Percy cleared his throat. "Connor, before you start, maybe we should talk about actions and consequences."
"What do you mean, Perseus?" Hestia asked, cutting off her siblings before they could begin to say anything.
"Well, all of us are potentially going to do stupid things," Percy said, gesturing to the other time-travellers.
"Some more stupid than others," Thalia put in, glancing at Luke.
"Right," Percy agreed. "And they're probably things that we've already been …" he hesitated. "Not necessarily punished for, that's not the word, but …"
"We've already suffered the consequences," Annabeth finished, taking pity on him. "I can understand yelling, but maybe hold off on anything too permanent until we've finished?"
Luke grimaced. "Please don't do this for my sake."
"Not just yours," Percy said. He thought for a second. "Okay, mostly yours. But the Fates brought you back for a reason – although that might just be to give them someone to yell at – but if you get disintegrated every time you do something, and we have to wait for them to reform you, we're going to be here forever."
"And we have all done stupid things," Annabeth admitted. "As much as I hate to admit it. None of us are perfect – we've made mistakes, we've made assumptions. None of us can get away from that."
Hestia smiled at her. "I think what you're asking for is understandable." She looked at Zeus expectantly. "Don't you, brother?"
"Look at it this way, dear," Hera said, when Zeus didn't answer. "At least you're not going to risk contradicting yourself."
That worked. While it certainly wasn't uncommon for Zeus to contradict himself when it came to his behaviour and others' (his reaction to Poseidon breaking the oath was proof of that), he hated having to backtrack on his decisions. It made it look like he didn't know what he was doing.
"I agree, Hestia," he announced. "I'm certain our future selves have already dealt with any issues."
Percy breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Sorry, Connor, carry on."
Chapter Nineteen
We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of
"Oh, finally!" Malcolm said.
"Sort of," Connor repeated.
Imagine the largest concert crowd you've ever seen …
Everyone let Connor read in silence for several pages, listening intently.
Percy and Annabeth were both a little shaky, feeling the after-effects of being in the Underworld.
… The dead aren't scary. They're just sad.
Sally made a little noise of sympathy in her throat, the first noise throughout the description of Asphodel.
We crept along, following the line … that snaked from the main gates towards … JUDGEMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION
"So all three lines go through judgement?" Silena asked, confused.
"No, they all go through Asphodel," Persephone corrected. "The middle line isn't supposed to keep going."
… Out the back of the tent came two much smaller lines.
"I guess the ones who get judged for Asphodel just get sent straight back?" Annabeth asked.
Persephone nodded. "That's right. That's most people."
To the left, spirits … were marched down a rocky path towards the Fields of Punishment …
Connor's voice shook as he read, and his brothers tucked in against him.
… I saw worse tortures, too – things I don't want to describe.
"I still don't," Percy said flatly.
"So don't ask," Annabeth added. "Please."
The line coming from the right side … was much better.
"That is the point, I guess," Katie said.
This one led down towards a small valley …which seemed to be the only happy part of the Underworld … I could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking.
"That sounds lovely," Silena said with a sigh.
"That's the aim," Annabeth said, somehow managing to keep the grief from entering her voice.
Percy pressed a kiss to her temple.
Elysium.
In the middle of that valley was … The Isles of the Blest, for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium.
"You have to get to Elysium to be reborn though, right?" Annabeth asked.
"Yes," Hades said, "and you also need to petition for it. Granted, I can't think of anyone we've turned down."
"Do people remember?" Annabeth asked. "I mean, if this was our second time around, would we know?"
"If you achieve Elysium again, you would remember then," Hades answered. "You might get a few moments of déjà vu while you were alive, but most people don't remember until they die."
Immediately I knew that's where I wanted to go when I died.
"Who doesn't?" Thalia asked.
… But I thought of how few people there were … how tiny it was compared to Asphodel or even Punishment … It was depressing.
"Don't think like that," Persephone said to the demigods as a whole. "You have to remember that to reach Elysium you have to do exceptional good. That's not to say that the people in Asphodel didn't do good."
We left the judgement pavilion and moved deeper into Asphodel … The colours faded from our clothes.
Annabeth heaved a heavy sigh, resting her head on Percy's shoulder. She had forgotten how draining Asphodel was, like all her energy was been sapped from her.
The crowds of chattering spirits began to thin.
"Why is that?" Katie asked.
"The dead get so far and just … stop," Nico answered. "They forget why they wanted to keep going."
After a few miles of walking, we began to hear a familiar screech in the distance.
Annabeth shuddered worse than Percy did. The sound had taken her right back to the day Thalia died. As if reading her mind, Thalia reached behind Percy's shoulders to grip Annabeth's.
Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering black obsidian.
Persephone couldn't help smiling at the mention of her second home (which, by this time, was only her second home to keep her mother somewhat happy).
Above the parapets swirled … the Furies. I got the feeling they were waiting for us.
"They would have been," Nico said.
'I suppose it's too late to turn back,' Grover said wistfully.
"Afraid so," Hermes said.
'We'll be okay,' I said, trying to sound confident.
"You really didn't that time," Annabeth said, but her voice was just as small.
'Maybe we should search … Like, Elysium, for instance …'
Persephone smiled. "Sorry, Grover."
… His trainers sprouted wings and his legs shot forward …
Apollo frowned. "Hermes, didn't you say that only really positive emotions would cause those shoes to activate without the magic word?"
"I did," Hermes said slowly. "That's odd."
… 'Grover,' Annabeth chided. 'Stop messing around.'
"I don't think I'm doing anything," Grover said nervously.
… They levitated off the ground and started dragging him away from us.
"Alright, that's not right," Hermes said sharply. "Get rid of those shoes!"
'Maia!' he yelled, but the magic word seemed to have no effect. 'Maia, already! 911! Help!'
Luke's face drained of all colour, and he focused his gaze on his future self, who was staring at the floor.
I got over being stunned and made a grab for Grover's hand, but too late.
"Sorry Grover," Percy muttered.
"It's fine," Grover squeaked, as Sally pulled both of them into her side, squashing them together.
He was picking up speed, skidding downhill like a bobsled.
Hades inhaled sharply and Persephone bolted upright, her eyes wide. "Uh oh."
"Don't 'uh-oh'!" Hermes sighed. "What don't we want to know?"
"Downhill …" Persephone whispered. "Connor, are you sure that's what it says?"
Connor read it again. "Yes, ma'am. Any chance they're heading for Elysium?"
"I'm afraid not," Persephone said, glancing at her husband. "I just hope I'm wrong."
… Annabeth shouted, 'Untie the shoes!'
"Why do I get the feeling that would be too easy?" Thalia asked.
"I don't seem to remember any of this being mentioned when you guys got back," Will said.
"Well, you know, we don't like to brag," Percy said, his voice shaking.
It was a smart idea, but I guess it's not so easy when your shoes are pulling you along feet-first at full speed.
"You think?" Katie asked shrilly.
… I was sure Grover was going to barrel straight through the gates of Hades's palace …
Grover whimpered, but Persephone looked hopeful. "Maybe he will."
"Isn't that a bad idea?" Apollo asked.
"Normally, but it's better than the alternative," she said.
… but his shoes veered sharply to the right and dragged him in the opposite direction.
Persephone closed her eyes. "Never mind."
The slope got steeper … I realised we'd entered some kind of side tunnel. No black grass or trees now, just rock underfoot, and the dim light of the stalactites above.
Apollo's eyes widened, suddenly realising where they were. His youngest son shifted closer, apparently picking up on his discomfort.
… The tunnel got darker and colder … It smelled evil down here.
Annabeth shivered again and Percy pulled her closer.
It made me think of things I should even know about … Then I saw what was ahead of us, and I stopped dead in my tracks.
Connor glanced ahead and looked up, his face white. "You're heading straight for …"
"I know," Percy said with a weak smile. "We'll be fine."
"Adrenaline is a wonderful thing," Annabeth whispered. "You don't realise how great it is until you're reliving something like this without it."
The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block.
"That's the entrance to Tartarus, isn't it?" Hera asked.
Grover let out an alarmed bleat and Sally stroked his hair.
… Grover's predicament got me moving again.
"Good, good," Thalia muttered, pressing against Percy's side so she could hold on to him and Annabeth.
He was yelling, clawing at the ground … What saved him were his hooves.
Hermes breathed a sigh of relief.
The flying sneakers had always been a loose fit …
"Thank the gods," Luke murmured under his breath.
Thalia stiffened but said nothing.
… and finally Grover hit a bit rock and the left shoe came flying off … He was three metres from the edge of the pit when we caught him and hauled him back up the slope.
Everyone else seemed to relax.
The other winged shoe tugged itself off, circled around us angrily and kicked our heads in protest …
Percy and Annabeth both flinched at the sudden impact.
… before flying off into the chasm to join its twin.
… My limbs felt like lead.
"Oh, why?!" Percy grumbled.
Thalia smiled weakly. "Suck it up."
Percy shook his head, glancing over at the younger campers. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Connor and the book, except Luke, who was staring at his future self.
"Thalia," Percy murmured. "If past Luke kills future Luke, is it murder or suicide?"
Thalia looked from one to the other. "At this point, I think it's semantics."
Even my backpack felt heavier, as if somebody had filled it with rocks.
Percy rubbed his shoulder absently.
Grover was scratched up pretty bad … he was terrified.
"You okay, Grover?" Will asked.
Grover nodded shakily, trembling against Percy and Sally. "Yeah, I'm fine."
… 'Wait,' I said. 'Listen.'
"Don't listen," Thalia said immediately.
"Thalia, relax," Percy said. "And look on the bright side."
"What's the bright side?" Thalia asked.
Percy smiled innocently. "I wasn't the one wearing the shoes."
Thalia opened her mouth to retort, then froze and turned on Luke. "How did you do that?!"
Luke didn't answer for a second, then said, "I can't tell you."
Thalia's eyes narrowed. "Luke …"
"I want to," Luke said hastily. "But I can't. I asked …" his words suddenly dropped off, even though his mouth kept moving.
Thalia frowned. "That's weird. I wonder …" she trailed off and turned to Will. "Hey, Will, what actually happened to you last year?"
"Well …" Will began, but like Luke his voice seemed to vanish with his next words.
"Hang on, I can tell them I was dreaming about Luke, but Luke can't tell us who charmed the shoes?" Percy asked. "How is that fair?"
"Maybe," Annabeth said slowly. "Maybe that has something to do with Luke being here? All the other things we've told them have been fairly generic."
"The Fates don't like spoilers?" Nico asked. "Who knew?"
Thalia frowned, untangled herself from Percy and Annabeth and moved over to sit beside Luke. "Try whispering it."
Luke leaned closer and whispered one word: "Alabaster."
Thalia thought for a second. "Oh! Wasn't that …" Now it was her turn to lose her voice, before she could make the connection between the name and a son of Hecate.
"Oh, this is going to get old," Annabeth said.
"Seriously?" Percy complained. "Does everyone get a spoiler alarm but me?"
"We're just going to have to wait until tonight to talk about it," Nico said sensibly.
"But why?" Thalia asked, turning back to Luke. "I don't remember … Or did they?"
Luke thought for a second. "No more so than any of the others. Unless we just can't tell them until after we've finished reading about the war."
Thalia nodded. "So we're talking about a child of …"
"Yes, exactly."
"But I thought that particular …"
"No, that one did. But they didn't all ..."
"No, I suppose not." Thalia stood up. "Fair enough."
"You know," Annabeth said. "Back on the streets, I genuinely believed you two could read each other's minds."
"And now?" Thalia asked, returning to her seat.
"Now, I'm still not convinced you can't," Annabeth said seriously. "What was all that about?"
"Tell you later, sweets," Thalia said.
"Are you … not going to yell?" Luke asked. "Or … something?"
Thalia rolled her eyes. "I'll yell or something later before we all go to bed. And it'll probably be 'something', just to give you fair warning."
Connor cleared his throat and, when no one protested, began reading again.
I heard something – a deep whisper in the darkness … a muttering, evil voice from far, far below us.
"Is that him?" Will whispered.
"Afraid so, kiddo," Apollo said grimly, tucking his younger son to his side.
… I uncapped Anaklusmos.
"Will that help?" Lee asked dubiously. "I mean, what are you going to fight?"
"Celestial bronze is special," Apollo reminded him. "Also, Anaklusmos is much older than you think."
The bronze sword expanded … the evil voice seemed to falter, just for a moment, before resuming its chant.
"Chant?" Hera repeated sharply.
I could almost make out words now, ancient, ancient words, older even than Greek. As if …
'Magic,' I said.
"Run!" Several of the gods shouted.
'We have to get out of here,' Annabeth said.
"Oh boy," Percy muttered. "Brace yourself."
"Yeah, I know," Annabeth whispered.
… My legs wouldn't move fast enough. My backpack weighed me down.
Hera and Aphrodite both frowned, both for different reasons.
The voice got louder and angrier behind us, and we broke into a run.
"I would've been running already," Thalia admitted.
"I don't think you can appreciate just how heavy we both felt," Annabeth said. "You know when you're dreaming – normal dreams, not demigod dreams – and it feels like you're running through some kind of jello?"
Thalia pulled a face. "Oh, I know what you mean."
Not a moment too soon.
A cold blast of wind pulled at our backs, as if the entire pit was inhaling.
Thalia gripped both of them as they both jerked backwards. "Will, do you have anything for second-hand hysteria?"
"Theirs or yours?" Will asked.
"Mine's first-hand," Thalia said with a weak smile. "Anything?"
Will shrugged. "Sorry, Thalia."
For one terrifying moment, I lost ground … If we'd been any close to the edge, we would've been sucked in.
Sally gasped sharply, clinging to Percy and Grover, and looking as though she wanted to pull Annabeth in as well.
Athena had her though, wrapped up in her arms.
We kept struggling forward, and finally reached the top of the tunnel … The wind died.
A sigh of relief rippled through the room and Percy and Annabeth both relaxed, sagging against Thalia, who hugged them both tightly.
A wail of outrage echoed from deep in the tunnel.
The children of Kronos shuddered.
Something was not happy we'd got away.
"Why did he want Percy in Tartarus?" Poseidon asked. "He could hardly help Kronos get out from in there."
Luke frowned. "I don't know actually."
Thalia rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure what's worse – you doing awful things for bad reasons, or you doing bad things with no idea why."
"It wasn't exactly me he wanted," Percy said carefully. He opened his mouth and paused. "And apparently, I couldn't tell you why even if I wanted to. Now I get a spoiler alarm."
Annabeth sighed. "Let it go, Percy."
'What was that? … One of Hades's pets?'
Persephone laughed nervously. "Not even close."
Annabeth and I looked at each other. I could tell she was nursing an idea … but she was too scared to share it.
"I was," Annabeth said, clinging to Thalia's hand.
That was enough to terrify me.
Percy took a shaky breath, and Annabeth tilted her head up to kiss his jaw.
… 'Let's keep going.' I looked at Grover. 'Can you walk?'
He swallowed. 'Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes, anyway.'
Hermes sighed, but said nothing.
He tried to sound brave about it, but he was trembling as badly as Annabeth and I were.
Sally rubbed Grover's arm comfortingly –even though he wasn't physically reliving it the way the time-travellers were, he was still violently trembling. Seeing that Percy was somewhat trapped between his mom and his best friend, Amphitrite tugged him to his feet and resettled him between her and Sally instead, bringing a smile to her husband's face.
Whatever was in that pit was nobody's pet.
"There's an understatement," Nico muttered.
It was unspeakably old and powerful. Even Echinda hadn't given me that feeling.
"Echidna is old," Hera conceded, "but not nearly as old as him."
I was almost relieved to … head towards the palace of Hades.
"Really?" Thalia asked.
Almost.
"Oh, that makes sense," Thalia murmured.
"Just watch out for the gardens," Nico warned.
Connor paused for a second, steeling himself.
"You alright?" His father asked quietly.
Connor gave him a shaky smile. "I'm fine, Dad."
The Furies circled the parapets … the two-storey- tall bronze gates stood wide open.
"I suppose you're expecting him," Persephone said with a frown. "Unfortunately, it's not winter."
"Persephone!" Demeter protested.
Persephone sighed. "Not now, Mother!"
Up close, I saw that the engravings on the gates were scenes of death.
Aphrodite wrinkled her nose delicately.
Some were from modern times … I wondered if I was looking at prophecies that had come true.
"Probably," Apollo said. "Most of them are bad news."
"I have never had a single vision that was good news," Rachel said flatly. "Even before I was the Oracle."
"I'm just the god of prophecies," Apollo told her with a grin. "I don't make 'em."
Inside the courtyard was the strangest garden I'd ever seen.
"But beautiful," Percy added hastily.
"Yes, really lovely," Annabeth agreed.
Persephone smiled at them both. "Thank you."
… Standing here and there … were Medusa's garden statues … all smiling grotesquely.
"I can't believe you didn't say anything," Athena grumbled.
"Once again, I didn't know it was her," Persephone said, rolling her eyes. "Of course, I had my suspicions – they were just so detailed – but it is not my job to locate monsters. I assumed that if it was her, someone would have said something."
In the centre of the garden was an orchard of pomegranate trees …
Demeter glared at her brother/son-in-law. "Really?"
"Oh, leave him alone!" Persephone sighed. "I planted those ones."
... The tart smell of those pomegranates was almost overwhelming.
"And that's why you have to watch out," Nico said.
… I pulled Grover away to keep him from picking a big juicy one.
"Well, that was close," Sally said.
We walked up the steps of the palace … 'You know,' Grover mumbled, 'I bet Hades doesn't have trouble with door-to-door salesman.'
There were a few nervous chuckles, and Hades smiled. "Oddly enough, I don't."
My backpack weighed a ton now … I wanted to open if, check to see if I had somehow picked up a stray bowling ball, but this wasn't the time.
"Why is it so heavy?" Aphrodite asked.
Ares shrugged. "I dunno, do I? Maybe the Underworld doesn't like it."
"Is that the only reason?" Hera asked.
Ares rolled his eyes. "How am I supposed to know?"
'Well, guys,' I said. 'I suppose we should … knock?'
"I shouldn't think you'd need to," Persephone said.
A hot wind blew down the corridor and the doors swung open … 'I guess that means "entrez",' Annabeth said.
"I'd guess so," Thalia said quietly.
The room inside looked just like my dream … He was the third god I'd met, but the first who really struck me as godlike.
Hades smirked.
"Likely because you're seeing him in his own domain, rather than on Earth," Athena said. "Your mind would be more protected and allow you to see more of his true self."
… Hades's aura was affecting me, just as Ares's had.
"That's actually a very flattering description," Persephone said with a small smile.
The Lord of the Dead resembled pictures I'd seen of Adolph Hitler, or Napoleon, or the terrorist leaders who direct suicide bombers.
"Only one of them is a half-sibling," Nico protested.
"You can't help that, honey," Thalia said, absently tugging him into the hug with Percy and Annabeth.
"She's in Mama-Bear mode again," Will said with a grin.
"Does she do this a lot?" Artemis asked.
"Only when she's frettin' about people, ma'am," Will said. "That's the other half of the reason she adopted Cabin 7."
'You are very brave to come here … Or perhaps you are simply very foolish.'
"Amazing how often those two coincide," Travis said, his voice shaking.
Numbness crept into my joints, tempting me to lie down … Curl up here and sleep forever.
Percy yawned widely.
I fought the feeling and stepped forward … 'Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests.'
"This is going to go so badly," Nico muttered into Thalia's shoulder – he knew better than to fight her on this at the moment. "I can tell."
Hades raised an eyebrow … What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades's underwear?
Despite the tremor in his voice, Connor was grinning.
Everyone else was chuckling.
Even Hades was smiling. "That's not quite how it works. It's only a reflection, they're not really there."
'Only two requests?' Hades said.
"Train wreck," Nico muttered.
'Arrogant child … Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet.'
"If you harm him," Poseidon began.
"I'm fine, Dad," Percy reminded him. "Lord Hades still believes I have the helm of darkness; with hindsight, I can understand why he was so angry."
I swallowed. This was going about as well as I'd feared.
"It's going better than I'd feared," Nico said, lifting his head.
"Don't jinx it," Thalia said. "Please don't."
I glanced at the empty, smaller throne … I wished Queen Persephone were here.
"I am certainly less prone to dramatics," she said with a smile.
"I am not prone to dramatics," her husband said.
Persephone rolled her eyes. "Really, darling, all you needed to say was, "my helm of darkness went missing as well, and I believe you stole it." He denies it and then we can all move on. That is, if you believe him."
"Which I wouldn't," Hades pointed out.
I recalled something in the myths about how she could calm her husband's moods.
Hades softened as he smiled at his wife. "That is true."
But it was summer. Of course, Persephone would be above … with her mother … Annabeth cleared her throat. Her finger prodded me in the back.
"How do you get distracted in there?" Michael asked.
Percy smiled sheepishly. "ADHD. You know what it's like. Apparently, the Underworld doesn't make it any better."
'Lord Hades,' I said. 'Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be … bad.'
"Understatement of the century," Apollo said. "In fact, that may be the biggest understatement since Helen said, "I'll just go for a quick trip to Troy; no one will mind"."
… 'You keep saying "after what I've done". What exactly have I done?'
Persephone frowned. "I'm surprised you can't read their confusion. No child can act that well. Guilt is exposed in the Underworld."
The throne room shook with a tremor so strong they probably felt it upstairs on Los Angeles.
"Oh dear," Sally sighed. "I believe you might be about to get another influx."
... Doors burst open … and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them …
Hades bellowed, 'Do you think I want war, godling?'
I wanted to say, Well, these guys don't look like peace activists.
Hermes laughed. "Oh, don't say that."
But I thought that might be a dangerous answer.
"Suicidal," Nico agreed, his lips twitching.
… 'A war would expand your kingdom, right?'
Persephone winced. "Oh, that was a bad idea."
'… Do you think I need more subjects? … Do you have any idea how much my kingdom has swollen …? … I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!'
"Don't do it," Nico said, closing his eyes. "Don't do it!"
'Charon wants a pay raise,' I blurted, just remembering the fact.
"And you did it," Nico sighed. "I knew you would, but I swear …"
… 'Don't get me started on Charon! … No, godling. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war.'
"Which, with hindsight, was obvious," Annabeth said with a sigh.
… 'Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid.
"Hey!" Zeus protested. "I was blaming Poseidon as well!"
"And you're both wrong," Poseidon said, scowling.
I see his plan … You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helmet back!'
"One of you pick up on that," Athena said, stroking Annabeth's hair. "He's completely beyond reason now."
'But …' Annabeth spoke. … 'Lord Hades, your helmet of darkness is missing, too?'
"Keep going," Athena whispered. "Keep thinking."
'Do not play innocent with me, girl … Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?'
"Hang on, that makes no sense!" Poseidon said. "What part of asking you for the master bolt translates into blackmailing you?"
"I don't know," Hades said. "I have had several more weeks to stew with this since now."
… 'I have said nothing of the helmet's disappearance … because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help.
"That is not true," Hestia said quietly. "I would help. You are my brother."
"As would we," Hermes added, gesturing to Apollo, who nodded.
I can ill afford for word to get out … when it was clear you were coming to me … I did not try to stop you.'
"Which should give you some clue that whatever dragged you towards Tartarus was something else," Thalia said.
… 'Return my helmet now, or I will stop death … I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world.
"That wouldn't stop death, would it?" Will asked.
"Technically, no," Nico answered. "Only Thanatos can do that. But I don't think an army of the undead would be any better.
… And you … your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades.'
"I'm fine," Percy repeated.
… At this point, I probably should have been terrified.
"So why aren't you?" Chris asked, his voice cracking embarrassingly.
The strange thing was … Nothing gets me angrier than being accused of something I didn't do.
There was a murmur of agreement among the demigods, all of whom had experienced something similar at some point of their lives.
… 'You're as bad as Zeus,' I said. 'You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me? … And the other monsters?'
"Furies, yes," Hades said. "Not the others."
… 'Return my property!'
"He can't," Sally murmured. "He doesn't have it."
'But I don't have your helmet. I came for the master bolt.'
'Which you already possess!' Hades shouted.
Aphrodite gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. All of a sudden, she knew what was going on; hundreds of words of war she had dismissed as flippant …
Hades didn't want war.
But Ares did.
… 'Open your pack, then.'
"No way …" Travis said slowly.
A horrible feeling struck me … I slung it off my shoulder and unzipped it. Inside was a sixty-centimetre-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.
Thalia sucked in a breath. "Oh, that's not good."
"How did you get that?" Sally whispered. "You didn't take it, so how did you get it?"
"How did it just appear?" Travis asked, looking over at Luke. "How did you do that?"
Luke shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't have it for more than a few days."
"But then …" Travis frowned, turning to his brother. "If you took the master bolt, but you now don't have it … who does?"
No one answered, not even Ares, who still did not believe he would ever get caught – especially now the bolt was out of his hands.
'Percy,' Annabeth said. 'How –'
'I – I don't know. I don't understand.'
Amphitrite made a little noise of sympathy, slipping an arm around her stepson's shoulders.
'You heroes are always the same … I did not ask for Zeus's master bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me.
"No he will not!" Zeus began.
Hera pulled him back on to his throne. "Not now."
… I was speechless … I had no idea how the master bolt had got into my backpack.
"Neither do we," Lee muttered, thinking hard.
… Hades was the bad guy.
"That's what he wants you to think," Persephone said, taking her husband's hand.
But suddenly the world turned sideways.
Percy yelped, holding his head. "That was a figure of speech!"
The tension broken, Thalia laughed. "Are you alright?"
"No, I'm not alright!" Percy protested. "The room's spinning!"
I realised I'd been played with.
Percy sighed with relief as the room righted itself again.
Zeus, Poseidon and Hades had been set at each other's throats by someone else.
Athena raised an eyebrow. "You've realised it's Kronos?"
"Not yet," Percy said. "I was thinking a little closer to home."
The master bolt had been in the backpack, and I'd got the backpack from …
"Ares," Zeus said dangerously. "What do you know of this?"
"Father, I gave the boy the backpack with nothing but a change of clothes in, if I remember," Ares said. "I don't recall them finding the bolt before."
Thalia's mouth fell open, but, at her stepmother's look, she said nothing.
Still, was Ares really going to keep playing stupid?
'Lord Hades, wait,' I said. 'This is all a mistake.'
"Too late," Nico said grimly. "There's no reasoning now."
… 'There is no mistake,' Hades said. 'I know why you have come … You came to bargain for her.'
"Oh," Sally murmured, gripping Percy's hand. "That would make sense."
Hades loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm … there was my mother … just as she was at the moment when the Minotaur began to squeeze her to death.
"Hades …" Poseidon began.
"Oh, hush," Hades said wearily. "You have heard Nico and Thalia speak of knowing her; you know all will be well."
Persephone scowled. "Still, she had nothing to do with any of it."
… I reached out to touch her, but the light was as hot as a bonfire.
Percy winced, shaking his hand to try and cool it.
'Yes … I took her … She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change.'
Sally took a shaky breath, trying to remain calm. Percy pressed against one side, Grover against the other.
I thought about the pearls … If I could just get my mom free …
"There's still only three of them," Amphitrite said gently.
"Leave me there," Sally said softly. "You get yourselves out, alright? You and Grover and Annabeth – you get them out."
"Mom," Percy said gently. "We're right here. And I didn't leave Grover behind either."
'Ah, the pearls … Only three … Try to take your mother then … And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me?
Athena glared at her uncle but said nothing, holding Annabeth close to her. Malcolm clung to his sister from her other side.
Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms.'
"Do not give him the backpack," Zeus said sternly.
"Father!" Athena snapped. "My daughter is down there; I would appreciate a little empathy."
Hera snorted. "I'm not sure he knows the meaning of the word."
… 'We were tricked,' I told them. 'Set up.'
"Yeah, we had that by then," Annabeth said.
… 'Percy … you can't give him the bolt … Leave me here.
"Absolutely not," Sally said, squeezing Grover's shoulder. "Thank you, but absolutely not."
… Use the third pearl on your mom … I'm a satyr … We don't have souls like humans do … I'll just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It's the best way.'
Katie choked back a sob and glanced at her mom, who nodded with a smile. Scrambling to her feet, she darted over to sit on Grover's other side, hugging him.
'No.' Annabeth drew her bronze knife.
"Absolutely not!" Thalia said sharply, beating Athena to it, but she wasn't the only one who had spoken.
She glanced over at Luke, who was staring at Annabeth in horror.
'You two go on. Grover … You have to get your searcher's licence and start your quest for Pan.
"That's not as important as you two!" Grover cried.
… I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting.'
"Not yet, you're not," Thalia said, scowling.
… 'Stop it, both of you!' I felt like my heart was being ripped in two.
Percy groaned, rubbing his chest, which wasn't easy with Annabeth curled against it, and Thalia still holding them and Nico in some semblance of a group hug.
A sudden weight on his feet made him peer over Annabeth's head to see that Rachel had moved off the couch to sit on them.
She tilted her head back to look up at him. "I was feeling left out and Thalia's out of arms."
Annabeth loosed one hand and reached down to take hers, squeezing it.
… I had spent thousands of miles worried that I'd be betrayed by a friend …
"I'd forgotten about that part of the prophecy," Michael said. "I guess it's not either of those two."
"I think it's going to be me," Luke said miserably.
Travis bumped his shoulder against his brother's. "Lighten up, bro. You haven't done this yet, and you're not going to."
"He's right," Thalia said. "Whatever happens, it's not your fault."
… but these friends would never do that.
"Best friends in the world," Percy said firmly.
"Best family in the world," Annabeth corrected with a smile.
They had done nothing but save me, over and over …
"You weren't exactly idle on that quest," Annabeth reminded him.
… and now they wanted to sacrifice their lives for my mom.
Sally stifled a sob. It wasn't fair – they were just children. And okay, Grover was a lot older, but it was hard to remember that when he was right next to her, no bigger than Percy.
'I know what to do,' I said. 'Take these.'
"Percy, don't you dare stay there!" Sally protested.
Percy smiled sadly. "I'm not going to."
Thalia sucked in a breath, tightening her hold on him. She knew how much he adored his mother (and she could hardly blame him for it); leaving her in the Underworld must have torn him apart.
… I turned and faced my mother … I knew what she would say … She would never forgive me if I saved her instead.
Sally breathed a sigh of relief into her son's hair. "Good boy."
I thought about the prophecy … You will fail to save what matters most in the end.
"Oh," Silena whispered. "That's what it was talking about. Not the master bolt."
'I'm sorry,' I told her. 'I'll be back. I'll find a way.'
"No, you won't," Sally said firmly.
The smug look on Hades's face faded.
Persephone smiled. "You underestimated him."
Hades sighed. "Apparently so."
… 'I'll find your helmet, Uncle … I'll return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise.'
"Seriously?" Nico asked in disbelief.
Percy shrugged. "A promise is a promise."
'Do not defy me –'
'And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls.'
Persephone laughed. "Well, I play with him. Never tried balls though."
… We smashed the pearls at our feet. For a scary moment, nothing happened.
Sally sucked in a breath and Amphitrite released Percy's shoulder to squeeze hers. "It's alright. They take a second or two to get going.
… Just as the skeletons opened fire, the pearl exploded … I was encased in a milky white sphere … Annabeth and Grover were right behind me.
Athena breathed a sigh of relief, loosening her grip on her daughter a little.
… Hades yelled with such rage … I knew it was not going to be a peaceful night in L.A.
Will frowned. "It wasn't, from what I remember from the news. Wasn't there an earthquake?"
"Yeah, there was," Percy confirmed. "A big one."
Persephone sighed. "You're really not helping yourself, darling."
'Look up!' Grover yelled. 'We're going to crash!'
Sure enough, we were racing right towards the stalactites, which I figured would pop our bubbles and skewer us.
"It's alright," Amphitrite said, over the cries of alarm. "The pearls will take them to safety."
… We screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and … Darkness.
"Oh gods, that's weird," Annabeth said.
Percy's hold around her tightened, his vision going black as well. "Okay, we can't see."
Were we dead?
"You'd know if you were," Luke said softly. His earlier horror had faded, but he was still watching them intently, his hands twitching like he wanted to grab Thalia and Annabeth in a hug and never let them go.
No, I could still feel the racing sensation.
Annabeth made a little noise of surprise, the feeling returning.
We were going up … What belongs to the sea will always return to the sea.
"Is this a bad time to mention that I can't swim?" Annabeth asked nervously.
"You'll be fine, honey," Thalia said, smiling over at her. "Percy won't let you drown – either of you."
For a few moments, I couldn't see anything outside … then my pearl broke through on the ocean floor.
Percy blinked, light flooding back. "Oh, hello."
… we soared upward through the water. And ker-blam!
Annabeth gasped, cold water flooding over her – or rather, the sensation of it. Thalia certainly didn't seem to notice it.
We exploded on the surface … knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant, 'Dude!'
Annabeth chuckled, shivering slightly. "I'd forgotten about him – who surfs in those conditions?"
"Surfers," Will said with certainty. "Aren't you a Cali girl?"
"I left when I was seven," Annabeth reminded him. "And, sorry, aren't you from Texas?"
"Mom's band tours," Will said. "I travelled."
"You know, Will," Thalia said, glancing at his past self. "I don't think I've ever asked why you came to Camp so young."
Will shrugged. "It's the empathy. Some people can turn it on and off, but I can't. It's always there. The more people around me, the worse it gets. At Camp, it's different. Something about the magic, or the healing … I don't know. But living in the mortal world was going to drive me mad. Thankfully, Mom knew what I was."
"That sucks," Thalia said quietly. "You still see her though, right?"
"Yeah, I visit home," Will said. "It'd be nice if she could visit Camp, but, you know, no mortals." He nodded to Connor, who found his place again.
I grabbed Grover and hauled him over to a lifebuoy. I caught Annabeth and dragged her over too.
Thalia smiled over at Annabeth. "See?"
A curious shark was circling us, a great-white about three metres long.
Sally almost cried out, but caught herself, remembering what had been said about no ocean creature harming Percy.
I said, 'Beat it.'
The shark turned and raced away.
Travis grinned. "Awesome."
The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from us as fast as he could.
Annabeth giggled. "Thing is, the shark was already there, and we'd just popped up fully dressed, and Percy was completely dry. And that was what weirded him out."
Somehow, I knew what time it was: early morning, June 21, the day of the summer solstice.
"First of all, how are you going to get the master bolt back to New York that quickly?" Lee asked worriedly. "Second of all, how did you know the date and the time?"
"I don't know," Percy admitted. "But when I'm in or on the sea, I know exactly where am, it wouldn't surprise me if I know exactly when as well."
In the distance, Los Angeles was on fire … There had been an earthquake, all right …
"And a host more spirits," Persephone said tiredly.
… He was probably sending an army of the dead after me right now.
"Then get out of L.A.," Luke said.
But at the moment, the Underworld wasn't my biggest problem.
"Are you serious?" Michael asked incredulously. "How is that not your biggest problem?
I had to get to shore. I had to get Zeus's thunderbolt back to Olympus.
"Yes, you do," Zeus grumbled.
Most of all, I had to have a serious conversation with the god who'd tricked me.
"Watch it, kid," Ares growled. "You're making one huge accusation there."
His aura washed over them.
Even as Hera scolded him, Nico and Thalia both flinched back, fighting the fury that rose up inside them.
They both knew this was Percy's fight.
Tightening his grip on Annabeth, whose eyes were burning with righteous anger, Percy met his cousin's eyes and smirked. "It's not an accusation if it's true."
A note about the 'spoiler alarm':
No, I wasn't planning on at the beginning of the story. I put it in because I have scenes planned for certain canon deaths (Lee and Silena to be precise) but I can't imagine the future demigods just keeping quiet and letting them find out through the books. Unless they had to.
So the Fates are letting them say some things but not others. Percy (and Annabeth) letting slip that Luke was the thief had to happen when it did, so that everyone who didn't know could get used to it before he got outed in the book (and nearly killed Percy).