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Penelope's POV

"I know you came for her."

My heart stopped.

Every ounce of anger and hate instantly drained from my body. It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head; every inch of me was cold.

I held my breath as I watched Hades work. He formed a ball of golden fire in his hands and he tossed it carelessly at my feet. It exploded on the steps, right in front of me.

And in the haze of glittering golden light was…

… My mother.

She was still frozen in the moment when the Minotaur was strangling the life out of her. The look of pain on her face was almost too much for me to look at.

I tried to speak, but it felt like someone was choking me. I couldn't find my voice.

My hand automatically reached out and tried to touch her, but the bright light made my skin feel like it was boiling.

Hades wore a smug smile as he watched me snatch back my hand and gingerly rub my palm.

"Yes," Hades said with satisfaction and a little bit of glee, "I knew you would come to bargain with me eventually, Penelope Jackson. So I took your dear mother and kept her safely tucked away until I needed her."

There were still no useful thoughts in my brain as I stared at my mom. Was she alive or dead? Did her expression reflect actual pain that she was having to constantly endure, even while frozen? Could she see me; did she know I was here?

""If you return my helm of darkness, I might be persuaded to release your dear mother," the God of the dead straightened the sleeves of his robe and brushed off some nonexistent dust from his arm, "Sally Jackson isn't dead, you know. Not yet at least. I snatched her away from the Minotaur moments before her lifeline was cut. But if you refuse my request… if you displease me in any way… your mother's condition could change rather quickly."

"Run Penny…"

I blinked back angry tears as heat began to spread across my face again. My mother's voice echoed in my head as I stood there looking between my mother and the God of the Underworld. I felt my fingers close around the little plastic BIC pen in my pocket.

"No…"

Mom's voice sounded strained, like she was still being strangled as she spoke to me. My grip loosened on Riptide and I remembered the pearls that the water spirit had given me.

Hades's chuckling pulled me from my private thoughts, "Ah yes… the pearls. My brother does enjoy his little tricks. Let me see them all."

My hand jerked away from me and plunged back into my pocket. It moved against my will and withdrew the small milky white pearl. I glanced around and noticed that Will, Grover and Alec must have experienced similar loss of control; they each held out their perfectly round pearls as well.

"Only four, I see," Hades said in a fake sorrowful tone, "what a shame… Did my brother even bother telling you that each pearl can only protect a single person?"

I felt the frustrated anger continue to spread down my neck. The air around me steamed slightly.

"If you intend to save your mother, you will have to leave one of your little friends behind. Which of these brave souls will be the lucky one, hmm?" The god of the underworld looked greedily between the boys beside me.

And before I could spit an insult back at him, or deflect his comment at all; my friends began to volunteer.

"Leave me here…"

"Use my pearl for your mom, PJ…"

"No, take mine…"

I looked at Alec, Will and Grover; I felt completely defeated, "We were tricked… we were set up."

Alexander took my hand and forced his pearl into my palm.

"No," Grover shook his head, "I'm a satyr, we don't have souls. It would be better if you left me behind. He can torture me all he wants, but when I die he won't get to keep me. I'll be reincarnated as a flower... or a tree maybe."

My keeper tried to look brave, but I could see the fear in his eyes.

Alec closed my fingers around his pearl and drew his bronze dagger, "No Grover, you have to protect PJ. You have to get your searcher's license and start your quest for Pan. You and Will get Penelope and her mom back to New York safely. I'll stay here and hold him off."

I stood there in shock as Alec's words sunk in. I didn't even notice that he had used my full name.

"No way you're doing this alone Alec," Will twirled his bronze arrow around until it extended into a full size bow. He took a step in front of Grover and I, "You two get out of here with your Mom, PJ. We'll keep him occupied so you can get away with the bolt. You have to take it back to Olympus."

I shook my head, "Stop!"

I couldn't believe what was happening.

In the back of my mind, a line from the prophecy played back, 'You shall be betrayed by one who makes your heart pique.'

I originally thought that the oracle might have been warning me about my friends but… Grover had been my first feel friend. He had dive bombed Medusa. Alec had made friends with a three headed dog. Will had skunked a Goddess. We had all survived Furies, a water ride trap, a national monument and a casino that slowed down time. And now they each willing to sacrifice themselves so that I could save my mom...

How could I have ever doubted these guys?

The next line of the prophecy came to my mind as well, 'And, you shall not save a beloved soul that you unknowingly seek.'

I looked at my mom. She appeared to be in so much pain. But I knew exactly what she would say to me, "...run, Penny."

"No; I know what to do," my voice sounded hollow as I spoke. I gave Alexander back his pearl and made sure that Will and Grover had theirs as well.

"But PJ…" Alec's voice trailed off as I glanced at him. I think he saw how much it was hurting me to do what needed to be done.

I faced my mother again. I wanted so much to just smash my pearl at her feet and send her far away from this horrible place, but I knew that I couldn't do that. I was the one who needed to carry the Master Bolt back to Olympus. I needed to explain to Zeus what really happened. And my Mom would never forgive me if I saved her instead.

"I'm so sorry, Mom…" My held my fist so tightly that it was starting to hurt. The coolness of the pearl felt strange in my now hot hand, "I'll find some other way to save you. I'll come back; I promise."

Hades's look of cockiness faded, "Godling…?"

I made sure to wear an expression of stern reassurance, "I will find your helm, Uncle. I'll return it to you as soon as I can. And don't forget about Charon's raise."

"Do not defy me little half-blood..." The God of the Dead's lip began to curl back.

"And you should play with Cerberus more. He's lonely... he really likes red rubber balls."

His lip started to shake with rage, "Penelope Jackson, you will not…"

"Now!"

We all immediately smashed the perfect little pearls at our own feet. For a split second, I was worried that they weren't going to work.

But just as the army of skeletons took a step toward us, their weapons aimed and ready… The Kindly Ones spread their leathery wings and their whips burst into flame…

A huge burst of green light exploded from the fragments of the pearls. I smelled a salty breeze kick up as I was wrapped in a milky white bubble and started to float off the ground. I could still see vague shapes through the hazy shield; I saw Will, Grover and Alec all encased in similar spheres. And it looked like the bullets from the skeleton warriors were simply bouncing off of us.

All four of us were floating up toward the ceiling, "Wait… we're going to crash!"

"How do you control these things, PJ?" Grover's muffled voice asked.

"I… I don't think we do."

We were all floating right up into several stalactites that lined the ceiling of Hades's throne room. We were going to pop and fall to our deaths…

Hades creamed with rage as we floated closer to his pointy roof. I imagined Los Angeles was going to experience quite a few earthquakes because of me tonight.

And just as we were about to slam into the ceiling and meet our end…

...Darkness.

I thought we were dead at first. I couldn't make out anything around me anymore. No shapes, no light, no noise at all. But I could still feel the bubble moving… and it was picking up speed as it continued to move upward. I sent a quick plea to my Dad, asking him to make sure that the others were moving along with me. Just as I finished muttering to myself, the sphere broke through the ocean floor and I should see the outline of three other bubbles. '...what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea…'

We all raced toward the surface together.

It was really strange to not feel an ounce of pressure as we zoomed up. I hoped that it wasn't just a happy side-effect from being the daughter of the Sea God and that the bubbles were doing it… but I was unfortunately wrong.

The spheres seemed to help, but when they exploded and released us at the surface, the guys looked kind of wrecked. I quickly got the three of them to a nearby life buoy and shooed away a great white shark that I just didn't have time for. It took Alec, Will and Grover a few minutes to catch their breaths.

I easily floated right next to the buoy and looked over at the shore.

… the sun was rising.

I'm not entirely sure how, but I knew it was June 21st.

Time was up; today was the summer solstice.

And as the sun rose higher, I realized that the city buildings weren't just reflecting the light.

Los Angeles was on fire.

Huge columns of smoke rose up from the skyline in almost every neighborhood. Red and blue siren lights lit up everywhere. There had been a huge earthquake… and it was kind of my fault. Hades was probably readying a huge army of the dead to come after me now… which meant things were only going to get worse.

But even with that, the Underworld still wasn't at the top of my worry list.

I had to get to Olympus; I had to give the Master Bolt back to Zeus. And even more than that…

… I needed to have a serious conversation with the god who had set me up.

Eeek! SO close to the epic fight... Can't wait to share that with you all.

Let me know what you thought about this chapter though while I get to editing the next chapter.

*** Your reviews are so wonderful and always welcomed...

Always,

Misha

Ps. Check out my other stories: 'The Bookworm and The Prankster,' 'Thrown Back' and 'Begin Again.'