all for nothing at all (i)

Annabeth jerked awake as the flap to their tent was pulled open. She was out of her cot with her knife in hand and pulling aside the partition that separates the sleeping space from the rest of the tent. Annabeth relaxed when she saw that it was only Phoebe that entered.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

The other Hunter said, "Lady Artemis wishes to speak to you both."

Annabeth lowered her knife and glanced back at Thalia, who was sitting upright on her own cot. Thalia got to her feet.

"Is it urgent?" she asked. Phoebe pursed her lips, meaning yes.

She left them to prepare for the day. As sisters in arms, Annabeth and Thalia shared a tent. Enchanted so that they were far larger on the inside, each Hunter tent came with a sleeping space, a bathroom with showers, and additional space to use as needed. Annabeth and Thalia both forewent eating anything and instead dressed as quickly as possible.

Annabeth's coat made of the Nemean Lion's pelt was still folded under her cot. It was too warm out to wear it, unfortunately. Not that the late summer heat was enough to stop Thalia from donning her leather jacket.

Annabeth followed Thalia out of their tent and entered Artemis' own.

"My Lady," Thalia said in greeting. "You called on us?"

Their goddess nodded, solemn. She was standing before a map of the continental United States spread out across a table. The map was littered with X's and other markings from where the Hunters had hit Kronos' forces.

Artemis said, "I've received word from Camp Half-Blood."

Annabeth and Thalia shared a look. Artemis fixed her gaze on Annabeth. "You ought to contact Chiron soon, he has urgent news for you."

"Were they attacked again?" Annabeth only learned after it happened that Kronos' forces tried to invade Camp Half-Blood using Daedalus' Labyrinth. Grover told her that the enemy forces were largely defeated thanks to Percy andKampêof all beings. She was a little hurt knowing that Percy himself didn't contact her afterward, but Grover explained that the battle left him badly shaken.

Artemis shook her head. "Chiron believes the camp is still safe. However, he informed me that Percy Jackson has disappeared."

Again? A starburst of bad memories tried to distract her: Percy with fangs, running, summoning his hounds, fleeing before she could even reason with him, finding him in Maine before losing him to Kronos' forces…

No. She needed to remain on task. What reason could Percy have for running away a second time?

She asked, "He disappeared, or was he taken?"

Word among the monsters they'd captured and interrogated was that the Titans wanted Percy captured alive. Artemis gave her a knowing look. "That is what Chiron is currently trying to discern."

After months of being a Hunter, Annabeth had learned to interpret the nuances in her goddess' often steely expression. And though she didn't appear so, Artemis was furious. It was in the glint of her eyes and the way her hand rested upon the dagger at her side. Percy bore the weight of the sky in her stead, and now someone was possibly threatening a close ally of theirs.

"Go," Artemis said to her. To Thalia, she gestured to a circled point on their map just outside of New York City. "Thalia, I want to further discuss our plans to sabotage Kronos' supply lines in Newark. I fear they will anticipate us…"

Annabeth left Artemis and her lieutenant to strategize, even though that was her specialty. She had a call she needed to make.

Using a prism from her tent, she created a rainbow with the morning light some distance away from the Hunters' primary base camp. She tossed in her drachma and soon enough, Chiron appeared before her. He must've been teaching archery, she could see the target range in the background.

"Ah, Annabeth. It is so very good to see you."

She could tell he meant it. But the pleasantries would have to wait. "What happened to Percy?"

"Argus is investigating his cabin as we speak. There was no sign of forced entry and none of his hellhounds are injured, though they're all rattled by something. There was a terrible storm last night, one that was able to penetrate the camp's border,"Chiron glanced over his shoulder, as if checking for any eavesdroppers."However, we found blood in the cabin. It's ichor, and Percy's entire cabin reeks of divinity. What's more, Peleus was awoken from his post by the Golden Fleece and reported seeing one of the hounds racing for the shore."

"So there was a fight?"

"We don't know yet. The ichor, it was in the shape of bare footprints."

Footprints?

Annabeth's eyes widened. Chiron still might not know that Percy was two-thirds god, but she did. If there was no sign of a fight, then what happened? What did Percy see before he vanished?

"Annabeth, I'm also having trouble contacting Grover."

She nodded. "I'll try from my end. If I find him, I'll let you know."

Chiron nodded."My thanks. Best of luck to you and your Hunters."

He cut through the Iris message and it faded away. Annabeth tried to IM Grover, but her drachma was spat back out. She'll try later, even using her contacts among local wood nymphs in New York to see if any of them had seen him.

When she returned to Artemis' tent, Thalia was gone and her goddess was pacing with the energy of a caged wolf.

Many of the gods have already retreated to Olympus to prepare for war. Or to hide away from the Titans. Those that haven't joined the Olympians were now actively aiding Kronos. Artemis was among the few that still refused to sequester themselves.

But even if she wanted to be here with her Hunters, actively sabotaging Kronos' efforts instead of fretting in an ivory tower, she wouldn't be able to ignore the call forever. Zeus wanted the Olympians at the ready in case Typhon rose. An enemy that formidable might even rival Kronos in power.

Annabeth studied the map on the wall. There was a blue star over the Atlantic Ocean, the location of Atlantis. From what Artemis was able to gather, Poseidon was refusing to abandon his own domain to defend Olympus. Hades was much the same, taking an infuriating neutral stance as he hid within the underworld.

But what more could Annabeth and her sisters do?

The gods' forces were scattered and limited. For months already, the Hunters had been engaged in guerilla warfare, attacking the Titan's forces by surprise and under the cover of night.

"Annabeth," Artemis finally spoke. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that even if we and Camp Half-Blood are willing to go on the offensive, without a fully cohesive plan by the Olympians, it won't be enough to end this war."

She knew the Great Prophecy. A half-blood will reach sixteen against all odds. Percy was fifteen. If the prophecy really was about him (andthatwas assuming the Fates knew of Chaos' meddling and accommodated for it), then they had only one year left before somethingbigwent down.

Artemis nodded. "Should I be forced to return to Olympus, Thalia will be in charge in my stead."

"Of course, my Lady. But do you think you'll be called on soon?"

She didn't answer immediately. "I expect I won't be able to ignore Zeus' demands for much longer."

Artemis had changed her appearance in recent months. Instead of looking about twelve years old, she appeared to be sixteen or seventeen. Perhaps it was a sign of her agitation. She cast her attention on the map once more and sighed.

"War is a terrible, terrible thing. I pray you will not have to see it in its full force."

Annabeth couldn't stop herself from asking,"Doyou pray?"

To her surprise, Artemis smiled. It was the first genuine smile she'd given in quite a while. "Your friend asked me something similar once. Let us hope he isn't in danger. Our side will need all the help we can get."

Indeed.

But Percy was no quitter. Wherever he was, she got the feeling that it would take an awful lot to get him to give in.

Sally had the habit of saving her sick days. With a son like Percy, she wanted to be available at any moment. Which was why she was speeding toward Camp Half-Blood at barely seven in the morning. Because her son was missing and she wanted to know why.

When she parked her car outside the Big House, Sally was surprised to find herself itching for her crossbow. There wasn't anything here she could shoot, but she missed its comforting weight. Plus, it had been the instrument that momentarily stunned the Titan lord of time. It was a powerful thing.

A shadow crossed over the Big House. With the acrid scent of sulfur, Kampê landed in front of her.

"Mother Jackson," she said, in heavily accented English. Sally had never heard her speak anything other than ancient Greek before. "No sign of enemy forces within camp… we are still searching."

Sally wondered what Kampê made of her. She was the only mortal in the entire camp, yet she was also Percy's mother. Kampê gestured toward the cabins. "Go there."

"Thank you," Sally said. She marched past Kampê and was met with Cass, who came racing to meet her. The hellhound barked and circled around her feet.

"What's the matter?" Sally asked. "Are you hurt?"

She couldn't find any injuries on Cass. And when she got to Cabin 3, Mrs. O'Leary and Angela also seemed unharmed. But the grass around the cabins was soaked and slippery. And the door to Percy's cabin was halfway blown off its hinges.

Argus gestured for her to come over. He had a flashlight in hand, examining the interior of the cabin. Sally peered over his shoulder. One of the beds was disturbed, but the rest were still neatly made. Except for the one that was covered in spare sheets, which must have been Nico's. Percy mentioned that he liked it dark when he slept.

There were some candy wrappers on the floor and a chest by one of the bunks was open. That must've been Percy's. Argus pointed at the floor. There were blotches of gold shimmering in the light.

"Is thatblood?"she asked. Argus nodded. Sally thought immortal blood was supposed to be pure gold but the stains here had a duller, slightly brassy hue. Did this happen when ichor aged and dried?

She traced the shape of the splatters with her eyes. The largest ones were by the open chest. They were also similar in shape. If Sally didn't know any better, she would say they looked like footprints.

With Nico still in the underworld, the only ones who might know what happened were the hounds.

"Argus, could one of the satyrs possibly ask the hellhounds if they saw anything?"

He nodded and headed for the woods. With him gone, a low whine caught Sally's attention. She turned around and found Cass with her belly lowered to the ground. Her ears were flat against her head and she was watching the entryway to the cabin.

"What's the matter, sweetie?"

Cass shied away from her touch.

"No, no, Cass. I won't make you go in." Sally said, keeping her voice light and sweet. While Mrs. O'Leary, Andrea, and Onyx were too big to fit in the cabin, Cass and Ruby weren't. Sally knew that Cass preferred spending the nights indoors with the boys.

A big, warm nose nudged her arm. It was Andrea.

"You too? What's wrong?" she brushed her hand along Andrea's snout. Sally sat on the steps leading to the cabin's entrance and waited until Argus came back with a satyr.

After some back and forth questions and translations, she was able to gather that the hounds were woken up by a terrible storm. It was unnatural, an awful downpour that came too quickly to anticipate.

Andrea turned her head away when questioned by the satyr. After promises of treats andno, she wasn't in trouble,she admitted that she had taken Percy to the beach. But he didn't want her to follow.

Then he disappeared.

"The beach?" Sally repeated.Poseidon.

Would he answer her?

"What if Percy is with his father?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, Sally started making her way toward the beach. She called over her shoulder, "Andrea! Come!"

The hellhound caught up to her just a few strides, lowering herself so Sally could climb on her back. When they reached the edge of camp, Andrea seemed hesitant to approach the water. She paced by the dunes, panting and scenting the air.

With no idea how to contact Percy's father, Sally kicked off her shoes. She rolled her pants up to her knees and waded into the cold sea water.

"Percy?" she called, on the off-chance that he could hear her. "Percy?"

No response. Only a spray of salty water that dampened her face and hair.

"Poseidon?" Sally tried. She cupped her hands around her mouth, "Poseidon! Can you hear me?"

She half expected nothing to happen. After all, she was only a mortal.

"Poseidon!"

Sally dipped her hand into the water and threw up a handful, as if to fight against the incoming waves. "Where are you? Where is our son? Answer me!"

A wave splashed halfway up her thighs, making her shiver. Then the water around Sally went still, even as waves lapped at the shore to either side of her.

The next thing she knew, a massive wave materialized just a few dozen yards ahead of her. It came fast, carrying the sound of thousands of gallons of rushing water. Just as it was about to completely soak her, the wave split in two. Sally wasn't even splashed as it rushed past her.

A man emerged from the wall of water. His tan skin and black hair hadn't changed since the first time they met, or in all the years that came after. He smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Hello, Sally."

Nevermind that Poseidon looked as handsome as the summer they fell in love. Nevermind that her breath might have caught in her throat, that they once met on a beach much like this one. Sally needed answers. "Is Percy with you?"

Poseidon took a step closer. He was so tall. Would their son grow to be his height?

The god said, "He is. And I promise you that Percy is safe for now. He's in my domain and under my protection."

She squinted at him."For now?What does that mean?"

When Poseidon didn't immediately answer, Sally stepped closer tohimand asked, "Did you have something to do with last night?"

"Pardon?"

Sally made a vague gesture toward the camp. "Percy is missing. What's more, there's blood inside his cabin, insideyourcabin. And it isn't mortal blood. It's ichor."

Poseidon's eyes shifted, turning from tropical green to stormy gray-blue. Sally swore she could even see white-capped waves and drowning sailors in that ancient gaze. She hated the way her lower lip trembled, but she kept pushing.

"He's turning into a god, isn't he?"

Poseidon shut his eyes. He rubbed the side of his jaw and sighed. The ocean around them shuddered in response. When he opened his eyes, they were back to that shade of green she found so familiar. He said, "Yes. Percy is ascending."

If she were alone, Sally might've cried then and there. Her baby boy never asked to be half god or to fight in a war, and he certainly never asked to become a deity.

Poseidon said, "I promise you, I had nothing to do with it. Percy came to me on his own, lost in the throes of his own power. He was afraid of shedding his mortality, he even begged me to stop it, but…" Poseidon made as if to reach for her, but restrained himself. "He told me of histhirdparent."

"You mean Ch-"

The ocean surged in a violent torrent. Not toward her, but for the shore. It was almost deafening, but paled in comparison to the shock she felt when Poseidon pressed a hand to her mouth.

His eyes were wide and wild, just as Percy's were when sparring or when she accompanied him in the Labyrinth. It was a mix of adrenaline-spiked awareness tinged with fear.

Right. Names had power. How could she forget something so crucial?

She put a hand to Poseidon's chest. Sally tried to push him away and he retreated.

"I-I'm sorry, Sally. But Percy's other parent is… let's say they aren't very happy with me. And I don't want you to be pulled into this as well."

Sally shook her head in disbelief. "But he's still my son. Even if Percy is losing his mortality, I'm still his parent, too."

"Yes, you are. But you are also mortal."

Sally understood that Poseidon was only trying to protect her. But quite frankly, that didn't stop her from wanting her child back. "I might be a mortal, but I'm not afraid. You didn't see me when I ventured into the Labyrinth to guide Percy to Daedalus' workshop." Sally put a hand to her chest. "I shot a fuckingTitanfor him. And I'd do it again."

Sally felt like she was half-pleading, half-demanding as she spoke, "So even if I can't follow you, just tell me what's going to happen to Percy.Please."

She couldn't tell if the look Poseidon was giving her was because he was just now finding out she confronted a Titan, or if he was stunned for some other reason. He reached for her again and this time, Poseidon didn't pull away. He took one of her hands and held it in his own.

"Percy's other parent wants me to help turn him into a god. And I don't believe I can say no."

"He isn't already one?"

Poseidon shook his head. "There's still a shred of humanity within Percy. One last bit of you. But it's a very fragile connection."

That was secondary to Sally. Whatwasimportant was the fact that Percy was still her baby. That he wasn't yet some half-primordial, half-Olympian deity. That he wouldn't leave her.

She stared at her hand clasped within Poseidon's own. Her palms were callused from years of cleaning and housework because she'd never had anyone else to help her. But surviving Gabriel was a sacrifice she made willingly. Because Sally had always feared outliving her own son. It was a fate she prayed she would never have to face.

And apparently, her prayer went unanswered. Over and over, she thought Percy had died, or was close to death. And there were times when he actually did die. He's probably perished even more times than he's revealed, because Percy hated telling her when he was hurting.

Sally squeezed her eyes shut and a burning tear slipped down her cheek. A hand wiped it away for her.

"I don't care what form he takes, just keep our son safe for me."

"I'll do my best." Poseidon's voice was so soft, it was almost lost to the wind. Sally opened her eyes.

He let go of her and took a step back. Poseidon said, "I can't stay any longer. There's a meeting I must attend. For Percy's sake."

She nodded. Sally thought she wouldn't be able to speak, but she somehow found her voice. "Be careful, Poseidon."

It seemed he didn't need to be told twice. He gave her a resolute look before dissolving into mist, leaving Sally with the scent of salt water and a heavy lump in her throat.

Percy was promised a dream where he would be safe. He wanted to believe this was his father's work, and not that of his other godly parent.

The beach he found himself on was hauntingly similar to the world Chaos gave him, the one that might've actually existed. He wished he could have specified and asked to dream of literally anything other than a sea at his side. But he couldn't make the water swell to thousands of feet and he couldn't conjure up humans to worship him.

It really was just Percy. Him, and the constant thrum of tumbling waves. As well as the occasional breeze that ruffled his t-shirt and hair. Percy had to tell himself that if he was Perseus, he probably wouldn't be walking around in a camp t-shirt and basketball shorts. With tan lines around his ankles, courtesy of his socks.

As he walked, Percy found a smooth stone half-buried in the sand and picked it up. He tossed it and watched it skip over the surface of the water before submerging. The next incoming wave erased the little circular ripples the stone made.

He sighed. Maybe Percy was being a coward, hiding away in a dream his father made for him. He'd run from camp again, no doubt sending Chiron and his mother into a panic as soon as they found out.

What would they think happened to him? Would their patience with him finally wear thin?

But… it wasn't like there was anything else Percy could have done at the time. And even though Poseidon soothed the worst of his powers, he wasn't sure if it was safe to return to Camp Half-Blood. Percy didn't want to imagine what would have happened if he had stayed even a moment longer.

About a hundred feet ahead of him, the beach curved around an outcropping of pale rock. Percy followed the bend. The cliff arched over his head, momentarily casting him in soft shade.

When Percy made it to the other side of the cliff and more of the beach opened up to him, he froze.

What the Hades?

There was a restaurant by the beach. Where the sand ended, a large wooden deck began. It hosted several circular tables shaded by blue and white umbrellas. The deck wrapped around a brick building with no sign on its front, but it did have an ivory awning. One of the glass double-doors was propped open and a neon sign in one of the windows blinkedOpenin red lettering. The deck screamedbeach,but the building itself looked like it wouldn't be out of place in New York at all.

Carried on the breeze was the smell of baking bread, complete with a hint of garlic and rosemary. Percy's mouth watered but he didn't dare take a step forward.

"Dad?" he called out. No response.

Maybe Poseidon made this for Percy as well? To keep him entertained?

Percy approached the restaurant. The wood steps leading to the deck creaked under his weight as he began to hear the sound of music playing from within the building. Cheerful instrumental music, gentle and welcoming.

He stopped in the open doorway.

"There he is! Right on time."

There was no hostess or booths or even a visible kitchen. The only thing inside the restaurant was a massive circular table draped with a white tablecloth. A few of the chairs were empty, but others were occupied by beings who absolutely had to be godly in nature.

His survival training kicked in. Percy's eyes skimmed the table. There were seven individuals in total, all adults. Only one exit. Was this his dad's doing, or did Chaos find him?

It was so much to take in, but Percy saw a man (or at least who he thought could be male) sitting facing the door, except he had no face. Muscles bulged under his purplish flesh and bronze breastplate, and his face was only a mass of swirling darkness. He sat next to a woman that looked like she was wearing a dress made out of dirt and rippling grass.

The woman who spoke gestured for Percy to come in. She looked like she could be in her fifties or sixties, wearing a dress woven from seagrass. Instead of sitting in a chair, her entire lower half was a column of whirling water. And jutting from her green hair were two crab claws that snapped at the air. Despite her appearance, she smiled at him. "Welcome, Perseus."

He didn't move.

Percy reached for his pockets. To his dismay, he found himself empty-handed.

The man with no face scoffed. "Sit down, little brother. We're not here to hurt you."

That voice. Percy knew that voice. He'd heard it when resurrecting.

Without much choice, Percy sat down at the table. He took the seat next to the crab claw lady. Incidentally, it was the chair closest to the door so Percy had his back to the nearest exit.

"You will have to pardon some of the empty seats," the sea lady to his left said. "Some of our siblings couldn't make it, and a few more members of our party are running a smidge late."

Percy's eyes darted from her to the others at the table.

"Who are you all?"

A ripple of laughter spilled over the table, as if Percy said something funny.

The woman to his side put her hand on his arm, a gentle and almost motherly touch. "Forgive us, Perseus. We're all just so happy to be meeting you. I am Thalassa. Primordial goddess of the sea, maker of sea creatures."

"She calls herself retired," the old man next to her said. He had a gray beard made of frothy water and a weathered face, with the same crab claw horns. Percy couldn't see his lower half, but assumed the old man was also a column of water from the waist down. He added, "She prefers to let that youngin' Poseidon manage the seas."

Thalassa nudged him. "Peace, dear. Remember the company you are in."

The old man grumbled. Thalassa turned her attention back to Percy. "Don't mind my husband, Pontus. He's been a bit moody ever since Kronos started to rise."

A somewhat younger woman on Pontus' other side, who looked remarkably human save for the pair of black wings that sprouted from her hairline, spoke up. "Don't even get me started on how Oceanus has been acting lately. All he talks about these days is the war."

She sighed. With her gray-streaked hair tied back in a bun, along with the yellow blouse she wore, she could've been mistaken for a high school teacher; she seemed tired, though she gave Percy a patient smile. "I am Tethys, lady of freshwater and rain clouds."

Tethys? It took a second for him to place the name.

She was a Titan. Her husband was Oceanus, a rival sea god to his dad. Tethys was older than the Olympians, sure, but not nearly as old as some of the others present. Taking a closer look at her, Percy noticed the way Tethys was drumming her fingertips on the table. Impatient, or nervous?

Percy's attention shifted to the dude with no face, who sat to the right of the chair directly across from him. "Tartarus?"

The man laughed, though it felt like the sound was being sucked toward him than being expelled outward. The hairs on the back of Percy's neck stood on end.

"Correct, little brother. At the behest of our creator, I've come to welcome you into our fold."

So if that was Tartarus… Percy stared at the woman sitting at his side. The one wearing dirt for a dress. Up close, he noticed her veil made of dust. It shrouded the features of her face, but he took a guess. "Gaea?"

Her shoulders shook as she let out a small laugh. "Indeed."

Gaea's voice had a slow, dream-like quality to it. Like she was on the verge of falling asleep or just barely awake.

Besides the empty chairs, that left just two more people, the women to Gaea's side. One seemed like she was made of pure darkness, her body shifting and smoky and giving only the vague outline of a woman. Percy could barely make her out until he realized the pure black mass surrounding her was a pair of wings. The bodice of her dress was embroidered with moving nebulas, reminding Percy of Chaos' realm. She was leaning forward, her hands clasped on the table.

"We have not yet had the privilege of meeting," she said, "I am Mother Night."

"Nyx," Percy said. The primordial inclined her head in agreement. She added, "Some of my children are quite fond of you."

Her children? She must mean the hellhounds. Percy wished he had his pack with him. Not that he believed they could do very much against a table of primordials, but some emotional support would have been nice.

There was just one person at the table left. An empty chair sat between Percy and the woman closest to his right. She was impossibly slim, though Percy would call her lithe rather than malnourished. She had a long, silvery serpent's tail that held up a lit torch. She also had wings that looked like they were made of pale mist, studded with black dots like an inverse of the night sky.

"Ananke," she said, gesturing to herself. Percy frowned.

Her eyes sparkled, "The goddess of inevitability. Besides the Fates, it is I who manipulates all lower beings. I believe you and I will get along."

"Is that so?" Percy asked before he could stop himself.

Some deities were pretty easy to piss off. Ananke only seemed charmed. "I hold some sway over creation. You are destruction. You are my shadow, and I am yours. And it was indeed me that influenced the Fates to loosen their hold over you, so that your life may go according to our creator's wishes."

It suddenly struck Percy that he really was sitting with some of the most powerful beings in the Greco-Roman pantheon. And they weren't threatening him, they weren't trying to manipulate him. They were… what? Hoping to have a meet and greet with their new sibling?

It didn't escape Percy's notice that three of the immortals at the table were water-related deities. Did they really come just to meet him?

"Now that introductions are over," Thalassa said, "How about something to eat?"

She waved a hand and the table suddenly became laden with plates, cups, napkins, and cutlery. Percy grabbed the empty glass sitting in front of him and wondered if it worked like the dinnerware at camp.

"Um… cherry Coke?"

His glass filled with fizzing drink. Percy sipped it. It was indeed sugary-sweet soda. He looked around and noticed that many of the primordials were consuming nectar and ambrosia. The exceptions were Tethys, who was eating a simple salad with a glass of wine, and Nyx, who was cutting up what looked like a plate-sized red star and eating it piece by piece.

"Go ahead, dear." Thalassa gave him a reassuring smile. "What in your wildest fantasies would you like to dine on?"

Truthfully?

Percy wanted the comforts of home more than anything. "I want a burger with no veggies and double the cheese."

A cheeseburger appeared on his plate, complete with waffle fries and a side of ketchup. Percy bit into his burger and thought he'd melt away.

From across the table, Tartarus laughed. "I'll try what he's having."

His ambrosia got swapped out for a massive burger. Percy watched the primordial take it and swallow his burger whole. It was like watching something vanish into a blackhole. The void in Tartarus' face absorbed his meal with a bitter chill that swept across the table. In a matter of seconds, there was nothing left of his burger.

"Mind your table manners," Gaea said simply.

Percy's head spun from howdomesticthis all was. Like these really were his aunts and uncles or something. Like he and they were one big family. There was even idle talk as they ate. Pontus seemed intent on making comments about the war. He spoke favorably of Kronos, which made Percy's glass crack and spill as he drank from it. Thalassa willed away the mess and summoned a new cup for Percy.

"My goodness. You are indeed your namesake," she said. To Pontus, she gave a more pointed look.

The old man acted as if nothing was his fault. "What? My business is with Poseidon, not-"

"You know, I've read the mostthrillingbook lately," Tethys said. "All about the ecosystems of brackish waters."

She lured away Pontus' attention. Percy's focus drifted toward Gaea, Tartarus, and Nyx. They were some of the most notable primordials to demigods.

Gaea said, "Yes, that's what I'm saying…"

"...it'll be good for us," Tartarus added.

"I'm still not convinced," Nyx replied with a shake of her head.

Percy focused on what they were saying.

"It matters not who wins. The ensuing era will be unstable. It will be easy…" Gaea said.

"I'm sorry," Percy spoke up. "Butwhat?"

He noticed that the only one at the table not eating was Gaea. She leaned forward.

"Oh, Perseus. We were thinking that with you… we primordials could wait out this war… and when the time is ripe…" Gaea spoke between soft breaths, as if she really was about to fall asleep. "We simply… reinsert ourselves into the narrative."

He stared at her.

"Yes, if little Kronos is trying to rise, why not us as well?" Tartarus asked.

Nyx scoffed. "You're both being ridiculous. Gods, Titans. Whoever rules, we are stillus.We will always hold dominion over our realms."

"What say you, Ananke?" Gaea asked.

Ananke sipped her nectar and made a dismissive gesture. "I abstain from this debate. You can try, but I'll be leaving you to the Fates. I will bend to only one being."

She glanced at Percy. "Though something tells me young Perseus would be unwilling to start the world anew. Even if his powers are better suited among our kind than elsewhere."

This entire time, the primordials had been referring to him asPerseus.But he didn't care. Not when his stomach was plunging and there was an icy cold grip clutching him. Percy asked, "You're not actually considering another war… are you?"

Ananke grinned. "See? He opposes."

Gaea was quiet for a moment. She tilted her head to the side, her veil shifting with her. "It was only an idea."

Percy was feeling less and less safe with every passing moment. He was just starting to think of ways to escape this otherworldly dinner party when a voice as old as the universe pulled at his mind and forced words into his head.

Apologies. I hope you have not been waiting for very long.

No. No way.

A hush fell over the room. Percy turned in his chair.

Entering the restaurant was Chaos, the eldest creator. Tartarus' blackhole face and Nyx's pure darkness both paled in comparison to the feeling Percy felt when Chaos' eyes met his. Those lightless, void eyes felt like they were pulling him in inin-

A new voice spoke up. "Percy?"

He blinked. Entering after Chaos was Poseidon.

"Dad?"

Chaos took the seat at the other end of the table, opposite to Percy. Poseidon took the empty chair between him and Ananke. Far from jovial or even the stern-faced god Percy had seen in the Olympians' meetings, his father looked downright grave. No Hawaiian shirt or fisherman's sweater this time; Percy's dad was dressed in a dark blue business suit.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Percy asked quietly.

Tell him.Chaos ordered.

The only Olympian in the room grimaced, though he buried it with a brooding look. Was it just Percy, or was there the tiniest hint of pleading in his father's eyes?

His dad said, "We've come to negotiate the terms of your ascension, Percy."

His breath caught in his throat. Percy's eyes darted across the faces surrounding him. The primordials all had the same calm, expectant expression. They knew this was coming.

Was this why so many water-related deities were here? To strongarm his dad?

It was a trap and Percy walked right into it. But maybe he could get them out.

Just as he was considering standing, to shout or to doanything,a hand fell upon his own.

He recoiled but Thalassa didn't let go. She tightened her grip just a little bit and smiled at him. With that expression, she was starting to feel less motherly and more like Percy's memories of Mrs. Dodds.

Thalassa cooed, as if speaking to a small child. "Enough with that face, Perseus. We're your family. And we only want what's best for you."