Maybe it was the fact that he had an experienced guide this time, or maybe it was just that he understood his powers a little better than he had at the beginning of the summer, but Percy found it a lot easier to get into the Sea of Monsters this time around.

They approached the entrance from underwater, swimming low and cautiously. Percy could see Scylla's enormous legs sprouting from the ocean floor like skyscrapers on the right, and he could make out Charybdis's huge, ghastly form on the left, so much larger beneath the surface than one would guess. The swirling currents from the constant inhalation and exhalation created a cyclone of water that churned around the beast. Predictably, they were going to keep to Scylla's side, but Percy was perplexed to see as they approached that there seemed to be small figures swimming around Scylla's legs. Anastasia showed him with her mind what they were–hideous doglike creatures with fish tails on their lower halves and razor-sharp teeth.

"They form a symbiotic relationship," she explained, and he could tell she was quoting her mom. They apparently ate the algae that formed on Scylla's legs–and the remains of plucked sailors that fell out of Scylla's mouths into the water. Scylla's massive presence protected them from predators. For travelers into the Sea of Monsters who chose to eschew a boat, they provided an alternative challenge–not Scylla's heads, but her bodyguards.

Percy's hand moved to his pocket. Anastasia fervently shook her head no. He rolled his eyes.

Ultimately, he hadn't needed to use his sword, or to do anything at all. When the two of them had gotten close enough to Scylla for the dog-creatures to see them, Anastasia began to sing, and the monsters, entranced, stopped in their tracks and listened placidly. However, her singing seemed to have the opposite effect on Percy, somehow.

In his dream, her singing had been hauntingly beautiful; he had understood, for a moment, why the Sirens were so alluring. But hearing Anastasia sing firsthand in real life, he could hardly believe his ears. It sounded like a horrific bird-person was screeching directly at his eardrums, causing stabbing pain in his brain, and he bent over and gripped his head. She had been so thrown by what he was experiencing that she had almost stopped singing, but, steeling herself, she had grabbed his arm and dragged him along, never breaking the tune.

Washing up on the rocky shore, she finally said something.

"What was that about?"

He dragged his hand through his hair. "I don't know. You tell me."

"Why did it sound that way to you?" She sounded almost offended.

He sneered. "Oh, is that not what you were going for?"

Water materialized out of thin air to splash him.That's a pretty cool power, he found himself admitting. "Unlike your awful singing."

"Oh, that part was important enough to say out loud." She scoffed, crossing her arms. "Why did you hear it that way? I need to know." He shrugged. "Maybe you are immune to Sirens," she suggested.

Something about that felt wrong to him. "I don't know, maybe I'm just immune to you." In a way, he felt like that sort of made sense–he could read her mind, after all. It wouldn't be the craziest thing.

Well, Anastasia hated that.

Percy, ignoring her fuming, stood and looked around him at the cliffside cove they had taken momentary shelter in. Anastasia had made them swim around the Sea of Monsters until they were approaching it from the South and slightly East. Turning around to take it all in, it seemed like she knew exactly what she was doing.

"So, this is what Siren Island looks like from behind," he said.

She stood as well, looking wearily out at her former home. Percy wished that they hadn't had to come here. She jerked her head in the direction of the jagged cliffs, bidding him to follow as she climbed.

They reached an outcropping and clambered up, breathing heavily. Even though Percy knew vaguely what to expect through her thoughts, he still wasn't completely prepared for the grandeur of the garden before them. Large trees bearing vibrant, tropical-colored fruits spread out before him in a field of lush green grass. Up ahead to the right, fields of vegetables stretched out along the island. To the left, what looked like fields of wheat. He instantly felt calmer, somehow.

Do not eat the fruit, she cautioned.

She approached one of the trees and peeled back a bit of the bark, scooping out some extremely thick sap, something Percy didn't expect palm trees to have. She fastened it into an earplug and handed it to him, then repeated the process. Dutifully, he plugged his ears.

Just in case, of course. You should stay back.

He nodded reluctantly. He much preferred direct confrontation to hiding, but he knew that would be counterproductive on this mission. Do you think they're going to sing to you?

She scoffed. They do not sing to their own. But if they sense your presence, they will try to lure you. Stay close enough that you can hear my thoughts, but still out of sight.

Okay, I think I can do that.

The two of them crept through the garden, Percy marveling at how bright and appealing it all seemed, in sharp contrast to what he remembered about the Sirens themselves. Looking at their rotting teeth, you would never guess they ate such beautiful things.

They do not eat this fruit, she told him simply, interrupting his train of thought.

A question popped into his mind, but he swallowed it, hoping not to further irritate an already stressed Anastasia. Besides, her thoughts confirmed that he already knew the answer anyway.

The garden gave way to a drab, gray forest, which later gave way to rocky crags. Anastasia looked up toward the highest cliff. He knew that's where she would find her mother.

There, she told him, pointing to a crevice in the rocks underneath the cliff. Do you think you can fit there?

Probably, he responded. Is that too close? Will they, like, smell me or something?

She chewed on her lip. I can tell them that I have a human's scent on me because…well, that will work.

She wasn't one hundred percent sure, but she was determined. Percy resigned himself to think un-stinky thoughts and climbed up the cliffside beside her. It was a tight fit, but he managed to squeeze himself into the crevice and gave her a small nod. She nodded back, her eyes wide with worry. He tried to silently project confidence toward her. With a deep breath, she disappeared up the cliff.

It was still strange, seeing the world through her eyes. He closed his own to focus better. As she clambered over the top of the cliff, she could make out her mother and aunts a few hundred feet away. Percy found himself surprised yet again–three mermaids lied against the banks of a shallow pool, lounging in the sun. He knew that these were the Sirens, but they weren't in the form of those hideous birds with human faces he had seen just a couple of months ago. Yet even as mermaids, their faces were pallid, twisted, and cruel. One of them with stringy dirty blonde hair–Molpe, apparently–dragged a forked tongue over her lips, exposing her disgusting teeth, caked with rotting flesh.

While she was still a ways out, Anastasia called out, "Mother!" As the three creatures turned to look, Anastasia locked eyes with a woman who looked somewhat similar to her–Aglaophonos–and Percy felt her blood run cold. She seethed with every step, muttering Russian curses in her head, balling her fists to disguise the trembling of her hands as she approached her mother's cool gaze.

Wow, and I thought you hated me, he said.

Aglaophonos remained still the entire time Anastasia advanced, regarding her daughter as if she were a silly child caught playing hooky. Percy found himself kind of hating her, too. He wondered if she had any concept of how much time had passed for Anastasia since she ran away–Anastasia was twice the age she had been, but her mother looked at her as if she were a petulant child who had just stayed out too late past curfew. Percy realized with a start how jarring it would be to have been raised by an immortal parent who didn't–couldn't–understand his own experience with time, with life, with love, with death. He hated to admit it, but Anastasia's foul attitude was making a lot more sense the more he learned about her.

As Anastasia reached her, Aglaophonos crossed her arms. "Where have you been, child?" she asked in that all-too-familiar mom tone that made it seem like a leading question. I guess some things are universal, he mused.

"I told you I was going to find my father," Anastasia responded, clearly perturbed.

"She sounds different," Molpe observed.

"She looks different, too," said the third Siren–Thelxinoe, apparently. She reminded Percy somewhat of Morticia Addams.

"Yes," Anastasia's mother muttered. "You look scant, girl. Have you eaten? You have missed dinner."

Anastasia gritted her teeth. "I have been gone for nearly seven years, now. I am older. I-I am grown up." She sounded as if she were trying to convince herself as well.

"You missed a delicious meal," her mother said again. "A young man who fell prey to his own lust. Those are always the tastiest." The Sirens chuckled casually. Anastasia blanched and tried in vain to mask her memories from Percy. She had clearly repressed a lot of her early childhood, but even the hint of what she had experienced was nauseating. His stomach turned so violently he retched, convulsing against the rocks. He opened his eyes and took rapid breaths, willing himself to move on for the sake of not distracting her. He knew now was not the time to unpack all that.

Aglaophonos squinted at her daughter. "You smell different as well." The other Sirens sniffed the air, their eyes narrowing.

Anastasia steeled herself. "Yes, I have been living among mortals."

Molpe let out a hideous bird-shriek, her body becoming momentarily covered in black feathers. The other two Sirens seemed just as offended.

"Mortals?" her mother hissed. "What is the meaning of this?"

Straightening her spine, Anastasia said, "I abandoned my impulse to find my father and instead walked among the mortals as if I were one of them. I learned the ways of their world and found–peace." Her voice trembled ever so slightly on the last word, and she dropped her gaze to the ground.

Aglaophonos glowered, rising out of the water until she stood on land, once again in the bird form that Percy remembered too well. "Why then have you returned, child?" she spat, her human face contorting in contempt. "Do you imagine that you can punish me for the life I have given you?"

Anastasia reluctantly softened. "No, mother. I have come to learn about my father. And my destiny." Her mother's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Why did you raise me to believe that my father would take back control of the seas?" she continued. "What made you think that I would be part of a great war?"

Aglaophonos slowly grinned, repulsing Percy and Anastasia. "You must have seen the stirrings as you have traveled."

Anastasia played dumb. "Stirrings?"

Her mother flapped her wings excitedly. "The inhabitants of the sea grow bitter with the sea god. They are weary of his rule." The two half-bloods felt a strong sense of déjà vu. "The Great River has thawed from the polar ice caps and regained his physical form. He came passing through not long ago, and of course, he found my singing the most enchanting." The other Sirens grumbled. Unperturbed, with a wild glint in her eyes, Aglaophonos continued reminiscing. "He sympathized with our plight. We long to be free from this rock. We are hungry, so hungry."

Anastasia coldly watched as her mother licked her lips. "He sympathized with you," she prodded.

"Yes, child. He gave me hope. He told me about the stirrings," she squawked. "He is so ancient and so wise. Time flows through him like a current. He told me there is to be a great struggle very soon that will determine the fate of the world. He has seen glimpses of it." It was Percy's turn for his blood to chill. He wondered if Anastasia's mother would say anything more about this great struggle–if she knew anything of the Great Prophecy, even.

Focus, she chided.

"The very fact that he came to me in physical form proves that it is true," Aglaophonos said. "As worship of the sea god declines in his domain, the Great River's body grows stronger. One day, he will become strong enough to unleash his true divine form."

Anastasia's stony façade faltered. "His true form?"

"Yes, more terrible and powerful than you can imagine!" her mother replied in rapturous glee. "He was doubtful when I suggested he take back his kingdom from the corrupt king of the sea, but once I show him that I have given him a warrior to use in his cause, he will see the prudence in taking up arms and reclaiming his territory. I will be rewarded in the coming age! I will be queen among beings, free to roam wherever I please!" She flapped her wings again, and Anastasia took a step back. She heard cackling behind her and whipped around to face Thelxinoe and Molpe, flapping their wings as well. He felt a jolt run through her body–she hadn't noticed them leave the pool. Now surrounded, she looked around her uncertainly.

"S-so," she stuttered, "my father will wage a war for control of the seas because… because he sees an opening?"

The three birds shrieked in unison, and this time it sounded eerily like a battle cry. "The Great River will bring an end to the sea god's reign," Aglaophonos exclaimed. "The sea god cares not for the suffering of his people. He has allowed pollution and sickness to spread throughout his waters, poisoning the life within. The Great River is wise! The Great River is benevolent! He will free us and rid the seas of this ilk once and for all!"

Thelxinoe and Molpe squawked in frenzied agreement, chirping, "Down with the sea god! Down with the sea god!"

Anastasia looked down. She said softly, "My father…cares for the wellbeing of sea creatures? He wishes to ease their suffering?" Her mind was racing about as fast as Percy's was at the moment, but in the opposite direction.

"He is the universal father," Molpe cried.

"He will take care of us!" Thelxinoe agreed.

Anastasia looked up at her mother. "Perhaps I should go to see him," she murmured, then cleared her throat. "Perhaps…perhaps I can find a way to help him."

Her mother cried in glee, but Percy knew Anastasia had a different kind of help in mind, and he began desperately arguing with her with his thoughts. Shaking her head, she clamped her hands over her ears and shouted, "Enough!"

The Sirens stopped squawking and regarded her curiously. Anastasia dropped her hands. "I will go to see him."

Aglaophonos cooed, "Yes, child, go to his side and lead his armies to victory!"

"No," Anastasia cut her off, "no." Her mother seemed puzzled. "His heart is in the right place, but I do not agree with his methods. There must be a way to help the creatures of the sea without bloodshed. I can–I think I can help him."

Aglaophonos wailed, "No, a war is the only way!"

"The sea god will never remove the mortals on his own," Thelxinoe agreed.

"Nor will he allow them to be destroyed," Molpe added.

Percy and Anastasia each became hyper-aware of their heartbeats, seemingly pumping as one, as their hearts grew heavy in their chests. All of Anastasia's budding hope vanished.

"He will destroy the mortals?" Anastasia whispered.

"Yes, those wretched beasts that you reek of," Aglaophonos said, narrowing her eyes, causing Anastasia's heart to jump yet again. "You have seen their ways. The way they destroy nature, as if they themselves are the gods of this world. When the Great River, the doorway to death, prevails, he will allow we creatures to wreak vengeance on them for what they have done to the realm that was once his and his alone, and I will help!"

The Sirens began flapping their wings as one, creating wind currents so strong that Anastasia's hair seemed to strangle her. They resumed their shrieking, and Anastasia began to hyperventilate. Wildly plucking at the strands of hair in her face, she managed to glimpse her mother's talons reaching toward her.

Instinctively, she imagined a bubble of water encasing her like a shield, and one formed out of thin air, swirling around her. Her mother landed, and the Sirens stopped flapping their wings, plotting and pecking around the sphere of water warily. With great effort, Percy squeezed his torso out of the crevice he was hiding in and tensed, prepared to spring up and help, but Anastasia's mind told him no.

Climb down the cliff, she told him. Prepare to jump into the sea.

He pulled the rest of his body out of the hiding place but waited, clinging to the cliff. With great concentration, she pictured the swirling water around her forming bands around each of the Sirens, constricting them, and the water obliged. With three great squawks, the Sirens were pushed back toward the pool by the force of Anastasia's water.

"Betrayal!" her mother cried. "You cannot escape your fate, ungrateful child!"

With a great mental heave, Anastasia forced the Sirens into the pool, then summoned a huge wave of water on top of them, completely submerging them. Taking a deep breath, she cooled the surface of the dome of water until it froze, trapping the irate Sirens under a thin layer of ice.

That will not hold them for very long, she told Percy, turning and running for the cliff's edge.

Snapped back to his own awareness, Percy hastily began descending the cliff, cursing how clumsy it seemed. Why was climbing up always easier than climbing down, somehow? Above him, Anastasia leapt over the edge and summoned a cyclone of water around her, carrying her down to the water's surface.

Jump!she told him.

Making a snap decision to trust her, he pushed himself off the side of the cliff and plummeted toward the ocean. She summoned a huge wave of water and hurled it at him.

Heads up!

Scrambling in midair, he concentrated on the wave, and it swirled around him, carrying him to the sea in his own personal cyclone. He managed a sigh of relief.

Good thing that worked, she said as they plunged into the sea.

Yeah, well, water is water, he quipped.

They were interrupted by another shriek. Looking up at the cliff, they found Aglaophonos glaring down at them, open-mouthed.

"I know that boy! He snatched a meal from us!" she screamed, her eyes boring through Percy. He could only hear her through Anastasia's ears, but it still felt as if her voice were cutting through him. "You have betrayed me for the son of the sea god!"

Aglaophonos launched herself into the sky, flanked by her two sisters. Without thinking twice, Percy grabbed Anastasia and willed the water to drag them down, down, to the depths of the sea, far away from the Sirens' clutches.