Flying on the shoulder of a statue wasn't what Evangeline had ever thought she would be doing. She was taking in the fresh air while trying not to fall asleep.

"Hey, hey, Frisco!" One angel yelled. "Yo, Chuck! We could visit those guys at the Mechanics Monument again! They know how to party!"

"Oh, man," the other angel, Chuck, said. "I am so there!"

"You've been to San Francisco?" Percy asked.

"We automation gotta have some fun once in a while, right?" the statue carrying her said. "Those mechanics took us over to the de Young Museum and introduced us to these marble lady statues, see. And—"

"Hank!" Chuck squawked. "They're kids, man."

"Oh, right," The statue blushed. "Back to flying."

Eventually, the mountains fell away into smaller and smaller hills. Then the hills faded away into flat farmland, with a speck of city and highway every once in a while.

Grover played his reed pipes over on Chuck's shoulder to pass the time by. Zoë soon got bored and started shooting arrows at random billboards as they flew by. Whenever she saw a Target department store—and they had to pass by at least thirty of them—she would peg the store's sign with a few bulls-eyes at a hundred miles an hour. Evangeline let Percy play with her snake ring, while she summoned a tiny ball of shadow energy on her fingertips and messed around with it.

Thalia kept her eyes closed the whole way. She kept muttering a prayer over and over.

"You did good back there," Percy told her as their statue flew next to hers. "Zeus listened."

It was hard to tell Thalia's reaction with her eyes closed. "Maybe," she said. "How did you get away from the skeletons in the generator room, anyway? You said they cornered you."

Then Percy told them about this mortal girl he had run into while being chased. A girl named Rachel Elizabeth Dare, a girl who could see Riptide. Apparently, the girl was someone who could see through the Mist.

"Some mortals are like that," Thalia finally said after Percy finished his explanation. "Nobody knows why."

"Could your mom see through the Mist?" Percy asked the brunette on his left.

"I have no idea, I mean whenever Dad and I talk about her he always drops these vague hints and sentences that she knew he was a god, but other than that I don't know."

"Well, the girl was annoying," Percy said. "But I'm glad I didn't vaporize her. That would've been bad."

Thalia nodded. "Must be nice to be a regular mortal."

Percy's head fell against Evangeline's as he fell asleep. The brunette sighed as she also was extremely tired. She couldn't play with her ring as Percy was now holding her hand tightly as he napped, she tried to remove it from his grasp but he just gripped it tighter like he didn't want to let go of her.

She closed her eyes as she sighed. She had given up trying to free herself from Percy's grip which had become more tighter and clingier.

The more she tried to get him to let go the more he held on.

After hours of flying in silence "Where do you guys want to land?" Hank asked. Evangeline had been to San Francisco once when she lived there when she was 6. Out of all the places she had lived New Orleans will always remain her favorite but San Francisco was a close second.

Percy stretched and woke up from his nap, but did he let go of the brunette's hand? No, he did not.

"Whoa," he gasped.

Percy blushed red from his cheeks to his neck as Evangeline leaned in extremely close to his face and wiped the drool off his chin, the side of his mouth, and his jaw with the handkerchief she carried.

"There," Zoë suggested, pointing her right hand. "By the Embarcadero Building."

"Good thinking," Chuck said. "Me and Hank can blend in with the pigeons."

"But you can't," the Hunter pointed out.

"Geez," Chuck said. "Can't statues have a sense of humor?"

As it turned out, the statues didn't need to blend in that much. It was early in the morning and not many people were around. They did freak out a homeless guy who was sitting on the ferry dock when they landed. He screamed at the sight of the bronze statues, running off, yelling about metal angels from Mars.

They said their goodbyes to the angels, who soon flew off to party with their friends. Watching the small speck of bronze disappear into the cloudy sky is when Evangeline realized they had no plans.

They had made it to the West Coast, meaning they were getting closer. That also meant they were closer to saving Artemis, however, they had no idea where the goddess could be. With the next day being the winter solstice, they were running out of time, and there still was so much left to figure out.

They discussed what to do next. They all decided that they needed to figure out what the monster was.

"But how?" Percy asked.

"Nereus," Grover said. "That's what Apollo said. Nereus has a long memory, he might know something."

Evangeline hadn't been told about the visit from the sun god until the next morning, when she asked Percy why he didn't wake her up he told her that he didn't want to disturb her sleep.

The truth was Percy didn't want Apollo to flirt with Evangeline again so Percy told the brunette that she was in deep sleep and he didn't want to disturb her.

"Old Man of the Sea," Percy recalled. "Yeah...I'm supposed to find him and force him to tell us what he knows. But how do we find him?"

Zoë made a face. "Old Nereus, eh?"

"You know him?" Thalia asked.

"My mother was a sea goddess. Yes, I know him. Unfortunately, he is never very hard to find. Just follow the smell."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"Come," Zoë said without much enthusiasm. "I will show thee."

Percy's face paled at the sight of a Goodwill drop box, sending Evangeline a helpless look. Zoë started going through the donations. Five minutes later, Percy had on an outfit made of a ragged flannel shirt and jeans two sizes too big, bright red sneakers, and a floppy rainbow hat.

"Oh, yeah," Grover said, his shoulders shaking from hidden laughter, "you look completely inconspicuous now."

Zoë nodded with satisfaction. "A typical male vagrant."

Evangeline had to turn her head away as she started laughing.

"Thanks a lot," he grumbled. "Why am I doing this again?"

"I told thee," Zoë said. "To blend in."

Evangeline could barely look at him without laughing. "You look ridiculous."

The two followed after Zoë, who was searching the docks with a keen eye.

Evangeline was almost crying because of how much she was laughing her eyes were red and she was gasping for air. Percy was smiling as he heard her laugh he loved the way she would fan her face as she tried to catch her breath.

After searching the docks for a long time, Zoë stopped dead in her tracks. The Hunter pointed down a pier where a bunch of homeless guys were huddled together in blankets, waiting for the soup kitchen to open for lunch.

"He will be down there somewhere," Zoë said. "He never travels very far from the water. He likes to sun himself during the day."

"How do I know which one is him?" Percy asked, stepping next to Zoë.

"Sneak up," she said. "Act homeless. You will know him. He will smell... different."

"Great," The son of Poseidon snapped. "And once I find him?"

"Grab him," The Hunter said. "And hold on. He will try anything to get rid of thee. Whatever he does, do not let go. Force him to tell thee about the monster."

"We've got your back," Thalia said. She picked a clump of fuzz off Percy's back, her face contorting with disgust. "Ew. On second thought... I don't want your back. But we'll be rooting for you."

Grover gave him a big thumbs-up.

Evangeline looked him up and down and said, "Go get him, waterboy."

With one last mutter under his breath, Percy headed towards the docks. He took his role seriously, stumbling around, bumping into some of them as he passed by. He slowed down next to some of them but he hurried away after they started jeering at him.

Percy made it to the end of the dock, stopping directly in his path. Evangeline shared a look with Zoë, who was looking on in anticipation. Then, the son of Poseidon lunged for the lone homeless man at the pier.

The two rolled around on the boards, leaving the other quest members to run forward. Percy had gathered a group of homeless people, who were all watching him fight a Santa Claus look-a-like.

But as the group got closer, Percy and Nereus rolled right off the pier and into the water. A killer whale soon emerged from the water, with Percy hanging on to its dorsal fin as if he was taking a ride.

"That's a crime!" one of the homeless men yelled. "Kid rolling an old man like that!"

Finally, Percy and Nereus made it back onto the boat dock. Evangeline followed after Grover, running down the steps of the pier.

"You got him!" Zoë shouted.

"You don't have to sound so amazed," Percy grumbled, looking winded.

Nereus groaned. "Oh, wonderful. An audience for my humiliation! The normal deal, I suppose? You'll let me go if I answer your question?"

"I've got more than one question," Percy protested.

"Only one question per capture! That's the rule."

Percy turned to the quest members, looking annoyed. He swallowed his nerves, looking at each of them in the eye as if trying to read their thoughts.

He sucked in his bottom lip, turning back to Nereus. "All right, Nereus," he sighed. "Tell me where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting."

The Old Man of the Sea smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth. "Oh, that's too easy." His voice held a sinister tone to it. "He's right there."

The god pointed to the water below them.

"Where?" Percy asked.

"The deal is complete!" Nereus gloated. With a pop, he turned into a goldfish and did a backflip into the sea.

"You tricked me!" Percy yelled after the god furiously.

"Wait." Thalia's eyes widened. "What is that?"

Evangeline looked in the direction the daughter of Zeus was pointing in. And there a cow serpent was, floating in the body of water, staring at Percy with puppy eyes. The cow serpent nudged Percy's shoe, giving him sad brown eyes.

He sighed; an annoyed sigh a parent would give their child. "Ah, Bessie. Now now."

'Bessie' mooed again, their gaze never faltering.

Grover gasped. "He says his name isn't Bessie?"

"You can understand her... er, him?"

The satyr nodded. "It's a very old form of animal speech. But he says his name is the Ophiotaurus?"

"The Ophi-what?"

"It means serpent bull in Greek," Thalia said. "But what's it doing here?"

"He says Percy is his protector," Grover announced. "And he's running from the bad people. He says they are close."

"Wait," Zoë spoke up, looking at Percy. "You know this cow?"

Percy gritted his teeth but told them the story about how he came across the Ophiotaurus. The horse with wings named Blackjack had woken him up the morning the original quest members were to leave camp, talking about an animal that needed help. But that hadn't been the only time Percy had seen the serpent bull. Percy had also seen the Ophiotaurus at the Hoover Dam.

It was odd that he never considered telling anyone about it.

Evangeline stared at the son of Poseidon with disbelief. "You didn't think seeing the Opiotaurus at the dam was something you should have shared with us?"

"Well...yeah," Percy admitted sheepishly.

"I am a fool," Zoë said suddenly. "I know this story!"

"And what is it?" Evangeline asked.

"From the War of the Titans," the Hunter said. "My...my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we are looking for."

"Bessie?" Percy asked, looking down at the bull serpent. "But...he's too cute. He couldn't destroy the world."

"That is how we were wrong," said Zoë. "We've been anticipating a huge dangerous monster, but the Ophiotaurus does not bring down the gods that way. He must be sacrificed."

Bessie mooed lowly.

"I don't think he likes the S-word," Grover said.

Percy patted the Ophiotaurus on the head, trying to calm the beast down. "How could anyone hurt him?" he asked. "He's harmless."

Zoë nodded. "But there is power in killing the innocent. Terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy eons ago when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods."

"Um," Grover said. "Maybe we could avoid talking about entrails, too."

Thalia stared at the cow serpent with wonder. "The power to destroy the gods..." she mumbled. "How? I mean, what would happen?"

"No one knows," Zoë said. "The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the Titans, but thy father, Zeus, sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the Ophiotaurus is reborn."

Thalia sat down on the dock. She stretched out her hand. Bessie went right to her. Thalia placed her hand on his head. Then, Bessie shivered.

Thalia's expression bothered the brunette. She almost looked... hungry.

"We have to protect him," Percy said. "If Luke gets hold of him—"

"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered. "The power to overthrow Olympus. That's... that's huge."

"Yes, it is, my dear," said a man's voice. The voice had a heavy accent and an impossibly egotistical man—manticore.

The Ophiotaurus made a whimpering sound and submerged beneath the waters.

They had all been so preoccupied with the Ophiotaurus that they allowed themselves to be ambushed. Standing behind them, with his two-toned eyes gleaming wickedly, was Dr. Thorn, the manticore himself.

"This is just pair-fect," the manticore gloated, his accent mangling the word perfect.

He was wearing a ratty black trench coat over his Westover Hall uniform, which was torn and stained. His military haircut had grown out spiky and greasy. He hadn't shaved recently, so his face was covered in silver stubble.

"Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia," the manticore said. "I was forced to scrounge for food on the edges of the world, hiding in forests, devouring insignificant human farmers for my meals. I never got to fight any great heroes. I was not feared and admired in the old stories! But now that will change. The Titans shall honor me, and I shall feast on the flesh of half-bloods!"

On either side of him stood two armed security men, some of the mortal mercenaries that had chased them back in D.C. Two more stood on the next boat dock over, just in case they tried escaping that way. There were tourists all around them—walking down the waterfront, shopping at the pier above—but Evangeline knew simple mortals wouldn't stop Dr. Thorn from tearing them to pieces.

"Where...where are the skeletons?" Percy asked.

Dr. Thorn sneered. "I do not need those foolish undead! The General thinks I am worthless? He will change his mind when I defeat you myself!"

"We beat you once before," Percy pointed out.

The manticore laughed. "You could barely fight me with a goddess on your side. And, alas...that goddess is preoccupied at the moment. There will be no help for you now."

Zoë notched an arrow and aimed it straight at Dr. Thorn's head. The guards on either side of them raised their guns.

"Wait!" Percy said. "Zoë, don't!"

Dr. Thorn grinned. "The boy is right, Zoë Nightshade. Put away your bow. It would be a shame to kill you before you witnessed Thalia's great victory."

"What are you talking about?" Thalia growled. She had her shield and spear ready.

"Surely it is clear," the manticore said. "This is your moment. This is why Lord Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring its entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. You will gain unlimited power. And for your sixteenth birthday, you will overthrow Olympus."

No one spoke. Thalia was going to turn sixteen in two days. She was also a child of the Big Three. It could mean the end of the gods. It was just like the prophecy said. Evangeline didn't know if she was feeling relieved or just horrified.

Thalia hesitated, for whatever reason, looking completely stunned.

]"You know it is the right choice," the manticore told her. "Your friend Luke recognized it. You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world together under the auspices of the Titans. Your father abandoned you, Thalia. He cares nothing for you. And now you shall gain power over him. Crush the Olympians underfoot, as they deserve. Call the beast! It will come to you. Use your spear."

"Thalia," Evangeline shouted. "Snap out of it!"

Thalia looked dazed and uncertain. She was staring at the brunette as if she didn't even know her. "I...I don't—"

"Your father helped you," Percy said. "He sent the metal angels. He turned you into a tree to preserve you."

Her hand tightened on the shaft of her spear.

Percy looked at Grover desperately. The satyr quickly raised his reed pipes to his lips and played a small riff.

The manticore yelled, "Stop him!"

But it was too late. The guards that had been aiming at Zoë didn't have enough time to get their bearings before the wooden planks beneath them sprouted new branches and tangled their legs. Zoë let loose two quick arrows that exploded at their feet in clouds of sulfurous yellow smoke.

The guards started coughing. The manticore shot spines in the group's direction, Evangeline dodged them as she took her necklace off and pressed the snake, with her sword forming in her hands. "Grover," Percy yelled through the chaos, "tell Bessie to dive deep and stay down!"

The satyr easily translated for the beast.

"The cow...." Thalia muttered in a daze.

"Come on!" Evangeline yelled. She grabbed Thalia by the forearm, pulling her out of her spot. The brunette pulled the girl along as they all ran up the stairs to the shopping center on the pier. They dashed around the corner of the nearest store. Evangeline heard the manticore shouting at his minions. Tourists screamed as the guards shot blindly into the air.

They scrambled to the end of the pier. They hid behind a small kiosk filled with souvenir wind chimes and other small trinkets. The wind chimes clanged together as the wind blew threw them. A water fountain was spraying water next to them. Down below, a huddle of sea lions was sunning themselves on the rocks. The whole of San Francisco Bay spread out before them: the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the green hills and fog beyond that to the north.

It could have been described as picture-perfect if it wasn't for the fact they were about to die.

"Go over the side!" Zoë told Percy. "You can escape in the sea, Percy. Call on thy father for help. Maybe you can save the Ophiotaurus."

"I won't leave you guys." He shook his head. "We fight together."

"You have to get word to camp!" Grover insisted. "At least let them know what's going on!"

Percy's eyes slowly drifted from the satyr to the crystals around them that were making a small rainbow. "Get word to camp," he muttered. "Good idea."

Percy uncapped Riptide and slashed off the top of the water fountain. Water burst out of the busted pipe and sprayed all over them.

Thalia gasped as the water hit her. The fog seemed to clear from her eyes. "Are you crazy?" she demanded.

But Grover seemed to understand Percy. He was digging through his pants pockets, fishing out a golden drachma. He flipped the coin into the rainbows created by the mist and yelled, " 'O goddess, accept my offering!"

The mist rippled.

"Camp Half-Blood!" Percy yelled.

Shimmering in the Mist right next to them, was Dionysus, wearing his leopard-skin jogging suit and rummaging through the refrigerator.

The god looked up lazily. "Do you mind?"

"Where's Chiron?" Percy asked.

"How rude." Dionysus took a swig of grape juice from the container. "Is that how you say hello?"

"Hello," Percy amended. "We're about to die! Where's Chiron?"

"About to die," the god mused. "How exciting. I'm afraid Chiron isn't here. Would you like me to take a message?"

Percy looked at the people beside him. "We're dead," he said.

Thalia gripped her spear. She looked like her old self again. "Then we'll die fighting."

"How noble," Dionysus stifled a yawn. "So what is the problem, exactly?"

Percy told the information about Bessie.

"Mmm," Mr. D studied the contents of the fridge. "So that's it. I see."

"Can you help us?" Evangeline asked.

"Let's see. I think I'm in the mood for pizza tonight."

Evangeline wanted to slash through the rainbow and disconnect, but they didn't have time.

The manticore screamed, "There!" and they were surrounded. Two of the guards stood behind Thorn. The other two appeared on the roofs of the pier shop above them. The manticore threw off his coat and transformed into his true self, his lion claws extended and his spiky tail bristling with poison barbs.

Dionysus grabbed a pizza box out of the fridge. "There you are. Alone, without any real help. Wonderful."

"You could ask for help," Mr. D murmured to Percy. "You could say please."

Zoë readied her arrows. Grover lifted his pipes. Thalia raised her shield. Evangeline gripped her sword tighter, spinning it in her hands.

"Please, Mr. D," Percy muttered. "Help."

Nothing happened.

The manticore grinned. "Spare the daughters of Zeus and Hades. They will join us soon enough. Kill the others."

The men raised their guns, and something strange happened. That feeling that happens when blood rushes to your head, or when your mind becomes foggy, as if a sense of déjà vu washed over her. It was a rush that washed over them and sounded like a huge and heavy sigh. The sunlight was tinged with purple. Evangeline smelt grapes and something more sour—wine.

SNAP!

It was the sound of many minds breaking at the same time. The sound of madness. One guard put his pistol between his teeth like it was a bone and ran around on all fours. Two others dropped their guns and started waltzing with each other. The fourth began doing what looked like an Irish clogging dance.

"No!" the manticore wailed. "I will deal with you myself!"

His tail bristled, but the planks under his paws erupted into grape vines, which immediately began wrapping around the monster's body, sprouting new leaves and clusters of green baby grapes that ripened in seconds as the manticore shrieked, until he was engulfed in a huge mass of vines, leaves, and full clusters of purple grapes. Finally, the grapes stopped shivering, and the manticore was no more.

"Oh drats, I didn't kill him," said Dionysus, closing the refrigerator with a snap. "Well, that was fun."

Percy stared at him, horrified. "How could you...? How did you—?"

"The mortals will come out of it. Too much explaining to do if I made their conditions permanent. I hate writing reports to Father."

He stared resentfully at Thalia. "I hope you learned your lesson, girl. It isn't easy to resist power, is it?"

Thalia avoided his gaze as if she were ashamed.

"Mr. D," Grover said in amazement. "You...you saved us."

Dionysus hummed. "Don't make me regret it, satyr. Now get going, Percy Jackson. I've bought you a few hours at most."

"The Ophiotaurus," Percy said. "Can you get it to camp?"

Mr. D sniffed. "I do not transport livestock. That's your problem."

"Then, do you know where we should go next?"

Dionysus looked at Zoë. "Oh, I think the Huntress knows. You must enter at sunset today, you know, or all is lost. Now goodbye. My pizza is waiting."

"Mr. D," Percy said.

The god raised his eyebrows.

"You called me by my right name," Percy said. "You called me Percy Jackson."

"I most certainly did not, Peter Johnson. Now off with you!"

He waved his hand, and his image disappeared in the mist.

All around them, the manticore's minions were still acting mad. One of them had found the man yelling about aliens from Mars, and they were having a serious discussion about whether what the homeless man was saying was possible or not. Several other guards were harassing tourists, making animal noises, and trying to steal their shoes.

Evangeline looked over the huntress. "Do you know where to go?"

Zoë's face was the color of the fog. She pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate Bridge. In the distance, a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer.

"The garden of my sisters," she said. "I must go home."

"We will never make it," Zoë said. "We are moving too slow. But we cannot leave the Opiotaurus."

The serpent bull mooed, keeping in line with Percy as they jogged along the waterfront. They had left the shopping center far behind them, heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was a lot farther than Evangeline had realized. The sun was already dipping in the west.

"I don't get it," Percy said. "Why do we have to get there at sunset?"

"The Hesperides are the nymphs of the sunset," Zoë explained. "We can only enter their garden as day changes to night."

"What happens if we miss it?"

"Tomorrow is winter solstice. If we miss sunset tonight, we would have to wait until tomorrow evening. And by then, the Olympian Council will be over. We must free Lady Artemis tonight."

"We need a car," Thalia said.

"But what about Bessie?" Percy asked.

Grover stopped dead in his tracks. "I've got an idea! The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?"

"Well, yeah," Percy said. "I mean, he was in Long Island Sound. Then he just popped into the water at Hoover Dam. And now he's here."

"So maybe we could coax him back to Long Island Sound," Gover said. "Then Chiron could help us get him to Olympus."

"But he was following me," the son of Poseidon pointed out. "If I'm not there, would he know where he's going?"

Bessie mooed forlornly in the water.

"I...I can show him," Gover said slowly. "I'll go with him."

Evangeline stared at him. Grover almost drowned last summer in the Sea of Monsters, and he couldn't swim well with his goat hooves.

"I'm the only one who can talk to him," the satyr said. "It makes sense."

He bent down and said something in the Ophiotaurus's ear. Bessie shivered, then made a contented, lowing sound.

"The blessing of the Wild," Grover said. "That should help with safe passage. Percy, pray to your dad, too. See if he will grant us safe passage through the seas."

"Dad," said the son of Poseidon. "Help us. Get the Ophiotaurus and Grover safely to camp. Protect them at sea."

"A prayer like that needs a sacrifice," Thalia said. "Something big."

It was silent as everybody thought of something to offer. Percy took of his coat.

"Percy," Grover said. "Are you sure? That lion skin... that's really helpful. Hercules used it!"

Percy glanced Zoë. "Hercules sucks," Percy whispered in realization.

"And we can use Evangeline as a shield if a mistake were to be made." Thalia said.

"A mistake was made... when you were born," She mumbled.

Thalia shot her a glare. "If we're going to survive," Percy said, "it won't be because I've got a lion-skin cloak. I'm not Hercules."

He thre the coat into the bay. It turned back into a golden lion skin, flashing in the light. Then, as it began to sink beneath the waves, it seemed to dissolve into the sunlight on the water.

The sea breeze picked up.

Grover took a deep breath. "Well, no time to lose." He jumped in the water and immediately began to sink. Bessie glided next to him and let Grover take hold of his neck.

"Be careful, " Evangeline told them.

"We will," Grover said. "Okay, um... Bessie? We're going to Long Island. It's east. Over that way."

Bessie mooed.

"Yes," Grover responded. "Long Island. It's this island. And...it's long. Oh, let's just start."

Bessie mooed once last time and lurched forward. He started to submerge and Grover said, "I can't breathe underwater! Just thought I'd mention—"

Glub! Under they went. Evangeline hoped fish jesus would protect Grover.

"Well, that is one problem addressed," Zoë said. "But how can we get to my sister's garden?"

"Pincone's right," The brunette sighed. "We need a car. But there's nobody to help us here. Unless we, uh, borrowed one."

"Wait," Thalia said. She started rifling through her backpack. "There is somebody in San Francisco who can help us. I've got the address here somewhere."

"Who?"

Evangeline finally realized what Thalia was saying. Thalia pulled out a crumpled piece of notebook paper and held it up. "Professor Chase. Annabeth's dad."

Evangeline had heard about Annabeth's father for six whole years, she understood where Annabeth was coming from. Professor Chase had on an old-fashioned aviator's cap and goggles. It seemed no one was expecting it as they all took one step back on the front porch.

"Hello," Professor Chase said in a friendly voice, " are you delivering my airplanes?"

The four on the front porch shared a weary look.

"Um, no, sir," Percy spoke first.

"Drat," he said. "I need three more Sopwith Camels.

"Right," Percy said, sounding confused. "We're friends of Annabeth."

"Annabeth?" Professor Chase repeated, his back straightening as if Percy had given him an electric shock. "Is she all right? Has something happened?"

Their silence was all the father needed. He took off his cap and goggles. He had dark skin, black hair cropped close to his head, and intense brown eyes so dark they looked black. It looked like he hadn't shaved in a couple of days, and his shirt was buttoned wrong, so one side of his collar stuck up higher than the other side.

"You better come in," he said, ushering them inside the home.

The house was cozy, cozier than any home Evangeline had. There were something called LEGO robots on the stairs and two cats sleeping on the sofa in the living room. The coffee table was stacked with magazines, and a little kid's winter coat was spread on the floor. The whole house smelled like fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. There was jazz music coming from the kitchen. It seemed like a messy, but happy kind of home.

"Dad!" a little boy screamed. "He's taking apart my robots!"

"Bobby," Dr. Chase called absently, "don't take apart your brother's robots."

"I'm Bobby," the little boy protested. "He's Matthew!"

"Matthew," Dr. Chase called, correcting his mistake, "don't take apart your brother's robots!"

"Okay, Dad!"

Dr. Chase turned to the quest members. "We'll go upstairs to my study. This way."

"Honey?" a woman called. A pretty woman appeared in the living room, wiping her hands on a dish towel. Her black hair was highlighted with red, and tied to the back of her head in a perfect bun. Lin Chase Annabeth's stepmother. "Who are our guests?" she asked.

"Oh," Dr. Chase said. "This is..." He stared at them blankly.

"Frederick," she chided. "You forgot to ask them their names?"

With some unease, they introduced themselves, but Mrs. Chase did seem nice enough. She asked if they were hungry, and told them that she would bring them some cookies, sandwiches, and sodas when they admitted that they were.

"Dear," Dr. Chase said. "They came about Annabeth."

She pursed her lips, looking concerned. "All right. Go on up to the study and I'll bring you some food." She looked over to Evangeline. "Nice meeting you, Evangeline. I've heard a lot about you."

Upstairs, Evangeline walked into Professor Chase's study with Percy following behind her.

The room was wall-to-wall with books, but there was a large table in the middle of the room filled with war figurines; miniature tanks, and soldiers fighting along a blue-painted river, with hills and fake trees as decorations to set the scene properly. Old-fashioned biplanes hung on strings from the ceilings, titled at crazy angles like they were in the heat of battle.

Dr. Chase smiled at Percy, catching on to how fascinated the boy was. "Yes. the Third Battle of Ypres. I'm writing a paper, you see, on the use of Sopwith Camels to strafe enemy lines. I believe they played a much greater role than they've been given credit for."

He plucked a biplane from its string and swept it across the battlefield, making airplane engine noises as he knocked down miniature German soldiers.

Zoë came over and studied the battlefield. "The German lines were farther from the river," she corrected.

Dr. Chase stared at her, the airplane in his hand lying limply by his side. "How do you know that?"

"I was there," the Hunter said matter-of-factly. "Artemis wanted to show us how horrible war was, the way moral men fight each other. And how foolish, too. The battle was a complete waste."

Dr. Chase's mouth dropped open in shock. "You—"

"She's a Hunter, sir," Thalia said. "But that's now why we're here. We need—"

"You saw the Sopwith Camels?" Dr. Chase asked. "How many were there? What formations did they fly?"

"Sir," Thalia broke in again. "Annabeth is in danger."

That got his attention. He set down the biplane. "Of course," he sighed. "Tell me everything."

It wasn't easy, but they tried. Meanwhile, the afternoon light was fading outside. They were running out of time—and quickly.

After the story was told to the best of their abilities the father collapsed in his leather recliner. He laced his hands together. "My poor, brave Annabeth. We must hurry."

"Sir, we need transportation to Mount Tamalpais," said Zoë. "And we need it immediately."

"I'll drive you," Dr. Chase offered. "Hm, it would be faster to fly in my Camel, but it only seats two."

"Whoa," Percy said, "you have an actual biplane?"

"Down at Crissy Field," Dr. Chase said proudly. "That's the reason I had to move here. My sponsor is a private collector with some of the finest World War I relics in the world. Let me restore the Sopwith Camel—"

"Sir," Thalia said. "Just a car would be great. And it be better if we went without you. It's too dangerous."

Dr. Chase shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Now, wait a minute, young ladies. Annabeth is my daughter. Dangerous or not, I . . . I can't just—"

"Snacks," Mrs. Chase announced. She pushed through the door with a tray full of peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, Cokes, and cookies fresh out of the oven, with the chocolate chips still gooey. Thalia and Percy inhaled some cookies while Evangeline ate a sandwich.

Zoë promised the father, "I can drive, sir. I'm not as young as I look. I promise not to destroy your car."

Mrs. Chase knitted her eyebrows. "What's this about?" she asked.

"Annabeth is in danger," Dr. Chase said. "On Mount Tam. I would drive them, but... apparently, it's no place for mortals."

Mrs. Chase nodded. "Then, they'd better get going."

"Right!" Dr. Chase jumped to his feet and started patting his pockets. "My keys..." he mumbled.

His wife sighed. "Frederick, honestly. You'd lose your head if it weren't wrapped inside your aviator hat. The keys are hanging on the peg by the front door."

"Right!"

Zoë grabbed a sandwich. "Thank you both. We should go. Now."

They hustled out the door and down the stairs, Annabeth's parents right behind them.

"Evangeline," Mrs. Chase called the brunette turned around. "tell Annabeth...Tell her she still has a home here, will you? Remind her of that."

Evangeline nodded as she looked around the house one last time before leaving. "I'll let her know."

Zoë should have had her license revoked and be banned from driving because of how badly she drove through the traffic.

The roads had become almost impossibly narrow, winding up and through forests as they followed the edges of steep ravines. "Why does everything smell like cough drops?" Percy asked, a confused look slightly twisting onto his face.

"It's eucalyptus," Evangeline answered. "Look." She pointed a finger at the tall trees that loomed over them.

"The stuff koala bears eat?"

"And monsters," Zoë added. "They love chewing the leaves. Especially dragons."

"Dragons chew eucalyptus leaves?"

"Believe me," the huntress answered. "If you had dragon breath, you would chew eucalyptus too."

Evangeline's eyes landed on Mount Tamalpais, the mountain that seemed so small from far away slowly turning bigger the closer they got. "So?" Percy's voice broke the silence. "That's the mountain of despair?"

"Yes," Zoë said tightly.

"Why do they call it that?"

"After the war between the Titans and the Gods, many of the Titans were punished and imprisoned. Kronos was sliced to pieces and thrown into Tartarus," Zoë became quiet for a moment before continuing what she was saying. "Kronos's right-hand man, the general of his forces, was imprisoned up there, on the summit, just beyond the Garden of the Hesperides."

Clouds swirled around the mountain, almost as if the giant rock had been drawing them in. "What's going on up there?" The Jackson boy asked. "A storm?"

Zoë didn't answer, but Evangeline saw her grip around the wheel tighten. "We need to concentrate," Thalia spoke, earning the duo in the backseat's attention. "The mist is really strong here."

"The magical kind?" Percy questioned. "Or the natural kind?"

"Both,"

Zoë continued driving towards the grey clouds, the swirling over the mountains becoming thicker the closer they got. The forest view had been replaced, now cliffs, rocks, and fog taking its place. The car was silent once more until Percy broke it for the third time. "Look!"

Evangeline turned to the raven-haired boy. "What?"

"Big, white ship." He answered. "Docked near the beach, looks like a cruise ship."

"We will have company, then," Zoë spoke grimly with a dark look. "Kronos's army."

"Stop the car," The daughter of Zeus demanded. "Now!"

Zoë didn't hesitate to listen to the girl, slamming on the brakes as the yellow vehicle spun a couple of times before coming to a stop on the edge of the cliffside. "Out!"

When Percy finally managed to get his door unlocked and open, Evangeline shoved him out the door. She followed closely behind, rolling onto the pavement as lightning struck Fredrick Chase's yellow Volkswagen.

When her eyes finally adjusted from the large flash of light, pieces of the vehicle were thrown across the road with its fender impaled in the street. Evangeline helped Percy to his feet. "You saved our lives."

"Curse him," The raven-haired girl grumbled. "He would destroy me, his own daughter?"

"Hey, that couldn't have been Zeus's lightning bolt," Percy shook his head. "No way ."

"Whose, then?" Thalia demanded.

"I don't know, Zoë said Kronos's name. Maybe he-"

"Wait," Evangeline stopped their argument, looking around. "Where is Zoë?"

The children of the Big Three quickly began calling out the hunter's name, racing around the remains of the VW.

"Zoë!" Percy shouted.

The huntress suddenly appeared, grabbing onto the son of Poseidon by his arm. "Silence fool!" She snapped. "Do you want to wake Ladon?"

"You mean we're here?"

"Very close," she explained. "Follow me."

Thick layers of fog drifted across the road, Zoë disappearing into one as Thalia glanced at the two behind her. "Concentrate on Zoë," she instructed. "Follow her, now go straight into the fog with that in mind."

"Wait, Thalia," Percy called. "About what happened back on the pier... I mean, with the manticore and the sacrifice-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You wouldn't have... you know?"

"I was just shocked," Thalia said. "That's all." With that, she took off into the fog disappearing from view like the huntress did moments before.

Percy and Evangeline shared a look before they followed after the two girls.

------✧------