Jason POV

Jason got up from his deathbed to die. Funny how ironic the sentence was.

Backtrack: he was getting up to drown with the rest of the Seven. There was a storm that was practically destroying the ship.

It was tilting so violently he had to climb the floor to get out of sickbay. The hull creaked. The engine groaned like a dying water buffalo. Cutting through the roar of the wind, the goddess Nike screamed from the stables: "YOU CAN DO BETTER, STORM! GIVE ME A HUNDRED AND TEN PERCENT!" He was tempted to ask Frank to put his gag back on her if not for the fact he could barely walk.

Jason climbed the stairs to the middle deck. His legs shook. His head spun. The ship pitched to port, knocking him against the opposite wall.

Hazel stumbled out of her cabin, hugging her stomach. "I hate the ocean!"

When she saw him, her eyes widened. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I'm going up there!" he insisted. "I can help!" He was tired of being treated like glass.

Hazel looked like she wanted to argue. Then the ship tilted to starboard and she staggered towards the bathroom, her hand over her mouth.

Jason fought his way to the stairs. He hadn't been out of bed in half a day, ever since the day after girls got back from Sparta and Andromeda stayed in the infirmary for a day. His muscles rebelled at the effort. His gut felt like Michael Varus was standing behind him, repeatedly stabbing him and yelling, Die like a Roman! Die like a Roman!

Jason forced down the pain. He was tired of people taking care of him, whispering how worried they were. He was tired of dreaming about being a shish kebab. He'd spent enough time nursing the wound in his gut. Either it would kill him or it wouldn't. He wasn't going to wait around for the wound to decide. He had to help his friends.

Somehow he made it above deck which was a miracle.

What he saw there made him almost as nauseous as Hazel. A wave the size of a skyscraper crashed over the forward deck, washing the front crossbows and half the port railing out to sea. The sails were ripped to shreds. Lightning flashed all around, hitting the sea like spotlights. Horizontal rain blasted Jason's face. The clouds were so dark he honestly couldn't tell if it was day or night.

The crew was doing what they could… which wasn't much.

Leo had lashed himself to the console with a bungee cord harness. That might have seemed like a good idea when he rigged it up, but every time a wave hit he was washed away, then smacked back into his control board like a human paddleball.

Piper and Annabeth were trying to save the rigging. Since Sparta they'd become quite a team—able to work together without even talking, which was just as well, since they couldn't have heard each other over the storm.

Frank—at least Jason assumed it was Frank—had turned into a gorilla. He was swinging upside down off the starboard rail, using his massive strength and his flexible feet to hang on while he untangled some broken oars. Apparently the crew was trying to get the ship airborne, but, even if they managed to take off, Jason wasn't sure the sky would be any safer.

Even Festus the figurehead was trying to help. He spewed fire at the rain, though that didn't seem to discourage the storm.

Only Percy was having any luck. He stood by the centre mast, his hands extended like he was on a tightrope. Every time the ship tilted, he pushed in the opposite direction and the hull stabilised. He summoned giant fists of water from the ocean to slam into the larger waves before they could reach the deck, so it looked like the ocean was hitting itself repeatedly in the face.

With the storm as bad as it was, Jason realised the ship would've already capsized or been smashed to bits if Percy wasn't on the job.

Jason staggered towards the mast. Leo yelled something—probably Go downstairs!—but Jason only waved back. He made it to Percy's side and grabbed his shoulder.

Percy nodded like 'sup. He didn't look shocked, or demand that Jason go back to sickbay, which Jason appreciated.

Percy could stay dry if he concentrated, but obviously he had bigger things to worry about right now. His dark hair was plastered to his face. His clothes were soaked and ripped.

He shouted something in Jason's ear, but Jason could only make out a few words: "THING… DOWN… STOP IT!"

Percy pointed over the side.

"Something is causing the storm?" Jason asked.

Percy grinned and tapped his ears. Clearly, he couldn't hear a word.

Jason tried again, even louder this time. "Where. Is. Andy?"

A hand on his shoulder nearly made him jump.

Andromeda grinned at him, clearly enjoying herself. Just like her twin, she was completely drenched, but she didn't seem to be concentrating on anything. A lightning bolt came striking and Jason braced himself only for Andromeda to carelessly wave her hand. The bolt vanished before it even got close. "Fun!" Was the only thing she said. Jason managed to read her lips.

Percy patted her arm in a congratulating way before facing Jason. He made a gesture with his hand like diving overboard. Then he tapped Jason on the chest.

"You want me to go?" Jason felt kind of honoured. Everybody else had been treating him like a glass vase, but Percy… well, he seemed to figure that if Jason was on deck he was ready for action.

"Happy to!" Jason shouted. "But I can't breathe underwater!"

Percy shrugged. Sorry, can't hear you.

Then Percy ran to the starboard rail, pushed another massive wave away from the ship and jumped overboard.

Jason glanced at Piper and Annabeth. They both clung to the rigging, staring at him in shock. Piper's expression said, Are you out of your mind?

He gave her an okay sign, partly to assure her that he would be fine (which he wasn't sure about), partly to agree that he was in fact crazy (which he was sure about).

He staggered to the railing and looked up at the storm.

Winds raged. Clouds churned. Jason sensed an entire army of venti swirling above him, too angry and agitated to take physical form, but hungry for destruction.

He raised his arm and summoned a lasso of wind. Jason had learned long ago that the best way to control a crowd of bullies was to pick the meanest, biggest kid and force him into submission. Then the others would fall in line. He lashed out with his wind rope, searching for the strongest, most ornery ventus in the storm.

He lassoed a nasty patch of storm cloud and pulled it in. "You're serving me today."

Howling in protest, the ventus encircled him. The storm above the ship seemed to lessen just a bit, as if the other venti were thinking, Oh, crud. That guy means business.

Jason levitated off the deck, encased in his own miniature tornado. Spinning, he tried to dive down, only to be stopped mid-air. For a moment, he panicked, thinking the ventus was rebelling, only to turn and see Andromeda.

Her arms folded, feet tapping in an expecting way, eyebrows rose. Hello, mister? Did you forget about me?

He grinned. Andromeda launched herself off the deck, and Jason caught her with one arm. Like before, she was warm to touch and far too light, but he pushed away the thoughts.

"Ready?" He yelled.

The rainwater suddenly lightened up. It was like a barrier around them. Andromeda pressed her body close to his, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "Ready."

Spinning like a corkscrew, they plunged into the water.

Jason assumed things would be calmer underwater.

Not so much.

Of course, that could've been due to his mode of travel. Riding a cyclone to the bottom of the ocean definitely gave him some unexpected turbulence. He dropped and swerved with no apparent logic, his ears popping, his stomach pressed against his ribs.

Finally he drifted to a stop next to Percy, who stood on a ledge jutting over a deeper abyss.

"Hey," Percy said.

Jason could hear him perfectly, though he wasn't sure how. "What's going on?"

In his ventus air cocoon, his own voice sounded like he was talking through a vacuum cleaner.

Andromeda pulled free, propelling forward into the ocean. "By Chaos!" She did a perfect twirl, stopping next to Percy. Her smile was the brightest, most innocent and sweet thing Jason ever saw. Moving her hands in a circular way in front of her chest, she made a miniature cyclone. It vanished into the distance as she stared wide-eyed at Percy before squealing. "It's so fun!"

Percy grinned, caught in his twin's enthusiasm.

Jason really hated having to ruin the mood, especially since it took Andromeda's mind off the Temple of Fear. (She was good at hiding it, but Jason could see what she was covering.) "Perce, you know what's happening?"

Back to business mood. Andromeda's smile faded as she fisted her hands. Percy pointed into the dark abyss. "Wait for it."

Three seconds later, a shaft of green light swept through the darkness like a spotlight, then disappeared. Andromeda scowled, muttering under her breath in something similar to Ancient Greek but somehow much more ancient.

"Something's down there," Percy said, "stirring up this storm." He turned and sized up Jason's tornado. "Nice outfit. Can you hold it together if we go deeper?"

"I have no idea how I'm doing this," Jason said.

"Okay," Percy said. "Well, just don't get knocked unconscious."

"Shut up, Jackson."

"Which one?" Andromeda quipped, unable to hold back. That's right, there were two of 'em now, he couldn't use that name. A pity.

Percy grinned. "Let's see what's down there."

They sank so deep that Jason couldn't see anything except the Jackson twins swimming next to him in the dim light of their gold and bronze blades. Andromeda's blade, wherever it was, didn't seem to be of any use under water. That wasn't really a problem, Jason's seen her being badass even without it.

Every so often the green searchlight shot upward. Andromeda swam straight towards it without hesitation with Percy behind, keeping an eye out on her. Jason's ventus crackled and roared, straining to escape. The smell of ozone made him lightheaded, but he kept his shell of air intact.

At last, the darkness lessened below them. Soft white luminous patches, like schools of jellyfish, floated before Jason's eyes. As he approached the seafloor, he realised the patches were glowing fields of algae surrounding the ruins of a palace. Silt swirled through empty courtyards with abalone floors. Barnacle-covered Greek columns marched into the gloom. In the centre of the complex rose a citadel larger than Grand Central Station, its walls encrusted with pearls, its domed golden roof cracked open like an egg.

"Atlantis?" Jason asked.

"That's a myth," Percy said, slightly irritated. Beside him, Andromeda glanced questioningly at Jason.

"Uh… don't we deal in myths?"

"No, I mean it's a made-up myth. Not, like, an actual true myth."

"So this is why Annabeth is the brains of the operation, then?"

"Shut up, Grace."

They floated through the broken dome and down into shadows.

"This place seems familiar." Percy's voice became edgy. "Almost like I've been here—"

The green spotlight flashed directly below them, blinding Jason.

He dropped like a stone, touching down on the smooth marble floor. When his vision cleared, he saw that they weren't alone.

Standing before them was a twenty-foot-tall woman in a flowing green dress, cinched at the waist with a belt of abalone shells. Her skin was as luminous white as the fields of algae. Her hair swayed and glowed like jellyfish tendrils.

Her face was beautiful but unearthly—her eyes too bright, her features too delicate, her smile too cold, as if she'd been studying human smiles and hadn't quite mastered the art.

Her hands rested on a disc of polished green metal about six feet in diameter, sitting on a bronze tripod. It reminded Jason of a steel drum he'd once seen a street performer play at the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

The woman turned the metal disc like a steering wheel. A shaft of green light shot upward, churning the water, shaking the walls of the old palace. Shards from the domed ceiling broke and tumbled down in slow motion.

Andromeda made a fist with her left hand. The shards exploded, flying wildly. None touched the trio.

"You're making the storm," Jason sighed.

"Indeed I am." The woman's voice was melodic—yet it had a strange resonance, as if it extended past the human range of hearing. Pressure built between Jason's eyes. His sinuses felt like they might explode.

"Okay, I'll bite," Percy said. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

The woman turned towards him. "Why, I am your sister, Perseus Jackson. And I wanted to meet you before you die."


Two options: fight or talk. Classic demigod tactics.

Usually, when faced with a creepy twenty-foot-tall lady with jellyfish hair, he would've gone with fight.

But since she called Percy brother—that made him hesitate.

"Percy, do you know this… individual?" He glanced at Andromeda who stared wide eyed at the woman like she was the treasure she's been searching for for a long time.

Percy shook his head. "Doesn't look like my mom, so I'm gonna guess we're related on the godly side. You a daughter of Poseidon, Miss… uh… ?"

The pale lady raked her fingernails against the metal disc, making a screeching sound like a tortured whale. "No one knows me," she sighed. "Why would I assume my own brother would recognize me? I am Kymopoleia!"

Percy and Jason exchanged looks. Percy's hand crept to Andromeda, ensuring she was with them and hadn't disappeared. They weren't going to have a repeat of Piper and Annabeth.

"So…" Percy said. "We're going to call you Kym. And you'd be a, hmm, Nereid, then? Minor goddess?"

"Minor?" Andromeda and Kym practically echoed.

"By which," Jason said quickly, "he means under the drinking age! Because obviously you're so young and beautiful."

Percy flashed him a look: Nice save.

The goddess turned her full attention to Jason. She pointed her index finger and traced his outline in the water. Jason could feel his captured air spirit rippling around him, as if it were being tickled.

"Jason Grace," said the goddess. "Son of Jupiter."

"Yeah. I'm a friend of Percy's."

Kym's narrowed. "So it's true… these times make for strange friends and unexpected enemies. The Romans never worshipped me. To them, I was a nameless fear—a sign of Neptune's greatest wrath. They never worshipped Kymopoleia, the goddess of violent sea storms!"

She spun her disc. Another beam of green light flashed upward, churning the water and making the ruins rumble.

"Uh, yeah," Percy said. "The Romans aren't big on navies. They had, like, one rowboat. Which I sank. Speaking of violent storms, you're doing a first-rate job upstairs."

"Thank you," said Kym proudly.

"Thing is, our ship is caught in it, and it's kind of being ripped apart. I'm sure you didn't mean to—"

"Oh, yes, I did."

"Why?" Andromeda asked quietly as if she couldn't fathom why Kymopoleia would do something like that. No one had the heart to tell her that direct families didn't always stick together.

"You did." Percy grimaced. "Well… that sucks. I don't suppose you'd cut it out, then, if we asked nicely?"

"No," the goddess agreed. "Even now, the ship is close to sinking. I'm rather amazed it's held together this long. Excellent workmanship."

Sparks flew from Jason's arms into the tornado. He thought about Piper and the rest of the crew frantically trying to keep the ship in one piece. They should've left one child of Poseidon there. By coming down here, they had left the others defenceless. They had to act soon.

Besides, Jason's air was getting stale. He wasn't sure if it was possible to use up a ventus by inhaling it, but, if he was going to have to fight, he'd better take on Kym before he ran out of oxygen.

The thing was… fighting a goddess on her home court wouldn't be easy. Even if they managed to take her down, there was no guarantee the storm would stop. Maybe Andromeda and Percy combined could overpower her.

"So… Kym," he said, "what could we do to make you change your mind and let our ship go?"

Kym gave him that creepy alien smile. "Son of Jupiter, do you know where you are?"

Jason was tempted to answer underwater. "You mean these ruins. An ancient palace?"

"Indeed," Kym said. "The original palace of my father, Poseidon."

Percy snapped his fingers, which sounded like a muffled explosion. "That's why I recognized it. Dad's new crib in the Atlantic is kind of like this."

"I wouldn't know,' Kym said. "I am never invited to see my parents. I can only wander the ruins of their old domains. They find my presence… disruptive."

She spun her wheel again. The entire back wall of the building collapsed, sending a cloud of silt and algae through the chamber. Fortunately the ventus acted like a fan, blowing the debris out of Jason's face.

"Disruptive?" Jason said. "You?"

"My father does not welcome me in his court," Kym said. "He restricts my powers. This storm above? I haven't had this much fun in ages, yet it is only a small taste of what I can do!"

"A little goes a long way," Percy said. "Anyway, to Jason's question about changing your mind—"

"My father even married me off," Kym said, "without my permission. He gave me away like a trophy to Briares, a Hundred-Handed One, as a reward for supporting the gods in the war with Kronos aeons ago."

Percy's face brightened. "Hey, I know Briares. He's a friend of mine! I freed him from Alcatraz."

"Yes, I know." Kym's eyes glinted coldly. "I hate my husband. I was not at all pleased to have him back."

"Oh. So… is Briares around?" Percy asked, looking around hopefully.

Kym's laugh sounded like dolphin chatter. "He's off at Mount Olympus in New York, shoring up the gods' defences. Not that it will matter. My point, dear brother, is that Poseidon has never treated me fairly. I like to come here, to his old palace, because it pleases me to see his works in ruins. Someday soon his new palace will look like this one, and the seas will rage unchecked."

Percy looked at Jason, almost boredly. "This is the part where she tells us she's working for Gaia."

"Yeah," Jason said. "And the Earth Mother promised her a better deal once the gods are destroyed, blah, blah, blah." He turned to Kym. "You understand that Gaia won't keep her promises, right? She's using you, just like she's using the giants."

"I am touched by your concern," said the goddess. "The Olympian gods, on the other hand, have never used me, eh?"

Percy spread his hands. "At least the Olympians are trying. After the last Titan war, they started paying more attention to the other gods. A lot of them have cabins now at Camp Half-Blood: Hecate, Hades, Hebe, Hypnos… uh, and probably some that don't begin with H, too. We give them offerings at every meal, cool banners, special recognition in the end-of-summer programme—"

"And do I get such offerings?" Kym asked.

"Well… no. We didn't know you existed. But—"

"Then save your words, brother." Kym's jellyfish-tentacle hair floated towards him, as if anxious to paralyse new prey. "I have heard so much about the great Percy Jackson. The giants are quite obsessed with capturing you. I must say… I don't see what the fuss is about."

"Have you heard about me then?" Andromeda asked lightly, as if bracing for disappointment.

Kym's expression morphed to one of shock and surprise. "Who the- who are you? How did you come here?"

Hurt was quickly masked. Andromeda fell silent, swimming closer to Percy who held her tightly.

Jason quickly went in front of her, cutting her from Kym's sight. Mostly. "She's been here the entire time, not that you seemed to notice, Kym. Talk about people not worshipping you, you can't even bother to acknowledge someone who has been standing here?"

Kym ignored him. "Yes." She muttered. "Now that I search for it, I see it. Who are you, girl? How can I not see your parentage. Which God is protecting you from my gaze? Who dares to interfere with my sight?!" She glared upwards, as if internally cursing at a god.

"No one hides me." Andromeda murmured. "But I have learned to hide. Growing up like I did, one would quickly learn to hide, to not draw attention to oneself. For that, I apologise." She took a quick breath, swimming closer to Kym. Percy tried to follow, but Andromeda shook her head. Percy stopped immediately. That boy was so whipped, and she wasn't even his love. Well, close enough.

Offering her hand, Andromeda said, "hello, Lady Kymopoleia. My name is Andromeda."

Kym glared at the hand like it was about to attack her anytime. "That hardly answers-" her eyes widened.

Andromeda smiled calmly. Around her was a glow of green. A holographic trident appeared above her. Her eyes glowed brighter, the scars fading into the background. Like this, no one could ever doubt she was Percy's twin. How did she manage to do that though?

When the glow receded, Kym found her tongue and regained her cool. "You are another of my siblings."

"I am the daughter of Poseidon, yes." Andromeda agreed, tilting her head. "Just like you?" She bowed. Somehow she made it look regal despite floating in water. Percy and Jason shared wary looks.

You know what she's doing? Jason mouthed.

Nope. Although from my guess, she probably wants to make a good impression on her. She was always in love with the idea of a loving family, you know.

Kym widened her eyes. "It has been a long, long time since someone showed me actual respect." She said, swimming a circle around Andromeda.

"I did not know Poseidon had birthed any other daughters," Andromeda said, rising. "I did not know I had any other sisters. Forgive me, Kymopoleia."

"For you, you may call me Kym." Kym said flippantly. "How could you not know of the daughters of Poseidon? How about Rhode? Triton?"

Andromeda paused. "Is… she our sister?" She asked carefully, speaking slowly. "And… Triton's a male, isn't he?"

Kym stopped completely and glared at Percy like it was his fault. "What is this?" She hissed at him. "How does she share our blood but not know anything? What did you do to her?"

"Nothing!" Percy protested. "Absolutely nothing!"

"He did not do anything, Kymopoleia," Andromeda said hurriedly. "If I lack knowledge, it is my fault. Forgive me, there is… a lot of things I need to catch up on for the human and Greek world. I am learning as quickly as I can but some general knowledge… slips my mind."

"You are the same age as him," Kym snapped, not easing up on her glare. "What do you mean there are things you need to catch up on? Also, why have I never heard of you? The news above land speaks of a demigod son of Poseidon, but no mentions of a daughter."

"They do not know me," Andromeda raised her hands, as if reasoning with her. "There would be no mentions, from above land or here, because to this world, I died a long time ago."

Kym paused. "Explain. Now." When Percy opened his mouth, she held up a finger. "Not you. I cannot stand your mouth. Tell me, Andromeda, explain. I will listen."

Andromeda glanced worriedly at Jason and Percy who, by now, were as lost as her. Jason shrugged, giving Andromeda a thumbs-up.

She bit her lip. "At the age of four, I was stolen from my brother and mother. I never knew I was a daughter of Poseidon. I certainly didn't know the prophecy. I was taken away, abducted. The world thought of me dead. The Greek World doesn't even know me. Only recently did my brother find me and bring me back to Earth."

"And where were you?" Kym hissed.

Andromeda hesitated and bowed her head. "I was once close to becoming an ally of Gaia," she admitted softly. "I know how convincing she is. You would not believe me if I told you."

"I will be the judge of that, sister."

"Tartarus."

Kym, to her credit, did not react wildly. Instead, she inspected Andromeda. She traced some of the more obvious scars, and stared at her in the eye. "I can see it." She said after a while. "I believe you, my sister." She patted Andromeda's hair. "How long?"

"Thirteen years."

"You are far too young." Kym cooed. "But you survived. That's all that matters. You did well, sister."

Jason was right, Andromeda could indeed charm everyone around her. Maybe they would feel sympathy at first, but it turns to genuine care. For Kym, it was genuine care and love before sympathy. Maybe it wasn't even sympathy, maybe it was just a respect for the strength Andromeda carried.

Slowly, carefully, Kym drew Andromeda in a comforting hug. Andromeda grinned brightly.

"Great!" Percy said happily. "So, if we're clear with that and all, do you mind helping us? Helping Sephie? We'd really appreciate the help."

She giggled, pulling away from Andromeda but not letting her hand go. "Oh, Perseus. See, I would do that, but I don't really like you. I'll just keep our sister safe with me, and let Gaia take the world. She will never suffer again with me. Our father will not dare come close. She will not meet the same fate as me, chained and married to someone I never wanted to. With unrestrained powers, no one can ever get close to us."

Percy's smile faded and he scoffed. "Thanks, sis. But, if you're going to try to kill me, I gotta warn you it's been tried before. I've faced a lot of goddesses recently—Nike, Akhlys, even Nyx herself. Compared to them, you're not scaring me. Also, you laugh like a dolphin."

Kym's delicate nostrils flared. Jason got his sword ready. Andromeda made a sound of protest.

"Oh, I won't kill you," Kym said. Andromeda cocked her head. "My part of the bargain was simply to get your attention. Someone else is here, though, who very much wants to kill you."

Above them, at the edge of the broken roof, a dark shape appeared—a figure even taller than Kymopoleia. Andromeda paled, but Kym simply wrapped her arm around the younger girl. As much as Jason hated it, he could see Andromeda leaning into her touch, instantly calming down.

"The children of Neptune," boomed a deep voice.

The giant floated down. Clouds of dark viscous fluid—poison, perhaps—curled from his blue skin. His green breastplate was fashioned to resemble a cluster of open hungry mouths. In his hands were the weapons of a retiarius—a trident and a weighted net.

Andromeda's eyes drifted to his hair, turning pale and shivering. Kym was unbothered but she still pulled Andromeda into a comforting hug. The younger girl turned her head to her sister, her fear for this giant showing clearly.

Maybe she wouldn't have shown her fear before but after the Temple? Jason could tell Percy hated it and he was surprised as well to feel a tightening in his chest. Anger. Fuming hatred.

He had never met this particular giant, but he'd heard stories. "Polybotes," he spat, glaring, "the anti-Poseidon."

The giant shook his dreadlocks. A dozen serpents swam free—each one lime green with a frilled crown around its head. Basilisks.

"Indeed, son of Rome," the giant said. "But, if you'll excuse me, my immediate business is with Perseus Jackson. I tracked him all the way across Tartarus. Now, here in his father's ruins, I mean to crush him once and for all."


Never let it be known that Jason liked basilisks. In fact, he down-right hated them.

The little scum-suckers loved to burrow under the temples in New Rome. Back when Jason was a centurion, his cohort always got the unpopular chore of clearing out their nests.

A basilisk didn't look like much—just an arm-length serpent with yellow eyes and a white frill collar—but it moved fast and could kill anything it touched. Jason had never faced more than two at a time. Now a dozen were swimming around the giant's legs. The only good thing: underwater, basilisks wouldn't be able to breathe fire, but that didn't make them any less deadly.

Two of the serpents shot towards Percy. He sliced them in half. The other ten swirled around him, just out of blade's reach. They writhed back and forth in a hypnotic pattern, looking for an opening. One bite, one touch was all it would take to kill.

"Hey!" Jason yelled. "How about some love over here?"

The snakes ignored him.

So did the giant, who stood back and watched with a smug smile, apparently happy for his pets to do the killing.

"Kymopoleia." Jason tried his best to pronounce her name right. "You have to stop this."

She regarded him with her glowing white eyes. "Why would I do that? For my sister, I will help, but for you? You are nothing to me. The Earth Mother has promised me unrestricted power. Could you make me a better offer?"

A better offer…

He sensed the possibility of an opening—room to negotiate. But what did he have that a storm goddess would want? She already had a doleful follower, Andromeda, which seemed to be what she wished for.

The basilisks closed in on Percy. He blasted them away with currents of water, but they just kept circling.

"Hey, basilisks!" Jason yelled.

Still no reaction. He could charge in and help, but even together he and Percy couldn't possibly fight off ten basilisks at once. Andromeda didn't look like she was leaving anytime soon from Kym's embrace. She still refused to acknowledge the giant, out of fear, he wasn't sure. He needed a better solution.

He glanced up. A thunderstorm raged above, but they were hundreds of feet down. He couldn't possibly summon lightning at the bottom of the sea, could he? Even if he could, water conducts electricity a little too well. He might fry Percy.

But he couldn't think of a better option. Hopefully the ocean will protect their lord's child. He thrust up his sword. Immediately the blade glowed red-hot.

A diffuse cloud of yellow light billowed through the depths, like someone had poured liquid neon into the water. The light hit Jason's sword and sprayed outwards in ten separate tendrils, zapping the basilisks.

Their eyes went dark. Their frills disintegrated. All ten serpents turned belly-up and floated dead in the water.

"Next time," Jason said, "look at me when I'm talking to you."

Polybotes's smile curdled. "Are you so anxious to die, Roman? I will deal with you after I deal with my bane's children."

Percy raised his sword. He hurled himself at the giant, but Polybotes swept his hand through the water, leaving an arc of black oily poison. Percy charged straight into it faster than Jason could yell, Dude, what are you thinking?

Percy dropped Riptide. He gasped, clawing at his throat. The giant threw his weighted net and Percy collapsed to the floor, hopelessly entangled as the poison thickened around him.

That got Andromeda's attention. She ripped herself from Kym's hands, surging forward only for Kym to hold her back again. Something akin to concern flickered alive in the goddess's eyes but it was quickly hidden. "Percy!" Andromeda screamed in pure hysteria. "Percy! Perseus, get up!" On the last word, her voice cracked. "Percy!"

"Let him go!" Jason's voice cracked with panic.

The giant cracked up. "Don't worry, son of Jupiter. Your friend will take a long time to die. After all the trouble he's caused me, I wouldn't dream of killing him quickly."

Noxious clouds expanded around the giant, filling the ruins like thick cigar smoke. Jason scrambled backwards, not fast enough, but his ventus proved a useful filter. As the poison engulfed him, the miniature tornado spun faster, repelling the clouds. Kymopoleia wrinkled her nose and waved away the darkness, but otherwise it didn't seem to affect her. Andromeda gagged, but there was no outward effect. If there was, it stopped the moment Kymopoleia waved the smoke away.

Percy writhed in the net, his face turning green. Jason charged to help him, but the giant blocked him with his huge trident. From the corner of his eye, he could see Andromeda talking to Kymopoleia. Pleading, or bargaining.

"Oh, I can't let you ruin my fun," Polybotes chided. "The poison will kill him eventually, but first comes the paralysis and hours of excruciating pain. I want him to have the full experience! He can watch as I destroy you, Jason Grace!"

Polybotes advanced slowly, giving Jason plenty of time to contemplate the three-storey-tall tower of armour and muscle bearing down on him.

He dodged the trident and, using his ventus to shoot forward, jabbed his sword into the giant's reptilian leg. Polybotes roared and stumbled, golden ichor plumbing from the wound.

"Kym!" Jason yelled. "Is this really what you want?"

The storm goddess looked almost concerned with Andromeda, only responding to him absent-mindedly. "Unlimited power? Why not? I will finally get the fear I deserve and a sister who will love me for me without worrying about whether I'll mess up the game room that took six hundred years to remodel."

"But is it any fun?" Jason asked. "So you destroy our ship. You destroy the entire coastline of the world. Once Gaia wipes out human civilization, who's left to fear you? You'll still be unknown."

Polybotes turned. "You are a pest, son of Jupiter. You will be crushed!"

Jason tried to summon more lightning. Nothing happened. If he ever met his dad, he'd have to petition for an increased daily allowance of bolts.

Jason managed to avoid the prongs of the trident again, but the giant swung the other end around and smacked him in the chest.

Jason reeled back, stunned and in pain. Polybotes came in for the kill. Just before the trident would have perforated him, Jason's ventus acted on its own. It spiralled sideways, whisking Jason thirty feet across the courtyard.

Thanks, buddy, Jason thought. I owe you some air freshener.

If the ventus liked that idea, Jason couldn't tell.

"Actually, Jason Grace," Kym said, studying her fingernails, "now that you mention it, I do enjoy being feared by mortals. I am not feared enough."

"I can help with that!" Jason dodged another swipe of the trident. He extended his gladius into a javelin and poked Polybotes in the eye.

"AUGH!" The giant staggered.

Percy writhed in the net, but his movements were getting sluggish. Jason needed to hurry. He had to get Percy to sickbay, and if the storm kept raging above them there wouldn't be any sickbay to get him to.

He flew to Kym's side. "You know gods depend on mortals. The more we honour you, the more powerful you get."

"I wouldn't know. I've never been honoured!"

"I will honour you," Andromeda said to the goddess who cooed about how she was an absolutely darling.

She ignored Polybotes, who was now stampeding around her, trying to swat Jason out of his whirlwind. Jason did his best to keep the goddess between them. Although he felt slightly remorseful about Andromeda, no harm was done to her either.

"I can change that, he promised. "I will personally arrange a shrine for you on Temple Hill in New Rome. Your first ever Roman shrine! I'll raise one at Camp Half-Blood as well, right on the shore of Long Island Sound. Imagine, being honoured—"

"And feared."

"–and feared by both Greeks and Romans. You'll be famous!"

"STOP TALKING!" Polybotes swung his trident like a baseball bat.

Jason ducked. Kym did not. Andromeda growled, raising a hand to stop Polybotes. The trident cut her hand. Fresh blood poured out, tainting the waters. Kym's eyes narrowed. The daughter of Poseidon simply wrenched her hand away, and kicked the trident from his hands. She paid no attention to her wound, still gushing out blood.

Polybotes's eyes glittered. The trident returned to him almost instantly. "You should have stayed out of the way, little Rhea. You won't like what will happen next if you continue to interfere. It took me a decade to imbue fear in you, I can do so again. I won't even need Tartarus this time."

The air stilled. Kym cocked her head, suddenly looking extremely calm. Calm before the storm. "WHAT?"

She rounded on Andromeda, who stared at the large cut. It wasn't healing. "You said your name is Andromeda."

"My birth name is Andromeda Jackson, sister of Perseus Jackson." Andromeda said in the same adoring voice she used with Kym but turned hard with bitterness as she rounded on Polybotes. "When the Titans took me away, they refashioned a different name for me. I believe it was you, Polybotes, who decided that my identity should be changed."

"You heard them," Jason said, although he couldn't hide the hatred oozing out from his tongue. "Andromeda was taken from this world because of Gaia, because of the giants you side with. To them, she was a toy, Kymopoleia. A pet. A plaything they were going to use. They wanted her to control the prophecy. When it turned out it wasn't going to be her, they threw her away and made it a competition to see who could wreck her even more. Just like her, you're nothing but a tool for the giants. They'll cast you aside as soon as they're through destroying the mortals. Then no demigods, no shrines, no fear, no respect."

"LIES!" Polybotes tried to stab him, but Jason hid behind the goddess's dress. "Kymopoleia, when Gaia rules, you will rage and storm without restraint!"

Kym wasn't even listening now. She placed two fingers on Andromeda's open wound. "I wanted unlimited power, can you give me that?"

"Of course!"

"Will there be mortals to terrorise?" Kym asked.

"Well … no."

"Ships to destroy? Demigods to cower in awe?"

"Um…"

She barked out a laugh. "One last question. What will you do to Andromeda should you defeat these demigods?"

"She will pay for her treachery. We will take her back to the Temple of Fear. Let her re-live everything, day by day. She will never again see the sun like she did so long ago!" He snarled.

Kym turned to Jason, bored, before snidely telling Polybotes, "wrong answer. Maybe once I wouldn't have cared but you crossed a line. No one is hurting my newest sister, including you."

Jason grinned. Awesome. "Help me," he urged. "Together, a goddess and a demigod can kill a giant."

"No!" Polybotes suddenly looked very nervous. "That's a horrible idea. Gaia will be most displeased."

"The same Gaia that made Andromeda forget who she was and was responsible for planting the idea in the Titans' to capture her." Jason reminded Kym. "Besides, should she wake, the mighty Kymopoleia can help us make sure that never happens. Then all demigods will honour you big-time!"

"Will they cower?" Kym asked, interested.

"Tons of cowering! Plus your name in the summer programme. A custom-designed banner. A cabin at Camp Half-Blood. Two shrines. I'll even throw in a Kymopoleia action figure."

"No!" Polybotes wailed. "Not merchandising rights!"

Kymopoleia turned on the giant. "I'm afraid that deal beats what Gaia has offered."

"Unacceptable!" the giant bellowed. "You cannot trust this vile Roman!"

"If I don't honour the bargain," Jason said, "Kym can always kill me. With Gaia, she has no guarantee at all."

"That," Kym said, "is difficult to argue with."

As Polybotes struggled to answer, Jason charged forward and stabbed his javelin in the giant's gut.

Kym lifted her bronze disc from its pedestal. "Say goodbye, Polybotes."

She spun the disc at the giant's neck. Turns out, the rim was sharp.

Polybotes found it difficult to say goodbye, since he no longer had a head. Andromeda, for once, didn't clap. She was already by Percy's side, net cut, chasing away the poison in his system.

Jason felt sick to his gut—he hadn't forgotten the requirement for Andromeda to heal others. Although this time, he'll let it slide. After being helpless during the whole fight, she deserved this.


"Poison is a nasty habit," Kymopoleia waved her hand and the murky clouds dissipated. "Secondhand poison can kill a person, you know."

Jason wasn't too fond of firsthand poison either, but he decided not to mention that.

At the time, Percy made a retching sound. Jason turned to the twins. Andromeda had her arms around Percy while he doubled over, holding onto his twin for dear life.

Jason exhaled with relief. "Dude, you scared the hell out of me."

Percy blinked, cross-eyed. "I'm still a little fuzzy. But did you… promise Kym an action figure?"

The goddess loomed over them, stealing Andromeda back. "Indeed he did. And I expect him to deliver."

"I will," Jason promised. "When we win this war, I'm going to make sure all the gods get recognized.' He put a hand on Percy's shoulder. 'My friend here started that process last summer. He made the Olympians promise to pay you guys more attention."

Kym sniffed. "We know what an Olympian promise is worth."

Andromeda coughed. "Living evidence right here."

"Which is why I'm going to finish the job." Jason didn't know where these words were coming from, but the idea felt absolutely right. "I'll make sure none of the gods are forgotten at either camp. Maybe they'll get temples, or cabins, or at least shrines—"

"Or collectible trading cards," Kym suggested.

"Sure." Jason smiled. "I'll go back and forth between the camps until the job is done."

Andromeda clapped. "I'll help."

Percy whistled. "You're talking about dozens of gods."

"Hundreds," Kym corrected.

"Well, then," Jason said, "it might take a while. Years in fact. I will do it. You'll be first on the list, Kymopoleia… the storm goddess who beheaded a giant and saved our quest."

Kym stroked her jellyfish hair. "That will do nicely, but you might not have to take years. Not if you have a friend. Or a companion." She regarded Percy. "Though I am still sorry I won't see you die."

"I get that comment a lot," Percy said. "Now about our ship—"

"Still in one piece," said the goddess. "Not in very good shape, but you should be able to make it to Delos."

"Thank you," Jason said.

"Yeah," Percy said. "And, really, your husband Briares is a good dude. You should give him a chance."

The goddess picked up her bronze disc. "Don't push your luck, brother. Briares has fifty faces; all of them are ugly. He's got a hundred hands, and he's still all thumbs around the house."

"Okay," Percy relented. "Not pushing my luck."

Kym turned over the disc, revealing straps on the bottom side like a shield. She slipped it over her shoulders, Captain America style. "I will be watching your progress. Polybotes was not boasting when he warned that your blood would awaken the Earth Mother. The giants are very confident of this."

"My blood, personally?" Percy asked.

Kym's smile was even creepier than usual. "I am not an Oracle. But I heard what the seer Phineas told you in the city of Portland. You will face a sacrifice that you may not be able to make, and it will cost you the world. You have yet to face your fatal flaw, my brother. Look around. All works of gods and men eventually turn to ruins. Would it not be easier to flee into the depths with that girlfriend of yours and Andromeda?"

Percy put one hand on Jason's shoulder and the other on Andromeda's and struggled to his feet. "Juno offered me a choice like that, back when I found Camp Jupiter. I'll give you the same answer. I don't run when my friends need me."

Kym turned up her palms. "And there is your flaw: being unable to step away. I will retreat to the depths and watch this battle unfold. You should know that the forces of the ocean are also at war. Your friend Hazel Levesque made quite an impression on the merpeople and on their mentors, Aphros and Bythos."

"The fish pony dudes," Percy muttered. "They didn't want to meet me."

"Even now they are waging war for your sake," Kym said, "trying to keep Gaia's allies away from Long Island. Whether or not they will survive… that remains to be seen. As for you, Jason Grace, your path will be no easier than your friend's. You will be tricked. You will face unbearable sorrow. However," she cocked her head, "at the end of the day, if all goes well, you may be able to find genuine happiness, not in the way you think you will. No, it most certainly won't."

Jason tried to keep from sparking. He wasn't sure Percy's heart could take the shock. "Kym, you said you're not an Oracle? They should give you the job. You're definitely depressing enough."

The goddess let loose her dolphin laugh. "You amuse me, son of Jupiter. I hope you live to defeat Gaia."

"Thank you," he said. "Any pointers on defeating a goddess who can't be defeated?"

Kymopoleia tilted her head. "Oh, but you know the answer. You are a child of the sky, with storms in your blood. A primordial god has been defeated once before. You know of whom I speak."

Jason's insides started swirling faster than the ventus. "Ouranos, the first god of the sky. But that means—"

"Yes." Kym's alien features took on an expression that almost resembled sympathy. "Let us hope it does not come to that. If Gaia does wake… well, your task will not be easy. But, if you win, remember your promise, Pontifex."

Jason took a moment to process her words. "I'm not a priest."

"No?" Kym's white eyes gleamed. "By the way, your ventus servant says he wishes to be freed. Since he has helped you, he hopes you will let him go when you reach the surface. He promises he will not bother you a third time."

"A third time?"

Kym paused, as if listening. "He says he joined the storm above to take revenge on you, but had he known how strong you've become since the Grand Canyon he never would've approached your ship."

"The Grand Canyon…" Jason recalled that day on the Skywalk, when one of his jerk classmates turned out to be a wind spirit. He choked. "Dylan? Are you kidding me? I'm breathing Dylan?"

"Yes," Kym said. "That seems to be his name."

Jason shuddered. "I'll let him go as soon as I reach the surface. No worries."

Lastly, Kym turned to Andromeda. "Will you not stay with me, sister? I can sense it in your blood. Chaos and destruction, just like me. We are identical. The dark side of the peaceful ocean. We love the same power. You will be safer. Regardless of the outcome above, we can be safe. Will you not stay?"

Andromeda sniffled. "If I survive, maybe I'll come to visit. But truly, Kym, I am not meant to stay underwater forever. I know it. It's a part of me. It calls for land. I am sorry."

Kym nodded in understanding. "I thought that might be your answer. We will stay in touch, though."

"Even our Father could not keep us apart." She flung herself towards Kym, squeezing her tightly.

"Farewell, then," said the goddess with a charming smile. "And may the Fates smile upon you… assuming the Fates survive."

They needed to leave. It took a moment to manage to pull Andromeda away. She clung to Percy the entire time.


Jason was running out of air (Dylan air—gross) and everyone on the Argo II would be worried about them.

But Percy was still woozy from the poison, so they sat on the edge of the ruined golden dome for a few minutes to let Percy catch his breath… or catch his water, whatever a son of Poseidon catches when he's at the bottom of the ocean. Andromeda buried her head in the nape of his neck, helping him heal.

"Thanks, man," Percy said. "You saved my life and kicked Polybotes' podex."

"Hey, that's what we do for our friends."

"But, uh, the Jupiter guy saving the Poseidon guy at the bottom of the ocean… maybe we can keep the details to ourselves? Otherwise I'll never hear the end of it."

Jason grinned. "You got it. How you feeling?"

"Better. I… I have to admit, when I was choking on that poison, I kept thinking about Akhlys, the misery goddess in Tartarus. She- I don't- " He shivered. "It was something I never truly felt. She almost killed me, you know, and I thought… for a moment, I thought I was goner. Thank Poseidon for her," he pressed a kiss to Andromeda's crown. She smiled, only cheered up by a little.

"She always comes to the rescue," Jason said, fondly. "That's another thing friends and family have to do for each other."

"Yeah… Thing is, as I was choking just now, I kept thinking: this was how I was going to die. The Fates decided that I am to die by poison. A part of me agreed. Another part was almost scared to try something." A fractured light in his eyes. "I was barely holding on to the rope that kept me intact. I feared if I tried something like that… I might truly go off the edge."

Jason thought back to Ithaca, when he was despairing over the visit from his mom's spirit. "I think I get it."

Percy studied his face. When Jason didn't say any more, Andromeda stepped in and changed the subject. "What did Kym mean about defeating Gaia? You mentioned Ouranos. I am not very familiar with his tale. As you can imagine, he wasn't very popular in Tartarus."

Jason stared at the silt swirling between the columns of the old palace. "The sky god… the Titans defeated him by calling him down to the earth. They got him away from his home territory, ambushed him, held him down and cut him up."

Percy looked like his nausea was coming back. "How would we do that with Gaia?"

Jason recalled a line from the prophecy: To storm and fire the world must fall. He had an idea what that meant now… but, if he was right, Percy wouldn't be able to help. In fact, he might unintentionally make things harder.

I don't run when my friends need me, Percy had said.

And there is your flaw, Kym had warned, being unable to step away.

She mentioned nothing about Andromeda's flaw and her part to play in this.

Today was 27 July. In five days, Jason would know if he was right.

"Let's get to Delos first," he said instead. "Apollo and Artemis might have some advice."

Percy nodded, though he didn't seem satisfied with that answer. "Why did Kymopoleia call you a Pontiac?"

Jason's laugh literally cleared the air. "Pontifex. It means priest."

"Oh." Percy frowned. "Still sounds like a kind of car. 'The new Pontifex XLS.' Will you have to wear a collar and bless people?"

"Nah. Romans used to have a Pontifex Maximus, who oversaw all the proper sacrifices and whatnot, to make sure none of the gods got mad. Which I offered to do… I guess it does sound like a pontifex's job."

"So you meant it?" Percy asked. "You're really going to try building shrines for all the minor gods?"

"Yeah. I never really thought about it before, but I like the idea of going back and forth between the two camps—assuming, you know, we make it through next week and the two camps still exist. What you did last year on Olympus, turning down immortality and asking the gods to play nice instead—that was noble, man."

Percy grunted. "Believe me, some days I regret the choice. Oh, you want to turn down our offer? Okay, fine! ZAP! Lose your memory! Go to Tartarus!"

"You did what a hero should do. I admire you for that. The least I can do, if we survive, is continue that work—make sure all the gods get some recognition. Who knows? If the gods get along better, maybe we can stop more of these wars from breaking out."

"That would most definitely be good," Percy agreed. "You know, you look different… better different. Does your wound still hurt?" Andromeda laughed for some reason, no longer sad but light and happy.

"My wound…" Jason had been so busy with the giant and the goddess, he'd forgotten about the sword wound in his gut, even though he'd been dying from it in sickbay only an hour ago.

He lifted his shirt and pulled away the bandages. No smoke. No bleeding. No scar. No pain.

"It's… gone," he said, stunned. "I feel completely normal. What the heck?"

"You beat it, man!" Percy laughed. "You found your own cure."

Jason considered that. He guessed it must be true. Maybe putting aside his pain to help his friends had done the trick.

Or maybe his decision to honour the gods at both camps had healed him, giving him a clear path to the future. Roman or Greek… the difference didn't matter. Like he'd told the ghosts at Ithaca, his family had just got bigger. Now he saw his place in it. He would keep his promise to the storm goddess. And because of that, Michael Varus's sword meant nothing.

Die a Roman.

No. If he had to die, he would die a son of Jupiter, a child of the gods—the blood of Olympus. But he wasn't about to let himself get sacrificed—at least not without a fight.

"Come on." Jason clapped his friend on the back. "Let's go check on our ship."

Andromeda held him back as Percy kicked the waters, rising up. Pride shone. "You know who you are now."

"I do." He said. "Thanks to all of you."

"I did nothing."

He offered a sad smile. "Believe me, Andy, Kym wouldn't have been so easy to convince if a part of her wasn't hating the Giants. Hearing what they did to you, it just made her grasp for something to get out of the deal. You helped us defeat Polybotes."

She didn't answer. "You know what to do against Gaia?"

"Yeah. Hopefully." He found no need to lie or be vague around her. Around Andromeda, the word 'lie' was almost non-existent. "If all goes according to the prophecy."

She hesitated. "To kill a Titan, a death was required. Luke died." She whispered. "To kill a primordial, even more is required. Can we pay that price, Jason? Can you?"

He didn't answer. Conversation over, she took his hand, and started swimming towards the surface.

Deep inside though, he knew he couldn't. He couldn't bear it if anyone died. Certainly not his friends, nor this girl who managed to brighten his day just by being there. He didn't know what to make of it but it was definitely not good.