โPiper had a new entryย in her top-ten list ofย Times Piper Felt Useless.โ
Fighting Shrimpzilla with a dagger and a pretty voice? Not so effective. Then the monster had sunk into the deep and disappeared along with three of her friends, and sheโd been powerless to help them.
Afterward, Annabeth, Coach Hedge, and Buford the table rushed around repairing things so that the ship wouldnโt sink. Percy, despite being exhausted, searched the ocean for their missing friends. Jason, also exhausted, flew around the rigging like a blond Peter Pan, putting out fires from the second green explosion that had lit up the sky just above the mainmast.
As for Piper, all she could do was stare at her knife Katoptris, trying to locate Leo, Hazel, and Frank. The only images that came to her were ones she didnโt want to see: three black SUVs driving north from Charleston, packed with Roman demigods, Reyna sitting at the wheel of the lead car. Giant eagles escorted them from above. Every so often, glowing purple spirits in ghostly chariots appeared out of the countryside and fell in behind them, thundering up I-95 toward New York and Camp Half-Blood.
Piper concentrated harder. She saw the nightmarish images she had seen before: the human-headed bull rising from the water, then the dark well- shaped room filling with black water as Jason, Percy, and she struggled to stay afloat.
She sheathed Katoptris, wondering how Helen of Troy had stayed sane during the Trojan War, if this blade had been her only source of news. Then she remembered that everyone around Helen had been slaughtered by the invading Greek army. Maybe sheย hadnโtย stayed sane.
By the time the sun rose, none of them had slept. Percy had scoured the seafloor and found nothing. Theย Argo IIย was no longer in danger of sinking, though without Leo, they couldnโt do full repairs. The ship was capable of sailing, but no one suggested leaving the areaโnot without their missing friends.
Piper and Annabeth sent a dream vision to Camp Half-Blood, warning Chiron of what had happened with the Romans at Fort Sumter. Annabeth explained her exchange of words with Reyna. Piper relayed the vision from her knife about the SUVs racing north. The kindly centaurโs face seemed to age thirty years during the course of their conversation, but he assured them he would see to the defenses of the camp. Tyson, Mrs. OโLeary, and Ella had arrived safely. If necessary, Tyson could summon an army of Cyclopes to the campโs defense, and Ella and Rachel Dare were already comparing prophecies, trying to learn more about what the future held. The job of the seven demigods aboard theย Argo II, Chiron reminded them, was to finish the quest and come back safely.
After the Iris-message, the demigods paced the deck in silence, staring at the water and hoping for a miracle.
When it finally cameโthree giant pink bubbles bursting at the surface off the starboard bow and ejecting Frank, Hazel, and LeoโPiper went a little crazy. She cried out with relief and dove straight into the water.
What was she thinking? She didnโt take a rope or a life vest or anything. But at the moment, she was just so happy that she paddled over to Leo and kissed him on the cheek, which kind of surprised him.
โMiss me?โ Leo laughed.
Piper was suddenly furious. โWhereย wereย you? How are you guys alive?โ โLong story,โ he said. A picnic basket bobbed to the surface next to him.
โWant a brownie?โ
Once they got on board and changed into dry clothes (poor Frank had to borrow a pair of too-small pants from Jason) the crew all gathered on the
quarterdeck for a celebratory breakfastโexcept for Coach Hedge, who grumbled that the atmosphere was getting too cuddly for his tastes and went below to hammer out some dents in the hull. While Leo fussed over his helm controls, Hazel and Frank related the story of the fish-centaurs and their training camp.
โIncredible,โ Jason said. โThese areย reallyย good brownies.โ โThatโs your only comment?โ Piper demanded.
He looked surprised. โWhat? I heard the story. Fish-centaurs. Merpeople.
Letter of intro to the Tiber River god. Got it. But these browniesโโ
โI know,โ Frank said, his mouth full. โTry them with Estherโs peach preserves.โ
โThat,โ Hazel said, โisย incrediblyย disgusting.โ โPass me the jar, man,โ Jason said.
Hazel and Piper exchanged a look of total exasperation.ย Boys.
Percy, for his part, wanted to hear every detail about the aquatic camp. He kept coming back to one point: โThey didnโt want to meet me?โ
โIt wasnโt that,โ Hazel said. โJustโฆundersea politics, I guess. The merpeople are territorial. The good news is theyโre taking care of that aquarium in Atlanta. And theyโll help protect theย Argo IIย as we cross the Atlantic.โ
Percy nodded absently. โBut they didnโt want to meet me?โ
Annabeth swatted his arm. โCome on, Seaweed Brain! Weโve got other things to worry about.โ
โSheโs right,โ Hazel said. โAfter today, Nico has less than two days. The fish-centaurs said weย haveย to rescue him. Heโs essential to the quest somehow.โ
She looked around defensively, as if waiting for someone to argue. No one did. Piper tried to imagine what Nico di Angelo was feeling, stuck in a jar with only two pomegranate seeds left to sustain him, and no idea whether he would be rescued. It made Piper anxious to reach Rome, even though she had a horrible feeling she was sailing toward her own sort of prisonโa dark room filled with water.
โNico must have information about the Doors of Death,โ Piper said. โWeโll save him, Hazel. We can make it in time. Right, Leo?โ
โWhat?โ Leo tore his eyes away from the controls. โOh, yeah. We should reach the Mediterranean tomorrow morning. Then spend the rest of that day sailing to Rome, orย flying, if I can get the stabilizer fixed by then.โฆโ
Jason suddenly looked as though his brownie with peach preserves didnโt taste so good. โWhich will put us in Rome on the last possible day for Nico. Twenty-four hours to find himโat most.โ
Percy crossed his legs. โAnd thatโs only part of the problem. Thereโs the Mark of Athena, too.โ
Annabeth didnโt seem happy with the change of topic. She rested her hand on her backpack, which, since theyโd left Charleston, she always seemed to have with her.
She opened the bag and brought out a thin bronze disk the diameter of a donut. โThis is the map that I found at Fort Sumter. Itโsโฆโ
She stopped abruptly, staring at the smooth bronze surface. โItโs blank!โ Percy took it and examined both sides. โIt wasnโt like this earlier?โ
โNo! I was looking at it in my cabin andโฆโ Annabeth muttered under her breath. โIt must be like the Mark of Athena. I can only see it when Iโm alone. It wonโt show itself to other demigods.โ
Frank scooted back like the disk might explode. He had an orange-juice mustache and a brownie-crumb beard that made Piper want to hand him a napkin.
โWhat did it have on it?โ Frank asked nervously. โAnd whatย isย the Mark of Athena? I still donโt get it.โ
Annabeth took the disk from Percy. She turned it in the sunlight, but it remained blank. โThe map was hard to read, but it showed a spot on the Tiber River in Rome. I think thatโs where my quest startsโฆthe path Iโve got to take to follow the Mark.โ
โMaybe thatโs where you meet the river god Tiberinus,โ Piper said. โBut whatย isย the Mark?โ
โThe coin,โ Annabeth murmured. Percy frowned. โWhat coin?โ
Annabeth dug into her pocket and brought out a silver drachma. โIโve been carrying this ever since I saw my mom at Grand Central. Itโs an Athenian coin.โ
She passed it around. While each demigod looked at it, Piper had a ridiculous memory of show-and-tell in elementary school.
โAn owl,โ Leo noted. โWell, that makes sense. I guess the branch is an olive branch? But whatโs this inscription,ย ฮฮฮโArea Of Effect?โ
โItโs alpha, theta, epsilon,โ Annabeth said. โIn Greek it stands forย Of The
Atheniansโฆor you could read it asย the children of Athena.ย Itโs sort of the Athenian motto.โ
โLike SPQR for the Romans,โ Piper guessed.
Annabeth nodded. โAnyway, the Mark of Athena is an owl, just like that one. It appears in fiery red. Iโve seen it in my dreams. Then twice at Fort Sumter.โ
She described what had happened at the fortโthe voice of Gaea, the spiders in the garrison, the Mark burning them away. Piper could tell it wasnโt easy for her to talk about.
Percy took Annabethโs hand. โI should have been there for you.โ
โBut thatโs the point,โ Annabeth said. โNo oneย can be there for me. When I get to Rome, Iโll have to strike out on my own. Otherwise, the Mark wonโt appear. Iโll have to follow it toโฆto the source.โ
Frank took the coin from Leo. He stared at the owl.ย โThe giantsโ bane stands gold and pale, Won with pain from a woven jail.โย He looked up at Annabeth. โWhat is itโฆthis thing at the source?โ
Before Annabeth could answer, Jason spoke up.
โA statue,โ he said. โA statue of Athena. At leastโฆthatโs my guess.โ Piper frowned. โYou said you didnโt know.โ
โIย donโt. But the more I think about itโฆthereโs only one artifact that could fit the legend.โ He turned to Annabeth. โIโm sorry. I should have told you everything Iโve heard, much earlier. But honestly, I was scared. If this legend is trueโโ
โI know,โ Annabeth said. โI figured it out, Jason. I donโt blame you. But if we manage to save the statue, Greek and Romans togetherโฆDonโt you see? It could heal the rift.โ
โHold on.โ Percy made aย time-outย gesture. โWhat statue?โ
Annabeth took back the silver coin and slipped it into her pocket. โThe Athena Parthenos,โ she said. โThe most famous Greek statue of all time. It
was forty feet tall, covered in ivory and gold. It stood in the middle of the Parthenon in Athens.โ
The ship went silent, except for the waves lapping against the hull. โOkay, Iโll bite,โ Leo said at last. โWhat happened to it?โ
โIt disappeared,โ Annabeth said.
Leo frowned. โHow does a forty-foot-tall statue in the middle of the Parthenon justย disappear?โ
โThatโs a good question,โ Annabeth said. โItโs one of the biggest mysteries in history. Some people thought the statue was melted down for its gold, or destroyed by invaders. Athens was sacked a number of times. Some thought the statue was carried offโโ
โBy Romans,โ Jason finished. โAt least, thatโs one theory, and it fits the legend I heard at Camp Jupiter. To break the Greeksโ spirit, the Romans carted off the Athena Parthenos when they took over the city of Athens. They hid it in an underground shrine in Rome. The Roman demigods swore it would never see the light of day. They literallyย stoleย Athena, so she could no longer be the symbol of Greek military power. She became Minerva, a much tamer goddess.โ
โAnd the children of Athena have been searching for the statue ever since,โ Annabeth said. โMost donโt know about the legend, but in each generation, a few are chosen by the goddess. Theyโre given a coin like mine. They follow the Mark of Athenaโฆa kind of magical trail that links them to the statueโฆhoping to find the resting place of the Athena Parthenos and get the statue back.โ
Piper watched the two of themโAnnabeth and Jasonโwith quiet amazement. They spoke like a team, without any hostility or blame. The two of them had never really trusted each other. Piper was close enough to both of them to know that. But nowโฆif they could discuss such a huge problem so calmlyโthe ultimate source of Greek/Roman hatredโmaybe there was hope for the two camps, after all.
Percy seemed be having similar thoughts, judging from his surprised expression. โSo if weโI meanย youโfind the statueโฆwhat would we do with it? Could we evenย moveย it?โ
โIโm not sure,โ Annabeth admitted. โBut if we could save it somehow, it
could unite the two camps. It could heal my mother of this hatred sheโs got, tearing her two aspects apart. And maybeโฆmaybe the statue has some sort of power that could help us against the giants.โ
Piper stared at Annabeth with awe, just starting to appreciate the huge responsibility her friend had taken on. And Annabeth meant to do it alone.
โThis could change everything,โ Piper said. โIt could end thousands of years of hostility. It might be the key to defeating Gaea. But if we canโt help youโฆโ
She didnโt finish, but the question seemed to hang in the air:ย Was saving the statue even possible?
Annabeth squared her shoulders. Piper knew she must be terrified inside, but she did a good job hiding it.
โI have to succeed,โ Annabeth said simply. โThe risk is worth it.โ
Hazel twirled her hair pensively. โI donโt like the idea of you risking your life alone, but youโre right. We saw what recovering the golden eagle standard did for the Roman legion. If this statue is the most powerful symbol of Athena ever createdโโ
โIt could kick some serious booty,โ Leo offered.
Hazel frowned. โThat wasnโt the wayย Iโdย put it, but yes.โ
โExceptโฆโ Percy took Annabethโs hand again. โNo child of Athena hasย everย found it. Annabeth, whatโsย downย there? Whatโs guarding it? If itโs got to do with spidersโ?โ
โWon through pain from a woven jail,โย Frank recalled. โWoven, like webs?โ
Annabethโs face turned as white as printer paper. Piper suspected that Annabeth knew what awaited herโฆor at least that she had a very good idea. She was trying to hold down a wave of panic and terror.
โWeโll deal with that when we get to Rome,โ Piper suggested, putting a little charmspeak in her voice to soothe her friendโs nerves. โItโs going to work out. Annabeth is going to kick some serious booty, too. Youโll see.โ
โYeah,โ Percy said. โI learned a long time ago:ย Neverย bet against Annabeth.โ
Annabeth looked at them both gratefully.
Judging from their half-eaten breakfasts, the others still felt uneasy; but
Leo managed to shake them out of it. He pushed a button, and a loud blast of steam exploded from Festusโs mouth, making everyone jump.
โWell!โ he said. โGood pep rally, but thereโs still a ton of things to fix on this ship before we get to the Mediterranean. Please report to Supreme Commander Leo for your superfun list of chores!โ
Piper and Jason took charge of cleaning the lower deck, which had been thrown into chaos during the monster attack. Reorganizing sickbay and battening down the storage area took them most of the day, but Piper didnโt mind. For one thing, she got to spend time with Jason. For another, last nightโs explosions had given Piper a healthy respect for Greek fire. She didnโt want any loose vials of that stuff rolling through the corridors in the middle of the night.
As they were fixing up the stables, Piper thought about the night Annabeth and Percy had spent down here accidentally. Piper wished that she could talk with Jason all nightโjust curl up on the stable floor and enjoy being with him. Why didnโtย theyย get to break the rules?
But Jason wasnโt like that. He was hardwired to be a leader and set a good example. Breaking the rules didnโt come naturally to him.
No doubt Reyna admired that about him. Piper did tooโฆmostly.
The one time sheโd convinced him to be a rebel was back at the Wilderness School, when they had sneaked onto the roof at night to watch a meteor shower. Thatโs where theyโd had their first kiss.
Unfortunately, that memory was a trick of the Mist, a magical lie implanted in her head by Hera. Piper and Jason were togetherย now, in real life, but their relationship had been founded on an illusion. If Piper tried to get theย realย Jason to sneak out at night, would he do it?
She swept the hay into piles. Jason fixed a broken door on one of the stables. The glass floor hatch glowed from the ocean belowโa green expanse of light and shadow that seemed to go down forever. Piper kept glancing over, afraid sheโd see a monsterโs face peeping in, or the water cannibals from her grandfatherโs old stories; but all she saw was an occasional school of herring.
As she watched Jason work, she admired how easily he did each task, whether it was fixing a door or oiling saddles. It wasnโt just his strong arms
and his skillful hands, though Piper liked those just fine, but the way he acted so upbeat and confident. He did what needed to be done without complaint. He kept his sense of humor, despite the fact that the guy had to be dead on his feet after not having slept the night before. Piper couldnโt blame Reyna for having a crush on him. When it came to work and duty, Jason was Roman to the core.
Piper thought about her motherโs tea party in Charleston. She wondered what the goddess had told Reyna a year ago, and why it had changed the way Reyna treated Jason. Had Aphrodite encouraged or discouraged her to like Jason?
Piper wasnโt sure, but she wished her mom hadnโt appeared in Charleston. Regular mothers were embarrassing enough. Godly glamour moms who invited your friends over for tea and guy talkโthat was just mortifying.
Aphrodite had paid so much attention to Annabeth and Hazel, it had made Piper uneasy. When her mom got interested in somebodyโs love life, usually that was a bad sign. It meant trouble was coming. Or as Aphrodite would say,ย twists and turns.
But also, Piper was secretly hurt not to have her mother to herself. Aphrodite had barely looked at her. She hadnโt said a word about Jason. She hadnโt bothered explaining her conversation with Reyna at all.
It was almost as if Aphrodite no longer found Piper interesting. Piper had gotten her guy. Now it was up to her to make things work, and Aphrodite had moved on to newer gossip as easily as she might toss out an old copy of a tabloid magazine.
All of you are such excellent stories,ย Aphrodite had said.ย I mean, girls.
Piper hadnโt appreciated that, but part of her had thought:ย Fine. I donโt want to be a story. I want a nice steady life with a nice steady boyfriend.
If only she knew more about making relationships work. She was supposed to be an expert, being the head counselor for Aphrodite cabin. Other campers at Camp Half-Blood came to her for advice all the time. Piper had tried to do her best, but with her own boyfriend, she was clueless. She was constantly second-guessing herself, reading too much into Jasonโs expressions, his moods, his offhand comments. Why did it have to be so hard? Why couldnโt there be a happily-ever-after ride-into-the-sunset feeling
all the time?
โWhat are you thinking?โ Jason asked.
Piper realized sheโd been making a sour face. In the reflection of the glass bay doors, she looked like sheโd swallowed a teaspoon of salt.
โNothing,โ she said. โI meanโฆa lot of things. Kind of all at once.โ
Jason laughed. The scar on his lip almost disappeared when he smiled. Considering all the stuff heโd been through, it was amazing that he could be in such a good mood.
โItโs going to work out,โ he promised. โYou said so yourself.โ
โYeah,โ Piper agreed. โExcept I was just saying that to make Annabeth feel better.โ
Jason shrugged. โStill, itโs true. Weโre almost to the ancient lands. Weโve left the Romans behind.โ
โAnd now theyโre on their way to Camp Half-Blood to attack our friends.โ Jason hesitated, as if it was hard for him to put a positive spin on that. โChiron will find a way to stall them. The Romans might take weeks to actually find the camp and plan their attack. Besides, Reyna will do what she
can to slow things down. Sheโs still on our side. I know she is.โ โYou trust her.โ Piperโs voice sounded hollow, even to herself. โLook, Pipes. I told you, youโve got nothing to be jealous about.โ โSheโs beautiful. Sheโs powerful. Sheโs soโฆRoman.โ
Jason put down his hammer. He took her hand, which sent a tingle up her arm. Piperโs dad had once taken her to the Aquarium of the Pacific and shown her an electric eel. He told her that the eel sent out pulses that shocked and paralyzed its prey. Every time Jason looked at her or touched her hand, Piper felt like that.
โYouโreย beautiful and powerful,โ he said. โAnd I donโt want you to be Roman. I want you to be Piper. Besides, weโre a team, you and me.โ
She wanted to believe him. Theyโd been together, really, for months now. Still, she couldnโt get rid of her doubts, any more than Jason could get rid of theย SPQRย tattoo burned on his forearm.
Above them, the shipโs bell rang for dinner.
Jason smirked. โWeโd better get up there. We donโt want Coach Hedge tying bells around our necks.โ
Piper shuddered. Coach Hedge had threatened to do that after the Percy/Annabeth scandal, so heโd know if anyone sneaked out at night.
โYeah,โ she said regretfully, looking at the glass doors below their feet. โI guess we need dinnerโฆand a good nightโs sleep.โ
