Chapter six ✴ Through thick and thin together

THE COUNCIL WAS HELD around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. Dionysus waved his hand and supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Then Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of them were underage. Mr. D sighed. With a snap of his fingers the wine turned to Diet Coke. Nobody drank that either.

Mr. D and Chiron ( in wheelchair form ) sat at one end of the table. Zoë and Bianca di Angelo ( who had kind of become Zoë's personal assistant ) took the other end. Giselle, Percy, Thalia and Grover along the right side, and the other head councilors ─ Beckendorf, Silena, and the Stoll brothers ─ sat on the left. The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative, too, but all of them had gotten broken limbs ( accidentally ) during capture the flag, courtesy of the Hunters. They were resting up in the infirmary.

Zoë started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless."

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

"There is no time for talk," Zoë continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said. Giselle was amazed at how different she looked after just a few days with the Hunters. Her dark hair was braided like Zoë's now, so you could actually see her face. She had a splash of freckles across her nose, and her dark eyes vaguely reminded the brunette of dark night. Her skin glowed faintly, like the other Hunters, as if she'd been taking showers in liquid moonlight. "You heard the prophecy. Six shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get six hunters and go."

"Yes," Zoë agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

"You're missing something, as usual," Thalia said. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoë said. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your," Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoë. Get with the times."

Zoë hesitated, like she was trying to form the word correctly. "Yerrr. We do not need yerrr help."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

"I fear the prophecy says you do need our help," Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

"Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it had a fine bouquet. "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate? And the other? Death that follows. . . who even know what that is?"

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?"

Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful."

"We're supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoë, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoë grimaced, but Giselle could tell Thalia had scored a point.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice."

"Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting."

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoë said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

Mr. D nodded. "Just checking. You're right, of course. Carry on."

"I must agree with Zoë," said Chiron. "Artemis's presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a week to find her. And possibly even more important: to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."

"Three and three," Percy said. Everybody looked at the boy. "We're supposed to have six; three Hunters, three from Camp Half-Blood. That's more than fair."

Thalia and Zoë exchanged looks.

"Well," Thalia said. "It does make sense."

Zoë grunted. "I would prefer to take all the Hunters. We will need strength of numbers."

"You'll be retracing the goddess's path," Chiron reminded her. "Moving quickly. No doubt Artemis tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. You will have to do the same. The prophecy was clear: The bane of Olympus shows the trail. What would your mistress say? 'Too many Hunters spoil the scent.' A small group is best."

Zoë picked up a Ping-Pong paddle and studied it like she was deciding who she wanted to whack first. "This monster ─ the bane of Olympus. I have hunted at Lady Artemis's side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast might be."

Everybody looked at Dionysus, probably because he was the only god present and gods are supposed to know things. He was flipping through a wine magazine, but when everyone got silent he glanced up, "Well, don't look at me. I'm a young god, remember? I don't keep track of all those ancient monsters and dusty titans. They make for terrible party conversation."

"Chiron," Giselle said, "you don't have any ideas about the monster?"

Chiron pursed his lips. "I have several ideas, none of them good. And none of them quite make sense. Typhon, for instance, could fit this description. He was truly a bane of Olympus. Or the sea monster Keto. But if either of these were stirring, we would know it. They are ocean monsters the size of skyscrapers. Poseidon would already have sounded the alarm. I fear this monster may be more elusive. Perhaps even more powerful."

"That's some serious danger you're facing," Connor Stoll said. "It sounds like at least two of the six are going to die."

"Death that follows with cluttering teeth, Will perish by a hand of different breed." Travis said the line again, "What is that even supposed to mean?"

No one said a word, everyone confused by the line of the prophecy. Death reminded Giselle of Hades, as he was the god of the dead and the king of the Underworld, but there were no demigod children of Hades; ones that they know of. So, what could that be? The girl, from the corner of her eye, noticed Chiron and Mr. D exchanging looks, worry lines written of Chiron's forehead. His eyes moved onto her and the girl quickly looked away, curiosity filling her insides. 

"One shall be lost in the land without rain" Beckendorf said. "If I were you, I'd stay out of the desert."

There was a muttering of agreement.

"And the Titan's curse must one withstand," Silena said. "What could that mean?"

The girl saw Chiron and Zoë exchange a nervous look, but whatever they were thinking, they didn't share it.

"One shall perish by a parent's hand," Grover said in between bites of Cheez Whiz and Ping-Pong balls. "How is that possible? Whose parent would kill them?"

There was heavy silence around the table.

Percy and Giselle glanced at each other and they knew they were thinking the same thing. Years ago, Chiron had had a prophecy about the next child of the Big Three ─ Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades ─ who turned sixteen. Supposedly, that kid would make a decision that would save or destroy the gods forever. Because of that, the Big Three had taken an oath after World War II not to have any more kids. But Thalia and Percy had been born anyway, and now they were both getting close to sixteen.

Son of Poseidon remembered a conversation he'd had last year with Annabeth. He'd asked her, if he was so potentially dangerous, why the gods didn't just kill him.

Some of the gods would like to kill you, she'd said. But they're afraid of offending Poseidon. 

Could an Olympian parent turn against his half-blood child? Would it sometimes be easier just to let them die? If there were ever any half-bloods who needed to worry about that, it was Thalia and Percy. He wondered if maybe he should've sent Poseidon that seashell pattern tie for Father's Day after all. 

"There will be deaths," Chiron decided. "That much we know."

"Oh, goody!" Dionysus said. Everyone looked at him. The god glanced up innocently from the pages of Wine Connoisseur magazine. "Ah, pinot noir is making a comeback. Don't mind me."

"Percy is right," Silena Beauregard said. "Three campers should go."

"Oh, I see," Zoë said sarcastically. "And I suppose you wish to volunteer?"

Silena blushed. "I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters. Don't look at me!"

"A daughter of Aphrodite does not wish to be looked at," Zoë scoffed. "What would thy mother say?"

Silena started to get out of her chair, but the Stoll brothers pulled her back.

"Stop it," Beckendorf said. He was a big guy with a bigger voice. He didn't talk much, but when he did, people tended to listen. "Let's start with the Hunters. Which three of you will go?"

Zoë stood. "I shall go, of course, and I will take Phoebe. She is our best tracker."

"The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" Travis asked cautiously.

Zoë nodded.

"The one who put the arrows in my helmet?" Connor added.

"Yes," Zoë snapped. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Travis said. "Just that we have a T-shirt for her from the camp store." He held up a big silver T-shirt that looked like merch for the goddess, "It's a collector's item. She was admiring it. You want to give it to her?"

Giselle knew the Stolls were up to something. They always were. But she guessed Zoë didn't know them as well as she did. She just sighed and took the T-shirt.

"As I was saying, I will take Phoebe. And I wish Bianca to go."

Bianca looked stunned. "Me? But. . . I'm so new. I wouldn't be any good."

"You will do fine," Zoë insisted. "There is no better way to prove thyself."

"And for campers?" Chiron asked.

"Me!" Grover stood up so fast he bumped the Ping-Pong table. He brushed cracker crumbs and Ping-Pong ball scraps off his lap. "Anything to help Artemis!"

Zoë wrinkled her nose. "I think not, satyr. You are not even a half-blood."

"But he is a camper," Thalia said. "And he's got a satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet, Grover?"

"Absolutely!"

"Very well," Zoë said. "The second camper?"

"I'll go." Giselle said, her chair scrapping against the wooden floor as she stood up, her hands firm on the table as she looked around. The rest begun to mutter in agreement, knowing why Giselle of all people in the room wanted to go on a quest ─ a chance for the girl to retrieve her best friend. She looked at Chiron and he gave her a single nod; Giselle nodded back.

Zoë nodded, accepting the girl, "And third?"

"I'll come too," Thalia said, looking around, daring anyone to question her.

Now, okay, maybe Percy's math skills weren't the best, but it suddenly occurred to him that they'd reached the number six, and he wasn't in the group.

"Whoa, wait a sec," Percy said. "I want to go too."

Thalia said nothing, and Giselle could only stare blankly. Chiron was still studying Percy, his eyes sad.

"Oh," Grover said, suddenly aware of the problem. "Whoa, yeah, I forgot! Percy has to go. I didn't mean. . . I'll stay. Percy should go in my place."

"He cannot," Zoë said. "He is a boy. I won't have Hunters traveling with a boy."

"You traveled here with me," the boy reminded her.

"That was a short-term emergency, and it was ordered by the goddess. I will not go across country and fight many dangers in the company of a boy."

"What about Grover?"

Zoë shook her head. "He does not count. He's a satyr. He is not technically a boy."

"Hey!" Grover protested.

"I have to go," Percy said. "I need to be on this quest."

"Why?" Zoë asked. "Because of thy friend Annabeth?"

Percy frowned, "Of course! I don't want my best friend to go missing forever! Plus, I just feel like I'm supposed to go!"

Nobody rose to his defense. Mr. D looked bored, still reading his magazine. Silena, the Stoll brothers, and Beckendorf were staring at the table. Bianca gave him a look of pity.

"No," Zoë said flatly. "I insist upon this. I will take a satyr if I must, but not a male hero."

Chiron sighed. "The quest is for Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions." Percy sat back down as Chiron concluded the council. "So be it," he said. "Giselle, Thalia and Grover will accompany Zoë, Bianca, and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods" ─ he glanced at Dionysus ─ "present company included, we hope ─ be with you."

PERCY WAS BEING a bit of a bitch in Giselle's opinion for being petty about not going, but then again, she knew she would be the same if she didn't volunteer to go on this quest. So before going to her cabin to get some sleep, the brunette stopped by cabin three, walking in to see Percy sitting on his bed with a coin in his hands and defeated look on his face.

The girl walked over to him, sitting on the other side of the bed, "I'm sorry," she muttered, her eyes dropping to his blue sheet, never meeting his eyes.

"For what?" the boy asked, turning his body so he was facing her.

"For not sticking up for you," she said, "Suggesting for you to come with us. . . or even to let you have my spot."

Percy furrowed his eyebrows, "I wouldn't have taken it, you know that," he said but his voice was laced with sadness, "You deserve to go more than me."

"Anyone deserves to go,"

The boy looked at his best friend with watery smile, "You have to go," he said softly. "Annabeth is in question and everyone knows that's why you volunteered so fast. She's your other half as you two say it, so everyone knew the quest was meant for you."

"But Percy ─ "

Son of Poseidon shook his head, "Don't worry about me. . . I might go back home, I was going to call my mom."

Giselle nodded, "Call her," she said and started to stand up from the bed. Percy followed her but as he walked to the fountain, she walked towards the door, "I'll leave you two alone," she called as she opened the door, "Tell her I said hi."

Percy nodded, wishing her a goodnight before Giselle closed the door behind her.

Giselle doesn't remember falling asleep, but she remembers the dream.

The girl was back in that barren cave, the ceiling heavy and low above her. Annabeth was kneeling under the weight of a dark mass that looked like a pile of boulders. She was too tired even to cry out. Her legs trembled. Any second, the girl knew she would run out of strength and the cavern ceiling would collapse on top of her.

"How is our mortal guest?" a male voice boomed.

Luke emerged from the shadows. He ran to Annabeth, knelt beside her, then looked back at the unseen man. "She's fading. We must hurry."

The hypocrite. Like he really cared what happened to her. 

The deep voice chuckled. It belonged to someone in the shadows, at the edge of her dream. Then a meaty hand thrust someone forward into the light ─ Artemis ─ her hands and feet bound in celestial bronze chains. Giselle gasped. Her silvery dress was torn and tattered. Her face and arms were cut in several places, and she was bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods.

"You heard the boy," said the man in the shadows. "Decide!"

Artemis's eyes flashed with anger. The goddess looked at Annabeth and her expression changed to concern and outrage. "How dare you torture a maiden like this!"

"She will die soon," Luke said. "You can save her."

Annabeth made a weak sound of protest. Giselle's heart felt like it was being twisted into aknot. All she wanted to so was to run to her, but she couldn't move. 

"Free my hands," Artemis said.

Luke brought out his sword, Backbiter. With one expert strike, he broke the goddess's handcuffs. Artemis ran to Annabeth and took the burden from her shoulders. Annabeth collapsed on the ground and lay there shivering. Artemis staggered, trying to support the weight of the black rocks.

The man in the shadows chuckled. "You are as predictable as you were easy to beat, Artemis."

"You surprised me," the goddess said, straining under her burden. "It will not happen again."

"Indeed it will not," the man said. "Now you are out of the way for good! I knew you could not resist helping a young maiden. That is, after all, your specialty, my dear."

Artemis groaned "You know nothing of mercy, you swine."

"On that," the man said, "we can agree. Luke, you may kill the girl now."

"No!" Artemis shouted.

Luke hesitated. "She-she may yet be useful, sir. . . Further bait."

"Bah! You truly believe that?"

"Yes, General. They will come for her. I'm sure."

The man considered. "Then the dracaenae can guard her here. Assuming she does not die from her injuries, you may keep her alive until winter solstice. After that, if our sacrifice goes as planned, her life will be meaningless. The lives of all mortals will be meaningless."

Luke gathered up Annabeth's listless body and carried her away from the goddess.

"You will never find the monster you seek," Artemis said. "Your plan will fail."

"How little you know, my young goddess," the man in the shadows said. "Even now, your darling attendants begin their quest to find you. They shall play directly into my hands. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a long journey to make. We must greet your Hunters and make sure their quest is. . . challenging."

The man's laughter echoed in the darkness, shaking the ground until it seemed the whole cavern ceiling would collapse. 

THE THING ABOUT FLYING on a pegasus during the daytime is that if you're not careful, you can cause a serious traffic accident on the Long Island Expressway. Percy had to keep Blackjack up in the clouds, which were, fortunately, pretty low in the winter. They darted around, trying to keep the white Camp Half-Blood van in sight. And if it was cold on the ground, it was seriously cold in the air, with icy rain stinging my skin.

Percy was wishing he'd brought some of that Camp Half-Blood orange thermal underwear they sold in the camp store, but after the story about Phoebe and the centaur-blood T-shirt, he wasn't sure he trusted their products anymore.

They lost the van twice, but Percy had a pretty good sense that they would go into Manhattan first, so it wasn't too difficult to pick up their trail again.

Traffic was bad with the holidays and all. It was mid morning before they got into the city. Percy landed Blackjack near the top of the Chrysler Building and watched the white camp van, thinking it would pull into the bus station, but it just kept driving.

"Where's Argus taking them?" he muttered.

Oh, Argus ain't driving, boss, Blackjack told me. That girl is.

"Which girl?"

The Hunter girl. With the silver crown thing in her hair.

"Zoë?"

That's the one. Hey, look! There's a donut shop. Can we get something to go?

Percy tried explaining to Blackjack that taking a flying horse to a donut shop would give every cop in there a heart attack, but he didn't seem to get it. Meanwhile, the van kept snaking its way toward the Lincoln Tunnel. It had never even occurred to the boy that Zoë could drive. She didn't look sixteen. Then again, she was immortal. Percy wondered if she had a New York license, and if so, what her birth date said.

"Well," he said. "Lets get after them."

They were about to leap off the Chrysler Building when Blackjack whinnied in alarm and almost threw the boy off. Something was curling around Percy's leg like a snake. He reached for his sword, but when he looked down, there was no snake. Vines ─ grape vines ─ had sprouted from the cracks between the stones of the building. They were wrapping around Blackjack's legs, lashing down Percy's ankles so they couldn't move.

"Going somewhere?" Mr. D asked. He was leaning against the building with his feet levitating in the air, his leopard-skin warm-up suit and black hair whipping around in the wind.

God alert! Blackjack yelled. It's the wine dude!

Mr. D sighed in exasperation. "The next person, or horse, who calls me the 'wine dude' will end up in a bottle of Merlot!"

"Mr. D." Percy tried to keep his voice calm as the grape vines continued to wrap around his legs. "What do you want?"

"Oh, what do I want? You thought, perhaps, that the immortal, all-powerful director of camp would not notice you leaving without permission?"

"Well. . . maybe."

"I should throw you off this building, minus the flying horse, and see how heroic you sound on the way down."

Percy balled his fists. He knew he should keep his mouth shut, but Mr. D was about to kill him or haul him back to camp in shame, and the boy couldn't stand either idea. "Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?"

Purple flames flickered in his eyes. "You're a hero, boy. I need no other reason."

"I have to go on this quest! I've got to help my friends. That's something you wouldn't understand!"

Um, boss, Blackjack said nervously. Seeing as how we're wrapped in vines nine hundred feet in the air, you might want to talk nice.

The grape vines coiled tighter around Percy. Below them, the white van was getting farther and farther away. Soon it would be out of sight.

"Did I ever tell you about Ariadne?" Mr. D asked. "Beautiful young princess of Crete? She liked helping her friends, too. In fact, she helped a young hero named Theseus, also a son of Poseidon. She gave him a ball of magical yarn that let him find his way out of the Labyrinth. And do you know how Theseus rewarded her?"

The answer Percy wanted to give was I don't care! But he figure that wouldn't make Mr. D finish his story any faster.

"They got married," the boy said. "Happily ever after. The end."

Mr. D sneered. "Not quite. Theseus said he would marry her. He took her aboard his ship and sailed for Athens. Halfway back, on a little island called Naxos, he. . . What's the word you mortals use today?. . . he dumped her. I found her there, you know. Alone. Heartbroken. Crying her eyes out. She had given up everything, left everything she knew behind, to help a dashing young hero who tossed her away like a broken sandal."

"That's wrong," Percy said. "But that was thousands of years ago. What's that got to do with me?"  

Mr. D regarded the boy coldly. "I fell in love with Ariadne, boy. I healed her broken heart. And when she died, I made her my immortal wife on Olympus. She waits for me even now. I shall go back to her when I am done with this infernal century of punishment at your ridiculous camp."

Percy stared at him. "You're. . . you're married? But I thought you got in trouble for chasing a wood nymph ─ "

"That rumor is far from the truth. My point, however, is you heroes never change. You accuse us gods of being vain. You should look at yourselves. You take what you want, use whoever you have to, and then you betray everyone around you. So you'll excuse me if I have no love for heroes. They are a selfish, ungrateful lot. Ask Ariadne. Or Medea. For that matter, ask Zoë Nightshade."

"What do you mean, ask Zoë?"

He waved his hand dismissively. "Go. Follow your silly friends."

The vines uncurled around Percy's legs. He blinked in disbelief. "You're. . . you're letting me go? Just like that?"

"The prophecy says at least two of you will die. Perhaps I'll get lucky and you'll be one of them. But mark my words, son of Poseidon, live or die, you will prove no better than the other heroes." 

With that, Dionysus snapped his fingers. His image folded up like a paper display. There was a pop and he was gone, leaving a faint scent of grapes that was quickly blown away by the wind. 

Too close, Blackjack said.

Percy nodded, though he almost would have been less worried if Mr. D had hauled him back to camp. The fact that he'd let the boy go meant he really believed they stood a fair chance of crashing and burning on this quest.

"Come on, Blackjack," Percy said, trying to sound upbeat. "I'll buy you some donuts in New Jersey."

THEY MADE IT all the way to Maryland before Zoë finally pulled over at a rest stop. They all decided to go to the restroom and get something warm to drink from inside the convenience store in the rest stop before heading out again. Giselle decided to buy herself a pack of sour candy and water, while Thalia got a pack of m&m's and Grover a stack of styrofoam cups; Zoë and Bianca got nothing.

As they walked out, Grover began talking about some nature spell he'd been doing on the ride down, and how he was sure he knew where to go first.

"Grover, are you sure?" Thalia asked.

"Well. . . pretty sure. Ninety-nine percent. . . Okay, eighty-five percent."

"And you did this with acorns?" Bianca asked.

Grover looked offended. "It's a time-honored tracking spell. I mean, I'm pretty sure I did it right."

"D.C. is about sixty miles from here," Bianca said. "Nico and I. . ." she frowned. "We used to live there. That's. . . that's strange. I'd forgotten."

"I dislike this," Zoë said. "We should go straight west. The prophecy said west."

"Oh, like your tracking skills are better?" Thalia growled.

Zoë stepped toward her. "You challenge my skills, you scullion? You know nothing of being a Hunter!"

"Oh, scullion. You're calling me a scullion? What the fuck is a scullion?"

"Whoa, you two," Giselle said, stepping in between two girls, looking back from one to another, "You need to stop with this childish behavior. We have other things to worry about."

"Grover's right," Bianca said. "D.C. is our best bet."

Zoë didn't look convinced, but she nodded reluctantly. "Very well. Let us keep moving."

"You're going to get us arrested, driving," Thalia grumbled. "I look closer to sixteen than you do."

"Perhaps," Zoë snapped. "But I have been driving since automobiles were invented. Let us go."

PERCY WAS IN A huge round room with a balcony ringing the second level. At least a dozen mortal guards stood on the balcony, plus two monsters ─ reptilian women with double-snake trunks instead of legs. He'd seen them before. Annabeth had called them Scythian dracaenae.

But that wasn't the worse of it. Standing between the snake women ─ Percy could swear he was looking straight down at the ─ was his old enemy Luke. He looked terrible. His skin was pale and his blond hair looked almost gray, as if he'd aged ten years in just a few months. The angry light in his eyes was still there, and so was the scar down the side of his face, where a dragon had once scratched him. But the scar was now ugly red, as though it had recently been reopened. 

Next to him, sitting down so that the shadows covered him, was another man. All Percy could see were his knuckles on the gilded arms of his chair, like a throne. "Well?" asked the man in the chair. The booming voice filled the whole room even though he wasn't yelling.

Dr. Thorn took off his shades. His two-colored eyes, brown and blue, glittered with excitement. He made a stiff bow, then spoke in his weird French accent: "They are here, General."

"I know that, you fool," boomed the man. "But where?"

"In the rocket museum."

"The Air and Space Museum," Luke corrected irritably.

Dr. Thorn glared at Luke. "As you say, sir"

Percy got the feeling Thorn would just as soon impale Luke with one of his spikes as call him sir.

"How many?" Luke asked.

Thorn pretended not to hear.

"How many?" the General demanded.

"Five, General," Thorn said. "The satyr, Grover Underwood. The brunette girl with pale skin and Asian features, one with the bow, as well as the girl with the spiky black hair and the — how do you say ─ punk clothes and the horrible shield."

"Giselle and Thalia," Luke said.

"And two other girls ─ Hunters. One wears a silver circlet."

"That one I know," the General growled.

Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably. 

"Let me take them," Luke said to the General. "We have more than enough ─"

"Patience," the General said. "They'll have their hands full already. I've sent a little playmate to keep them occupied."

"But ─ "

"We cannot risk you, my boy."

"Yes, boy," Dr. Thorn said with a cruel smile. "You are much too fragile to risk. Let me finish them off."

"No." The General rose from his chair, and Percy got his first look at him. He was tall and muscular, with light brown skin and slicked-back dark hair. He wore an expensive brown silk suit like the guys on Wall Street wear, but you'd never mistake this dude for a broker. He had a brutal face, huge shoulders, and hands that could snap a flagpole in half. His eyes were like stone. The boy felt as if he were looking at a living statue. It was amazing he could even move.

"You have already failed me, Thorn," he said.

"But, General ─ "

"No excuses!"

Thorn flinched. Percy'd thought Thorn was scary when he first saw him in his black uniform at the military academy. But now, standing before the General, Thorn looked like a silly wannabe soldier. The General was the real deal. He didn't need a uniform. He was a born commander.

"I should throw you into the pits of Tartarus for your incompetence," the General said. "I send you to capture a child of the three elder gods, and you bring me a scrawny daughter of Athena." 

"But you promised me revenge.'" Thorn protested. "A command of my own!"

"I am Lord Kronos's senior commander," the General said. "And I will choose lieutenants who get me results! It was only thanks to Luke that we salvaged our plan at all. Now get out of my sight, Thorn, until I find some other menial task for you."

Thorn's face turned purple with rage. Percy thought he was going to start frothing at the mouth or shooting spines, but he just bowed awkwardly and left the room.

"Now, my boy." The General turned to Luke. "The first thing we must do is isolate the half-blood Thalia. The monster we seek will then come to her."

"Giselle will not back down without a real fight, no matter what is thrown her way. The Hunters will be difficult to dispose of," Luke said. "Zoë Nightshade ─ "

"Do not speak her name!" 

Luke swallowed. "S-sorry, General. I just ─ "

The General silenced him with a wave of his hand. "Let me show you, my boy, how we will bring the Hunters down." He pointed to a guard on the ground level. "Do you have the teeth?"

The guy stumbled forward with a ceramic pot. "Yes, General!"

"Plant them," he said.

In the center of the room was a big circle of dirt, where Percy guessed a dinosaur exhibit was supposed to go. He watched nervously as the guard took sharp white teeth out of the pot and pushed them into the soil. He smoothed them over while the General smiled coldly. The guard stepped back from the dirt and wiped his hands. "Ready, General!"

"Excellent! Water them, and we will let them scent their prey."

The guard picked up a little tin watering can with daisies painted on it, which was kind of bizarre, because what he poured out wasn't water. It was dark red liquid, and Percy got the feeling it wasn't Hawaiian Punch. The soil began to bubble.

"Soon," the General said, "I will show you, Luke, soldiers that will make your army from that little boat look insignificant."

Luke clenched his fists. "I've spent a year training my forces! When the Princess Andromeda arrives at the mountain, they'll be the best ─ "

"Ha." the General said. "I don't deny your troops will make a fine honor guard for Lord Kronos. And you, of course, will have a role to play ─ "

Percy thought Luke turned paler when the General said that.

" ─ but under my leadership, the forces of Lord Kronos will increase a hundredfold. W ewill be unstoppable. Behold, my ultimate killing machines."

The soil erupted. Percy stepped back nervously. In each spot where a tooth had been planted, a creature was struggling out of the dirt. The first of them said: "Mew?" It was a kitten. A little orange tabby with stripes like a tiger. Then another appeared, until there were a dozen, rolling around and playing in the dirt. 

Everyone stared at them in disbelief.

The General roared, "What is this? Cute cuddly kittens? Where did you find those teeth?"

The guard who'd brought the teeth cowered in fear. "From the exhibit, sir! Just like you said. The saber-toothed tiger ─ "

"No, you idiot! I said the tyrannosaurus! Gather up those. . . those infernal fuzzy little beasts and take them outside. And never let me see your face again."

The terrified guard dropped his watering can. He gathered up the kittens and scampered out of the room.

"You." The General pointed to another guard. "Get me the right teeth. NOW!"

The new guard ran off to carry out his orders.

"Imbeciles," muttered the General.

"This is why I don't use mortals," Luke said. "They are unreliable."

"They are weak-minded, easily bought, and violent," the General said. "I love them."

A minute later, the guard hustled into the room with his hands full of large pointy teeth. 

"Excellent," the General said. He climbed onto the balcony railing and jumped down ,twenty feet. Where he landed, the marble floor cracked under his leather shoes. He stood, wincing, and rubbed his shoulders. "Curse my stiff neck."

"Another hot pad, sir?" a guard asked. "More Tylenol?"

"No! It will pass." The General brushed off his silk suit, then snatched up the teeth. "I shall do this myself." He held up one of the teeth and smiled. "Dinosaur teeth ─ ha! Those foolish mortals don't even know when they have dragon teeth in their possession. And not just any dragon teeth. These come from the ancient Sybaris herself! They shall do nicely." He planted them in the dirt, twelve in all. Then he scooped up the watering can. He sprinkled the soil with red liquid, tossed the can away, and held his arms out wide. Rise!

The dirt trembled. A single, skeletal hand shot out of the ground, grasping at the air. The General looked up at the balcony. "Quickly, do you have the scent?"

"Yesssss, lord," one of the snake ladies said. She took out a sash of silvery fabric, like the kind the Hunters wore. 

"Excellent," the General said. "Once my warriors catch its scent, they will pursue its owner relentlessly. Nothing can stop them, no weapons known to half-blood or Hunter. They will tear the Hunters and their allies to shreds. Toss it here!"

As he said that, skeletons erupted from the ground. There were twelve of them, one for each tooth the General had planted. They were nothing like Halloween skeletons, or the kind you might see in cheesy movies. These were growing flesh as Percy watched, turning into men, but men with dull gray skin, yellow eyes, and modern clothes ─ gray muscle shirts, camo pants, and combat boots. If you didn't look too closely, you could almost believe they were human, but their flesh was transparent and their bones shimmered underneath, like X-ray images. One of them looked straight at the boy, regarding him coldly, and Percy knew that no cap of invisibility would fool it.

The snake lady released the scarf and it fluttered down toward the General's hand. As soon as he gave it to the warriors, they would hunt Zoë and the others until they were extinct.

Percy didn't have time to think. He ran and jumped with all his might, plowing into the warriors and snatching the scarf out of the air.

"What's this?" bellowed the General.

The boy landed at the feet of a skeleton warrior, who hissed.

"An intruder," the General growled. "One cloaked in darkness. Seal the doors!"

"It's Percy Jackson!" Luke yelled. "It has to be."

Percy sprinted for the exit, but heard a ripping sound and realized the skeleton warrior had taken a chunk out of his sleeve. When he glanced back, he was holding the fabric up to his nose, sniffing the scent, handing it around to his friends. Percy wanted to scream, but he couldn't. He squeezed through the door just as the guards slammed it shut behind him.

And then he ran. 

THE MAIN PART of the museum was one huge room with rockets and airplanes hanging from the ceiling. Three levels of balconies curled around, so you could look at the exhibits from all different heights. The place wasn't crowded, just a few families and a couple of tour groups of kids, probably doing one of those holiday school trips. 

Giselle was looking around before a force knocked into her from behind, causing her to lose balance and sent the girl straight into an Apollo space capsule. A gasp was ripped from her lips.

Grover yelped in surprise.

Zoë and Bianca had arrows notched, aimed at Percy's chest. Their bows had just appeared out of nowhere. When Zoë realized who it was, she didn't seem anxious to lower her bow.

"You! How dare you show thy face here?"

"Percy!" Grover said. "Thank goodness." Zoë glared at him, and he blushed. "I mean, um, gosh. You're not supposed to be here!"

"Luke," Percy said, trying to catch his breath. "He's here."

The anger in Thalia's eyes immediately melted. She put her hand on her silver bracelet. "Where?"

Percy told them about the Natural History Museum, Dr. Thorn, Luke, and the General.

"The General is here?" Zoë looked stunned. "That is impossible! You lie."

"Why would I lie? Look, there's no time. Skeleton warriors ─ "

"What?" Giselle demanded. "How many?"

"Twelve," Percy said. "And that's not all. That guy, the General, he said he was sending something, a 'playmate' to distract you over here. A monster."

Giselle, Thalia and Grover exchanged looks.

"We were following Artemis's trail," Grover said. "I was pretty sure it led here. Some powerful monster scent. . . She must've stopped here looking for the mystery monster. But we haven't found anything yet."

"Zoë," Bianca said nervously, "if it is the General ─ "

"It cannot be!" Zoë snapped. "Percy must have seen an Iris-message or some other illusion."

"Illusions don't crack marble floors," Percy told her.

Zoë took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Giselle didn't know why she was taking it so personally, or how she knew this General guy, but the girl figured now wasn't the time to ask.

"If Percy is telling the truth about the skeleton warriors," she said, "we have no time to argue. They are the worst, the most horrible. . . We must leave now."

"Good idea," Percy said.

"I was not including thee, boy," Zoë said. "You are not part of this quest."

"Hey, I'm trying to save your lives!"

"You shouldn't have come, Percy," Thalia said grimly. "But you're here now. Come on. Let's get back to the van."

"That is not thy decision!" Zoë snapped.

Thalia scowled at her. "You're not the boss here, Zoë. I don't care how old you are! You're still a conceited little fucking brat!"

"You never had any wisdom when it came to boys," Zoë growled. "You never could leave them behind!"

Thalia looked like she was about to hit Zoë. Then everyone froze. Giselle heard a growl so loud she thought one of the rocket engines was starting up. Below them, a few adults screamed. A little kid's voice screeched with delight: "Kitty!"

Something enormous bounded up the ramp. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur.

"The Nemean Lion," Giselle said. "Don't move."

The lion roared so loud it sent Giselle's hair flying behind like in those shampoo commercials. Its fangs gleamed like stainless steel.

"Separate on my mark," Zoë said. "Try to keep it distracted."

"Until when?" Grover asked.

"Until I think of a way to kill it."

"We're so dead."

"Go!"

Percy grabbed her hand and the pair rolled to the left. Arrows whistled past them, and Grover played a sharp tweet-tweet cadence on his reed pipes. The girl turned and saw Zoë and Bianca climbing the Apollo capsule. They were firing arrows, one after another, all shattering harmlessly against the lions metallic fur. The lion swiped the capsule and tipped it on its side, spilling the Hunters off the back. Grover played a frantic, horrible tune, and the lion turned toward him, but Thalia stepped into its path, holding up Aegis, and the lion recoiled. "ROOOAAAR!"

"Hi-yah!" Thalia said. "Back!"

The lion growled and clawed the air, but it retreated as if the shield were a blazing fire. For a second, it looked like Thalia had it under control. Then Giselle saw the lion crouching, its leg muscles tensing.

"Hey!" Percy yelled and charged the beast.

He slashed with Riptide, a good strike to the flank that should've cut the monster into Meow Mix, but the blade just clanged against its fur in a burst of sparks. The lion raked Percy with its claws, ripping off a chunk of the boy's coat. The boy backed against the railing. It sprang at him and Percy turned and jumped. He landed on the wing of an old-fashioned silver airplane, which pitched and almost spilled me to the floor, three stories below.

An arrow whizzed past the boy's head. The lion jumped onto the aircraft, and the cords holding the plane began to groan. The lion swiped at Percy, and he dropped onto the next exhibit, a weird-looking spacecraft with blades like a helicopter.

The Nemean Lion. Its fur is invulnerable, she knew that. Its mouth. She looked up and saw the lion roar ─ inside its maw, a pink tongue and throat. Lion is like every cat and she's good with cats ( that being Masha's cat that doesn't really like people ). And when she wants for the cat to not scratch her, she uses her powers to calm the animal down.

"Zoë!" Giselle shouted. "Target the mouth!"

The monster lunged at Percy. An arrow zipped past it, missing completely, and Percy dropped from the spaceship onto the top of a floor exhibit, a huge model of the earth. The boy slid down Russia and dropped off the equator. The Nemean Lion growled and steadied itself on the spacecraft, but its weight was too much. One of the cords snapped. As the display swung down like a pendulum, the lion leaped off onto the model earth's North Pole.

Groups of kids were running around screaming. Grover tried to corral them away from the monster just as the other cord on the spaceship snapped and the exhibit crashed to the floor. Thalia dropped off the second-floor railing and landed across from Percy and to Giselle's left, on the other side of the globe. The lion regarded the three of them, trying to decide which of them to kill first. Zoë and Bianca were above them, bows ready, but they kept having to move around to get a good angle.

"No clear shot!" Zoë yelled. "Get it to open its mouth more!"

The lion snarled from the top of the globe. Giselle closed her eyes for a moment, bringing her hands together in a clasp as she pushed the burning energy that raged in her body, flows though her veins, burn her fingers in a painful way that you just can't get enough of it. She pushed that pain to form within her hands, opening up her palms as dozes of silver stars erupted from her hands, floating above them as they became bigger and bigger.

The lion stopped its snarling, his eyes following the movements of the burning balls of light, pupils sparkling from the light. Percy knew what his best friend was doing and not wasting any second, he dashed for the souvenir shop.

"How are you doing that. . . ?" Thalia whispered next to her.

"Just not to lose concentration." Giselle murmured, her eyes closed as the stars kept the lion busy as Percy grabbed what he wanted from the shop.

"Gigi, let go," Perch yelled from across them and Giselle listened to her best friend. She dropped her hands and the stars disappeared just as her vision started to blur. Thalia caught her as her body swayed, her hand wrapped around her waist, keeping her from falling.

"Wow, you okay?"

Giselle shook her head, trying to keep her balance, "It tires me too much."

The lion turned toward the boy and snarled. Percy charged, and as the lion leaped to intercept him. The boy chunked a space food pouch into its maw ─ a chunk of cellophane-wrapped, freeze-dried strawberry parfait. The lion's eyes got wide and it gagged like a cat with a hairball. 

"Zoë, get ready!" Percy yelled.

Giselle could hear people screaming, making her head hurt even more. Grover was playing another horrible song on his pipes. Percy scrambled away from the lion. It managed to choke down the space food packet and looked at me with pure hate.

"Snack time!" Percy yelled.

It made the mistake of roaring at him, and he got an ice-cream sandwich in its throat. Fortunately, Percy had always been a pretty good pitcher, even though baseball wasn't his game. Before the lion could stop gagging, the boy shot in two more flavors of ice cream and a freeze-driedspaghetti dinner.  The lion's eyes bugged. It opened its mouth wide and reared up on its back paws, trying to get away from the two demigods.

"Now!" Percy yelled.

Immediately, arrows pierced the lion's maw ─ two, four, six. The lion thrashed wildly, turned, and fell backward. And then it was still. Alarms wailed throughout the museum. People were flocking to the exits. Security guards were running around in a panic with no idea what was going on.

Grover checked up on Giselle but she just waved him off, saying she was alright ─ she wasn't. Zoë and Bianca dropped from the balcony and landed next to Percy.

Zoë eyed them cautiously. "That was. . . an interesting strategy."

"That worked."

She didn't argue.