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He looirl, 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 erous Even if you put them away in the Lotus Hotel, you only delay the problem Nico and Bianca 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 irl said "I cannot change it"

Black fire lit the god's eyes, and I knew soirl to hide or run

"Then, Oracle, hear the words of Hades," he growled "Perhaps I cannot bring back Maria Nor can I bring yon an early death But your soul is still irl's eyes widened "You would not--"

"I swear," Hades said, "as long asas 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 ither and die, and still the Oracle's spirit will be locked inside you You will speak your bitter prophecies until you cru The Oracle will die with you!"

The girl screae was blasted to shreds Nico fell to his knees in Persephone's garden, his face white with shock Standing in front of hi down at his son

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

A black explosion filled ed

Rachel Elizabeth Dare alking 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 I tried toup until I realized she riting in Ancient Greek

That was impossible The drea a feords and muttered, "What in the world?"

I can read Greek, but I only recognized one word before the sea washed it away: Περς My name: Perseus

Rachel stood abruptly and backed away froods," she said "That's what itup sand as she raced back to her family's villa

She pounded up the porch steps, breathing hard Her father looked up from his Wall Street Journal

"Dad" Rachel o back"

Her dad'sto reot here"

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

"Did he call you?"

"Nonot exactly But I know It's a feeling"

Mr Dare folded his newspaper "Yourforward to this vacation for a long time"

"No you haven't! You both hate the beach! You're just too stubborn to ad you so in New York! The whole cityI don't knohat exactly, but it's under attack"

Her father sighed "I think ould've heard so like that on the news"

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

Her father frowned "Nobut it is the weekend, in the et calls," Rachel said "You've got to ade"

Her father hesitated "We can't just leave We've spent a lot of money"

"Look," Rachel said "DaddyPercy needs e It's life or death"

"Whatabout?"

"I can't tell you

"Then you can't go"

Rachel closed her eyes like she was getting up her courage "Dadlet o, and I'll make a deal with you"

Mr Dare sat forward Deals were so"

"Clarion Ladies Acadeo there in the fall I won't even coht now"

He was silent for a long time Then he opened his phone and las? Prep the plane We're leaving for New York Yesi her arms around hied 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 Acadereed "You most certainly will"

The scene faded I mumbled inand turning when Thalia shook me awake

"Percy," she said "Coot visitors"

I sat up, disoriented The bed was too co in the middle of the day