Grover was having a snack in the living room. He was dressed for battle in an armored shirt made from tree bark and twist ties, with his wooden cudgel and his reed pipes hanging from his belt.

The Demeter cabin had whipped up a whole buffet in the hotel kitchens—everything from pizza to pineapple ice cream. Unfortunately, Grover was eating the furniture. He'd already chewed the stuffing off a fancy chair and was now gnawing the armrest.

"Dude," Percy said, "we're only borrowing this place."

"Blah-ha-ha!" He had stuffing all over his face. "Sorry, Percy. It's just ...Louis the Sixteenth furniture. Delicious. Plus I always eat furniture when I get—"

"When you get nervous," Percy said. "Yeah, I know. So what's up?"

He clopped on his hooves. "I heard about Evangeline. Is she..."

"She's going to be fine, she's resting."

Grover took a deep breath. "That's good. I've mobilized most of the nature spirits in the city—well, the ones that will listen to me, anyway." He rubbed his forehead. "I had no idea acorns could hurt so much. Anyway, we're helping out as much as we can."

He told the raven-haired boy about the skirmishes they'd seen. Mostly they'd been covering uptown, where they didn't have enough demigods. Hellhounds had appeared in all sorts of places, shadow-traveling inside their lines, and the dryads and satyrs had been fighting them off. A young dragon had appeared in Harlem, and a dozen wood nymphs died before the monster was finally defeated.

As Grover talked, Thalia entered the room with two of her lieutenants. She nodded to Percy grimly, went outside to check on Evangeline, and came back in. She listened while Grover completed his report—the details getting worse and worse.

"We lost twenty satyrs against some giants at Fort Washington," he said, his voice trembling. "Almost half my kinsmen. River spirits drowned the giants in the end, but..."

Thalia shouldered her bow. "Percy, Kronos's forces are still gathering at every bridge and tunnel. And Kronos isn't the only Titan. One of my Hunters spotted a huge man in golden armor mustering an army on the Jersey shore. I'm not sure who he is, but he radiates power like only a Titan or god."

Percy remembered the golden Titan from his dream—the one on Mount Othrys who erupted into flames.

"Great," He said. "Any good news?"

Thalia shrugged. "We've sealed off the subway tunnels into Manhattan. My best trappers took care of it. Also, it seems like the enemy is waiting for tonight to attack. I think Luke" she caught herself, "I mean Kronos needs time to regenerate after each fight. He's still not comfortable with his new form. It's taking a lot of his power to slow time around the city."

Grover nodded. "Most of his forces are more powerful at night, too. But they'll be back after sundown."

Percy tried to think clearly. "Okay. Any word from the gods?"

The daughter of Zeus shook her head. "I know Lady Artemis would be here if she could. Athena, too. But Zeus has ordered them to stay at his side. The last I heard, Typhon was destroying the Ohio River valley. He should reach the Appalachian Mountains by midday."

"So at best," Percy said, "we've got another two days before he arrives."

Jake Mason cleared his throat. He'd been standing there so silently Percy had almost forgotten he was in the room.

"Percy, something else," he said. "The way Kronos showed up at Williamsburg Bridge like he knew you were going there. And he shifted his forces to our weakest points. As soon as we deployed, he changed tactics. He barely touched the Lincoln Tunnel, where the Hunters were strong. He went for our weak spots like he knew."

"Like he had inside information," Percy said. "The spy."

"What spy?" Thalia demanded.

He told her about the silver charm Kronos had shown him, the communication device.

"That's bad," she said. "Very bad."

"It could be anyone," Jake said. "We were all standing there when Percy gave the orders."

"But what can we do?" Grover asked. "Frisk every demigod until we find a scythe charm?"

They all looked at Percy, waiting for a decision. He couldn't afford to show how panicked he felt, even if things seemed hopeless.

"We keep fighting," He said. "We can't obsess about this spy. If we're suspicious of each other, we'll just tear ourselves apart. You guys were awesome last night. I couldn't ask for a braver army. Let's set up a rotation for the watches. Rest up while you can. We've got a long night ahead of us."

The demigods mumbled in agreement. They went their separate ways to sleep or eat or repair their weapons.

"Percy, you too," Thalia said. "We'll keep an eye on things. Go lie down. We need you in good shape for tonight."

He didn't argue too hard. But before he went to bed, he decided to check up on Evangeline. He opened the room's door and saw her sitting up and petting Sam's head while the hellhound rested next to her.

"Hey," Percy spoke up.

"Hi," she said, "How's Grover?"

"He ate the furniture." He answered blankly.

"So, he didn't bring good news?" She raised a brow.

The son of Poseidon shook his head as he sat down next to her on the bed. Evangeline sighed. "What happened?"

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

The brunette nodded. "Are you okay?"

"Me? I should be asking you that, you're the one that got stabbed."

"Percy," She shot him a look. "It's not that big of a deal, it was like a tiny, silver, and painful toothpick."

"It was a knife."

"Oh, whatever," she rolled her eyes. "It's not a big deal. I'm fine."

"You got stabbed because of me."

"You won the battle against Kronos today, I think that's more important than me getting stabbed."

"Yeah, but I'm also the reason Michael's missing." He murmured.

"That wasn't your fault," she told him.

"Yes it was, I broke the bridge, and he..." Percy's voice faltered.

Evangeline took his hand in hers. "Everything has a limited amount of time, Percy. You can't prevent death in a war."

"I prevented you from dying," he said.

The brunette chewed on her bottom lip. "Zeus himself couldn't kill me, I doubt a poisoned knife would have either."

"I could have done something,"

"And you did, you saved so many people," she told him.

"Kronos still got away," Percy said.

"Percy, we weren't going to win on our first try."

"I know that," he mumbled.

The brunette shot him a look as Sam shifted in his sleep, nuzzling his head into Evangeline's arms, his nose twitching in his sleep. "You can't blame yourself for that." She told him. "This is war, people are going to die—not everyone is invincible like you."

He stayed silent letting her words sink in, he knew that she had a point, that not everyone was invincible, and somehow that made him think of it as unfair. When he looked back at the brunette, she was already looking at him with an expression he couldn't read.

"What did my father actually talk to you about while you were in the Underworld?" She asked. "Because I know that he said something, it explains why you're acting weirder than usual."

The Jackson boy swallowed harshly. "He just told me about something that I desperately needed to hear."

"Okay, what was it?"

Percy went silent, he was debating whether or not he should tell her he knew but as much as he hated Hades he didn't want Evangeline to argue with the god again. Some part of him wanted to tell her he knew but the other part was telling him not to, that he would mess everything up like he had done before.

"Perce?" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

He hadn't realized that he had been staring right into her eyes while he zoned out. He felt blood rush to his cheeks and quickly cleared his throat. "Yeah, uh, sorry, princess," he mumbled.

"What did my father tell you?" She asked.

"I forgot," He lied. "The river must have messed with my brain."

The daughter of Hades looked disappointed by the news and gave him a subtle nod. Percy slumped in his seat beside her. "You should get some sleep," he told her.

"Stop stealing my lines, droolboy."

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed. "Whatever, princess."

He rested his head on her good shoulder while she gently traced her finger over the back of his hand. It made him feel calm amidst all the chaos that had been happening and that was what he needed. He needed Evangeline to calm him down.

Evangeline didn't know when she fell asleep but she was sure she wasn't going to be able to sleep for long before her dreams became nightmares.

In her dream, she saw Nico alone in the gardens of Hades. He'd dug a hole in one of Persephone's flower beds, which made Evangeline worried about how angry the Goddess of Spring would get at her brother.

He poured a goblet of wine into the hole and began to chant. "Let the dead taste again. Let them rise and take this offering. Maria di Angelo show yourself!"

White smoke gathered. A human figure formed, but it wasn't Nico's mother. It was a girl with dark hair, olive skin, and the silvery clothes of a Hunter.

"Bianca," Nico said. "But—"

"Don't summon our mother, Nico," she warned. "She is the one spirit you are forbidden to see."

"Why?" he demanded. "What's our father hiding?"

"Pain," Bianca said. "Hatred. A curse that stretches back to the Great Prophecy."

"What do you mean?" Nico said. "I have to know!"

"The knowledge will only hurt you. Remember what I said: holding grudges is a fatal flaw for children of Hades."

"I know that," Nico said. "But I'm not the same as I used to be, Bianca. Stop trying to protect me!"

"Brother, you don't understand—" Nico swiped his hand through the mist, and Bianca's image dissipated.

"Maria di Angelo," he said again. "Speak to me!"

A different image formed. It was a scene rather than a single ghost. In the mist, she saw Nico and Bianca as little children, playing in the lobby of an elegant hotel, chasing each other around marble columns.

A woman sat on a nearby sofa. She wore a black dress, gloves, and a black veiled hat like a star from an old 1940s movie. She had Bianca's smile and Nico's eyes.

On a chair next to her sat a large oily man in a black pinstripe suit. Evangeline's jaw dropped when she realized it was Hades. He was leaning toward the woman, using his hands as he talked, like he was agitated.

"Please, my dear," he said. "You must come to the Underworld. I don't care what Persephone thinks! I can keep you safe there."

"No, my love." She spoke with an Italian accent. "Raise our children in the land of the dead? I will not do this."

"Maria, listen to me. The war in Europe has turned the other gods against me. A prophecy has been made. My children are no longer safe. Poseidon and Zeus have forced me into an agreement. None of us are to have demigods children ever again."

"But you already have Nico and Bianca. Surely—"

"No! The prophecy warns of a child who turns sixteen. Zeus has decreed that the children I currently have must be turned over to Camp Half-Blood for proper training, but I know what he means. At best they'll be watched, imprisoned, and turned against their father. Even more likely, he will not take a chance. He won't allow my demigod children to reach sixteen. He'll find a way to destroy them, and I won't risk that!"

"Certamente," Maria said. "We will stay together. Zeus is un imbecile."

Evangeline couldn't help but admire the woman's courage, but Hades glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Maria, please. I told you, Zeus gave me a deadline of last week to turn over the children. His wrath will be horrible, and I cannot hide you forever. As long as you are with the children, you are in danger too."

Maria smiled, and it was creepy how much she looked like her daughter. "You are a god, my love. You will protect us. But I will not take Nico and Bianca to the Underworld."

Hades wrung his hands. "Then, there is another option. I know a place in the desert where time stands still. I could send the children there, just for a while, for their own safety, and we could be together. I will build a golden palace by the Styx."

The mother laughed gently. "You are a kind man, my love. A generous man. The other gods should see you as I do, and they would not fear you so. But Nico and Bianca need their mother. Besides they are only children. The gods wouldn't really hurt them."

"You don't know my family," Hades said darkly. "Please, Maria, I can't lose you."

Evangeline felt a knot in her stomach as she watched the scene in front of her. Maria touched his lips with her fingers. "You will not lose me. Wait for me while I get my purse. Watch the children."

She kissed the lord of the dead and rose from the sofa. Hades watched her walk upstairs as if her every step away caused him pain.

A moment later, he tensed. The children stopped playing as if they sensed something too.

"No!" Hades said. But even his godly powers were too slow. He only had time to erect a wall of black energy around the children before the hotel exploded.

The force was so violent, that the entire mist image dissolved.

When it came into focus again, she saw her father kneeling in the ruins, holding the broken form of Maria di Angelo. Fires still burned all around him. Lightning flashed across the sky, and thunder rumbled.

Young Nico and Bianca stared at their mother uncomprehendingly. Alecto appeared behind them, hissing and flapping her leathery wings. The children didn't seem to notice her.

"Zeus!" Hades shook his fist at the sky. "I will crush you for this! I will bring her back!"

"My lord, you cannot," Alecto warned. "You of all immortals must respect the laws of death."

Hades glowed with rage. Evangeline glanced at the broken woman cradled in her father's arms, a heavy feeling washing over her as she watched the little kids stare at their dead mother. Maria seemed like a good woman, a nice person, and a loving mother who was probably more loving than Mary had ever been.

Hades glowed with rage. Evangeline thought her father would blow up in anger, but at the last moment, he seemed to regain control.

"Take them," He told Alecto, choking back a sob. "Wash their memories clean in the Lethe and bring them to the Lotus Hotel. Zeus will not harm them there."

"As you wish, my lord," Alecto said. "What of the other girl in Amsterdam?"

"Keep an eye on her, if Zeus decides to go after her too I want you to be there." The lord of the dead cleared his throat.

"Very well, my lord," The fury nodded. "And the woman's body?"

"Take her as well," Hades spoke bitterly. "Give her the ancient rites."

Alecto, the children, and Maria's body dissolved into shadows, leaving Hades alone in the ruins.

"I warned you," A new voice said.

Hades turned. A girl in a multicolored dress stood by the smoldering remains of the sofa. She had short black hair and sad eyes. She was no more than twelve. The woman looked strangely familiar to the brunette.

"You dare come here?" The god growled. "I should blast you to dust!"

"You cannot," the girl said. "The power of Delphi protects me."

With a chill, Evangeline realized she was looking at the Oracle of Delphi, back when she was young and alive. Somehow, seeing her like this was even more weirder than seeing her as a mummy.

"You've killed the woman I loved!" Hades roared. "Your prophecy brought us to this."

He loomed over the girl, but she didn't flinch.

"Zeus ordained the explosion to destroy the children," she said, "because you defied his will. I had nothing to do with it. And I did warn you to hide them sooner."

"I couldn't! Maria would not let me! Besides, they were innocent."

"Nevertheless, they are your children, which makes them dangerous. Even if you put them away in the Lotus Hotel, you only delay the problem. The Merlyn girl and those two will never be able to rejoin the world lest they turn sixteen."

"Because of your so-called Great Prophecy. And you have forced me into an oath to have no other children. You have left me with nothing!"

"I foresee the future," the girl said. "I cannot change it."

Black fire lit in her father's eyes, and Evangeline realized what was about to happen. "Then, Oracle, hear the words of Hades," He growled. "Perhaps I cannot bring Maria. Nor can I bring you an early death. But your soul is still mortal, and I can curse you."

The girl's eyes widened. "You would not—"

"I swear," Hades said, "as long as my children remain outcasts, as long as I labor under the curse of your Great Prophecy, the Oracle of Delphi will never have another mortal host. You will never rest in peace. No other will take your place. Your body will wither and die, and still, the Oracle's spirit will be locked inside you. You will speak your bitter prophecies until you crumble to nothing. The Oracle will die with you!"

The girl screamed, and the misty image was blasted to shreds. Nico fell to his knees in Persephone's garden, his face white with shock. Standing in front of him was the real Hades, towering in his black robes scowling down at his son.

"And just what," he asked Nico. "do you think you're doing?"

A black explosion filled her dreams. The scene changed.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare was walking along a white sand beach. She wore a swimsuit with a T-shirt wrapped around her waist. Her shoulders and face were sunburned.

She knelt and began writing in the surf with her finger. Evangeline tried to make out the letters. She thought her dyslexia was acting up until she realized Rachel was writing in Ancient Greek.

Rachel finished writing a few words and muttered, "What in the world?"

She only recognized one word before the sea washed it away: Περσεύς. Perseus in Ancient Greek.

The brunette knit her eyebrows together as Rachel stood abruptly and backed away from the surf.

"Oh, gods," she said. "That's what it means."

She turned and ran, kicking up the sand as she raced back to her family's villa.

She pounded up the porch steps, breathing heavily. Her father looked up from his Wall Street Journal. "Dad." Rachel marched up to him. "We have to go back."

Her dad's mouth twitched like he was trying to remember how to smile. "Back? We just got here."

"There's trouble in New York. Percy's in danger."

"Did he call you?"

"No...not exactly. But I know. It's a feeling."

Mr. Dare folded his newspaper. "Your mother and I have been looking forward to this vacation for a long time."

"No, you haven't! You both hate the beach! You're just too stubborn to admit it"

"Now, Rachel—"

"I'm telling you something is wrong in New York! The whole city...I don't know what exactly, but it's under attack."

Her father sighed. "I think we would've heard something like that on the news."

"No," The redhead insisted. "Not this kind of attack. Have you had any calls since we got here?"

Her father frowned. "No...but it is a weekend, in the middle of the summer."

"You always get calls," Rachel said. "You've got to admit that's strange."

The older man hesitated. "We can't just leave. We've spent a lot of money."

"Look," Rachel said. "Dad... Percy needs me. I have to deliver a message It's life or death."

"What message? What are you talking about?"

"I can't tell you."

"Then you can't go."

Rachel closed her eyes like she was getting up her courage. "Dad...let me go, and I'll make a deal with you."

Mr. Dare sat forward. Evangeline figured that by being a businessman, deals were something he understood. "I'm listening."

"Clarion Ladies Academy. I'll—I'll go there in the fall. I won't even complain. But you have to get me back to New York right now."

He was silent for a long time. Then he opened his phone and made a call. "Douglas? Prepare the plane. We're leaving for New York. Yes...immediately."

Rachel flung her arms around him, and her father seemed surprised like she'd never hugged him before.

"I'll make it up to you, Dad!"

He smiled, but his expression was chilly. He studied her like he wasn't seeing his daughter—just the young lady he wanted her to be, once Clarion Academy got through with her.

"Yes, Rachel," He agreed. "You most certainly will."

The scene faded. Evangeline admired the Dare girl for standing up to her father but she felt bad that the redhead would have to go to a school she didn't like just so she could help them.

She was tossing and turning when her eyes snapped open and Evangeline tried to sit up but she soon realized she couldn't because of Percy's iron-like grip around her waist.

Thalia entered the room and smirked evilly once she saw the scene. "Well, looks like the love birds took a nice nap."

Evangeline was half awake but she still heard the daughter of Zeus. The Merlyn girl narrowed her eyes into thin slits. "What do you want, spark plug?"

The raven-haired girl scowled. "I'm here for Percy." She nodded her head towards the sleeping boy next to Evangeline.

"Why?"

"There's someone here to see him."

The brunette used her good arm to wake him up as she gently shook him awake. "Percy, wake up."

"Let me sleep," he mumbled nuzzling his head into the pillow while his grip around her tightened.

Thalia smirked as she shot a knowing look at the daughter of Hades who was blushing furiously. Evangeline cleared her throat and yelled, "Percy!"

The son of Poseidon's eyes snapped open as he jolted awake. "What?" He asked, he sounded disoriented and sleepy like he had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there.

"Percy," Thalia said. "Come on. It's late afternoon. We've got visitors."

"Visitors?" He asked.

Thalia nodded grimly. "A Titan wants to see you, under a flag of truce. He has a message from Kronos."

------✧------

A/N: This chapter is short because I was sick so it took me a while to get this out but I'm fine now. Not much was happening in this chapter so I'm sure it was a little boring but whatever I guess.

Maria di Angelo and Hades deserved better in my opinion don't get me wrong Hades and Persephone are cute and all, I just think that Maria and Hades had a lot of potential. We also got clingy Percy a little bit in this chapter.

I was rewatching Tangled while I was sick cause it's like my favorite animated movie ever and I started wondering if Percy and Evangeline were in Disney which couple would they be?