Page 22 (1/2)

"Frank!" Annabeth’s ears were as red as strawberries "We just came down here to talk We fell asleep Accidentally That’s it"

"Kissed a couple of tilared at hi!"

"We’d better…" Frank pointed to the stable doors "Uh, we’re supposed to meet for breakfast Would you explain what you did--I mean didn’t do? I mean… I really don’t want that faun--I mean satyr--to kill me"

Frank ran

When everyone finally gathered in the mess hall, it wasn’t quite as bad as Frank had feared Jason and Piper were , "Classic Classic" Only Hazel seemed scandalized,her face and wouldn’t e went ballistic; but Percy found it hard to take the satyr seriously since he was barely five feet tall

"Never inover a plate of apples "Against the rules! Irresponsible!"

"Coach," Annabeth said, "it was an accident We were talking, and we fell asleep"

"Besides," Percy said, "you’re starting to sound like Tere narrowed his eyes "Is that an insult, Jackson? ’Cause I’ll--I’ll terh "It won’t happen again, Coach I pros to discuss?"

Hedge fu you, Jackson And you, Annabeth Chase, I thought you had rab soet started"

The ain, back at Camp Half-Blood they used to have theirtable in the rec rooht at hoiants planning a reception for the lot with rocket launchers; Nico di Angelo trapped in a bronze jar, slowly dying froranate seeds at his feet

Hazel choked back a sob "Nico… Oh, gods The seeds"

"You knohat they are?" Annabeth asked

Hazel nodded "He showed thearden"

"Your step… oh," Percy said "You mean Persephone"

Percy had met the wife of Hades once She hadn’t been exactly wararden--a creepy place full of crystal trees and flowers that bloohost white

"The seeds are a last-resort food," Hazel said Percy could tell she was nervous, because all the silverware on the table was starting to move toward her "Only children of Hades can eat theot stuck soiants are trying to lure us," Annabeth said "They’re assuht!" Hazel looked around the table, her confidence apparently crue yelled with a ht?"

"Hazel, of course we’ll help hi do we have before… uh, Ican Nico hold out?"

"One seed a day," Hazel said miserably "That’s if he puts himself in a death trance"

"A death trance?" Annabeth scowled "That doesn’t sound fun"

"It keeps hi all his air," Hazel said "Like hibernation, or a coma One seed can sustain him one day, barely"

"And he has five seeds left," Percy said "That’s five days, including today The giants must have planned it that way, so we’d have to arrive by July first Assu Nico is hidden somewhere in Rome--"

"That’s not much time," Piper summed up She put her hand on Hazel’s shoulder "We’ll find him At least we knohat the lines of the prophecy el’s breath, who holds the key to endless death’ Your brother’s last nael’"

"Oh, gods," Hazel muttered "Nico…"

Percy stared at his jelly donut He had a rocky history with Nico di Angelo The guy had once tricked hi Hades’s palace, and Percy had ended up in a cell But uys He certainly didn’t deserve slow suffocation in a bronze jar, and Percy couldn’t stand seeing Hazel in pain

"We’ll rescue him," he promised her "We have to The prophecy says he holds the key to endless death"

"That’s right," Piper said encouragingly "Hazel, your brother went searching for the Doors of Death in the Underworld, right? He must’ve found them"

"He can tell us where the doors are," Percy said, "and how to close them"

Hazel took a deep breath "Yes Good"

"Uh…" Leo shifted in his chair "One thing The giants are expecting us to do this, right? So we’re walking into a trap?"

Hazel looked at Leo like he’d et , Hazel It’s just that your brother, Nico… he knew about both caht?"

"Well, yes," Hazel said

"He’s been going back and forth," Leo said, "and he didn’t tell either side"

Jason sat forward, his expression griuy So am I"

Hazel shot to her feet "I don’t believe this He’s ht me back from the Underworld, and you don’t want to help him?"