I GET A NEM ENEMY FOR CHRISTMAS
Before I left Olympus, I decided to make a few calls. It wasnโt easy, but I finally found a quiet fountain in a corner garden and sent an Iris- message to my brother, Tyson, under the sea. I told him about our adventures, and Bessieโhe wanted to hear every detail about the cute baby cow serpentโand I assured him that Annabeth was safe. Finally I got around to explaining how the shield heโd made me last summer had been damaged in the manticore attack.
โYay!โ Tyson said. โThat means it was good! It saved your life!โ โIt sure did, big guy,โ I said. โBut now itโs ruined.โ
โNot ruined!โ Tyson promised. โI will visit and fix it next summer.โ
The idea picked me up instantly. I guess I hadnโt realized how much I missed having Tyson around.
โSeriously?โ I asked. โTheyโll let you take time off ?โ
โYes! I have made two thousand seven hundred and forty-one magic swords,โ Tyson said proudly, showing me the newest blade. โThe boss says โgood workโ! He will let me take the whole summer off. I will visit camp!โ
We talked for a while about war preparations and our dadโs fight with the old sea gods, and all the cool things we could do together next summer, but then Tysonโs boss started yelling at him and he had to get back to work.
I dug out my last golden drachma and made one more Iris-message. โSally Jackson,โ I said. โUpper East Side, Manhattan.โ
The mist shimmered, and there was my mom at our kitchen table, laughing and holding hands with her friend Mr. Blowfish.
I felt so embarrassed, I was about to wave my hand through the mist and cut the connection, but before I could, my mom saw me.
Her eyes got wide. She let go of Mr. Blowfishโs hand real quick. โOh, Paul! You know what? I left my writing journal in the living room. Would you mind getting it for me?โ
โSure, Sally. No problem.โ
He left the room, and instantly my mom leaned toward the Iris- message. โPercy! Are you all right?โ
โIโm, uh, fine. Howโs that writing seminar going?โ
She pursed her lips. โItโs fine. But thatโs not important. Tell me whatโs happened!โ
I filled her in as quickly as I could. She sighed with relief when she heard that Annabeth was safe.
โI knew you could do it!โ she said. โIโm so proud.โ
โYeah, well, Iโd better let you get back to your homework.โ โPercy, IโฆPaul and Iโโ
โMom, are you happy?โ
The question seemed to take her by surprise. She thought for a moment. โYes. I really am, Percy. Being around him makes me happy.โ
โThen itโs cool. Seriously. Donโt worry about me.โ
The funny thing was, I meant it. Considering the quest Iโd just had, maybe I should have been worried for my mom. Iโd seen just how mean people could be to each other, like Hercules was to Zoรซ Nightshade, like Luke was to Thalia. Iโd met Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, in person, and her powers had scared me worse than Ares. But seeing my mother laughing and smiling, after all the years sheโd suffered with my nasty ex- stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, I couldnโt help feeling happy for her.
โYou promise not to call him Mr. Blowfish?โ she asked. I shrugged. โWell, maybe not to his face, anyway.โ
โSally?โ Mr. Blofis called from our living room. โYou need the green binder or the red one?โ
โIโd better go,โ she told me. โSee you for Christmas?โ โAre you putting blue candy in my stocking?โ
She smiled. โIf youโre not too old for that.โ โIโm never too old for candy.โ
โIโll see you then.โ
She waved her hand across the mist. Her image disappeared, and I thought to myself that Thalia had been right, so many days ago at Westover Hall: my mom really was pretty cool.
Compared to Mount Olympus, Manhattan was quiet. Friday before Christmas, but it was early in the morning, and hardly anyone was on Fifth Avenue. Argus, the many-eyed security chief, picked up Annabeth, Grover, and me at the Empire State Building and ferried us back to camp through a light snowstorm. The Long Island Expressway was almost deserted.
As we trudged back up Half-Blood Hill to the pine tree where the Golden Fleece glittered, I half expected to see Thalia there, waiting for us. But she wasnโt. She was long gone with Artemis and the rest of the Hunters, off on their next adventure.
Chiron greeted us at the Big House with hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches. Grover went off with his satyr friends to spread the word about our strange encounter with the magic of Pan. Within an hour, the satyrs were all running around agitated, asking where the nearest espresso bar was.
Annabeth and I sat with Chiron and some of the other senior campers
โBeckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers. Even Clarisse from the Ares cabin was there, back from her secretive scouting mission. I knew she mustโve had a difficult quest, because she didnโt even try to pulverize me. She had a new scar on her chin, and her dirty blond hair had been cut short and ragged, like someone had attacked it with a pair of safety scissors.
โI got news,โ she mumbled uneasily. โBadย news.โ
โIโll fill you in later,โ Chiron said with forced cheerfulness. โThe important thing is you have prevailed. And you saved Annabeth!โ
Annabeth smiled at me gratefully, which made me look away.
For some strange reason, I found myself thinking about Hoover Dam, and the odd mortal girl Iโd run into there, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I didnโt
know why, but her annoying comments kept coming back to me.ย Do you always kill people when they blow their nose?ย I was only alive because so many people had helped me, even a random mortal girl like that. Iโd never even explained to her who I was.
โLuke is alive,โ I said. โAnnabeth was right.โ Annabeth sat up. โHow do you know?โ
I tried not to feel annoyed by her interest. I told her what my dad had said about theย Princess Andromeda.
โWell.โ Annabeth shifted uncomfortably in her chair. โIf the final battle does come when Percy is sixteen, at least we have two more years to figure something out.โ
I had a feeling that when she said โfigure something out,โ she meant โget Luke to change his ways,โ which annoyed me even more.
Chironโs expression was gloomy. Sitting by the fire in his wheelchair, he looked really old. I meanโฆheย wasย really old, but he usually didnโt look it.
โTwo years may seem like a long time,โ he said. โBut it is the blink of an eye. I still hope you are not the child of the prophecy, Percy. But if you are, then the second Titan war is almost upon us. Kronosโs first strike will be here.โ
โHow do you know?โ I asked. โWhy would he care about camp?โ โBecause the gods use heroes as their tools,โ Chiron said simply.
โDestroy the tools, and the gods will be crippled. Lukeโs forces will come
here. Mortal, demigod, monstrousโฆWe must be prepared. Clarisseโs news may give us a clue as to how they will attack, butโโ
There was a knock on the door, and Nico di Angelo came huffing into the parlor, his cheeks bright red from the cold.
He was smiling, but he looked around anxiously. โHey! Whereโsโฆ whereโs my sister?โ
Dead silence. I stared at Chiron. I couldnโt believe nobody had told him yet. And then I realized why. Theyโd been waiting for us to appear, to tell Nico in person.
That was the last thing I wanted to do. But I owed it to Bianca.
โHey, Nico.โ I got up from my comfortable chair. โLetโs take a walk, okay? We need to talk.โ
He took the news in silence, which somehow made it worse. I kept talking, trying to explain how it had happened, how Bianca had sacrificed herself to save the quest. But I felt like I was only making things worse.
โShe wanted you to have this.โ I brought out the little god figurine Bianca had found in the junkyard. Nico held it in his palm and stared at it.
We were standing at the dining pavilion, just where weโd last spoken before I went on the quest. The wind was bitter cold, even with the campโs magical weather protection. Snow fell lightly against the marble steps. I figured outside the camp borders, there must be a blizzard happening.
โYou promised you would protect her,โ Nico said.
He might as well have stabbed me with a rusty dagger. It wouldโve hurt less than reminding me of my promise.
โNico,โ I said. โI tried. But Bianca gave herself up to save the rest of us. I told her not to. But sheโโ
โYou promised!โ
He glared at me, his eyes rimmed with red. He closed his small fist around the god statue.
โI shouldnโt have trusted you.โ His voice broke. โYou lied to me. My nightmares were right!โ
โWait. What nightmares?โ
He flung the god statue to the ground. It clattered across the icy marble. โI hate you!โ
โShe might be alive,โ I said desperately. โI donโt know for sureโโ โSheโs dead.โ He closed his eyes. His whole body trembled with rage.
โI shouldโve known it earlier. Sheโs in the Fields of Asphodel, standing
before the judges right now, being evaluated. I can feel it.โ โWhat do you mean, you can feel it?โ
Before he could answer, I heard a new sound behind me. A hissing, clattering noise I recognized all too well.
I drew my sword and Nico gasped. I whirled and found myself facing four skeleton warriors. They grinned fleshless grins and advanced with
swords drawn. I wasnโt sure how theyโd made it inside the camp, but it didnโt matter. Iโd never get help in time.
โYouโre trying to kill me!โ Nico screamed. โYou brought theseโฆ these things?โ
โNo! I mean, yes, they followed me, butย no! Nico, run. They canโt be destroyed.โ
โI donโt trust you!โ
The first skeleton charged. I knocked aside its blade, but the other three kept coming. I sliced one in half, but immediately it began to knit back together. I knocked anotherโs head off but it just kept fighting.
โRun, Nico!โ I yelled. โGet help!โ โNo!โ He pressed his hands to his ears.
I couldnโt fight four at once, not if they wouldnโt die. I slashed, whirled, blocked, jabbed, but they just kept advancing. It was only a matter of seconds before the zombies overpowered me.
โNo!โ Nico shouted louder.ย โGo away!โ
The ground rumbled beneath me. The skeletons froze. I rolled out of the way just as a crack opened at the feet of the four warriors. The ground ripped apart like a snapping mouth. Flames erupted from the fissure, and the earth swallowed the skeletons in one loudย CRUNCH!
Silence.
In the place where the skeletons had stood, a twenty-foot-long scar wove across the marble floor of the pavilion. Otherwise there was no sign of the warriors.
Awestruck, I looked to Nico. โHow did youโโ
โGo away!โ he yelled. โI hate you! I wish you were dead!โ
The ground didnโt swallowย meย up, but Nico ran down the steps, heading toward the woods. I started to follow but slipped and fell to the icy steps. When I got up, I noticed what Iโd slipped on.
I picked up the god statue Bianca had retrieved from the junkyard for Nico.ย The only statue he didnโt have,ย sheโd said. A last gift from his sister.
I stared at it with dread, because now I understood why the face looked familiar. Iโd seen it before.
It was a statue of Hades, Lord of the Dead.
Annabeth and Grover helped me search the woods for hours, but there was no sign of Nico di Angelo.
โWe have to tell Chiron,โ Annabeth said, out of breath. โNo,โ I said.
She and Grover both stared at me.
โUm,โ Grover said nervously, โwhat do you meanโฆno?โ
I was still trying to figure out why Iโd said that, but the words spilled out of me. โWe canโt let anyone know. I donโt think anyone realizes that Nico is aโโ
โA son of Hades,โ Annabeth said. โPercy, do you haveย any ideaย how serious this is? Even Hades broke the oath! This is horrible!โ
โI donโt think so,โ I said. โI donโt think Hades broke the oath.โ โWhat?โ
โHeโs their dad,โ I said, โbut Bianca and Nico have been out of commission for a long time, since even before World War II.โ
โThe Lotus Casino!โ Grover said, and he told Annabeth about the conversations weโd had with Bianca on the quest. โShe and Nico were stuck there for decades. They were born before the oath was made.โ
I nodded.
โBut how did they get out?โ Annabeth protested.
โI donโt know,โ I admitted. โBianca said a lawyer came and got them and drove them to Westover Hall. I donโt know who that couldโve been, or why. Maybe itโs part of this Great Stirring thing. I donโt think Nico understands who he is. But we canโt go telling anyone. Not even Chiron. If the Olympians find outโโ
โIt might start them fighting among each other again,โ Annabeth said. โThatโs the last thing we need.โ
Grover looked worried. โBut you canโt hide things from the gods. Not forever.โ
โI donโt need forever,โ I said. โJust two years. Until Iโm sixteen.โ
Annabeth paled. โBut, Percy, this means the prophecy mightย notย be about you. It might be about Nico. We have toโโ
โNo,โ I said. โI choose the prophecy. It will be about me.โ
โWhy are you saying that?โ she cried. โYou want to be responsible for the whole world?โ
It was the last thing I wanted, but I didnโt say that. I knew I had to step up and claim it.
โI canโt let Nico be in any more danger,โ I said. โI owe that much to his sister. Iโฆlet them both down. Iโm not going to let that poor kid suffer any more.โ
โThe poor kid who hates you and wants to see you dead,โ Grover reminded me.
โMaybe we can find him,โ I said. โWe can convince him itโs okay, hide him someplace safe.โ
Annabeth shivered. โIf Luke gets hold of himโโ
โLuke wonโt,โ I said. โIโll make sure heโs got other things to worry about. Namely, me.โ
I wasnโt sure Chiron believed the story Annabeth and I told him. I think he could tell I was holding something back about Nicoโs disappearance, but in the end, he accepted it. Unfortunately, Nico wasnโt the first half-blood to disappear.
โSo young,โ Chiron sighed, his hands on the rail of the front porch. โAlas, I hope he was eaten by monsters. Much better than being recruited into the Titansโ army.โ
That idea made me really uneasy. I almost changed my mind about telling Chiron, but I didnโt.
โYou really think the first attack will be here?โ I asked.
Chiron stared at the snow falling on the hills. I could see smoke from the dragon guardian at the pine tree, the glitter of the distant Fleece.
โIt will not be until summer, at least,โ Chiron said. โThis winter will be hardโฆthe hardest for many centuries. Itโs best that you go home to the city, Percy; try to keep your mind on school. And rest. You will need rest.โ
I looked at Annabeth. โWhat about you?โ
Her cheeks flushed. โIโm going to try San Francisco after all. Maybe I can keep an eye on Mount Tam, make sure the Titans donโt try anything else.โ
โYouโll send an Iris-message if anything goes wrong?โ
She nodded. โBut I think Chironโs right. It wonโt be until the summer.
Luke will need time to regain his strength.โ
I didnโt like the idea of waiting. Then again, next August I would be turning fifteen. So close to sixteen I didnโt want to think about it.
โAll right,โ I said. โJust take care of yourself. And no crazy stunts in the Sopwith Camel.โ
She smiled tentatively. โDeal. And, Percyโโ
Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by Grover, who stumbled out of the Big House, tripping over tin cans. His face was haggard and pale, like heโd seen a specter.
โHe spoke!โ Grover cried.
โCalm down, my young satyr,โ Chiron said, frowning. โWhat is the matter?โ
โIโฆI was playing music in the parlor,โ he stammered, โand drinking coffee. Lots and lots of coffee! And he spoke in my mind!โ
โWho?โ Annabeth demanded.
โPan!โ Grover wailed. โThe Lord of the Wild himself. I heard him! I have toโฆI have to find a suitcase.โ
โWhoa, whoa, whoa,โ I said. โWhat did he say?โ
Grover stared at me. โJust three words. He said,ย โI await you.โโ