Here is a nice and long chapter for you all. Considering I wrote this a week ago, it's ironic that it is about as angsty and dramatic as my day has been, but I suppose that's not necessarily a bad thing. Enjoy!

Chapter 18- I Get Betrayed

There was nothing we could do to get to LA at 10 at night, so we ended up going back to the motel to get some sleep and talk. Mostly though, we just needed to figure out what to do with Bianca and Nico.

During the hours which had passed between when Bianca and Nico left the casino and when I did, Luke and Annabeth had managed to determine exactly nothing about the two kids. By the time I got to them, Nico had been dozing on his sister's shoulder for an hour, and Bianca had more-or-less shut down. When we got to the motel, we sent them inside, and then Luke held me outside so we could talk without disturbing them.

"Best we can tell, they've had their memories wiped. My guess in the River Lethe. When heroes are reborn to try for the Isle of the Blessed they're dunked in the river to wipe their souls of their past lives. But usually those souls go into the bodies of a baby, maybe a demigod, maybe not. No one really knows what happens. and Hades isn't talking."

Annabeth chimed in then, looking nervously through the window at our guests, "But it had to be Hades who did it. The River Lethe runs straight through the Underworld. The confusing thing is that Bianca remembers living in Washington D.C. in 1939 and then going to the Casino. Whatever Hades did, he did it a long time ago."

I suppose when you're immortal sixty-six years might not seem like a long time. Still, gods weren't very patient. It seemed strange for Hades to have been planning this for so long, especially because we'd been assuming he got the idea from Kronos and Luke's conversations. Something just didn't fit. It was like I was trying to put together a puzzle but I only had every other piece. I could get a vague idea of what I thought was the big picture, but the missing pieces changes the picture entirely.

I wondered if that was how Bianca and Nico felt as well. If they had had their minds wiped before the hotel, why didn't they remember walking around D.C. as amnesiacs? Why hadn't they questioned some random lawyer putting them in a hotel for what seemed to be a full month? Maybe things were different in the 40's, but kids didn't usually stay alone in hotels for months at a time, or wander around with no memories of their lives. It was just all too weird.

Luke seemed to think so as well. He bit his lip, then sighed, "Look, I hate to be the guy to say it, but I think we need to consider the possibility that this is a trap. Their story doesn't make, and they don't even seem to notice that it doesn't make sense.

That was a pretty fair assessment, but I felt the need to defend them. After all, Nico had thrown a briefcase at a Fury for me. That kind of meant I owed him, "The Mist does strange things, even to demigods. For years I didn't question all the pieces to my life which didn't make sense. Maybe it's like dreams- you forget them until they become important, and then you wonder how you ever could have forgotten them at all. Maybe they're being used, but I don't think Bianca and Nico are using us. Just give them a little time to get their heads on straight."

"In case you haven't noticed, Percy. We're running a bit low on time," Luke remarked. "You wasted days on this quest for Aphrodite, and what did we get out of it but more trouble?"

I was shocked by how callous Luke sounded. "What did we get? We saved Bianca and Nico! And all those other kids too. Besides, Aphrodite said you and Annabeth would find answers, didn't she? What happened with you?"

Luke looked away from me, towards the dark night sky. Annabeth's lip trembled. Finally she admitted, "That's the thing Percy, it was just a waste of time."

"It was a sick joke, that's what it was," Luke snapped, gripping his fist tight. "Turns out Aphrodite was sending us to meet Thalia's drunk of a mother, Beryl Grace. She was out of her mind by the time we found her, raging at Zeus for ruining her life and taking her children."

Annabeth's voice was barely more than a whisper, "She died, Percy. The next day. As soon as she left the bar she drove back to California and died."

Luke reached out, pulling Annabeth into a tight hug. "It wasn't your fault. Zeus drove her crazy long before Thalia died."

I couldn't shake the feeling that I was witnessing something that should have been private, and turned away. Honestly, I was in shock. Sure, my little trip to the Lotus Hotel and Casino had sucked days from our deadline and involved my exploding a waterpark, but for them to meet Thalia's mom just for her to die… I had to agree with Luke. It was a sick joke. And if Aphrodite could play that joke on us, than maybe Bianca and Nico were just a joke as well.

No, Percy. They're not a joke. They're people, kids, same as you, and probably half-bloods as well. You found them for a reason. You know you did.

"We'll send them to school," I announced, and only a second later did I realize I was speaking aloud. "It's too dangerous to bring them to the Underworld, but they can't stay here. Chiron will know how to help them, and memory loss is a little bit like insanity, isn't it, so maybe Mr. D will actually do something for once. It doesn't matter where they came from or what Hades wanted them to be. From now on, they get to forge their own path. Isn't that what you want, Luke, for us to be free from the gods' plans?"

Luke didn't seem pleased with my decision, but slowly he nodded. Annabeth bit her lip, but did the same. "We can send Chiron an Iris message and he'll send a satyr to get them. I don't know where the nearest one is though."

Suddenly I got an idea. I poked through my bag of pearls and found an orange ones. A soft lullaby played in my mind, the one I'd heard sung in my father's palace months ago. I had no way of knowing if I was right, but my gut told me what to do. "What do you think is the probability that this will send someone to AA?"

"Percy, that's insane. There's no chance it will work. You could get Bianca and Nico killed."

"Orange is the school color.""

I'll let you guess who said once. If you can't… well you haven't been paying enough attention clearly. "I have a good feeling about it. In the morning we'll send Bianca and Nico with this, and then I can sell some others to buy us bus tickets to LA."

Annabeth stared at me like I'd lost my mind. Maybe I had. Luke smirked, "Don't you have black pearls? I bet those would bring us right to Hades's palace."

I did, in fact, have a black pearl, but if my theory was correct, it would do us no good getting into the Underworld. We'd have to find another way, but that was a problem for the morning. At that, we called it a night, and passed right out.

Nico was the only one of us in a good mood that morning. I suppose the kid had it easy- he wasn't about to walk into the Underworld. I wasn't quite sure what Bianca's excuse was though.

While we all ate some donuts, I explained to Bianca and Nico about the pearls and how they would (hopefully) bring them to school. Bianca looked reasonably nervous about the probability that they would be sent somewhere completely random, like Orange County, Florida or something. Nico just looked depressed at the idea of school.

"I don't remember school. But I remember not being any good about it."

If I'd needed any more confirmation that they were demigods, that was it.

We checked out of the motel for the second (and hopefully last) time. As I handed the pearls to Bianca and Nico, I noticed Luke fidgeting with the strap on his backpack. Was he second-guessing my plan to use unknown magic to send to demigods cross-country? Or was that just me.

Yet something had shifted in Bianca's eyes from the night before. She looked more sure of her self. Confident even. I supposed I wasn't the only demigod who had dreams, though she didn't share whatever it was that made her trust my judgement. Instead, she took the pearls and, to my shock, kissed me on the cheek, "I don't think I ever told you thank you, Percy. I really am grateful."

I blushed bright red. Bianca was, after all, a pretty girl, but I hadn't thought about whether or not I liked her any more than I'd considered whether or not I liked Annabeth or Celia. Then again, Aphrodite hadn't sent me on a quest to save Annabeth or Celia. My stomach turned to knots. As if I needed more things to worry about.

A strange peace passed over Bianca's face, and then she said, "And if I'm right…" She trailed off, stretching her hands over the ground. All of a sudden, a staircase appeared, tunneling right into the solid rock beneath our feet. We all jumped back surprised, except for Bianca. She walked right towards it and smelled. Then she stepped away, hands shaking, looking panicked and nervous.

"I'm sorry. I don't know how I did that, but I if you follow that path it will bring you right to the Underworld."

Before we could ask any more questions, or yell, scream, and panic, Bianca grabbed Nico's hand and stepped upon the orange pearl. They disappeared in a flash of orange light.

Behind me, Luke let off a long string of curses, half of them in Ancient Greek.

I stood shocked and confused. What had Bianca just done? What had I done helping Bianca?

I took a few steps towards the doorway. My heart seemed to grow heavy as I did. "I think it really is a portal to the Underworld."

"Of course it is," Luke snapped wringing his hands. "But don't you see Percy what this means?"

I didn't… and I did. Mostly I just didn't want to think about it, "Look, we have to get the Master Bolt from Hades and back to Zeus by noon tomorrow or else there will be war. I don't see how one path to the Underworld is any more dangerous than another, and this will save us three-hundred miles and LA traffic."

For a moment, the only noise was the honking and chatter of Vegas. Then Annabeth stepped towards me, eyes sparkling, as she said, "Percy, this is your quest. It's your decision. But when we get back we need to talk about Bianca and Nico. About what this means."

I knew we did, but we could deal with that after we prevented World War III. I cast a glance towards Luke, looking to see if he'd trust me. Finally, he nodded. It seemed we'd be taking the expressway to the Underworld.

I'm not so sure it ended up being faster than just driving to LA. It was a long way down, and completely dark the whole way. We had to keep talking just to remember the others were there- and to keep a semblance of our sanity intact. But since there were no cows, we had to play never-have-I-ever instead.

"Never have I ever run away."

It didn't matter that I couldn't see Annabeth and Luke. I knew they were scowling at me. It made me smile. Nothing like knowing your only friends want to kill you!

"Well, never have I ever had an evil step-parent," Luke countered.

I thought about Gabe slapping my mother, and clenched my fists. He probably loved all the attention my mother's 'murder' offered him. Ha! Wouldn't he be shocked when I got her back. I hoped the police investigated him for a false report.

I put down a finger, not that anyone could see. Surprisingly, Annabeth objected to that, grumbling, "My stepmother isn't evil. She just doesn't want anything to do with me. There's a difference."

Surprisingly, I actually did see the difference. Gabe was a terrible person. From what I knew about her, Annabeth's stepmom was just way in over her head. I suppose when you marry a guy and then discover his daughter might get you all killed… it does put stress on a relationship. Still, things had to be pretty bad to make a seven-year-old run away.

"Have you ever gone back?"

"To Virginia?" Annabeth seemed surprised by my question. I didn't know why. It seemed like a pretty fair question to me. It had to have been hard for Annabeth living for years as the youngest kid at school, and considering she'd spent her birthday reading in Central Park, it had probably been pretty lonely as well.

"Once. It lasted about a week, but then a drakon crashed into my stepmom's minivan. My half-brothers Bobby and Matthew weren't hurt, but they were terrified. No one said anything, but I could tell they wished I'd just leave again. So I did."

That sounded utterly depressing to me, but then again, what half-blood didn't have a depressing home life? It just seemed like part of the basic package. Like ADHD, check. Dyslexia, check. Absentee godly parent, check. Crappy homelife, check. I wondered what that meant went in the 'premium' demigod package. Probably the ridiculous side-quests and tragic fate. Glad to know I was a premium demigod.

"Never have I ever... I see light!" Annabeth hissed. I thought she was crazy for a second, but it turned out she was right. (Nothing new there). A tiny light appeared in the distance. The stairs began to flatten out, depositing us on a flat plain of gravely rock. The moment Luke came down the final step, the stairway disappeared, leaving us stranded in the Underworld.

It looked nicer than you'd expect the Underworld to look, not that that's saying much. But this was definitely the nice part of town. In the distance I could see the flames of the Field of Punishment and the smoke rising from a barbecue on the Isle of the Blessed. Nearer still were the Fields of Asphodel, a large football field filled with ghostly shades meandering about. A chill ran down my spine. Bianca was right; the Lotus Casino and the Underworld weren't very different at all. I did not want to know how she knew that, but I knew she was right.

Still, the real give away that we were in the 'nice' part of town was the looming palace. Bianca's portal had led us to Hades's doorstep. I supposed that was a good thing for the sake of expediency, but it felt dangerous. Now that we were in the Underworld, it occurred to me that we didn't have a plan. I hadn't even thought about how we would actually get the lightning bolt and leave with it. I was fairly certain that the black pearls would get us out of the Underworld, though where they would bring us, I hadn't a clue. If we didn't get the Master Bolt though, there would be no point in leaving. If we failed, the world would end tomorrow. We might as well just stay in the Underworld so we didn't have to make the trip twice.

I reached in my bag, and pulled out the black pearl. "Luke, I want you to take this. If something goes wrong, hopefully it will be able to transport you and Annabeth out of here."

"We're not just about to leave you behind," Annabeth hissed. Yet Luke took it, a shadow of understanding passing through his gaze. He'd been on a quest before. He knew how easily things could go wrong. If things did go south, it would be too late for me. I was the Son of Poseidon. This was my quest. Whatever happened was on me. But Luke and Annabeth were just here to help me. If I failed, they might be able to live another day… though it would probably be just one day more.

"Any ideas of what we should do now?" I asked, laughing awkwardly. It seemed like a dumb idea to stand out in the open in the middle of the Underworld. It seemed even dumber to walk right up to Hades's palace and say "You stole my mother and a lightning bolt. Give it back or I'll spray you with water!"

Luke spun his head, as if listening to a voice on the wind. When he turned back to us, his gaze was filled with dread. Still he said, "Come on."

Annabeth and I both trusted him implicitly, so we followed him. The dread in the pit of my stomach grew worse, but hey, we were in the Underworld. What else would you expect?

We rounded a corner, and I stopped dead in my tracks. The flickering flames. The oppressive chill. The hollow emptiness. I suddenly recognized it. I knew where we were. I'd been there multiple times in my dreams. No wonder Luke knew his way. He'd been there as well.

Somehow, the entrance to Tartarus was more terrifying in person. I thought my heart might just stop from fright. Standing there, by the entrance to the pit, you could feel the evil which lived within. They seemed to scream out in one primordial voice, not with words, but with anger, hatred, fear. It radiated power as well, a power stronger than any I'd ever encountered. Tartarus was more powerful than Olympus; I had no doubt about it. If all the darkness within that pit was to escape at once… I couldn't even imagine facing a fraction of it.

Luke's sword was drawn, and he smashed it against the back of Annabeth's head. I jumped, and screamed, not a good idea in the Underworld, but I couldn't stop it. As Annabeth crumpled to the ground, I shouted at Luke, "What are you doing!"

Luke didn't answer me. I ran to Annabeth's side, desperately checking for a pulse. Meanwhile, Luke slung his backpack off his shoulder and unzipped it. I looked up just in time to see him pull out a two-foot-long cylinder of Celestial Bronze. My heart dropped. I didn't know whether to start sobbing, or murder Luke on the spot.

I ended up just whispering, "You said you didn't steal it."

Luke looked down upon me, eyes sad. It was hard to be mad at him, actually. I cared about Luke, a lot. He was as close to a brother as I'd ever known, and I didn't like to see him in such pain. He looked like he was being torn apart, which made him hard to hate.

But the betrayal… it stung, so I quite frankly didn't know what to think or feel.

When Luke answered, he sounded remorseful, "I know, Percy. I know I did. But you gave me no choice. You were talking like whoever stole the bolt did it to spite you, but that was never my intention! It never crossed my mind that Zeus would blame you. You weren't even supposed to be there. Don't you get it? I'm doing this for you, for Thalia, for all of us- just like I promised."

Annabeth was breathing regularly, though a nasty bruise was already forming on her head. Still, I felt comfortable leaving her alone, and stood up. Luke was still a lot taller than me, but I felt better on my feet. Stronger. I understood what they meant when they said someone 'felt grounded'.

"Then explain it to me now, Luke. And no more lies. Why? What has Kronos promised you? How can you trust him?"

Luke laughed, a cold, crazy laugh. "Trust him? Percy, I'm not insane. I don't trust him. But he wants the same thing we do-to tear down Olympus. To bring the gods to their knees and make them pay."

I felt like someone was trying to cram the Master Bolt down my throat. I couldn't breathe, and I felt sick. "Luke. You're talking about our parents."

"Parents?" Luke shook his head, looking up to the dark sky of the Underworld. "Percy, when have the gods ever even resembled parents? How many kids are just stuffed in Hermes House to wait for a sign that will never come? They only ever claim us because they want something. Parents are supposed to care about their kids. They're supposed to protect their kids. Your dad sent cyclops to kill you! This whole quest was absurd. How were you, a twelve-year-old, supposed to get the Master Bolt back from Hades. And the Lotus Casino, Aphrodite could have shut that place down in a heartbeat. She just thought it would be fun to make you do it. We struggle, and we slave, and we die doing things they could do with a snap of the fingers. They're not parents, Percy. They're tyrants!"

I wish I could say he was wrong, but he wasn't. The gods were terrible parents. All their power, and they did nothing to help people. They only ever used their power to hurt people. How many people drowned every year? How many died in earthquakes or tsunamis? That was my dad. Why? Because he was having a bad day? Because he could?

I glanced down at the entrance to Tartarus. I could still feel its evil power. Olympus didn't feel like that. Olympus glistened and glowed, but did that make it any less evil? Or was it just that however evil the gods were, they were better than what came before them?

"Maybe you didn't know Zeus would turn on me, but Kronos did. He's using you Luke. He's using us both. There is nothing he can offer you."

Luke shook his head, golden hair flopping. I couldn't decide if he looked insane, or like the sun incarnate. Holy, or infernal. "Don't you get it? Kronos has the power to destroy the Fates themselves. Imagine it, Percy. No more destinies. No more prophecies. No more gods. We'd finally be free to forge our own path. It's everything we've ever talked about! Everything we've ever wanted. All I have to do is give Kronos Zeus's bolt and Hades's helm."

I hadn't even noticed the Helm of Darkness lying at Luke's feet, but there it was. My stomach turned in knots. Hades hadn't taken my mom to keep me from stopping him. All he wanted was his helm back, the helm Luke took. Everything that had happened, it was Luke's fault, because he didn't think about the consequences of trusting Kronos.

It didn't even matter whether or not Luke was wrong about the gods. Kronos was the reason my mom was rotting in the Underworld. I would never, ever, let him rule the world.

I drew Riptide. The bronze glade seemed to glisten in the shadowy darkness of the Underworld. "I'm sorry, Luke, but I can't let you do that. Maybe the gods stink, but they're our family. Your dad does care about you. He asked me to save you from yourself. And I'm not going to let Kronos use you like this."

I honestly think Luke expected me to join him. His face fell, a shadow of grief and betray passing over his eyes. He dropped the Master Bolt and drew his sword. When he spoke, he sounded younger than me, "You swore on the River Styx to help me."

"I swore to save you Luke. Don't you see? The terrible fate your mother saw- this is it. You, working for Kronos, betraying the gods and everyone who cares about you."

"I'M DOING THIS FOR YOU!" Luke howled, swinging his blade down. If I hadn't moved, he would have probably killed me. But I was light on my feet, and stepped to the side, not quite hitting back, but prepared if he struck out again.

"I'm doing you a favor, Percy. When the gods turn on you, it will be a lot more painful," his voice was scary calm, like a pipe the second before it burst.

I jumped to the side just as he slashed towards me. It was clear he was done talking, which was good, because I didn't have anything else to say. Heavy tears stunk my cheeks. Burning anger drove my blows, but I don't even know who I was angry at-Luke, or the gods. I just knew that I was not about to give Kronos the most powerful weapon in all Creation, and if that meant fighting Luke…

It was exactly like the hundreds of other times we'd sparred, and nothing like them at all. Anger, betrayal, grief- our emotions drove us. We were desperate, striking wide, lashing out where we should have defended. Each blow feel heavier than usual, but ultimately, neither of us was really trying to hurt the other. We might very well kill one another in our recklessness, but we were angrier at ourselves than one another.

On a normal day, Luke and I were pretty evenly matched. He had the size and training, but I had the speed and raw power. I don't know how long we fought, five minutes, five hours. I don't know why none of Hades minions swooped in and stole back the bolt and helm while we were distracted. All I was aware of was the movement of my sword, and the gripping, heart-wrenching ache in my chest.

I thought I heard a sound to my left. Thinking it was Hades, I turned to look, but there was no one there. My momentary distraction, however, proved to be all Luke needed. He disarmed me, sending Riptide flying across the courtyard. I was utterly defenseless, and Luke brought the point of his blade to my chest.

I held my breath. Our eyes met, and I saw thick tears rolling down Luke's face. He panted heavily, and then muttered, "Gods, Percy. Don't you see what they've done to us? We should be fighting together, you and me against the gods. We'll save your mother. We'll bring back Thalia. We'll do all the things the gods should have done millennia ago!"

"Not this way, Luke," my voice cracked from grief and fear. "Anything but this."

Luke shut his eyes. I prepared myself for death, hoping Luke would make it quick. Instead, he pulled away his sword. "I'm not going to kill you Percy. Soon you'll realize this is the only way. I just hope it's not too late for you. But if I have to do this for you, I will."

Luke stepped away, turning back towards the entrance to Tartarus. I wondered what would happen if I charged at him. He had his sword but if I caught him by surprise…

"What?" Luke hissed. I blinked in surprise. The Master Bolt had disappeared from where he left it, the Helm of Darkness as well. For a second, both of us just stared.

Then an invisible force jumped on Luke, sending him tumbling to the ground. Annabeth pulled the Helm of Darkness off her head, tossing it to the side so she could stare him in the eyes, "If you think this is what Thalia would have wanted, you've lost your mind."

Luke pushed her off him, but didn't attack. Annabeth was, after all, holding the Master Bolt in her fist. And considering how angry she looked… she might have used it if he tried anything.

Luke stood there, looking defeated. Then he lifted his eyes and whispered, "When the gods turn on you, Percy. Find me."

He must have made a split-second decision, because I didn't even see it coming. He pulled the pearl I'd given him from his pocket, smashing it upon the ground. Annabeth screamed, "NO!" But when she reached out to grab him, he'd already dissolved into the black mist. She was left grasping at empty air.

All I wanted was to fall to the ground and sob, but I forced myself to walk towards Annabeth. I grabbed the Helm of Darkness from where she'd dropped it, staring at the stupid chunk of metal which had caused such a mess. I was tempted to fling it down into Tartarus myself just out of anger.

I didn't get the chance. Suddenly, from the darkness, a man appeared. He was larger than life, with pale skin, and cold, black eyes. I recognized him from the Winter Solstice, but even if I hadn't seen him before, I would have known Hades. There weren't many who looked like him. No one else could have such cold eyes.

My heart thudded in my chest as a thought floated across my mind-Bianca and Nico do.

I felt like an idiot for not having realized it before. But I guess, in a way, I had, I'd just been unwilling to voice the thought. But staring at Hades now, I knew it was true. Bianca and Nico were his children. That's why he'd hidden them in the Lotus Casino. That's why he'd sent someone to get them out now. Poseidon and Zeus had both broken their oath. Hades had no reason to hide his progeny anymore. Because of me, Children of the Big Three were fair game.

"I believe that is mine," Hades hissed, staring at the Helm in my hands. I hadn't even realized I was holding it, but handed it over without delay. I realized only after that I should have kept it, used it to bargain for my mother… or myself. But I didn't have the energy for cunning. After nine days of travel and pain, after Luke's betrayal and our fight, I felt like the dead, even if I didn't want to be one.

Annabeth gulped and stammered, "Lord Hades. Percy didn't steal it. It was…"

"The Son of Hermes. I saw," Hades's voice lacked all emotion. I couldn't tell if Luke's betrayal bothered him, or if he didn't care at all.

For a second, there was silence. Then I realized what Hades was waiting for. Annabeth was still holding the Master Bolt tight to her chest, as far away from Hades as possible. He glowered at her, "Give me the bolt, girl. And I'll let you both go. I'll even throw in this one's mother for the trouble. She's not really dead, just asleep, but that can change if you're uncooperative."

My heart dropped. There was no way Annabeth could give Hades the Master Bolt. Maybe he hadn't been the one to steal it originally, but no doubt he would if given the chance now.

But my mom. All I wanted was to see her safe. Was stopping a war between the gods really worth her life? Luke had been wrong about a lot of things, but he wasn't wrong about the gods. They weren't worth my mother's life.

"Lord Hades, with all due respect, I can't do that."

I can't imagine how Annabeth was feeling in that moment. I knew she liked Luke and she'd known him for a whole lot longer than I had. However bad his betray had hurt me, it must have been hurting her a million times worse. But she didn't show it. She just started down the Lord of the Underworld, not a trace of fear in her eye. I doubt anyone else had ever done that.

Darkness swirled around Hades. I wondered how many ways he could think of to kill us. Annabeth just kept speaking, "Lord Hades, my mother is Athena. She knows all about war. But she's also wise and knows when the smart thing is not to fight. Perhaps with the Master Bolt you can defeat Zeus, but Poseidon still had his trident, and all the other gods will be against you. Let us leave with the bolt and Percy's Mom. Zeus and Poseidon will both be in your debt. Isn't that better than starting a war on a whim?"

Annabeth was good. I could see Hades's hand twitching, reaching out desperately towards the bolt, but her words convinced him. He clenched his fist, but pulled away, "Very well, Daughter of Athena, but remember- this means you are in my debt as well."

That did make her look nervous, but she nodded slowly. Hades turned his gaze back to me for a second, and then waved his hand. Suddenly, from out of nowhere my mom appeared. She looked dazed and tired, but perfectly alright. Perfectly alive. My heart soared.

Then Hades waved his had, and she disappeared again. I shouted, "Mom!"

"Relax." If I didn't know Lords of the Underworld didn't roll their eyes, I would have thought that was exactly what Hades was doing. "She's safe and sound in your apartment, though by the gods what is that smell? She'll probably sleep most of the day, but otherwise, she is unharmed. We'll see if the same can be said of you once you return that to Olympus."

Hades waved his hand once more, and before us appeared a portal exactly like the one Bianca had made. If I'd needed any more confirmation she and Nico were Hades's children, that was it. Annabeth must have made the connection as well, because she gasped.

Hades smirked, and I swear there were flames burning in his eyes. "Follow this and you'll find yourselves right in Central Park. If you can't make it downtown without getting killed, that's not my fault."

Considering I'd just been betrayed by Luke, the person I trusted the most, it's a miracle that I didn't even consider the possibility that this portal was a trap. I guess I just figured Hades had no real reason to trick us. If he wanted to kill us, he could probably do that with a wave of his hand as well.

I headed towards the path, Annabeth following right behind me. The portal seemed to close behind us, but not before I heard Hades say, "Even I am not quite sure how old Bianca is, but I do know this- I shall not weep, Perseus Jackson, to see a child of Hades fulfill this prophecy."

The portal shut behind us, and once more Annabeth and I were left in the dark.