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Chapter no 20

The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)

I GET A NEM ENEMY FOR CHRISTMAS

Before I left Olympus, I decided to make a few calls. It wasnโ€™t 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 Bessieโ€”he wanted to hear every detail about the cute baby cow serpentโ€”and I assured him that Annabeth was safe. Finally I got around to explaining how the shield heโ€™d made me last summer had been damaged in the manticore attack.

โ€œYay!โ€ Tyson said. โ€œThat means it was good! It saved your life!โ€ โ€œIt sure did, big guy,โ€ I said. โ€œBut now itโ€™s ruined.โ€

โ€œNot ruined!โ€ Tyson promised. โ€œI will visit and fix it next summer.โ€

The idea picked me up instantly. I guess I hadnโ€™t realized how much I missed having Tyson around.

โ€œSeriously?โ€ I asked. โ€œTheyโ€™ll let you take time off ?โ€

โ€œYes! I have made two thousand seven hundred and forty-one magic swords,โ€ Tyson said proudly, showing me the newest blade. โ€œThe boss says โ€˜good 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 dadโ€™s fight with the old sea gods, and all the cool things we could do together next summer, but then Tysonโ€™s 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. โ€œSally Jackson,โ€ I said. โ€œUpper 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. Blowfishโ€™s hand real quick. โ€œOh, Paul! You know what? I left my writing journal in the living room. Would you mind getting it for me?โ€

โ€œSure, Sally. No problem.โ€

He left the room, and instantly my mom leaned toward the Iris- message. โ€œPercy! Are you all right?โ€

โ€œIโ€™m, uh, fine. Howโ€™s that writing seminar going?โ€

She pursed her lips. โ€œItโ€™s fine. But thatโ€™s not important. Tell me whatโ€™s happened!โ€

I filled her in as quickly as I could. She sighed with relief when she heard that Annabeth was safe.

โ€œI knew you could do it!โ€ she said. โ€œIโ€™m so proud.โ€

โ€œYeah, well, Iโ€™d better let you get back to your homework.โ€ โ€œPercy, Iโ€ฆPaul and Iโ€”โ€

โ€œMom, are you happy?โ€

The question seemed to take her by surprise. She thought for a moment. โ€œYes. I really am, Percy. Being around him makes me happy.โ€

โ€œThen itโ€™s cool. Seriously. Donโ€™t worry about me.โ€

The funny thing was, I meant it. Considering the quest Iโ€™d just had, maybe I should have been worried for my mom. Iโ€™d seen just how mean people could be to each other, like Hercules was to Zoรซ Nightshade, like Luke was to Thalia. Iโ€™d 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 sheโ€™d suffered with my nasty ex- stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, I couldnโ€™t help feeling happy for her.

โ€œYou promise not to call him Mr. Blowfish?โ€ she asked. I shrugged. โ€œWell, maybe not to his face, anyway.โ€

โ€œSally?โ€ Mr. Blofis called from our living room. โ€œYou need the green binder or the red one?โ€

โ€œIโ€™d better go,โ€ she told me. โ€œSee you for Christmas?โ€ โ€œAre you putting blue candy in my stocking?โ€

She smiled. โ€œIf youโ€™re not too old for that.โ€ โ€œIโ€™m never too old for candy.โ€

โ€œIโ€™ll 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 wasnโ€™t. 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

โ€”Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers. Even Clarisse from the Ares cabin was there, back from her secretive scouting mission. I knew she mustโ€™ve had a difficult quest, because she didnโ€™t 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.

โ€œI got news,โ€ she mumbled uneasily. โ€œBadย news.โ€

โ€œIโ€™ll fill you in later,โ€ Chiron said with forced cheerfulness. โ€œThe 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 Iโ€™d run into there, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I didnโ€™t

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. Iโ€™d never even explained to her who I was.

โ€œLuke is alive,โ€ I said. โ€œAnnabeth was right.โ€ Annabeth sat up. โ€œHow 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.

โ€œWell.โ€ Annabeth shifted uncomfortably in her chair. โ€œIf 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 โ€œfigure something out,โ€ she meant โ€œget Luke to change his ways,โ€ which annoyed me even more.

Chironโ€™s expression was gloomy. Sitting by the fire in his wheelchair, he looked really old. I meanโ€ฆheย wasย really old, but he usually didnโ€™t look it.

โ€œTwo years may seem like a long time,โ€ he said. โ€œBut 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. Kronosโ€™s first strike will be here.โ€

โ€œHow do you know?โ€ I asked. โ€œWhy would he care about camp?โ€ โ€œBecause the gods use heroes as their tools,โ€ Chiron said simply.

โ€œDestroy the tools, and the gods will be crippled. Lukeโ€™s forces will come

here. Mortal, demigod, monstrousโ€ฆWe must be prepared. Clarisseโ€™s news may give us a clue as to how they will attack, butโ€”โ€

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. โ€œHey! Whereโ€™sโ€ฆ whereโ€™s my sister?โ€

Dead silence. I stared at Chiron. I couldnโ€™t believe nobody had told him yet. And then I realized why. Theyโ€™d 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.

โ€œHey, Nico.โ€ I got up from my comfortable chair. โ€œLetโ€™s 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.

โ€œShe 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 weโ€™d last spoken before I went on the quest. The wind was bitter cold, even with the campโ€™s magical weather protection. Snow fell lightly against the marble steps. I figured outside the camp borders, there must be a blizzard happening.

โ€œYou promised you would protect her,โ€ Nico said.

He might as well have stabbed me with a rusty dagger. It wouldโ€™ve hurt less than reminding me of my promise.

โ€œNico,โ€ I said. โ€œI tried. But Bianca gave herself up to save the rest of us. I told her not to. But sheโ€”โ€

โ€œYou promised!โ€

He glared at me, his eyes rimmed with red. He closed his small fist around the god statue.

โ€œI shouldnโ€™t have trusted you.โ€ His voice broke. โ€œYou lied to me. My nightmares were right!โ€

โ€œWait. What nightmares?โ€

He flung the god statue to the ground. It clattered across the icy marble. โ€œI hate you!โ€

โ€œShe might be alive,โ€ I said desperately. โ€œI donโ€™t know for sureโ€”โ€ โ€œSheโ€™s dead.โ€ He closed his eyes. His whole body trembled with rage.

โ€œI shouldโ€™ve known it earlier. Sheโ€™s in the Fields of Asphodel, standing

before the judges right now, being evaluated. I can feel it.โ€ โ€œWhat 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 wasnโ€™t sure how theyโ€™d made it inside the camp, but it didnโ€™t matter. Iโ€™d never get help in time.

โ€œYouโ€™re trying to kill me!โ€ Nico screamed. โ€œYou brought theseโ€ฆ these things?โ€

โ€œNo! I mean, yes, they followed me, butย no! Nico, run. They canโ€™t be destroyed.โ€

โ€œI donโ€™t 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 anotherโ€™s head off but it just kept fighting.

โ€œRun, Nico!โ€ I yelled. โ€œGet help!โ€ โ€œNo!โ€ He pressed his hands to his ears.

I couldnโ€™t fight four at once, not if they wouldnโ€™t die. I slashed, whirled, blocked, jabbed, but they just kept advancing. It was only a matter of seconds before the zombies overpowered me.

โ€œNo!โ€ Nico shouted louder.ย โ€œGo 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. โ€œHow did youโ€”โ€

โ€œGo away!โ€ he yelled. โ€œI hate you! I wish you were dead!โ€

The ground didnโ€™t 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 Iโ€™d slipped on.

I picked up the god statue Bianca had retrieved from the junkyard for Nico.ย The only statue he didnโ€™t have,ย sheโ€™d said. A last gift from his sister.

I stared at it with dread, because now I understood why the face looked familiar. Iโ€™d 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.

โ€œWe have to tell Chiron,โ€ Annabeth said, out of breath. โ€œNo,โ€ I said.

She and Grover both stared at me.

โ€œUm,โ€ Grover said nervously, โ€œwhat do you meanโ€ฆno?โ€

I was still trying to figure out why Iโ€™d said that, but the words spilled out of me. โ€œWe canโ€™t let anyone know. I donโ€™t think anyone realizes that Nico is aโ€”โ€

โ€œA son of Hades,โ€ Annabeth said. โ€œPercy, do you haveย any ideaย how serious this is? Even Hades broke the oath! This is horrible!โ€

โ€œI donโ€™t think so,โ€ I said. โ€œI donโ€™t think Hades broke the oath.โ€ โ€œWhat?โ€

โ€œHeโ€™s their dad,โ€ I said, โ€œbut Bianca and Nico have been out of commission for a long time, since even before World War II.โ€

โ€œThe Lotus Casino!โ€ Grover said, and he told Annabeth about the conversations weโ€™d had with Bianca on the quest. โ€œShe and Nico were stuck there for decades. They were born before the oath was made.โ€

I nodded.

โ€œBut how did they get out?โ€ Annabeth protested.

โ€œI donโ€™t know,โ€ I admitted. โ€œBianca said a lawyer came and got them and drove them to Westover Hall. I donโ€™t know who that couldโ€™ve been, or why. Maybe itโ€™s part of this Great Stirring thing. I donโ€™t think Nico understands who he is. But we canโ€™t go telling anyone. Not even Chiron. If the Olympians find outโ€”โ€

โ€œIt might start them fighting among each other again,โ€ Annabeth said. โ€œThatโ€™s the last thing we need.โ€

Grover looked worried. โ€œBut you canโ€™t hide things from the gods. Not forever.โ€

โ€œI donโ€™t need forever,โ€ I said. โ€œJust two years. Until Iโ€™m sixteen.โ€

Annabeth paled. โ€œBut, Percy, this means the prophecy mightย notย be about you. It might be about Nico. We have toโ€”โ€

โ€œNo,โ€ I said. โ€œI choose the prophecy. It will be about me.โ€

โ€œWhy are you saying that?โ€ she cried. โ€œYou want to be responsible for the whole world?โ€

It was the last thing I wanted, but I didnโ€™t say that. I knew I had to step up and claim it.

โ€œI canโ€™t let Nico be in any more danger,โ€ I said. โ€œI owe that much to his sister. Iโ€ฆlet them both down. Iโ€™m not going to let that poor kid suffer any more.โ€

โ€œThe poor kid who hates you and wants to see you dead,โ€ Grover reminded me.

โ€œMaybe we can find him,โ€ I said. โ€œWe can convince him itโ€™s okay, hide him someplace safe.โ€

Annabeth shivered. โ€œIf Luke gets hold of himโ€”โ€

โ€œLuke wonโ€™t,โ€ I said. โ€œIโ€™ll make sure heโ€™s got other things to worry about. Namely, me.โ€

I wasnโ€™t sure Chiron believed the story Annabeth and I told him. I think he could tell I was holding something back about Nicoโ€™s disappearance, but in the end, he accepted it. Unfortunately, Nico wasnโ€™t the first half-blood to disappear.

โ€œSo young,โ€ Chiron sighed, his hands on the rail of the front porch. โ€œAlas, 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 didnโ€™t.

โ€œYou 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.

โ€œIt will not be until summer, at least,โ€ Chiron said. โ€œThis winter will be hardโ€ฆthe hardest for many centuries. Itโ€™s 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. โ€œWhat about you?โ€

Her cheeks flushed. โ€œIโ€™m going to try San Francisco after all. Maybe I can keep an eye on Mount Tam, make sure the Titans donโ€™t try anything else.โ€

โ€œYouโ€™ll send an Iris-message if anything goes wrong?โ€

She nodded. โ€œBut I think Chironโ€™s right. It wonโ€™t be until the summer.

Luke will need time to regain his strength.โ€

I didnโ€™t like the idea of waiting. Then again, next August I would be turning fifteen. So close to sixteen I didnโ€™t want to think about it.

โ€œAll right,โ€ I said. โ€œJust take care of yourself. And no crazy stunts in the Sopwith Camel.โ€

She smiled tentatively. โ€œDeal. And, Percyโ€”โ€

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 heโ€™d seen a specter.

โ€œHe spoke!โ€ Grover cried.

โ€œCalm down, my young satyr,โ€ Chiron said, frowning. โ€œWhat is the matter?โ€

โ€œIโ€ฆI was playing music in the parlor,โ€ he stammered, โ€œand drinking coffee. Lots and lots of coffee! And he spoke in my mind!โ€

โ€œWho?โ€ Annabeth demanded.

โ€œPan!โ€ Grover wailed. โ€œThe Lord of the Wild himself. I heard him! I have toโ€ฆI have to find a suitcase.โ€

โ€œWhoa, whoa, whoa,โ€ I said. โ€œWhat did he say?โ€

Grover stared at me. โ€œJust three words. He said,ย โ€™I await you.โ€™โ€

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