabeth said, hoping she was right. “He

emergedfullygrownfromthestone,holdinghisdaggerandtorch.”Thescreamingandwailingtoldhershehadguessedcorrectly.“Thebigmotherknowsall!”aghostcried.“Thatisourmostcloselyguarded

secret!”Thenmaybeyoushouldn’tputastatueofitonyouraltar,Annabeththought.

Butshewasthankfulforstupidmaleghosts.If they’dletwomenwarriors intotheircult,theymighthavelearnedsomecommonsense.

Annabeth gestured dramatically to the wall she’d come from. “I was bornfromstone,justasMithraswas!Therefore,Ihavealreadypassedyourordeal!”

“Bah!” the pater spat. “You came from a hole in the wall! That’s not thesamething.”

Okay. So apparently the pater wasn’t a complete moron, but Annabethremainedconfident.Sheglancedattheceiling,andanotherideacametoher—allthedetailsclickingtogether.

“Ihavecontrolovertheverystones.”Sheraisedherarms.“Iwillprovemypower is greater than Mithras. With a single strike, I will bring down thischamber.”

Theghostswailedandtrembledandlookedattheceiling,butAnnabethknewthey didn’t seewhat she saw.These ghostswerewarriors, not engineers. Thechildren of Athena had many skills, and not just in combat. Annabeth hadstudiedarchitectureforyears.Sheknewthisancientchamberwasonthevergeof collapse. She recognized what the stress fractures in the ceilingmeant, all

emanating from a single point—the top of the stone arch just above her. Thecapstonewas about to crumble, andwhen that happened, assuming she couldtimeitcorrectly…

“Impossible!” the pater shouted. “Theweaver has paid usmuch tribute todestroyanychildrenofAthenawhowoulddareenterourshrine.Wehaveneverletherdown.Wecannotletyoupass.”

“Thenyoufearmypower!”Annabethsaid.“YouadmitthatIcoulddestroyyoursacredchamber!”

Thepater scowled.He straightened his hat uneasily.Annabeth knew she’dput him in an impossible position. He couldn’t back down without lookingcowardly.

“Doyourworst,childofAthena,”hedecided.“NoonecanbringdownthecavernofMithras,especiallywithonestrike.Especiallynotagirl!”

Annabeth hefted her dagger. The ceiling was low. She could reach thecapstoneeasily,butshe’dhavetomakeheronestrikecount.

The doorway behind herwas blocked, but in theory, if the room started tocollapse, those bricks shouldweaken and crumble.She should be able to bustherwaythroughbeforetheentireceilingcamedown—assuming,ofcourse,thattherewas something behind the brickwall, not just solid earth; and assumingthat Annabeth was quick enough and strong enough and lucky enough.Otherwise,shewasabouttobeademigodpancake.

“Well,boys,”shesaid.“Lookslikeyouchosethewrongwargod.”Shestruckthecapstone.TheCelestialbronzebladeshattered it likeasugar

cube.Foramoment,nothinghappened.“Ha!”thepatergloated.“Yousee?Athenahasnopowerhere!”Theroomshook.Afissureranacrossthelengthoftheceilingandthefarend

of thecaverncollapsed,burying thealtarand thepater.Morecrackswidened.Bricksfellfromthearches.Ghostsscreamedandran,buttheycouldn’tseemtopass through the walls. Apparently they were bound to this chamber even indeath.

Annabeth turned. She slammed against the blocked entrance with all hermight,andthebricksgaveway.AsthecavernofMithrasimplodedbehindher,

shelungedintodarknessandfoundherselffalling.

ANNABETHTHOUGHT SHEKNEW PAIN. She had fallen off the lavawall atCampHalf-Blood. She’d been stabbed in the arm with a poison blade on theWilliamsburgBridge.Shehadevenheldtheweightoftheskyonhershoulders.

Butthatwasnothingcomparedtolandinghardonherankle.She immediatelyknewshe’dbroken it.Pain likeahot steelwire jabbed its

wayupherlegandintoherhip.Theworldnarrowedtojusther,herankle,andtheagony.

Shealmostblackedout.Herheadspun.Herbreathbecameshortandrapid.No,shetoldherself.Youcan’tgointoshock.She tried to breathemore slowly.She lay as still as possible until the pain

subsidedfromabsolutetorturetojusthorriblethrobbing.Partofherwantedtohowlattheworldforbeingsounfair.Allthisway,just

tobestoppedbysomethingascommonasabrokenankle?Sheforcedheremotionsbackdown.Atcamp,she’dbeentrainedtosurvive

inallsortsofbadsituations,includinginjurieslikethis.Shelookedaroundher.Herdaggerhadskitteredafewfeetaway.Initsdim

lightshecouldmakeoutthefeaturesoftheroom.Shewaslyingonacoldfloorof sandstone blocks. The ceiling was two stories tall. The doorway through

which she’d fallenwas ten feet off the ground, now completely blockedwithdebristhathadcascadedintotheroom,makingarockslide.Scatteredaroundherwere old pieces of lumber—some cracked and desiccated, others broken intokindling.Stupid, she scolded herself. She’d lunged through that doorway, assuming

therewouldbealevelcorridororanotherroom.Ithadneveroccurredtoherthatshe’dbe tumbling into space.The lumberhadprobablyoncebeen a staircase,longagocollapsed.

Sheinspectedherankle.Herfootdidn’tappeartoostrangelybent.Shecouldfeelhertoes.Shedidn’tseeanyblood.Thatwasallgood.

Shereachedoutforapieceoflumber.Eventhatsmallbitofmovementmadeheryelp.

Theboardcrumbled inherhand.Thewoodmightbecenturiesold,orevenmillennia.ShehadnowayofknowingifthisroomwasolderthantheshrineofMithras, or if—like the labyrinth—the rooms were a hodgepodge frommanyerasthrownrandomlytogether.

“Okay,”shesaidaloud,justtohearhervoice.“Think,Annabeth.Prioritize.”She remembered a silly wilderness survival course Grover had taught her

back at camp. At least it had seemed silly at the time. First step: Scan yoursurroundingsforimmediatethreats.

This room didn’t seem to be in danger of collapsing. The rockslide hadstopped. The walls were solid blocks of stone with no major cracks that shecouldsee.Theceilingwasnotsagging.Good.

Theonlyexitwasonthefarwall—anarcheddoorwaythatledintodarkness.Between her and the doorway, a small brickwork trench cut across the floor,lettingwaterflowthroughtheroomfromlefttoright.MaybeplumbingfromtheRomandays?Ifthewaterwasdrinkable,thatwasgoodtoo.

Piled inone cornerwere somebrokenceramicvases, spillingout shriveledbrown clumps thatmight once have been fruit. Yuck. In another cornerweresomewoodencratesthatlookedmoreintact,andsomewickerboxesboundwithleatherstraps.

“So, no immediate danger,” she said to herself. “Unless something comes

barrelingoutofthatdarktunnel.”She glared at the doorway, almost daring her luck to get worse. Nothing

happened.“Okay,”shesaid.“Nextstep:Takeinventory.”Whatcouldsheuse?Shehadherwaterbottle,andmorewaterinthattrench

ifshecouldreachit.Shehadherknife.Herbackpackwasfullofcolorfulstring(whee), her laptop, the bronze map, some matches, and some ambrosia foremergencies.

Ah…yeah.Thisqualifiedasanemergency.Shedugthegodlyfoodoutofherpackandwolfeditdown.Asusual,ittastedlikecomfortingmemories.Thistimeitwasbutteredpopcorn—movienightwithherdadathisplaceinSanFrancisco,nostepmom,nostepbrothers,justAnnabethandherfathercurleduponthesofawatchingsappyoldromanticcomedies.

The ambrosiawarmed herwhole body. The pain in her leg became a dullthrob. Annabeth knew shewas still inmajor trouble. Even ambrosia couldn’theal broken bones right away. It might speed up the process, but best-casescenario,shewouldn’tbeabletoputanyweightonherfootforadayormore.

She tried to reach her knife, but it was too far away. She scooted in thatdirection.Pain flared again, likenailswerepiercingher foot.Her facebeadedwithsweat,butafteronemorescoot,shemanagedtoreachthedagger.

Shefeltbetterholdingit—notjustforlightandprotection,butalsobecauseitwassofamiliar.

Whatnext?Grover’s survival classhadmentionedsomethingabout stayingput and waiting for rescue, but that wasn’t going to happen. Even if Percysomehowmanagedtotracehersteps,thecavernofMithrashadcollapsed.

She could try contacting someonewithDaedalus’s laptop, but she doubtedshecouldgetasignaldownhere.Besides,whowouldshecall?Shecouldn’ttextanyone who was close enough to help. Demigods never carried cell phones,because their signals attracted toomuchmonstrous attention, and none of herfriendswouldbesittingaroundcheckingtheire-mail.

AnIris-message?Shehadwater,butshedoubtedthatshecouldmakeenoughlight for a rainbow. The only coin she hadwas her silver Athenian drachma,

whichdidn’tmakeagreattribute.Therewasanotherproblemwithcallingforhelp: thiswassupposedtobea

solo quest. IfAnnabeth did get rescued, she’d be admitting defeat. SomethingtoldherthattheMarkofAthenawouldnolongerguideher.Shecouldwanderdownhereforever,andshe’dneverfindtheAthenaParthenos.

So…nogoodstayingputandwaitingforhelp.Whichmeantshehadtofindawaytokeepgoingonherown.

Sheopenedherwaterbottleanddrank.Shehadn’t realizedhow thirsty shewas.Whenthebottlewasempty,shecrawledtothegutterandrefilledit.

Thewaterwascoldandmovingswiftly—goodsignsthatitmightbesafetodrink.Shefilledherbottle, thencuppedsomewater inherhandsandsplashedher face. Immediately she felt more alert. She washed off and cleaned herscrapesasbestshecould.

Annabethsatupandglaredatherankle.“Youhadtobreak,”shescoldedit.Theankledidnotreply.She’dhavetoimmobilizeitinsomesortofcast.Thatwastheonlywayshe’d

beabletomove.Hmm…Sheraisedherdaggerandinspectedtheroomagaininitsbronzelight.Now

thatshewasclosertotheopendoorway,shelikeditevenless.Itledintoadarksilent corridor. The air wafting out smelled sickly sweet and somehow evil.Unfortunately,Annabethdidn’tseeanyotherwayshecouldgo.

With a lot of gasping and blinking back tears, she crawled over to thewreckageofthestairs.Shefoundtwoplanksthatwereinfairlygoodshapeandlongenoughforasplint.Thenshescootedovertothewickerboxesandusedherknifetocutofftheleatherstraps.

Whileshewaspsychingherselfuptoimmobilizeherankle,shenoticedsomefadedwordsononeofthewoodencrates:HERMESEXPRESS.

Annabethscootedexcitedlytowardthebox.She had no ideawhat itwas doing here, butHermes delivered all sorts of

usefulstuff togods,spirits,andevendemigods.Maybehe’ddropped thiscare

packagehereyearsagotohelpdemigodslikeherwiththisquest.SheprieditopenandpulledoutseveralsheetsofBubbleWrap,butwhatever

hadbeeninsidewasgone.“Hermes!”sheprotested.ShestaredglumlyattheBubbleWrap.Thenhermindkickedintogear,and

sherealizedthewrappingwasagift.“Oh…that’sperfect!”AnnabethcoveredherbrokenankleinaBubbleWrapcast.Shesetitwiththe

lumbersplintsandtieditalltogetherwiththeleatherstraps.Oncebefore,infirstaidpractice,she’dsplintedafakebrokenlegforanother

camper,butsheneverimaginedshe’dhavetomakeasplintforherself.Itwashard,painfulwork,butfinallyitwasdone.Shesearchedthewreckage

ofthestairsuntilshefoundpartoftherailing—anarrowboardaboutfourfeetlongthatcouldserveasacrutch.Sheputherbackagainstthewall,gothergoodlegready,andhauledherselfup.

“Whoa.”Blackspotsdancedinhereyes,butshestayedupright.“Next time,” she muttered to the dark room, “just let me fight a monster.

Mucheasier.”Abovetheopendoorway,theMarkofAthenablazedtolifeagainstthearch.Thefieryowlseemedtobewatchingherexpectantly,asiftosay:Abouttime.

Oh,youwantmonsters?Rightthisway!Annabethwonderedif thatburningmarkwasbasedonarealsacredowl.If

so,whenshesurvived,shewasgoingtofindthatowlandpunchitintheface.That thought lifted her spirits. She made it across the trench and hobbled

slowlyintothecorridor.

THETUNNELRANSTRAIGHTANDSMOOTH,butafterherfall,Annabethdecidedtotakenochances.Sheusedthewall forsupportandtappedthefloor infrontofherwithhercrutchtomakesuretherewerenotraps.

As she walked, the sickly sweet smell got stronger and set her nerves onedge. The sound of running water faded behind her. In its place came a drychorusofwhispers likeamillion tinyvoices.Theyseemed tobecomingfrominsidethewalls,andtheyweregettinglouder.

Annabeth tried to speedup,but shecouldn’tgomuch fasterwithout losingher balance or jarring her broken ankle. She hobbled onward, convinced thatsomethingwas followingher.Thesmallvoicesweremassing together,gettingcloser.

Shetouchedthewall,andherhandcamebackcoveredincobwebs.Sheyelped,thencursedherselfformakingasound.It’sonlyaweb,shetoldherself.Butthatdidn’tstoptheroaringinherears.She’d expected spiders. She knew what was ahead: The weaver. Her

Ladyship.Thevoice in thedark.But thewebsmadeher realizehowcloseshewas.

Herhandtrembledasshewipeditonthestones.Whathadshebeenthinking?

Shecouldn’tdothisquestalone.Toolate,shetoldherself.Justkeepgoing.She made her way down the corridor one painful step at a time. The

whispering sounds got louder behind her until they sounded like millions ofdried leaves swirling in the wind. The cobwebs became thicker, filling thetunnel. Soon she was pushing them out of her face, ripping through gauzycurtainsthatcoveredherlikeSillyString.

Herheartwantedtobreakoutofherchestandrun.Shestumbledaheadmorerecklessly,tryingtoignorethepaininherankle.

Finallythecorridorendedinadoorwayfilledwaist-highwitholdlumber.Itlookedasifsomeonehadtriedtobarricadetheopening.Thatdidn’tbodewell,butAnnabeth used her crutch to push away the boards as best she could. Shecrawledovertheremainingpile,gettingafewdozensplintersinherfreehand.

On the other side of the barricade was a chamber the size of a basketballcourt. The floorwas done inRomanmosaics. The remains of tapestries hungfrom the walls. Two unlit torches sat in wall sconces on either side of thedoorway,bothcoveredincobwebs.

Atthefarendoftheroom,theMarkofAthenaburnedoveranotherdoorway.Unfortunately, between Annabeth and that exit, the floor was bisected by achasmfifty feetacross.Spanning thepitwere twoparallelwoodenbeams, toofarapartforbothfeet,buteachtoonarrowtowalkonunlessAnnabethwasanacrobat,whichshewasn’t,anddidn’thaveabrokenankle,whichshedid.

The corridor she’d come from was filled with hissing noises. Cobwebstrembled and danced as the first of the spiders appeared: no larger thangumdrops,butplumpandblack,skitteringoverthewallsandthefloor.

What kind of spiders? Annabeth had no idea. She only knew they werecomingforher,andsheonlyhadsecondstofigureoutaplan.

Annabethwanted to sob. Shewanted someone,anyone, to be here for her.She wanted Leo with his fire skills, or Jason with his lightning, or Hazel tocollapsethetunnel.MostofallshewantedPercy.ShealwaysfeltbraverwhenPercywaswithher.

Iamnotgoingtodiehere,shetoldherself.I’mgoingtoseePercyagain.

Thefirstspiderswerealmosttothedoor.Behindthemcamethebulkofthearmy—ablackseaofcreepy-crawlies.

Annabethhobbledtooneofthewallsconcesandsnatchedupthetorch.Theend was coated in pitch for easy lighting. Her fingers felt like lead, but sherummagedthroughherbackpackandfoundthematches.Shestruckoneandsetthetorchablaze.

She thrust it into the barricade. The old dry wood caught immediately.Flames leaped to the cobwebs and roared down the corridor in a flash fire,roastingspidersbythethousands.

Annabethsteppedbackfromherbonfire.She’dboughtherselfsometime,butshe doubted that she’d killed all the spiders. Theywould regroup and swarmagainassoonasthefiredied.

Shesteppedtotheedgeofthechasm.Sheshinedherlightintothepit,butshecouldn’tseethebottom.Jumpingin

wouldbesuicide.Shecouldtrytocrossoneofthebarshandoverhand,butshedidn’ttrustherarmstrength,andshedidn’tseehowshewouldbeabletohaulherselfupwitha fullbackpackandabrokenankleonceshe reached theotherside.

Shecrouchedandstudiedthebeams.Eachhadasetofironeyehooksalongthe inside, set at one-foot intervals. Maybe the rails had been the sides of abridgeand themiddleplankshadbeen removedordestroyed.But eyehooks?Thoseweren’tforsupportingplanks.Morelike…

Sheglancedatthewalls.Thesamekindofhookshadbeenusedtohangtheshreddedtapestries.

Sherealized thebeamsweren’tmeantasabridge.Theyweresomekindofloom.

Annabeththrewherflamingtorchtotheothersideofthechasm.Shehadnofaithherplanwouldwork,butshepulledallthestringoutofherbackpackandbegan weaving between the beams, stringing a cat’s cradle pattern back andforthfromeyehooktoeyehook,doublingandtriplingtheline.

Herhandsmovedwithblazingspeed.Shestoppedthinkingaboutthetaskandjustdidit,loopingandtyingofflines,slowlyextendingherwovennetoverthe

pit.Sheforgotthepaininherlegandthefierybarricadegutteringoutbehindher.

She inchedover thechasm.Theweavingheldherweight.Beforesheknewit,shewashalfwayacross.

Howhadshelearnedtodothis?It’sAthena, she toldherself.Mymother’s skillwithusefulcrafts.Weaving

hadneverseemedparticularlyusefultoAnnabeth—untilnow.Sheglancedbehindher.Thebarricadefirewasdying.Afewspiderscrawled

inaroundtheedgesofthedoorway.Desperately she continued weaving, and finally she made it across. She

snatchedupthetorchandthrustitintoherwovenbridge.Flamesracedalongthestring.Eventhebeamscaughtfireasifthey’dbeenpre-soakedinoil.

Foramoment,thebridgeburnedinaclearpattern—afieryrowofidenticalowls.HadAnnabethreallywoven theminto thestring,orwas it somekindofmagic?Shedidn’tknow,butasthespidersbegantocross,thebeamscrumbledandcollapsedintothepit.

Annabethheldherbreath.Shedidn’tseeanyreasonwhythespiderscouldn’treachherbyclimbing thewallsor theceiling. If theystarted todo that, she’dhavetorunforit,andshewasprettysureshecouldn’tmovefastenough.

Forsomereason,thespidersdidn’tfollow.Theymassedattheedgeofthepit—aseethingblackcarpetofcreepiness.Thentheydispersed,floodingbackintotheburnedcorridor,almostasifAnnabethwasnolongerinteresting.

“OrIpassedatest,”shesaidaloud.Her torch sputtered out, leaving herwith only the light of her dagger. She

realizedthatshe’dlefthermakeshiftcrutchontheothersideofthechasm.She felt exhausted and out of tricks, but her mind was clear. Her panic

seemedtohaveburnedupalongwiththatwovenbridge.Theweaver,shethought.Imustbeclose.AtleastIknowwhat’sahead.Shemadeherwaydownthenextcorridor,hoppingtokeeptheweightoffher

badfoot.Shedidn’thavefartogo.Aftertwentyfeet,thetunnelopenedintoacavernaslargeasacathedral,so

majesticthatAnnabethhadtroubleprocessingeverythingshesaw.SheguessedthatthiswastheroomfromPercy’sdream,butitwasn’tdark.Bronzebraziersofmagical light, like the gods used on Mount Olympus, glowed around thecircumference of the room, interspersed with gorgeous tapestries. The stonefloorwaswebbedwith fissures like a sheetof ice.Theceilingwas sohigh, itwaslostinthegloomandlayersuponlayersofspiderwebs.

Strands of silk as thick as pillars ran from the ceiling all over the room,anchoringthewallsandthefloorlikethecablesofasuspensionbridge.

Webs also surrounded the centerpiece of the shrine, which was sointimidating thatAnnabethhad trouble raisingher eyes to lookat it.Loomingoverherwasaforty-foot-tallstatueofAthena,with luminous ivoryskinandadressofgold.Inheroutstretchedhand,AthenaheldastatueofNike,thewingedvictorygoddess—astatuethatlookedtinyfromhere,butwasprobablyastallasarealperson.Athena’sotherhandrestedonashieldasbigasabillboard,withasculptedsnakepeekingoutfrombehind,asifAthenawasprotectingit.

The goddess’s face was serene and kindly…and it looked like Athena.Annabeth had seenmany statues that didn’t resemble hermomat all, but thisgiantversion,madethousandsofyearsago,madeherthinkthattheartistmusthavemetAthenainperson.Hehadcapturedherperfectly.

“AthenaParthenos,”Annabethmurmured.“It’sreallyhere.”Allher life,shehadwantedtovisit theParthenon.Nowshewasseeingthe

mainattractionthatusedtobethere—andshewasthefirstchildofAthenatodosoinmillennia.

She realized her mouth was hanging open. She forced herself to swallow.Annabethcouldhavestoodtherealldaylookingatthestatue,butshehadonlyaccomplishedhalfhermission.ShehadfoundtheAthenaParthenos.Now,howcouldsherescueitfromthiscavern?

Strands of web covered it like a gauze pavilion. Annabeth suspected thatwithout those webs, the statue would have fallen through the weakened floorlongago.Asshesteppedintotheroom,shecouldseethatthecracksbelowwereso wide, she could have lost her foot in them. Beneath the cracks, she sawnothingbutemptydarkness.

Achillwashedoverher.Wherewastheguardian?HowcouldAnnabethfreethestatuewithoutcollapsingthefloor?Shecouldn’tverywellshovetheAthenaParthenosdownthecorridorthatshe’dcomefrom.

Shescannedthechamber,hopingtoseesomethingthatmighthelp.Hereyeswandered over the tapestries, which were heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Oneshowed a pastoral scene so three-dimensional, it could’ve been a window.Anothertapestryshowedthegodsbattlingthegiants.Annabethsawalandscapeof the Underworld. Next to it was the skyline of modern Rome. And in thetapestrytoherleft…

Shecaughtherbreath.Itwasaportraitoftwodemigodskissingunderwater:AnnabethandPercy,thedaytheirfriendshadthrownthemintothecanoelakeatcamp.Itwassolifelikethatshewonderediftheweaverhadbeenthere,lurkinginthelakewithawaterproofcamera.

“Howisthatpossible?”shemurmured.Above her in the gloom, a voice spoke. “For ages I have known that you

wouldcome,mysweet.”Annabethshuddered.Suddenlyshewassevenyearsoldagain,hidingunder

hercovers,waitingforthespiderstoattackherinthenight.Thevoicesoundedjust as Percy had described: an angry buzz in multiple tones, female but nothuman.

Inthewebsabovethestatue,somethingmoved—somethingdarkandlarge.“Ihaveseenyouinmydreams,”thevoicesaid,sicklysweetandevil,likethe

smell in thecorridors.“Ihad tomakesureyouwereworthy, theonly childofAthenacleverenoughtopassmytestsandreachthisplacealive.Indeed,youarehermosttalentedchild.Thiswillmakeyourdeathsomuchmorepainfultomyoldenemywhenyoufailutterly.”

The pain in Annabeth’s ankle was nothing compared to the icy acid nowfilling her veins. Shewanted to run. Shewanted to plead formercy. But shecouldn’tshowweakness—notnow.

“You’re Arachne,” she called out. “The weaver who was turned into aspider.”

Thefiguredescended,becomingclearerandmorehorrible.“Cursedbyyour

mother,” she said. “Scorned by all andmade into a hideous thing…because Iwasthebetterweaver.”

“Butyoulostthecontest,”Annabethsaid.“That’sthestorywrittenbythewinner!”criedArachne.“Lookonmywork!

Seeforyourself!”Annabethdidn’thaveto.Thetapestrieswerethebestshe’deverseen—better

than the witch Circe’s work, and, yes, even better than someweavings she’dseenonMountOlympus.Shewondered ifhermother trulyhad lost—if she’dhiddenArachneawayandrewrittenthetruth.Butrightnow,itdidn’tmatter.

“You’ve been guarding this statue since the ancient times,” Annabethguessed.“Butitdoesn’tbelonghere.I’mtakingitback.”

“Ha,”Arachnesaid.EvenAnnabethhad to admither threat sounded ridiculous.Howcouldone

girl inaBubbleWrapanklecastremovethishugestatuefromitsundergroundchamber?

“I’m afraid you would have to defeat me first, my sweet,” Arachne said.“Andalas,thatisimpossible.”

Thecreatureappearedfromthecurtainsofwebbing,andAnnabeth realizedthatherquestwashopeless.Shewasabouttodie.

Arachne had the body of a giant black widow, with a hairy red hourglassmarkontheundersideofherabdomenandapairofoozingspinnerets.Hereightspindly legswere linedwith curved barbs as big asAnnabeth’s dagger. If thespidercameanycloser,hersweetstenchalonewouldhavebeenenoughtomakeAnnabethfaint.Butthemosthorriblepartwashermisshapenface.

She might once have been a beautiful woman. Now black mandiblesprotrudedfromhermouthliketusks.Herotherteethhadgrownintothinwhiteneedles.Finedarkwhiskersdottedhercheeks.Hereyeswerelarge,lidless,andpureblack,withtwosmallereyesstickingoutofhertemples.

Thecreaturemadeaviolentrip-rip-ripsoundthatmighthavebeenlaughter.“NowIwillfeastonyou,mysweet,”Arachnesaid.“Butdonotfear.Iwill

makeabeautifultapestrydepictingyourdeath.”

LEOWISHEDHEWASN’TSOGOOD.Really,sometimesitwasjustembarrassing.Ifhehadn’thadsuchaneyefor

mechanicalstuff,theymightneverhavefoundthesecretchute,gottenlostintheunderground, and been attacked by metal dudes. But he just couldn’t helphimself.

Part of itwasHazel’s fault. For a girlwith super underground senses, shewasn’tmuchgoodinRome.Shekeptleadingthemaroundandaroundthecity,gettingdizzy,anddoublingback.

“Sorry,” she said. “It’s just…there’s so much underground here, so manylayers,it’soverwhelming.Likestandinginthemiddleofanorchestraandtryingtoconcentrateonasingleinstrument.I’mgoingdeaf.”

Asaresult,theygotatourofRome.Frankseemedhappytoplodalonglikeabigsheepdog (hmm,Leowondered ifhecould turn intooneof those,orevenbetter: a horse thatLeo could ride).ButLeo started to get impatient.His feetweresore,thedaywassunnyandhot,andthestreetswerechokedwithtourists.

The Forumwas okay, but it wasmostly ruins overgrownwith bushes andtrees. It took a lot of imagination to see it as the bustling center of AncientRome.Leocouldonlymanageitbecausehe’dseenNewRomeinCalifornia.

Theypassedbigchurches,freestandingarches,clothingstores,andfast-foodrestaurants.OnestatueofsomeAncientRomandudeseemedtobepointingtoanearbyMcDonald’s.

On thewider streets, thecar trafficwasabsolutelynuts—man,Leo thoughtpeople in Houston drove crazy—but they spent most of their time weavingthroughsmallalleys,comingacrossfountainsandlittlecaféswhereLeowasnotallowedtorest.

“IneverthoughtI’dgettoseeRome,”Hazelsaid.“WhenIwasalive,Imeanthefirsttime,Mussoliniwasincharge.Wewereatwar.”

“Mussolini?”Leofrowned.“Wasn’thelikeBFFswithHitler?”Hazelstaredathimlikehewasanalien.“BFFs?”“Nevermind.”“I’dlovetoseetheTreviFountain,”shesaid.“There’safountainoneveryblock,”Leogrumbled.“OrtheSpanishSteps,”Hazelsaid.“WhywouldyoucometoItalytoseeSpanishsteps?”Leoasked.“That’slike

goingtoChinaforMexicanfood,isn’tit?”“You’rehopeless,”Hazelcomplained.“SoI’vebeentold.”She turned to Frank and grabbed his hand, as if Leo had ceased to exist.

“Comeon.Ithinkweshouldgothisway.”FrankgaveLeoaconfusedsmile—likehecouldn’tdecidewhethertogloator

tothankLeoforbeingadoofus—buthecheerfullyletHazeldraghimalong.After walking forever, Hazel stopped in front of a church. At least, Leo

assumeditwasachurch.Themainsectionhadabigdomedroof.Theentrancehadatriangularroof,typicalRomancolumns,andaninscriptionacrossthetop:M.AGRIPPAsomethingorother.

“LatinforGetagrip?”Leospeculated.“This is our best bet.” Hazel sounded more certain than she had all day.

“Thereshouldbeasecretpassagesomewhereinside.”Tourgroupsmilled around the steps.Guidesheldup coloredplacardswith

different numbers and lectured in dozens of languages like theywere playing

somekindofinternationalbingo.LeolistenedtotheSpanishtourguideforafewseconds,andthenhereported

tohisfriends,“ThisisthePantheon.ItwasoriginallybuiltbyMarcusAgrippaasa temple to thegods.After itburneddown,EmperorHadrianrebuilt it,andit’sbeenstandingfortwothousandyears.It’soneofthebest-preservedRomanbuildingsintheworld.”

FrankandHazelstaredathim.“Howdidyouknowthat?”Hazelasked.“I’mnaturallybrilliant.”“Centaurpoop,”Franksaid.“Heeavesdroppedonatourgroup.”Leogrinned.“Maybe.Comeon.Let’sgofindthatsecretpassage.Ihopethis

placehasairconditioning.”

Ofcourse,noAC.On the bright side, there were no lines and no admission fee, so they just

muscledtheirwaypastthetourgroupsandwalkedonin.The interiorwaspretty impressive, considering ithadbeenconstructed two

thousandyearsago.ThemarblefloorwaspatternedwithsquaresandcircleslikeaRomantic-tac-toegame.Themainspacewasonehugechamberwithacircularrotunda,sortoflikeacapitolbuildingbackintheStates.Liningthewallsweredifferent shrinesandstatuesand tombsandstuff.But the realeye-catcherwasthedomeoverhead.Allthelightinthebuildingcamefromonecircularopeningrightatthetop.Abeamofsunlightslantedintotherotundaandglowedonthefloor,likeZeuswasuptherewithamagnifyingglass,tryingtofrypunyhumans.

LeowasnoarchitectlikeAnnabeth,buthecouldappreciatetheengineering.TheRomanshadmade thedomeoutofbig stonepanels,but they’dhollowedouteachpanel inasquare-within-squarepattern. It lookedcool.Leofigured italsomadethedomelighterandeasiertosupport.

He didn’t mention that to his friends. He doubted they would care, but ifAnnabeth were here, she would’ve spent the whole day talking about it.Thinking about that made Leo wonder how she was doing on her Mark ofAthena expedition. Leo never thought he’d feel thisway, but hewasworried

aboutthatscaryblondgirl.Hazel stopped in the middle of the room and turned in a circle. “This is

amazing. In theolddays, thechildrenofVulcanwouldcomehere insecret toconsecratedemigodweapons.ThisiswhereImperialgoldwasenchanted.”

Leowonderedhowthatworked.He imaginedabunchofdemigods indarkrobestryingtoquietlyrollascorpionballistathroughthefrontdoors.

“Butwe’renotherebecauseofthat,”heguessed.“No,” Hazel said. “There’s an entrance—a tunnel that will lead us toward

Nico.Icansenseitcloseby.I’mnotsurewhere.”Frank grunted. “If this building is two thousand years old, it makes sense

therecouldbesomekindofsecretpassageleftoverfromtheRomandays.”That’swhenLeomadehismistakeofsimplybeingtoogood.He scanned the temple’s interior, thinking: If I were designing a secret

passage,wherewouldIputit?Hecouldsometimesfigureouthowamachineworkedbyputtinghishandon

it.He’d learned to flyahelicopter thatway.He’dfixedFestus thedragon thatway (before Festus crashed and burned). Once he’d even reprogrammed theelectronic billboards in Times Square to read: ALL DA LADIES LUV LEO…accidentally,ofcourse.

Nowhetriedtosensetheworkingsofthisancientbuilding.Heturnedtowarda redmarble altar-looking thingwith a statue of theVirginMary on the top.“Overthere,”hesaid.

Hemarchedconfidently to theshrine.Itwasshapedsortof likeafireplace,withanarchedrecessatthebottom.Themantelwasinscribedwithaname,likeatomb.

“Thepassageisaroundhere,”hesaid.“Thisguy’sfinalrestingplaceisintheway.Raphaelsomebody?”

“Famouspainter,Ithink,”Hazelsaid.Leoshrugged.HehadacousinnamedRaphael,andhedidn’tthinkmuchof

thename.Hewondered if he couldproduce a stickof dynamite fromhis toolbeltanddoalittlediscreetdemolition;buthefiguredthecaretakersofthisplaceprobablywouldn’tapprove.

“Holdon…”Leolookedaroundtomakesuretheyweren’tbeingwatched.Mostof the tourgroupsweregawkingat thedome,butone triomadeLeo

uneasy. About fifty feet away, some overweight middle-aged dudes withAmericanaccentswereconversingloudly,complainingtoeachotherabouttheheat. They looked likemanatees stuffed into beach clothes—sandals, walkingshorts, touristy T-shirts and floppy hats. Their legs were big and pasty andcoveredwithspiderveins.Theguysactedextremelybored,andLeowonderedwhytheywerehangingaround.

Theyweren’twatching him.Leowasn’t surewhy theymade himnervous.Maybehejustdidn’tlikemanatees.

Forgetthem,Leotoldhimself.Heslippedaroundthesideofthetomb.Heranhishanddownthebackofa

Romancolumn,allthewaytothebase.Rightatthebottom,aseriesoflineshadbeenetchedintothemarble—Romannumerals.

“Heh,”Leosaid.“Notveryelegant,buteffective.”“Whatis?”Frankasked.“Thecombination fora lock.”He felt around thebackof thecolumnsome

moreanddiscovereda squareholeabout thesizeofanelectrical socket. “Thelock face itselfhasbeen rippedout—probablyvandalizedsometime in the lastfewcenturies.ButIshouldbeabletocontrolthemechanisminside,ifIcan…”

Leo placed his hand on themarble floor.He could sense old bronze gearsunderthesurfaceofthestone.Regularbronzewouldhavecorrodedandbecomeunusable long ago, but these were Celestial bronze—the handiwork of ademigod.With a littlewillpower, Leo urged them tomove, using the Romannumerals to guide him. The cylinders turned—click, click, click. Then click,click.

On the floornext to thewall,one sectionofmarble tile slidunderanother,revealingadarksquareopeningbarelylargeenoughtowigglethrough.

“Romans must’ve been small.” Leo looked at Frank appraisingly. “You’llneedtochangeintosomethingthinnertogetthroughhere.”

“That’snotnice!”Hazelchided.“What?Justsaying—”

“Don’tworryaboutit,”Frankmumbled.“Weshouldgogettheothersbeforeweexplore.That’swhatPipersaid.”

“They’rehalfwayacrossthecity,”Leoremindedhim.“Besides,uh,I’mnotsureIcanclosethishatchagain.Thegearsareprettyold.”

“Great,”Franksaid.“Howdoweknowit’ssafedownthere?”Hazel knelt. She put her hand over the opening as if checking the

temperature.“There’snothingalive…at leastnot for severalhundred feet.Thetunnel slantsdown, then levelsoutandgoessouth,moreor less. Idon’t senseanytraps…”

“Howcanyoutellallthat?”Leoasked.She shrugged. “Samewayyou can pick locks onmarble columns, I guess.

I’mgladyou’renotintorobbingbanks.”“Oh…bankvaults,”Leosaid.“Neverthoughtaboutthat.”“ForgetIsaidanything.”Hazelsighed.“Look,it’snotthreeo’clockyet.We

can at least do a little exploring, try to pinpoint Nico’s location before wecontacttheothers.YoutwostayhereuntilIcallforyou.Iwanttocheckthingsout,makesurethetunnelisstructurallysound.I’llbeabletotellmoreonceI’munderground.”

Frankscowled.“Wecan’tletyougobyyourself.Youcouldgethurt.”“Frank, Ican takecareofmyself,”shesaid.“Underground ismyspecialty.

It’ssafestforallofusifIgofirst.”“UnlessFrankwantstoturnintoamole,”Leosuggested.“Oraprairiedog.

Thosethingsareawesome.”“Shutup,”Frankmumbled.“Orabadger.”FrankjabbedafingeratLeo’sface.“Valdez,Iswear—”“Both of you, be quiet,” Hazel scolded. “I’ll be back soon. Give me ten

minutes. Ifyoudon’thearfrommebythen…Nevermind.I’llbefine.Just trynottokilleachotherwhileI’mdownthere.”

She dropped down the hole.Leo andFrank blocked her fromview as bestthey could.They stood shoulder to shoulder, trying to look casual, like itwascompletelynaturalfortwoteenagedguystohangaroundRaphael’stomb.

Tour groups came and went. Most ignored Leo and Frank. A few peopleglanced at them apprehensively and keptwalking.Maybe the tourists thoughttheywould ask for tips. For some reason,Leo could unnerve peoplewhen hegrinned.

The three American manatees were still hanging out in the middle of theroom.OneofthemworeaT-shirtthatsaidROMA,asifhe’dforgetwhatcityhewasinifhedidn’twearit.Everyonceinawhile,hewouldglanceoveratLeoandFranklikehefoundtheirpresencedistasteful.

SomethingaboutthatdudebotheredLeo.HewishedHazelwouldhurryup.“She talked tomeearlier,”Franksaidabruptly.“Hazel toldmeyoufigured

outaboutmylifeline.”Leostirred.He’dalmostforgottenFrankwasstandingnexttohim.“Yourlifeline…oh,theburningstick.Right.”Leoresistedtheurgetosethis

handablazeandyell:Bwahhaha!Theideawassortoffunny,buthewasn’tthatcruel.

“Look,man,”hesaid.“It’scool.I’dneverdoanythingtoputyouindanger.We’reonthesameteam.”

Frankfiddledwithhiscenturionbadge.“Ialwaysknewfirecouldkillme,butsince my grandmother’s mansion burned down in Vancouver…it seems a lotmorereal.”

Leo nodded. He felt sympathy for Frank, but the guy didn’t make it easywhen he talked about his family mansion. Sort of like saying, I crashed myLamborghini,andwaitingforpeopletosay,Oh,youpoorbaby!

OfcourseLeodidn’t tellhim that. “Yourgrandmother—did shedie in thatfire?Youdidn’tsay.”

“I—Idon’tknow.Shewassick,andprettyold.Shesaidshewoulddieinherowntime,inherownway.ButIthinkshemadeitoutofthefire.Isawthisbirdflyingupfromtheflames.”

Leo thought about that. “So your whole family has the shape-changingthing?”

“I guess,”Frank said. “Mymomdid.Grandmother thought that’swhat gotherkilled inAfghanistan, in thewar.Mom tried tohelp someofher buddies,

and…Idon’tknowexactlywhathappened.Therewasafirebomb.”Leowincedwithsympathy.“Sowebothlostourmomstofire.”Hehadn’tbeenplanningonit,buthetoldFrankthewholestoryofthenight

attheworkshopwhenGaeahadappearedtohim,andhismotherhaddied.Frank’s eyes gotwatery. “I never like itwhen people tellme,Sorry about

yourmom.”“Itneverfeelsgenuine,”Leoagreed.“ButI’msorryaboutyourmom.”“Thanks.”No sign of Hazel. The American tourists were still milling around the

Pantheon.Theyseemedtobecirclingcloser, like theywere tryingtosneakuponRaphael’stombwithoutitnoticing.

“BackatCampJupiter,”Franksaid,“ourcabinLar,Reticulus,toldmeIhavemorepower thanmostdemigods,beinga sonofMars,plushaving the shape-changing ability frommymom’s side.He said that’swhymy life is tied to aburningstick.It’ssuchahugeweaknessthatitkindofbalancesthingsout.”

Leo rememberedhis conversationwithNemesis the revengegoddessat theGreat Salt Lake. She’d said something similar about wanting the scales tobalance.Goodluckisasham.Truesuccessrequiressacrifice.

Her fortune cookiewas still inLeo’s tool belt,waiting to be opened.Soonyouwillfaceaproblemyoucannotsolve,thoughIcouldhelpyou…foraprice.

Leowishedhecouldpluck thatmemoryoutofhisheadandshove it inhistoolbelt.Itwastakinguptoomuchspace.“We’veallgotweaknesses,”hesaid.“Me,forinstance.I’mtragicallyfunnyandgood-looking.”

Franksnorted.“Youmighthaveweaknesses.Butyourlifedoesn’tdependonapieceoffirewood.”

“No,” Leo admitted. He started thinking: if Frank’s problem were hisproblem,howwouldhe solve it?Almost everydesign flawcouldbe fixed. “Iwonder…”

He looked across the room and faltered. The threeAmerican touristswerecoming theirway; nomore circling or sneaking.Theyweremaking a straightlineforRaphael’stomb,andallthreewereglaringatLeo.

“Uh,Frank?”Leoasked.“Hasitbeentenminutesyet?”Frankfollowedhisgaze.TheAmericans’faceswereangryandconfused,like

theyweresleepwalkingthroughaveryannoyingnightmare.“LeoValdez,”calledtheguyintheROMAshirt.Hisvoicehadchanged.Itwas

hollowandmetallic.HespokeEnglishasifitwasasecondlanguage.“Wemeetagain.”

Allthreetouristsblinked,andtheireyesturnedsolidgold.Frankyelped.“Eidolons!”The manatees clenched their beefy fists. Normally, Leo wouldn’t have

worried about getting murdered by overweight guys in floppy hats, but hesuspectedtheeidolonsweredangerouseveninthosebodies,especiallysincethespiritswouldn’tcarewhethertheirhostssurvivedornot.

“Theycan’tfitdownthehole,”Leosaid.“Right,”Franksaid.“Undergroundissoundingreallygood.”Heturnedintoasnakeandslitheredovertheedge.Leojumpedinafterhim

whilethespiritsbegantowailabove,“Valdez!KillValdez!”

ONE PROBLEM SOLVED: the hatch above them closed automatically, cutting offtheirpursuers. Italsocutoffall light,butLeoandFrankcoulddealwith that.Leojusthopedtheydidn’tneedtogetoutthesamewaytheycamein.Hewasn’tsurehecouldopenthetilefromunderneath.

At least the possessed manatee dudes were on the other side. Over Leo’shead,themarblefloorshuddered,likefattouristyfeetwerekickingit.

Frankmusthaveturnedbacktohumanform.Leocouldhearhimwheezinginthedark.

“Whatnow?”Frankasked.“Okay,don’tfreak,”Leosaid.“I’mgoingtosummonalittlefire,justsowe

cansee.”“Thanksforthewarning.”Leo’sindexfingerblazedlikeabirthdaycandle.Infrontofthemstretcheda

stone tunnelwith a low ceiling. Just asHazel had predicted, it slanted down,thenleveledoutandwentsouth.

“Well,”Leosaid.“Itonlygoesinonedirection.”“Let’sfindHazel,”Franksaid.Leohadno argumentwith that suggestion.Theymade theirwaydown the

corridor,Leogoingfirstwiththefire.HewasgladtohaveFrankathisback,bigand strongandable to turn into scary animals in case thosepossessed touristssomehow broke through the hatch, squeezed inside, and followed them. Hewondered if the eidolons might just leave those bodies behind, seepunderground,andpossessoneoftheminstead.Oh,there’smyhappythoughtfortheday!Leoscoldedhimself.Afterahundredfeetorso,theyturnedacornerandfoundHazel.Inthelight

ofhergoldencavalrysword,shewasexaminingadoor.Shewassoengrossed,shedidn’tnoticethemuntilLeosaid,“Hi.”

Hazel whirled, trying to swing her spatha. Fortunately for Leo’s face, thebladewastoolongtowieldinthecorridor.

“Whatareyoudoinghere?”Hazeldemanded.Leogulped.“Sorry.Weranintosomeangrytourists.”Hetoldherwhathad

happened.Shehissedinfrustration.“Ihateeidolons.IthoughtPipermadethempromise

tostayaway.”“Oh…”Frank said, like he’d just had his owndaily happy thought. “Piper

made thempromise to stayoff the shipandnotpossessanyofus.But if theyfollowed us, and used other bodies to attack us, then they’re not technicallybreakingtheirvow.…”

“Great,”Leomuttered.“Eidolonswhoarealsolawyers.NowIreallywanttokillthem.”

“Okay,forget themfornow,”Hazelsaid.“Thisdoorisgivingmefits.Leo,canyoutryyourskillwiththelock?”

Leocrackedhisknuckles.“Standasideforthemaster,please.”Thedoorwas interesting,muchmorecomplicated than theRomannumeral

combination lock above. The entire door was coated in Imperial gold. Amechanicalsphereaboutthesizeofabowlingballwasembeddedinthecenter.The sphere was constructed from five concentric rings, each inscribed withzodiac symbols—the bull, the scorpion, et cetera—and seemingly randomnumbersandletters.

“TheselettersareGreek,”Leosaidinsurprise.

“Well,lotsofRomansspokeGreek,”Hazelsaid.“Iguess,”Leosaid.“Butthisworkmanship…nooffensetoyouCampJupiter

types,butthisistoocomplicatedtobeRoman.”Franksnorted.“WhereasyouGreeksjustlovemakingthingscomplicated.”“Hey,” Leo protested. “All I’m saying is this machinery is delicate,

sophisticated. It reminds me of…” Leo stared at the sphere, trying to recallwherehe’dreadorheardaboutasimilarancientmachine.“It’samoreadvancedsortoflock,”hedecided.“Youlineupthesymbolsonthedifferentringsintherightorder,andthatopensthedoor.”

“Butwhat’stherightorder?”Hazelasked.“Good question. Greek spheres…astronomy, geometry…” Leo got a warm

feelinginside.“Oh,noway.Iwonder…What’sthevalueofpi?”Frankfrowned.“Whatkindofpie?”“Hemeans thenumber,”Hazelguessed.“I learned that inmathclassonce,

but—”“It’susedtomeasurecircles,”Leosaid.“Thissphere,ifit’smadebytheguy

I’mthinkingof…”HazelandFrankbothstaredathimblankly.“Nevermind,”Leosaid.“I’mprettysurepiis,uh,3.1415blahblahblah.The

number goes on forever, but the sphere has only five rings, so that should beenough,ifI’mright.”

“Andifyou’renot?”Frankasked.“Well,then,Leofalldown,goboom.Let’sfindout!”He turned the rings, starting on the outside andmoving in.He ignored the

zodiacsignsandletters,liningupthecorrectnumberssotheymadethevalueofpi.Nothinghappened.

“I’m stupid,” Leo mumbled. “Pi would expand outward, because it’sinfinite.”

He reversed the order of the numbers, starting in the center and workingtoward the edge.When he aligned the last ring, something inside the sphereclicked.Thedoorswungopen.

Leobeamedathis friends.“That,goodpeople, ishowwedo things inLeo

World.Comeonin!”“IhateLeoWorld,”Frankmuttered.Hazellaughed.InsidewasenoughcoolstufftokeepLeobusyforyears.Theroomwasabout

thesizeof theforgebackatCampHalf-Blood,withbronze-toppedworktablesalong the walls, and baskets full of ancient metalworking tools. Dozens ofbronzeandgoldsphereslikesteampunkbasketballssataroundinvariousstagesofdisassembly.Loosegearsandwiringlitteredthefloor.Thickmetalcablesranfromeachtabletowardthebackoftheroom,wheretherewasanenclosedloftlike a theater’s sound booth. Stairs led up to the booth on either side.All thecablesseemedtorunintoit.Nexttothestairsontheleft,arowofcubbyholeswasfilledwithleathercylinders—probablyancientscrollcases.

Leo was about to head toward the tables when he glanced to his left andnearly jumped out of his shoes. Flanking the doorway were two armoredmanikins—likeskeletalscarecrowsmadefrombronzepipes,outfittedwithfullsuitsofRomanarmor,shieldandsword.

“Dude.”Leowalkeduptoone.“Thesewouldbeawesomeiftheyworked.”Frankedgedawayfromthemanikins.“Thosethingsaregoingtocomealive

andattackus,aren’tthey?”Leo laughed. “Not a chance.They aren’t complete.”He tapped the nearest

manikin’s neck, where loose copper wires sprouted from underneath itsbreastplate. “Look, the head’swiring has been disconnected.And here, at theelbow, the pulley system for this joint is out of alignment. My guess? TheRomansweretryingtoduplicateaGreekdesign,buttheydidn’thavetheskill.”

Hazel arched her eyebrows. “The Romans weren’t good enough at beingcomplicated,Isuppose.”

“Ordelicate,”Frankadded.“Orsophisticated.”“Hey,IjustcallitlikeIseeit.”Leojiggledthemanikin’shead,makingitnod

likeitwasagreeingwithhim.“Still…aprettyimpressivetry.I’veheardlegendsthattheRomansconfiscatedthewritingsofArchimedes,but—”

“Archimedes?”Hazel lookedbaffled. “Wasn’t he an ancientmathematicianorsomething?”

Leolaughed.“Hewasalotmorethanthat.HewasonlythemostfamoussonofHephaestuswhoeverlived.”

Frankscratchedhisear.“I’veheardhisnamebefore,buthowcanyoubesurethismanikinishisdesign?”

“Ithastobe!”Leosaid.“Look,I’vereadallaboutArchimedes.He’saherotoCabinNine.ThedudewasGreek,right?HelivedinoneoftheGreekcoloniesin southern Italy, back before Rome got all huge and took over. Finally theRomansmoved inanddestroyedhiscity.TheRomangeneralwanted to spareArchimedes,becausehewassovaluable—sortofliketheEinsteinoftheancientworld—butsomestupidRomansoldierkilledhim.”

“Thereyougoagain,”Hazelmuttered.“StupidandRomandon’talwaysgotogether,Leo.”

Frank grunted agreement. “How do you know all this, anyway?” hedemanded.“IsthereaSpanishtourguidearoundhere?”

“No,man,”Leosaid.“Youcan’tbeademigodwho’sintobuildingstuffandnot know about Archimedes. The guy was seriously elite. He calculated thevalueofpi.Hedidallthismathstuffwestilluseforengineering.Heinventedahydraulicscrewthatcouldmovewaterthroughpipes.”

Hazel scowled. “Ahydraulic screw.Excuseme fornotknowingabout thatawesomeachievement.”

“Healsobuiltadeathraymadeofmirrorsthatcouldburnenemyships,”Leosaid.“Isthatawesomeenoughforyou?”

“IsawsomethingaboutthatonTV,”Frankadmitted.“Theyproveditdidn’twork.”

“Ah, that’s just because modern mortals don’t know how to use Celestialbronze,” Leo said. “That’s the key.Archimedes also invented amassive clawthatcouldswingonacraneandpluckenemyshipsoutofthewater.”

“Okay,that’scool,”Frankadmitted.“Ilovegrabber-armgames.”“Well,thereyougo,”Leosaid.“Anyway,allhisinventionsweren’tenough.

TheRomansdestroyedhis city.Archimedeswaskilled.According to legends,the Roman general was a big fan of his work, so he raided Archimedes’sworkshopandcartedabunchofsouvenirsbacktoRome.Theydisappearedfrom

history, except…”Leowaved his hands at the stuff on the tables. “Here theyare.”

“Metalbasketballs?”Hazelasked.Leo couldn’t believe that theydidn’t appreciatewhat theywere looking at,

but he tried to contain his irritation. “Guys, Archimedes constructed spheres.TheRomans couldn’t figure themout.They thought theywere just for tellingtime or following constellations, because they were covered with pictures ofstarsandplanets.Butthat’slikefindingarifleandthinkingit’sawalkingstick.”

“Leo, the Romans were top-notch engineers,” Hazel reminded him. “Theybuiltaqueducts,roads—”

“Siegeweapons,”Frankadded.“Publicsanitation.”“Yeah, fine,” Leo said. “But Archimedes was in a class by himself. His

spherescoulddoallsortsofthings,onlynobodyissure…”SuddenlyLeo got an idea so incredible that his nose burst into flames.He

patted it out as quickly as possible. Man, it was embarrassing when thathappened.

He ran to the row of cubbyholes and examined themarkings on the scrollcases.“Oh,gods.Thisisit!”

Hegingerly liftedoutoneof thescrolls.Hewasn’tgreatatAncientGreek,buthecouldtelltheinscriptiononthecasereadOnBuildingSpheres.

“Guys, this is the lost book!”His handswere shaking. “Archimedeswrotethis,describinghisconstructionmethods,butallthecopieswerelostinancienttimes.IfIcantranslatethis…”

Thepossibilitieswereendless.ForLeo,thequesthadnowtotallytakenonanewdimension.Leohadtogetthespheresandscrollssafelyoutofhere.HehadtoprotectthisstuffuntilhecouldgetitbacktoBunker9andstudyit.

“The secrets of Archimedes,” he murmured. “Guys, this is bigger thanDaedalus’slaptop.Ifthere’saRomanattackonCampHalf-Blood,thesesecretscould save the camp. They might even give us an edge over Gaea and thegiants!”

HazelandFrankglancedateachotherskeptically.“Okay,”Hazel said. “Wedidn’t comehere for a scroll, but I guesswecan

takeitwithus.”“Assuming,”Frank added, “that you don’tmind sharing its secretswith us

stupiduncomplicatedRomans.”“What?”Leostaredathimblankly.“No.Look,Ididn’tmeantoinsult—Ah,

nevermind.Thepointisthisisgoodnews!”Forthefirsttimeindays,Leofeltreallyhopeful.Naturally,that’swheneverythingwentwrong.OnthetablenexttoHazelandFrank,oneoftheorbsclickedandwhirred.A

rowof spindly legs extended from its equator.Theorb stood, and twobronzecablesshotoutofthetop,hittingHazelandFranklikeTaserwires.Leo’sfriendsbothcrumpledtothefloor.

Leolungedtohelpthem,butthetwoarmoredmanikinsthatcouldn’tpossiblymovedidmove.TheydrewtheirswordsandsteppedtowardLeo.

Theoneontheleftturneditscrookedhelmet,whichwasshapedlikeawolf’shead.Despitethefactthatithadnofaceormouth,afamiliarhollowvoicespokefrombehinditsvisor.“You cannot escape us, Leo Valdez,” it said. “We do not like possessing

machines,buttheyarebetterthantourists.Youwillnotleaveherealive.”

LEOAGREEDWITHNEMESISABOUTONETHING: good luckwas a sham.At leastwhenitcametoLeo’sluck.

LastwinterhehadwatchedinhorrorwhileafamilyofCyclopespreparedtoroastJasonandPiperwithhotsauce.He’dschemedhiswayoutofthatoneandsavedhisfriendsallbyhimself,butatleasthe’dhadtimetothink.

Now,notsomuch.HazelandFrankhadbeenknockedoutbythetendrilsofapossessedsteampunkbowlingball.Twosuitsofarmorwithbadattitudeswereabouttokillhim.

Leo couldn’t blast themwith fire. Suits of armorwouldn’t be hurt by that.Besides, Hazel and Frank were too close. He didn’t want to burn them, oraccidentallyhitthepieceoffirewoodthatcontrolledFrank’slife.

OnLeo’sright, thesuitofarmorwithalion’sheadhelmetcreakeditswiryneckandregardedHazelandFrank,whowerestilllyingunconscious.“Amaleandfemaledemigod,”saidLionHead.“Thesewilldo,iftheothers

die.” Its hollow face mask turned back to Leo. “We do not need you, LeoValdez.”

“Oh,hey!”Leotriedforawinningsmile.“YoualwaysneedLeoValdez!”Hespreadhishandsandhopedhelookedconfidentanduseful,notdesperate

andterrified.HewonderedifitwastoolatetowriteTEAMLEOonhisshirt.Sadly,thesuitsofarmorwerenotaseasilyswayedastheNarcissusFanClub

hadbeen.The onewith thewolf-headed helmet snarled,“I have been in yourmind,

Leo.Ihelpedyoustartthewar.”Leo’ssmilecrumbled.Hetookastepback.“Thatwasyou?”Nowheunderstoodwhythosetouristshadbotheredhimrightaway,andwhy

thisthing’svoicesoundedsofamiliar.He’dhearditinhismind.“Youmademefiretheballista?”Leodemanded.“Youcallthathelping?”“Iknowhowyouthink,”saidWolfHead.“Iknowyourlimits.Youaresmall

and alone. You need friends to protect you.Without them, you are unable towithstandme.Ivowednottopossessyouagain,butIcanstillkillyou.”

The armored dudes stepped forward. The points of their swords hovered afewinchesfromLeo’sface.

Leo’sfearsuddenlymadewayforawhole lotofanger.Thiseidolonin thewolfhelmethadshamedhim,controlledhim,andmadehimattackNewRome.Ithadendangeredhisfriendsandbotchedtheirquest.

Leoglancedatthedormantspheresontheworktables.Heconsideredhistoolbelt.He thought about the loft behind him—the area that looked like a soundbooth.Presto:OperationJunkPilewasborn.

“First:youdon’tknowme,”hetoldWolfHead.“Andsecond:Bye.”He lunged for the stairs and bounded to the top. The suits of armor were

scary,buttheywerenotfast.AsLeosuspected,thelofthaddoorsoneitherside—foldingmetal gates.Theoperatorswould’vewantedprotection in case theircreationswenthaywire…likenow.Leoslammedbothgatesshutandsummonedfiretohishands,fusingthelocks.

Thesuitsofarmorclosedinoneitherside.Theyrattledthegates,hackingatthemwiththeirswords.“Thisisfoolish,”saidLionHead.“Youonlydelayyourdeath.”“Delayingdeathisoneofmyfavoritehobbies.”Leoscannedhisnewhome.

Overlooking the workshop was a single table like a control board. It wascrowdedwith junk,butmostof itLeodismissed immediately:adiagramfora

humancatapultthatwouldneverwork;astrangeblacksword(Leowasnogoodwithswords);alargebronzemirror(Leo’sreflectionlookedterrible);andasetoftoolsthatsomeonehadbroken,eitherinfrustrationorclumsiness.

He focused on the main project. In the center of the table, someone haddisassembled an Archimedes sphere. Gears, springs, levers, and rods werelitteredaroundit.Allthebronzecablestotheroombelowwereconnectedtoametal plate under the sphere. Leo could sense the Celestial bronze runningthrough the workshop like arteries from a heart—ready to conduct magicalenergyfromthisspot.

“Onebasketballtorulethemall,”Leomuttered.This sphere was a master regulator. He was standing at Ancient Roman

missioncontrol.“LeoValdez!”thespirithowled.“OpenthisgateorIwillkillyou!”“Afairandgenerousoffer!”Leosaid,hiseyesstillonthesphere.“Justletme

finishthis.Alastrequest,allright?”That must have confused the spirits, because they momentarily stopped

hackingatthebars.Leo’shandsflewoverthesphere,reassemblingitsmissingpieces.Whydid

thestupidRomanshavetotakeapartsuchabeautifulmachine?TheyhadkilledArchimedes,stolenhisstuff,thenmessedwithapieceofequipmenttheycouldneverunderstand.Ontheotherhand,atleastthey’dhadthesensetolockitawayfortwothousandyearssothatLeocouldretrieveit.

Theeidolonsstartedpoundingonthegatesagain.“Whoisit?”Leocalled.“Valdez!”WolfHeadbellowed.“Valdezwho?”Leoasked.Eventually the eidolons would realize they couldn’t get in. Then, if Wolf

HeadtrulyknewLeo’smind,hewoulddecidetherewereotherwaystoforcehiscooperation.Leohadtoworkfaster.

Heconnectedthegears,gotonewrong,andhadtostartagain.Hephaestus’sHandGrenades,thiswashard!

Finally he got the last spring in place. The ham-fistedRomans had almost

ruinedthetensionadjuster,butLeopulledasetofwatchmaker’stoolsfromhisbelt anddid some final calibrations.Archimedeswas a genius—assuming thisthingactuallyworked.

Hewoundthestartercoil.Thegearsbegantoturn.Leoclosedthetopofthesphere and studied its concentric circles—similar to theoneson theworkshopdoor.“Valdez!”WolfHeadpoundedonthegate.“Ourthirdcomradewillkillyour

friends!”Leo cursed under his breath.Our third comrade. He glanced down at the

spindly-leggedTaserballthathadknockedoutHazelandFrank.Hehadfiguredeidolonnumber threewashiding inside that thing.ButLeostillhad todeducetherightsequencetoactivatethiscontrolsphere.

“Yeah,okay,”hecalled.“Yougotme.Just…justasec.”“Nomoreseconds!”WolfHeadshouted.“Openthisgatenow,ortheydie.”ThepossessedTaserball lashedoutwithits tendrilsandsentanothershock

through Hazel and Frank. Their unconscious bodies flinched. That kind ofelectricitymighthavestoppedtheirhearts.

Leoheldbacktears.Thiswastoohard.Hecouldn’tdoit.Hestaredatthefaceofthesphere—sevenrings,eachonecoveredwithtiny

Greek letters, numbers, and zodiac signs. The answer wouldn’t be pi.Archimedeswouldneverdo the same thing twice.Besides, justbyputtinghishand on the sphere Leo could feel that the sequence had been generatedrandomly.ItwassomethingonlyArchimedeswouldknow.

Supposedly,Archimedes’slastwordshadbeen:Don’tdisturbmycircles.Nooneknewwhatthatmeant,butLeocouldapplyittothissphere.Thelock

wasmuchtoocomplicated.MaybeifLeohadafewyears,hecoulddecipherthemarkings and figure out the right combination, but he didn’t even have a fewseconds.

Hewasoutoftime.Outofluck.Andhisfriendsweregoingtodie.Aproblemyoucannotsolve,saidavoiceinhismind.Nemesis…she’d toldhim toexpect thismoment.Leo thrusthishand inhis

pocket and brought out the fortune cookie.The goddess hadwarned himof a

great price for her help—as great as losing an eye. But if he didn’t try, hisfriendswoulddie.

“Ineedtheaccesscodeforthissphere,”hesaid.Hebrokeopenthecookie.

LEOUNFURLEDTHELITTLESTRIPOFPAPER.ITREAD:THAT’SYOURREQUEST?SERIOUSLY?(OVER)Ontheback,thepapersaid:YOUR LUCKY NUMBERS ARE: TWELVE, JUPITER, ORION, DELTA, THREE, THETA,

OMEGA.(WREAKVENGEANCEUPONGAEA,LEOVALDEZ.)

Withtremblingfingers,Leoturnedtherings.Outsidethegates,WolfHeadgrowledinfrustration.“Iffriendsdonotmatter

toyou,perhapsyouneedmoreincentive.PerhapsIshoulddestroythesescrollsinstead—pricelessworksbyArchimedes!”

Thelastringclickedintoplace.Thespherehummedwithpower.Leoranhishandsalongthesurface,sensingtinybuttonsandleversawaitinghiscommands.

Magical and electrical pulses coursed via the Celestial bronze cables, andsurgedthroughtheentireroom.

Leohadneverplayedamusical instrument,butheimagineditmustbelikethis—knowingeachkeyornotesowellthatyoudidn’treallythinkaboutwhatyourhandsweredoing.Youjustconcentratedonthekindofsoundyouwantedtocreate.

Hestarted small.He focusedonone reasonably intactgold spheredown in

themainroom.Thegoldsphereshuddered.ItgrewatripodoflegsandclatteredovertotheTaserball.Atinycircularsawpoppedoutofthegoldsphere’shead,anditbegancuttingintoTaserball’sbrain.

Leotriedtoactivateanotherorb.Thisoneburstinasmallmushroomcloudofbronzedustandsmoke.

“Oops,”hemuttered.“Sorry,Archimedes.”“What are you doing?”WolfHead demanded.“Stop your foolishness and

surrender!”“Oh,yes,Isurrender!”Leosaid.“I’mtotallysurrendering!”Hetriedtotakecontrolofathirdorb.Thatonebroketoo.Leofeltbadabout

ruiningalltheseancientinventions,butthiswaslifeordeath.Frankhadaccusedhimofcaringmoreformachinesthanpeople,butifitcamedowntosavingoldspheresorhisfriends,therewasnochoice.

Thefourthtrywentbetter.Aruby-encrustedorbpoppeditstopandhelicopterbladesunfolded.LeowasgladBufordthetablewasn’there—hewould’vefallenin love.The ruby orb spun into the air and sailed straight for the cubbyholes.Thingoldenarmsextendedfromitsmiddleandsnappedupthepreciousscrollcases.“Enough!”WolfHeadyelled.“Iwilldestroythe—”Heturned in time tosee the rubysphere takeoffwith thescrolls. Itzipped

acrosstheroomandhoveredinthefarcorner.“What?!”WolfHeadcried.“Killtheprisoners!”HemusthavebeentalkingtotheTaserball.Unfortunately,Taserballwasin

noshapetocomply.Leo’sgoldspherewassittingontopofitssawed-openhead,pickingthroughitsgearsandwireslikeitwasscoopingoutapumpkin.

Thankthegods,HazelandFrankbegantostir.“Bah!”WolfHeadgesturedtoLionHeadat theoppositegate.“Come!We

willdestroythedemigodsourselves.”“Idon’tthinkso,guys.”LeoturnedtowardLionHead.Hishandsworkedthe

controlsphere,andhefeltashocktravelthroughthefloor.LionHeadshudderedandloweredhissword.Leogrinned.“You’reinLeoWorld,now.”

LionHeadturnedandstormeddownthestairs.InsteadofadvancingonHazelandLeo,hemarcheduptheoppositestairsandfacedhiscomrade.“Whatareyoudoing?”WolfHeaddemanded.“Wehaveto—”BLONG!Lion Head slammed his shield into Wolf Head’s chest. He smashed the

pommel of his sword into his comrade’s helmet, soWolf Head became Flat,Deformed,NotVeryHappyWolfHead.“Stopthat!”WolfHeaddemanded.“Icannot!”LionHeadwailed.Leowasgetting thehangof it now.Hecommandedboth suits of armor to

droptheirswordsandshieldsandslapeachotherrepeatedly.“Valdez!”calledWolfHeadinawarblingvoice.“Youwilldieforthis!”“Yeah,”Leocalledout.“Who’spossessingwhonow,Casper?”Themachinementumbleddownthestairs,andLeoforcedthemtojitterbug

like1920s flappers.Their jointsbegan smoking.Theother spheres around theroombegantopop.Toomuchenergywassurgingthroughtheancientsystem.ThecontrolsphereinLeo’shandgrewuncomfortablywarm.

“Frank,Hazel!”Leoshouted.“Takecover!”Hisfriendswerestilldazed,staringinamazementat thejitterbuggingmetal

guys,but theygothiswarning.FrankpulledHazelunder thenearest tableandshieldedherwithhisbody.

Onelasttwistofthesphere,andLeosentamassivejoltthroughthesystem.The armored warriors blew apart. Rods, pistons, and bronze shards fleweverywhere. On all the tables, spheres popped like hot soda cans. Leo’s goldspherefroze.Hisflyingrubyorbdroppedtothefloorwiththescrollcases.

The roomwas suddenly quiet except for a few random sparks and sizzles.Theair smelled likeburningcarengines.Leoraceddown thestairsand foundFrankandHazelsafeundertheirtable.Hehadneverbeensohappytoseethosetwohugging.

“You’realive!”hesaid.Hazel’slefteyetwitched,maybefromtheTasershock.Otherwiseshelooked

okay.“Uh,whatexactlyhappened?”

“Archimedescamethrough!”Leosaid.“Justenoughpowerleftinthoseoldmachinesforonefinalshow.OnceIhadtheaccesscode,itwaseasy.”

Hepatted thecontrol sphere,whichwassteaming inabadway.Leodidn’tknowifitcouldbefixed,butatthemomenthewastoorelievedtocare.

“Theeidolons,”Franksaid.“Aretheygone?”Leo grinned. “My last command overloaded their kill switches—basically

lockeddownalltheircircuitsandmeltedtheircores.”“InEnglish?”Frankasked.“I trapped the eidolons inside thewiring,” Leo said. “Then Imelted them.

Theywon’tbebotheringanyoneagain.”Leohelpedhisfriendstotheirfeet.“Yousavedus,”Franksaid.“Don’t sound so surprised.” Leo glanced around the destroyed workshop.

“Toobadallthisstuffgotwrecked,butatleastIsalvagedthescrolls.IfIcangetthembacktoCampHalf-Blood,maybeIcanlearnhowtorecreateArchimedes’sinventions.”

Hazelrubbedthesideofherhead.“ButIdon’tunderstand.WhereisNico?ThattunnelwassupposedtoleadustoNico.”

Leohadalmostforgottenwhythey’dcomedownhereinthefirstplace.Nicoobviouslywasn’there.Theplacewasadeadend.Sowhy…?

“Oh.”Hefeltliketherewasabuzz-sawsphereonhisownhead,pullingouthiswiresandgears.“Hazel,howexactlywereyoutrackingNico?Imean,couldyoujustsensehimnearbybecausehewasyourbrother?”

She frowned, still looking a bit wobbly from her electric shock treatment.“Not—nottotally.SometimesIcantellwhenhe’sclose,but,likeIsaid,Romeissoconfusing,somuchinterferencebecauseofallthetunnelsandcaves—”

“You tracked him with your metal-finding senses,” Leo guessed. “Hissword?”

Sheblinked.“Howdidyouknow?”“You’dbettercomehere.”HeledHazelandFrankuptothecontrolroomand

pointedtotheblacksword.“Oh. Oh, no.” Hazel would’ve collapsed if Frank hadn’t caught her. “But

that’simpossible!Nico’sswordwaswithhiminthebronzejar.Percysawitinhisdream!”

“Eitherthedreamwaswrong,”Leosaid,“orthegiantsmovedtheswordhereasadecoy.”

“Sothiswasatrap,”Franksaid.“Wewereluredhere.”“Butwhy?”Hazelcried.“Where’smybrother?”Ahissing sound filled the control booth.At first,Leo thought the eidolons

wereback.Thenherealizedthebronzemirroronthetablewassteaming.Ah,mypoordemigods.ThesleepingfaceofGaeaappearedinthemirror.As

usual, she spoke without moving her mouth, which could only have beencreepierifshe’dhadaventriloquismpuppet.Leohatedthosethings.You had your choice, Gaea said. Her voice echoed through the room. It

seemedtobecomingnotjustfromthemirror,butfromthestonewallsaswell.Leo realized she was all around them. Of course. They were in the earth.

They’dgonetoallthetroubleofbuildingtheArgoIIsotheycouldtravelbyseaandair,andthey’dendedupintheearthanyway.Iofferedsalvationtoallofyou,Gaeasaid.Youcouldhaveturnedback.Now

it is too late.You’vecome to theancient landswhere Iamstrongest—where Iwillwake.

Leopulledahammerfromhistoolbelt.Hewhackedthemirror.Beingmetal,itjustquiveredlikeateatray,butitfeltgoodtosmashGaeainthenose.

“Incaseyouhaven’tnoticed,DirtFace,”hesaid,“yourlittleambushfailed.Yourthreeeidolonsgotmeltedinbronze,andwe’refine.”

Gaealaughedsoftly.Oh,mysweetLeo.Youthreehavebeenseparatedfromyourfriends.Thatwasthewholepoint.

Theworkshopdoorslammedshut.You are trapped in my embrace, Gaea said.Meanwhile, Annabeth Chase

faces her death alone, terrified and crippled, at the hands of her mother’sgreatestenemy.

Theimageinthemirrorchanged.LeosawAnnabethsprawledonthefloorofadarkcavern,holdingupherbronzeknifeasifwardingoffamonster.Herfacewasgaunt.Herlegwaswrappedupinsomesortofsplint.Leocouldn’tseewhat

she was looking at, but it was obviously something horrible. He wanted tobelieve the imagewas a lie, but he had a bad feeling it was real, and it washappeningrightnow.Theothers,Gaeasaid,JasonGrace,PiperMcLean,andmydearfriendPercy

Jackson—theywillperishwithinminutes.Thescenechangedagain.PercywasholdingRiptide,leadingJasonandPiper

downaspiralstaircaseintothedarkness.Theirpowerswillbetraythem,Gaeasaid.Theywilldieintheirownelements.

Ialmosthopedtheywouldsurvive.Theywouldhavemadeabettersacrifice.Butalas,HazelandFrank,youwillhavetodo.Myminionswillcollectyoushortlyand bring you to the ancient place. Your bloodwill awakenme at last.Untilthen, I will allow you to watch your friends perish. Please…enjoy this lastglimpseofyourfailedquest.

Leocouldn’tstandit.Hishandglowedwhitehot.HazelandFrankscrambledback as he pressed his palm against themirror andmelted it into a puddle ofbronzegoo.

ThevoiceofGaeawentsilent.Leocouldonlyhear theroarofbloodinhisears.Hetookashakybreath.

“Sorry,”hetoldhisfriends.“Shewasgettingannoying.”“Whatdowedo?”Frankasked.“Wehavetogetoutandhelptheothers.”Leo scanned the workshop, now littered with smoking pieces of broken

spheres.Hisfriendsstillneededhim.Thiswasstillhisshow.Aslongashehadhis tool belt, Leo Valdez wasn’t going to sit around helplessly watching theDemigodDeathChannel.

“I’vegotanidea,”hesaid.“Butit’sgoingtotakeallthreeofus.”Hestartedtellingthemtheplan.

PIPERTRIEDTOMAKETHEBESTOFTHESITUATION.Once sheand Jasonhadgotten tiredofpacing thedeck, listening toCoach

Hedgesing“OldMacDonald”(withweaponsinsteadofanimals),theydecidedtohaveapicnicinthepark.

Hedgegrudginglyagreed.“StaywhereIcanseeyou.”“Whatarewe,kids?”Jasonasked.Hedgesnorted.“Kidsarebabygoats.They’recute,andtheyhaveredeeming

socialvalue.Youaredefinitelynotkids.”They spread their blanket under awillow tree next to a pond. Piper turned

overhercornucopiaandspilledoutanentiremeal—neatlywrappedsandwiches,canned drinks, fresh fruit, and (for some reason) a birthday cake with purpleicingandcandlesalreadylit.

Shefrowned.“Isitsomeone’sbirthday?”Jasonwinced.“Iwasn’tgoingtosayanything.”“Jason!”“There’s toomuchgoingon,”hesaid.“Andhonestly…before lastmonth, I

didn’tevenknowwhenmybirthdaywas.Thaliatoldmethelasttimeshewasatcamp.”

Piperwonderedwhatthatwouldbelike—notevenknowingthedayyouwereborn.JasonhadbeengiventoLupathewolfwhenhewasonly twoyearsold.He’d never really known his mortal mom. He’d only been reunited with hissisterlastwinter.

“JulyFirst,”Pipersaid.“TheKalendsofJuly.”“Yeah.” Jason smirked. “TheRomanswould find that auspicious—the first

dayofthemonthnamedforJuliusCaesar.Juno’ssacredday.Yippee.”Piper didn’t want to push it, or make a celebration if he didn’t feel like

celebrating.“Sixteen?”sheasked.Henodded.“Oh,boy.Icangetmydriver’slicense.”Piper laughed. Jason had killed somanymonsters and saved theworld so

manytimesthattheideaofhimsweatingadrivingtestseemedridiculous.ShepicturedhimbehindthewheelofsomeoldLincolnwithaSTUDENTDRIVERsignon top and a grumpy teacher in the passenger seat with an emergency brakepedal.

“Well?”sheurged.“Blowoutthecandles.”Jasondid.Piperwonderedifhe’dmadeawish—hopefullythatheandPiper

wouldsurvivethisquestandstaytogetherforever.Shedecidednottoaskhim.Shedidn’twanttojinxthatwish,andshedefinitelydidn’twanttofindoutthathe’dwishedforsomethingdifferent.

Sincethey’dleftthePillarsofHerculesyesterdayevening,Jasonhadseemeddistracted. Piper couldn’t blame him. Hercules had been a pretty hugedisappointmentasabigbrother,andtheoldrivergodAcheloushadsaidsomeunflatteringthingsaboutthesonsofJupiter.

Piperstaredatthecornucopia.ShewonderedifAchelouswasgettingusedtohavingnohornsatall.Shehopedso.Sure,hehadtriedtokill them,butPiperstillfeltbadfortheoldgod.Shedidn’tunderstandhowsuchalonely,depressedspiritcouldproduceahornofplentythatshotoutpineapplesandbirthdaycakes.Coulditbethatthecornucopiahaddrainedallthegoodnessoutofhim?Maybenow that the horn was gone, Achelous would be able to fill up with somehappinessandkeepitforhimself.

ShealsokeptthinkingaboutAchelous’sadvice:IfyouhadmadeittoRome,thestoryofthefloodwouldhaveservedyoubetter.Sheknewthestoryhewastalkingabout.Shejustdidn’tunderstandhowitwouldhelp.

Jasonpluckedanextinguishedcandlefromhiscake.“I’vebeenthinking.”That snapped Piper back to the present. Coming from your boyfriend, I’ve

beenthinkingwaskindofascaryline.“About?”sheasked.“Camp Jupiter,” he said. “All the years I trained there. We were always

pushing teamwork,workingasaunit. I thought Iunderstoodwhat thatmeant.Buthonestly?Iwasalwaystheleader.EvenwhenIwasyounger—”

“ThesonofJupiter,”Pipersaid.“Mostpowerfulkidinthelegion.Youwerethestar.”

Jason looked uncomfortable, but he didn’t deny it. “Being in this crew ofseven…I’mnot surewhat to do. I’mnot used to being one of somany,well,equals.IfeellikeI’mfailing.”

Pipertookhishand.“You’renotfailing.”“ItsurefeltthatwaywhenChrysaorattacked,”Jasonsaid.“I’vespentmost

ofthistripknockedoutandhelpless.”“Comeon,”shechided.“Beingaherodoesn’tmeanyou’reinvincible.Itjust

meansthatyou’rebraveenoughtostandupanddowhat’sneeded.”“AndifIdon’tknowwhat’sneeded?”“That’swhatyourfriendsarefor.We’veallgotdifferentstrengths.Together,

we’llfigureitout.”Jasonstudiedher.Piperwasn’tsurethatheboughtwhatshewassaying,but

shewasgladhecouldconfideinher.Shelikedthathehadalittleself-doubt.Hedidn’t succeedall the time.Hedidn’t think theuniverseowedhimanapologywhenever something went wrong—unlike another son of the sky god she’drecentlymet.

“Herculeswasajerk,”hesaid,asifreadingherthoughts.“Ineverwanttobelikethat.ButIwouldn’thavehadthecouragetostanduptohimwithoutyourtakingthelead.Youweretheherothattime.”

“Wecantaketurns,”shesuggested.

“Idon’tdeserveyou.”“You’renotallowedtosaythat.”“Whynot?”“It’sabreakupline.Unlessyou’rebreakingup—”Jason leaned over and kissed her. The colors of the Roman afternoon

suddenlyseemedsharper,asiftheworldhadswitchedtohighdefinition.“Nobreakups,”hepromised.“Imayhavebustedmyheada fewtimes,but

I’mnotthatstupid.”“Good,”shesaid.“Now,aboutthatcake—”Hervoicefaltered.PercyJacksonwasrunningtowardthem,andPipercould

tellfromhisexpressionthathebroughtbadnews.

Theygatheredondeckso thatCoachHedgecouldhear thestory.WhenPercywasdone,Piperstillcouldn’tbelieveit.

“So Annabeth was kidnapped on a motor scooter,” she summed up, “byGregoryPeckandAudreyHepburn.”

“Notkidnapped,exactly,”Percysaid.“But I’vegot thisbadfeeling.…”Hetookadeepbreath, likehewastryinghardnottofreakout.“Anyway,she’s—she’sgone.MaybeIshouldn’thavelether,but—”

“Youhadto,”Pipersaid.“Youknewshehadtogoalone.Besides,Annabethistoughandsmart.She’llbefine.”

Piperputsomecharmspeakinhervoice,whichmaybewasn’tcool,butPercyneededtobeabletofocus.Iftheywentintobattle,Annabethwouldn’twanthimgettinghurtbecausehewastoodistractedabouther.

His shoulders relaxed a little. “Maybe you’re right. Anyway, Gregory—ImeanTiberinus—saidwehad less time to rescueNico thanwe thought.Hazelandtheguysaren’tbackyet?”

Piperchecked the timeon thehelmcontrol.Shehadn’t realizedhow late itwasgetting.“It’stwointheafternoon.Wesaidthreeo’clockforarendezvous.”

“Atthelatest,”Jasonsaid.Percy pointed at Piper’s dagger. “Tiberinus said you could find Nico’s

location…youknow,withthat.”

Piper bit her lip. The last thing shewanted to dowas checkKatoptris formoreterrifyingimages.

“I’vetried,”shesaid.“Thedaggerdoesn’talwaysshowwhatIwanttosee.Infact,ithardlyeverdoes.”

“Please,”Percysaid.“Tryagain.”Hepleadedwiththosesea-greeneyes,likeacutebabysealthatneededhelp.

PiperwonderedhowAnnabetheverwonanargumentwiththisguy.“Fine,”shesighed,anddrewherdagger.“Whileyou’reatit,”saidCoachHedge,“seeifyoucangetthelatestbaseball

scores.Italiansdon’tcoverbaseballworthbeans.”“Shh.”Piperstudied thebronzeblade.The lightshimmered.Shesawa loft

apartmentfilledwithRomandemigods.Adozenofthemstoodaroundadiningtable as Octavian talked and pointed to a big map. Reyna paced next to thewindows,gazingdownatCentralPark.

“That’snotgood,”Jasonmuttered.“They’vealreadysetupaforwardbaseinManhattan.”

“AndthatmapshowsLongIsland,”Percysaid.“They’rescoutingtheterritory,”Jasonguessed.“Discussinginvasionroutes.”Piperdidnotwanttoseethat.Sheconcentratedharder.Lightrippledacross

theblade.Shesawruins—afewcrumblingwalls,asinglecolumn,astonefloorcoveredwithmossanddeadvines—allclusteredonagrassyhillsidedottedwithpinetrees.

“Iwasjustthere,”Percysaid.“That’sintheoldForum.”Theviewzoomedin.Ononesideofthestonefloor,asetofstairshadbeen

excavated, leading down to a modern iron gate with a padlock. The blade’simagezoomedstraightthroughthedoorway,downaspiralstairwell,andintoadark,cylindricalchamberliketheinsideofagrainsilo.

Piperdroppedtheblade.“What’swrong?”Jasonasked.“Itwasshowingussomething.”Piper felt like theboatwasbackon theocean, rockingunderher feet.“We

can’tgothere.”Percyfrowned.“Piper,Nicoisdying.We’vegottofindhim.Nottomention,

Romeisabouttogetdestroyed.”Her voice wouldn’t work. She’d kept that vision of the circular room to

herselfforsolong,nowshefounditimpossibletotalkabout.Shehadahorriblefeeling that explaining it to Percy and Jason wouldn’t change anything. Shecouldn’tstopwhatwasabouttohappen.

Shepickeduptheknifeagain.Itshiltseemedcolderthanusual.Sheforcedherselftolookattheblade.Shesawtwogiantsingladiatorarmor

sittingonoversizedpraetors’chairs.Thegiants toastedeachotherwithgoldengoblets as if they’d just won an important fight. Between them stood a largebronzejar.

Thevisionzoomed inagain. Inside the jar,NicodiAngelowascurled inaball,nolongermoving,allthepomegranateseedseaten.

“We’retoolate,”Jasonsaid.“No,”Percy said. “No, I can’t believe that.Maybehe’sgone into adeeper

trancetobuytime.Wehavetohurry.”Theblade’ssurfacewentdark.Piperslippeditbackintoitssheath,tryingto

keepherhandsfromshaking.ShehopedthatPercywasrightandNicowasstillalive. On the other hand, she didn’t see how that image connected with thevisionofthedrowningroom.MaybethegiantsweretoastingeachotherbecausesheandPercyandJasonweredead.

“Weshouldwaitfortheothers,”shesaid.“Hazel,Frank,andLeoshouldbebacksoon.”

“Wecan’twait,”Percyinsisted.Coach Hedge grunted. “It’s just two giants. If you guys want, I can take

them.”“Uh,Coach,” Jason said, “that’s agreatoffer, butweneedyou toman the

ship—orgoattheship.Whatever.”Hedgescowled.“Andletyouthreehaveallthefun?”Percy gripped the satyr’s arm. “Hazel and the others need you here.When

theygetback,they’llneedyourleadership.You’retheirrock.”“Yeah.”Jasonmanagedtokeepastraightface.“Leoalwayssaysyou’rehis

rock.Youcantellthemwherewe’vegoneandbringtheshiparoundtomeetus

attheForum.”“Andhere.”PiperunstrappedKatoptrisandputitinCoachHedge’shands.The satyr’s eyes widened. A demigod was never supposed to leave her

weapon behind, but Piperwas fed upwith evil visions. She’d rather face herdeathwithoutanymorepreviews.

“Keepaneyeonuswiththeblade,”shesuggested.“Andyoucancheckthebaseballscores.”

That sealed the deal.Hedge noddedgrimly, prepared to do his part for thequest.

“Allright,”hesaid.“Butifanygiantscomethisway—”“Feelfreetoblastthem,”Jasonsaid.“Whataboutannoyingtourists?”“No,”theyallsaidinunison.“Bah.Fine.Justdon’t take too long,or I’mcomingafteryouwithballistae

blazing.”

FINDINGTHEPLACEWASEASY.Percyledthemrighttoit,onanabandonedstretchofhillsideoverlookingtheruinedForum.

Gettinginwaseasytoo.Jason’sgoldswordcutthroughthepadlock,andthemetalgatecreakedopen.Nomortalssawthem.Noalarmswentoff.Stonestepsspiraleddownintothegloom.

“I’llgofirst,”Jasonsaid.“No!”Piperyelped.Bothboysturnedtowardher.“Pipes,what is it?” Jason asked. “That image in the blade…you’ve seen it

before,haven’tyou?”Shenodded,hereyesstinging.“Ididn’tknowhowtotellyou.Isawtheroom

downtherefillingwithwater.Isawthethreeofusdrowning.”JasonandPercybothfrowned.“Ican’tdrown,”Percysaid,thoughhesoundedlikehewasaskingaquestion.“Maybethefuturehaschanged,”Jasonspeculated.“Intheimageyoushowed

usjustnow,therewasn’tanywater.”Piperwishedhewasright,butshesuspectedtheywouldn’tbesolucky.“Look,”Percysaid.“I’llcheckitoutfirst.It’sfine.Berightback.”

BeforePipercouldobject,hedisappeareddownthestairwell.Shecountedsilentlyastheywaitedforhimtocomeback.Somewherearound

thirty-five, she heard his footsteps, and he appeared at the top, looking morebaffledthanrelieved.

“Goodnews:nowater,”hesaid.“Badnews:Idon’tseeanyexitsdownthere.And,uh,weirdnews:well,youshouldseethis.…”

They descended cautiously. Percy took the lead,withRiptide drawn. Piperfollowed,andJasonwalkedbehindher,guardingtheirbacks.Thestairwellwasa cramped corkscrew of masonry, no more than six feet in diameter. EventhoughPercyhadgiventhe“allclear,”Piperkepthereyesopenfortraps.Witheveryturnofthestairs,sheanticipatedanambush.Shehadnoweapon,justthecornucopiaonaleathercordoverhershoulder.Ifworsecametoworst,theboys’swordswouldn’tdomuchgoodinsuchclosequarters.MaybePipercouldshoottheirenemieswithhigh-velocitysmokedhams.

Astheywoundtheirwayunderground,Pipersawoldgraffitigougedintothestones:Romannumerals,namesandphrasesinItalian.Thatmeantotherpeoplehad been down heremore recently than the Roman Empire, but Piper wasn’treassured.Ifmonsterswerebelow,they’dignoremortals,waitingforsomenicejuicydemigodstocomealong.

Finally,theyreachedthebottom.Percyturned.“Watchthislaststep.”He jumped to the floor of the cylindrical room,whichwas five feet lower

thanthestairwell.Whywouldsomeonedesignasetofstairslikethat?Piperhadnoidea.Maybetheroomandthestairwellhadbeenbuiltduringdifferenttimeperiods.

Shewantedtoturnandexit,butshecouldn’tdothatwithJasonbehindher,andshecouldn’t just leavePercydown there.Sheclambereddown,andJasonfollowed.

Theroomwasjustlikeshe’dseenitinKatoptris’sblade,excepttherewasnowater.Thecurvedwallshadoncebeenpaintedwithfrescoes,whichwerenowfadedtoeggshellwhitewithonlyflecksofcolor.Thedomedceilingwasaboutfiftyfeetabove.

Aroundthebacksideof theroom,opposite thestairwell,ninealcoveswerecarvedintothewall.Eachnichewasaboutfivefeetoffthefloorandbigenoughforahuman-sizedstatue,buteachwasempty.

Theairfeltcoldanddry.AsPercyhadsaid,therewerenootherexits.“Allright.”Percyraisedhiseyebrows.“Here’stheweirdpart.Watch.”Hesteppedtothemiddleoftheroom.Instantly,greenandbluelightrippledacrossthewalls.Piperheardthesound

ofafountain,buttherewasnowater.Theredidn’tseemtobeanysourceoflightexceptforPercy’sandJason’sblades.

“Doyousmelltheocean?”Percyasked.Piperhadn’tnoticedatfirst.Shewasstandingnext toPercy,andhealways

smelled like the sea.But hewas right.The scent of saltwater and stormwasgettingstronger,likeasummerhurricaneapproaching.

“Anillusion?”sheasked.Allofasudden,shefeltstrangelythirsty.“Idon’tknow,”Percy said. “I feel like there shouldbewaterhere—lotsof

water.Butthereisn’tany.I’veneverbeeninaplacelikethis.”Jasonmovedtotherowofniches.Hetouchedthebottomshelfofthenearest

one,whichwasjustathiseyelevel.“Thisstone…it’sembeddedwithseashells.Thisisanymphaeum.”

Piper’smouthwasdefinitelygettingdrier.“Awhat?”“WehaveoneatCampJupiter,”Jasonsaid,“onTempleHill.It’sashrineto

thenymphs.”Piper ranherhandalong thebottomofanotherniche. Jasonwas right.The

alcovewasstuddedwithcowries,conches,andscallops.Theseashellsseemedtodanceinthewaterylight.Theywereice-coldtothetouch.

Piperhadalwaysthoughtofnymphsasfriendlyspirits—sillyandflirtatious,generally harmless. They got alongwellwith the children ofAphrodite. Theyloved to share gossip and beauty tips. This place, though, didn’t feel like thecanoelakebackatCampHalf-Blood,or thestreamsin thewoodswherePipernormallymetnymphs.Thisplacefeltunnatural,hostile,andverydry.

Jasonsteppedbackandexaminedtherowofalcoves.“ShrineslikethiswereallovertheplaceinAncientRome.Richpeoplehadthemoutsidetheirvillasto

honor nymphs, to make sure the local water was always fresh. Some shrineswerebuiltaroundnaturalsprings,butmostwereman-made.”

“So…noactualnymphslivedhere?”Piperaskedhopefully.“Notsure,”Jasonsaid.“Thisplacewherewe’restandingwouldhavebeena

poolwithafountain.Alotoftimes,ifthenymphaeumbelongedtoademigod,heorshewouldinvitenymphstolivethere.Ifthespiritstookupresidence,thatwasconsideredgoodluck.”

“For theowner,”Percyguessed.“But itwouldalsobind thenymphs to thenewwatersource,whichwouldbegreatifthefountainwasinanicesunnyparkwithfreshwaterpumpedinthroughtheaqueducts—”

“Butthisplacehasbeenundergroundforcenturies,”Piperguessed.“Dryandburied.Whatwouldhappentothenymphs?”

Thesoundofwaterchangedtoachorusofhissing,likeghostlysnakes.Theripplinglightshiftedfromseablueandgreentopurpleandsicklylime.Abovethem,theninenichesglowed.Theywerenolongerempty.

Standing in each was a withered old woman, so dried up and brittle theyreminded Piper of mummies—except mummies didn’t normally move. Theireyes were dark purple, as if the clear blue water of their life source hadcondensedandthickenedinsidethem.Theirfinesilkdresseswerenowtatteredandfaded.Theirhairhadoncebeenpiled incurls,arrangedwith jewels in thestyle ofRoman noblewomen, but now their lockswere disheveled and dry asstraw.Ifwatercannibalsactuallyexisted,Piperthought,thisiswhattheylookedlike.“Whatwouldhappentothenymphs?”saidthecreatureinthecenterniche.Shewasinevenworseshapethantheothers.Herbackwashunchedlikethe

handleofapitcher.Herskeletalhandshadonlythethinnestpaperylayerofskin.Onherhead,abatteredwreathofgoldenlaurelsglintedinherroadkillhair.

ShefixedherpurpleeyesonPiper.“Whataninterestingquestion,mydear.Perhapsthenymphswouldstillbehere,suffering,waitingforrevenge.”

Thenexttimethatshegotachance,PipersworeshewouldmeltdownKatoptrisandsell it forscrapmetal.Thestupidknifenevershowedher thewholestory.

Sure, she’d seen herself drowning. But if she’d realized that nine desiccatedzombienymphswouldbewaitingforher,sheneverwould’vecomedownhere.

Sheconsideredboltingfor thestairs,butwhensheturned, thedoorwayhaddisappeared.Naturally.Nothingwastherenowbutablankwall.Pipersuspecteditwasn’tjustanillusion.Besides,shewouldnevermakeittotheoppositesideoftheroombeforethezombienymphscouldjumponthem.

JasonandPercystoodtoeithersideofher,theirswordsready.Piperwasgladto have them close, but she suspected their weapons wouldn’t do any good.She’dseenwhatwouldhappeninthisroom.Somehow,thesethingsweregoingtodefeatthem.

“Whoareyou?”Percydemanded.Thecentralnymphturnedherhead.“Ah…names.Weoncehadnames.Iwas

Hagno,thefirstofthenine!”PiperthoughtitwasacrueljokethatahaglikeherwouldbenamedHagno,

butshedecidednottosaythat.“Thenine,”Jasonrepeated.“Thenymphsof thisshrine.Therewerealways

nineniches.”“Of course.” Hagno bared her teeth in a vicious smile. “But we are the

originalnine,JasonGrace,theoneswhoattendedthebirthofyourfather.”Jason’s sword dipped. “You mean Jupiter? You were there when he was

born?”“Zeus, we called him then,” Hagno said. “Such a squealing whelp. We

attendedRheainherlabor.Whenthebabyarrived,wehidhimsothathisfather,Kronos,wouldnoteathim.Ah,hehadlungs,thatbaby!ItwasallwecoulddotodrownoutthenoisesoKronoscouldnotfindhim.WhenZeusgrewup,wewerepromisedeternalhonors.Butthatwasintheoldcountry,inGreece.”

The other nymphs wailed and clawed at their niches. They seemed to betrappedinthem,Piperrealized,asiftheirfeetweregluedtothestonealongwiththedecorativeseashells.

“WhenRomerose topower,wewere invitedhere,”Hagnosaid.“AsonofJupitertempteduswithfavors.Anewhome,hepromised.Biggerandbetter!Nodownpayment,anexcellentneighborhood.Romewilllastforever.”

“Forever,”theothershissed.“We gave in to temptation,” Hagno said. “We left our simple wells and

springs on Mount Lycaeus and moved here. For centuries, our lives werewonderful!Parties,sacrificesinourhonor,newdressesandjewelryeveryweek.AllthedemigodsofRomeflirtedwithusandhonoredus.”

Thenymphswailedandsighed.“ButRomedidnotlast,”Hagnosnarled.“Theaqueductswerediverted.Our

master’svillawasabandonedand torndown.Wewereforgotten,buriedundertheearth,butwecouldnotleave.Ourlifesourceswereboundtothisplace.Ouroldmasterneversawfit to releaseus.Forcenturies,wehavewitheredhere inthedarkness,thirsty…sothirsty.”

Theothersclawedattheirmouths.Piperfeltherownthroatclosingup.“I’m sorry for you,” she said, trying to use charmspeak. “That must have

beenterrible.Butwearenotyourenemies.Ifwecanhelpyou—”“Oh,suchasweetvoice!”Hagnocried.“Suchbeautifulfeatures.Iwasonce

young like you.My voicewas as soothing as amountain stream.But do youknowwhat happens to a nymph’smindwhen she is trapped in the dark,withnothingtofeedonbuthatred,nothingtodrinkbutthoughtsofviolence?Yes,mydear.Youcanhelpus.”

Percyraisedhishand.“Uh…I’mthesonofPoseidon.MaybeIcansummonanewwatersource.”

“Ha!”Hagnocried,andtheothereightechoed,“Ha!Ha!”“Indeed,sonofPoseidon,”Hagnosaid.“Iknowyour fatherwell.Ephialtes

andOtispromisedyouwouldcome.”PiperputherhandonJason’sarmforbalance.“Thegiants,”shesaid.“You’reworkingforthem?”“They are our neighbors.” Hagno smiled. “Their chambers lie beyond this

place,where the aqueduct’swaterwas diverted for the games.Oncewe havedealt with you…once you have helped us…the twins have promised we willneversufferagain.”

Hagno turned to Jason. “You, child of Jupiter—for the horrible betrayal of

your predecessor who brought us here, you shall pay. I know the sky god’spowers.Iraisedhimasababy!Once,wenymphscontrolledtherainaboveourwells and springs.When I amdonewith you,wewill have that power again.And Percy Jackson, child of the sea god…from you, we will take water, anendlesssupplyofwater.”

“Endless?”Percy’s eyesdarted fromonenymph to theother. “Uh…look, Idon’tknowaboutendless.ButmaybeIcouldspareafewgallons.”

“And you, Piper McLean.” Hagno’s purple eyes glistened. “So young, solovely,sogiftedwithyoursweetvoice.Fromyou,wewillreclaimourbeauty.Wehave savedour last life force for this day.We are very thirsty. Fromyouthree,weshalldrink!”

All nine niches glowed. The nymphs disappeared, and water poured fromtheiralcoves—sicklydarkwater,likeoil.

PIPERNEEDEDAMIRACLE,notabedtimestory.Butrightthen,standinginshockasblackwaterpouredinaroundherlegs,sherecalledthelegendAcheloushadmentioned—thestoryoftheflood.

NottheNoahstory,buttheCherokeeversionthatherfatherusedtotellher,withthedancingghostsandtheskeletondog.

When shewas little, shewould cuddle next to her dad in his big recliner.She’dgazeoutthewindowsattheMalibucoastline,andherdadwouldtellherthestoryhe’dheardfromGrandpaTombackontherezinOklahoma.

“Thismanhadadog,”herfatheralwaysbegan.“Youcan’t start a story thatway!”Piperprotested.“Youhave to sayOnce

uponatime.”Dadlaughed.“ButthisisaCherokeestory.Theyareprettystraightforward.

So,anyway,thismanhadadog.Everydaythemantookhisdogtotheedgeofthelaketogetwater,andthedogwouldbarkfuriouslyatthelake,likehewasmadatit.”

“Washe?”“Bepatient, sweetheart.Finally themangotveryannoyedwithhisdog for

barking somuch, and he scolded it. ‘Bad dog! Stop barking at thewater. It’s

onlywater!’Tohissurprise,thedoglookedrightathimandbegantotalk.”“OurdogcansayThankyou,”Pipervolunteered.“AndshecanbarkOut.”“Sortof,”herdadagreed.“Butthisdogspokeentiresentences.Thedogsaid,

‘One day soon, the stormswill come.Thewaterswill rise, and everyonewilldrown.Youcansaveyourselfandyourfamilybybuildingaraft,but firstyouwillneedtosacrificeme.Youmustthrowmeintothewater.’”

“That’sterrible!”Pipersaid.“Iwouldneverdrownmydog!”“Theman probably said the same thing. He thought the dogwas lying—I

mean,oncehegotovertheshockthathisdogcouldtalk.Whenheprotested,thedogsaid,‘Ifyoudon’tbelieveme,lookatthescruffofmyneck.Iamalreadydead.’”

“That’ssad!Whyareyoutellingmethis?”“Because you askedme to,” her dad reminded her.And indeed, something

aboutthestoryfascinatedPiper.Shehadhearditdozensoftimes,butshekeptthinkingaboutit.

“Anyway,”saidherdad,“themangrabbedthedogbythescruffofitsneckandsawthatitsskinandfurwerealreadycomingapart.Underneathwasnothingbutbones.Thedogwasaskeletondog.”

“Gross.”“I agree. Sowith tears in his eyes, theman said good-bye to his annoying

skeletondogandtosseditintothewater,whereitpromptlysank.Themanbuiltaraft,andwhenthefloodcame,heandhisfamilysurvived.”

“Withoutthedog.”“Yes.Withoutthedog.Whentherainssubsided,andtheraftlanded,theman

andhisfamilywere theonlyonesalive.Themanheardsoundsfromtheotherside of a hill—like thousands of people laughing and dancing—but when heraced to the top, alas, down below he saw nothing except bones littering theground—thousandsofskeletonsofallthepeoplewhohaddiedintheflood.Herealizedtheghostsofthedeadhadbeendancing.Thatwasthesoundheheard.”

Piperwaited.“And?”“And,nothing.Theend.”“Youcan’tenditthatway!Whyweretheghostsdancing?”

“Idon’tknow,”Dadsaid.“Yourgrandfathernever felt theneed toexplain.Maybe theghostswerehappy thatone familyhad survived.Maybe theywereenjoyingtheafterlife.They’reghosts.Whocansay?”

Piperwasveryunsatisfiedwiththat.Shehadsomanyunansweredquestions.Didthefamilyeverfindanotherdog?Obviouslynotalldogsdrowned,becausesheherselfhadadog.

She couldn’t shake the story. She never looked at dogs the same way,wondering ifoneof themmightbea skeletondog.Andshedidn’tunderstandwhythefamilyhadtosacrificetheirdogtosurvive.Sacrificingyourselftosaveyourfamilyseemedlikeanoblething—averydoglikethingtodo.

Now,inthenymphaeuminRome,asthedarkwaterrosetoherwaist,PiperwonderedwhytherivergodAcheloushadmentionedthatstory.

Shewishedshehadaraft,butshefearedshewasmoreliketheskeletondog.Shewasalreadydead.

THEBASINFILLEDWITHALARMINGSPEED.Piper,Jason,andPercypoundedonthewalls,lookingforanexit,buttheyfoundnothing.Theyclimbedintothealcovestogainsomeheight,butwithwaterpouringoutofeachniche,itwasliketryingtobalanceat theedgeofawaterfall.EvenasPiperstoodinaniche, thewaterwassoonup toherknees.From the floor, itwasprobablyeight feetdeepandrisingfast.

“Icouldtrylightning,”Jasonsaid.“Maybeblastaholeintheroof?”“Thatcouldbringdownthewholeroomandcrushus,”Pipersaid.“Orelectrocuteus,”Percyadded.“Notmanychoices,”Jasonsaid.“Letmesearchthebottom,”Percysaid.“Ifthisplacewasbuiltasafountain,

therehas tobeawaytodrainthething.Youguys,checkthenichesforsecretexits.Maybetheseashellsareknobs,orsomething.”Itwasadesperateidea,butPiperwasgladforsomethingtodo.

Percy jumped in the water. Jason and Piper climbed from niche to niche,kickingandpounding,wiggling seashells embedded in the stone;but theyhadnoluck.

Sooner than Piper expected, Percy broke the surface, gasping and flailing.

Sheofferedherhand,andhealmostpulledherinbeforeshecouldhelphimup.“Couldn’t breathe,” he choked. “The water…not normal. Hardly made it

back.”The life force of the nymphs, Piper thought. It was so poisoned and

malicious,evenasonoftheseagodcouldn’tcontrolit.Asthewaterrosearoundher,Piperfeltitaffectinghertoo.Herlegmuscles

trembledlikeshe’dbeenrunningformiles.Herhandsturnedwrinkledanddry,despitebeinginthemiddleofafountain.

Theboysmovedsluggishly.Jason’sfacewaspale.Heseemedtobehavingtrouble holding his sword. Percywas drenched and shivering. His hair didn’tlookquitesodark,asifthecolorwasleachingout.

“They’retakingourpower,”Pipersaid.“Drainingus.”“Jason,”Percycoughed,“dothelightning.”Jason raised his sword.The room rumbled, but no lightning appeared.The

roof didn’t break. Instead, a miniature rainstorm formed at the top of thechamber. Rain poured down, filling the fountain even faster, but it wasn’tnormalrain.Thestuffwasjustasdarkasthewaterinthepool.EverydropstungPiper’sskin.

“NotwhatIwanted,”Jasonsaid.Thewaterwas up to their necks now.Piper could feel her strength fading.

Grandpa Tom’s story about thewater cannibalswas true. Bad nymphswouldstealherlife.

“We’ll survive,” shemurmured toherself,but shecouldn’t charmspeakherway out of this. Soon the poisonouswaterwould be over their heads. They’dhavetoswim,andthisstuffwasalreadyparalyzingthem.

Theywoulddrown,justlikeinthevisionsshe’dseen.Percystartedpushingthewaterawaywiththebackofhishand,likehewas

shooingabaddog.“Can’t—can’tcontrolit!”Youwillneedtosacrificeme,theskeletondoghadsaidinthestory.Youmust

throwmeintothewater.Piper felt likesomeonehadgrabbed thescruffofherneckandexposed the

bones.Sheclutchedhercornucopia.

“Wecan’tfightthis,”shesaid.“Ifweholdback,thatjustmakesusweaker.”“Whatdoyoumean?”Jasonshoutedovertherain.The water was up to their chins. Another few inches, and they’d have to

swim.But thewaterwasn’thalfway to theceilingyet.Piperhoped thatmeantthattheystillhadtime.

“The horn of plenty,” she said. “We have to overwhelm the nymphs withfreshwater,give themmore than theycanuse. Ifwecandilute thispoisonousstuff—”

“Can your horn do that?” Percy struggled to keep his head above water,which was obviously a new experience for him. He looked scared out of hismind.

“Only with your help.” Piper was beginning to understand how the hornworked.Thegoodstuffitproduceddidn’tcomefromnowhere.She’donlybeenabletoburyHerculesingrocerieswhenshehadconcentratedonallherpositiveexperienceswithJason.

Tocreateenoughcleanfreshwater to fill this room,sheneeded togoevendeeper,tapheremotionsevenmore.Unfortunately,shewaslosingherabilitytofocus.

“Ineedyoubothtochanneleverythingyou’vegotintothecornucopia,”shesaid.“Percy,thinkaboutthesea.”

“Saltwater?”“Doesn’tmatter!Aslongasit’sclean.Jason,thinkaboutrainstorms—much

morerain.Bothofyouholdthecornucopia.”Theyhuddledtogetherasthewaterliftedthemofftheirledges.Pipertriedto

remember the safety lessons her dad had given her when they had startedsurfing.Tohelpsomeonewho’sdrowning,youputyourarmaroundthemfrombehindandkickyour legs in frontofyou,movingbackward likeyou’redoingthebackstroke.Shewasn’tsureifthesamestrategycouldworkwithtwootherpeople, but sheputone armaroundeachboyand tried tokeep themafloat astheyheldthecornucopiabetweenthem.

Nothinghappened.Theraincamedowninsheets,stilldarkandacidic.Piper’s legs felt like lead. The risingwater swirled, threatening to pull her

under.Shecouldfeelherstrengthfading.“Nogood!”Jasonyelled,spittingwater.“We’regettingnowhere,”Percyagreed.“Youhavetoworktogether,”Pipercried,hopingshewasright.“Bothofyou

think of cleanwater—a storm ofwater.Don’t hold anything back. Picture allyourpower,allyourstrengthleavingyou.”

“That’snothard!”Percysaid.“But force itout!”shesaid.“Offerupeverything, like—likeyou’realready

dead,andyouronlygoalistohelpthenymphs.It’sgottobeagift…asacrifice.”Theygotquietatthatword.“Let’stryagain,”Jasonsaid.“Together.”ThistimePiperbentallherconcentrationtowardthehornofplentyaswell.

Thenymphswantedheryouth,herlife,hervoice?Fine.Shegaveitupwillinglyandimaginedallofherpowerfloodingoutofher.I’malreadydead, she toldherself, as calmas the skeletondog.This is the

onlyway.Clearwaterblastedfromthehornwithsuchforce,itpushedthemagainstthe

wall.Therainchangedtoawhitetorrent,socleanandcold,itmadePipergasp.“It’sworking!”Jasoncried.“Toowell,”Percysaid.“We’refillingtheroomevenfaster!”Hewas right.Thewater rose soquickly, the roofwasnowonlya few feet

away.Pipercould’vereachedupandtouchedtheminiaturerainclouds.“Don’t stop!” she said. “Wehave todilute thepoisonuntil thenymphsare

cleansed.”“What if they can’t be cleansed?” Jason asked. “They’ve been down here

turningevilforthousandsofyears.”“Justdon’tholdback,”Pipersaid.“Giveeverything.Evenifwegounder—”Herheadhittheceiling.Theraincloudsdissipatedandmeltedintothewater.

Thehornofplentykeptblastingoutacleantorrent.PiperpulledJasoncloserandkissedhim.“Iloveyou,”shesaid.Thewords just poured out of her, like thewater from the cornucopia. She

couldn’ttellwhathisreactionwas,becausethentheywereunderwater.Sheheldherbreath.Thecurrent roared inherears.Bubblesswirledaround

her.Lightstillrippledthroughtheroom,andPiperwassurprisedshecouldseeit.Wasthewatergettingclearer?

Her lungs were about to burst, but Piper poured her last energy into thecornucopia.Watercontinuedtostreamout,thoughtherewasnoroomformore.Wouldthewallscrackunderthepressure?

Piper’svisionwentdark.She thought the roar in her ears was her own dying heartbeat. Then she

realized the room was shaking. The water swirled faster. Piper felt herselfsinking.

Withherlaststrength,shekickedupward.Herheadbrokethesurfaceandshegasped for breath. The cornucopia stopped. Thewaterwas draining almost asfastasithadfilledtheroom.

Withacryofalarm,Piper realized thatPercy’sandJason’s faceswerestillunderwater.Shehoisted themup. Instantly,Percygulpedandbegan to thrash,butJasonwasaslifelessasaragdoll.

Piperclungtohim.Sheyelledhisname,shookhim,andslappedhisface.Shebarelynoticedwhenall thewaterhaddrainedawayandleft themonthedampfloor.

“Jason!”Shetrieddesperatelytothink.Shouldsheturnhimonhisside?Slaphisback?

“Piper,”Percysaid,“Icanhelp.”He knelt next to her and touched Jason’s forehead. Water gushed from

Jason’smouth.Hiseyesflewopen,andaclapofthunderthrewPercyandPiperbackward.

WhenPiper’svisioncleared,shesawJasonsittingup,stillgasping,but thecolorwascomingbacktohisface.

“Sorry,”hecoughed.“Didn’tmeanto—”Pipertackledhimwithahug.Shewouldhavekissedhim,butshedidn’twant

tosuffocatehim.Percygrinned.“Incaseyou’rewondering,thatwascleanwaterinyourlungs.

Icouldmakeitcomeoutwithnoproblem.”“Thanks,man.”Jasonclaspedhishandweakly.“ButIthinkPiper’sthereal

hero.Shesavedusall.”Yes,shedid,avoiceechoedthroughthechamber.Thenichesglowed.Ninefiguresappeared,buttheywerenolongerwithered

creatures.Theywereyoung,beautifulnymphsinshimmeringbluegowns,theirglossy black curls pinned up with silver and gold brooches. Their eyes weregentleshadesofblueandgreen.

As Piper watched, eight of the nymphs dissolved into vapor and floatedupward.Onlythenymphinthecenterremained.

“Hagno?”Piperasked.Thenymphsmiled.“Yes,mydear.Ididn’tthinksuchselflessnessexistedin

mortals…especiallyindemigods.Nooffense.”Percygottohisfeet.“Howcouldwetakeoffense?Youjusttriedtodrownus

andsuckoutourlives.”Hagnowinced.“Sorryabout that.Iwasnotmyself.Butyouhavereminded

meof the sun and the rain and the streams in themeadows.Percy and Jason,thanks to you, I remembered the sea and the sky. I am cleansed. Butmostly,thanks to Piper. She shared something even better than clear running water.”Hagnoturnedtoher.“Youhaveagoodnature,Piper.AndI’manaturespirit.IknowwhatI’mtalkingabout.”

Hagno pointed to the other side of the room. The stairs to the surfacereappeared.Directly underneath, a circular opening shimmered into existence,likeasewerpipe,justbigenoughtocrawlthrough.Pipersuspectedthiswashowthewaterhaddrainedout.

“Youmay return to the surface,” Hagno said. “Or, if you insist, youmayfollowthewaterwaytothegiants.Butchoosequickly,becausebothdoorswillfade soonafter I amgone.Thatpipe connects to theold aqueduct line,whichfeedsboththisnymphaeumandthehypogeumthatthegiantscallhome.”

“Ugh.”Percypressedonhistemples.“Please,nomorecomplicatedwords.”“Oh,homeisnotacomplicatedword.”Hagnosoundedcompletelysincere.“I

thought itwas,butnowyouhaveunboundusfromthisplace.Mysistershave

gonetoseeknewhomes…amountainstream,perhaps,oralakeinameadow.Iwillfollowthem.Icannotwait toseetheforestsandgrasslandsagain,andtheclearrunningwater.”

“Uh,”Percy saidnervously, “thingshave changedupabove in the last fewthousandyears.”

“Nonsense,”Hagnosaid.“Howbadcoulditbe?Panwouldnotallownaturetobecometainted.Ican’twaittoseehim,infact.”

Percylookedlikehewantedtosaysomething,buthestoppedhimself.“Goodluck,Hagno,”Pipersaid.“Andthankyou.”Thenymphsmiledonelasttimeandvaporized.Briefly, the nymphaeumglowedwith a softer light, like a fullmoon.Piper

smelled exotic spices and blooming roses. She heard distantmusic and happyvoicestalkingandlaughing.Sheguessedshewashearinghundredsofyearsofpartiesandcelebrations thathadbeenheldat thisshrine inancient times,as ifthememorieshadbeenfreedalongwiththespirits.

“Whatisthat?”Jasonaskednervously.Piper slipped her hand into his. “The ghosts are dancing. Come on.We’d

bettergomeetthegiants.”

PERCYWASTIREDOFWATER.Ifhesaidthataloud,hewouldprobablygetkickedoutofPoseidon’sJunior

SeaScouts,buthedidn’tcare.Afterbarelysurvivingthenymphaeum,hewantedtogobacktothesurface.

Hewanted tobedryandsit in thewarmsunshine fora long time—preferablywithAnnabeth.

Unfortunately,hedidn’tknowwhereAnnabethwas.Frank,Hazel,andLeoweremissing inaction.Hestillhad tosaveNicodiAngelo,assuming theguywasn’t already dead. And there was that littlematter of the giants destroyingRome,wakingGaea,andtakingovertheworld.

Seriously, these monsters and gods were thousands of years old. Couldn’ttheytakeafewdecadesoffandletPercylivehislife?Apparentlynot.

Percytooktheleadastheycrawleddownthedrainagepipe.Afterthirtyfeet,it opened into awider tunnel. To their left, somewhere in the distance, Percyheard rumbling and creaking, like a huge machine needed oiling. He hadabsolutelynodesiretofindoutwhatwasmakingthatsound,sohefiguredthatmustbethewaytogo.

Severalhundredfeetlater,theyreachedaturninthetunnel.Percyhelduphis

hand,signalingJasonandPipertowait.Hepeekedaroundthecorner.Thecorridoropenedintoavastroomwithtwenty-footceilingsandrowsof

support columns. It looked like the same parking-garage-type area Percy hadseeninhisdreams,butnowmuchmorecrowdedwithstuff.

The creaking and rumbling came from huge gears and pulley systems thatraised and lowered sections of the floor for no apparent reason.Water flowedthroughopentrenches(oh,great,morewater),poweringwaterwheelsthatturnedsomeofthemachines.Othermachineswereconnectedtohugehamsterwheelswithhellhoundsinside.Percycouldn’thelpthinkingofMrs.O’Leary,andhowmuchshewouldhatebeingtrappedinsideoneofthose.

Suspended from the ceiling were cages of live animals—a lion, severalzebras, a whole pack of hyenas, and even an eight-headed hydra. Ancient-lookingbronzeandleatherconveyorbeltstrundledalongwithstacksofweaponsandarmor,sortofliketheAmazons’warehouseinSeattle,exceptthisplacewasobviouslymucholderandnotaswellorganized.

Leo would love it, Percy thought. The whole roomwas like onemassive,scary,unreliablemachine.

“Whatisit?”Piperwhispered.Percy wasn’t even sure how to answer. He didn’t see the giants, so he

gesturedforhisfriendstocomeforwardandtakealook.Abouttwentyfeetinsidethedoorway,alife-sizewoodencutoutofagladiator

popped up from the floor. It clicked and whirred along a conveyor belt, gothookedonarope,andascendedthroughaslotintheroof.

Jasonmurmured,“Whattheheck?”They stepped inside.Percy scanned the room.Therewere several thousand

things to look at, most of them in motion, but one good aspect of being anADHDdemigodwas thatPercywascomfortablewithchaos.Aboutahundredyards away, he spotted a raised daiswith two empty oversized praetor chairs.Standingbetweenthemwasabronzejarbigenoughtoholdaperson.

“Look.”Hepointeditouttohisfriends.Piperfrowned.“That’stooeasy.”“Ofcourse,”Percysaid.

“Butwehavenochoice,”Jasonsaid.“We’vegottosaveNico.”“Yeah.”Percystartedacrosstheroom,pickinghiswayaroundconveyorbelts

andmovingplatforms.Thehellhoundsinthehamsterwheelspaidthemnoattention.Theyweretoo

busyrunningandpanting,theirredeyesglowinglikeheadlights.Theanimalsintheothercagesgavethemboredlooks,asiftosay,I’dkillyou,butitwouldtaketoomuchenergy.

Percytriedtowatchoutfortraps,buteverythingherelookedlikeatrap.Herememberedhowmanytimeshe’dalmostdiedinthelabyrinthafewyearsago.HereallywishedHazelwereheresoshecouldhelpwithherundergroundskills(andofcoursesoshecouldbereunitedwithherbrother).

Theyjumpedoverawater trenchandduckedunderarowofcagedwolves.Theyhadmadeitabouthalfwaytothebronzejarwhentheceilingopenedoverthem.Aplatformlowered.Standingonitlikeanactor,withonehandraisedandhisheadhigh,wasthepurple-hairedgiantEphialtes.

JustlikePercyhadseeninhisdreams,theBigFwassmallbygiantstandards—abouttwelvefeettall—buthehadtriedtomakeupforitwithhisloudoutfit.He’dchangedoutofthegladiatorarmorandwasnowwearingaHawaiianshirtthat even Dionysus would’ve found vulgar. It had a garish print made up ofdying heroes, horrible tortures, and lions eating slaves in theColosseum. Thegiant’s hair was braided with gold and silver coins. He had a ten-foot spearstrapped tohisback,whichwasn’tagoodfashionstatementwith theshirt.Hewore brightwhite jeans and leather sandals on his…well, not feet, but curvedsnakeheads. The snakes flicked their tongues and writhed as if they didn’tappreciateholdinguptheweightofagiant.

Ephialtes smiled at the demigods like he was really, really pleased to seethem.

“Atlast!”hebellowed.“Soveryhappy!Honestly,Ididn’tthinkyou’dmakeitpastthenymphs,butit’ssomuchbetterthatyoudid.Muchmoreentertaining.You’rejustintimeforthemainevent!”

JasonandPiperclosedranksoneithersideofPercy.Havingthemtheremadehim feel a little better. This giant was smaller than a lot of monsters he had

faced, but something about him made Percy’s skin crawl. Ephialtes’s eyesdancedwithacrazylight.

“We’rehere,”Percysaid,whichsoundedkindofobviousoncehehadsaidit.“Letourfriendgo.”

“Ofcourse!”Ephialtessaid.“ThoughIfearhe’sabitpasthisexpirationdate.Otis,whereareyou?”

A stone’s throw away, the floor opened, and the other giant rose on aplatform.

“Otis,finally!”hisbrothercriedwithglee.“You’renotdressedthesameasme! You’re…” Ephialtes’s expression turned to horror. “What are youwearing?”

Otislookedliketheworld’slargest,grumpiestballetdancer.Heworeaskin-tight baby-blue leotard that Percy really wished left more to the imagination.Thetoesofhismassivedancingslipperswerecutawaysothathissnakescouldprotrude. A diamond tiara (Percy decided to be generous and think of it as aking’scrown)wasnestledinhisgreen,firecracker-braidedhair.Helookedglumandmiserablyuncomfortable,buthemanagedadancer’sbow,whichcouldn’thavebeeneasywithsnakefeetandahugespearonhisback.

“GodsandTitans!”Ephialtesyelled.“It’sshowtime!Whatareyouthinking?”“Ididn’twant towear thegladiatoroutfit,”Otiscomplained.“Istill thinka

balletwouldbeperfect,youknow,whileArmageddon isgoingon.”Heraisedhiseyebrowshopefullyatthedemigods.“Ihavesomeextracostumes—”

“No!”Ephialtessnapped,andforoncePercywasinagreement.Thepurple-hairedgiantfacedPercy.Hegrinnedsopainfully,helookedlike

hewasbeingelectrocuted.“Pleaseexcusemybrother,”hesaid.“Hisstagepresenceisawful,andhehas

nosenseofstyle.”“Okay.”Percydecidednot tocommenton theHawaiianshirt.“Now,about

ourfriend…”“Oh, him,” Ephialtes sneered. “We were going to let him finish dying in

public,buthehasnoentertainmentvalue.He’s spentdayscurledup sleeping.Whatsortofspectacleisthat?Otis,tipoverthejar.”

Otistrudgedovertothedais,stoppingoccasionallytodoaplié.Heknockedoverthejar,thelidpoppedoff,andNicodiAngelospilledout.Thesightofhisdeathlypalefaceandtoo-skinnyframemadePercy’sheartstop.Percycouldn’ttell whether he was alive or dead. He wanted to rush over and check, butEphialtesstoodinhisway.

“Nowwehavetohurry,”saidtheBigF.“Weshouldgothroughyourstagedirections.Thehypogeumisallset!”

Percywasreadytoslicethisgiantinhalfandgetoutofthere,butOtiswasstanding over Nico. If a battle started, Nico was in no condition to defendhimself.Percyneededtobuyhimsomerecoverytime.

Jasonraisedhisgoldgladius.“We’renotgoingtobepartofanyshow,”hesaid.“Andwhat’sahypo—whatever-you-call-it?”

“Hypogeum!” Ephialtes said. “You’re a Roman demigod, aren’t you?Youshould know! Ah, but I suppose if we do our job right down here in theunderworks,youreallywouldn’tknowthehypogeumexists.”

“Iknowthatword,”Pipersaid.“It’stheareaunderacoliseum.Ithousedallthesetpiecesandmachineryusedtocreatespecialeffects.”

Ephialtes clapped enthusiastically. “Exactly so! Are you a student of thetheater,mygirl?”

“Uh…mydad’sanactor.”“Wonderful!”Ephialtesturnedtowardhisbrother.“Didyouhearthat,Otis?”“Actor,”Otismurmured.“Everybody’sanactor.Noonecandance.”“Benice!”Ephialtesscolded.“Atanyrate,mygirl,you’reabsolutelyright,

but this hypogeum ismuchmore than the stageworks for a coliseum.You’veheardthatintheolddayssomegiantswereimprisonedundertheearth,andfromtimetotimetheywouldcauseearthquakeswhentheytriedtobreakfree?Well,we’vedonemuchbetter!OtisandIhavebeenimprisonedunderRomeforeons,but we’ve kept busy building our very own hypogeum. Now we’re ready tocreatethegreatestspectacleRomehaseverseen—andthelast!”

At Otis’s feet, Nico shuddered. Percy felt like a hellhound hamster wheelsomewhereinhischesthadstartedmovingagain.AtleastNicowasalive.Nowthey just had to defeat the giants, preferably without destroying the city of

Rome,andgetoutofheretofindtheirfriends.“So!” Percy said, hoping to keep the giants’ attention on him. “Stage

directions,yousaid?”“Yes!”Ephialtes said. “Now, Iknow thebounty stipulates thatyouand the

girlAnnabeth shouldbekeptalive ifpossible,buthonestly, thegirl isalreadydoomed,soIhopeyoudon’tmindifwedeviatefromtheplan.”

Percy’s mouth tasted like bad nymph water. “Already doomed. You don’tmeanshe’s—”

“Dead?” the giant asked. “No. Not yet. But don’t worry!We’ve got yourotherfriendslockedup,yousee.”

Pipermadeastrangledsound.“Leo?HazelandFrank?”“Thosearetheones,”Ephialtesagreed.“Sowecanusethemforthesacrifice.

WecanlettheAthenagirldie,whichwillpleaseHerLadyship.Andwecanuseyouthreefortheshow!Gaeawillbeabitdisappointed,butreally,thisisawin-win.Yourdeathswillbemuchmoreentertaining.”

Jasonsnarled.“Youwantentertaining?I’llgiveyouentertaining.”Piper stepped forward. Somehow she managed a sweet smile. “I’ve got a

better idea,” she told thegiants. “Whydon’t you let usgo?Thatwouldbe anincredibletwist.Wonderfulentertainmentvalue,anditwouldprovetotheworldhowcoolyouare.”

Nicostirred.Otislookeddownathim.HissnakyfeetflickedtheirtonguesatNico’shead.

“Plus!”Piper saidquickly. “Plus,wecoulddo somedancemovesaswe’reescaping.Perhapsaballetnumber!”

Otis forgot all about Nico. He lumbered over and wagged his finger atEphialtes.“Yousee?That’swhatIwastellingyou!Itwouldbeincredible!”

Forasecond,PercythoughtPiperwasgoingtopullitoff.Otislookedathisbrotherimploringly.Ephialtestuggedathischinasifconsideringtheidea.

Atlastheshookhishead.“No…no,I’mafraidnot.Yousee,mygirl,Iamtheanti-Dionysus.Ihaveareputationtouphold.Dionysusthinksheknowsparties?He’swrong!HisrevelsaretamecomparedtowhatIcando.Thatoldstuntwepulled,forinstance,whenwepiledupmountainstoreachOlympus—”

“Itoldyouthatwouldneverwork,”Otismuttered.“And the time my brother covered himself with meat and ran through an

obstaclecourseofdrakons—”“YousaidHephaestus-TVwouldshowitduringprimetime,”Otissaid.“No

oneevensawme.”“Well,thisspectaclewillbeevenbetter,”Ephialtespromised.“TheRomans

alwayswantedbreadandcircuses—foodandentertainment!Aswedestroytheircity,Iwillofferthemboth.Behold,asample!”

Something dropped from the ceiling and landed at Percy’s feet: a loaf ofsandwichbreadinawhiteplasticwrapperwithredandyellowdots.

Percypickeditup.“Wonderbread?”“Magnificent,isn’tit?”Ephialtes’seyesdancedwithcrazyexcitement.“You

can keep that loaf. I plan on distributingmillions to the people ofRome as Iobliteratethem.”

“Wonderbread isgood,”Otisadmitted.“Though theRomansshoulddanceforit.”

PercyglancedoveratNico,whowasjuststartingtomove.Percywantedhimtobeatleastconsciousenoughtocrawloutofthewaywhenthefightingstarted.AndPercyneededmoreinformationfromthegiantsaboutAnnabeth,andwherehisotherfriendswerebeingkept.

“Maybe,” Percy ventured, “you should bring our other friends here. Youknow,spectaculardeaths…themorethemerrier,right?”

“Hmm.” Ephialtes fiddled with a button on his Hawaiian shirt. “No. It’sreallytoolatetochangethechoreography.Butneverfear.Thecircuseswillbemarvelous!Ah…not themodern sort of circus,mind you. Thatwould requireclowns,andIhateclowns.”

“Everyonehatesclowns,”Otissaid.“Evenotherclownshateclowns.”“Exactly,” his brother agreed. “But we have much better entertainment

planned!The threeofyouwilldie inagony,upabove,whereall thegodsandmortalscanwatch.Butthat’sjusttheopeningceremony!Intheolddays,gameswentonfordaysorweeks.Ourspectacle—thedestructionofRome—willgoonforonefullmonthuntilGaeaawakens.”

“Wait,”Jasonsaid.“Onemonth,andGaeawakesup?”Ephialteswavedawaythequestion.“Yes,yes.SomethingaboutAugustFirst

being the best date to destroy all humanity. Not important! In her infinitewisdom, theEarthMotherhasagreedthatRomecanbedestroyedfirst,slowlyandspectacularly.It’sonlyfitting!”

“So…”Percycouldn’tbelievehewastalkingabouttheendoftheworldwithaloafofWonderbreadinhishand.“You’reGaea’swarm-upact.”

Ephialtes’sfacedarkened.“Thisisnowarm-up,demigod!We’llreleasewildanimals and monsters into the streets. Our special effects department willproduce fires and earthquakes. Sinkholes and volcanoeswill appear randomlyoutofnowhere!Ghostswillrunrampant.”

“Theghostthingwon’twork,”Otissaid.“Ourfocusgroupssayitwon’tpullratings.”

“Doubters!”Ephialtessaid.“Thishypogeumcanmakeanythingwork!”Ephialtes stormed over to a big table covered with a sheet. He pulled the

sheet away, revealing a collection of levers and knobs almost as complicated-lookingasLeo’scontrolpanelontheArgoII.

“Thisbutton?”Ephialtessaid.“ThisonewillejectadozenrabidwolvesintotheForum.AndthisonewillsummonautomatongladiatorstobattletouristsattheTreviFountain.Thisonewillcause theTiber to flood itsbankssowecanreenact a naval battle right in the Piazza Navona! Percy Jackson, you shouldappreciatethat,asasonofPoseidon!”

“Uh…Istillthinkthelettingusgoideaisbetter,”Percysaid.“He’s right,” Piper tried again. “Otherwise we get into this whole

confrontation thing. We fight you. You fight us. We wreck your plans. Youknow, we’ve defeated a lot of giants lately. I’d hate for things to get out ofcontrol.”

Ephialtesnoddedthoughtfully.“You’reright.”Piperblinked.“Iam?”“Wecan’tletthingsgetoutofcontrol,”thegiantagreed.“Everythinghasto

betimedperfectly.Butdon’tworry.I’vechoreographedyourdeaths.You’llloveit.”

Nicostartedtocrawlaway,groaning.Percywantedhimtomovefasterandtogroanless.HeconsideredthrowinghisWonderbreadathim.

Jason switched his sword hand. “And if we refuse to cooperate with yourspectacle?”

“Well, you can’t kill us.” Ephialtes laughed, as if the idea was ridiculous.“Youhavenogodswithyou,andthat’stheonlywayyoucouldhopetotriumph.Soreally,itwouldbemuchmoresensibletodiepainfully.Sorry,buttheshowmustgoon.”

ThisgiantwasevenworsethanthatseagodPhorcysbackinAtlanta,Percyrealized. Ephialtes wasn’t somuch the anti-Dionysus. HewasDionysus gonecrazy on steroids. Sure, Dionysus was the god of revelry and out-of-controlparties.ButEphialteswasallaboutriotandruinforpleasure.

Percylookedathisfriends.“I’mgettingtiredofthisguy’sshirt.”“Combattime?”Pipergrabbedherhornofplenty.“IhateWonderbread,”Jasonsaid.Together,theycharged.

THINGSWENTWRONG IMMEDIATELY.Thegiantsvanishedintwinpuffsofsmoke.They reappeared halfway across the room, each in a different spot. PercysprintedtowardEphialtes,butslotsintheflooropenedunderhisfeet,andmetalwallsshotuponeitherside,separatinghimfromhisfriends.

Thewallsstartedclosinginonhimlikethesidesofavisegrip.Percyjumpedup and grabbed the bottom of the hydra’s cage.He caught a brief glimpse ofPiper leaping across a hopscotch pattern of fiery pits,makingherway towardNico,whowasdazedandweaponlessandbeingstalkedbyapairofleopards.

Meanwhile Jason charged atOtis,whopulledhis spear andheaved a greatsigh,asifhewouldmuchratherdanceSwanLakethankillanotherdemigod.

Percyregisteredallthisinasplitsecond,buttherewasn’tmuchhecoulddoabout it.Thehydrasnappedathishands.Heswunganddropped, landing inagroveofpaintedplywoodtreesthatsprangupfromnowhere.Thetreeschangedpositionsashe tried torun through them,soheslasheddownthewholeforestwithRiptide.

“Wonderful!”Ephialtescried.HestoodathiscontrolpanelaboutsixtyfeettoPercy’sleft.“We’llconsiderthisadressrehearsal.ShallIunleashthehydraontotheSpanishStepsnow?”

Hepulledalever,andPercyglancedbehindhim.Thecagehehadjustbeenhangingfromwasnowrising towardahatch in theceiling. In threeseconds itwouldbegone.IfPercyattackedthegiant,thehydrawouldravagethecity.

Cursing,hethrewRiptidelikeaboomerang.Theswordwasn’tdesignedforthat, but the Celestial bronze blade sliced through the chains suspending thehydra. The cage tumbled sideways. The door broke open, and the monsterspilledout—rightinfrontofPercy.

“Oh, youare a spoilsport, Jackson!”Ephialtes called. “Verywell.Battle ithere,ifyoumust,butyourdeathwon’tbenearlyasgoodwithoutthecheeringcrowds.”

Percy stepped forward to confront the monster—then realized he’d justthrownhisweaponaway.Abitofbadplanningonhispart.

He rolled to one side as all eight hydra heads spit acid, turning the floorwhere he’d been standing into a steaming crater ofmelted stone. Percy reallyhatedhydras.Itwasalmostagoodthingthathe’dlosthissword,sincehisgutinstinctwould’vebeentoslashattheheads,andahydrasimplygrewtwonewonesforeachoneitlost.

Thelasttimehe’dfacedahydra,he’dbeensavedbyabattleshipwithbronzecannons that blasted the monster to pieces. That strategy couldn’t help himnow…orcouldit?

The hydra lashed out. Percy ducked behind a giant hamster wheel andscannedtheroom,lookingfortheboxeshe’dseeninhisdream.Herememberedsomethingaboutrocketlaunchers.

Atthedais,PiperstoodguardoverNicoastheleopardsadvanced.Sheaimedhercornucopiaandshotapot roastover thecats’heads. Itmusthavesmelledprettygood,becausetheleopardsracedafterit.

About eighty feet to Piper’s right, Jason battled Otis, sword against spear.Otis had lost his diamond tiara and looked angry about it.He probably couldhaveimpaledJasonseveraltimes,butthegiantinsistedondoingapirouettewitheveryattack,whichslowedhimdown.

Meanwhile Ephialtes laughed as he pushed buttons on his control board,crankingtheconveyorbeltsintohighgearandopeningrandomanimalcages.

Thehydrachargedaroundthehamsterwheel.Percyswungbehindacolumn,grabbedagarbagebag fullofWonderbread, and threw it at themonster.Thehydraspitacid,whichwasamistake.Thebagandwrappersdissolvedinmidair.TheWonderbreadabsorbed theacid likefireextinguisherfoamandsplatteredagainst the hydra, covering it in a sticky, steaming layer of high-caloriepoisonousgoo.

Asthemonsterreeled,shakingitsheadsandblinkingWonderacidoutofitseyes,Percylookedarounddesperately.Hedidn’tseetherocket-launcherboxes,buttuckedagainstthebackwallwasastrangecontraptionlikeanartist’seasel,fitted with rows of missile launchers. Percy spotted a bazooka, a grenadelauncher, a giant Roman candle, and a dozen other wicked-looking weapons.They all seemed to be wired together, pointing in the same direction andconnectedtoasinglebronzeleverontheside.Atthetopoftheeasel,spelledincarnations,werethewords:HAPPYDESTRUCTION,ROME!

Percyboltedtowardthedevice.Thehydrahissedandchargedafterhim.“Iknow!”Ephialtes criedouthappily. “Wecan startwithexplosionsalong

theViaLabicana!Wecan’tkeepouraudiencewaitingforever.”Percy scrambledbehind the easel and turned it towardEphialtes.Hedidn’t

haveLeo’sskillwithmachines,butheknewhowtoaimaweapon.Thehydrabarreledtowardhim,blockinghisviewofthegiant.Percyhoped

thiscontraptionwouldhaveenoughfirepowertotakedowntwotargetsatonce.Hetuggedatthelever.Itdidn’tbudge.

All eight hydra heads loomed over him, ready to melt him into a pool ofsludge.He tugged the lever again.This time the easel shookand theweaponsbegantohiss.

“Duckandcover!”Percyyelled,hopinghisfriendsgotthemessage.Percyleapedtoonesideastheeaselfired.Thesoundwaslikeafiestainthe

middle of an exploding gunpowder factory. The hydra vaporized instantly.Unfortunately, the recoilknocked theeasel sidewaysandsentmoreprojectilesshooting all over the room. A chunk of ceiling collapsed and crushed awaterwheel.Morecagessnappedoff theirchains,unleashing twozebrasandapackofhyenas.AgrenadeexplodedoverEphialtes’shead,but it onlyblasted

himoffhisfeet.Thecontrolboarddidn’tevenlookdamaged.Acrosstheroom,sandbagsraineddownaroundPiperandNico.Pipertriedto

pullNico to safety, but one of the bags caught her shoulder and knocked herdown.

“Piper!” Jason cried. He ran toward her, completely forgetting about Otis,whoaimedhisspearatJason’sback.

“Lookout!”Percyyelled.Jasonhadfastreflexes.AsOtisthrew,Jasonrolled.Thepointsailedoverhim

andJasonflickedhishand,summoningagustofwindthatchangedthespear’sdirection.ItflewacrosstheroomandskeweredEphialtesthroughhissidejustashewasgettingtohisfeet.

“Otis!”Ephialtesstumbledawayfromhiscontrolboard,clutchingthespearashebegantocrumbleintomonsterdust.“Willyoupleasestopkillingme!”

“Notmyfault!”OtishadbarelyfinishedspeakingwhenPercy’smissile-launchingcontraption

spit out one last sphere of Roman candle fire. The fiery pink ball of death(naturallyithadtobepink)hittheceilingaboveOtisandexplodedinabeautifulshowerof light.Colorful sparkspirouettedgracefullyaround thegiant.Thenaten-footsectionofroofcollapsedandcrushedhimflat.

JasonrantoPiper’sside.Sheyelpedwhenhetouchedherarm.Hershoulderlookedunnaturallybent,butshemuttered,“Fine.I’mfine.”Nexttoher,Nicosatup,lookingaroundhiminbewildermentasifjustrealizinghe’dmissedabattle.

Sadly,thegiantsweren’tfinished.Ephialteswasalreadyre-forming,hisheadand shoulders rising from the mound of dust. He tugged his arms free andgloweredatPercy.

Acrosstheroom,thepileofrubbleshifted,andOtisbustedout.Hisheadwasslightlycavedin.Allthefirecrackersinhishairhadpopped,andhisbraidsweresmoking. His leotard was in tatters, which was just about the only way itcould’velookedlessattractiveonhim.

“Percy!”Jasonshouted.“Thecontrols!”Percyunfroze.HefoundRiptideinhispocketagain,uncappedhissword,and

lungedfortheswitchboard.Heslashedhisbladeacrossthetop,decapitatingthe

controlsinashowerofbronzesparks.“No!”Ephialteswailed.“You’veruinedthespectacle!”Percy turned too slowly.Ephialtes swunghis spear like a bat and smacked

himacrossthechest.Hefelltohisknees,thepainturninghisstomachtolava.Jasonrantohisside,butOtislumberedafterhim.Percymanagedtoriseand

foundhimselfshouldertoshoulderwithJason.Overbythedais,Piperwasstillonthefloor,unabletogetup.Nicowasbarelyconscious.

Thegiantswerehealing,gettingstrongerbytheminute.Percywasnot.Ephialtessmiledapologetically.“Tired,PercyJackson?AsIsaid,youcannot

killus.SoIguesswe’reatanimpasse.Oh,wait…nowe’renot!Becausewecankillyou!”

“That,”Otisgrumbled,pickinguphisfallenspear,“isthefirstthingsensiblethingyou’vesaidallday,brother.”

The giants pointed their weapons, ready to turn Percy and Jason into ademigod-kabob.

“Wewon’tgiveup,”Jasongrowled.“We’llcutyou intopieces likeJupiterdidtoSaturn.”

“That’sright,”Percysaid.“You’rebothdead.Idon’tcareifwehaveagodonoursideornot.”

“Well,that’sashame,”saidanewvoice.Tohisright,anotherplatformloweredfromtheceiling.Leaningcasuallyona

pinecone-topped staff was a man in a purple camp shirt, khaki shorts, andsandals with white socks. He raised his broad-brimmed hat, and purple fireflickeredinhiseyes.“I’dhatetothinkImadeaspecialtripfornothing.”

PERCY HAD NEVER THOUGHT OF MR. D as a calming influence, but suddenlyeverythinggotquiet.Themachinesgroundtoahalt.Thewildanimalsstoppedgrowling.

Thetwoleopardspacedover—stilllickingtheirlipsfromPiper’spotroast—andbuttedtheirheadsaffectionatelyagainstthegod’slegs.Mr.Dscratchedtheirears.

“Really, Ephialtes,” he chided. “Killing demigods is one thing. But usingleopardsforyourspectacle?That’sovertheline.”

Thegiantmadeasqueakingsound.“This—thisisimpossible.D-D—”“It’s Bacchus, actually, my old friend,” said the god. “And of course it’s

possible.Someonetoldmetherewasapartygoingon.”HelookedthesameashehadinKansas,butPercystillcouldn’tgetoverthe

differencesbetweenBacchusandhisoldnot-so-much-of-a-friendMr.D.Bacchuswasmeanerandleaner,withlessofapotbelly.Hehadlongerhair,

morespringinhisstep,anda lotmoreanger inhiseyes.Heevenmanagedtomakeapineconeonasticklookintimidating.

Ephialtes’s spear quivered. “You—you gods are doomed! Be gone, in the

nameofGaea!”“Hmm.”Bacchussoundedunimpressed.Hestrolledthroughtheruinedprops,

platforms,andspecialeffects.“Tacky.”Hewavedhishandatapaintedwoodengladiator,thenturnedtoa

machinethatlookedlikeanoversizedrollingpinstuddedwithknives.“Cheap.Boring.Andthis…”Heinspected therocket-launchingcontraption,whichwasstill smoking. “Tacky, cheap, and boring. Honestly, Ephialtes. You have nosenseofstyle.”

“STYLE?” The giant’s face flushed. “I havemountains of style. I definestyle.I—I—”

“Mybrotheroozesstyle,”Otissuggested.“Thankyou!”Ephialtescried.Bacchus stepped forward, and the giants stumbled back. “Have you two

gottenshorter?”askedthegod.“Oh, that’s low,”Ephialtes growled. “I’mquite tall enough todestroyyou,

Bacchus!Yougods,alwayshidingbehindyourmortalheroes, trusting thefateofOlympustothelikesofthese.”

HesneeredatPercy.Jasonheftedhissword.“LordBacchus,arewegoing tokill thesegiantsor

what?”“Well,Icertainlyhopeso,”Bacchussaid.“Please,carryon.”Percystaredathim.“Didn’tyoucomeheretohelp?”Bacchusshrugged.“Oh,Iappreciatedthesacrificeatsea.Awholeshipfull

ofDietCoke.Verynice.AlthoughIwould’vepreferredDietPepsi.”“Andsixmillioningoldandjewels,”Percymuttered.“Yes,” Bacchus said, “although with demigod parties of five or more the

gratuityisincluded,sothatwasn’tnecessary.”“What?”“Nevermind,”Bacchus said. “At any rate, yougotmy attention. I’mhere.

Now I need to see if you’re worthy of my help. Go ahead. Battle. If I’mimpressed,I’lljumpinforthegrandfinale.”

“Wespearedone,”Percysaid.“Droppedtheroofontheother.Whatdoyou

considerimpressive?”“Ah, a good question…”Bacchus tapped his thyrsus. Then he smiled in a

way that made Percy think,Uh-oh. “Perhaps you need inspiration! The stagehasn’tbeenproperlyset.Youcallthisaspectacle,Ephialtes?Letmeshowyouhowit’sdone.”

Thegoddissolvedintopurplemist.PiperandNicodisappeared.“Pipes!”Jasonyelled.“Bacchus,wheredidyou—?”Theentirefloorrumbledandbegantorise.Theceilingopenedinaseriesof

panels.Sunlightpouredin.Theairshimmeredlikeamirage,andPercyheardtheroarofacrowdabovehim.

Thehypogeumascended through a forest ofweathered stone columns, intothemiddleofaruinedcoliseum.

Percy’s heart did a somersault. This wasn’t just any coliseum. It was theColosseum.Thegiants’specialeffectsmachineshadgoneintoovertime,layingplanksacross ruinedsupportbeamsso thearenahadaproper flooragain.Thebleachersrepairedthemselvesuntiltheyweregleamingwhite.Agiantred-and-gold canopy extended overhead to provide shade from the afternoon sun. Theemperor’sboxwasdrapedwithsilk,flankedbybannersandgoldeneagles.Theroarofapplausecamefromthousandsofshimmeringpurpleghosts,theLaresofRomebroughtbackforanencoreperformance.

Vents opened in the floor and sprayed sand across the arena. Huge propssprang up—garage-size mountains of plaster, stone columns, and (for somereason) life-size plastic barnyard animals. A small lake appeared to one side.Ditchescrisscrossedthearenafloorincaseanyonewasinthemoodfor trenchwarfare.PercyandJasonstoodtogetherfacingthetwingiants.

“This is a proper show!” boomed the voice of Bacchus. He sat in theemperor’sboxwearingpurplerobesandgoldenlaurels.AthisleftsatNicoandPiper,hershoulderbeingtendedbyanymphinanurse’suniform.AtBacchus’srightcrouchedasatyr,offeringupDoritosandgrapes.ThegodraisedacanofDietPepsiandthecrowdwentrespectfullyquiet.

Percyglaredupathim.“You’rejustgoingtositthere?”“Thedemigodisright!”Ephialtesbellowed.“Fightusyourself,coward!Um,

withoutthedemigods.”Bacchus smiled lazily. “Juno says she’s assembled a worthy crew of

demigods.Showme.Entertainme,heroesofOlympus.Givemeareasontodomore.Beingagodhasitsprivileges.”

Hepoppedhissodacantop,andthecrowdcheered.

PERCYHADFOUGHTMANYBATTLES.He’devenfoughtinacoupleofarenas,butnothinglikethis.InthehugeColosseum,withthousandsofcheeringghosts,thegodBacchusstaringdownathim,andthetwotwelve-footgiantsloomingoverhim,Percyfeltassmallandinsignificantasabug.Healsofeltveryangry.

Fightinggiantswasonething.Bacchusmakingitintoagamewassomethingelse.

PercyrememberedwhatLukeCastellanhadtoldhimyearsago,whenPercyhadcomebackfromhisveryfirstquest:Didn’tyourealizehowuselessitallis?Alltheheroics—beingpawnsoftheOlympians?

Percy was almost the same age now as Luke had been then. He couldunderstandhowLukebecamesospiteful.Inthepastfiveyears,Percyhadbeenapawntoomanytimes.TheOlympiansseemedtotaketurnsusinghimfortheirschemes.

Maybethegodswerebetter than theTitans,or thegiants,orGaea,but thatdidn’tmakethemgoodorwise.Itdidn’tmakePercylikethisstupidarenabattle.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have much choice. If he was going to save hisfriends,hehadtobeatthesegiants.HehadtosurviveandfindAnnabeth.

EphialtesandOtismadehisdecisioneasierbyattacking.Together,thegiantspickedupafakemountainasbigasPercy’sNewYorkapartmentandhurleditatthedemigods.

Percy and Jasonbolted.Theydove together into the nearest trench and themountain shatteredabove them, spraying themwithplaster shrapnel. Itwasn’tdeadly,butitstunglikecrazy.

Thecrowdjeeredandshoutedforblood.“Fight!Fight!”“I’lltakeOtisagain?”Jasoncalledoverthenoise.“Ordoyouwanthimthis

time?”Percytriedtothink.Dividingwasthenaturalcourse—fightingthegiantsone-

on-one, but that hadn’tworked sowell last time. It dawned on him that theyneededadifferentstrategy.

This whole trip, Percy had felt responsible for leading and protecting hisfriends.HewassureJasonfelt thesameway.They’dworked insmallgroups,hoping thatwouldbe safer.They’d foughtas individuals, eachdemigoddoingwhatheorshedidbest.ButHerahadmadethemateamofsevenforareason.ThefewtimesPercyandJasonhadworkedtogether—summoningthestormatFortSumter,helpingtheArgoIIescapethePillarsofHercules,evenfillingthenymphaeum—Percyhadfeltmoreconfident,betterabletofigureoutproblems,asifhe’dbeenaCyclopshiswholelifeandsuddenlywokeupwithtwoeyes.

“Weattacktogether,”hesaid.“Otisfirst,becausehe’sweaker.Takehimoutquickly andmove toEphialtes.Bronze andgold together—maybe that’ll keepthemfromre-formingalittlelonger.”

Jasonsmileddryly,likehe’djustfoundouthewoulddieinanembarrassingway.

“Why not?” he agreed. “But Ephialtes isn’t going to stand there and waitwhilewekillhisbrother.Unless—”

“Goodwindtoday,”Percyoffered.“Andthere’resomewaterpipesrunningunderthearena.”

Jason understood immediately. He laughed, and Percy felt a spark offriendship.Thisguythoughtthesamewayhedidaboutalotofthings.

“Onthree?”Jasonsaid.

“Whywait?”They charged out of the trench. As Percy suspected, the twins had lifted

anotherplastermountainandwerewaitingforaclearshot.Thegiantsraiseditabovetheirheads,preparingtothrow,andPercycausedawaterpipetoburstattheirfeet,shakingthefloor.JasonsentablastofwindagainstEphialtes’schest.Thepurple-hairedgianttoppledbackwardandOtislosthisgriponthemountain,which promptly collapsed on top of his brother. Only Ephialtes’s snake feetstuck out, darting their heads around, as if wondering where the rest of theirbodyhadgone.

The crowd roared with approval, but Percy suspected Ephialtes was onlystunned.Theyhadafewsecondsatbest.

“Hey,Otis!”heshouted.“TheNutcrackerbites!”“Ahhhhh!”Otissnatcheduphisspearandthrew,buthewastooangrytoaim

straight.JasondeflecteditoverPercy’sheadandintothelake.Thedemigodsbackedtowardthewater,shoutinginsultsaboutballet—which

waskindofachallenge,asPercydidn’tknowmuchaboutit.Otisbarreledtowardthemempty-handed,beforeapparentlyrealizingthata)

hewasempty-handed,andb)charging towarda largebodyofwater tofightasonofPoseidonwasmaybenotagoodidea.

Too late, he tried to stop. The demigods rolled to either side, and Jasonsummoned thewind, using the giant’s ownmomentum to shove him into thewater.AsOtisstruggledtorise,PercyandJasonattackedasone.TheylaunchedthemselvesatthegiantandbroughttheirbladesdownonOtis’shead.

The poor guy didn’t even have a chance to pirouette. He exploded intopowderonthelake’ssurfacelikeahugepacketofdrinkmix.

Percychurnedthelakeintoawhirlpool.Otis’sessencetriedtore-form,butashisheadappearedfromthewater,Jasoncalledlightningandblastedhimtodustagain.

Sofarsogood,buttheycouldn’tkeepOtisdownforever.Percywasalreadytiredfromhisfightunderground.Hisgutstillachedfromgettingsmackedwithaspearshaft.Hecouldfeelhisstrengthwaning,andtheystillhadanothergianttodealwith.

As if on cue, the plaster mountain exploded behind them. Ephialtes rose,bellowingwithanger.

Percy and Jason waited as he lumbered toward them, his spear in hand.Apparently,gettingflattenedunderaplastermountainhadonlyenergizedhim.His eyes dancedwithmurderous light. The afternoon sun glinted in his coin-braidedhair.Evenhissnakefeetlookedangry,baringtheirfangsandhissing.

Jason called down another lightning strike, but Ephialtes caught it on hisspearanddeflectedtheblast,meltingalife-sizeplasticcow.Heslammedastonecolumnoutofhiswaylikeastackofbuildingblocks.

Percytriedtokeepthelakechurning.Hedidn’twantOtisrisingtojointhisfight,butasEphialtesclosedthelastfewfeet,Percyhadtoswitchfocus.

Jasonandhemetthegiant’scharge.TheylungedaroundEphialtes,stabbingandslashinginablurofgoldandbronze,butthegiantparriedeverystrike.

“Iwillnotyield!”Ephialtesroared.“Youmayhaveruinedmyspectacle,butGaeawillstilldestroyyourworld!”

Percy lashed out, slicing the giant’s spear in half. Ephialtes wasn’t evenfazed.Thegiant swept lowwith thebluntendandknockedPercyoffhis feet.Percylandedhardonhisswordarm,andRiptideclatteredoutofhisgrip.

Jasontriedtotakeadvantage.Hesteppedinsidethegiant’sguardandstabbedathis chest, but somehowEphialtesparried the strike.He sliced the tipofhisspear down Jason’s chest, ripping his purple shirt into a vest. Jason stumbled,looking at the thin line of blood down his sternum. Ephialtes kicked himbackward.

Upin theemperor’sbox,Pipercriedout,buthervoicewasdrownedin theroarof thecrowd.Bacchuslookedonwithanamusedsmile,munchingfromabagofDoritos.

Ephialtes towered over Percy and Jason, both halves of his broken spearpoised over their heads. Percy’s sword arm was numb. Jason’s gladius hadskitteredacrossthearenafloor.Theirplanhadfailed.

PercyglancedupatBacchus,decidingwhatfinalcursehewouldhurlattheuselesswinegod,whenhesawashapeintheskyabovetheColosseum—alargedarkovaldescendingrapidly.

Fromthelake,Otisyelled,tryingtowarnhisbrother,buthishalf-dissolvedfacecouldonlymanage:“Uh-umh-moooo!”

“Don’tworry,brother!”Ephialtessaid,hiseyesstill fixedonthedemigods.“Iwillmakethemsuffer!”

TheArgoIIturnedinthesky,presentingitsportside,andgreenfireblazedfromtheballista.

“Actually,”Percysaid.“Lookbehindyou.”HeandJasonrolledawayasEphialtesturnedandbellowedindisbelief.PercydroppedintoatrenchjustastheexplosionrockedtheColosseum.Whenheclimbedoutagain, theArgoIIwascominginforalanding.Jason

pokedhisheadoutfrombehindhisimprovisedbombshelterofaplastichorse.Ephialtes lay charred and groaning on the arena floor, the sand around himsearedintoahaloofglassbytheheatoftheGreekfire.Otiswasflounderinginthelake, tryingtore-form,butfromthearmsdownhelookedlikeapuddleofburntoatmeal.

PercystaggeredovertoJasonandclappedhimontheshoulder.TheghostlycrowdgavethemastandingovationastheArgoIIextendeditslandinggearandsettledonthearenafloor.Leostoodatthehelm,HazelandFrankgrinningathisside.CoachHedgedancedaroundthefiringplatform,pumpinghisfistintheairandyelling,“That’swhatI’mtalkingabout!”

Percyturnedtotheemperor’sbox.“Well?”heyelledatBacchus.“Wasthatentertainingenoughforyou,youwine-breathedlittle—”

“Noneed for that.”Suddenly thegodwasstanding rightnext tohim in thearena. He brushed Dorito dust off his purple robes. “I have decided you areworthypartnersforthiscombat.”

“Partners?”Jasongrowled.“Youdidnothing!”Bacchuswalkedtotheedgeofthelake.Thewaterinstantlydrained,leaving

anOtis-headedpileofmush.Bacchuspickedhiswaytothebottomandlookedupatthecrowd.Heraisedhisthyrsus.

The crowd jeered and hollered and pointed their thumbs down. Percy hadneverbeensurewhetherthatmeantliveordie.He’dhearditbothways.

Bacchuschosethemoreentertainingoption.HesmackedOtis’sheadwithhis

pineconestaff,andthegiantpileofOtismealdisintegratedcompletely.Thecrowdwentwild.Bacchusclimbedoutof the lakeandstruttedover to

Ephialtes,whowasstilllyingspread-eagled,overcookedandsmoking.Again,Bacchusraisedhisthyrsus.“DOIT!”thecrowdroared.“DON’TDOIT!”Ephialteswailed.Bacchustappedthegiantonthenose,andEphialtescrumbledtoashes.TheghostscheeredandthrewspectralconfettiasBacchusstrodearoundthe

stadiumwithhisarmsraisedtriumphantly,exultingintheworship.Hegrinnedatthedemigods.“That,myfriends,isashow!AndofcourseIdidsomething.Ikilledtwogiants!”

As Percy’s friends disembarked from the ship, the crowd of ghostsshimmeredanddisappeared.PiperandNicostruggleddownfromtheemperor’sboxastheColosseum’smagicalrenovationsbegantoturnintomist.Thearenafloor remained solid,butotherwise the stadium lookedas if it hadn’thostedagoodgiantkillingforeons.

“Well,”Bacchus said. “Thatwas fun.Youhavemypermission tocontinueyourvoyage.”

“Yourpermission?”Percysnarled.“Yes.”Bacchus raised an eyebrow. “Although yourvoyagemay be a little

harderthanyouexpect,sonofNeptune.”“Poseidon,”Percycorrectedhimautomatically.“Whatdoyoumeanaboutmy

voyage?”“You might try the parking lot behind the Emmanuel Building,” Bacchus

said.“Bestplace tobreak through.Now,good-bye,myfriends.And,ah,goodluckwiththatotherlittlematter.”

Thegodvaporizedinacloudofmistthatsmelledfaintlyofgrapejuice.JasonrantomeetPiperandNico.

CoachHedge trottedup toPercy,withHazel,Frank,andLeoclosebehind.“WasthatDionysus?”Hedgeasked.“Ilovethatguy!”

“You’realive!”Percysaidtotheothers.“Thegiantssaidyouwerecaptured.Whathappened?”

Leo shrugged. “Oh, just another brilliant plan by Leo Valdez. You’d beamazedwhatyoucandowithanArchimedessphere,agirlwhocansensestuffunderground,andaweasel.”

“Iwastheweasel,”Franksaidglumly.“Basically,” Leo explained, “I activated a hydraulic screw with the

Archimedesdevice—whichisgoingtobeawesomeonceIinstallitintheship,by the way. Hazel sensed the easiest path to drill to the surface.Wemade atunnelbigenoughforaweasel,andFrankclimbedupwithasimpletransmitterthat I slapped together.After that, it was just amatter of hacking intoCoachHedge’s favorite satellite channels and telling him to bring the ship around torescueus.Afterhegotus,findingyouwaseasy,thankstothatgodlylightshowattheColosseum.”

Percy understood about ten percent of Leo’s story, but he decided it wasenoughsincehehadamorepressingquestion.“Where’sAnnabeth?”

Leowinced.“Yeah,aboutthat…she’sstillintrouble,wethink.Hurt,brokenleg,maybe—atleastaccordingtothisvisionGaeashownus.Rescuingherisournextstop.”

Twosecondsbefore,Percyhadbeenreadytocollapse.Nowanothersurgeofadrenaline coursed through his body. He wanted to strangle Leo and demandwhy theArgo IIhadn’t sailedoff to rescueAnnabeth first,buthe thought thatmightsoundalittleungrateful.

“Tellmeaboutthevision,”hesaid.“Tellmeeverything.”The floor shook.Thewoodenplanks began to disappear, spilling sand into

thepitsofthehypogeumbelow.“Let’s talkonboard,”Hazelsuggested.“We’dbetter takeoffwhilewestill

can.”

TheysailedoutoftheColosseumandveeredsouthovertherooftopsofRome.AllaroundthePiazzadelColosseo,traffichadcometoastandstill.Acrowd

ofmortalshadgathered,probablywonderingaboutthestrangelightsandsoundsthat had come from the ruins. As far as Percy could see, none of the giants’spectacularplansfordestructionhadcomeoffsuccessfully.Thecitylookedthe

sameasbefore.NooneseemedtonoticethehugeGreektriremerisingintothesky.

The demigods gathered around the helm. Jason bandaged Piper’s sprainedshoulderwhileHazelsatatthestern,feedingNicoambrosia.ThesonofHadescouldbarelylifthishead.Hisvoicewassoquiet,Hazelhadtoleaninwheneverhespoke.

Frank and Leo recounted what had happened in the room with theArchimedesspheres,andthevisionsGaeahadshowntheminthebronzemirror.Theyquicklydecided that theirbest lead for findingAnnabethwas thecrypticadviceBacchushadprovided:theEmmanuelBuilding,whateverthatwas.Frankstartedtypingatthehelm’scomputerwhileLeotappedfuriouslyathiscontrols,muttering, “Emmanuel Building. Emmanuel Building.” Coach Hedge tried tohelpbywrestlingwithanupside-downstreetmapofRome.

PercykneltnexttoJasonandPiper.“How’stheshoulder?”Pipersmiled.“It’llheal.Bothofyoudidgreat.”JasonelbowedPercy.“Notabadteam,youandme.”“BetterthanjoustinginaKansascornfield,”Percyagreed.“Thereitis!”Leocried,pointingtohismonitor.“Frank,you’reamazing!I’m

settingcourse.”Frank hunched his shoulders. “I just read the name off the screen. Some

ChinesetouristmarkeditonGoogleMaps.”Leogrinnedattheothers.“HereadsChinese.”“Justatinybit,”Franksaid.“Howcoolisthat?”“Guys,”Hazelbrokein.“Ihatetointerruptyouradmirationsession,butyou

shouldhearthis.”ShehelpedNicotohisfeet.He’dalwaysbeenpale,butnowhisskinlooked

likepowderedmilk.HisdarksunkeneyesremindedPercyofphotoshe’dseenofliberatedprisoners-of-war,whichPercyguessedNicobasicallywas.

“Thankyou,”Nicorasped.Hiseyesdartednervouslyaroundthegroup.“I’dgivenuphope.”

Thepastweekorso,Percyhadimaginedalotofscathingthingshemightsay

toNicowhentheymetagain,buttheguylookedsofrailandsad,Percycouldn’tmustermuchanger.

“Youknewaboutthetwocampsallalong,”Percysaid.“YoucouldhavetoldmewhoIwasthefirstdayIarrivedatCampJupiter,butyoudidn’t.”

Nicoslumpedagainstthehelm.“Percy,I’msorry.IdiscoveredCampJupiterlastyear.Mydadledmethere,thoughIwasn’tsurewhy.Hetoldmethegodshad kept the camps separate for centuries and that I couldn’t tell anyone.Thetime wasn’t right. But he said it would be important for me to know…” Hedoubledoverinafitofcoughing.

Hazelheldhisshouldersuntilhecouldstandagain.“I—IthoughtDadmeantbecauseofHazel,”Nicocontinued.“I’dneedasafe

placetotakeher.Butnow…IthinkhewantedmetoknowaboutbothcampssoI’dunderstandhowimportantyourquestwas,andsoI’dsearchfortheDoorsofDeath.”

Theairturnedelectric—literally,asJasonstartedthrowingoffsparks.“Didyoufindthedoors?”Percyasked.Niconodded.“Iwasafool.IthoughtIcouldgoanywhereintheUnderworld,

but Iwalked right intoGaea’s trap. Imight aswell have tried running fromablackhole.”

“Um…” Frank chewed his lip. “What kind of black hole are you talkingabout?”

Nico started to speak, but whatever he needed to say must have been tooterrifying.HeturnedtoHazel.

Sheputherhandonherbrother’sarm.“NicotoldmethattheDoorsofDeathhave two sides—one in themortalworld, one in theUnderworld. Themortalside of the portal is in Greece. It’s heavily guarded by Gaea’s forces. That’swheretheybroughtNicobackintotheupperworld.ThentheytransportedhimtoRome.”

Pipermust’vebeennervous,becausehercornucopiaspitoutacheeseburger.“WhereexactlyinGreeceisthisdoorway?”

Nicotookarattlingbreath.“TheHouseofHades.It’sanundergroundtempleinEpirus.Icanmarkitonamap,but—butthemortalsideoftheportalisn’tthe

problem.IntheUnderworld,theDoorsofDeatharein…in…”Acoldpairofhandsdidtheitsy-bitsyspiderdownPercy’sback.A black hole.An inescapable part of the Underworld where even Nico di

Angelocouldn’tgo.Whyhadn’tPercythoughtofthisbefore?He’dbeentotheveryedgeofthatplace.Hestillhadnightmaresaboutit.

“Tartarus,”heguessed.“ThedeepestpartoftheUnderworld.”Nico nodded. “They pulledme into the pit, Percy. The things I saw down

there…”Hisvoicebroke.Hazelpursedherlips.“NomortalhaseverbeentoTartarus,”sheexplained.

“Atleast,noonehasevergoneinandreturnedalive.It’sthemaximum-securityprison of Hades, where the old Titans and the other enemies of the gods arebound.It’swhereallmonstersgowhentheydieontheearth.It’s…well,nooneknowsexactlywhatit’slike.”

Her eyes drifted to her brother. The rest of her thought didn’t need to bespoken:NooneexceptNico.

Hazelhandedhimhisblacksword.Nico leaned on it like it was an old man’s cane. “Now I understand why

Hadeshasn’tbeenabletoclosethedoors,”hesaid.“Eventhegodsdon’tgointoTartarus.Eventhegodofdeath,Thanatoshimself,wouldn’tgonearthatplace.”

Leoglancedoverfromthewheel.“Soletmeguess.We’llhavetogothere.”Nico shook his head. “It’s impossible. I’m the son of Hades, and even I

barelysurvived.Gaea’sforcesoverwhelmedmeinstantly.They’resopowerfuldownthere…nodemigodwouldstandachance.Ialmostwentinsane.”

Nico’seyes looked like shatteredglass.Percywondered sadly if somethinginsidehimhadbrokenpermanently.

“Thenwe’ll sail forEpirus,”Percy said. “We’ll just close thegateson thisside.”

“Iwishitwerethateasy,”Nicosaid.“Thedoorswouldhavetobecontrolledonbothsidestobeclosed.It’slikeadoubleseal.Maybe,justmaybe,allsevenof youworking together could defeatGaea’s forces on themortal side, at theHouse of Hades. But unless you had a team fighting simultaneously on theTartarus side, a team powerful enough to defeat a legion ofmonsters in their

hometerritory—”“Therehastobeaway,”Jasonsaid.Nobodyvolunteeredanybrilliantideas.Percythoughthisstomachwassinking.Thenherealizedtheentireshipwas

descendingtowardabigbuildinglikeapalace.Annabeth.Nico’snewswassohorriblePercyhadmomentarilyforgottenshe

wasstillindanger,whichmadehimfeelincrediblyguilty.“We’llfigureouttheTartarusproblemlater,”hesaid.“IsthattheEmmanuel

Building?”Leonodded. “Bacchus said somethingabout theparking lot inback?Well,

thereitis.Whatnow?”Percyrememberedhisdreamofthedarkchamber,theevilbuzzingvoiceof

the monster called Her Ladyship. He remembered how shaken Annabeth hadlookedwhen she’d come back from Fort Sumter after her encounterwith thespiders.Percyhadbeguntosuspectwhatmightbedowninthatshrine…literally,themotherofallspiders.Ifhewasright,andAnnabethhadbeentrappeddowntherealonewiththatcreatureforhours,herlegbroken…Atthispoint,hedidn’tcareifherquestwassupposedtobesoloornot.

“Wehavetogetherout,”hesaid.“Well,yeah,”Leoagreed.“But,uh…”Helookedlikehewantedtosay,Whatifwe’retoolate?Wisely,hechangedtack.“There’saparkinglotintheway.”Percy looked at Coach Hedge. “Bacchus said something about breaking

through.Coach,youstillhaveammoforthoseballistae?”Thesatyrgrinnedlikeawildgoat.“Ithoughtyou’dneverask.”

ANNABETHHADREACHEDHERTERRORLIMIT.She’d been assaulted by chauvinist ghosts. She’d broken her ankle. She’d

beenchasedacrossachasmbyanarmyofspiders.Now,inseverepain,withheranklewrappedinboardsandBubbleWrap,andcarryingnoweaponexceptherdagger,shefacedArachne—amonstroushalf-spiderwhowantedtokillherandmakeacommemorativetapestryaboutit.

In the last few hours, Annabeth had shivered, sweated, whimpered, andblinkedbacksomanytearsthatherbodysimplygaveuponbeingscared.Hermind said something like,Okay, sorry. I can’t be any more terrified than Ialreadyam.

Soinstead,Annabethstartedtothink.The monstrous creature picked her way down from the top of the web-

coveredstatue.Shemovedfromstrandtostrand,hissingwithpleasure,herfoureyesglitteringinthedark.Eithershewasnotinahurry,orshewasslow.

Annabethhopedshewasslow.Notthatitmattered.Annabethwasinnoconditiontorun,andshedidn’tlike

her chances in combat. Arachne probably weighed several hundred pounds.Thosebarbedlegswereperfectforcapturingandkillingprey.Besides,Arachne

probablyhadotherhorriblepowers—apoisonousbite,orweb-slingingabilitieslikeanAncientGreekSpider-Man.

No.Combatwasnottheanswer.Thatlefttrickeryandbrains.In theold legends,Arachnehadgotten into troublebecauseofpride.She’d

braggedabouthertapestriesbeingbetterthanAthena’s,whichhadledtoMountOlympus’sfirstrealityTVpunishmentprogram:SoYouThinkYouCanWeaveBetterThanaGoddess?Arachnehadlostinabigway.

Annabethknewsomethingaboutbeingprideful.Itwasherfatalflawaswell.She often had to remind herself that she couldn’t do everything alone. Shewasn’talways the best person for every job. Sometimes she got tunnel visionandforgotaboutwhatotherpeopleneeded,evenPercy.Andshecouldgeteasilydistractedtalkingaboutherfavoriteprojects.

Butcouldsheusethatweaknessagainstthespider?Maybeifshestalledfortime…thoughshewasn’tsurehowstallingwouldhelp.Herfriendswouldn’tbeable to reach her, even if they knewwhere to go. The cavalry would not becoming.Still,stallingwasbetterthandying.

She tried to keep her expression calm, which wasn’t easy with a brokenankle.Shelimpedtowardthenearesttapestry—acityscapeofAncientRome.

“Marvelous,”shesaid.“Tellmeaboutthistapestry.”Arachne’slipscurledoverhermandibles.“Whydoyoucare?You’reabout

todie.”“Well,yes,”Annabethsaid.“Butthewayyoucapturedthelightisamazing.

Didyouuserealgoldenthreadforthesunbeams?”The weaving truly was stunning. Annabeth didn’t have to pretend to be

impressed.Arachne allowedherself a smug smile. “No, child.Not gold. I blended the

colors,contrastingbrightyellowwithdarkerhues.That’swhatgivesitathree-dimensionaleffect.”

“Beautiful.”Annabeth’smindsplitintotwodifferentlevels:onecarryingonthe conversation, the other madly grasping for a scheme to survive. Nothingcame toher.Arachnehadbeenbeatenonlyonce—byAthenaherself, and that

hadtakengodlymagicandincredibleskillinaweavingcontest.“So…”shesaid.“Didyouseethissceneyourself?”Arachne hissed, hermouth foaming in a not-very-attractiveway. “You are

tryingtodelayyourdeath.Itwon’twork.”“No, no,” Annabeth insisted. “It just seems a shame that these beautiful

tapestriescan’tbeseenbyeveryone.Theybelonginamuseum,or…”“Orwhat?”Arachneasked.A crazy idea sprang fully formed from Annabeth’s mind, like her mom

jumpingoutofZeus’snoggin.Butcouldshemakeitwork?“Nothing.”Shesighedwistfully.“It’sasillythought.Toobad.”Arachne scuttled down the statue until shewas perched atop the goddess’s

shield.Evenfromthatdistance,Annabethcouldsmellthespider’sstink,likeanentirebakeryfullofpastrieslefttogobadforamonth.

“What?”thespiderpressed.“Whatsillythought?”Annabethhad to forceherselfnot tobackaway.Brokenankleorno,every

nerveinherbodypulsedwithfear,tellinghertogetawayfromthehugespiderhoveringoverher.

“Oh…it’sjustthatIwasputinchargeofredesigningMountOlympus,”shesaid.“Youknow,aftertheTitanWar.I’vecompletedmostofthework,butweneedalotofqualitypublicart.Thethroneroomofthegods,forinstance…Iwasthinking your work would be perfect to display there. The Olympians couldfinallyseehowtalentedyouare.AsIsaid,itwasasillythought.”

Arachne’shairyabdomenquivered.Herfoureyesglimmeredasifshehadaseparatethoughtbehindeachandwastryingtoweavethemintoacoherentweb.

“You’re redesigningMountOlympus,” she said. “Mywork…in the throneroom.”

“Well, other places too,” Annabeth said. “The main pavilion could useseveral of these. That one with the Greek landscape—the NineMuses wouldlovethat.AndI’msuretheothergodswouldbefightingoveryourworkaswell.They’d compete to have your tapestries in their palaces. I guess, aside fromAthena,noneofthegodshaseverseenwhatyoucando?”

Arachnesnappedhermandibles.“Hardly.Intheolddays,Athenatoreupall

mybestwork.Mytapestriesdepictedthegodsinratherunflatteringways,yousee.Yourmotherdidn’tappreciatethat.”

“Ratherhypocritical,”Annabethsaid,“sincethegodsmakefunofeachotherallthetime.Ithinkthetrickwouldbetopitonegodagainstanother.Ares,forinstance,wouldloveatapestrymakingfunofmymother.He’salwaysresentedAthena.”

Arachne’shead tiltedatanunnaturalangle. “Youwouldworkagainstyourownmother?”

“I’m just telling you what Ares would like,” Annabeth said. “And ZeuswouldlovesomethingthatmadefunofPoseidon.Oh,I’msureiftheOlympianssawyourwork, they’d realizehowamazingyouare, and I’dhave tobroker abiddingwar.Asforworkingagainstmymother,whyshouldn’tI?Shesentmehere to die, didn’t she? The last time I saw her in New York, she basicallydisownedme.”

Annabethtoldherthestory.Shesharedherbitternessandsorrow,anditmusthavesoundedgenuine.Thespiderdidnotpounce.

“This is Athena’s nature,” Arachne hissed. “She casts aside even her owndaughter. The goddess would never allow my tapestries to be shown in thepalacesofthegods.Shewasalwaysjealousofme.”

“Butimagineifyoucouldgetyourrevengeatlonglast.”“Bykillingyou!”“Isuppose.”Annabethscratchedherhead.“Or…bylettingmebeyouragent.

IcouldgetyourworkintoMountOlympus.Icouldarrangeanexhibitionfortheother gods. By the time my mother found out, it would be too late. TheOlympianswouldfinallyseethatyourworkisbetter.”

“Then you admit it!” Arachne cried. “A daughter of Athena admits I ambetter!Oh,thisissweettomyears.”

“Buta lotofgooditdoesyou,”Annabethpointedout.“If Idiedownhere,yougoonlivinginthedark.Gaeadestroysthegods,andtheyneverrealizeyouwerethebetterweaver.”

Thespiderhissed.Annabethwas afraid hermothermight suddenly appear and curse herwith

someterribleaffliction.ThefirstlessoneverychildofAthenalearned:Momwasthebestateverything,andyoushouldnever,eversuggestotherwise.

But nothing bad happened. Maybe Athena understood that Annabeth wasonlysaying these things tosaveher life.OrmaybeAthenawas insuch inbadshape, split between herGreek andRomanpersonalities, that shewasn’t evenpayingattention.

“Thiswillnotdo,”Arachnegrumbled.“Icannotallowit.”“Well…”Annabethshifted,tryingtokeepherweightoffherthrobbingankle.

Anewcrackappearedinthefloor,andshehobbledback.“Careful!”Arachnesnapped.“Thefoundationsofthisshrinehavebeeneaten

awayoverthecenturies!”Annabeth’sheartbeatfaltered.“Eatenaway?”“Youhavenoideahowmuchhatredboilsbeneathus,”thespidersaid.“The

spitefulthoughtsofsomanymonsterstryingtoreachtheAthenaParthenosanddestroy it.Mywebbing is the only thingholding the room together, girl!Onefalse step, and you’ll fall all theway toTartarus—and believeme, unlike theDoorsofDeath, thiswouldbeaone-waytrip,averyhardfall!Iwillnothaveyoudyingbeforeyoutellmeyourplanformyartwork.”

Annabeth’smouthtastedlikerust.AllthewaytoTartarus?Shetriedtostayfocused,butitwasn’teasyasshelistenedtothefloorcreakandcrack,spillingrubbleintothevoidbelow.

“Right, the plan,” Annabeth said. “Um…as I said, I’d love to take yourtapestries to Olympus and hang them everywhere. You could rub yourcraftsmanship in Athena’s nose for all eternity. But the only way I could dothat…No.It’stoodifficult.Youmightaswellgoaheadandkillme.”

“No!” Arachne cried. “That is unacceptable. It no longer brings me anypleasuretocontemplate.ImusthavemyworkonMountOlympus!WhatmustIdo?”

Annabethshookherhead.“Sorry, Ishouldn’thavesaidanything.JustpushmeintoTartarusorsomething.”

“Irefuse!”“Don’tberidiculous.Killme.”

“Idonottakeordersfromyou!TellmewhatImustdo!Or…or—”“Oryou’llkillme?”“Yes!No!”Thespiderpressedherfrontlegsagainstherhead.“Imustshow

myworkonMountOlympus.”Annabethtriedtocontainherexcitement.Herplanmightactuallywork…but

shestillhadtoconvinceArachnetodosomethingimpossible.SherememberedsomegoodadviceFrankZhanghadgivenher:Keepitsimple.

“IsupposeIcouldpullafewstrings,”sheconceded.“Iexcelatpullingstrings!”saidArachne.“I’maspider!”“Yes,but togetyourwork shownonMountOlympus,we’dneedaproper

audition.I’dhavetopitchtheidea,submitaproposal,put togetheraportfolio.Hmm…doyouhaveanyheadshots?”

“Headshots?”“Glossy black-and-white…Oh, never mind. The audition piece is the most

important thing. These tapestries are excellent. But the gods would requiresomethingreallyspecial—somethingthatshowsoffyourtalentintheextreme.”

Arachnesnarled.“Areyousuggestingthat thesearenotmybestwork?Areyouchallengingmetoacontest?”

“Oh, no!” Annabeth laughed. “Against me? Gosh, no. You aremuch toogood.Itwouldonlybeacontestagainstyourself,toseeifyoureallyhavewhatittakestoshowyourworkonMountOlympus.”

“OfcourseIdo!”“Well,Icertainlythinkso.Buttheaudition,youknow…it’saformality.I’m

afraiditwouldbeverydifficult.Areyousureyoudon’tjustwanttokillme?”“Stopsayingthat!”Arachnescreeched.“WhatmustImake?”“I’ll show you.”Annabeth unslung her backpack. She took outDaedalus’s

laptopandopenedit.Thedeltalogoglowedinthedark.“Whatisthat?”Arachneasked.“Somesortofloom?”“Inaway,”Annabethsaid.“It’sforweavingideas.Itholdsadiagramofthe

artworkyouwouldbuild.”Her fingers trembled on the keyboard. Arachne lowered herself to peer

directlyoverAnnabeth’sshoulder.Annabethcouldn’thelpthinkinghoweasily

thoseneedleliketeethcouldsinkintoherneck.Sheopenedher3-Dimagingprogram.Herlastdesignwasstillup—thekey

toAnnabeth’splan,inspiredbythemostunlikelymuseever:FrankZhang.Annabethdid somequickcalculations.She increased thedimensionsof the

model, then showed Arachne how it could be created—strands of materialwovenintostrips,thenbraidedintoalongcylinder.

Thegoldenlightfromthescreenilluminatedthespider’sface.“Youwantmetomakethat?Butthisisnothing!Sosmallandsimple!”

“Theactualsizewouldbemuchbigger,”Annabethcautioned.“Youseethesemeasurements?Naturally itmust be large enough to impress the gods. Itmaylooksimple,but thestructurehas incredibleproperties.Yourspidersilkwouldbetheperfectmaterial—softandflexible,yethardassteel.”

“Isee…”Arachnefrowned.“Butthisisn’tevenatapestry.”“That’swhyit’sachallenge.It’soutsideyourcomfortzone.Apiecelikethis

—anabstractsculpture—iswhatthegodsarelookingfor.Itwouldstandintheentryhallof theOlympianthroneroomforeveryvisitor tosee.Youwouldbefamousforever!”

Arachne made a discontented hum in her throat. Annabeth could tell shewasn’tgoingfortheidea.Herhandsstartedtofeelcoldandsweaty.

“Thiswouldtakeagreatdealofweb,”thespidercomplained.“MorethanIcouldmakeinayear.”

Annabeth had been hoping for that. She’d calculated the mass and sizeaccordingly.“You’dneedtounravelthestatue,”shesaid.“Reusethesilk.”

Arachne seemed about to object, but Annabeth waved at the AthenaParthenoslikeitwasnothing.“What’smoreimportant—coveringthatoldstatueor proving your artwork is the best? Of course, you’d have to be incrediblycareful.You’dneedtoleaveenoughwebbingtoholdtheroomtogether.Andifyouthinkit’stoodifficult—”

“Ididn’tsaythat!”“Okay. It’s just…Athena said that creating this braided structurewould be

impossibleforanyweaver,evenher.Soifyoudon’tthinkyoucan—”“Athenasaidthat?”

“Well,yeah.”“Ridiculous!Icandoit!”“Great! But you’d need to start right away, before the Olympians choose

anotherartistfortheirinstallations.”Arachnegrowled.“Ifyouaretrickingme,girl—”“You’llhavemerighthereasahostage,”Annabeth remindedher.“It’snot

likeIcangoanywhere.Oncethissculptureiscomplete,you’llagreethatit’sthemostamazingpieceyou’veeverdone.Ifnot,Iwillgladlydie.”

Arachne hesitated. Her barbed legs were so close, she could’ve impaledAnnabethwithaquickswipe.

“Fine,”thespidersaid.“Onelastchallenge—againstmyself!”ArachneclimbedherwebandbegantounraveltheAthenaParthenos.

ANNABETHLOSTTRACKOFTIME.Shecouldfeeltheambrosiashe’deatenearlierstartingtorepairherleg,butit

stillhurtsobadlythatthepainthrobbedrightuptoherneck.Allalongthewalls,small spiders scuttled in the darkness, as if awaiting their mistress’s orders.Thousandsofthemrustledbehindthetapestries,makingthewovenscenesmovelikewind.

Annabethsatonthecrumblingfloorandtriedtopreserveherstrength.WhileArachne wasn’t watching, she attempted to get some sort of signal onDaedalus’slaptoptocontactherfriends,butofcourseshehadnoluck.Thatlefthernothing todobutwatch inamazementandhorrorasArachneworked,hereightlegsmovingwithhypnoticspeed,slowlyunravelingthesilkstrandsaroundthestatue.

Withitsgoldenclothesanditsluminousivoryface,theAthenaParthenoswaseven scarier thanArachne. It gazed down sternly as if to say,Bringme tastysnacksor else.Annabethcould imaginebeinganAncientGreek,walking intothe Parthenon and seeing this massive goddess with her shield, spear, andpython,herfreehandholdingoutNike,thewingedspiritofvictory.Itwould’vebeenenoughtoputakinkinthechitonofanymortal.

Morethanthat,thestatueradiatedpower.AsAthenawasunwrapped,theairaroundhergrewwarmer.Herivoryskinglowedwithlife.Allacrosstheroom,thesmallerspidersbecameagitatedandbeganretreatingbackintothehallway.

AnnabethguessedthatArachne’swebshadsomehowmaskedanddampenedthestatue’smagic.Nowthatitwasfree,theAthenaParthenosfilledthechamberwithmagicalenergy.Centuriesofmortalprayersandburntofferingshadbeenmadeititspresence.ItwasinfusedwiththepowerofAthena.

Arachne didn’t seem to notice. She keptmuttering to herself, counting outyards of silk and calculating the number of strands her projectwould require.Whenevershehesitated,AnnabethcalledoutencouragementandremindedherhowwonderfulhertapestrieswouldlookonMountOlympus.

ThestatuegrewsowarmandbrightthatAnnabethcouldseemoredetailsofthe shrine—theRomanmasonry that had probably once been gleamingwhite,thedarkbonesofArachne’spastvictimsandmealshangingintheweb,andthemassivecablesofsilkthatconnectedthefloortotheceiling.Annabethnowsawjusthowfragilethemarbletileswereunderherfeet.Theywerecoveredinafinelayerofwebbing, likemeshholding togetherashatteredmirror.Whenever theAthenaParthenosshiftedevenslightly,morecracksspreadandwidenedalongthefloor.Insomeplaces,therewereholesasbigasmanholecovers.Annabethalmostwisheditweredarkagain.EvenifherplansucceededandshedefeatedArachne,shewasn’tsurehowshecouldmakeitoutofthischamberalive.

“Somuchsilk,”Arachnemuttered.“Icouldmaketwentytapestries—”“Keepgoing!”Annabethcalledup.“You’redoingawonderfuljob.”The spider kept working. After what seemed like forever, a mountain of

glisteningsilkwaspiledatthefeetofthestatue.Thewallsofthechamberwerestillcoveredinwebs.Thesupportcablesholdingtheroomtogetherhadn’tbeendisturbed.ButtheAthenaParthenoswasfree.Pleasewakeup,Annabethbeggedthestatue.Mother,helpme.Nothing happened, but the cracks seemed to be spreading across the floor

more rapidly. According to Arachne, the malicious thoughts of monsters hadeatenawayattheshrine’sfoundationsforcenturies.Ifthatwastrue,nowthatitwasfreetheAthenaParthenosmightbeattractingevenmoreattentionfromthe

monstersinTartarus.“Thedesign,”Annabethsaid.“Youshouldhurry.”She lifted the computer screen forArachne to see, but the spider snapped,

“I’vememorizedit,child.Ihaveanartist’seyefordetail.”“Ofcourseyoudo.Butweshouldhurry.”“Why?”“Well…sowecanintroduceyourworktotheworld!”“Hmm.Verywell.”Arachne began to weave. It was slow work, turning silk strands into long

strips of cloth. The chamber rumbled. The cracks at Annabeth’s feet becamewider.

IfArachnenoticed, she didn’t seem to care.Annabeth considered trying topushthespiderintothepitsomehow,butshedismissedtheidea.Therewasn’tabig enough hole, and besides, if the floor gaveway, Arachne could probablyhang from her silk and escape, while Annabeth and the ancient statue wouldtumbleintoTartarus.

Slowly,Arachne finished the long strips of silk andbraided them together.Herskillwasflawless.Annabethcouldn’thelpbeingimpressed.Shefeltanotherflicker of doubt about her ownmother.What ifArachnewas a betterweaverthanAthena?

But Arachne’s skill wasn’t the point. She had been punished for beingprideful and rude.Nomatter how amazing youwere, you couldn’t go aroundinsulting the gods. The Olympians were a reminder that there was alwayssomeonebetter thanyou, so you shouldn’t get a big head.Still…being turnedinto a monstrous immortal spider seemed like a pretty harsh punishment forbragging.

Arachne worked more quickly, bringing the strands together. Soon, thestructurewasdone.Atthefeetofthestatuelayabraidedcylinderofsilkstrips,fivefeetindiameterandtenfeetlong.Thesurfaceglistenedlikeabaloneshell,butitdidn’tseembeautifultoAnnabeth.Itwasjustfunctional:atrap.Itwouldonlybebeautifulifitworked.

Arachneturnedtoherwithahungrysmile.“Done!Now,myreward!Prove

tomethatyoucandeliveronyourpromises.”Annabethstudiedthetrap.Shefrownedandwalkedaroundit,inspectingthe

weaving from every angle. Then, careful of her bad ankle, she got down onhandsandkneesandcrawledinside.She’ddonethemeasurementsinherhead.Ifshe’dgottenthemwrong,herplanwasdoomed.Butsheslippedthroughthesilken tunnel without touching the sides. The webbing was sticky, but notimpossiblyso.Shecrawledouttheotherendandshookherhead.

“There’saflaw,”shesaid.“What?!”Arachnecried.“Impossible!Ifollowedyourinstructions—”“Inside,” Annabeth said. “Crawl in and see for yourself. It’s right in the

middle—aflawintheweaving.”Arachne foamedat themouth.Annabethwasafraid she’dpushed toohard,

and the spider would snap her up. She’d be just another set of bones in thecobwebs.

Instead,Arachnestampedhereightlegspetulantly.“Idonotmakemistakes.”“Oh,it’ssmall,”Annabethsaid.“Youcanprobablyfixit.ButIdon’twantto

showthegodsanythingbutyourbestwork.Look,go insideandcheck.Ifyoucanfixit,thenwe’llshowittotheOlympians.You’llbethemostfamousartistofalltime.They’llprobablyfiretheNineMusesandhireyoutooverseeallthearts.ThegoddessArachne…yes,Iwouldn’tbesurprised.”

“The goddess…”Arachne’s breathing turned shallow. “Yes, yes. Iwill fixthisflaw.”

Shepokedherheadintothetunnel.“Whereisit?”“Rightinthemiddle,”Annabethurged.“Goahead.Itmightbeabitsnugfor

you.”“I’mfine!”shesnapped,andwriggledin.AsAnnabeth had hoped, the spider’s abdomen fit, but only barely.As she

pushed her way in, the braided strips of silk expanded to accommodate her.Arachnegotallthewayuptoherspinnerets.

“Iseenoflaw!”sheannounced.“Really?”Annabethasked.“Well,that’sodd.ComeoutandI’lltakeanother

look.”

Moment of truth. Arachne wriggled, trying to back up. The woven tunnelcontractedaroundherandheldherfast.Shetriedtowriggleforward,butthetrapwas already stuck to her abdomen. She couldn’t get through that way either.Annabethhadbeenafraid thespider’sbarbed legsmightpuncture thesilk,butArachne’slegswerepressedsotightlyagainstherbodyshecouldbarelymovethem.

“What—whatisthis?”shecalled.“Iamstuck!”“Ah,”Annabethsaid.“Iforgottotellyou.ThispieceofartiscalledChinese

Handcuffs. At least, it’s a larger variation on that idea. I call it ChineseSpidercuffs.”

“Treachery!”Arachnethrashedandrolledandsquirmed,butthetrapheldhertight.

“Itwasamatterofsurvival,”Annabethcorrected.“Youweregoingtokillmeeitherway,whetherIhelpedyouornot,yes?”

“Well,ofcourse!You’reachildofAthena.”Thetrapwentstill.“Imean…no,ofcoursenot!Irespectmypromises.”

“Uh-huh.” Annabeth stepped back as the braided cylinder began to thrashagain. “Normally these traps aremade fromwovenbamboo, but spider silk isevenbetter. Itwill holdyou fast, and it’smuch too strong tobreak—even foryou.”

“Gahhhh!”Arachnerolledandwriggled,butAnnabethmovedoutoftheway.Evenwithherbrokenankle,shecouldmanagetoavoidagiantsilkfingertrap.

“Iwilldestroyyou!”Arachnepromised.“Imean…no,I’llbeverynicetoyouifyouletmeout.”

“I’dsavemyenergyifIwereyou.”Annabethtookadeepbreath,relaxingforthefirsttimeinhours.“I’mgoingtocallmyfriends.”

“You—you’re going to call them about my artwork?” Arachne askedhopefully.

Annabethscannedtheroom.TherehadtobeawaytosendanIris-messagetotheArgoII.Shehadsomewaterleftinherbottle,buthowtocreateenoughlightandmisttomakearainbowinadarkcavern?

Arachnebegantorollaroundagain.“You’recallingyourfriendstokillme!”

sheshrieked.“Iwillnotdie!Notlikethis!”“Calmdown,”Annabethsaid.“We’llletyoulive.Wejustwantthestatue.”“Thestatue?”“Yes.”Annabeth should’ve left it at that, but her fearwas turning to anger

and resentment. “The artwork that I’ll display most prominently on MountOlympus?Itwon’tbeyours.TheAthenaParthenosbelongsthere—rightinthecentralparkofthegods.”

“No!No,that’shorrible!”“Oh,itwon’thappenrightaway,”Annabethsaid.“Firstwe’lltakethestatue

withustoGreece.Aprophecytoldusithasthepowertohelpdefeatthegiants.After that…well,wecan’t simply restore it to theParthenon.Thatwould raisetoomanyquestions.It’llbesaferinMountOlympus.ItwillunitethechildrenofAthenaandbringpeacetotheRomansandGreeks.Thanksforkeepingitsafeallthesecenturies.You’vedoneAthenaagreatservice.”

Arachne screamed and flailed. A strand of silk shot from the monster’sspinnerets andattached itself to a tapestryon the farwall.Arachne contractedher abdomen and blindly ripped away the weaving. She continued to roll,shootingsilkrandomly,pullingoverbraziersofmagicfireandrippingtilesoutofthefloor.Thechambershook.Tapestriesbegantoburn.

“Stop that!” Annabeth tried to hobble out of the way of the spider’s silk.“You’llbringdownthewholecavernandkillusboth!”

“Betterthanseeingyouwin!”Arachnecried.“Mychildren!Helpme!”Oh,great.Annabethhadhopedthestatue’smagicaurawouldkeepawaythe

little spiders, but Arachne continued shrieking, imploring them to help.Annabethconsideredkillingthespiderwomantoshutherup.Itwouldbeeasyto use her knife now. But she hesitated to kill any monster when it was sohelpless,evenArachne.Besides,ifshestabbedthroughthebraidedsilk,thetrapmightunravel.ItwaspossibleArachnecouldbreakfreebeforeAnnabethcouldfinishheroff.

Allthesethoughtscametoolate.Spidersbeganswarmingintothechamber.The statue of Athena glowed brighter. The spiders clearly didn’t want toapproach,buttheyedgedforwardasifgatheringtheircourage.Theirmotherwas

screamingforhelp.Eventuallytheywouldpourin,overwhelmingAnnabeth.“Arachne,stopit!”sheyelled.“I’ll—”SomehowArachne twisted in her prison, pointing her abdomen toward the

sound of Annabeth’s voice. A strand of silk hit her in the chest like aheavyweight’sglove.

Annabeth fell, her leg flaringwithpain.She slashedwildly at thewebbingwithherdaggerasArachnepulledhertowardhersnappingspinnerets.

Annabethmanaged to cut the strand and crawl away, but the little spiderswereclosingaroundher.

Sherealizedherbesteffortshadnotbeenenough.Shewouldn’tmakeitoutofhere.Arachne’schildrenwouldkillheratthefeetofhermother’sstatue.Percy,shethought,I’msorry.Atthatmoment, thechambergroaned,and thecavernceilingexploded ina

blastoffierylight.

ANNABETHHADSEENSOMESTRANGETHINGSBEFORE,butshe’dneverseenit raincars.

Astheroofofthecaverncollapsed,sunlightblindedher.ShegotthebriefestglimpseoftheArgoIIhoveringabove.Itmusthaveuseditsballistaetoblastaholestraightthroughtheground.

Chunks of asphalt as big as garage doors tumbled down, alongwith six orsevenItaliancars.Onewould’vecrushedtheAthenaParthenos,butthestatue’sglowingauraactedlikeaforcefield,andthecarbouncedoff.Unfortunately,itfellstraighttowardAnnabeth.

Shejumpedtooneside,twistingherbadfoot.Awaveofagonyalmostmadeherpassout,butsheflippedonherbackintimetoseeabrightredFiat500slaminto Arachne’s silk trap, punching through the cavern floor and disappearingwiththeChineseSpidercuffs.

AsArachnefell, shescreamed likea freight trainonacollisioncourse;butherwailingrapidlyfaded.AllaroundAnnabeth,morechunksofdebrisslammedthroughthefloor,riddlingitwithholes.

The Athena Parthenos remained undamaged, though the marble under itspedestal was a starburst of fractures. Annabeth was covered in cobwebs. She

trailedstrandsofleftoverspidersilkfromherarmsandlegslikethestringsofamarionette,butsomehow,amazingly,noneofthedebrishadhither.Shewantedto believe that the statue had protected her, though she suspected it might’vebeennothingbutluck.

The army of spiders had disappeared. Either they had fled back into thedarkness, or they’d fallen into the chasm. As daylight flooded the cavern,Arachne’s tapestries along thewalls crumbled to dust, whichAnnabeth couldhardlybeartowatch—especiallythetapestrydepictingherandPercy.

But none of that mattered when she heard Percy’s voice from above:“Annabeth!”

“Here!”shesobbed.All the terror seemed to leave her in one massive yelp. As the Argo II

descended, she sawPercy leaningover the rail.His smilewasbetter than anytapestryshe’deverseen.

Theroomkeptshaking,butAnnabethmanagedtostand.Theflooratherfeetseemed stable for the moment. Her backpack was missing, along withDaedalus’slaptop.Herbronzeknife,whichshe’dhadsinceshewasseven,wasalsogone—probablyfallenintothepit.ButAnnabethdidn’tcare.Shewasalive.

SheedgedclosertothegapingholemadebytheFiat500.Jaggedrockwallsplunged into the darkness as far as Annabeth could see. A few small ledgesjutted out here and there, butAnnabeth saw nothing on them—just strands ofspidersilkdrippingoverthesideslikeChristmastinsel.

Annabethwondered ifArachnehad told the truthabout thechasm.Had thespiderfallenallthewaytoTartarus?Shetriedtofeelsatisfiedwiththatidea,butit made her sad. Arachne had made some beautiful things. She’d alreadysuffered for eons.Nowher last tapestries had crumbled.After all that, fallingintoTartarusseemedliketooharshanend.

AnnabethwasdimlyawareoftheArgoIIhoveringtoastopaboutfortyfeetfrom the floor. It lowereda rope ladder,butAnnabethstood inadaze, staringinto the darkness. Then suddenly Percywas next to her, lacing his fingers inhers.

Heturnedhergentlyawayfromthepitandwrappedhisarmsaroundher.She

buriedherfaceinhischestandbrokedownintears.“It’sokay,”hesaid.“We’retogether.”Hedidn’tsayyou’reokay,orwe’realive.Afterallthey’dbeenthroughover

thelastyear,heknewthemostimportantthingwasthattheyweretogether.Shelovedhimforsayingthat.

Their friends gathered around them. Nico di Angelo was there, butAnnabeth’sthoughtsweresofuzzy,thisdidn’tseemsurprisingtoher.Itseemedonlyrightthathewouldbewiththem.

“Yourleg.”PiperkneltnexttoherandexaminedtheBubbleWrapcast.“Oh,Annabeth,whathappened?”

Shestartedtoexplain.Talkingwasdifficult,butasshewentalong,herwordscamemore easily. Percy didn’t let go of her hand, which alsomade her feelmore confident. When she finished, her friends’ faces were slack withamazement.

“Gods of Olympus,” Jason said. “You did all that alone. With a brokenankle.”

“Well…someofitwithabrokenankle.”Percygrinned. “YoumadeArachneweaveherown trap? I knewyouwere

good, butHolyHera—Annabeth, youdid it.Generations ofAthena kids triedandfailed.YoufoundtheAthenaParthenos!”

Everyonegazedatthestatue.“Whatdowedowithher?”Frankasked.“She’shuge.”“We’ll have to take herwith us toGreece,”Annabeth said. “The statue is

powerful.Somethingaboutitwillhelpusstopthegiants.”“Thegiants’banestandsgoldandpale,”Hazelquoted.“Wonwithpainfrom

awovenjail.”ShelookedatAnnabethwithadmiration.“ItwasArachne’sjail.Youtrickedherintoweavingit.”

Withalotofpain,Annabeththought.Leo raised his hands. He made a finger picture frame around the Athena

Parthenos like he was taking measurements. “Well, it might take somerearranging,butIthinkwecanfitherthroughthebaydoorsinthestable.Ifshesticksouttheend,Imighthavetowrapaflagaroundherfeetorsomething.”

Annabeth shuddered.She imagined theAthenaParthenos jutting from theirtriremewithasignacrossherpedestalthatread:WIDELOAD.

Thenshe thoughtabout theother linesof theprophecy:The twinssnuffouttheangel’sbreath,whoholdsthekeystoendlessdeath.

“Whataboutyouguys?”sheasked.“Whathappenedwiththegiants?”PercytoldheraboutrescuingNico,theappearanceofBacchus,andthefight

with the twins in theColosseum.Nicodidn’t saymuch.Thepoor guy lookedlike he’d beenwandering through awasteland for sixweeks. Percy explainedwhat Nico had found out about the Doors of Death, and how they had to beclosedonbothsides.Evenwithsunlightstreaminginfromabove,Percy’snewsmadethecavernseemdarkagain.

“SothemortalsideisinEpirus,”shesaid.“Atleastthat’ssomewherewecanreach.”

Nicogrimaced.“Buttheothersideistheproblem.Tartarus.”Thewordseemedtoechothroughthechamber.Thepitbehindthemexhaled

acoldblastofair.That’swhenAnnabethknewwithcertainty.ThechasmdidgostraighttotheUnderworld.

Percymusthavefeltittoo.Heguidedheralittlefartherfromtheedge.Herarms and legs trailed spider silk like a bridal train. She wished she had herdagger to cut that junk off. She almost asked Percy to do the honors withRiptide,butbeforeshecould,hesaid,“BacchusmentionedsomethingaboutmyvoyagebeingharderthanIexpected.Notsurewhy—”

The chamber groaned. The Athena Parthenos tilted to one side. Its headcaughtononeofArachne’ssupportcables,butthemarblefoundationunderthepedestalwascrumbling.

NauseaswelledinAnnabeth’schest.Ifthestatuefellintothechasm,allherworkwouldbefornothing.Theirquestwouldfail.

“Secureit!”Annabethcried.Herfriendsunderstoodimmediately.“Zhang!” Leo cried. “Get me to the helm, quick! The coach is up there

alone.”Franktransformedintoagianteagle,andthetwoofthemsoaredtowardthe

ship.JasonwrappedhisarmaroundPiper.HeturnedtoPercy.“Backforyouguys

inasec.”Hesummonedthewindandshotintotheair.“This floor won’t last!” Hazel warned. “The rest of us should get to the

ladder.”Plumesofdustandcobwebsblastedfromholesinthefloor.Thespider’ssilk

support cables trembled like massive guitar strings and began to snap. Hazellunged for the bottomof the rope ladder and gestured forNico to follow, butNicowasinnoconditiontosprint.

PercygrippedAnnabeth’shandtighter.“It’llbefine,”hemuttered.Lookingup,shesawgrapplinglinesshootfromtheArgoIIandwraparound

thestatue.OnelassoedAthena’snecklikeanoose.LeoshoutedordersfromthehelmasJasonandFrankflewfranticallyfromlinetoline,tryingtosecurethem.

NicohadjustreachedtheladderwhenasharppainshotupAnnabeth’sbadleg.Shegaspedandstumbled.

“Whatisit?”Percyasked.She tried to stagger toward the ladder. Why was she moving backward

instead?Herlegssweptoutfromunderherandshefellonherface.“Herankle!”Hazelshoutedfromtheladder.“Cutit!Cutit!”Annabeth’smindwaswoollyfromthepain.Cutherankle?Apparently Percy didn’t realize what Hazel meant either. Then something

yankedAnnabeth backward and dragged her toward the pit. Percy lunged.Hegrabbedherarm,butthemomentumcarriedhimalongaswell.

“Helpthem!”Hazelyelled.Annabeth glimpsed Nico hobbling in their direction, Hazel trying to

disentanglehercavalryswordfromtheropeladder.Theirotherfriendswerestillfocusedonthestatue,andHazel’scrywaslost in thegeneralshoutingandtherumblingofthecavern.

Annabethsobbedasshehittheedgeofthepit.Herlegswentovertheside.Too late, she realizedwhatwashappening: shewas tangled in the spider silk.Sheshouldhavecutitawayimmediately.Shehadthoughtitwasjustlooseline,butwiththeentirefloorcoveredincobwebs,shehadn’tnoticedthatoneofthe

strandswaswrappedaroundherfoot—andtheotherendwentstraight into thepit. Itwas attached to something heavy down in the darkness, something thatwaspullingherin.

“No,”Percymuttered,lightdawninginhiseyes.“Mysword…”But he couldn’t reach Riptide without letting go of Annabeth’s arm, and

Annabeth’sstrengthwasgone.Sheslippedovertheedge.Percyfellwithher.Herbodyslammedintosomething.Shemusthaveblackedoutbriefly from

thepain.Whenshecouldseeagain,sherealizedthatshe’dfallenpartwayintothepitandwasdanglingoverthevoid.Percyhadmanagedtograbaledgeaboutfifteen feet below the top of the chasm. He was holding on with one hand,grippingAnnabeth’swristwiththeother,butthepullonherlegwasmuchtoostrong.Noescape,saidavoiceinthedarknessbelow.IgotoTartarus,andyouwill

cometoo.Annabethwasn’tsureifsheactuallyheardArachne’svoiceorifitwasjustin

hermind.The pit shook. Percywas the only thing keeping her from falling.Hewas

barelyholdingontoaledgethesizeofabookshelf.Nico leanedover theedgeof thechasm, thrustingouthishand,buthewas

much too far away to help.Hazelwas yelling for the others, but even if theyheardheroverallthechaos,they’dnevermakeitintime.

Annabeth’s leg felt like it was pulling free of her body. Pain washedeverythinginred.TheforceoftheUnderworldtuggedatherlikedarkgravity.She didn’t have the strength to fight. She knew she was too far down to besaved.

“Percy,letmego,”shecroaked.“Youcan’tpullmeup.”Hisfacewaswhitewitheffort.Shecouldseeinhiseyesthatheknewitwas

hopeless.“Never,”hesaid.HelookedupatNico,fifteenfeetabove.“Theotherside,

Nico!We’llseeyouthere.Understand?”Nico’seyeswidened.“But—”“Leadthemthere!”Percyshouted.“Promiseme!”

“I—Iwill.”Below them, the voice laughed in the darkness. Sacrifices. Beautiful

sacrificestowakethegoddess.PercytightenedhisgriponAnnabeth’swrist.Hisfacewasgaunt,scrapedand

bloody, his hair dustedwith cobwebs, butwhen he locked eyeswith her, shethoughthehadneverlookedmorehandsome.

“We’re staying together,”hepromised. “You’renotgettingaway fromme.Neveragain.”

Only then did she understandwhat would happen.A one-way trip. A veryhardfall.

“Aslongaswe’retogether,”shesaid.SheheardNicoandHazelstillscreamingforhelp.Shesawthesunlightfar,

farabove—maybethelastsunlightshewouldeversee.Then Percy let go of his tiny ledge, and together, holding hands, he and

Annabethfellintotheendlessdarkness.

LEOWASSTILLINSHOCK.Everythinghadhappenedsoquickly.Theyhadsecuredgrapplinglinestothe

AthenaParthenosjustasthefloorgaveway,andthefinalcolumnsofwebbingsnapped.JasonandFrankdovedowntosavetheothers,but they’donlyfoundNicoandHazelhangingfromtheropeladder.PercyandAnnabethweregone.ThepittoTartarushadbeenburiedunderseveraltonsofdebris.LeopulledtheArgo II outof thecavern secondsbefore theentireplace imploded, taking therestoftheparkinglotwithit.

TheArgoIIwasnowparkedonahilloverlookingthecity.Jason,Hazel,andFrank had returned to the scene of the catastrophe, hoping to dig through therubble and find a way to save Percy and Annabeth, but they’d come backdemoralized.Thecavernwassimplygone.Thescenewasswarmingwithpoliceand rescue workers. No mortals had been hurt, but the Italians would bescratching their heads for months, wondering how a massive sinkhole hadopened right in the middle of a parking lot and swallowed a dozen perfectlygoodcars.

Dazedwithgrief,Leoand theotherscarefully loaded theAthenaParthenosinto the hold, using the ship’s hydraulic winches with an assist from Frank

Zhang,part-timeelephant.Thestatuejustfit,thoughwhattheyweregoingtodowithit,Leohadnoidea.

CoachHedgewastoomiserabletohelp.Hekeptpacingthedeckwithtearsinhis eyes, pulling at his goatee and slapping the sideof his head,muttering, “Ishouldhavesavedthem!Ishouldhaveblownupmorestuff!”

FinallyLeotoldhimtogobelowdecksandsecureeverythingfordeparture.Hewasn’tdoinganygoodbeatinghimselfup.

The six demigods gathered on the quarterdeck and gazed at the distantcolumnofduststillrisingfromthesiteoftheimplosion.

Leorestedhishandon theArchimedessphere,whichnowsaton thehelm,readytobeinstalled.Heshouldhavebeenexcited.Itwasthebiggestdiscoveryof his life—even bigger than Bunker 9. If he could decipher Archimedes’sscrolls,hecoulddoamazingthings.Hehardlydaredtohope,buthemightevenbeabletobuildanewcontroldiskforacertaindragonfriendofhis.

Still,thepricehadbeentoohigh.HecouldalmosthearNemesislaughing.Itoldyouwecoulddobusiness,Leo

Valdez.Hehadopenedthefortunecookie.He’dgottentheaccesscodeforthesphere

andsavedFrankandHazel.ButthesacrificehadbeenPercyandAnnabeth.Leowassureofit.

“It’smyfault,”hesaidmiserably.Theothersstaredathim.OnlyHazelseemedtounderstand.She’dbeenwith

himattheGreatSaltLake.“No,”sheinsisted.“No,thisisGaea’sfault.Ithadnothingtodowithyou.”Leowantedtobelievethat,buthecouldn’t.They’dstartedthisvoyagewith

Leo messing up, firing on New Rome. They’d ended in old Rome with Leobreakingacookieandpayingapricemuchworsethananeye.

“Leo, listen tome.”Hazelgrippedhishand.“Iwon’tallowyou to take theblame.Icouldn’tbearthatafter—afterSammy…”

She choked up, but Leo knewwhat shemeant. His bisabuelo had blamedhimselfforHazel’sdisappearance.Sammyhadlivedagoodlife,buthe’dgonetohisgravebelievingthathe’dspentacurseddiamondanddoomedthegirlhe

loved.Leo didn’t want to make Hazel miserable all over again, but this was

different.Truesuccessrequiressacrifice.Leohadchosentobreakthatcookie.PercyandAnnabethhadfallenintoTartarus.Thatcouldn’tbeacoincidence.

NicodiAngeloshuffledover,leaningonhisblacksword.“Leo,they’renotdead.Iftheywere,Icouldfeelit.”

“Howcanyoube sure?”Leoasked. “If thatpit really led to…youknow…howcouldyousensethemsofaraway?”

NicoandHazelsharedalook,maybecomparingnotesontheirHades/Plutodeath radar. Leo shivered. Hazel had never seemed like a child of theUnderworldtohim,butNicodiAngelo—thatguywascreepy.

“Wecan’tbeonehundredpercentsure,”Hazeladmitted.“ButIthinkNicoisright.PercyandAnnabetharestillalive…atleast,sofar.”

Jasonpoundedhisfistagainst therail.“Ishould’vebeenpayingattention. Icouldhaveflowndownandsavedthem.”

“Me,too,”Frankmoaned.Thebigdudelookedonthevergeoftears.PiperputherhandonJason’sback.“It’snotyour fault, eitherofyou.You

weretryingtosavethestatue.”“She’s right,”Nico said. “Even if the pit hadn’t been buried, you couldn’t

haveflownintoitwithoutbeingpulleddown.I’mtheonlyonewhohasactuallybeenintoTartarus.It’simpossibletodescribehowpowerfulthatplaceis.Onceyougetclose,itsucksyouin.Ineverstoodachance.”

Franksniffled.“ThenPercyandAnnabethdon’tstandachanceeither?”Nicotwistedhissilverskullring.“PercyisthemostpowerfuldemigodI’ve

evermet.Nooffensetoyouguys,butit’strue.Ifanybodycansurvive,hewill,especiallyifhe’sgotAnnabethathisside.They’regoingtofindawaythroughTartarus.”

Jasonturned.“TotheDoorsofDeath,youmean.Butyoutoldusit’sguardedbyGaea’smostpowerfulforces.Howcouldtwodemigodspossibly—?”

“I don’t know,” Nico admitted. “But Percy told me to lead you guys toEpirus,tothemortalsideofthedoorway.He’splanningonmeetingusthere.Ifwecansurvive theHouseofHades,fightourwaythroughGaea’sforces, then

maybewe canwork togetherwith Percy andAnnabeth and seal theDoors ofDeathfrombothsides.”

“AndgetPercyandAnnabethbacksafely?”Leoasked.“Maybe.”Leodidn’tlikethewayNicosaidthat,asifhewasn’tsharingallhisdoubts.

Besides, Leo knew something about locks and doors. If the Doors of Deathneeded to be sealed from both sides, how could they do that unless someonestayedintheUnderworld,trapped?

Nicotookadeepbreath.“Idon’tknowhowthey’llmanageit,butPercyandAnnabethwillfindaway.They’lljourneythroughTartarusandfindtheDoorsofDeath.Whentheydo,wehavetobeready.”

“Itwon’tbeeasy,”Hazelsaid.“Gaeawillthroweverythingshe’sgotatustokeepusfromreachingEpirus.”

“Whatelseisnew?”Jasonsighed.Piper nodded. “We’ve got no choice.We have to seal theDoors ofDeath

beforewecanstopthegiantsfromraisingGaea.Otherwiseherarmieswillneverdie.Andwe’ve got to hurry. TheRomans are inNewYork. Soon, they’ll bemarchingonCampHalf-Blood.”

“We’ve got one month at best,” Jason added. “Ephialtes said Gaea wouldawakeninexactlyonemonth.”

Leostraightened.“Wecandoit.”Everyonestaredathim.“TheArchimedesspherecanupgradetheship,”hesaid,hopinghewasright.

“I’mgoingtostudythoseancientscrollswegot.There’sgottobeallkindsofnewweaponsIcanmake.We’regoingtohitGaea’sarmieswithawholenewarsenalofhurt.”

Attheprowoftheship,Festuscreakedhisjawandblewfiredefiantly.Jasonmanagedasmile.HeclappedLeoontheshoulder.“Soundslikeaplan,Admiral.Youwanttosetthecourse?”Theykiddedhim, callinghimAdmiral, but foronceLeoaccepted the title.

Thiswashisship.Hehadn’tcomethisfartobestopped.TheywouldfindthisHouseofHades.They’dtaketheDoorsofDeath.And

bythegods,ifLeohadtodesignagrabberarmlongenoughtosnatchPercyandAnnabethoutofTartarus,thenthat’swhathewoulddo.

NemesiswantedhimtowreakvengeanceonGaea?Leowouldbehappy tooblige.HewasgoingtomakeGaeasorryshehadevermessedwithLeoValdez.

“Yeah.”HetookonelastlookatthecityscapeofRome,turningbloodredinthesunset.“Festus,raisethesails.We’vegotsomefriendstosave.”

Glossary

AΘE alpha, theta, epsilon. In Greek it stands for of the Athenians, or thechildrenofAthena.

Achelous a potamus, or river godAlcyoneus the eldest of the giants born toGaea, destined to fight Pluto Amazons a nation of all-female warriorsAphrodite the Greek goddess of love and beauty. She was married toHephaestus,butshelovedAres,thegodofwar.Romanform:VenusArachneaweaverwho claimed to have skills superior toAthena’s. This angered thegoddess,whodestroyedArachne’s tapestryand loom.Arachnehungherself,andAthenabroughtherbacktolifeasaspider.

Archimedes a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, andastronomerwholivedbetween287and212BCEandisregardedasoneoftheleadingscientistsinclassicalantiquityArestheGreekgodofwar;thesonofZeus and Hera, and half brother to Athena. Roman form: Mars argentumsilverArgoIIthefantasticalshipbuiltbyLeo,whichcanbothsailandflyandhasFestus’sbronzedragonheadas its figurehead.TheshipwasnamedaftertheArgo, thevesselusedbyabandofGreekheroeswhoaccompaniedJasononhisquesttofindtheGoldenFleece.

Athena the Greek goddess of wisdom. Roman form: Minerva AthenaParthenosagiantstatueofAthena:themostfamousGreekstatueofalltimeaugury a sign of something coming, an omen; the practice of divining thefutureaurumgoldBacchustheRomangodofwineandrevelry.Greekform:Dionysusballista(ballistae,pl.)aRomanmissilesiegeweaponthatlauncheda large projectile at a distant target (see also Scorpion ballista)Bellona aRoman goddess of war Camp Half-Blood the training ground for Greekdemigods, located on Long Island, New York Camp Jupiter the trainingground for Roman demigods, located between the Oakland Hills and theBerkeleyHills,inCaliforniaCelestialbronzeararemetaldeadlytomonsters

centauraraceofcreaturesthatishalfhuman,halfhorsecenturionanofficerof the Roman armyCeres the Roman goddess of agriculture. Greek form:DemetercharmspeakablessingbestowedbyAphroditeonherchildren thatenables them to persuade otherswith their voice chiton aGreek garment; asleevelesspieceoflinenorwoolsecuredat theshouldersbybroochesandatthewaistbyabeltChrysaorthebrotherofPegasus,thesonofPoseidonandMedusa;knownas“theGoldSword”

Circe a Greek sorceress. In ancient times, she turned Odysseus’s crew intoswine.

Colosseum an elliptical amphitheater in the center ofRome, Italy.Capable ofseating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contestsandpublic spectacles suchasmockseabattles, animalhunts, executions, re-enactmentsoffamousbattles,anddramas.

cornucopiaalargehorn-shapedcontaineroverflowingwithediblesorwealthinsome form. The cornucopia was created when Heracles (Roman: Hercules)wrestledwiththerivergodAchelousandwrenchedoffoneofhishorns.

Cyclops amember of a primordial race of giants (Cyclopes, pl.), eachwith asingleeyeinthemiddleofhisorherforeheadDaedalusinGreekmythology,askilledcraftsmanwhocreatedtheLabyrinthonCreteinwhichtheMinotaur(partman, part bull)was keptDeianiraHeracles’s secondwife. Shewas ofsuchstrikingbeautythatbothHeraclesandAchelouswantedtomarryherandtherewasacontesttowinherhand.ThecentaurNessustrickedherintokillingHeraclesbydippinghis tunic inwhatshe thoughtwasa lovepotionbutwasactuallyNessus’spoisonousblood.

Demeter theGreek goddess of agriculture, a daughter of theTitansRhea andKronos.Romanform:Ceresdenarius(denarii,pl.)themostcommoncoinintheRoman currency systemDionysus theGreek god ofwine and revelry, asonofZeus.Romanform:BacchusDoorsofDeathawell-hiddenpassagewaythat when open allows souls to travel from theUnderworld to theworld ofmortalsdrachma the silver coinofAncientGreecedrakon gigantic serpenteidolonpossessingspiritEphialtesandOtistwingiants,sonsofGaeaEpirusaregionpresentlyinnorthwesternGreeceandsouthernAlbaniaEurystheusa

grandsonofPerseus,who,throughthefavorofHera,inheritedthekingshipofMycenae,whichZeushadintendedforHeraclesfaunaRomanforestgod,partgoatandpartman.Greekform:satyrFortunatheRomangoddessoffortuneandgoodluck.Greekform:TycheForumTheRomanForumwasthecenterof ancient Rome, a plaza where Romans conducted business, trials, andreligiousactivities.

Gaea the Greek earth goddess; mother of Titans, giants, Cyclopes, and othermonsters.Romanform:TerragladiusashortswordGorgonsthreemonstroussisterswhohavehairofliving,venomoussnakes.Themostfamous,Medusa,hadeyesthatturnedthebeholdertostone.

greaves shin armor Greek fire an incendiary weapon used in naval battlesbecause it can continueburning inwaterHades theGreekgodofdeath andriches.Romanform:PlutoHadrianaRomanEmperorwhoruledfrom117to138 CE. He is best known for building Hadrian’s Wall, which marked thenorthern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he rebuilt the Pantheon andconstructedtheTempleofVenusandRoma.

Hagno a nymphwho is said to have brought upZeus.OnMount Lycaeus inArcadiatherewasawellsacredtoandnamedafterher.

harpyawingedfemalecreaturethatsnatchesthingsHebethegoddessofyouth;the daughter of Zeus and Hera, and married to Heracles. Roman form:JuventasHephaestustheGreekgodoffireandcraftsandofblacksmiths;thesonofZeusandHera,andmarried toAphrodite.Romanform:VulcanHerathe Greek goddess of marriage; Zeus’s wife and sister. Roman form: JunoHeraclestheGreekequivalentofHercules;thesonofZeusandAlcmene;thestrongestofallmortalsHerculestheRomanequivalentofHeracles;thesonofJupiterandAlcmene,whowasbornwithgreatstrengthhippocampicreaturesthatfromthewaistuphavethebodyofahorseandfromthewaistdownhavesilvery fish bodies, with glistening scales and rainbow tail fins. They wereusedtodrawPoseidon’schariot,andseafoamwascreatedbytheirmovement.

hippodrome a Greek stadium for horse racing and chariot racingHouse ofHadesanunderground temple inEpirus,Greece,dedicated to theHadesandPersephone,sometimescalledanecromanteion,or“oracleofdeath.”Ancient

GreeksbelieveditmarkedoneentrancetotheUnderworld,andpilgrimswouldgotheretocommunewiththedead.

hypogeumtheareaunderacoliseumthathousedsetpiecesandmachineryusedfor special effects ichthyocentaur a fish-centaur described as having theforefeet of a horse, a human torso and head, and a fish tail. It is sometimesshownwithapairoflobster-clawhorns.

Imperialgoldararemetaldeadlytomonsters,consecratedatthePantheon;itsexistence was a closely guarded secret of the emperors Invidia the Romangoddessofrevenge.Greekform:NemesisIristheGreekrainbowgoddessandamessengerofthegods;thedaughterofThaumasandElectra.Romanform:IrisJunotheRomangoddessofwomen,marriage,andfertility;sisterandwifeofJupiter;motherofMars.Greekform:HeraJupiter theRomankingofthegods;alsocalledJupiterOptimusMaximus(thebestandthegreatest).Greekform:ZeusJuventastheRomangoddessofyouth.Greekform:HebeKalendsof July the first day of July, whichwas sacred to Juno karpoi grain spiritsKatoptris Piper’s dagger, once owned by Helen of Troy. The word means“lookingglass.”

KetotheGreekgoddessofseamonstersandlargeseacreatures,suchaswhalesandsharks.SheisthedaughterofGaeaandthesister-wifeofPhorcys,godofthedangersofthesea.

KhionetheGreekgoddessofsnow;daughterofBoreasKronostheGreekgodof agriculture, the son of Uranus and Gaea and the father of Zeus. Romanform:SaturnLarahousegod,ancestralspiritofRome(Lares,pl.).

LupathesacredRomanshe-wolfthatnursedthefoundlingtwinsRomulusandRemusMarcusAgrippaaRomanstatesmanandgeneral;defenseministertoOctavian,andresponsibleformostofhismilitaryvictories.HecommissionedthePantheonasatempletoallthegodsofAncientRome.

MareNostrumLatin forOurSea,was aRomanname for theMediterraneanSeaMarstheRomangodofwar;alsocalledMarsUltor.Patronoftheempire;divinefatherofRomulusandRemus.Greekform:AresMinerva theRomangoddessofwisdom.Greekform:AthenaMinotauramonsterwiththeheadofa bull on the body of amanMist amagic force that disguises things from

mortalsMithrasOriginallyaPersiangodofthesun,MithraswasworshippedbyRomanwarriorsasaguardianofarmsandapatronofsoldiers.

muskeg bogNarcissus aGreekhunterwhowas renowned for his beauty.Hewasexceptionallyproudanddisdainedthosewholovedhim.NemesissawthisandattractedNarcissustoapoolwherehesawhisreflectioninthewaterandfellinlovewithit.Unabletoleavethebeautyofhisreflection,Narcissusdied.

Nemesis the Greek goddess of revenge. Roman form: Invidia Neptune theRomangodofthesea.Greekform:PoseidonNereidsfiftyfemaleseaspirits;patronsof sailorsand fishermenandcaretakersof thesea’sbountyNessus acrafty centaur who tricked Deianira into killing Heracles New Rome acommunity near Camp Jupiter where demigods can live together in peace,without interference from mortals or monsters Nike the Greek goddess ofstrength, speed, and victory. Roman form: Victoria nymph a female naturedeity who animates nature nymphaeum a shrine to nymphs Pantheon abuildinginRome,Italy,commissionedbyMarcusAgrippaasa templetoallthegodsofAncientRome,andrebuiltbyEmperorHadrianinabout126CE

pater Latin for father; also the name of an ancient Roman god of theUnderworld,latersubsumedbyPlutopauldronapieceofplatearmorfortheshoulderandtheupperpartofthearmPegasusInGreekmythology,awingeddivine horse; sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by theGorgonMedusa;thebrotherofChrysaorPersephonetheGreekqueenoftheUnderworld; wife of Hades; daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Roman form:ProserpinePhorcys InGreekmythology, aprimordialgodof thedangersofthesea;sonofGaea;brother-husbandofKetoPiazzaNavonaacitysquareinRome, built on the site of theStadiumofDomitian,whereAncientRomanswatchedcompetitivegamesPluto theRomangodofdeathandriches.Greekform: HadesPolybotes the giant son of Gaea, the EarthMotherPomerianLinetheboundaryaroundNewRome,andinancienttimes,thecitylimitsofRome Porphyrion the king of the Giants in Greek and Roman mythologyPoseidon theGreekgodof the sea; sonof theTitansKronosandRhea, andbrotherofZeusandHades.Romanform:NeptunepraetoranelectedRomanmagistrate and commander of the army Proserpine Roman queen of the

Underworld.Greek form:PersephoneRheaSilvia a priestess andmother ofthetwinsRomulusandRemus,whofoundedRomeRiptidethenameofPercyJackson’ssword (Anaklusmos inGreek)RomulusandRemus the twinsonsofMarsandthepriestessRheaSilvia.TheywerethrownintotheRiverTiberby theirhumanfather,Amulius,andrescuedandraisedbyashe-wolf.Uponreachingadulthood,theyfoundedRome.

Saturn the Roman god of agriculture; the son of Uranus and Gaea, and thefatherofJupiter.Greekform:KronossatyraGreekforestgod,partgoatandpartman.Roman equivalent: faunScorpion ballista a Romanmissile siegeweaponthatlaunchedalargeprojectileatadistanttargetSenatusPopulusqueRomanus (SPQR) meaning “The Senate and People of Rome,” refers to thegovernmentoftheRomanRepublicandisusedasanofficialemblemofRomeskolopendra a gargantuan Greek sea monster with hairy nostrils, a flatcrayfish-liketail,androwsofwebbedfeetliningitsflanksStymphalianbirdsinGreekmythology,man-eating birdswith bronze beaks and sharpmetallicfeathers they could launch at their victims; sacred to Ares, the god of warSybilline Books a collection of prophecies in rhyme written in Greek.TarquiniusSuperbus,akingofRome,boughtthemfromaprophetessnamedSibylandconsultedthemintimesofgreatdanger.

Tartarus husband of Gaea; spirit of the abyss; father of the giants telkhinesmysteriousseademonsandsmithsnativeto theislandsofKaosandRhodes;childrenofThalassaandPontus;theyhadflippersinsteadofhandsanddogs’heads and were known as fish children Terminus the Roman god ofboundariesandlandmarksTerratheRomangoddessoftheEarth.Greekform:Gaea Thanatos the Greek god of death. Roman form: Letus thyrsusBacchus’sweapon, a staff topped by a pinecone and twinedwith ivyTiberRiver the third-longest river in Italy. Rome was founded on its banks. InAncientRome,executedcriminalswerethrownintotheriver.

Tiberius was Roman Emperor from 14 CE to 37 CE. He was one of Rome’sgreatest generals, but he came to be remembered as a reclusive and somberrulerwhoneverreallywantedtobeemperor.

TitansaraceofpowerfulGreekdeities,descendantsofGaiaandUranus,who

ruledduringtheGoldenAgeandwereoverthrownbyaraceofyoungergods,the Olympians Trevi Fountain a fountain in the Trevi district in Rome.Standing more than eighty-five feet high and sixty-five feet wide, it is thelargestBaroquefountain in thecityandoneof themost famousfountains intheworld.

triremeanAncientGreekorRomanwarship,havingthreetiersofoarsoneachside Tyche the Greek goddess of good luck; daughter of Hermes andAphrodite. Roman form: Fortuna Venus the Roman goddess of love andbeauty.ShewasmarriedtoVulcan,butshelovedMars,thegodofwar.Greekform:AphroditeVestalVirginsRoman priestesses ofVesta, goddess of thehearth.TheVestalswerefreeoftheusualsocialobligationstomarryandbearchildrenandtookavowofchastityinordertodevotethemselvestothestudyandobservanceofritual.

ViaLabicana an ancient roadof Italy, leading east-southeast fromRomeViaPrincipalis the main street in a Roman camp or fort Victoria the Romangoddessofstrength,speed,andvictory.Greekform:NikeVulcantheRomangod of fire and crafts and of blacksmiths; the son of Jupiter and Juno, andmarried to Venus. Greek form: HephaestusWolf House a ruined mansion,originally commissioned by Jack London near Sonoma, California, wherePercyJacksonwastrainedasaRomandemigodbyLupaZeusGreekgodoftheskyandkingofthegods.Romanform:Jupiter

ComingFall2013TheHeroesofOlympus,BookFour

THEHOUSEOFHADES

PraiseforPercyJacksonandtheOlympiansbyRickRiordan:TheLightningThief“Perfectlypaced,withelectrifyingmomentschasingeachotherlike

heartbeats.”

—TheNewYorkTimesBookReviewTheSeaofMonsters “Inafeatworthyofhisheroicsubjects,Riordancraftsasequelstrongerthanhiscompellingdebut.”

—PublishersWeekly(starredreview)TheTitan’sCurse“Allinall,awinnerofOlympicproportions.”

—SchoolLibraryJournalTheBattleoftheLabyrinth “LooknofurtherforthenextHarryPotter;meetPercyJackson,aslegionsoffansalreadyhave.”

—KirkusReviews(starredreview)TheLastOlympian“ThehordesofyoungreaderswhohavedevouredRickRiordan’sbooks...willnodoubtgulpdownthisconcludingvolumeasgreedilyastheywouldaplateful

ofambrosia,ormaybepizza.”

—TheWallStreetJournal

PraiseforTheKaneChroniclesbyRickRiordan:TheRedPyramid “ThefirstvolumeintheKaneChronicles,thisfantasyadventuredeliverswhatfanslovedaboutthePercyJacksonandtheOlympiansseries:youngprotagonistswithpreviouslyunsuspectedmagicalpowers,arivetingstorymarkedby

headlongadventure,acomplexbackgroundrootedinancientmythology,andwry,wittytwenty-first-centurynarration.”

—Booklist(starredreview) “AtrulyoriginaltakeonEgyptianmythology...Amust-havebook.”

—SchoolLibraryJournal(starredreview)“Riordanfansyoungandoldwilleatthisnewbookup.”

—TheNewYorkTimesBookReviewTheThroneofFire “...Riordankickstartstheaction,neverletsuponthegas,balanceslaughsandlosseswithasurehand,andexpertlysetsupthecomingclimacticstrugglewithout(thankfully)endingonacliff-hanger.It’sagrandridesofar,showingnaryasignofslowing

down.”

—SchoolLibraryJournal(starredreview)“Riordancombineshard-hittingactionscenes,powerfulmagic,andcomicreliefwiththeinternalwavesoflove,jealousy,andself-doubtthatmakehisyoungheroesso

veryhuman.”

—Booklist

TheSerpent’sShadow“[The]epicbattleandthequietconcludingchaptersglow,alternatingheroismandhumanity,withanytraceofbombasterasedbythewrywitofthealternatingnarrators,SadieandCarter...poweredbyRiordan’stalentforcreatingvividlywrittenactionscenesandhisabilitytokeepa

complicatedstorymoving,thisvolumebringstheKaneChroniclesseriestoarousingconclusion.”

—Booklist“Beyondtheexplosiveactionandfireworks,Riordandeftlydevelopsthethemeofthedualityoftheuniverse—orderversuschaos,livinganormallifeversusriskingtheextraordinary,beingprotectedbyparentsversusgrowingupandsteppingoutoftheirshadows.Arousingadventurewithplentyofmagicand

foodforthought.”

—KirkusReviews

PraiseforTheHeroesofOlympusbyRickRiordan:

BookOne:TheLostHero

“PercyJacksonfanscanresteasy:thisfirstbookinRiordan’sHeroesofOlympusspin-offseriesisafast-pacedadventurewithenoughfamiliarelementstoimmediatelyhookthoseeagertorevisithismodernworldofmythologicalmayhem.Rotatingamonghisthreeprotagonists,Riordan’sstorytellingisaspolishedas

ever,brimmingwithwit,action,andheart—hisdevoteeswon’tbedisappointed.”—PublishersWeekly

“Riordan[maximizes]theelementsthatmadethefirstseriessopopular:irreverentheroes,plentyoftension-filledmomentsfightingmonsters,andauthenticclassicalmythologymixedinwithmodernlife.Completelyincontrolofpacingandtone,hebalancesafaultlesscomicbanteragainstdeepernotesthatrevealthecharacters’vulnerabilities.WithPercyJacksonslatedtomakeanappearanceinlatervolumes,

fansnostalgicfortheoldbooksshouldfindinthisnewserieseverythingthey’vebeenpiningfor.”—HornBook

BookTwo:TheSonofNeptune “Riordan’sseamlessweavingofvariousculturalmythologiesintoamodernlandscapecontinuestoshinein[The]SonofNeptune.Asinpreviousbooks,theplotis

engrossing,thecharactersrobustandcompelling.Percy,Frank,andHazelalternateasnarratorswithoutmissingabeatofpace,suspense,orhumor.Readerswillfindthemselvesautomatically

consumedbythestorywithouthavingreadthefirstbook,thoughsomeknowledgeofPercy’spreviousadventureswillhelpfillinminorgapsofbackgroundinformation.[The]SonofNeptuneisyetanother

absorbingandexcitingadditiontoRiordan’schronicles.”

—VOYA(starredreview)“Shouldpacingandwitcontinueunabatedintothethirdvolume,whoseforetoldEuropeansettingpromisesfurtherfreshness,fanswilleagerlyawaitnumbersfourandfive.”

—KirkusReviews

AbouttheAuthorRickRiordanistheauthoroftheNewYorkTimes#1best-sellingTheLostHeroandTheSonofNeptune,thefirsttwobooksinhisHeroesof

Olympusseries.HealsopennedtheNewYorkTimes#1best-sellingPercyJacksonandtheOlympiansseries:BookOne:TheLightningThief;BookTwo:TheSeaofMonsters;BookThree:TheTitan’sCurse;BookFour:TheBattleoftheLabyrinth;andBookFive:TheLastOlympian.HisthreebooksintheKaneChronicles,basedonEgyptianmythology,TheRedPyramid,TheThroneofFire,andTheSerpent’sShadow,wereNewYorkTimesbestsellersaswell.RicklivesinSan

Antonio,Texas,withhiswifeandtwosons.Tolearnmoreabouthim,visithisWebsiteat

www.rickriordan.com.