Previously, on TAC...

Ahead of him, his father sat on that same pearl throne dressed in long blue robes, and to his left, a beautiful woman with flowing black hair and mocha-colored eyes sat on an identical throne. She wore a silvery iridescent gown studded with pearls. He noticed she had tiny little horns coming out of her head, like crab claws.

"I never thought I'd see the day that someone in this court uttered the words, 'Kook has a point.'"

"Hey, I'm always making good points," the boy protested good-naturedly, seemingly not so bothered by the disrespect. "Isn't that right, Prep?"

Kook's counterpart on the right looked like a typical skater–the last person in this room Percy would guess to be called "Prep." He gave a sort of half-nod, half-shrug in response. Kook turned back to his other brother and grinned. "See? Take that, Money!"

"Please take this seriously, Azaes," the woman said, rubbing her temples.

...he swallowed back his objections and forced himself to take in the grim reality that other so-called traitors were forced to live: they mined raw materials for the king, presumably for as long as they were physically fit, cast aside and completely forgotten by the powers that be.

"What does the king use this stuff for?" he asked, his throat thick with emotion. "The stuff they mine?"

Peleus shrugged. "I assume it goes to the forges of the Cyclopes," he said. "To make weapons, to build things, who knows?"

"Does…does the king send them here?"

Peleus shrugged again, tilting his head in consideration. "I don't know if he directly sends them to camps like this. I think they typically end up here because they no longer have jobs or homes once they're exiled. The king won't give them any responsibility anymore; they can't be trusted. They can't make a living. They have no other place in society. They can only fit in places like this."

"...None of Dad's other kids ever party with you?" Percy asked cautiously.

Kook's eyes bugged out. "Who–what–who are you talking about?" he asked.

Otto stumbled up to them and belched. "War be having a way of distracting folks," he said. "Ye started the war, and we finish it."

Percy felt deeply uncomfortable. He wanted to argue that he hadn't started this war, but he had a feeling that his protests would fall flat. War might have happened eventually, but if he were being honest with himself, he and Anastasia likely hastened its arrival.

"Did I ever tell you about Ariadne?" he said testily. "Beautiful young princess of Crete? She liked helping her friends, too. In fact, she helped a young hero named Theseus, also a son of Poseidon. She gave him a ball of magical thread that let him find his way out of the Labyrinth. And do you know how Theseus rewarded her?"

Percy knew he was being baited, but it was so hard to resist the urge to snap. "They got married. Happily ever after. The end."

A cruel smile spread over Dionysus's face. Somehow, Percy got the feeling that he had taken the bait. "Not quite. Theseus said he would marry her. He took her on a boat ride that was supposed to deliver them. But, halfway back, on a little island called Naxos, he–what's the word you mortals use today–he dumped her." His lips curled into a sneer. "Sound familiar?"

He finally made his way to the center of the room, where an enormous black stone reared out of the floor, engraved in tiny writing on every surface. He approached it, stopping at a plaque in front of it. The inscription read, in large, blocky, easy-to-read letters, "The Rosetta Stone."

"It's high time they put this feud behind them. There's work to be done. I just wish…"

Prep batted his eyes. "That everybody could get along?" he teased.

Melo crossed his arms. "That we could be mature about this. We are all on the same side, ultimately, so I see no point in bickering. Particularly in this fight."

"He was baiting me," Percy protested. "You heard him."

Kook ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I know," he said, "but you're going to have to learn to let shit like that roll off your back. It's not easy, I get it. We're all a little bit like that. It's Dad's nature."

"Hi there," a lilting voice said, and he turned to see a pretty blonde nereid regarding him with a coquettish smile. "You're Percy Jackson, right?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," he said.

She brushed a strand of her pin-straight hair behind her ear. "I'm Alysia. Care to dance?"

Chapter Text

"Look out, my lord!"

Percy had just enough time to propel himself downward before the great sea serpent's tail swept overhead. Eagerly, he lunged for the exposed flesh of its soft underbelly, but it twisted, causing Percy's sword to glance harmlessly off its armor-like scales. The merman whose farm the serpent was terrorizing groaned in disappointment. Frustrated, Percy jumped on top of the beast and ran along the length of its scaly back. The monster flung its head this way and that, searching for him, but he used the water around him to manage to maintain his balance.

Arriving at the head, Percy paused, bracing himself to jump. The beast paused as well, and then it did something unexpected; it dipped its head and bucked Percy off. He rolled forward through the water, and before he could right himself, he felt the chestplate that Hephaestus had forged for him constrict. The serpent had wrapped Percy in its venomous, forked tongue.

The sea snake began to slowly pull Percy in, unhinging its jaw wide as it prepared to swallow. Thinking fast, Percy pressed a hidden button on the inside of his right shoulder. The chestplate began to heat up, like a hot plate, bringing the water around him to a boil. Hissing, the serpent flinched back, releasing the demigod, and Percy slashed at the tongue. In one fell swoop, the tongue was severed, and it sank lazily while the serpent wailed in pain, rearing back its mighty head. Finally seeing an opening, Percy willed himself toward the beast's belly, driving his sword into the flesh in an overhand strike and pulling it down the entire length of the snake's body until it dissolved into yellow dust. Percy sank to the ground as the farmer cheered in relief.

"Thank Poseidon! You defeated it!" he cried.

Percy dipped his head respectfully. "Of course. Happy to help."

The merman bowed, then straightened up suddenly. "I think you missed part of it, my lord," he said, swimming toward the severed tongue lying nearby.

"Don't touch that!" Percy said quickly, cutting him off. "It's venomous. I'll take it with me."

The farmer nodded in acquiescence. "When I pled to the governor for aid," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "I had no idea I would be visited by one of the king's sons. Your presence is such a great honor."

Percy rubbed his arm. "Oh, don't mention it. It's no big deal."

"It is a big deal!" the farmer gushed. "You're a living legend! I can't believe you would take the time to visit little folks like me." His hands buzzed excitedly around his face as he talked, taking in Percy with starstruck wonder. "Please, allow me to show you the place. I have some people who would like to thank you."

"Oh, I wish I could, but I actually can't stay," Percy said. "They still need my help at the storehouse. I have unfinished business to attend to."

"Oh, right, of course," the merman said sheepishly. "At least allow me to thank you myself. Is there anything I can gift you? Anything at all to help you on your quest?"

"Um," Percy mused, looking at the tongue, "do you have a bag? And, maybe…gloves? Or something?"

Moments later, he was flying across Tor's territory with a new pair of garden gloves and a large woven bag stuffed with monster tongue. He could see the source of his problem from a mile out: an enormous crab the size of Godzilla was clinging to a large, tall silo full of food reserves, snapping its claws at anyone who tried to get close. As he drew nearer, the tiny specks that seemed to buzz around the monster like flies came into focus as merwarriors, desperately trying to keep the beast occupied but unable to pierce its thick, bright orange shell. Percy was the only person who could hope to get close enough to its face to inflict enough damage to kill it; he just had to trust he could be quick enough.

He parked his chariot about a football field away, hoisting the bag onto his shoulder and shooting toward the base of the silo as stealthily as he could. Unfortunately, with a loud shriek, the monster turned its crusty gaze downward and fixed its beady eyes on him. With a weary sigh, he pivoted tactics, serpentining his way through the distance between himself and the beast to avoid being impaled as it stabbed at him with its claws. Once he was directly underneath, he reached a gloved hand inside the bag, steeled himself, and exhaled sharply. Then, he shot straight up at blinding speed, stopping directly in front of the monster's face, and threw the venomous tongue into its tiny maw before the beast could have a chance to react. It fumbled in its grip along the side of the silo, slipping a few feet, then shook its head and spat out the tongue. Percy felt the water whoosh past his head as he ducked, narrowly missing being beheaded by the deadly missile before it stuck to the side of the silo with a splat! The beast shuddered. Slowly, its legs shriveled up into itself, and it fell from the side of the barn and crashed to the ground with a monstrous thud. It twitched once, then was still.

Once the crab had turned to dust, Percy gracefully let himself sink to the ground as merpeople crowded around him, clamoring their gratitude, intermittently bowing reverently and shouting their praises. He tried to shrug it off.

"Let me through, let me through," one merman in particular muttered as he elbowed his way to the front. Arriving before Percy, he bowed.

"My lord."

"Rise, Mayor," he said, reaching out to shake his hand. "That thing won't be bothering you anymore."

"I certainly hope not," he agreed. "Thank you, Lord Percy. When we sent up a distress signal, I had no idea one of the king's sons would answer the call."

Percy shrugged. "Who did you think they would send?"

The mayor exchanged an uncomfortable glance with a merwarrior standing behind him and responded, "Let's just say this has exceeded even my wildest expectations."

He nodded in understanding. "Well, luckily, the governors forward some of these distress signals my way. I try to make it a point to visit villages in need whenever I have free time."

He dipped his head. "That is very generous of you, sir."

"I wish it could be more." He turned to examine the silo. "How bad is the damage, do you think?" he asked.

"Oh, don't worry about that," the right-hand merwarrior said, waving his concern away. "That's an easy fix for us."

"I can help," he insisted.

"You've already done more than enough," she countered.

The mayor nodded fervently. "Please, Lord Percy," he urged, "do not feel obligated to do more. We are in your debt. How can we possibly repay you?"

Percy drew back. "You don't have to repay me, of course. I'm just doing my job."

He shook his head in earnest. "We must repay you for your great kindness."

Percy held up his hands. "Really, I insist–"

"We don't have much," the mayor fretted. "But we have some gold and some jewels scavenged from shipwrecks long ago, if that interests you."

"Some heroes desire riches," the merwarrior chipped in. "Others desire favors, or women–"

"Whoa!" Percy cut in, eyes wide. "No, look, I'm not asking for anything. You don't have to give me anything."

The mayor's mouth twitched into a slight frown. Displeased, he said, "It is dishonorable to allow a hero to go unthanked. Please allow us to repay our debt."

He rubbed the back of his neck, taking in all of the eager faces around him. He couldn't think of a single thing he would feel comfortable taking from these people. "Listen, I don't mean to disrespect you, there's just nothing I want." He scrunched his face up in thought. "I guess…do you guys have anything I can eat?"

The mayor's eyes lit up. "Food! Yes! And libations!"

Percy perked up. "Yes, that," he said ardently.

Grinning, the mayor clapped twice. "Tonight, we feast!"

Luckily, the mayor had seemed to pick up on Percy's enthusiasm for the mention of drinks. All night long, the wine flowed in a continuous stream from the hands of servants to Percy's airlocked goblet as the celebratory party raged. The mayor had seemingly managed to cram every person in town into one merman's large barn, and each person made it a point to personally approach and thank Percy. Before any food had even been set before him, Percy was already feeling social fatigue.

"You are well-loved, son of the sea god," the mayor said to him at one point between bites of seaweed stew. "It means the world to my citizens that you're here with us now."

Percy's face flushed. "Really? That's nice," he forced out, embarrassed. "I never know, really, what people will think of me."

The merman looked at Percy with sympathy. "You should know that I haven't met a single person who doesn't think highly of you. The tales of your heroism far outnumber the tales of any past wrongdoing."

Percy stirred his stew idly. "Thanks."

"I had no idea you were so humble," the mayor continued, taking a sip of his wine. "To eat and drink and make merry with us, asking for nothing more in return…"

Shrugging, Percy replied, "I like getting to know people. And learning more about my father's kingdom." He drank his wine slowly, sitting back in his chair and turning toward his new companion. "Tell me about your village," he said, eliciting a gleam from the merman's eye.

It was late by the time the party ended, but Percy had too much he wanted to do around the palace city to justify spending the night out in the countryside. He thanked the villagers, helped them clean up, and sped through the province to the Cyclopes' dormitories in the capital city. He pulled out the makeshift kelp cot that he kept stashed under Tyson's bed and was covering it with blankets when his brother arrived.

"Percy's here, everybody!" Tyson cried out, suffocating Percy in a hug amidst a chorus of cheers.

The two boys talked well into the night, Percy recalling his latest adventures to Tyson and apprising him of Annabeth's life updates. The young Cyclopes' latest obsession was puzzles, and Tyson eagerly showed Percy the dorm's puzzle table. Tyson was apparently the most talented puzzler there.

"When I'm not making swords, of course," he said bashfully.

They stayed up into the early hours of the morning, not wanting their reunion to end, but eventually, sleep got the better of them. When Percy awoke, Tyson was gone, hard at work in the forges.

He had half a day to kill before he was supposed to meet Atlas, but he already knew what he wanted to do. He spent every second of downtime at the Rosetta Stone, practicing his languages. He was pretty damn advanced in Russian, and fairly proficient in Spanish and French. With some reacquainting, his Latin was coming back, and he wanted to be able to listen to a collection of Latin audiobooks in Atlas's library that were comprised of firsthand accounts of his father's exploits told by people he met and interacted with in antiquity. The first few times he had visited the Stone, it had felt strange and unfamiliar to be actively seeking to spend free time at the library, but he had since stopped thinking that hard about it. It just felt pleasant to him to be good at something unexpected.

As always, the time he spent there flew by. Before he knew it, the alarm on his watch sounded, and he took off toward Atlas's sanctum.

Another meeting. Another lecture. Another sand dollar.

He could hardly wait to get to Kook's manor when he was through. He bolted straight for the gym while the butler went to inform his brother of his arrival, setting into their usual workout routine against the sounds of Kook's classic rock playlist and the inexplicable oceanic white noise. After about half an hour, another servant found him again and ushered him toward a door along the edge of the gym that Percy had never opened before. When he walked through, the sight before him took his breath away; it was like an enormous indoor wave pool, but with real ocean water against a sandy shore. It was as if someone took a sliver of the sea and transported it to this facility. Shredding through a barrel on his golden surfboard was none other than Kook himself, in the middle of riding out a massive wave he had created for his own amusement. He grinned and nodded at Percy once he noticed him, sticking out his pinky and thumb and waving his hand in the cowabunga motion.

"Hop in, Perce! Let's see what you've got!"

Eagerly, Percy summoned his chariot surfboard and ran up to the edge of the water, then hesitated, grasping the end of his shirt between his fingers. He debated inwardly: he probably wouldn't ever be submerged in this water, so it likely wasn't necessary to take it off, but if something unexpected happened he would hate to have a painful incident in front of his brother. On the other hand, Kook was immortal, so there wasn't any real reason why he couldn't take it off. Kook himself was shirtless, riding the waves in his board shorts. After a moment's deliberation, he pulled his shirt off and stuck it in his back pocket.

"Next one's yours," Kook told him as soon as he paddled out. "Ready?"

"Uh, yeah," Percy said, sitting up. Before he knew it, the water began to pull backward, collecting. He paddled forward to stay abreast of the rising wave, then hoisted himself onto his feet as it broke, letting the board respond to his will as an extension of his body. For a few glorious seconds while he was coursing through the wave, he felt pure exhilaration, like he was on top of the world. Nothing brought him more peace while making him feel so alive.

He let Kook give him tips and teach him tricks, drinking in every word from the godly boy's lips. He couldn't help but think that his brother had never seemed so cool.

At one point, eager to try out what he was learning, Percy swam forward to take a wave once he felt the familiar tug of the ocean. Suddenly, his progress halted, and his board was pulled abruptly backward. Kook swam ahead of him and wagged his finger.

"No, no, no," he said disapprovingly, "never steal a wave from a more experienced surfer. That's just basic etiquette."

Percy's face grew hot. "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Kook shook his head playfully. "Seems like you're the kook now, huh?"

"The-the what?" Percy stammered.

"You know, the kook," he replied. Percy furrowed his brow, confused. It seemed like Kook was using his own name as an insult, which didn't make sense. Kook gave Percy a playful but critical look. "You do know what a kook is, right?"

"Um, no."

Kook threw his head back with a loud "ha!" Stifling his chuckles, he said, "That, in a way, is very kooky of you."

"Oh," was all Percy could say. "What does it mean?"

"It means someone who doesn't know what they're doing, and they're so unaware that they don't even realize that they don't know what they're doing," Kook explained. "It's like a surfer's way of calling someone dumb and inexperienced."

Percy shook his head in surprise. "That sounds awful. Why do people call you that?"

Kook chuckled dryly, staring out at the water as if it were the real sea. "Percy, do you ever get the feeling that people treat you like a dumbass? Like a kid who can't be trusted to do anything and doesn't know any better?"

Percy blinked. "Yes, actually. All the time."

Kook nodded. "Yeah, I figured."

"Gee, thanks," Percy muttered.

"No," Kook protested, then laughed again. "No, not like that. I just mean that I've been treated like that for my whole life, basically. And you and I are a lot alike." He turned his gaze back to Percy, his mouth curved upwards like everything was fine, but his eyes serious and heavy. "I'm one of the youngest in my family. In my little slice of Dad's family, I'm basically the runt. Prep and I. And he's quieter than I am, sort of a go-with-the-flow guy. So, it was always me who was putting his foot in his mouth and doing everything wrong, somehow, and never being taken seriously." He ran a hand through his shaggy black hair. "People talk down to me a lot. I'm not actually that stupid, you know."

Percy nodded. "I know what you mean. I get that all the time."

"Yeah," Kook said, smiling sympathetically, "you and I, we're simple guys. I mean, we're smart in our own way, but we're athletic guys. We're not academics like Encyclopedia and Melo, or businessmen like Fairy and Money. We're good at fighting bad guys, and people start to think that's all we're capable of."

"Yeah," Percy mused.

Kook cracked his knuckles. "That's why I decided to lean into it. If people are going to think what they want to think, then I might as well have fun with it."

"Let it roll off your back," Percy chimed in.

Kook beamed. "Exactly! It takes the sting out of it if you just decide not to care."

Percy sighed deeply. "I wish I could just decide not to care," he said wistfully.

"It takes some practice," Kook said, "but time spent on the water helps mellow me out."

Percy smiled to himself. That didn't sound like a bad idea.

They surfed until the day was over, and Kook forced Percy to drink an entire seaweed powder and protein smoothie before he would allow Percy to come with him to the bar.

"It's one you've never been to, I think," he explained. "It's in Fairy's territory. It's a little…fruitier than you might be used to."

In the middle of a tiki bar, sipping rum out of a pineapple and surrounded by tropical flowers and colorful lighting, Percy realized Kook was right. This was not a place where one would go to drink hard liquor, like one of Cannonball's bars. Percy balked thinking of how many shots he would have to take just to feel something.

"A round of flaming rum," Otto announced, as if reading his mind, setting down a tray full of shots on the table. The tiki bar was mostly in an open water courtyard, but the sons of Poseidon had their own special section in an airsealed hut to the side. Percy wasn't sure how Otto had lit the shots on fire between the bar outside and the hut, especially with a hook, but he didn't question it. He waited until he saw Kook raise his glass to his lips, and then he downed his own without hesitation.

Cannonball guffawed as Money coughed his down. "Don't tell me ye be hurting already," he jeered.

Money chased his shot with pineapple juice and winced. "Not at all. I love doing that," he claimed.

"Lay off of him," Fairy said with a flourish of his hand. "It's been a while since we went hard."

"And whose fault be that?" Otto retorted. Fairy and Money shared a dark look between each other.

Eli and Tor groaned in unison. "No," Tor said, "we ain't doin' that tonight, of all nights."

"Take that shit outside," Eli agreed.

"Oh, I'm not doing anything," Money said, placing an offended hand on his chest.

"This is my bar," Fairy griped. "I'll stay where I please."

"Yeah. If you want to start unpleasantness, then you leave," Money added, glancing around him judgmentally.

Prep rolled his eyes. "Come on, you guys. Not in front of the half-blood, okay?" he joked good-naturedly.

Tor grinned devilishly. "Yeah, y'all don't wanna act all unsightly in front of a half-blood, do you?"

The yacht club twins and the pirate twins looked down into their drinks, their irritation palpable.

"Oh, you guys don't have to worry about me," Percy said, shifting uncomfortably. "No need to stop on my account."

"It doesn't matter," Fairy insisted, stirring his daiquiri with a curly straw. "We've buried the hatchet."

"Indeed," Cannonball said without looking up. "Thar be more important things ahead."

Eli grinned devilishly at Percy, taking a sip of beer without removing his smug eyes from Percy's face. "Why d'you gotta cramp everybody's style, Runt?" he teased.

"It's the only thing that brings me joy anymore," he deadpanned in response.

The men blinked. He looked around him at their stunned faces. Eli was the first to throw his head back in laughter, roaring from deep in his gut.

"This kid!" he hollered. Shaking Tor's shoulder, he said, "Did you hear that?"

Percy smothered the urge to smile, instead forcing himself to lean into the bit. "Yeah, what can I say," he said nonchalantly, "ruining your fun is my passion."

Fairy snickered into his drink as his twin rolled his eyes. "Did you train him to do that, Kook?" he asked dryly.

"I'm jus' glad he finally learned how to take a joke," Eli boomed, his voice overpowering all the others as he wiped a mirthful tear from his eye.

"Oh, Percy can take a joke," Kook said, shooting Percy a subtle wink as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "And he's not a buzzkill. If it weren't for him, you'd be fighting monsters out in the sticks right now."

Tor shrugged. "Well, now, that's true." He rested his elbow on Eli's shoulder and nodded at Percy. "Thanks fer takin' care of that shit fer me. I had too much on my plate, what with the de-cler-i-ation tomorrow and all."

"It's kinda nice to have a half-blood around again, I reckon," Eli mused. "There used to always be a few around to take care of all the odd jobs."

"Yeah, half-bloods love going on missions and quests and stuff," Prep chimed in. "It's, like, what they live for."

"Yeah, they're so eager," Eli agreed with a chuckle.

Tor put on a mocking tone, saying, "They're like, 'Look, I killed a monster!'"

"Daddy, are you proud of me?'" Eli chimed in on top of Tor's words, the two of them caricaturing heroes in unison.

Kook reared his head back in laughter with the others, then shot a pitying glance toward Percy. "Sorry, Runt. But we've all been there."

"Yeah, pay yer dues," Eli ribbed, elbowing Percy.

Percy rolled his eyes but said nothing. He looked hesitantly up at Kook as the older boy began reminiscing heroes past with the other governors, gesticulating so broadly that his drink threatened to slosh over the edges of his coconut. He wanted to ask him whether the declaration their father was planning to make tomorrow morning would change anything, but he couldn't find the right words. And, deep down, he feared the answer.

"You're insane if you think Theseus was cooler than Jason," Kook exclaimed, pointing a finger at Money.

"Well, then fit me for a straightjacket," Money retorted. Even Otto humphed in amusement.

Kook flung his arms out. "He was a dick!" Thumping his twin on the arm, he said, "Come on, Prep, back me up."

"No, yeah, he was definitely full of himself," Prep offered.

"With good reason," Fairy countered, stirring his fruity cocktail. "I thought he brought a certain poise to our reputation."

"Fuck yer poise," Eli scoffed.

"Yeah," Kook agreed, "we're still undoing the damage he did to our reputation."

Percy found himself nodding in agreement.

To his chagrin, Kook noticed and seemed energized by his acquiescence. "See? Even the runt over here knows what I'm talking about. That dude sucked."

Prep caught Percy's eye, and with a knowing, conspiratory look, he said, "Not a chill hang?"

"NOT a chill hang!" Kook exploded, and Prep raised his eyebrows at Percy as if they were sharing an inside joke. Percy stifled his own laughter.

Suddenly, the door to the hut burst open, and Atlas and Melo strode in. With wide eyes, Percy's head swung from the eldest twins to the rest of the group. A couple of the men seemed surprised but not alarmed. Kook and Eli seemed thrilled. No one seemed as put off by the expressions on the oldest two brothers' faces as Percy felt.

Kook gasped in glee. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Are y'all here to celly-brate with us tonight?" Eli asked, holding up his beer.

Carefully, with strained calm, Melo said, "Not exactly. We are here because we have news." He placed a hand on Atlas's shoulder and, searching his eyes, added, "Perhaps afterward, we will stay for one drink."

"News?" Cannonball asked, standing to his feet.

Atlas held up his hands. "I want to preface this by saying that there is no reason to worry; everything has been handled. She is safe and sound."

By now, the laughter had drained from everyone's faces. Eli slammed his beer back onto the table without breaking eye contact with his eldest brother.

"She?" he said. "You don't mean Mel, do you?"

Fire blazing in Otto's eyes, he waved his hook in the air. "What happened to the lass?"

Money balled his hands into fists beside his twin. "If Try-Hard let anything hurt her, I'll kill him."

Wincing, Fairy said, "Well, not–"

"I'd find a way!"

"Not if I kill him first!" Kook exclaimed, cracking his knuckles, his biceps bulging with the effort.

Melo waved his hands above his head. "Peace, men. She is unharmed."

"Then why are y'all scarin' us?" Tor pled. "Jus' tell us what happened."

"Yes, what happened to her?" Fairy prodded, his features etched with concern.

Atlas and Melo first glanced at each other, then Percy, their leaden eyes resting on him with tremendous weight. He felt every head in the room turn to face him.

Helpless, he turned to Kook and asked, "Who is this 'Mel'?"

Kook put a hand on his shoulder and regarded him with pity. "Wait outside at the bar, Perce," he said gently. "I'll come find you in a minute."

Reluctantly, Percy slunk back out to the courtyard, pulling off his shirt. He waited to get the bartender's attention while a merman with slicked back hair and a headset with a conch shell against his ear was talking her ear off.

"I'm telling you, this is the future of warfare," he was saying. "We're leaving money on the table. It's time we get with the times, you know what I'm saying?"

Noticing Percy, she started to give him an apologetic smile, then did a double take. "I apologize for keeping you waiting, Lord Perseus," she said, dipping her head.

"Oh, no, it's fine," he responded. "Just a rum and pineapple, please."

The merman gave him a greasy smile. "Say, son of the sea god," he began, "how would you like to make your father's kingdom even richer?"

"Uh, I don't know," he said, looking away from the businessman's eyes.

Even without looking, he could tell the merman was offended. "What, you don't like money? You afraid of money? Who doesn't like money." He rested his elbow on the table, turning his whole body to face Percy. "Or maybe you just don't want the king to have it."

Frustrated, Percy turned to face him as well. "I'm not saying that. I just don't have his ear when it comes to business."

The merman shrugged. "Well, maybe you know someone who does, eh?" He held out a hand. "Misenus. Pleasure to meet you."

Percy hesitated, then reluctantly shook the man's hand. Misenus gripped his like it was a competition.

"So, son of the sea god, get a load of this," he began, holding up a finger on each hand: "our Cyclopes make some of the finest weapons in sea or land, do they not?"

Percy nodded.

"And good thing they do," Misenus said with a twinkle in his eye, "because that means the king doesn't have to buy them or owe anybody a debt for giving them to him. No expense to be had."

"Yeah…" Percy trailed off. He was with him so far.

Misenus rubbed his hands together. "Well, word on the reef is, things aren't looking too good up on the surface. They're about to be as deep in swords and spears as we are, don't you think?"

Percy's eyes narrowed. "We're not at war yet."

"But soon, yes?" the merman insisted, waving his hands. "You would know better than anyone, would you not? There's a storm brewing on the horizon." Misenus drummed his fingers on the table, leaning his face in to speak to Percy with his voice low. "And where there's war, there's demand for weapons."

Percy furrowed his brow. "So, you want us to supply weapons to the gods? Made in the forges of the Cyclopes?"

Misenus smacked the table. "It's brilliant, no? Their workmanship is unparalleled, even, dare I say, by the workers of Hephaestus. The king, in his generosity, occasionally authorizes the Cyclopes to make weapons for his Olympic family for free. But I'm sure people would pay top dollar for our swords and shields and armor and other whatnot–and on a much larger scale."

Percy realized the bartender had dropped off his drink, and he pulled it toward himself slowly. "I don't know," he mused, "the Cyclopes are having trouble keeping up with demand as it is. I think this might be adding too much to their plate."

Misenus waved his hand dismissively. "Then we'll just recruit more Cyclopes to meet demand. Those we have are only a fraction of those in existence. Poseidon knows, there's plenty of brutes out there on the surface who go unfound for, likely, their entire lives. We could put them to use and expand."

Percy's eyes narrowed. He had to physically bite the insides of his cheeks to keep from lashing out.

"Think about it," Misenus said, reaching out to touch Percy's wrist, his eyes hungry. "The traitors in exile harvest the raw materials at no cost to the king, as you know. The Cyclopes forge those materials into weapons for very modest compensation. So, if a consulting company like mine were to, say, negotiate deals with surface-dwellers to buy those weapons, then the king would be looking at astronomical profit. Apart from our fee, every last bit would go to his pocket. Only a fool wouldn't see the potential in such an industry."

Percy drew his hand back, squinting up at the man's electrified face. "I don't think an industry built off of unpaid labor is worth pursuing."

"No, no, you didn't listen," Misenus insisted, "the Cyclopes are paid. They're paid commensurate with what their brainpower merits. Increasing their ranks would be an added expense, certainly, but nothing compared to the profits I'm projecting."

"I don't just mean the Cyclopes," Percy said, seething.

The merman blinked. "What, you mean the criminals?"

Percy felt his eye twitch. "Yeah. I mean the criminals."

Misenus shook his head. "My boy, we don't have to pay them. They are paying their debt to society, are they not? It's part of their sentence."

"No, it isn't," Percy countered, tasting the rush of his pulsing blood in his mouth. "Traitors are exiled. They aren't imprisoned or serving sentences that require labor. There is no expiration date on their time in the camps."

Misenus tilted his head, and for once, he seemed genuinely at a loss for words. "Are…you sure?" he finally asked.

Percy slowly lifted his chin, seeing red. "You dare ask if I'm sure?"

Misenus stiffened, as if a chill had gone down his spine. He leaned backward in his seat, carefully keeping his eyes on Percy's face, but Percy could see the veins bulging from his neck. He knew where the merman wanted to look.

"Let me explain something to you," Percy growled, his voice low. He swore he saw Misenus gulp. "I know your type. I come from a city full of people like you. I could sit here and waste my time explaining to you how the system you're describing is inhumane, and how morally bankrupt it is to exploit all of the vulnerable people you'd like to take advantage of, but you're not worth the breath." He looked the merman up and down in contempt, his lip curling. "Get out of here."

Hurriedly, Misenus pushed himself away from the bar.

"Leave your drink," Percy commanded sharply, prompting the businessman to instantly comply. "Now, get out of my sight."

Finally alone, Percy rested his elbows on the bar and tried to relax his shoulders. He felt a tugging in his gut, and he hoped without checking that the water around him was not responding to his anger. Breathing deeply, he reached to the side and pulled Misenus's drink toward him.

Calm.

The bartender timidly approached him. "Are you okay, Lord Perseus?" she asked.

"That man is never to return here," he said gruffly, raising his head. "Do you understand me?" He waited until she nodded vigorously. "He's not welcome. Put him on the no-serve list."

"Yes, my lord," she muttered, nodding and swimming briskly away.

Percy raised Misenus's seltzer to his lips. He didn't particularly care for it. He drank every last drop.

Eventually, his brooding was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder, and he flinched, jerking away.

"Whoa!" Kook said. Breathing a regretful sigh, Percy held up his hands.

"I'm sorry," he said shakily. "I'm just tense."

"Yeah, us too," Kook said, sitting on the stool beside him. "I hope you're not upset that we had to kick you out back there."

"No, it's fine," Percy said.

"We're a family with a lot of secrets," Kook said suggestively, trailing off as his fingers drummed against his thigh. "There are things that most half-bloods don't get to know."

Percy nodded bitterly. "Sure."

Kook ran a hand through his shaggy black hair. "But not every half-blood who comes along puts in the time or the work to become one of us," he continued. "Not everyone puts himself out there and proves his commitment and cares, you know what I mean?"

Percy looked curiously up at his brother. A knowing smile was playing at the corners of Kook's lips. Percy couldn't help but feel his hope rising.

"Percy," Kook said finally, "I think there's someone it's time for you to meet."

Moments later, waiting in the Salty Lass for his brother to determine the coast was clear, Percy's heart was racing a mile a minute. Whoever this person was, he evidently would have to meet her in his father's palace–a place to which he was pretty sure he did not have free access. What had begun as such a typical underwater weekend for him had ended up going sideways near the end. He had no idea what to expect.

Suddenly, Kook reappeared in a flurry of bubbles, and, grabbing Percy's arm, he whisked him to a place he had never been before.

He recognized the familiar architecture of his father's palace, but he had never seen bedchambers so lavish. The walls were adorned with woven kelp tapestries, and hanging from the ceiling, a beautiful pearl-studded chandelier lit the room. Against the back wall, the most enormous bed he had ever seen sprawled out before him, decorated with dozens of colorful pillows. Three nereids in flowing royal gowns sat on their knees near the end of the bed, and several figures huddled around its edge, including Atlas, Fairy, and three other nereids. He realized he recognized one of the nereids on the bed as the girl he had danced with the first time he had visited the Salty Lass. There were two figures sitting on the edge of the bed in their midst, but Percy couldn't see them clearly through the throng.

Fairy looked up and, noticing the two newcomers, nudged Atlas. The older man stood up and turned to face them, beckoning them closer. Kook steered Percy forward.

"This is your idea, mind you," he warned Kook as they approached. "Not mine. I will not cover for him if asked."

"I understand," Kook said.

Sharing a glance at each other, Atlas and Fairy stepped aside, and Percy saw sitting at the edge of the bed a young girl with an older Nereid's arm wrapped around her shoulders. The girl couldn't have been much older than ten or eleven, and the Nereid who was softly scolding her beside her somehow seemed to be in her fifties or so. He didn't know Nereids could appear old. The girl had legs, like the nereids, and she also had small red horns peeking out of her temples, like baby crab claws.

Kook stepped forward and knelt beside the girl, placing a hand on her knee. "Mel? There's a new friend here to meet you."

The girl looked up at Percy, and he felt his heart stop for an instant. Her sea green eyes seemed so familiar, along with her long black hair and olive-toned skin.

"His name is Percy Jackson," Kook said softly, "and he's a half-blood." Kook looked at Percy with an encouraging grin. "Percy, this is our godly sister, Meleda."

She smiled hopefully at him, her eyes lighting up, and Percy fell in love.