They had nearly reached Olympia.

The group congregated in the mess hall, loading their plates with breakfast. Emilia had fixed a plate for Hazel, the poor thing having been on guard all night. She'd made them both the same meal– peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with dried apple bites and banana slices inside, paired with a large glass of milk.

Festus was by himself on deck, happily navigating for them. Piper had somehow used charmspeak to keep him awake, which meant the dragon checked the radar each morning while also finding time to make Leo a blueberry smoothie to start the day.

Percy was eating a huge stack of blue pancakes while Annabeth chided him for pouring on too much syrup. Frank was downing a bowl of cereal the size of a medium saucepan, leaning over a flattened map of Greece with Hazel, who was eating her sandwich with one hand and using her other to caress Frank's palm.

At the head of the table, Jason flexed his arms a good few times until he felt that he could eat without Piper's help. He insisted he was just sore. Emilia hoped he wasn't trying to make her feel better about potentially butchering his healing.

"Leo!" said Emilia brightly, patting the seat beside her. He immediately sat down and piled his plate with brownies and this strange Italian junk food– Fonzies– which made her raise a slightly judgmental brow. He rolled his eyes as she served him a bowl of cereal and slid it over.

"So..." Jason leaned forward. "We're going to stay airborne and drop anchor as close as we can to Olympia. It's further inland than I'd like– about five miles– but we don't have much choice. According to Juno, we have to find the goddess of victory and, um... subdue her."

Uncomfortable silence descended around the table. Percy sipped from his orange juice. "I'm cool with fighting the occasional goddess, but isn't Nike one of the good ones? I mean, personally, I like victory. I can't get enough of it."

Annabeth drummed her fingers on the table. "It does seem strange. I understand why Nike would be in Olympia– home of the Olympics and all that. The contestants sacrificed to her. Greeks and Romans worshiped her there for, like, twelve hundred years, right?"

"Almost to the end of the Roman Empire," agreed Frank. "Romans called her Victoria, but same difference. Everybody loved her. Who doesn't like to win? Not sure why we would have to subdue her."

Jason frowned. "All I know... the ghoul Antinous said, Victory runs rampant in Olympia. Juno warned us that we could never heal the rift between the Greeks and Romans unless we defeated victory."

"Easier said than done," muttered Emilia, carefully slicing her sandwich into small squares. "The children in Nike's cabin at Camp are insanely competitive."

"Her kids seem to have a dark side," agreed Annabeth. "They never turn down a challenge. They have to be number one at everything. If their mom is that intense..."

"Whoa." Piper placed her palms on the table. "Guys, all the gods are split between their Greek and Roman aspects, right? If Nike's that way and she's the goddess of victory–"

"She'd be really conflicted," said Annabeth. "She'd want one side or the other to win so she could declare a victor. She'd literally be fighting with herself."

Hazel hummed. "But we don't want one side or the other to win. We've got to get the Greeks and Romans on the same team."

"Maybe that's the problem," said Jason. "If the goddess of victory is running rampant, torn between Greek and Roman, she might make it impossible to bring the two camps together."

"How?" asked Leo. "Start a flame war on Twitter?"

Percy stabbed at his pancakes. "Maybe she's like Ares. That guy can spark a fight just by walking into a crowded room. If Nike radiates competitive vibes or something, she could aggravate the whole Greek-Roman rivalry big-time."

Frank pointed at Percy. "You remember that old sea god in Atlanta– Phorcys? He said that Gaea's plans always have lots of layers. This could be part of the giants' strategy– keep the two camps divided; keep the gods divided. If that's the case we can't let Nike play us against each other. We should send a landing party of four– two Greeks, two Romans. The balance might help keep her balanced."

"I think Frank is right," said Annabeth. "A party of four. We'll have to be careful who goes. We don't want to do anything that might make the goddess, um, more unstable."

"I'll go," said Piper. "I can try charmspeaking."

Worry lines deepend around Annabeth's eyes. "Not this time, Piper. Nike is all about competition. Aphrodite... well, she is too, in her own way. I think Nike might see you as a threat. Jason and Percy shouldn't go together. Jupiter and Poseidon– bad combination. Nike could start you two fighting easily."

Percy gave her a sideways smile. "Yeah, we can't have another incident like in Kansas. I might kill my bro Jason."

"Or I might kill my bro Percy," said Jason amiably.

"Which proves my point," said Annabeth. "We also shouldn't send Frank and me together. Mars and Athena– that would be just as bad."

Leo broke in, "So Percy and me for the Greeks. Frank and Hazel for the Romans. Is that the ultimate non-competitive dream team or what?"

Annabeth and Frank exchanged a look. "It could work," reasoned Frank. "I mean, no combination is going to be perfect but Poseidon, Hephaestus, Pluto, Mars... I don't see any huge antagonism there."

"What about Emilia?" asked Leo.

Emilia laced her fingers together, considering it. "Well, I might be able to put her at ease by flicking my wrists, but I still radiate dark energy. Not to mention I exist as both Greek and Roman... it could either promote balance or destabilize Nike further. I didn't grow up with the Roman side, she could exploit that and interpret it as the Greeks being more buffed up. No, I think it's better I stay behind."

They nodded, accepting this. Hazel traced her finger along the map of Greece. "I still wish we could've gone through the Gulf of Corinth. I was hoping we could visit Delphi, maybe get some advice. Plus it's such a long way around the Peloponnese."

Leo winced. "It's July twenty-second already. Counting today, only ten days until–"

"I know," said Jason. "But Juno was clear. The shorter way would have been suicide."

"And as for Delphi..." Piper leaned towards the map. The blue harpy feather in her hair swung like a pendulum. "What's going on there? If Apollo doesn't have his Oracle any more..."

Percy grunted. "Probably something to do with that creep Octavian. Maybe he was so bad at telling the future that he broke Apollo's powers."

Jason managed a smile. "Hopefully we can find Apollo and Artemis. Then you can ask him yourself. Juno said the twins might be willing to help us."

"A lot of unanswered questions," muttered Frank. "A lot of miles to cover before we get to Athens."

"First things first," said Annabeth. "You guys have to find Nike and figure out how to subdue her... whatever Juno meant by that. I still don't understand how you defeat a goddess who controls victory. Seems impossible."

Leo started to grin. "We'll see about that." He rose to his feet. "Let me get my collection of grenades and I'll meet you guys on deck!"

-

With nothing to do but wait, Emilia went down to her cabin, hoping Hylla would be available for a daytime chat.

"Your background," noticed Emilia. "A tent. You're on the move?"

"Yes," said Hylla. "Thalia is looking to Lady Artemis for advice but she... has not responded. It is strange to have the Hunters among us, not to mention the giant and Titan and that strange skeletal cat they have with them."

"It's just Small Bob, I promise he is a friend."

"Oh, I believe it. Kinzie and Phoebe have come to an agreement after quite a long time– it is very cute. I've tried to pray to my mother, even, to guide our path. I've yet to make contact." She sighed, rubbing her hand against her forehead. "I hate not knowing what's happening with my sister's little group."

"Same here," said Emilia. "I managed to warn Nico in a dream but he was very dismissive. I don't think that's a good sign. They've already met resistance, I'm sure. But... I trust them. They will manage it. They'll do what needs to be done."

Hylla seemed to zone out for a bit. "We've discussed before how... you're not sure what will come after this. College, jobs."

Emilia nodded. "Still not sure about joining the Amazons and Alejandro really wants to go to Berkeley so I might be considering going back to school a lot more often these days. Pollux, of course, would still like me to go to college with him. Either way, I have no way of making this decision just yet. There's been no peace... how can I make such a choice with no peace?"

"Do you believe peace is necessary to make important decisions?"

"Not at all. Each choice, I think, is best made under particular circumstances. I think most of the choices I've made... good or bad... have all come in moments of great distress. The major ones, anyway. I have had to risk everything in periods where I already feel like I've failed and still I am meant to see what comes of it. I don't really mind it, honestly. But I think that in terms of what my life will be like after all this–" If I even survive, "then I do think life has to be chill for a moment so I can see where I'm being led."

Hylla laced her fingers together, a pensive look on her face. She hesitated to speak, so Emilia asked, "Is there a choice you're wishing to make, in this moment, that you feel must only be made in times of peace? Or the other way around?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, lowering her voice to a whisper. "I suppose you inspired me to think of what comes next. When I took on this role, I always assumed I'd remain in it until I died, despite the fact it is not shameful to leave the Amazons the way it is for the Hunters of Artemis. We make no vows that swear off love and lust. We remain because we are passionate about the cause, because we want something more for ourselves. I... admittedly made the decision, initially, when I was alone. My sister and I hadn't really gone on the same path after the pirates and I had no one else to consider when I arrived and challenged the woman who was Queen at the time."

Emilia knew where this train of thought was headed. "You've considered stepping down?"

She nodded. "Perhaps just for a time or perhaps... permanently. In these recent months, I've been much closer to my sister. I've grown to have you in my life, as well. I want to explore other parts of life with both of you, even with just myself. As Queen of the Amazons, I seldom can travel for pleasure. Even just the quest to go and find your friends when I heard you were missing... all understood my terror but I was judged harshly for it."

"Hylla, I'm sorry."

"No, it isn't your fault. It brought me a moment of clarity. When I thought I had lost you, I questioned what the hell I'd actually done with my life until that point. How little I got to appreciate you. I knew that you had to be in Camp because it was safest for you but I could have gone there and I didn't. I could have gone to San Diego and I didn't. All because of what, these bonds that hold me here? They are bonds of my own making. I can choose to break them, I can choose to do more with my life while I still have it. I've learned how uncertain it all is. I won't take the time we still have left for granted."

Emilia wished that in that moment she could reach out and hold Hylla's hand. "What do you see yourself doing?"

"I... I am not sure yet. But perhaps I'd go to Berkeley. It would leave me close enough to Reyna that I could visit whenever I wanted. If you were to go there, too, you'd be close to your aunt and your brothers. We could see each other often... have a normal dating experience. I want to be able to see you all the time. I want... to show up to the door of your apartment and surprise you with flowers. I want to wake up and find out that you snuck into my kitchen and left me a little tray of breakfast before you went to class. I want to hike through the Berkeley hills and watch you fake a conversation with a deer and stargaze with you on the roof of the Astronomy building, which we totally just shadow-traveled onto."

"I'd like that, Hylla," said Emilia. "I will support you no matter what you choose. You're capable of so many things. I'm proud of you for considering this. When I first met you... I don't think I could have imagined you ever stepping down as Queen of the Amazons."

Hylla laughed lightly. "Same here. But I am satisfied with this choice. You are the first person I've told about it. My skin, it feels as though it has goosebumps all over."

"I'm honored." Emilia put a hand over her heart, bowing her head. "I have meant all the things I said before. I see the potential for a life together, with the both of us. Whatever the future holds, I want to explore it alongside you. I am in this for the long run."

"As am I. It's my turn for watch... I should go. Thank you for listening to me. I look forward to you teaching me how to select a major at Berkeley. Perhaps I will do something like Business or Political Science or even challenge myself with something like Biology or Applied Mathematics."

Emilia blew her a kiss. "I can't wait. Take care, Hylla. I'll talk to you later." She waited for Hylla to dissolve the Iris-message, her face immediately falling, hands beginning to shake.

"An oath to keep with a final breath," she'd whispered to Pollux the night before. "Final breath... whose?"

"Don't think too deeply into it," Pollux had replied hastily. "It could mean anything. Prophecies always do."

"Pollux... if my mother's oath to come to me in the hour in which I'm most in need has anything to do with that line of the prophecy... it doesn't sound good. Is the oath being kept with a final breath in the sense that the oath and a final breath are separate, like... there is some final breath as the oath is being kept or vice versa... or does it come together as in someone's final breath will happen because of the oath?"

"Emilia." He gave her a stern look. "The more you let this seep into your head, the more it's going to drive you crazy. You were just imagining a future where your mom might meet the kids you'll have with Hylla. Focus on that. If you overthink it, you'll imagine it never happening. For now... hold onto the beautiful things. Don't be held back by stuff that doesn't yet make sense."

"I guess you're right."

"I'm always right."

"You were not right when you said that mixing alcohol is harmless."

"Okay, well, I didn't know that I happen to be the only person who will never be harmed by mixing alcohols. My bad. Actually maybe that Dakota kid you mentioned is the same."

"Dakota apparently gets sugar high on red Kool-Aid! He doesn't seem... able to tolerate alcohol, period. I'm telling you, you'd either love him or you'd hate him."

"Are we entirely sure that it's red Kool-Aid? Maybe he acts drunk because he is drunk. I can convert a lot of liquids to wine if I really try. Basically just force a chemical reaction. Maybe I should double major in Chemistry, too..."

She ran her hands through her hair, trying to remember the rest of the conversation. She and Pollux had had a long debate about whether Dakota was drunk on alcohol, sugar, or simply experiencing a sort of placebo effect. It had certainly gotten her mind off of this 'final breath' nonsense.

But was it really nonsense? The harder she tried not to think about it, the more she did. Was she making all these promises to Hylla about a life together while simultaneously knowing deep down that she wasn't going to be there to experience these things with her?

She accepted the fear. She acknowledged that there could be truth to it. But she had to admit, Pollux had a point. For the longest time, everyone was sure the previous Great Prophecy was about a child of the Big Three and it had been about Luke. Perhaps this one would also be unexpectedly simple or otherwise safe.

She waited on the deck until Leo, Percy, Hazel, and Frank returned. Leo apparently had managed to steal Nike's chariot, blind her with the Archimedes sphere, and trap her in this strange bronze net. They'd put her in the horse stables (after duct-taping her mouth shut) and had set course for Pylos, where there was an apparent poison they had to find. Nike had also mentioned something called the physician's cure, a chained god's heartbeat in Sparta, and a curse in Delos. Emilia wanted to just bury herself under blankets and pretend none of it existed.

When they arrived in Pylos, Frank and Piper had gone to find the deadly poison. Frank insisted only Piper could come along, in case they ran into any of his shape-shifting relatives. Emilia was glad not to be chosen, but wondered if this was caused more by the fact she'd recently been in Tartarus and her friends were wary of her rather than a sense of protecting her or giving her time to rest.

Piper and Frank returned in the afternoon with a tiny vial of poison apparently called Pylosian mint. Apparently the plant had sprung from the blood of a nymph who died on a mountain near Pylos. The vial was tiny, and no one knew how that was going to help them reach the physician's cure and cheat death.

"Anyway," continued Frank, "according to my Pylos cousins, the chained god we're looking for in Sparta is my dad... uh, I mean Ares, not Mars. Apparently the Spartans kept a statue of him chained up in their city so the spirit of war would never leave them."

"Oo-kay," said Leo. "The Spartans were freaks. Of course, we've got Victory tied up downstairs, so I guess we can't talk."

"Freaks make more freaks," said Emilia under her breath.

Jason leaned against the forward ballista. "On to Sparta, then. But how does a chained god's heartbeat help us find a cure for dying?"

"Maybe Piper has an idea?" asked Hazel. "She did mention some visions in her dagger blade. What did you say about them?" When Piper didn't respond, apparently zoned out, she prompted, "Piper?"

Piper blinked. "Sorry, what?"

"I was asking you about the visions. You told me you'd seen some stuff in your dagger blade?"

"Uh, right..." Piper unsheathed Katoptris. "I um... I don't see anything right now. But one vision kept popping up. Emilia, Annabeth, and I are exploring some ruins–"

"Ruins!" Leo rubbed his hands. "Now we're talking. How many ruins can there be in Greece?"

"He's right, not specific enough," said Emilia. "Unless you think they're in Sparta?"

"Maybe," said Piper. "Anyway... suddenly we're in this dark place like a cave. We're staring at this bronze warrior statue. In the vision I touch the statue's face and flames start swirling around us. That's all I saw."

"Flames." Frank scowled. "I don't like that vision."

"Me neither." Percy was glaring at a red sea serpent that kept circling near the boat. "If the statue engulfs people in fire, we should send Leo."

Leo made a face. "I love you too, man."

"You know what I mean. You're immune. Or, heck, give me some of those nice water grenades and I'll go. Ares and I have tangled before."

Annabeth stared at the coastline of Pylos, now retreating in the distance. "If Piper saw the two of us and Emilia going after the statue, then that's who should go. We'll be all right. There's always a way to survive."

"Not always," warned Hazel cautiously.

Frank held out the vial of Pylosian mint. "What about this stuff? After the House of Hades, I kind of hoped we were done drinking poison."

"Store it securely in the hold," said Annabeth. "For now, that's all we can do. Once we figure out this chained god situation, we'll head to the island of Delos."

"The curse of Delos," remembered Hazel. "That sounds fun."

"Hopefully Apollo will be there," said Annabeth. "Delos was his home island. He's the god of medicine. He should be able to advise us."

Off the port bow, the sea serpent spewed steam. "Yeah, it's definitely checking us out," decided Percy. "Maybe we should take to the air for a while."

"Airborne it is!" said Leo. "Festus, do the honors!" The bronze dragon figurehead creaked and clacked. The ship's engine hummed. The oars lifted, expanding into aerial blades with a sound like ninety umbrellas opening at once, and the Argo II rose into the sky. "We should reach Sparta by morning."

Emilia took guard duty that night, which worked out to get in all her calls and still manage to stay alert. Xochitl had been gushing about Leo almost the entire time, which Daniel and Alejandro were bored of. Apparently, she talked about Leo most of the day and now had a running list of things to show him when he came to San Diego. Their aunt Evangelina was practically helping Xochitl plan their wedding, much to the brothers' dismay.

After slaughtering a few venti who had tried to cause trouble, she went down to the mess hall for breakfast. They'd reached Sparta, and soon it would be time for her, Piper, and Annabeth to head out.

Piper had had a dream that didn't bode well for them. She'd been in the Acropolis and had seen Polybotes, Otis, Ephialtes, Enceladus, Thoon, Periboia, and Porphyrion all gathered to hear Hippolytos's update on their progress. It was no surprise to them that they were being tracked by the giants. Porphyrion had gladly revealed that their brother Mimas awaited the girls in Sparta.

As soon as Percy heard this, the ship's toilets exploded. "No way you three are going down there alone," he said.

Leo ran down the hall waving a wrench. "Man, did you have to destroy the plumbing?"

Percy ignored him. Water ran down the gangway. The hull rumbled as more pipes burst and sinks overflowed. Percy probably hadn't meant to cause so much damage, but his glowering expression made them all want to leave the ship as soon as possible.

"We'll be all right," Annabeth told him. "Piper foresaw the three of us going down there, so that's what needs to happen."

Percy glared at Piper like it was all her fault. "And this Mimas dude? I'm guessing he's a giant?"

"Yep," said Emilia distastefully as she watched the water seep into the hall. "Born to oppose Hephaestus. And on top of that you mentioned those makhais yesterday. Battles, or whatever in Greek?"

"That's my point," said Percy. "We don't know what those 'mackies' do and you're being sent right to a giant. I'm going with you."

"No." Annabeth put her hand on his arm. "If the giants want our blood, the last thing we need is a boy and a girl going down there together. Remember? They want one of each for their big sacrifice."

"Then I'll get Jason and Leo," said Percy. "And the three of us–"

"Seaweed Brain, are you implying that three boys can handle this better than three girls?"

"No. I mean... no. But–"

Annabeth kissed him. "We'll be back before you know it." She led the way upstairs, Piper following readily. Percy caught Emilia's arm before she could continue.

"Don't worry," said Emilia, prying his arm off. "We've dealt with worse."

"Keep her safe," he pleaded.

"I'm going to keep them both safe, you know that. I remember when you first disappeared, Annabeth gave me this exact same pleading look, begging me to try to find you. Since then, you guys have become my family. You're crazy if you think I'm going to let anything happen to them. Let me remind you that you and her were asleep the entire time you were in the Mansion of Night and you were already heading out on that elevator while I stayed behind and faced Tartarus himself. We've faced worse odds and won."

"You quoting Game of Thrones does nothing to make me less nervous."

"Trust me. You stay here and get your plumber hat on. We have a giant to melt."