The distance was shorter in the Labyrinth. Still, by the time Rachel got them back to Times Square, Evangeline felt, like she'd pretty much run all the way from New Mexico. They climbed out of the Marriott basement and stood on the sidewalk in the bright summer daylight, squinting at the traffic and crowds. The daughter of Hades couldn't decide which seemed less real—New York or the crystal cave where Pan died.

Percy led them into an alley, where their footsteps echoed. Percy whistled five very loud times, the sound echoing.

A minute later, Rachel gasped. "They're beautiful!"

A flock of pegasi descended from the sky, swooping between the skyscrapers. Blackjack was in the lead, followed by five of his comrades.

Blackjack neighed to Percy and the boy nodded. Percy started talking to the horses as one does.

"Yeah," he responded. "I'm lucky that way. Listen, we need a ride to camp, quick."

Percy managed to convince one of the pegasuses to give Tyson a ride. Everybody started getting ready to fly back to Camp Half-Blood—except Rachel.

"Well," Rachel said. "I guess this is it." The redhead was talking to Percy.

"Thanks, Rachel," Percy said. "We couldn't have done it without you."

"I wouldn't have missed it. I mean, except for almost dying, and Pan..." Her voice faltered.

"He said something about your father," Percy remembered. "What did he mean?"

Rachel twisted the strap on her backpack. "My dad...My dad's job. He's kind of a famous businessman."

"You mean you're rich?"

"Well, yeah."

"So that's how you got the chauffeur to help us? You just said your dad's name and—"

"Yes," Rachel cut him off. "Percy... my dad's a land developed. He flies all over the world, looking for tracts of undeveloped land." She took a shaky breath. "The wild. He—he buys it up. I hate it, but he plows it down and builds ugly subdivisions and shopping centers. And now that I've seen Pan...Pan's death—"

"Don't blame yourself for that," Percy said.

"You don't know the worst of it. I—I don't like to talk about my family. I didn't want you guys to know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"All things must come to an end," Evangeline spoke up. "You can't run from death, besides, you saved our lives so I guess we all owe you."

Rachel let her words sink in, "Your mom," she said. "she died right?"

"How do you know that?"

"Percy told me,"

Evangeline shot him a look. It was the same look she used to give him when she wanted him dead and Percy swore he saw his life flash before his eyes. He was hundred percent sure she was going to kick his ass when they get back to camp.

"You never thought of bringing her back?" Rachel asked.

"It's against the laws of nature," Evangeline said, "and like my father always says 'what dies should always stay dead' ."

Rachel blinked, and she shifted on her feet. "You're dad sounds like a tough guy to be around."

The brunette tried her best not to snap at the Dare girl. "Just because he's the god of the dead doesn't automatically make him cold and heartless,"

Rachel started to smile. "Well, if you ever feel like hanging out with a mortal again... you could call me or something."

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Percy said.

Rachel knit her eyebrow. "I mean... I'd like that," he quickly said.

"My number's not in the book," The redhead said.

"I've got it."

"Still on your hand? No way."

"No. I kinda... memorized it."

"How lovely," the brunette said sarcastically.

Rachel's smile came back, a lot happier. "See you later, Percy, Evangeline. Go save the world for me, okay?"

She walked off down Seventh Avenue and disappeared into the crowds.

The brunette turned and dragged Percy along toward the others.

The closer Evangeline got to the pegasus Nico was trying to mount, she saw the pegasus kept shying away from him.

"Go without me!" Nico said. "I don't want to go to camp anyway."

"Nico," Percy said, "we need your help."

The son of Hades folded his arms and scowled at the son of Poseidon. His sister placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Nico," she said quietly. "Please. If anyone says anything I'll deal with them." The last part sounded more like a threat than she had hoped.  

His expression softened. "All right," he said. "For you. But I'm not staying."

"I'm fine with that," Evangeline said.

At last, they got everybody on a pegasus. They shot into the air, and soon, were over the East River with Long Island spread out before them.

The seven landed in the middle of the cabin area and were immediately met by Chiron, the potbellied satyr Silenus, and some Apollo cabin archers; Lee and Michael. Chiron raised an eyebrow when he saw Nico, and Evangeline hoped Chiron wasn't thinking about all the lies they had told him.

His eyes widened once he saw Landon, the son of Hermes sent a small wave before he was tackled to the ground by Travis and Conner who appeared out of nowhere and was pulled into a big hug.

Evangeline didn't know if she expected the centaur to be surprised by their stories of the Labyrinth, but he certainly didn't act surprised.

"I feared as much," Chiron said. "We must hurry. Hopefully, you have slowed down the Titan lord, but his vanguard will still be coming through. They will be anxious for blood. Most of our fenders are already in place. Come!"

"Wait a moment," Silenus demanded. "What of the search for Pan? You were almost three weeks overdue, Grover Underwood! Your searcher's license is revoked!"

The young satyr took a deep breath. He stood up straight and looked Silenus in the eyes. "Searcher's licenses don't matter anymore. The great god Pan is dead. He has on and left us his spirit."

"What?" Silenus's face turned bright red. "Sacrilege and lies! Grover Underwood, I will have you exiled for speaking thus!"

"It's true," Percy said, coming to Grover's defense. "We were there when he died. All of us."

"Impossible! You are all liars! Nature-destroyers!"

"He's dead," Evangeline said.

"It's impossible!' Silenus insisted. "Liar!"

"Listen up, Sinus," Evangeline snapped. "I'm the daughter of Hades so if I tell you someone's dead, that means they're dead!"

Chiron gave the brunette a look, before turning and studying Grover's face. "We will speak of this later." 

"We will speak of it now! Chiron, did you not hear her insult me?" Silenus said.

"I'll show you what an insult is, you fat piece of—" Percy once again interrupted Evangeline by covering her mouth with his hand and pulling her back beside him.

Silenus's pudgy face turned red. "We must deal with this—"

"Silenus," Chiron cut in. "My camp is under attack. The matter of Pan has waited two thousand years. I fear it will have to wait a bit longer. Assuming we are still here this evening."

And on that note, he readied his bow and galloped toward the woods, leaving them to follow as best they could.

It was the biggest military operation she'd ever seen at camp. Everyone was at the clearing, dressed in full batter armor, but this time it wasn't for capture the flag. The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth—razor wire, pits filled with pots of Greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect a charge. Beckendorf was manning two catapults the size of pickup trucks, already primed and aimed at Zeus's Fist.

The Ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in a phalanx formation with Clarisse calling orders. Apollo and Hermes's cabins were scattered in the woods with bows ready. Many had taken up positions in the trees. Even the dryads were armed with bows, and the satyrs trotted around with wooden cudgels and shields made of rough tree bark.

Annabeth went to join her brethren from the Athena cabin, who had set up a command tent and were directing operations. A gray banner with an owl fluttered outside the tent. The security chief Argus, stood guard at the door. Aphrodite's children were running around straightening everybody's armor and offering to comb the tangles out of their horsehair plumes.

Even the Dionysus's kids found something to do. The two sons were running around providing all the sweaty warriors with water bottles and juice boxes.

The daughter of Hades had summoned Sam who stood guard at the entrance. The hellhound had gotten even larger than the last time she had seen him he was bigger than Mrs O'Leary now.

The ground beneath them started trembling. Everyone stopped what they were doing. Clarisse barked a single order: "Lock shields!"

Then, the Titan lord's army exploded from the Labyrinth.

Evangeline had been in fights before, but this was a full-scale battle. The first thing she was a dozen Laistrygonian giants erupting from the ground, yelling so loudly her ears felt like bursting.

They carried shields made from flattened cars and clubs that were tree trunks with rust spikes bristling at the end. One of the giants bellowed at the Ares phalanx, smashed it sideways with his club, and the entire cabin was thrown aside, a dozen warriors tossed to the wind like rag dolls.

"Fire!" Beckendorf yelled. The catapults swung into action. Two boulders hurtled toward the giants. One deflected off a car shield with hardly a dent, but the other caught a Laistrygonian in the chest, and the giant went down.

Apollo's archers fired a volley, dozens of arrows sticking in the thick armor of the giants like porcupine quills. Several found chinks in armor, and some of the giants vaporized at the touch of celestial bronze.

But just when it looked like the Laistrygonians were about to get overwhelmed, the next wave surged out of the maze: thirty, maybe forty dracaenae in full battle armor, wielding spears and nets. They dispersed in all directions.

Some hit the traps the Hephaestus cabin had laid. One got stuck on the spikes and became an early target for the archers. Another trigger was a trip wire, and pots of Greek fire exploded into the green flames, engulfing several of the snake women.

Some were destroyed by Evangeline opening up a fissure in the ground and swallowing them up, something Hades had taught her how to do.  But many more kept coming.

Evangeline charged. Argus and Athena's warriors rushed forward to meet them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Annabeth, the blonde drew a sword and engaged with one of the monsters. Nearby, Tyson was riding a giant. Somehow he'd managed to climb onto the giant's back and was hitting him on the head with a bronze shield—BONG! BONG! BONG!

Arrow after arrow, taking down a monster with every shot. But more enemies just kept climbing out of the maze. Finally a hellhound—not Mrs. O'Leary—leaped out of the tunnel and barrelled straight towards the satyrs.

Evangeline saw more enemies climbing out of the maze—giants, dracaena, even more hellhounds, and all kinds of serpents. And half-bloods, almost the same amount as many campers that stayed at Camp Half-Blood.

As the brunette raced across the battlefield she saw horrible things. An enemy half-blood was fighting with a son of Dionysus, but it wasn't much of a contest. The enemy stabbed him in the arm and then clubbed him over the head with the butt of his sword, and Castor went down. Another enemy warrior shot flaming arrows into the trees, sending their archers and dryads into a panic.

A dozen dracaena suddenly broke away from the main fight and slithered down the path that led toward camp, like they knew where they were going. If they got out, they could burn down the entire place, completely unopposed.

The daughter of Hades deflected an attack from a dracaena, as she raised her sword to cut the net in half. The serpent swung her spear for the chinks in her armor but she parried and stabbed it through the serpent's arm, turning the weapon jammed in the arm the dracaena's essence was absorbed by the Stygian blade until there was nothing left but dust.

Just when it seemed like the battle had balanced out again—like they might stand a chance—an unearthly shriek echoed out of the Labyrinth, a sound Evangeline had heard before.

Kampê shot into the sky, her bat wings fully extended. She landed on the top of Zeus's Fist and surveyed the carnage. Her face was filled with evil glee. The mutant animal heads growled at her waist. Snakes hissed and swirled around her legs.

In her right hand, she held a glittering ball of thread—Ariadne's string—but she popped it into a lion's mouth at her waist and drew her curved swords. The blades glowed green with poison. Kampê screeched in triumph, and some of the campers screamed. Others tried to run and got trampled by hellhounds or giants.

"Di immortals!" Chiron yelled. He quickly aimed an arrow, but Kampê seemed to sense his presence. She took flight with amazing speed, and Chiron's arrow whizzed harmlessly past her head. Tyson untangled himself from the giant whom he'd pummeled in unconsciousness. He ran at their lines, shouting, "Stand! Do not run from her! Fight!"

But then a hellhound leaped on him, and Tyson and the hound went rolling away. Kampê landed on the Athena command tent, smashing it flat.

Evangeline ran past where Percy and Nico were, the son of Poseidon was already gone but Nico had crumpled to the floor, she saw Landon attend to Nico so she quickly ran toward Percy and Annabeth.

She stopped next to the children of Athena and Poseidon. "This might be it," Annabeth said.

Percy looked at the brunette and then at the blonde. "Could be," he admitted.

Evangeline swallowed before nervously saying, "Well, it was nice fighting with you two."

"You too," Percy said.

Together the trio leaped into the monster's path. Kampê hissed and sliced at them. Percy dodged trying to distract her, while the daughters of Athena and Hades went in for the strikes, but the monster seemed able to fight with both hands independently.

She blocked their swords and Evangeline had to jump back to avoid the cloud of poison. Just being near the thing was like standing in an acid fog. Her eyes burned. Her lungs couldn't get enough air.

"Come on!" Percy shouted. "We need help!"

But no help came. Everyone was either down, fighting for their lives, or too scared to move forward. Three of Chiron's arrows sprouted from Kampê's chest, but she just roared louder.

"Now!" Annabeth said.

Together they charged, dodged the monster's slashes, got inside her guard, and almost...almost managed to stab Kampê in the chest, but a huge bear's head lashed out from the monster's waist, and they had to avoid getting bitten.

The next thing Evangeline knew was that she, Percy, and Annabeth were on the ground. The monster had its forelegs on their chests, holding them down. Hundreds of snakes slithered right above them, hissing like laughter. Kampê raised her green-tinges swords, and Percy knew they were out of options.

Then something howled. A wall of darkness slammed into Kampê, sending the monster sideways. And Mrs O'Leary was standing in front of her, snarling and snapping at Kampê.

"Good girl!" said a familiar voice. Daedalus was fighting his way out of the Labyrinth, slashing down enemies left and right as he made his way towards them. Next to him was someone else—a familiar giant, much taller than the Laistrygonians, with a hundred rippling arms, each holding a huge chunk of rock.

"Briares!" Tyson cried in wonder.

"Hail, little brother!" Briares bellowed. "Stand firm!"

And as Mrs O'Leary leaped out of the way, the Hundred-Handed One launched a volley of boulders at Kampê. The rocks seemed to enlarge as they left Briares's hands. There were so many, it looked like half the earth had learned to fly.

BOOOOOM! Where Kampê had stood a moment before was a mountain of boulders, almost as tall as Zeus's Fist. The only sign that the monster had never existed was two green sword points sticking through the cracks.

A cheer went up from the campers, but their enemies weren't done yet. One of the dracaena yelled, "Ssssslay them! Kill them all or Kronossss will flay you alive!" Apparently, that threat was more terrifying than they were. The giants surged forward in a last desperate attempt. One surprised Chiron with a glancing blow to the back legs, and he stumbled and fell. Six giants cried in glees and rushed forward.

"No!" Percy screamed, but they were too far away to help.

Then it happened. Grover opened his mouth, and the most horrible sound Evangeline had ever heard came out. It was like a brass trumpet magnified a thousand times—the sound of pure fear.

As one, the forces of Kronos dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. The giants trampled the dracaena trying to get into the Labyrinth first. Telkhines and hellhounds and enemy half-bloods scrambled after them.

The tunnel rumbled shut, and the battle was over. The clearing was quiet except for the fires burning in the woods, and the cries of the wounded. Evangeline helped Percy up to his feet. Ignoring the amazement on his face, they ran to Chiron. 

"Are you all right?" The raven-haired boy asked.

The centaur was lying on his side, trying in vain to get up. "How embarrassing," he muttered. "I think I will be fine. Fortunately, we do not shoot centaurs with broken...Ow!...broken legs."

"You need help," Annabeth said. "I'll get a medic from the Apollo cabin."

"No," Chiron insisted. "There are more serious injuries to attend to. Go! I am fine. But, Grover... later we must talk about how you did that."

"That was amazing," Percy agreed.

Grover blushed. "I don't know where it came from."

Juniper hugged him fiercely. "I do!"

Before she could say anything else, Landon called.
"Evangeline! It's Nico!"

The brunette ran toward the boys and knelt next to Nico. She saw the black smoke curling off his black clothes, his fingers were clenched, and the grass all around the son of Hades's body turned yellow and died.

She patted the smoke away and looked at the crowd surrounding them. "One of you get me some nectar!"

One of the Ares campers hobbled over and handed the brunette a camper. She trickled some of the drink into her brother's mouth. The di Angelo boy coughed and sputtered, but his eyes opened.

Percy dropped by her side. "Nico, what happened?" he asked the boy hurriedly. "Can you talk?"

The son of Hades nodded weakly. "Never tried to summon so many before. I—I'll be fine."

Evangeline helped him sit up and gave him more nectar. Nico blinked at all of them as if he was trying to remember how they all were. "How many fingers am I holding up?" Evangeline asked holding up three fingers.

"Three," He said. 

"He's fine," she announced.

Then Nico focused on someone behind his sister. "Daedalus," he croaked. Evangeline turned to the son of Athena. Daedalus had a few scratches that were bleeding golden oil, but he looked better than most of them. Apparently, his automaton body healed itself quickly.

Mrs O'Leary loomed behind Daedalus, licking the wounds on his head so Daedalus's hair stood up on end. The brunette's hellhound appeared next to the children of Hades startling Percy and some campers, sniffing Nico. Briares stood next to Daedalus, surrounded by groups of awed campers and satyr. He looked kind and bashful, but he signed autographs on armor, shields, and T-shirts.

"I found the Hundred-Handed One as I came through the maze," Daedalus explained. "It seems he had the same idea, to come and help, but he was lost. And so we fell in together. We both came to make amends."

"Yay!" Tyson jumped up and down. "Braires! I knew you would come!"

"I did not know," The Hundred-Handed One admitted. "But you reminded me who I am, Cyclops. You are the hero."

Tyson blushed, but Percy patted him on the back. "I knew that a long time ago," The raven-haired boy agreed. "But, Daedalus... the Titan army is still down there. Even without the string, they'll be back. They'll find a way sooner or later, with Kronos leading them."

The son of Athena sheathed his sword. "You are right. As long as the Labyrinth is here, your enemies can use it. Which is why the Labyrinth cannot continue."

Annabeth stared at him. "But you said the Labyrinth is tied to your life force! As long as you're alive—"

"Yes, my young architect," Daedalus agreed. "When I die, the Labyrinth will die as well. And so I have a present for you."

He slung a leather satchel off his back, unzipped it, and produced a sleek silver laptop—one of the ones Evangeline had seen in the workshop. On the lid was the blue symbol ∆.

"My work is here," he said. "It's all I managed to save from the fire. Notes on projects I never started. Some of my favorite designs. I couldn't develop these over the last few millennia. I did not dare reveal my work to the mortal world. But perhaps you will find them interesting."

He handed the computer to Annabeth, who stared at it like it was solid gold. "You're giving me this?" she asked. "But this is priceless! This is worth... I don't even know how much!"

"Small compensation for the way I acted," Daedalus said. "You were right, Annabeth, about children of Athena. We should be wise, and I was not. Someday you will be a greater architect than I ever was. Take my ideas and improve them. It is the least I can do before I pass on."

"Whoa," Percy said. "Pass on? But you can't just kill yourself. That's wrong!"

"What's wrong is how long he's cheated death," Evangeline said.

Daedalus shook his head. "She's right. It is not as wrong as hiding from my crimes for two thousand years. Genius does not excuse evil, Percy. My time has come. I must face my punishment."

"You won't get a fair trial," Annabeth said. "The spirit of Minos is one of the judges—"

"I will take what comes," He said. "And trust in the justice of the Underworld, such as it is. That is all we can do, isn't it?"

He looked straight at Nico, and Nico's face darkened. "Yes," he said.

"Will you take my soul for ransom, then?" Daedalus asked. "You could use it to reclaim your sister."

"No," Nico said. "I will help you release your spirit but Bianca has passed. She must stay where she is, and what dies should stay dead." He spared a glance at the brunette, who slightly chuckled as she realized he had overheard her conversation with Rachel.

Daedalus nodded. "Well done, son of Hades. You are becoming wise." Then he turned toward Percy. "One last favor, Percy Jackson. I cannot leave Mrs O'Leary alone. And she has no desire to return to the Underworld. Will you care for her?"

Percy looked at the massive black hound, who whispered pitifully, still licking Daedalus's hair. "Yeah. Of course, I will."

"Then I am ready to see my son... and Perdix," he said. "I must tell them how sorry I am." Annabeth had tears in her eyes.

Daedalus turned towards the siblings, and Nico drew his sword. At first, Percy was afraid he would kill the old inventor, but he simply said. "Your time is long since come. Be released and rest."

A smile of relief spread across Daedalus's face. He froze like a statue. His skin turned transparent, revealing the bronze gears and machinery whirring inside his body. Then the statue turned gray ash and disintegrated. Mrs O'Leary howled. Percy patted her head, trying to comfort her as best he could. The earth rumbled—an earthquake that could probably be felt in every major city across the country—as the ancient Labyrinth collapsed.

Somewhere, Evangeline hoped, the remains of the Titan's strike force had been buried. Percy looked around at the carnage in the clearing and the, and the weary faces of the people around him. "Come on," he said. "We have work to do."

There were too many goodbyes that day.

That night was the first time Evangeline actually saw camp burial shrouds used on bodies, and it was something she didn't want to see again. She could see exactly where the spirits of the dead were and kept her eyes trained on the shrouds.

Among the dead, Lee Fletcher Will's older brother had been downed by a giant's club. He was wrapped in a golden shroud without any decoration. Castor, the son of Dionysus who'd gone down fighting an enemy half-blood was wrapped in a deep purple shroud embroidered with grapevines.

His twin brother, Pollux, tried to say a few words, but he choked up and just took the torch. He lit the funeral pyre in the middle of the amphitheater, and within seconds the row of shrouds was engulfed in fire, sending smoke and sparks up to the stars.

Percy's eyes trailed over to the daughter of Hades who had her hands placed on Will Solace's shoulders as they watched the shrouds burn, Nico standing with them with his eyes trained on the ground and his hands tucked in his jacket pockets.

It was almost as if she knew he was staring at her, she moved her eyes from the fire and to him, catching his gaze. Percy would have stood there and stared into her eyes if she hadn't looked away and back at the fire.

They spent the next day treating the wounded, which was almost everybody. The satyrs and dryads worked to repair the damage to the woods. At noon, the Council of Cloven Elders held an emergency meeting in their sacred grove.

The three senior satyrs were there, along with Chiron, who was in wheelchair form. His broken horse leg was still mending, so he would be confined to the chair for a few months until the leg was strong enough to take his weight. The grove was filled with satyrs and dryads and naiads upfrom the water—hundreds of them, anxious to hear what would happen. Juniper, Evangeline, Annabeth, and Percy stood by Grover's side.

Silenus wanted to exile Grover immediately, but Chiron persuaded him to at least hear evidence first, so they told everyone what had happened in the crystal cavern, and what Pan had said. Then several eyewitnesses from the battle described the weird sound Grover had made, which drove the Titan's army back underground.

"It was panic," insisted Juniper. "Grover summoned the power of the wild god."

"Panic?" Percy asked.

"Percy," Chiron explained. "during the first war of the gods and the Titans, Lord Pan let forth a horrible cry that scared away the enemy army. It is—it was his greatest power—a massive wave of fear that helped the gods win theday. The word panic is named after Pan, you see. And Grover used thatpower, calling it forth from within himself."

"Preposterous!" Silenus bellowed. "Sacrilege! Perhaps the wild god favored us a blessing. Or perhaps Grover's music was so awful it scared the enemy away!"

"That wasn't it, sir," Grover said. Sounding calmer than expected. "He let his spirit pass into all of us. We must act. Each of us must work to renew the wild, to protect what's left of it.We must spread the word. Pan is dead. There is no one but us."

"After two thousand years of searching, this is what you would have usbelieve?" Silenus cried. "Never!" We must continue the search! Exile the traitor!"

Some of the older satyrs muttered assent. "A vote!" Silenus demanded. "Who would believe this ridiculous young satyr, anyway?"

"I would," said a familiar voice, Evangeline immediately recognized the voice, a slight wave of relief washing over her.

Everyone turned. Striding into the grove was Dionysus. He wore a formal black suit, so she almost didn't recognize him, a deep purple tie and violet dress shirt, his curly dark hair carefully combed. His eyes were bloodshot asusual, and his pudgy face was flushed, but he looked like he was sufferingfrom grief more than wine withdrawal.

The satyrs all stood respectfully and bowed as he approached. Dionysuswaved his hand, and a new chair grew out of the ground next to Silenus's—athrone made of grapevines.

Dionysus sat down and crossed his legs. He snapped his fingers and satyrhurried forward with a plate of cheese and crackers and a Diet Coke.The god of wine looked around at the assembled crowd. "Miss me?"

The satyrs fell over themselves nodding and bowing. "Oh, yes, very much, sire!"

"Well, I did not miss this place!" Dionysus snapped. "I bear bad news, my friends. Evil news. The minor gods are changing sides. Morpheus has gone over to the enemy. Hecate, Janus, Nemesis, as well. Zeus knows how many more."

Thunder rumbled in the distance. "Strike that," Dionysus said. "Even Zeus doesn't know. Now, I want to hear Grover's story. Again from the top."

"But, my lord," Silenus protested. "It's just nonsense!"

Dionysus's eyes flared with purple fire. "I have just learned that my son Castor is dead, Silenus. I am not in a good mood. You would do well to humor me."

Silenus gulped and waved at Grover to start again.

When Grover was done, Mr. D nodded. "It sounds like just the sort of thing Pan would do. Grover is right. The search is tiresome. You must start thinking for yourselves." He turned to a satyr. "Bring me some peeled grapes, right away!"

"Yes, sire!" The satyr scampered off.

"We must exile the traitor!" Silenus insisted.

"I say no," Dionysus countered. "That is my vote."

"I vote no as well," Chiron put in.

Silenus set his jaw stubbornly. "All in favor of exile?"

He and two other old satyrs raised their hands. "Three to two," Silenus said.

"Ah, yes," Dionysus said. "But unfortunately for you, a god's vote counts twice. And as I voted against, we are tied."

Silenus stood, indignant. "This is an outrage! the council cannot stand at an impasse."

"Then let it be dissolved!" Mr. D said. "I don't care."

Silenus bowed stiffly, along with his two friends, and they left the Grover, About twenty satyrs went with them. The rest stood around murmuringuncomfortably.

"Don't worry," Grover told them. "We don't need the council to tell uswhat to do. We can figure it out ourselves." He told them again the words of Pan—how they must save the wild a littleat a time. He started dividing the satyrs into groups—which ones would goto the national parks, which ones would search out the last wild places, and which ones would defend the parks in the big cities.

"Well," Annabeth said to the children of the Big Three, "Grover seems to be growing up."

"It was about time," Evangeline mumbled as she stuffed her hands in her jeans pockets.

------✧------

A/N: This chapter sucked the little amount of life left in me, but we have two more chapters left. Yay!

I asked you guys if you wanted a chapter in Percy's pov so the next chapter will be in his pov.

Also, Evangeline introduced Will and Nico to each other. Perceline will be Solangelo's biggest shippers.