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Along the way, I noticed a lot of empty pedestals that usually held statues Plan twenty-three seeood or bad

It only took us five minutes to reach the Plaza--an old-fashioned white stone hotel with a gabled blue roof, sitting at the southeast corner of Central Park

Tactically speaking, the Plaza wasn't the best place for a headquarters It wasn't the tallest building in town, or the most centrally located But it had old-school style and had attracted a lot of faods over the years, like the Beatles and Alfred Hitchcock, so I figured ere in good counned the Yamaha over the curb and swerved to a stop at the fountain outside the hotel

Will and I hopped off The statue at the top of the fountain called down, "Oh, fine I suppose you want me to watch your bike too!"

She was a life-size bronze standing in the ranite bowl She wore only a bronze sheet around her legs, and she was holding a basket of metal fruit I'd never paid her too ain, she'd never talked to me before

"Are you supposed to be Demeter?" I asked

A bronze apple sailed over my head

"Everyone thinks I'm Demeter'" she complained "I'm Pompona, the Roman Goddess of Plenty, but why should you care? Nobody cares about the ods, you wouldn't be losing this war! Three cheers for Morpheus and Hecate, I say!"

"Watch the bike," I told her

Pompona cursed in Latin and threw more fruit as Will and I ran toward the hotel

I'd never actually been inside the Plaza The lobby was impressive, with the crystal chandeliers and the passed-out rich people, but I didn't pay ave us directions to the elevators, and we rode up to the penthouse suites

Deods had completely taken over the top floors Ca up in the bathrooe their wounds, and helping themselves to snacks and sodas fro out of the toilets I was relieved to see that so ht alive, but everybody looked beat up

"Percy!" Jake Mason clappedreports--"

"Later," I said "Where's Annabeth?"

"The terrace She's alive, man, but"

I pushed past him

Under different circumstances I would've loved the view froht down onto Central Park The ht--perfect for a picnic or a hike, or prettye chair Her face was pale and beaded with sweat Even though she was covered in blankets, she shivered Silena Beauregard iping her forehead with a cool cloth

Will and I pushed through a crowd of Athena kids Will unwrapped Annabeth's bandages to exa had stopped but the gash looked deep The skin around the cut was a horrible shade of green

"Annabeth" I choked up She'd taken that knife for me How could I have let that happen?

"Poison on the dagger," she mumbled "Pretty stupid of me, huh?"

Will Solace exhaled with relief "It's not so bad, Annabeth A few more minutes and ould've been in trouble, but the venootten past the shoulder yet Just lie still Sorabbed a canteen Will cleaned out the wound with the godly drink while I held Annabeth's hand

"Ow," she said "O!" She gripped ht they turned purple, but she stayed still, like Will asked Silena ement Will put some silver paste over the wound and hummed words in Ancient Greek--a hyes and stood up shakily

The healing y He looked almost as pale as Annabeth

"That should do it," he said "But we're going to need sorabbed a piece of hotel stationery, jotted down souys "There's a Duane Reade on Fifth Normally I would never steal--"

"I would," Travis volunteered

Will glared at hiot, but this is an e to have a lot reed There was hardly a single deod who hadn't already been woundedexcept ive Annabeth sostore to raidI ods shuffled back inside Jake Mason grabbed"We'll talk later, but it's under control I's The eneot a lookout at each bridge and tunnel"

"Thanks, man," I said

He nodded "Just take your time"

He closed the terrace doors behind hi Silena, Annabeth, and me alone

Silena pressed a cool cloth to Annabeth's forehead "This is all my fault"

"No," Annabeth said weakly "Silena, how is it your fault?"

"I've never been any good at camp," she hter"

Herworse, and every tiry about his death all over again Her expression reht break any minute I swore to myself that if I ever found the spy who'd cost her boyfriend his life, I would give hireat caasus rider we have And you get along with people Believe me, anyone who can make friends with Clarisse has talent"

She stared at iven her an idea "That's it! We need the Ares cabin I can talk to Clarisse I know I can convince her to help us"

"Whoa, Silena Even if you could get off the island, Clarisse is pretty stubborn Once she gets angry--"

"Please," Silena said "I can take a pegasus I know I can ed looks with Annabeth She nodded slightly