A/N: Sorry about the long wait. I'm busy and my beta's even busier. I'll try to update faster. Thank you for the reviews and patience. Remember no flaming. Please enjoy chapter 25!

Percy POV

Jason, Tyson, and I sat on top of a cliff across the lake from a large villa that Tyson had seen Amy enter.

"What is she doing in there?" Jason asked, voicing everyone's thought.

"Who knows?" I shrugged. "Maybe whoever lives there is a family friend of hers."

Jason looked like he was about to reply when Tyson interrupted, pointing at the edge of the lake by the villa. "Look."

Peering down at the spot he pointed to, I could see two of Amy's cousins in a boat.

"They're probably waiting for Amy," I muttered.

"Yeah, but why? Wouldn't it be better to use a car? I mean, they are on a lake." Jason said beside me. I noticed as he shifted that pain flashed across his face and he reached up to touch his wounded shoulder.

If only Apollo would answer, I thought. Then Jason could get some help.

A large crash brought me out of my thoughts. We all tensed, searching for the source of the sound while reaching for our weapons.

I had a fleeting thought, wondering how Jason would fight with an injured sword arm.

But that thought was gone as soon as I saw the Roman chariot tipped on its side and resting against an outcropping rock of the cliff opposite us. Glass shards were flying everywhere.

I looked down to the two guys in the boat. Amy's cousins looked alright, their gazes focused upward at something.

"Is that Amy?" Jason asked with disbelief evident in his voice.

I followed his gaze and, sure enough, saw a familiar fiery-red haired girl scaling down the cliff. The bag she carried was stretched in such a way that it made me wonder if she boosted a manhole cover.

"What is she doing?" Jason spoke again, this time with more worry than disbelief.

Amy suddenly started sliding down at an alarming rate before lurching into a stop. Her ankle got caught and threw her away from the cliff, down towards her cousins.

"Falling," I answered Jason. "Now may be a good time to do that whole superman wind thing!" He looked at me oddly. I shrugged in return.

Jason extended one hand and his face became determined.

Amy started to slow down as she fell, as if a pillow of air was holding her. There probably is one, I had to remind myself. She landed gently in her cousin's arms. Although I couldn't see their faces clearly, I imagined that Amy and her cousins looked rather shocked.

Jason did not fare very well with that display of his powers. He doubled over in pain. Tyson turned to me, his eyes worried. I was just as helpless as him though. Jason couldn't have any more ambrosia or nectar. Otherwise, he would burst into flames, and we didn't have any regular medicine that could help.

A gun shot fired, drawing my attention.

Amy and her cousins were in a boat chase being followed by- who I assumed was- the owner of that house.

"How about you do some of that aqua man water thing now," Jason suggested, finally being able to speak.

It was my turn to look at him oddly and receive a small shrug in return.

I could tell the boat was going full throttle, and neither Amy nor her cousins were strapped in. I prayed quickly to the gods that my plan would not got them killed before extending my hands to control the water.

Waves crashed against Amy's boat, pointing the bow of the boat at a flat area I spotted between two large boulders. The speedboat shot through and rocketed out of the water up a grassy embankment. Some water sprang from the lake and swept the three people out of the boat before it crashed. Amy and her family were deposited in a little softer area by the water away from the destroyed boat.

Not exactly my best idea, I thought, wincing internally.

"We better make sure they're still alive," Jason said to us. He spoke calmly, but his eyes shimmered with worry, and I had a feeling I knew who that worry was mostly directed to.

Tyson and I helped him stand and went to find Amy and her cousins, hopefully living and with just a few scrapes and bruises.

Amy POV

My bag's contents scattered in all directions, but the "Medusa" and Vesper phone were safe and away from harm. Jonah and Hamilton helped me pick up my strewn items.

We had just reached the limo when I heard my name being called. Looking around, I spotted Percy, Jason, and Tyson making their way towards us.

"What do they want now?" Hamilton complained.

"Amy, are you alright?" Percy asked me as they drew closer to us. Jason leaned against the limo.

"What is it to you?" Hamilton asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance. He took a step forward in a challenging way. I could tell he was getting ready for a fight.

"She's my friend, so it happens to be a lot to me." Percy said, responding to Hamilton's move with a step forward of his own.

Come on, I snapped at myself. You're supposed to be the Madrigal here- do something!

But in my heart, I knew that there was really nothing I could do. My heart was proved right as Jonah and Tyson joined in the argument. I decided to intervene if any of them started a fist fight.

I turned away from them to look at Jason who rested next to me. His eyes were focused on the four guys in front of us. Jason looked completely exhausted and in pain, but he did seem in better condition than when I left him.

His head turned, and he gazed at me. I must admit, my heart might have skipped a beat or two when my eyes connected with his electric blue ones. Jason grabbed my hand and pulled me lightly away from the arguing four.

"How are you, Amy?" Jason asked me, but it was obvious he had something else on his mind.

"How am I?" I replied. "You're the one who was attacked. How are you?"

"I'm better." He paused. "Look, I'm not going to pretend that I don't know you have Caravaggio's 'Medusa.' We don't need to take it, just see it."

"Why?" It seems like I've been asking that question a lot lately.

"We already answered that." He reminded me. "You were going to explain something to us."

Yeah, before you almost got killed.

"You just need to look at it?" I asked, deciding to ignore that last sentence.

"We just need to examine it," Jason confirmed.

They know we have it. They just need to see it. I laid out the facts in my head. I suppose it couldn't hurt.

"Let me talk to my cousins." I decided before turning my thoughts back to his health. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

He smiled. "After we get the thing for our dads, I'll take a long nap."

I frowned. "Wouldn't your dad rather you rest first, then go and get whatever you are looking for?"

"My dad's… complicated." Jason answered without really answering my question.

The Vesper phone chimed, making me jump. Hamilton and Jonah immediately stopped arguing and came over to me as I took it out and examined the latest text.

72 hours left. Tick. . . tick. . . tick. . .

Make sure you are right this time. Don't give me the pleasure of punishing another Cahill. After all, I've been trying to cut down.

Vesper One

"Man, that guy is creepy." Hamilton commented as he read over my shoulder.

I shook my head. "He would need a lot of years of charm school to work his way up to creepy."

"Who would?" Percy asked. Oops, forgot about them.

Fortunately, I didn't have to answer that. Unfortunately, that was because the phone emitted a chirp, and a new message appeared on the screen.

Battery Low

20% of power remaining

"You have a charger, right?" Jonah asked me.

"Umm…"