Percy and Macaria were staring at the waves by the time Annabeth and Tyson found them. "What's going on?" Annabeth asked. "I heard you calling for help!"

"Me, too!" Tyson said. "Heard you yell, 'Bad things are attacking!'"

"I didn't call you guys," Percy said. "I'm fine."

"Neither did I." Macaria said.

"But then who …" Annabeth noticed the three yellow duffel bags, then the thermos and the bottle of vitamins Percy was holding. "What-"

"Just listen," Percy said. "We don't have much time." He then explained about the conversation that he had with Hermes, while Macaria also explained her own conversation. By the time they finished their explanation, they could hear screeching in the distance-patrol harpies that picked up their scent.

"Percy," Annabeth said, "we have to do the quest."

"We'll get expelled, you know. Trust me, I'm an expert at getting expelled." Percy said.

"We still have to." Macaria said urgently.

"So? If we fail, there won't be any camp to come back to." Annabeth said.

"Yeah, but you promised Chiron-"

"I promised I'd keep you from danger. I can only do that by coming with you! Tyson can stay

behind and tell them-"

"I want to go," Tyson said.

"No!" Annabeth's voice sounded close to panic. "I mean … Percy, come on. You know that's

Impossible."

"Tyson is going." Macaria told them and her jaw set. "Listen Annabeth I don't know what you have against Tyson or his kind, but the fact of the matter is that he would be useful and he's nice."

"I'm talking to Percy, not you." Annabeth siad and Macaria glared at her.

"If you want to live and have me on the adventure, then you better let Tyson come too." Macaria said and Percy looked at her, they both knew that if her jaw was set, that she meant her threat.

"We can't leave him," Percy decided. "Tantalus will punish him for us being gone."

"Percy," Annabeth said, trying to keep her cool, "we're going to Polyphemus's island! Polyphemus is an S-i-k … a C-y-k . .." She stamped her foot in frustration Although she was a daughter of Athena, she was just as dylexic as the rest of them. "You know what I mean!"

"Tyson can go," Percy insisted, "if he wants to."

Tyson clapped his hands. "Want to!" Annabeth glared at the two of them.

"All right," she said. "How do we get to that ship?"

"Hermes said my father would help."

"Well then, Seaweed Brain? What are you waiting for?" Percy paused and hesitated.

"Urn, Dad?" Percy called. "How's it going?"

"Percy!" Annabeth whispered. "We're in a hurry!"

"We need your help." He called a littler louder. "We need to get to that ship, like, before we get

eaten and stuff, so …" At first, nothing happened and the waves crashed against the shore like normal. The harpies seemed like they wer right behind the sand dunes. Then, about a hundred yards out to sea, four white lines appeared on the surface. They moved fast toward the shore, like claws ripping through the ocean. As they neared the beach, the surf burst apart and the heads of four white stallions reared out of the waves.

Tyson caught his breath. "Fish ponies!" He was correct, they were only horses in the front, their back halves were silvery fish bodies, with glistening scales and rainbow tail fins.

"Hippocampi!" Annabeth said. "They're beautiful." The nearest one whinnied in appreciate and nuzzled Annabeth, while the other three gathered around Macaria.

"I believe you're beautiful too." Macaria said and they muttered their thanks.

"We'll admire them later," Percy said. "Come on!"

"There!" a voice screeched behind them. "Bad children out of cabins! Snack time for lucky

Harpies!" Five of them were fluttering over the top of the dunes-plump little hags with pinched faces and talons and feathery wings too small for their bodies. They reminded her of miniature cafeteria ladies who'd been crossbred with dodo birds. They weren't very fast, thank the gods, but they were vicious if they caught you.

"Tyson!" Percy said. "Grab a duffel bag!" He was still staring at the hippocampi with his mouth hanging open, "Tyson!"

"Uh?"

"Come on!" Macaria grabbed Tyson and he immediately followed her and grabbed a bag and mounted them. Poseidon must've known that Tyson was coming, because one was much lager than the other three, the right size for a Cyclops.

"Giddyup!" Percy said and his hippocampus turned and plunged into the waves. Macaria immediately followed after him, side by side while Annabeth's and Tyson's followed right behind. The harpies cursed at them, wailed for their snacks to come back, but the hippocampi raced over the water at the speed of Jet Skis. The harpies fell behind, and soon the shore of Camp Half-Blood was nothing but a dark smudge.

The cruise ship was now loomed in front of us-our ride toward Florida and the Sea of Monsters.

Riding the hippocampus was as easy as riding a pegasus. They zipped along with the wind in

their faces, speeding through the waves so smooth and steady. The closer they got to the cruise ship, the larger it seemed. It was about as tall as a building in Manhattan. The white hull was at least ten stories tall, topped with another dozen levels of decks with brightly lit balconies and portholes. The ship's name was painted just above the bow line in black letters, lit with a spotlight. It took me a few seconds to decipher it: PRINCESS ANDROMEDA

Attached to the bow was a huge masthead-a three-story-tall woman wearing a white Greek chiton,sculpted to look as if she were chained to the front of the ship. She was young and beautiful, with flowing black hair, but her expression was one of absolute terror. Perseus, Percy's namesake, had helped Andromeda. Percy was given that name because the original Perseus was one of the only heroes in the Greek muths who got a happy ending. Macaria was already named after Hades daughter, the Goddess of Blessed Death, the counterpart of her father.

It was because her father wanted to receive the protection from Hades, because that was where she was born. He had told her that after much consideration and thought.

"Mother wanted me to be named Macaria as well?" Macaria remembered asking.

"It wasn't her decision. She dind't necessarily care, she just wanted you to be created." His voice had a dark tone in it and the conversation was over.

"How do we get aboard?" Annabeth shouted over the noise of the waves, but the hippocampi knew what they needed. They skimmed along the starboard side of the ship, riding easily

through its huge wake, and pulled up next to a service ladder riveted to the side of the hull.

"You first," Percytold Annabeth.

She slung her duffel bag over her shoulder and grabbed the bottom rung. Once she'd hoisted

herself onto the ladder, her hippocampus whinnied a farewell and dove underwater. Annabeth began to climb. Percy let her get a few rungs up, then followed her. Macaria joined right after. Finally Tyson was in the water and the his hippocampus treated him to 360° aerials and

backward ollies, and Tyson was laughing so hysterically, the sound echoed up the side of the ship.

"Tyson, shhh!" Percy said. "Come on, big guy!"

"Can't we take Rainbow?" he asked, his smile fading.

They stared at him. "Rainbow?" The hippocampus whinnied since liked his new name. "Um, we have to go. Rainbow … well, he can't climb ladders." Percy explain.d

Tyson sniffled. He buried his face in the hippocampus's mane. "I will miss you, Rainbow!" The hippocampus made a neighing sound that showed he was crying.

"Maybe we'll see him again sometime," Percy suggested.

"Oh, please!" Tyson said, perked up immediately. "Tomorrow!" Macaria smiled and with a final sad whinny, Rainbow did a back flip and drove into the sea. The ladder led to a maintenance deck stacked with yellow lifeboats. There was a set of locked double doors, which Annabeth managed to pry open with her knife and a fair amount of cursing in Ancient Greek.

After they checked a few corridors and peered over a balcony into a huge central promenade lined with closed shops, there was no one onboard. They passed forty or fifty cabin doors and heard no sound behind any of them.

"It's a ghost ship," Percy murmured.

"No," Tyson said, fiddling with the strap of his duffel bag. "Bad smell."

Annabeth frowned. "I don't smell anything."

"Cyclopes are like satyrs," Percy said. "They can smell monsters. Isn't that right, Tyson?"

He nodded nervously. Now that we were away from Camp Half-Blood, the Mist had distorted his

face again. Unless she concentrated very hard, it seemed that he had two eyes instead of one.

"Okay," Annabeth said. "So what exactly do you smell?"

"Something bad," Tyson answered.

"Great," Annabeth grumbled. "That clears it up."

"Annabeth…" Macaria said with a frown as they came outside on the swimming ppol level.

There were rows of empty deck chairs and a bar closed off with a chain curtain. The water in the pool glowed eerily, sloshing back and forth from the motion of the ship. Above them fore and aft were more levels-a climbing wall, a putt-putt golf course, a revolving restaurant, but no sign of life.

Macaria could feel the tension in her body fill up. The feelings as familiar, as she walked through the ship. It felt as though eyes were on her and every so often, she would feel a hand touch her shoulders, or her hair or her neck. It didn't feel good and made her stick even closer to the others. She covered her arms and Percy placed an arm protectively around her shoulders.

"We need a hiding place," Percy said. "Somewhere safe to sleep."

"Sleep," Annabeth agreed wearily. They explored a few more corridors until they found an empty suite on the ninth level. The door was open, which was strange. There was a basket of chocolate goodies on the table, an iced-down bottle of sparkling cider on the nightstand, and a mint on the pillow with a handwritten note that said: Enjoy your cruise!

They opened their duffel bags for the first time and found that Hermes really had thought of

everything-extra clothes, toiletries, camp rations, a Ziploc bag full of cash, a leather pouch full of

golden drachmas. He'd even managed to pack Tyson's oilcloth with his tools and metal bits, and

Annabeth's cap of invisibility, which made them both feel a lot better.

"We'll be across the hall," Annabeth said. "You guys don't drink or eat anything."

"You think this place is enchanted?"

She frowned. "I don't know. Something isn't right. Just … be careful." They closed their door and stared at each other. There was a good amount of tension between them.

"I guess… I'll just go over here." Macaria said and took the door directly to the right of her and opened the door. It was the exact same. Macaria laid down on the bed, she could still feel pressure on her as she closed her eyes. She could hear voices, speaking to her, but she couldn't seem to understand them. She felt a hand touch her shoulders and looked back, nothing was there, just a dark room. Macaria closed her eyes.

"Escape" She heard a voice ask and jumped out of her skin. She opened her eyes and saw her father with his hands on her cheeks. She backed away from him, and noticed she was in the dream world.

"I would if I could." Macaria said. "But you're keeping me asleep."

"It is my fault, niece." Hypnos said beside her. "Though Mother asked us not to allow you to meet the Titan army especially with that insane half-blood."

"Insane…" Macaria said confused and widened her eyes. "Wait you mean Luke's here! WIthot Kronos?!"

A hand covered her mouth quickly and looked over at her father's deep golden eyes, intense. Macaria looked into them and crawled over Hypnos and off the bed. "Let me out of here! You can't keep protecting me from everything!"

"We can." A familiar voice said and hands were on her shoulders. She looked up and saw her grandmother, Nyx. Macaria felt her body cave in at her appearance. A tv appeared in the room.

She looked up and saw Luke, who had changed since last summer. Instead of Bermuda shorts and a T-shirt, he wore a buttondown shirt, khaki pants, and leather loafers. His sandy hair, which used to be so unruly, was now clipped short. He looked like an evil male model, showing off what the fashionable college-age villain was wearing to Harvard this year. He still had the scar under his eye-a jagged white line from his battle with a dragon. And propped against the sofa was his magical sword, Backbiter, glinting strangely with its half-steel, half-Celestial bronze blade that could kill both mortals and monsters.

"Sit." Luke told Tyson, Percy and Annabeth. He waved his hand and three dining chairs scooted themselves to the center of the room. None of them sat. There were two large monsters in front of them, beside Luke.

They looked like twins, but they weren't human. They stood about eight feet tall, for one thing, and wore only blue jeans, probably because their enormous chests were already shag-carpeted with thick brown fur. They had claws for fingernails, feet like paws. Their noses were snoutlike, and their teeth were all pointed canines.

"Where are my manners?" Luke said smoothly. "These are my assistants, Agrius and Oreius.

Perhaps you've heard of them." Percy said nothing, even though there were javelins poitned at him.

"You don't know Agrius and Oreius's story?" Luke asked. "Their mother … well, it's sad, really.

Aphrodite ordered the young woman to fall in love. She refused and ran to Artemis for help. Artemis let her become one of her maiden huntresses, but Aphrodite got her revenge. She bewitched the young woman into falling in love with a bear. When Artemis found out, she abandoned the girl in disgust. Typical of the gods, wouldn't you say? They fight with one another and the poor humans get caught in the middle. The girl's twin sons here, Agrius and Oreius, have no love for Olympus. They like halfbloods well enough, though …"

"For lunch," Agrius growled with a gruff voice.

"Hehe! Hehe!" His brother Oreius laughed, licking his fur-lined lips. He kept laughing like he

was having an asthmatic fit until Luke and Agrius both stared at him.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Agrius growled. "Go punish yourself!"

Oreius whimpered. He trudged over to the corner of the room, slumped onto a stool, and banged

his forehead against the dining table, making the silver plates rattle. Luke acted like this was perfectly normal behavior. He made himself comfortable on the sofa and propped his feet up on the coffee table. "Well, Percy, we let you survive another year. I hope you appreciated it. How's your mom? How's school? How's your sister? Heard she's gotten more attention from the gods, which isn't very surprising."

"You poisoned Thalia's tree." Percy said as he ignored Luke's questions about her.

Luke sighed. "Right to the point, eh? Okay, sure I poisoned the tree. So what?"

"How could you?" Annabeth sounded so angry. "Thalia saved your life!

Our lives! How could you dishonor her-"

"I didn't dishonor her!" Luke snapped. "The gods dishonored her, Annabeth! If Thalia were alive, she'd be on my side."

"Liar!"

"If you knew what was coming, you'd understand-"

"I understand you want to destroy the camp!" she yelled. "You're a monster!"

Luke shook his head. "The gods have blinded you. Can't you imagine a world without them,

Annabeth? What good is that ancient history you study? Three thousand years of baggage! The West is rotten to the core. It has to be destroyed. Join me! We can start the world anew. We could use your intelligence, Annabeth."

"Because you have none of your own!"

His eyes narrowed. "I know you, Annabeth. You deserve better than tagging along on some

hopeless quest to save the camp. Half-Blood Hill will be overrun by monsters within the month. The heroes who survive will have no choice but to join us or be hunted to extinction. You really want to be on a losing team… with company like this?" He pointed at Tyson and Macaria could feel anger raise up and she clutched her fists and glared at her relatives who didn't bother to look at her.

"Hey!" Percy said.

"Traveling with a Cyclops," Luke chided. "Talk about dishonoring Thalia's memory! I'm

surprised at you, Annabeth. You of all people-"

"Stop it!" she shouted. Annabeth buried her head in her hands like she was about to cry.

"Leave her alone," Percy said. "And leave Tyson out this."

Luke laughed. "Oh, yeah, I heard. Your father claimed him." Percy face turned surprised and Luke smiled. "Yes, Percy, I know all about that. And about your plan to find the Fleece. What were those coordinates, again … 30, 31, 75, 12? You see, I still have friends at camp who keep me posted."

"Spies, you mean."

He shrugged. "How many insults from your father can you stand, Percy? You think he's grateful to you? You think Poseidon cares for you any more than he cares for this monster?" Tyson clenched his fists and made a rumbling sound down in his throat.

Luke just chuckled. "The gods are so using you, Percy. Do you have any idea what's in store for

you if you reach your sixteenth birthday? Has Chiron even told you the prophecy?"

"I know what I need to know," Percy managed. "Like, who my enemies are."

"Then you're a fool."

Tyson smashed the nearest dining chair to splinters. "Percy is not a fool!" His fist came down towards Luke's head -a double overhead blow that would've knocked a hole in titanium-but the bear twins intercepted. They each caught one of Tyson's arms and stopped him cold. They pushed him back and Tyson stumbled. He fell to the carpet so hard the deck shook.

"Tyson!" Macaria yelled "Let me go please!" She ran over towards her uncle grabbed his shirt. "Please! I have to help them!" Hypnos grabebd her hands and spun her towards the tv, Macaria felt her body tense as a wave of air seemed to hit her and she froze.

"He is re-forming," Luke said. "Little by little, we're calling his life force out of the pit. With

every recruit who pledges our cause, another small piece appears-"

"That's disgusting!" Annabeth said.

Luke sneered at her. "Your mother was born from Zeus's split skull, Annabeth. I wouldn't talk.

Soon there will be enough of the titan lord so that we can make him whole again. We will piece

together a new body for him, a work worthy of the forges of Hephaestus."

"You're insane," Annabeth said.

"Join us and you'll be rewarded. We have powerful friends, sponsors rich enough to buy this

cruise ship and much more. Percy, your mother will never have to work again. You can buy her a

mansion. You can have power, fame-whatever you want. Annabeth, you can realize your dream of being an architect. You can build a monument to last a thousand years. A temple to the lords of the next age!"

"Go to Tartarus," she said.

Luke sighed. "A shame." He picked up something that looked like a TV remote and pressed a red button. Within seconds the door of the stateroom opened and two uniformed crew members came in, armed with nightsticks. They had the same glassy-eyed look.

Macaria tensed up again and clinched her tists. She shut her eyes. 'Out! OUT! OUT! LET ME OUT!' She yelled in her head and felt a giant, painful headache hit her and she hit the ground. Macaria pushed herself up, only to collapse again, it felt as though her body was filled with lead. She groaned in pain, black mist was around her as the door opened.

"Macaria! Macaria! What's wrong?!" Percy yelled and she felt a large hand pick her up. "Let's go!" Tyson picked her up and they exited the corridor. It felt as though her head was going to split open as she cried.

"Come little children. I'll take thee away. Into a land of enchantment." A voice echoed in her head and she couldn't help but feel that the voice was familiar. Macaria couldn't tell if she was hallucinating or not.

"Come little children. The time's come to play. Here in my garden of shadows." The voice moved onto the next tone, this time louder, it only seemed to grow. She felt a hand on her wrist and looked at the brown hand.

"Follow sweet children. I'll show thee the way. Through all the pain. And the sorrows" Her eyes trailed upward and it seemed to get darker and darker. The voice was cold and unloving. The woman's eyes were closed.

"Weep not poor children. For life is this way. Murdering beauty and passions." She said and Macaria felt her being put down. The woman's face was beautiful, the most beautiful person Macaria had ever seen in the world. Her hair, skin and eye color switched with every verse.

"Hush now dear children. It must be this way. Too weary of life. And deceptions." Macaria looked up and saw her father. He looked at the woman.

"Rest now my children. For soon we'll away. Into the calm and the quiet." Her father picked her up and a dark look crossed the woman's face as the two stared at each other. Her father looked in pain and conflicted.

"Come little children. I'll take thee away. Into a land of enchantment." The woman walked forward and pressed a soft kiss on her father's forehead.

"Come little children. The time's come to play. Here in my garden of shadows." She disappeared, her body seemed to melt into the dark ground.

Whatever that woman was, she wasn't human. Macaria wasn't sure what she was, because she seemed like…Angel… Monster… Demon…

But Macaria knew, that woman… she was her mother.