First Person: Lucy

We got Leo back on his feet thanks to a little nectar. Piper tended to Jason's wounds, but he wasn't as badly hurt as he looked. Mostly, he was just ashamed that he'd gotten overpowered again, something most of the crew could relate to. The returned all the supplies to the proper places and tidied up from the invasion while Coach Hedge and Kaze had a field day on the enemy ship, both breaking and stealing everything they could find. I made sure Kaze held back in what he took, and in return he could wreck the ship like crazy. He did still take a little, because this is my little brother we're talking about, but there was too much on that ship even for him.

"I can sense about six million dollars' worth of gold aboard," Veon said.

"Not to mention diamonds and rubies-" Hazel began to add.

"Six m-million?" Frank stammered. "Canadian dollars or American?"

"Leave it," Percy said. "It's part of the tribute."

"Not like we need it anyway," I said.

"Tribute?" Hazel asked.

"Oh," Piper said nodding. "Kansas." Jason grinned.

"Crazy, but I like it."

"Do we have anymore Diet Coke?" Emily asked. "Gold is great and all, but he might appreciate a little Coke along with it."

"Good idea," Audrey said, taking some more Diet Coke cans out of the ice chest. "Oh, Piper, can your cornucopia spew a stream of Diet Coke? That would help out a lot."

"I think so," She said.

"All right," I said. "Kaze, open the flood valves." He saluted before speeding onto the ship. Leo had drilled a few extra holes in the bottom of the hull with his power tools, and he was happy to oblige. Kaze returned in a flash, and the ship was beginning to sink. The crew of the Argo II assembled at the rail and cut the grappling lines. Piper aimed her horn of plenty and willed it to spew Diet Coke, which came out with the strength of a fire hose, dousing the enemy deck. The large ship sank remarkable fast, filling with Diet Coke and seawater.

"Dionysus," Percy called, holding up Chrysaor's golden mask. "Or Bacchus - whatever. You made this victory possible, even if you weren't here. Your enemies trembled at your name…or your Diet Coke, or something. So, yeah, thank you." I could tell Percy was having a hard time getting the words out, but he managed. "We give this ship to you as tribute. We hope you like it."

"Six million in gold," Leo muttered. "He'd better like it."

"Shh," Hazel scolded. "Precious metal isn't all that great. Believe me." Percy threw the golden mask aboard the vessel, which was now sinking even faster, brown fizzy liquid spewing out the trireme's oar slots and bubbling from the cargo hold, turning the sea frothy brown. Audrey summoned a wave, and the enemy ship was swamped. Leo steered the Argo II away as the pirate vessel disappeared underwater.

"Isn't that polluting?" Piper asked.

"I wouldn't worry," I told her. "If Bacchus likes it, the ship should vanish." I stretched. "Well, that was fun. Haven't had a fast opponent like that for ages. Besides Kaze, of course. He really wanted to take on Chrysaor too, but I called dibs. In any case, I say we should fly the rest of the way to Rome. I can take watch."

"I'm well enough to take sentry duty too," Jason insisted. He also got Percy to go back to his cabin and get in a few more hours of sleep himself. Veon and Kaze insisted on staying above deck for watch duty as well, though Kaze fell asleep on the deck against the mast. Hedge stayed as well, who was still so charged with adrenaline that every time the ship hit turbulence, he swung his bat and yelled, "Die!" I laid down next to Kaze and then Veon joined us. He ordered me to get some sleep as well, and when he put his arm around me and smothered me in his warmth, he didn't give me much choice. Still, I'd had to sleep lightly a lot, and though I had been modernized for a few years, that didn't mean I got rusty. I had a hand on a gun when I fell asleep, prepared to defend myself if I was jumped in my sleep, not that I assumed Veon would let that happen.

I dreamed of darkness. Dust swirled and solidified into the figure of a woman. Her eyes were closed, as if she were sleepwalking. Her robes were forest green, dappled with gold and white like sunlight shifting through the branches. Her hair was as black as tilled soil, her face beautiful, but even with a dreamy smile on her lips, she seemed cold and distant. She could watch demigods die or cities burn, and that smile wouldn't waver. There was no mercy in her heart, no kindness or compassion. Only a drive to get what she wants, no matter what the cost, and no fear of failure in her. To a goddess, failure means temporary sleep, and no matter how many millennia they had to wait, they could always return to try again and again. But for my goddess, the world could not continue spinning if she were to disappear. The balance that allowed existence would shatter. It wasn't like with Ouranos, where even though he was killed, the skies lived on.

"The goddess you serve lies and deceives. It is right in front of your eyes, yet you choose to remain blind to it. The power you are capable of can go in any direction you choose. As your power expands, so too does the weight of your choices. You waste your potential helping a hopeless cause, knowing that you will forever be slave to another if you continue down this path. You could be free with just a thought. Why put everything into something that you gain nothing from?"

"Because others gain from it."

"And does your little friend feel the same way? You will keep the secret of what he's to face to yourself, and then throw him to the wolves unprepared?"

"He'll survive. He'd give his life for another's, all of my friends would. We're not ones to give up without a fight."

"Then what would you call what you're doing? You will fail if you continue down this path you think is the right one. Give me the ones I want and stop. I could guarantee a life for you and your brother and everyone you love. You will never be a slave to another's demands again. I ask naught but for you to rest, to let go of the weight you carry for no reason. You can make a decision for yourself for once. If the goddess you protect ceases, there will be no ill consequences."

"Lies. She is far more important than any god. You don't understand the consequences of her demise along with her husband's."

"You are the one that doesn't understand. Where do her loyalties really lie? Do you believe that everything she tells you is truth? She tells you she is invaluable to spare her own life, when in reality she means no more than Ouranos. She could be killed and the world wouldn't change. You fight for no reason, you suffer and sacrifice and give everything you have away for a selfish woman who uses you for convenience. You hurt the ones you love, telling yourself that everything is on the line when, in reality, there was no reason to make such sacrifices."

"Even…even if what you're saying is true, I am going to save a life. I'm going to help someone who needs me."

"But is it truly worth everything you have to give? Your brother, your life, the ones you love, your freedom of choice itself. Nothing in your life is yours, and nothing in your life will ever be yours. There is no reason to continue down a path that gains nothing and is worth everything. You have the ability to choose, so choose your own life for once."

"I appreciate the pep-talk, Triple G mother, but leave me the F alone."

"I will have my revenge on her no matter what you choose. I'm offering to spare you, another victim of her evil. Consider the path you have chosen, and see how futile your efforts are. My offer shall stand. I do hope to have you and the boy join my noble cause. If not…" She opened her eyes. They swirled in green and black, as deep as the crust of the earth. Gaea saw everything, her patience was infinite, her determination immeasurable, and her goals she aspires to deadly and pure evil. "You and the boy will enjoy an eternity of pain in Tartarus. When I reclaim the earth, I will raze all human civilization, let those who have been wronged for too long take its place. The gods shall fall, their children will suffer until they meet the same fate, and those who have crossed me shall meet an eternity of pain and misery." I heard a loud CLANG-CLANG-CLANG and jolted awake, my gun in hand and aimed.

"Whoa, it's just the landing gear," Veon said. "Remember how hard we worked to fix this thing. Please don't shoot all my hard work." I clicked the safety on and knocked him in the head with the butt off the gun, not hard, but not light either.

"Be quiet." He laughed but rubbed his head where I hit him.

"We're descending over Rome. Come on, let's check out the view." I stood and we walked over to the rail.

The sky was brilliant blue, as if the stormy weather had never happened. The sun rose over the distant hills, so everything below us shone and sparkled like the entire city of Rome had just come out of the car wash. I had seen big cities before, but the sheer vastness of Rome was amazing. The city seemed to have no regard for limits of geography. It spread through hills and valleys, jumped over the Tiber with dozens of bridges, and just kept sprawling to the horizon. Streets and alleys zig-zagged with no rhyme or reason through quilts of neighborhoods, glass office buildings stood next to excavation sites, a cathedral stood next to a lone of Roman columns, which stood next to a modern stadium. In some neighborhoods, old stucco villas with red-tiled roofs crowded the cobblestone streets, so that if I just concentrated on those areas, I could imagine I was back in ancient times. Everywhere I looked, there were wide piazzas and traffic-clogged streets, parks cutting across the city with a crazy collection of palm trees, pines, junipers, and olive trees, as if Rome couldn't decide what part of the world it belonged to - or maybe it just believed all the world still belonged to Rome.

This placed seemed to know that the earth goddess intended on razing all human civilization, and this city, which had stood for thousands of years, was saying back to her, "You wanna dissolve this city, Dirt Face? Give it a shot." In other words, it was the Coach Hedge of mortal cities - only taller. How could the Romans forbid coming here? Honestly, it's Rome, and they're Romans, who are forbidden to come to Rome just because it's dangerous. The whole paradox of people not coming because there are lots of monsters because no one comes to destroy the monsters comes into play once more. When we come back from Rome and end this war, I am going to go to whoever made some of the Roman rules and give them a goddess-sized slap to the face.

"We're setting down in that park," Leo announced, pointing to a wide green space dotted with palm trees. "Let's hope the Mist make us look like a large pigeon or something." Veon stared ahead before putting his hand out with his thumb, index and middle fingers up as though he was trying to make some religious gesture. He concentrated, his hand slightly trembling as he bent the Mist as best he could. It seemed to work. I didn't notice any cars veering off the road or Romans pointing to the sky and screaming "Aliens!" I guess it was even possible to hide a giant bronze trireme descending on a city in the middle of morning rush hour. Back when I was on my own, I couldn't do much else other than keep thinking: "Please don't look at me. Please don't look at me," and hope that the locals would fail to notice me doing fancy demigod things.

The Argo II set down in a grassy field and the oars retracted. The noise of traffic was all around, but the park itself was peaceful and deserted. To the left, a green lawn sloped toward a line of woods. An old villa nestled in the shade of some weird-looking pine trees with thin curvy trunks that shot up thirty or forty feet, then sprouted into puffy canopies. They reminded me of those Dr. Seuss books that I got into when I was learning English in the States (and yes, I was around twelve when I got hooked on Dr. Seuss books. They rhymed and they had intricate pictures and odd storylines. For a girl who didn't understand a lick of English, rhyming things were the only way this ADHD girl could concentrate. Sue me).

To the right, snaking along the top of a hill, was a long brick wall with notches at the top for archers - maybe a medieval defensive line, maybe Ancient Roman. To the north, about a mile away through the folds of the city, the top of the Colosseum rose above the rooftops, looking just like it did in travel photos. We were here, in the heart of the Roman Empire, enemy territory for a Greek demigod. If my dad was a son of Roman Apollo, and Zenobia was neither Greek nor Roman, or both, then in a way this place wasn't enemy territory, not completely. Jason pointed to the base of the archers' wall, where steps led down into some kind of tunnel.

"I think I know where we are," He said. "That's the Tomb of the Scipios." Percy frowned.

"Scipio…Reyna's pegasus?"

"No," Annabeth put in. "They were a noble Roman family, and…wow, this place is amazing." Jason nodded.

"I've studied maps of Rome before. I've always wanted to come here, but…" Nobody bothered finishing that sentence. Everyone looked in awe at the fact that we'd made it to Rome - the Rome.

"Plans?" Hazel asked. "Nico has until sunset - at best. And this entire city is supposedly getting destroyed today."

"Annabeth, did you zero in on that spot from your bronze map?" Veon asked.

"Yes," She said. "It's on the Tiber River. I think I can find it, but I should-"

"Take me along," Percy finished. "Yeah, you're right." Annabeth glared daggers at him.

"That's not-"

"Safe?" He finished. "One demigod walking through Rome alone? I'll go with you as far as the Tiber. We can use that letter of introduction when we meet the river god Tiberinus. Maybe he can give you some help or advice. Then you can go alone from there."

"It's my team's job to guard you as long as we possibly can," I said. "I'll go with you as well. I agree with Percy that you're not going alone until we find the entrance to the Mark of Athena. Got it?"

"Fine," Annabeth muttered. "Hazel, Veon, now that we're in Rome, do you think you can pinpoint Nico's location?" Hazel blinked, as if coming out of a trance from watching the Percy and Annabeth Show.

"Um…hopefully, if I get close enough. I'll have to walk around the city. Frank, would you come with me?" Frank beamed.

"Absolutely."

"And, uh…Leo," Hazel added. "It might be a good idea if you came along too. The fish-centaurs-"

"Itcthyocentaurs," I corrected.

"-said we'd need your help with something mechanical."

"Yeah, no problem," Leo said. Frank's smile turned into something more like Chrysaor's mask. Ever since we'd gotten knocked into the Atlantic, they hadn't acted quite the same. It wasn't the two guys competing for Hazel, it was more like the three of them were locked together, acting out some kind of murder mystery, but they hadn't yet discovered which of them was the victim.

"I'll have to travel around the city to get a lock on his location as well," Veon said. "Our connection works like a homing beacon, but I need to experiment. The closer I get to him, the stronger the connection between us gets. Now that we're in Rome, I'm getting a signal that he's close, but only by travelling around can I find exactly where."

"You're coming with my team then," I said. "I won't have you shadow travelling to him the moment you get a lock and end up walking right into a trap. Emily, you go with Hazel's group." Piper drew her knife and set it on the rail.

"Jason, Audrey, Kaze and I can watch the ship for now, then. I'll see what Katoptris can show me. But Zy's right. Hazel, if you guys get a fix on Nico's location, don't go in there by yourselves. Come back and get us. It'll take all of us to fight the giants." She didn't say the obvious: even all of us together wouldn't be enough unless we could get a god on our side.

"Good idea," Audrey said. "How about we plan to meet back here at…what?"

"Three this afternoon?" Emily suggested. "That's probably the latest we could rendezvous and still hope to fight the giants and save Nico. If something happens to change the plan, try to send an Iris-message." The others nodded in agreement, but I noticed several of them glancing at Annabeth. She would be on a different schedule. She might be back at three, or much later, or never. But she would be on her own, searching for the Athena Parthenos. Coach Hedge grunted.

"Percy, Annabeth, remember to behave. If I hear about any funny business, I will ground you until the Styx freezes over." The idea of getting grounded when we were about to risk our lives was so ridiculous, Percy couldn't help smiling. "And you two better not do anything either."

"Why us?" Veon asked.

"Their idea of flirting is making videogame references about whether an Adamantoise or an Neochu would win in a fight," Audrey said. "I think they'll be fine."

"Neochu." "Adamantoise." We said together.

"Neochu has got all his little minions that hit really hard and are hard to hit," I reasoned.

"Adamantoise just stomps on them and they're dead in an instant," He argued back.

"He can just summon more of them and they can beat the Adamantoise's legs until it falls and then hit it in the face."

"The Adamantoise it way to tall to be hit in the knees by those tiny little things, and it's skin is like iron."

"Little bit of pollen and they're powered up to hit harder than a cactuar."

"A cactuar doesn't hit that hard."

"Have you ever faced a cactuar?"

"Anyway!" Audrey interrupted.

"We'll be back soon," Percy promised. He looked around at his friends, trying not to feel like this was the last time we'd ever be together. "Good luck, everyone." Leo lowered the gangplank, and we were first off the ship.

Under normal circumstances, I might find walking through Rome pretty nice. We navigated through the winding streets, dodging cars and crazy Vespa drivers, squeezing through mobs of tourists and wading through oceans of pigeons. The day warmed quickly. Once we got away from the car exhaust on the main roads, the air smelled of baking bread and freshly cut flowers. We aimed for the Colosseum because that was an easy landmark, but getting there proved harder than anticipated. As big and confusing as the city had looked from above, it was even more so on the ground. Several times we got lost on dead-end streets, but we found beautiful fountains and huge monuments by accident.

Annabeth commented on the architecture, but the rest of us spotted other things. Once we spotted a glowing purple ghost - a Lar - glaring at us from the window of an apartment building. Another time we saw a white-robed woman - maybe a nymph or a goddess - holding a wicked-looking knife, slipping between ruined columns in a public park. Nothing attacked, but I knew we were being watched, and the watchers were not friendly. When we finally reached the Colosseum, there were a dozen guys in cheap gladiator costumes scuffling with the police - plastic swords versus batons. I wasn't sure what that was about, but we kept walking. Once again, mortals were weird. A good deal of the time, they were even stranger than monsters.

We made our way west, heading toward the Tiber. Amazingly, people in Italy spoke Italian (I know, crazy, right?), so Percy and Annabeth weren't able to understand anything, at least not at first. Any time that someone approached them on the street and asked a question, Percy just looked at them in confusion and they switched to English. When people didn't know any English, Veon and I handled the talking. Italian was fun, but considering I'd been attacked when I first came here, I hadn't dedicated myself to the language on my own, so most of the language abilities came from the goddess.

"Nico is fluent in Italian," Veon muttered. "I know the language even without my powers thanks to our soul bond. Wait, if he's a Greek demigod, and Italy is Roman…humph. Odd. Guess he makes a perfect candidate to try and bring the two together." Next discovery: The Italians used euros, and Percy regretted not having any on him when he found a tourist shop that sold sodas. By then, it was almost noon, getting really hot, and Percy was staring to wish he had a trireme filled with Diet Coke.

"Luckily you brought the girl who handles all expenses," I said. To make matters simple, I took out a plastic card from my bag. "International infinite credit card. Let's go hurt the economy, boys and girls."

"Question," Veon said. "Where was this when I asked for those cool garbs from Lightning Returns?"

"Dude, parents that would've noticed me using a credit card and would've thought I stole it. Enough said. My dad liked to play videogames with me too, you know, and he would've noticed that I had better equipment than he did." The sodas helped, but the others were still hot and tired by the time we arrived at the Tiber River. I was used to heat, so it didn't really bother me. The shore was edged with a stone embankment. A chaotic assortment of warehouses, apartments, stores, and cafés crowded the riverfront. The Tiber itself was wide, lazy, and caramel-colored, and a few tall cypress trees hung over the banks. The nearest bridge looked fairly new, made from iron girders, but right next to it stood a crumbling line of stone arches that stopped halfway across the river - ruins that might've been left over from the days of the Caesars.

"This is it," Annabeth said, pointing at the old stone bridge. "I recognize that from the map. But what do we do now?"

"Tiberinus should find us if we wait by the river long enough," I said. "It's about lunchtime. How about we go over to that café?" Even though it was noon, the place was empty. We picked a table outside by the river, and a waiter hurried over. He looked a bit surprised to see us - especially when we said we wanted lunch.

"American?" He asked, with a pained smile. I didn't want to be branded as an American when he put it that way, and technically, I wasn't a legal one. The only reason I fit in back in the States without questions was the goddess and her meddling, but if someone looked close enough, they'd know I was an immigrant, and an illegal one at that.

"Yes, sir," I said in Italian. "We're showing our friends here around. Right, Veon?"

"Right," He said. "My friend here wants a pizza, along with a Coca-Cola."

"With ice?" The waiter asked, looking like he was trying to swallow a euro coin.

"Yes," I said, acting as though I had to put up with my American friends unwillingly. "And my other friend would like a panini and some fizzy water, if you please. I'd like a foot-long turkey sandwich with just cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, and just some water."

"I'll take the same," Ve said. After the waiter left, I smiled.

"I think Italians eat later during the day, they don't put ice in their drinks, and they only do pizza for tourists.

"That explains that guy's weird face," Percy said. "I was afraid you guys had ordered wrong for us." He shrugged. "The best Italian food, and they don't even eat it?"

"I wouldn't tell the waiter that."

Percy and Annabeth held hands across the table, the two content on just staring at each other in silence. I plucked my bow string. I wondered if it looked like a guitar or something through the Mist, or if it was okay for the actual bow to be seen. Setting the bow beside the table, I began to mess with my arrows, trying to see if I could upgrade them. The arrowheads and shafts were made of gems to store power and energy very nicely, but at the same time, they're pretty brittle, and they'd shatter if put up against a tough enough material. I could use that to my advantage if I make some kind of exploding arrow, and some poison-cloud arrows could be possible as well. It's been so long since I had access to upgrading my bow and arrows, and now I had many more resources. The possibilities seemed endless.

"You shouldn't feel ashamed," Annabeth said to Percy. "You're thinking about Chrysaor, aren't you? You were outmatched, Percy, and in the end, you saved us." Percy smiled.

"How do you do that? You always know what I'm thinking."

"I know you. Percy, you can't carry the weight of this whole quest. It's impossible. That's why there are seven of us. That's why Zy has four others to help. And you'll have to let me search for the Athena Parthenos on my own."

"I missed you," He confessed. "For months. A huge chunk of our lives was taken away. If I lost you again-" Lunch arrived. The waiter looked much calmer. Having accepted Percy and Annabeth were clueless Americans, he had apparently decided to forgive them and treat them politely.

"It is a beautiful view," He said, nodding towards the river. "Enjoy, please."

"Thank you," I said. Once he left, we ate in silence. I worked on my arrows while eating. I found multitasking much more efficient, making sure I don't get bored of a task, or get so into it that I make a mistake or miss out on the enjoyment of working on my equipment. Apparently, Percy's pizza was a bland, doughy square with not a lot of cheese. Maybe that's why Romans didn't eat it. Poor Romans.

"You'll have to trust me," Annabeth said. "You've got to believe I'll come back." Percy swallowed another bite.

"I believe in you. That's not the problem. But come back from where?" The sound of a Vespa interrupted. I looked along the riverfront to see the motor scooter was an old-fashioned model: big and baby blue. The driver was a guy in a silky gray suit. Behind him sat a younger woman with a headscarf, her hands around the man's waist. They waved between café tables and puttered to a stop next to us.

"Why, hello," The man said. His voice was deep, almost croaky, like a movie actor's. His hair was short and greased back from his craggy face, handsome in a 1950s dad-on-television way. Even his clothes seemed old-fashioned. When he stepped off his bike, the waistline of his slacks was way higher than normal, but somehow he still managed to look manly and stylish and not like a total goober. But just barely. His age was hard to guess by looks alone - maybe thirty-something, though the man's fashion and manner seemed grandfather-ish. The woman slid off the bike.

"We've had the most lovely morning," She said breathlessly. She looked about twenty-one, also dressed in an old-fashioned style. Her ankle-length marigold skirt and white blouse were pinched together with a large leather belt, giving her the narrowest waist I'd ever seen. When she removed her scarf, her short wavy black hair bounced into perfect shape. She had dark playful eyes and a brilliant smile.

"Tib, Rey, you're late," I said. Annabeth's sandwich fell out of her hands.

"Oh gods. How…how…?"

"You guys do look familiar," Percy decided. He pointed at the man. "Are you that guy on Mad Men?"

"Percy!" Annabeth looked horrified.

"What?" He protested. "I don't watch a lot of TV."

"That's Gregory Peck!" Annabeth's eyes were wide, and her mouth kept falling open. "And…oh, gods! Audrey Hepburn!"

"Yeah, I don't watch a lot of movies either," Veon said. "And I rarely ever care for the actors' real names. Who are those people?"

"I know this movie. "Roman Holiday." But that was from the 1950s," Annabeth continued. "How-?"

"Oh, my dear!" Rey twirled like an air spirit and sat down at our table. "I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else! My name is Rhea Silvia. I was the mother to Romulus and Remus, thousands of years ago. But you're so kind to think I look as young as the 1950s. And this is my husband…"

"Tiberinus," He said, thrusting out his hand to Percy in a manly way. "God of the River Tiber." Percy shook his hand. The guy smelled of aftershave. Of course, if I were the Tiber Rover, I'd probably want to mask the smell with perfume too.

"Uh, hi," Percy said. "Do you two always look like American movie stars?"

"Do we?" Tiberinus frowned and studied his clothes. "I'm not sure, actually. The migration of Western civilization goes both ways, you know. Rome affected the world, but the world also affects Rome. There does seem to be a lot of American influence lately. I've rather lost track over the centuries."

"You're falling behind in the times, my friend," I said. "I've lived in America for a while now, and things are still changing a ton. For example, these days, I wouldn't wear that outfit to save my miserable human life."

"I hope you're not saying you'd rather let your host die," Veon said seriously. Aw, it was cute when he got protective. Annoying, but cute. Annoyingly cute? Well yes, but not the point.

"If anyone threatened my life trying to get me in an outfit like that, I'd rather put an arrow through their head. In any case, Tib, you've really gotta keep up. People dress a lot different these days. Well, most of them do."

"So…you're here to help?" Percy asked.

"My naiads told me you four were here," Tiberinus said, before casting his dark eyes to Annabeth. "You have the map, my dear? And your letter of introduction?"

"Uh…" Annabeth handed him the letter and the disk of bronze. She was staring at the river god so intently, I had a feeling Percy might be jealous. "S-So…" She stammered. "You've helped other children of Athena with this quest?"

"Oh, my dear!" Rhea Silvia said, putting her hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "Tiberinus is ever so helpful. He saved my children Romulus and Remus, you know, and brought them to the wolf goddess Lupa. Later, when that old king Numen tried to kill me, Tiberinus took pity on me and made me his wife. I've been ruling the river kingdom at his side ever since. He's just dreamy!"

"Thank you, my dear," Tiberinus said with a wry smile. "And, yes, Annabeth Chase, I've helped many of your siblings…to at least begin their journey safely. A shame all of them died painfully later on. Well, your documents seem in order. We should get going. The Mark of Athena awaits!" Percy gripped Annabeth's hand - probably a little too tight.

"Tiberinus, let me go with her. Just a little further." Rhea Silvia laughed sweetly.

"But you can't, silly boy. You must return to your ship and gather your friends. Confront the giants! The way will appear in your friend Piper's knife. Annabeth has a different path. She must walk alone."

"Indeed," Tiberinus said. "Annabeth must face the guardian of the shrine by herself. It is the only way. And Percy Jackson, you have less time than you realize to rescue your friend on the jar. You must hurry."

"But-"

"It's all right, Percy," Annabeth said, squeezing his hand. "I need to do this." Percy started to protest, when he realized that Annabeth was putting on a brave front. If he tried to argue, he would only make things harder for her. Or worse, he might convince her to stay. Then she would have to live with the knowledge that she'd backed down from her biggest challenge…assuming that we survived at all, with Rome about to get leveled and Gaea about to rise and destroy the world. The Athena statue held the key to defeating the giants, and Annabeth was the only one who could find it.

"You're right," He said, forcing out the words. "Be safe." Rhea Silvia giggled like it was a ridiculous comment.

"Safe? Not at all! But necessary. Come, Annabeth, my dear. We will show you where your path starts. After that, you're on your own."

"I can at least escort you the rest of the way to the entrance," I said, standing and slinging my bow over me once more.

"Very well," Tiberinus said.

"Veon, don't be an idiot while I'm gone."

"No promises," He said smiling.

"Excellent. Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it and we'll find Nico. He's not going to die today if I have any say in it. Take this, if you are going to be an idiot and look for your brother alone." I passed him a pouch. Annabeth kissed Percy. She hesitated, like she was wondering what else to say. Then, she shouldered her backpack and climbed on the back of the scooter. I summoned my own white one to ride along beside them and waved before we headed off. As we zipped through the streets of Rome, Rhea Silvia gave us a running commentary on how the city had changed over the centuries. It had been a while since Zyanya had been to Rome, but she still knew of its progress. She knew everything, it seemed, whether she was there or not.

"The Sublician Bridge was over there," Rhea Silvia said, pointing to a bend in the Tiber. "You know, where Horatius and his two friends defended the city from an invading army? Now there was a Roman!"

"And look, dear," Tiberinus added. "That's the place where Romulus and Remus washed ashore." He seemed to be talking about a spot on the riverside where some ducks were making a nest out of torn-up plastic bags and candy wrappers.

"Ah, yes," Rhea Silvia sighed happily. "You were so kind to flood yourself and wash my babies ashore for the wolves to find."

"It was nothing." I smiled. They seemed to have a nice relationship. It made a part of me miss someone I cared for, though that part of me wasn't mine. Zyanya's actions may have seemed selfish to some, and maybe she really had been lying about her importance to existence, but she was someone willing to do anything to get back together with the one she loved, and I could respect that, especially since I could empathize with her on a grander scale than anyone else. Rhea Silvia pointed out a large modern apartment building.

"That used to be a temple to Venus. Then it was a church. Then a palace. Then an apartment building. It burned down three times. Now it's an apartment building again. And that spot right there-"

"Please," Annabeth said. "You're making me dizzy." Silvia laughed.

"I'm sorry, dear. Layers upon layers of history here, but it's nothing compared to Greece. Athens was old when Rome was a collection of mud huts. You'll see, if you survive."

"Not helping," She muttered.

"Here we are," Tiberinus announced. We pulled over in front of a large marble building, the façade covered in city grime but still beautiful. Ornate carvings of Roman gods decorated the roofline. The massive entrance was barred with iron gates, heavily padlocked.

"I'm going in there?" Annabeth asked. Silvia covered her mouth and giggled.

"No, my dear. Not in it. Under it." Tiberinus pointed to a set of stone steps on the side of the building - the sort that would have led to a basement apartment if this place were in Manhattan.

"Rome is chaotic aboveground," Tiberinus said. "But that's nothing compared to below ground. You must descend into the buried city, Annabeth Chase. Find the alter of the foreign god. The failures of your predecessors will guide you. After that…I do not know."

"My siblings…none of them made it all the way to the shrine, did they?" Tiberinus shook his head.

"But you know what prize awaits, if you can liberate it."

"Yes."

"It could bring peace to the children of Greece and Rome," Silvia said. "It could change the course of the coming war."

"If I live." Tiberinus nodded sadly.

"Because you also understand the guardian you must face?" Annabeth looked as though she'd been reminded of the spiders she'd seen back at Fort Sumter.

"Yes." Rhea Silvia looked at her husband.

"She is brave. Perhaps she is stronger than the others."

"I hope so," Said the river god. "Goodbye, Annabeth Chase. And good luck." Silvia beamed.

"We have such a lovely afternoon planned! Off to shop!" The two sped off on their baby-blue motorbike. Annabeth looked to the steps for a moment, before looking to me. Only when she did, there was nothing but a small wisp of green magic that blew away in the breeze. Taking a deep breath, Annabeth turned and descended the steps alone.