I had no idea what was going on. My mind woke up slowly, but I couldn't figure out where I was or what happened. My mind couldn't put the pieces together. The last thing I could actually concretely remember was watching Glitter take off with the injured Ares campers. After that my mind was fuzzy and I couldn't remember what happened. I tried to move, but my limbs felt heavy and sluggish, like I was trying to move through wet mud. Something floated through my mind, like a song only my body could hear. It made me relax and stop trying to figure out what was going on. The worry of where I was or what happened floated away. I let my muscles relax and my mind floated back into the darkness.

🔆

Something startled me awake. A dark voice rattled around in my head.

"You're late, Percy."

I blinked a few times. I had no idea where I was or what was going on. But I blinked a few more times. The weird heavy weight that was set in my muscles was slowly releasing. And the fog around my mind was clearing. I blinked a few more times, my eyes becoming accustomed to the dark, but the bright lights that were turned on. I pushed myself up onto my elbows. I was laying in some kind of cage. My hand burned. The one that was branded last year by dark magic, it burnt like it had that first time. I clenched my hand into a fist. I knew the black bars around my cage were shrouded in dark magic.

I pushed myself to sit up. My cage seemed to be on some kind of boat on the top deck. There were all kinds of monsters and demigods mulling around. And most of them were all looking down at something.

The guy in the middle looked like a regular college guy, but he radiated power. Luke.

How I ended up on a boat with Luke was beyond me. He wore jeans, a white T-shirt, and flip-flops, like he was just a normal college-age guy. He turned his head and looked directly at me, and smiled, he would have looked like a regular guy, but his eyes told the truth. They were solid gold.

I shivered. And he smiled in triumph. And looked back over the railing.

"We've been expecting you, Percy, for days." At first he sounded normal, like this Luke everyone kept telling me about. But then his body twitched. A shudder passed through his body as though he'd just drunk something really nasty. His voice became heavier, ancient, and powerful-the voice of the Titan lord Kronos. The words scraped down my spine like a knife blade. "Especially now that I have your sister. Come, bow before me."

Laistrygonian giants filed in on either side of the swimming pool as if they'd been waiting for a cue. Each was eight feet tall with tattooed arms, leather armor, and spiked clubs. Demigod archers appeared on the roof above Luke. Two hellhounds leaped down from the opposite balcony and snarled at Percy. Within seconds he was surrounded. A trap: there's no way they could've gotten into position so fast unless they'd known Percy was coming.

I was the bait.

Luke just laughed. His voice was deep and heavy, the twisted evil laugh of a Titan.

"Why don't we show her off, ya?" The Kronos-Luke turned and snapped his fingers, two demi gods stepped forward. A boy and girl, both with dark hair and dark eyes with Asian features. And they looked cruel and ruthless.

"These my dear, are children of Hecate. Twins. And both wonderful magic users."

I just flipped Kronos-Luke off. He just gave me a smile that made me shiver. He turned back to Percy as the twins shoved my cage over the edge. I cried out at the sudden drop, but of course no one could hear me. I slammed into the cage bars. I saw Percy cry out and reach a hand out like he could stop the cage. My cage hung suspended in mud air. I looked back and saw the twins, standing beside Luke, both of their hands held out, like they were holding the cage with magic- which I realized they were.

I glanced down at Percy through the bars.

"Nora!" He signed. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Very confused."

"You've been missing for a week! Are you okay?"

"What?"

I frowned. And shook my head, trying desperately to figure out what was going on. We were on a boat, I was in a cage, Percy was here...that was all I knew.

"Enough with the sibling reunion."

My cage was hauled back up and slammed down onto the deck beside Luke. The son of Hecate waved his hand and iron cuffs appeared on my wrist. I could feel the burning on my wrists.

"We don't want any runaways from you now, do we? Especially when you've prepared yourself so wonderfully for me. Your blood was so helpful, your blood now runs in my veins, the proper blood. Pure blood. The blood of a Titan!"

"You're crazy!"

Luke smiled. His weird glowing eyes shone with the madness.

"I don't know what you want from me!"

"I want you. Your body can host my soul so much easier than this fools mortal body. So many....limitations!"

"How is mine any better?"

"My nephew was an old fool. But he did something right when he departed some of himself into you. Now...it makes this easier."

He snapped his fingers and my cage disappeared, the cuffs burned worse in my wrists. Even with the curse of Achellies I could feel the dark magic burning into my skin. Luke looked over the railing at Percy. I looked over my shoulder and saw Percy. His eyes were stormy and his body was coiled and ridged, waiting for a fight.

"Come forward," he said. "If you dare."

The crowd of monsters parted. Percy moved up the stairs. My heart was pounding. I was sure somebody would stab him in the back, but they let him pass. I watched as Percy uncapped his pen, and Riptide grew into a sword.

Kronos's weapon appeared in his hands-a six-foot-long scythe, half Celestial bronze, half mortal steel. Just looking at the thing made my knees turn to Jell-O. Percy charged.

🔆

Time slowed down. I mean literally slowed down, because Kronos had that power. I felt like I was moving through syrup. My arms were so heavy, I could barely lift them. I struggled and used everything in me to get to my feet. Kronos smiled, swirling his scythe at normal speed and waiting for Percy to creep towards us.

I tried to fight his magic. I had to use every inch of mental concentration to get my hands to spark. But as I did...the pain in my wrists increased. I gasped in pain.

"Uh uh uh my dear. Non of that Titan fire power now."

The entire boat lurched sideways, throwing monsters off their feet. I went tumbling off the deck, and landed with a bone crushing thud on to a hellhound. My magic iron cuffs touched it and it dissolved into dust.

Interesting.

Four thousand gallons of salt water surged out of the swimming pool, dousing me Percy and Kronos and everyone on the deck. The water seemed to break the time spell, the cold shook of the cold woke me up. breaking the time spell. And the spell from my cuffs. I felt the spark in my fingers and it didn't burn on my wrists. I pulled my blades out and slashed at the Hell hounds that were staggering to their feet, faster then the giants. I slashed them and did my best to scramble back up the stairs, they were soaked and made the stairs slippery.

I watched helplessly as Percy lunged towards Luke, but made the mistake of looking up at his old friends face. I wanted to back hand Percy! His faital flaw would kill him one day. I wanted to yell, it's not your friend! But of course I couldn't, and had to watch as Kronos had no hesitation. He sliced downward with his scythe. Percy leaped back, and the evil blade missed by an inch, cutting a gash in the deck right between his feet.

Percy kicked Kronos in the chest. He stumbled backward towards me, I knew Luke had dipped in the Styx and only had one place he was mortal, but where that one place was...I had no idea. I took a guess. Stabbing one blade down into the back of his neck and the other in his lower back. The impact was like trying to stab solid rock. The impact should have dislocated both shoulders. Instead, all I did was stumble backwards.

Luke spun towards me.

"Ahhh. So I was right. You did prepare yourself properly for my soul. Good girl. This will be a much smoother process if you did this willingly."

"Over my dead body!"

"Unfortunately, I do need you alive, but I can break your will!"

He swung his syth at me and I blocked with both my knives in an x over my head. I kicked him backwards, making him stumble. I knew I had to keep his attention off of Percy. I could take his blade, it wouldn't affect me. But Percy would get injured and badly.kronis seemed to know what I was thinking, because he spun towards Percy and swung his scythe again. Percy was quick, and intercepted with Riptide, but his strike was so powerful, his blade could only deflect it. The edge of the scythe shaved off his shirtsleeve and grazed his arm.

"No!" I screamed silently. "Percy!"

Percy stumbled backward, switched his sword to his left hand, and lunged desperately. His blade should've run him through, but it deflected off his stomach like he was hitting solid marble. There was no way he should've survived that.

Kronos laughed. And swatted Percy away. I dove after him, and caught him before he hit the ground. Kronos spoke but his voice rattled around my head.

"A poor performance, Percy Jackson. Luke tells me you were never his match at swordplay."

Percy was shaking his head, his face twisting in pain. His one hand kept signing "go." I knew he didn't have much time. And I wasn't going to leave without him

"Luke had a big head," he said, I had to try to focus on his mouth, his one arm hung uselessly at his side. And his one grinned his sword right. "But at least it was his head."

"A shame to kill you now," Kronos mused, "before the final plan unfolds. I would love to see the terror in your eyes when you realize how I will destroy Olympus. And use your sister to do it!"

"You'll never get this boat to Manhattan. And you won't ever lay a finger on her!"

"And why would that be?" Kronos's golden eyes glittered. His face- Luke's face- seemed like a mask, unnatural and lit from behind by some evil power. "Perhaps you are counting on your friend with the explosives?"

He looked down at the pool and called, "Nakamura!"

A teenage guy in full Greek armor pushed through the crowd. His left eye was covered with a black patch. I knew him, of course: Ethan Nakamura, the son of Nemesis. I'd saved his life in the Labyrinth last summer,and apparently so did Percy, and in return, the little punk had helped Kronos come back to life.

I flicked my terrified eyes to Percy for a brief second. I didn't know there was anyone else here. Percy's big green eyes locked eyes with me, I could tell what he was thinking, but I sensed the fear and panic radiating off him in total waves. My stomach dropped. I prayed to Apollo it wasn't Raph.

Luke clapped his hands, and two giants lumbered forward, dragging Charles Beckendorf between them. My heart almost stopped. Beckendorf had a swollen eye and cuts all over his face and arms. His armor was gone and his shirt was nearly torn off.

"No!" I yelled. And of course it was silent. But I saw his dark eyes look up and went wide in surprise when he saw me. I was still cuffed with the black iron, I had Percy slumped in my arms, holding him up as best I could with my hands cuffed and chained together.

Beckendorf met my eyes. He glanced at my arm like he was trying to tell me something. I looked down and saw I still had the bracelet he made me on. I wasn't sure how the shield would help us out of this.

He looked at Percy. And looked down at his watch. I felt Percy's anxiety spike. I couldn't even ask what was going on, I couldn't hear any muttering.

But I watched as Beckendorf started to slowly spell something with one hand. Every few seconds a letter.

B. O. O. M.

Boom? What did that mean? And then I hit me. Boom ment explosives. Had Percy and Beckendorf loaded the boat with bombs? The look on his face and the quick shake of Percy's head confirmed it. They were silently communicating.

One of the giants was talking, as he scratched his big belly. I missed what he said, but Kronos was talking inside my head again, and I hated it.

"Soon." Kronos scowled at Ethan. "Are you sure he didn't set the explosives?"

"Er..." Ethan shifted uncomfortably, and I had to narrow my eyes and really focus on his mouth. Percy was getting awfully heavy.
"He was heading in that direction. And he told us. His bag is still full of explosives."

Slowly, I began to understand. Beckendorf had fooled them. But that didn't do us any good unless we could detonate the bombs, and I had no idea how. I seemed to be the only functional one here. Percy was slowly losing his soul from Kronos's blade, and Beckendorf was surrounded by giants and demigods and half dead.

Kronos hesitated. He pointed to one of the giants and said something, I could feel the Titan's anger rippling off him in waves. The giant peered inside, grunted, and turned it upside down. Panicked monsters surged backward. If the bag really had been full of Greek fire jars, we would've all blown up. But what fell out were a dozen cans of peaches.

Percy shuddered. He was slipping, his body shuddered.

"I...need water." Percy signed.

"Did you, perhaps, send someone to actually CHECK THE ENGINE ROOM?"

Ethan scrambled back in terror, then turned on his heels and ran.

I caught Beckendorf's eyes again and signed two quick words, "How long?"

He cupped his fingers and thumb, making a circle. Zero. There was no delay on the timer at all. If he managed to press the detonator button, the ship would blow at once. We'd never be able to get far enough away before using it. The monsters would kill us first, or disarm the explosives, or both. I was trying to figure out how to do this. If I could just Chuck Percy overboard, let him get to the sea I could attempt to help Beckendorf.

"My lady!"

I gasped. And nearly dropped Percy.

"Glitter?"

"Yes Lady! I am here. High in the sky, away from the spotters. Raphael and I followed Blackjack and the boys. We knew something was amiss, and he was...upset he was left behind. Tell me what you need Lady, and I will do it."

"Working on it."

Kronos turned toward me and Percy with a crooked smile. "You'll have to excuse my incompetent help, Percy Jackson and Eleanora Blofis. But it doesn't matter. We have now. We've known Percy Jackson were coming for weeks and knew you would come when word of your sister on board reached your ears."

He held out his hand and dangled a little silver bracelet with a scythe charm- the Titan lord's symbol.

Everything going on around me was making it hard to concentrate but I managed to clue in, "Communication device... the spy at camp." I signed. Kronos looked at me and blinked, his face twitched. And the voice in my head switched momentarily.

"Your deaf."

"No shit." I snapped back.

I watched as Luke's eyes went wide like he was surprised and then slightly confused. But then he shook his head and Kronos took over again.

He chuckled. "You can't count on friends. They will always let you down. Luke learned that lesson the hard way. Now drop your weapons and surrender to me, or your friend dies."

I swallowed. One of the giants had his hand around Beckendorf's neck. Percy was in no shape to rescue him, and even if I tried, he would die before I got there. We all would.

Beckendorf mouthed one word: Go.

I shook my head. I couldn't just leave him. I sheathed my knives.

I nudged Percy with my elbow. And signed. "when I say, run to the water."

The second giant was still rummaging through the peach cans, which meant Beckendorf's left arm was free. I took Percy's sword from him. He raised it slowly- toward the watch on his right wrist.

"Glitter! Be ready! The boat is going to blow."

Then down by the swimming pool, one of the dracaenae hissed, "What isss he doing? What isss that on hisss wrissst?"

Beckendorf closed eyes tight and brought his hand up to his watch. I threw Percy's sword like a javelin at Kronos. (I knew it would reappear in his pocket) It bounced harmlessly off his chest, but it did startle him. I shoved Percy towards the edge of the boat, I took one of my knives out and slashed though the monsters towards Beckendorf.

I reached him just as the explosion shook the world. Heat seared around us as I wrapped my arms around him. The Princess Andromeda blew up from both sides, a massive fireball of green flame roiling into the dark sky, consuming everything.

We were blasted into the sky, I did everything I could to shelf him. Heat seared my skin. My iron grip on Beckendorf started to slip, and just as we started to tumble down towards the earth again, air ripped at our clothing, something swooped under us.

Glitter.

And Raph on the back of Blackjack.

"Lady. Let go of the boy. He is safe with me."

I let go as I started to loose consciousness. I felt arms wrap around my waist and pull me close. I knew I was safe now.

🔆