I was sitting down in the living room of my old house.

I looked around the place, taking in the sense of familiarity and the sense of home. I was sitting down on my respective seat, which was made out of brown leather. A pillow was positioned behind my back, melting the stiff feeling in my lower back that I always had. In front of the living room window was an old fashioned TV, which was covered in a light sprinkling of dust. The walls were in the style of Las Vegas, because the wallpaper had little images of the gambling city imprinted on it. On the wooden floor, a creamy white rug was strewn across the room. On top of the marble fireplace, pictures lined the entire surface of the huge piece of marble. In one of the photos, I was just over six years old with my mother standing behind me. She had a huge smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around me and stared at the camera. In another photo, Chloe and I had our backs pressed together as we looked at the camera, with me holding a sword, while Chloe held her bow. We were both dressed up in armour.

I went back to looking at the whole room and sitting right next to me, in her own leather chair was Chloe.

"Marcus!" my young sister cried out. "Oh gods, are you okay?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I held up my hands in a time out gesture. "You're also having the same dream as I am?"

"Yeah," Chloe simply said. "I just went straight to sleep as soon as we were thrown back into our cell."

I caught my breath in that instant. "We're back in Cyclone City?"

Chloe nodded her head grimly. "Including Jake and Katie. Hermes vanished from the scene, so I have no idea where he is at the moment. The rest of the students are in different cells, while Chiron was placed in a maximum security cell. I've got no idea which one he's in."

"You will in a moment."

Both Chloe and I turned our heads to see our father sitting on his and mother's couch. He looked better than last time. He was wearing a long sleeved vest and jeans. His face was still clean shaven, but it had a lot more colour than before. His eyes were no longer bloodshot and they sparkled with fire. At his side was his trident, which I protected so much the moment Katie and I found him. The scar on his forehead was barely visible. He looked at both of us, a small smile stretched across his face.

"You two have done so well," he told us. "You've made me so proud."

"Father..." Chloe softly whispered. She sounded close to tears, yet looking relieved to see our father awake.

"Good to see you too, my young daughter," Poseidon smiled at her. "When I first talked to Marcus, seeing as though he was alright, I assumed you were the same. God's, you've grown."

Chloe looked at me, her eyes demanding what Poseidon meant.

"Dad created a telepathic link between him and me," I explained. "I still have four links to use. He's been watching us, Chloe, in his thoughts. He's been giving me advice, ever since I showed Chiron the tattoo on my wrist."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Chloe demanded.

"We had more important things to do," I answered, "and so little time to explain anything."

"Now, it's time we discuss our little situation," Poseidon said, getting my attention.

He continued to stare at us as he spoke.

"Proculus has taken you and everyone from the demigod school, and have placed you all into his prison. You are all being guarded and they have confiscated all you weapons. Meanwhile, Proculus is preparing for the ritual and I am being held in the infirmary with your mother."

"Mom is alive?" Chloe exclaimed.

"Proculus said that he didn't kill her," I remembered. "He said that she was in Cyclone City."

"He was telling the truth," the Stormbringer confirmed. "She's in a coma at the moment, but the medics are keeping her alive at the moment. But you know what Proculus is like – he'll kill all three of you when the job is done. He won't stand it if two of my other children are still alive. Not even the rest of the other gods can help you in this crisis."

"They must be dealing with whoever put you in sleep paralysis," Chloe said.

"They're not," Poseidon shook his head. He looked straight at me. "Because the person who knocked me out and caused me to have sleep paralysis is the one we're all dealing with."

My mind felt light headed. "Proculus did this?"

The Sea God nodded his head. "He was the one who attacked me. When you think about it, it's not surprising."

I thought about it. Proculus could do a lot of harsh things, but I never thought he would go to such extremes. But the more I thought about it, the more it all fits together. Proculus was that jealous of us, yet he couldn't get anywhere close to us. So, in order to get to us, he lured Poseidon away from Brooklyn and brought him all the way to Los Angeles, where he knocked our father out and caused him to go into a paralysed sleep. And I thought Proculus would never conjure up a plan that seemed so simple, yet it worked anyway.

"Then what do we do then?" I yelled. "Let Proculus take our blood and then kill us when the deed is done?"

"I was going to say that most of the council will be able to help you escape from the ritual before Proculus even gets that chance," Poseidon corrected. "I whispered in their minds that no matter what, you two have got to live. Most of them still feel strongly for you and Chloe, and they are very unhappy that Proculus has beaten Maximus almost senselessly to death. They will do whatever it takes to get you and your friends out, and will help you in any way possible."

"What about you?" Chloe asked. "Even if you wake up, we'll be leaving you alone."

I didn't want to admit it but Chloe was right. Even if this plan would work, Poseidon would have to fight his way out of the ritual room, catch up with us and help us escape the storm city without Proculus following us.

"Don't worry about me, my daughter," our father told her. "Besides, you've seen me fight before. Remember your first ever quest I gave you?"

I smiled at the memory. "The one where we went to London," I said. "We took out that rogue group of werewolves with your trident and all our other weapons that were silver based. Except for the fact that we pretty much wrecked the whole of Westminster Abbey, the whole plan was a complete walk in the park."

"Then you know what I'm capable of," Poseidon said.

I nodded. A plan started building in my head. A very dangerous and very risky plan, but a plan nonetheless.

"Okay then," I concluded. "This is what's going to happen – Chloe and I get taken to the ritual chamber. When our tribute of blood has been given to you, you'll wake up. Then the Council, assuming that they'll help us escape, can get us out of the citadel and then we'll improvise from that point onwards."

"But we'll have the whole Typhoon Army to deal with," Chloe warned me, "once we can be able to get out of the citadel. Plus, we'll also have to deal with the Whirlwinds all over again."

She looked at me straight in the eye. "You've said it time after time, brother – Proculus will stop at nothing to kill us."

"You'll have me to help you," Poseidon told her. "Once I can be able to get out of the ritual chamber, then out of the citadel, I can be able to contact the rest of the Olympians. I can speak to them in their minds quite easily, especially with Zeus. But I need to be outside in the open air in order to do so."

"How long do you think it will take for the Olympians to come?" I asked.

"At top speed, you mean?" the bringer of storms asked. "At most, it'll take ten minutes, if there are no delays in between that time."

"As long as they get there, we should be able to fight off Proculus and his men with the help of all Olympus," Chloe summed up. "And then we'll take everything from there."

We all looked at each, all of us sensing that we had an agreement on the plan. My heart fluttered with excitement. We finally had a plan that sounded so simple and easy that it would be a walk in the park.

"That settle's it then," my godly father said. "Good luck you two. Oh, and Marcus..."

I raised my head at my name.

"You'restill wearing your armour," Poseidon continued. "My son Bradley hid a sparesword on his armour, which is attached to the front of his breastplate. Thatsword is long gone, but I've managed to visualise your sword, Tsunami, in its place. Just to help youon the way. Good luck to you and your sister. I'll be watching."