~Millie’s Bedroom~

A crash outside caught Piper, Jason and Calypso’s attention. Their heads jerked towards the window and Millie stirred, her eyes blinking open sleepily.

‘Piper,’ Jason hissed, motioning at the girl. ‘Charmspeak.’

‘Right,’ Piper turned to the girl. ‘Hey Millie. You’re going to go to sleep and stay asleep for the rest of the night, and you’re going to forget all about this, okay?’

‘Okie dokie,’ she murmured. ‘I-‘

Her eyes rolled up to her forehead and she slumped back in her bed. Piper nodded in satisfaction but turned back to her partners.

‘We gotta hurry,’ she said. ‘Her parents might wake up.’

‘This cannot be rushed,’ Calypso grumbled. ‘Only a few minutes longer.’

The white had slowly crept up the replica rabbit until only it’s head remained a sparkly green, shimmering with light. The air around her was littered with jade glitter particles. The sparkles slowly lifted off the rabbits face and wound around its ears until only the tips were left, then the glow faded and a confused looking bunny looked up at Calypso.

‘Hey gorgeous,’ Calypso whispered softly, picking up the rabbit and placing it in the tank next to the real Frank. ‘We’re just going to put you in here. Come on, Frank.’

Frank bounced up to the gardener girl and leant up against her wrist. Calypso chuckled and grabbed him gently, pulling him out of the case and sliding the lid on top. The replica bunny inside blinked at them with large brown eyes before flopping down and falling asleep.

Another crash sounded outside, making Frank jump in Calypso’s arms.

‘Something’s going on,’ she said.

‘Ya think,’ Piper grumbled. ‘Jason, fly me down.’

‘You got it,’ he turned to Calypso. ‘I’ll be back in a sec for you.’

He wrapped his arm around Piper’s waist and flew her out the window, doing a lap around the house until they spotted the commotion at the front of the house. Percy and Annabeth stood, back to back, their swords out as four hellhounds stalked them.

‘Uh oh, more trouble,’ Jason pointed further down the street where more of the dogs from hell had caught their scent.

‘Eight powerful demigods in one place with no protection,’ Piper cursed in Greek. ‘What did we think was going to happen?’

‘Something good,’ Jason replied. ‘Something we never get. I’m going to drop you and go back for Calypso.’

Piper drew Katoptris determinedly. Jason kissed her forehead, ‘Go save our friends.’ He swooped in and deposited Piper on the back of a hellhound which she promptly stabbed. It turned to dust and she tumbled to the driveway, turning the impact into a summersault and coming up standing.

Percy smirked, ‘Nice of you to-’

‘So help me, if you crack one “dropping in” joke I will shred you myself,’ Piper warned.

Percy shut up. Good for him!

Jason directed the winds back to Millie’s window where Calypso stood on the roof having already shut the window, Frank clutched tightly in her arms. His head was buried in her armpit.

‘Grab on,’ Jason commanded. ‘We’ve got trouble in the form of hellhounds.’

Calypso rolled her eyes, securing her arms around Jason’s neck. ‘Wonderful. Oh gods, I really hate heights.’

‘More of a ground girl?’ Jason guessed.

‘Plant grow on the ground,’ Calypso stated firmly. ‘Not in the air.’

‘Fair enough,’ Jason said before taking off.

Calypso yelped and Frank dug deeper into her arms. They flew past Leo, Nico and Hazel in the back garden looking confused and alarmed.

‘Hellhound attack,’ Jason explained quickly, briefly landing on the grass. ‘Front of the house; Percy and Annabeth need help.’

Nico nodded and immediately for the wall of the house, melting into the shadows, sure to appear on the other side of the house. Hazel and Leo settled for running around the side through the gate. Jason took off again and flew around to the front where Piper, Nico, Percy and Annabeth were already facing off against at least a dozen hellhounds, and more were on their way.

Jason dropped Calypso and drew his imperial gold sword, slicing through one of the beasts, exploding it in cloud of monster dust. Another bit at his ankle and he had to quickly swerve to avoid it, the winds sending him backwards into a tree where he dropped like a stone.

Leo and Hazel joined the fight, emerging from the side gate with swords and hammers extended. They yelled angry battle cries and began hacking at the monsters. Jason got up and ducked under the legs of a hellhound, stabbing it in the gut on the way out.

‘There’s too many,’ Piper shouted.

‘Not for me,’ Nico said, glowering at the creatures.

The son of Hades sliced his stygian iron through the ground, splitting the cement in two. Skeletal hands stuck out, clawing their way to the surface to join the fight.

 Slowly, the battle turned until the demigods had the upper hand. There were only about half a dozen hellhounds left, the ones that hadn’t retreated or been destroyed.

Annabeth slashed at a monster, melting it, but another pounced on her from behind. It landed on top of the demigod, knocking the wind out of her. It stood on her sword arm and the weapon clattered out of her grip. The monster growled and Annabeth prepared to be eaten.

Suddenly, there was a mighty thump andthe dog went cross eyed, toppling off Annabeth, unconscious. Calypso tossed aside the wooden plank she’d torn from the fence and helped Annabeth to her feet.

‘Thanks,’ Annabeth said. ‘But you mightn’t want to throw that away just yet.’

Calypso quickly retrieved the plank as Annabeth gutted a hellhound that was about to tear through Hazel. Nico leant heavily against a tree as his skeleton warriors clattered in heaps and melted back into the earth. Leo hammered a monsters skull into the ground. Jason and Piper finished off one of the last hellhounds together. Percy swiped through another and it disintegrated.

‘Is that it?’ Leo asked breathlessly, trying to act casual though his eyes showed exhaustion.

Frank hopped out from behind a tree and bounded up to Hazel who scooped him up and hugged him.

‘Oh, silly Frank,’ she giggled.

Nico continued to lean against his tree, drained. Calypso dropped her plank and Percy plonked down where he stood. Jason, Annabeth, Piper and Leo crowded around Hazel and Frank at the front of the driveway when a single grow pierced the night.

A final hellhound leapt from the roof of the first floor of the house, straight on top of Percy who fell to the ground, his head hitting the pavement with a nauseating crunch. His head lolled as the monster loomed over him, ready to rip his throat out. Annabeth screamed, but she and the others were too far away to help.

Percy vaguely saw a blurred shape above him and braced himself to die.

The hellhound suddenly roared in pain and fell forwards, collapsing on top of Percy who couldn’t find the strength to crawl out from under the beast. Annabeth sprinted over and skidded to a stop on her knees beside Percy. The others followed her example.

As Annabeth held the son of Poseidon’s head in her lap, their attentions were drawn to the bronze tipped arrow protruding from the hellhounds back, and the man standing on the porch of the house, a bow clutched tightly in his left hand.