A/N Ok my exams had ended and now the winter holidays are here so get ready for more chapters. Hurrah ;-)

CHAPTER 4 THE DEATH AT THE NEEDLE part 2

Nobody's pov

Athena continues

We trudged down the steps. I was thinking how she smelled like a combination of old people's house and bubble gum when she stopped so abruptly, I ran into her.

"Eww," Aphrodite squealed and fainted on describing her smell.

"Who's that?" she asked.

I'd almost forgotten about the dude in the trench coat. He and my dad were standing across the street next to the big tree, having what looked like a serious argument. Dad's back was turned so I couldn't see his face, but he gestured with his hands like he does when he's agitated. The other guy scowled and shook his head.

"Dunno," I said. "He was there when we pulled up."

"He looks familiar." Sadie frowned like she was trying to remember. "Come on."

"Dad wants us to wait in the cab," I said, even though I knew it was no use. Sadie was already on the move.

" See, I told you I never listen to you ." " And this only the first clue," Carter murmured.

Instead of going straight across the street, she dashed up the sidewalk for half a block, ducking behind cars, then crossed to the opposite side and crouched under a low stone wall. She started sneaking toward our dad. I didn't have much choice but to follow her example, even though it made me feel kind of stupid.

"Six years in England," I muttered, "and she thinks she's James Bond."

" Being precautious does not harm?" Percy said with a shrug. " True and the great Percy Jackson has mastered the art of eavesdropping. " Grover said seriously. "True true," said all the demigods who had been a victim of his eavesdropping.

Sadie swatted me without looking back and kept creeping forward.

A couple more steps and we were right behind the big dead tree. I could hear my dad on the other side, saying, "—have to, Amos. You know it's the right thing."

"No," said the other man, who must've been Amos. His voice was deep and even—very insistent. His accent was American. "If I don't stop you, Julius, they will. The Per Ankh is shadowing you."

" What is per ankh?" Nico asked the Egyptians. Carter opens his mouth to answer but Walt cuts him off by saying " You will find out about it later."

Sadie turned to me and mouthed the words "Per what?"

I shook my head, just as mystified. "Let's get out of here," I whispered, because I figured we'd be spotted any minute and get in serious trouble. Sadie, of course, ignored me.

"Ignorance is bliss," Sadie said. " But not when someone older and more responsible is telling you to do something, Sadie ." Zia admonished. "Ok. Ok," Sadie raised her hands in defense making her brother and parents smile. They knew she was only feigning sincerity.

"They don't know my plan," my father was saying. "By the time they figure it out—"

"And the children?" Amos asked. The hairs stood up on the back of my neck. "What about them?"

"I've made arrangements to protect them," my dad said. "Besides, if I don't do this, we're all in danger. Now, back off."

"I can't, Julius."

"Then it's a duel you want?" Dad's tone turned deadly serious. "You never could beat me, Amos."

" YAHOO, AT LAST, SOME ACTION" cried Clarisse and her father startling everyone.

As if hit by a lightening Sadie turned to Carter and said"Wait for a second, if after the red pyramid war, Amos was the second strongest magician and he could never beat Dad in combat then" "That means before this whole thing occurred Dad was the third strongest magician in the world. That is so cool" Carter ended with a smile. At that conclusion, Julius smiled proudly and Amos scowl at the Kane siblings. Ruby simply shook her head at her family's antics. No one noticed it other than Zia and Walt who tried to hide their smiles.

I hadn't seen my dad get violent since the Great Spatula Incident, and I wasn't anxious to see a repeat of that, but the two men seemed to be edging toward a fight.

" What was this great spatula fight we have been hearing about for so long if someone now says about finding out about it later, I will behead that person with my sword." Nico said angrily. " firstly you won't find about it in further chapters so we really cannot say those lines "Sadie replied ." And all you should know of this infamous spatula attack is it ended with sending lawyers from both parties, Sadie and I for intensive care in the hospital." Carter ended up making everyone wince and Ruby raised her eyebrow at her husband.

Before I could react, Sadie popped up and shouted, "Dad!"

" Noooo, you girl are a real party bummer," Clarisse said to Sadie and went back to sleep.

He looked surprised when she tackle-hugged him, but not nearly as surprised as the other guy, Amos. He backed up so quickly, he tripped over his own trench coat.

Amos blushed and everyone else laughed.

He'd taken off his glasses. I couldn't help thinking that Sadie was right. He did look familiar—like a very distant memory.

"I—I must be going," he said. He straightened his fedora and lumbered down the road.

Making room to fill with another bout of laughter.

Our dad watched him go. He kept one arm protectively around Sadie and one hand inside the workbag slung over his shoulder. Finally, when Amos disappeared around the corner, Dad relaxed. He took his hand out of the bag and smiled at Sadie. "Hello, sweetheart."

Sadie pushed away from him and crossed her arms. "Oh, now it's sweetheart, is it? You're late. Visitation Day's nearly over! And what was that about? Who's Amos, and what's the Per Ankh?"

Dad stiffened. He glanced at me like he was wondering how much we'd overheard.

"It's nothing," he said, trying to sound upbeat.

" When someone says 'it is nothing' then it is something big," Travis said conspiratorially. While Conner and surprisingly Percy nodded their heads. " Oh my Zeus, what have you both done to my boyfriend " Annabeth cried in horror making everyone laugh. Percy surprised by her outburst said, " I assure you wise girl these both have not done anything ." While the Stroll brothers feigned innocence. " I am just saying it out of the experience," he said looking at Grover and Chiron.

"I have a wonderful evening planned. Who'd like a private tour of the British Museum?"

"Wow, what a wonderful evening being sliced by a kindly one in the museum," Percy muttered bringing a smile to Grover's and Chrion's faces. " or eaten by Nemean lion" Thalia commented making Percy grin.

Sadie slumped in the back of the taxi between Dad and me.

"I can't believe it," she grumbled. "One evening together, and you want to do research."

Dad tried for a smile. "Sweetheart, it'll be fun. The curator of the Egyptian collection personally invited—"

"Right, big surprise." Sadie blew a strand of red-streaked hair out of her face. "Christmas Eve, and we're going to see some mouldy old relics from Egypt. Do you ever think about anything else?"

" MOLDY OLD RELICS! " Annabeth and Athena shouted. " THEY ARE HISTORY!" On the other hand, Percy silently mouthed to Sadie" I totally understand you"

Dad didn't get mad. He never gets mad at Sadie. He just stared out the window at the darkening sky and the rain.

"Yes," he said quietly. "I do."

Whenever Dad got quiet like that and stared off into nowhere, I knew he was thinking about our mom. The last few months, it had been happening a lot. I'd walk into our hotel room and find him with his cell phone in his hands, Mom's picture smiling up at him from the screen—her hair tucked under a headscarf, her blue eyes startlingly bright against the desert backdrop.

Or we'd be at some dig site. I'd see Dad staring at the horizon, and I'd know he was remembering how he'd met her—two young scientists in the Valley of the Kings, on a dig to discover a lost tomb. Dad was an Egyptologist. Mom was an anthropologist looking for ancient DNA. He'd told me the story a thousand times.

" AWWWWWW" Cooed Aphrodite and her daughters. Once Piper realised what she did she blushed at her inner Aphrodite. " Even though that setting was so unromantic with a tomb and all but still I will ignore it for once. " Aphrodite said causing Julius and Ruby to scowl.

Our taxi snaked its way along the banks of the Thames. Just past Waterloo Bridge, my dad tensed.

"Driver," he said. "Stop here a moment."

The cabbie pulled over on the Victoria Embankment.

"What is it, Dad?" I asked.

He got out of the cab like he hadn't heard me. When Sadie and I joined him on the sidewalk, he was staring up at Cleopatra's Needle.

In case you've never seen it: the Needle is an obelisk, not a needle, and it doesn't have anything to do with Cleopatra.

" What is an obelisk? and Why did they name it Cleopatra's needle if it has nothing to do with it." Grover asked confused

"To answer your first question an obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top and is meant to represent a frozen ray of sunlight, especially from the sun god, Ra. " Zia said." And the answer to the second question is in the book if only you would have allowed me to continue." Athena replied sternly making him gulp.

I guess the British just thought the name sounded cool when they brought it to London. It's about seventy feet tall, which would've been really impressive back in Ancient Egypt, but on the Thames, with all the tall buildings around, it looks small and sad. You could drive right by it and not even realize you'd just passed something that was a thousand years older than the city of London.

"God." Sadie walked around in a frustrated circle. "Do we have to stop for every monument?"

" I think you meant she walked in a circle frustrated. Right." Athena asked with a frown. " Yes it was meant to be that way but because someone was shouting at me it came out another way," Carter replied glaring at his sister.

My dad stared at the top of the obelisk. "I had to see it again," he murmured. "Where it happened..."

A freezing wind blew off the river. I wanted to get back in the cab, but my dad was really starting to worry me. I'd never seen him so distracted.

"What, Dad?" I asked. "What happened here?"

"The last place I saw her."

Sadie stopped pacing. She scowled at me uncertainly, then back at Dad. "Hang on. Do you mean Mum?"

" Yes, he meant me. But I don't think he stopped there because of me right." Ruby asked. " Right he stopped because I think he could see Aphopis was getting is why he seemed distracted knowing what would happen if he does not hurry," Carter replied.

Dad brushed Sadie's hair behind her ear, and she was so surprised, she didn't even push him away.

I felt like the rain had frozen me solid. Mom's death had always been a forbidden subject. I knew she'd died in an accident in London. I knew my grandparents blamed my dad. But no one would ever tell us the details. I'd given up asking my dad, partly because it made him so sad, partly because he absolutely refused to tell me anything. "When you're older" was all he would say, which was the most frustrating response ever.

" I agree with you. My mom always said that whenever I asked her about Dad. And I know all those looks when she looked at the sea lost in her thoughts. Sometimes it became frustrating." Percy replied.

"You're telling us she died here," I said. "At Cleopatra's Needle? What happened?"

He lowered his head.

"Dad!" Sadie protested. "I go past this every day, and you mean to say—all this time—and I didn't even know?"

"Do you still have your cat?" Dad asked her, which seemed like a really stupid question.

" Don't change the subject. We have been waiting so long to find out more about the story." Leo protested. " Hey, it is only the first chapter of the first book. For the whole story, you have to read the entire series." Walt stated calmly provoking cries from all around the room.

"Of course I've still got the cat!" she said. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"And your amulet?"

" Amulets? " " More in the book"

Sadie's hand went to her neck. When we were little, right before Sadie went to live with our grandparents, Dad had given us both Egyptian amulets. Mine was an Eye of Horus, which was a popular protection symbol in Ancient Egypt.

All the Greeks eyed Carter making him roll his eyes and thrust the amulet in front for them to see.

In fact my dad says the modern pharmacist's symbol is a simplified version of the Eye of Horus, because medicine is supposed to protect you.

Anyway, I always wore my amulet under my shirt, but I figured Sadie would've lost hers or thrown it away.

" Hey it was the only remainder of dad other than muffin, of course, I would keep it with me," Sadie said sadly which was very unlike her.

To my surprise, she nodded. "'Course I have it, Dad, but don't change the subject. Gran's always going on about how you caused Mum's death. That's not true, is it?"

We waited. For once, Sadie and I wanted exactly the same thing—the truth.

"Well, that will be the first of the few blue moons when the Kane siblings want the same thing. I think we should cherish these moments with a round of applause." Walt announced to which everyone except the aforementioned clapped and hooted. The Kane siblings blushed and punched him in his arms so hard it could rival WWE wrestlers.

"The night your mother died," my father started, "here at the Needle—"

A sudden flash illuminated the embankment. I turned, half blind, and just for a moment I glimpsed two figures: a tall pale man with a forked beard and wearing cream-colored robes, and a coppery-skinned girl in dark blue robes and a headscarf—the kind of clothes I'd seen hundreds of times in Egypt. They were just standing there side by side, not twenty feet away, watching us. Then the light faded. The figures melted into a fuzzy afterimage. When my eyes readjusted to the darkness, they were gone.

"Let me guess the girl wearing dark blue robes and having coppery skin were you Zia?" Piper guessed. "Yes that was Zia but I am surprised Carter you didn't add some endearing words to her description," Sadie said wriggling her eyes. Carter blushed and glared at her at the same time which was pretty hard but then he was a Kane so he managed it pretty well.

"Um..." Sadie said nervously. "Did you just see that?"

"Get in the cab," my dad said, pushing us toward the curb. "We're out of time."

From that point on, Dad clammed up.

"Oh man, I hate it when they Clam up. Dude, at least they should give a hint as to what was going to happen. At least we would not find ourselves at the doors of death so often. "Percy whined making all the gods and elders bow their heads in shame. They knew what he was saying was true but also they have to determine their fates.

"This isn't the place to talk," he said, glancing behind us. He'd promised the cabbie an extra ten pounds if he got us to the museum in under five minutes, and the cabbie was doing his best.

"Dad," I tried, "those people at the river—"

"And the other bloke, Amos," Sadie said. "Are they Egyptian police or something?"

" Wow, Sadie you were quite close to the truth even if you were guessing. " Exclaimed Amos. " Thank you, thank you" Sadie bowed to everyone like an actor does at the end of the play.

"Look, both of you," Dad said, "I'm going to need your help tonight. I know it's hard, but you have to be patient. I'll explain everything, I promise, after we get to the museum. I'm going to make everything right again."

" Why the Hades does your father give you only half-knowledge? Don't you know half knowledge is more harmful than none?" Athena exclaimed eyeing Osiris.

"What do you mean?" Sadie insisted. "Make what right?"

Dad's expression was more than sad. It was almost guilty. With a chill, I thought about what Sadie had said: about our grandparents blaming him for Mom's death. That couldn't be what he was talking about, could it?

" Well in a way it was My-Julius 's mistake that Ruby died," Osiris said. Ruby huffed and said " Don't start now the blame game. You know as well as I do it was my choice and only I am responsible for it ." Osiris simply withdrew back.

The cabbie swerved onto Great Russell Street and screeched to a halt in front of the museum's main gates.

"Just follow my lead," Dad told us. "When we meet the curator, act normal."

I was thinking that Sadie never acted normal, but I decided not to say anything.

" How dare you say I don't act normal. " " I said I was tempted to say that just like now ." " Hey, I-" "Ok stop fighting guys. we don't have our entire lifetime to finish. Continue Lady Athena. " At those words from Zia, Athena continued.

We climbed out of the cab. I got our luggage while Dad paid the driver with a big wad of cash. Then he did something strange. He threw a handful of small objects into the backseat—they looked like stones, but it was too dark for me to be sure. "Keep driving," he told the cabbie. "Take us to Chelsea."

That made no sense since we were already out of the cab, but the driver sped off. I glanced at Dad, then back at the cab, and before it turned the corner and disappeared in the dark, I caught a weird glimpse of three passengers in the backseat: a man and two kids.

" Was that magic because there is no way the cabbie could get passengers so fast? " Will said.

" Yep, that is," Bast replied.

I blinked. There was no way the cab could've picked up another fare so fast. "Dad—"

"London cabs don't stay empty very long," he said matter-of-factly. "Come along, kids."He marched off through the wrought iron gates.

For a second, Sadie and I hesitated. "Carter, what is going on?" I shook my head. "I'm not sure I want to know." "Well, stay out here in the cold if you want, but I'm not leaving without an explanation." She turned and marched after our dad. Looking back on it, I should've run. I should've dragged Sadie out of there and gotten as far away as possible. Instead, I followed her through the gates.

" I wish for once you should have listened to yourself, Carter." Sadie replied then became cheerful and said " But then we could not have embarked on those adventures right." "Yes, true" Carter shook her head at her positivity.

"Ok, the Chapter ends." Athena said ."Now, who wishes to read the next one."