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"Tell me your story," Aphros said

Leo hesitated, but not for long Somehow he sensed that he should tell the truth He started at the beginning--how Hera had been his babysitter and placed him in the flames; how his mother had died because of Gaea, who had identified Leo as a future ene around in foster homes, until he and Jason and Piper had been taken to Camp Half-Blood He explained the Prophecy of Seven, the building of the Argo II, and their quest to reach Greece and defeat the giants before Gaea woke

As he talked, Aphros drew so metal spikes fro, but Aphros pulled so "Go on," he urged "Don’t stop"

By the time Leo had explained the eidolons, the probleo II had encountered crossing the United States and e from Charleston, Aphros had knitted a complete baby bonnet

Leo waited while the fish centaur put away his supplies Aphros’s lobster-claw horns kept swie to try to rescue them

"Very well," Aphros said "I believe you"

"As si lies I hear none from you Your story also fits hat Hazel Levesque told us"

"Is she--?"

"Of course," Aphros said "She’s fine" He put his fingers to his e underwater--like a dolphin screa her here shortly You uarded secret You and your friends showed up in a warship, pursued by one of Keto’s sea monsters We did not knohose side you were on"

"Is the ship all right?"

"Daed," Aphros said, "but not terribly The skolopendra withdrew after it got a mouthful of fire Nice touch"

"Thank you Skolopendra? Never heard of it"

"Consider yourself lucky They are nasty creatures Keto must really hate you At any rate, we rescued you and the other two from the creature’s tentacles as it retreated into the deep Your friends are still above, searching for you; but we have obscured their vision We had to be sure you were not a threat Otherwise, ould have had to…takeuys were so powerful that they could keep their camp hidden from Percy, who had all those Poseidonish water powers, they were not fish dudes to o?"

"Soon," Aphros pro with your friend Gank--"

"Frank"

"Frank When they are done, ill send you back to your ship And we s?"

"Ah" Aphros pointed Hazel e ht Hazel rinning and talking with her escorts, and Leo realized that the

"Leo!" Hazel paddled toward hi?"

They were left alone at the ridge, which must have meant Aphros really did trust them While the centaur and the mermaids went off to fetch Frank, Leo and Hazel floated above the hill and gazed down at the underwater camp

Hazel told hiht away Aphros and Bythos had been fascinated by her story, as they had never met a child of Pluto before On top of that, they had heard ends about the horse Arion, and they were amazed that Hazel had befriended hiain with Arion The mermaids had written their phone numbers in waterproof ink on Hazel’s arm so that she could keep in touch Leo didn’t even want to ask how e in the middle of the Atlantic

As Hazel talked, her hair floated around her face in a cloud--like brown earth and gold dust in a miner’s pan She looked very sure of herself and very beautiful--not at all like the shy, nervous girl in that New Orleans schoolyard with her set to talk," Leo said He was reluctant to bring up the subject, but he knew this ht be their only chance to be alone "I mean about Sammy"

Her smile faded "I know…I just need soe to think that you and he…"

She didn’t need to finish the thought Leo knew exactly how strange it was

"I’m not sure I can explain this to Frank," she added "About you andhands"

She wouldn’t meet Leo’s eyes Down in the valley, the Cyclopes work crew cheered as the temple roof was set in place

"I talked to hi to…you know Make trouble between you two"

"Oh Good"

Did she sound disappointed? Leo wasn’t sure, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know

"Frank, um, seemed pretty freaked out when I summoned fire" Leo explained what had happened in the cave