ΉӨЦƧΣ ӨF ΉΛDΣƧ

AT FIRST, LUCIA FELT UNEASY SHARING THEIR PLANS WITH A GIANT. However, Damasen had been a gracious host, saving Percy and providing them with a surprisingly delicious drakon-meat stew. He made her comfortable enough that she could let her guard down. But of course, Lucia still treaded lightly.

In the warmth of Damasen's hut, Lucia found an unexpected sense of comfort, a rare moment of relaxation since entering Tartarus. It was ironic, sharing a meal with a Titan and a giant. Feeling relaxed with them.

Yet she sat there and recounted her life and the crazy adventures she was pulled into—most with Percy by her side.

"Percy was trying to do something good," she promised Bob, who listened attentively. "He didn't know Hades would be so cruel. If he knew...He would have done more."

Lucia thought about what Bob told them, how Nico di Angelo had been the only person to visit him in the palace of the Underworld.

Nico was one of the least outgoing, least friendly demigods Lucia knew. It wasn't his fault, he wasn't always like that...Lucia knew that deep down, he had the biggest heart.

And it was that heart that allowed kindness to Bob.

By convincing Bob that Percy was a friend, Nico had inadvertently saved their lives.

Lucia made a mental note to tell Nico how awesome he was and give him the biggest hug when she got out of there. If she got out of there.

No. I will, I will get out of here.

Bob washed his bowl with his squirt bottle and rag.

Damasen made a rolling gesture with his spoon. "Continue your story, Lucia of Sparta."

She explained about their quest in the Argo II. When she got to the part about stopping Gaea from waking and destroying everyone, she faltered. "She's, um...she's your mom, right?"

Damasen scraped his bowl. His face was covered with old poison burns, gouges, and scar tissue, so it looked like the surface of an asteroid.

"Yes," he said. "And Tartarus is my father." He gestured around the hut."I was a disappointment to my parents. They expected...different from me."

Lucia couldn't quite wrap her mind around the fact that she was sharing soup with a twenty-foot-tall lizard-legged man whose parents were Earth and a Pit of Darkness.

Olympian gods were hard enough to imagine as parents, but at least they resembled humans. The old primordial gods like Gaea and Tartarus... How could you leave home and ever be independent of your parents, when they encompassed the entire world?

"Oh well...." she said. "Sorry, we're fighting your mom? But she kind of wants to destroy the world which includes all of humanity. Can't exactly let that happen. Some people don't deserve it. And I have friends and family."

Damasen snorted like a bull. "Best of luck. At present, it's my father you should worry about. With him opposing you, you have no chance to survive."

Lucia didn't feel so hungry anymore. She put her bowl on the floor.

Small Bob came over to check it out.

"Opposing us how?" She leaned forward.

"All of this." Damasen cracked a drakon bone and used a splinter as a toothpick. "All that you see is the body of Tartarus, or at least one manifestation of it. He knows you are here. He tries to thwart your progress at every step. My brethren hunt you. Remarkably, you have lived this long, even with the help of Iapetus."

Bob scowled when he heard his name. "The defeated ones hunt us, Yes. They will be close behind now."

Damasen spat out his toothpick. "I can obscure your path for a while, long enough for you to rest. I have power in this swamp. But eventually, they will catch you."

"My friends must reach the Doors of Death," Bob said. "That is the way out."

"Impossible," Damasen muttered. "The Doors are too well guarded."

"So you know where they are?" Lucia asked.

"Of course. All of Tartarus flows down to one place: his heart. The Doors of Death are there. But you cannot make it there alive with only Iapetus."

"Then come with us," Lucia suggested. "Help us."

"HA!"

Lucia jumped. She winced at the sound. In the bed, Percy muttered deliriously in his sleep, "Ha, ha, ha."

Lucia glared at his sleeping figure, "Shut up, Bobo."

Percy mumbled, "Mmm. Yes, Sunlight."

She rolled her eyes and looked back toward the Giants

"Child of Apollo," the giant said, "I am not your friend. I helped mortals once, and you see where it got me."

"You helped mortals?" Lucia learned a lot about Greek legends the more she got used to being a demigod, but she drew a total blank on the name Damasen. "When?"

"Bad story," Bob explained. "Good giants have bad stories. Damasen was created to oppose Ares."

"Yes," the giant agreed. "Like all my brethren, I was born to answer a certain god. My foe was Ares. But Ares was the god of war. And so, when I was born—"

"You were his opposite," Lucia guessed. "You were peaceful."

"Peaceful for a giant, at least." Damasen sighed. "I wandered the fields of Maeonia, in the land you now call Turkey. I tended my sheep and collected my herbs. It was a good life. But I would not fight the gods. My mother shunned me for that. The Gigantomachy was a desperate attempt by my mother to overthrow Zeus and the Olympians, to restore a more harmonious rule. They worked together to overthrow her titan son Kronos the first time, he treated the earth mother and his siblings terribly. Kronos was a nasty tyrant, he was just as bad as Uranus, unfortunately more powerful. But then she saw that Zeus mistreated all her children after the war, at least those that weren't olympian, and realized that he was being blinded by the immense power he gained after succeeding Kronos. Well, Gaea believed Zeus was oppressive and barbaric over his control of the cosmos. Gaea wanted to maintain the equilibrium of nature, and Zeus's interference disrupted this. The birth of the Giants was her response, we were birthed to overthrow him. Her way was brutal war, and I did not agree with it."

"One day, the Maeonian drakon, acting as Zeus's instrument, ravaged a vibrant village that Gaea cherished and that still worshiped her. Zeus, cunningly intending to hurt Gaea and weaken her resolve in the war, knew it would deeply wound her connection to the natural world. Amid this chaos, the drakon killed a human shepherd who lived nearby, a close friend of mine. Provoked by the tragedy, I hunted the creature down and slew it, thrusting a tree straight through its mouth. Zeus, angered by my defiance, banished me to Tartarus. It became my eternal prison. Every day, or what passes for day in this lightless place, the Maeonian drakon re-forms and attacks me. Killing it is my endless task. My punishment for losing my temper and defying Zeus..."

"B-But it was killing innocent people!"Lucia argued, "You had every right to protect them! Your anger—It didn't come from nowhere!"

"Yes well...." Damasen sighed, "He did not see it that way."

"It's not fair." Lucia frowned, "I mean—Why? Why couldn't he have just worked with Gaea? I mean...I get that killing and starting a war isn't the way to go about things. But from what you're telling me...It seems like she was pushed to that point, No?"

Lucia thought about how the war with Kronos began. How the demigod's pain, their feelings of betrayal for their parents, from their parents—all their anger— allowed them to be taken advantage of by Kronos. Gaea didn't seem like she wanted to destroy the world simply because she wanted to be all-powerful. It seemed like she was trying to avenge the pain she faced, the pain her children faced...

Lucia thought of Briaries, of Tyson, Of Luke, Of Ethan...

"Careful Demigod." Damasen warned, "You are smart, and You have good insights. But they are too good to become reality. Zeus, and even Tartarus, would not like you thinking like this.."

"Your mom tried to kill me. And she's hurt my friends, my family..." Lucia spat out, "But so has Zeus. I've trusted a Titan before too—Kronos—and he took apart the girl I was and made me into someone I couldn't even recognize. But I found myself again. I've also trusted mortals and been hurt, My own stepmother, her manager... In ways that would make your skin crawl. I've been hurt by all of them. There are monsters everywhere. In every species there is good and there is bad. Just like there are people who are good. Bob is good. You are good. I believe that. I think we all have our dark days....but it's who we choose to be. Everyday...It's how we choose to deal with our darkness..."

Damasen looked perplexed, "What are you trying to say Child of Apollo?"

She opened her mouth and closed it. Lucia felt like she was burning up, "I-I don't know." She started coughing, and her vision blurred.

"Here." Damasen passed her a cup that looked like it was fashioned from bone. Inside was a green-looking liquid that had the foulest stench. "It shall keep you temporarily healed. You are made of light, You can not stay here for long...But this may keep you going."

Lucia should have probably questioned what she was about to put in her body a little bit more. But her feverish state forced her to simply trust that it would be fine. Plus, after everything, she trusted Damasen. If he wanted to kill her. He wouldn't have wasted all this time chatting it up with her.

Lucia took the cup and gratefully smiled, thanking him quickly before chugging down the liquid.

"Bah!" She stuck her tongue out. "Definitely not Ambrosia."

Lucia was surprised to see the giant laugh.

"Break the curse," She blurted out. "Come with us."

Damasen's face fell, and he chuckled sourly. "As simple as that. Don't you think I have tried to leave this place? It is impossible. No matter which direction I travel, I end up here again. The swamp is the only thing I know—the only destination I can imagine. No, little demigod. My curse has overtaken me. I have no hope left."

"No hope," Bob echoed.

"Don't say that. There must be a way." Lucia couldn't stand the expression on the giant's face. It reminded her of her own mortal father, Hyacinthus, the few times she saw him looking out the window after a terrible PR event with Agatha. He had looked so sad and defeated, wishing for something he knew was impossible. "Bob has a plan to reach the Doors of Death," Lucia insisted. "He said we could hide in some sort of Death Mist."

"Death Mist?" Damasen scowled at Bob. "You would take them to Akhlys?"

"It is the only way," Bob said.

"You will die," Damasen said. "Painfully. In darkness. Akhlys trusts no one and helps no one.

Lucia felt a shiver run down her spine.

Bob looked like he wanted to argue, but he pressed his lips together and remained silent.

"Is there another way?" She asked.

"No," Damasen said. "The Death Mist...that is the best plan. Unfortunately, it is a terrible plan."

Lucia felt like she was trapped in a web of decisions, each strand leading to a more unfavorable outcome. It left her uneasy, unsure of how to navigate through the tangled situation.

"But isn't it worth trying?" She asked. "You could return to the mortal world. You could see the sun again."

Damasen's eyes were like the sockets of the drakon's skull dark and hollow, devoid of hope. He flicked a broken bone into the fire and rose to his full height—a massive red warrior in sheepskin and drakon leather, with dried flowers and herbs in his hair.

"You've brought a little bit of the sun here. For that, I'm grateful Lucia of Sparta."

Lucia smiled up at him,

"Get some sleep," The giant said. "I will prepare supplies for your journey. I am sorry, but I cannot do more."

Lucia wanted to argue, but as soon as he said sleep, her body betrayed her, despite her resolution never to sleep in Tartarus again. Her belly was full.

The fire made a pleasant crackling sound. The herbs in the air reminded her of the hills around Camp Half-Blood in the summer when the satyrs and naiads gathered wild plants in the lazy afternoons.

"I'm tired but..." Lucia frowned, "I have more questions. The Arai...They said something to me and I need to know what it means. You were cursed you might—"

"Sleep for a bit. Your journey will be hectic. When you awake, you may ask your questions."

Lucia smiled gratefully, "Okay, Thank you Damasen..." She yawned, "Mmm...Just a little nap," she agreed.

Bob scooped her up like a rag doll. She didn't protest. He set her next to Percy on the giant's bed. She inched closer to him, snuggling herself into his arms. He stirred in his sleep, reaching out for her as she closed her eyes. 

The bed was pretty comfortable. For the first time in all her time in Tartarus. Lucia felt both her body and mind relax. She was at complete ease. She fell asleep in an instant.

༄

LUCIA DREAMT SHE WAS ON THE ROOF OF A TALL BUILDING—A skyscraper. The nighttime skyline of Manhattan spread around her. A cold wind whipped through her clothes.

A few blocks away, clouds gathered above the Empire State Building—the entrance to Mount Olympus itself. Lightning flashed. The air was metallic with the smell of oncoming rain. The top of the skyscraper was lit up as usual, but the lights seemed to be malfunctioning. They flickered from purple to orange as if
the colors were fighting for dominance.

On the roof of Lucia's building stood the soldiers from Camp Jupiter: an array of demigods in combat armor, their Imperial gold weapons and shields glinting in the dark.

Octavian stood to one side, thin and pale, his eyes red-rimmed from sleeplessness or anger, a string of sacrificial stuffed animals around his waist. His augur's white robe was draped over a purple T-shirt and cargo pants.

In the center of the line stood Reyna, her metal dogs Aurum and Argentum at her side. Lucia felt for her, The weight of the war had to be taking a toll on her. She couldn't imagine being responsible for a whole legion at a time like this.

In her dream, Reyna looked tired. Her dark hair was wet, like she'd taken a hasty shower.

The Romans stared at the roof-access door as if they were waiting for someone.

When the door opened, two people emerged. Lucia instantly smiled.

Grover! Rachel!

My people! Yes! Oh, Thank the gods!

Lucia was a little too excited to see them.

Grover wore a green Nature Conservancy T-shirt with pictures of endangered whales and tigers and stuff. Nothing covered his shaggy legs and hooves. He had a bushy goatee, curly brown hair tucked into a Rasta-style cap, and a set of reed pipes around his neck. His hands fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

Next to him was Rachel. Her long curled hair was out, and she wore a white blouse, with jeans that were covered with hand-drawn ink designs. She held a blue plastic hairbrush that she tapped nervously against her side.

Lucia snorted when she saw it. Don't mess with her Romans, she'll knock you out with that blue hair brush!

She stepped forward her eyes fixed on Reyna "You got my message "

Octavian scoffed. "That's the only reason you made it this far alive, Graecus. I hope you've come to discuss surrender terms."

"Octavian..." Reyna warned.

"At least search them!" Octavian protested.

"No need," Reyna decided, studying Rachel Dare. "Do you bring weapons?"

Rachel shrugged. "I hit Kronos in the eye with this hairbrush once. Otherwise, no."

Lucia giggled, The Romans didn't seem to know what to make of that.

"And your friend?" Reyna nodded to the satyr. "I thought you were coming alone."

"This is Grover Underwood," Rachel said. "He's a leader of the Council."

"What council?" Octavian demanded.

"Cloven Elders, man." Grover's voice was high and reedy as if he were terrified, but Lucia knew he was just nervous, that mighty satyr had more steel than he let on. "Seriously, don't you Romans have nature and trees and stuff? I've got some news you need to hear. Plus, I'm a card-carrying protector. I'm here to, you know, protect Rachel."

Reyna looked like she was trying not to smile. "But no weapons?"

Ha, she secretly loves us.

"Just the pipes." Grover's expression became wistful. "Lucia always said my cover of 'Born to be Wild' should count as a dangerous weapon, but I don't think it's that bad."

Oh, It is.

Octavian sneered. "Another friend of Lucia Verano. That's all I need to hear. That terrible girl! A sad excuse of an Apollo child! She has taken away Prophecy! She's going to ruin us all!"

"Hey! Watch it!" Grover demanded, when he realized his outburst. He swallowed.

Reyna held up her hand for silence. Her gold and silver dogs sniffed the air, but they remained calm and attentive at her side.

"So far, our guests speak the truth," Reyna said. "Be warned, Rachel and Grover, if you start to lie, this conversation will not go well for you. Say what you came to say."

From her jeans pocket, Rachel dug out a piece of paper like a napkin. "A message. From Lucia."

She got it. She really got it...

Reyna took the note. As she read it, her eyebrows crept higher. Her mouth parted in shock. Finally, she looked up at Rachel. "Is this a joke?"

"I wish," Rachel said. "They're really in Tartarus."

"But how—"

"I don't know," Rachel said. "The note appeared in the sacrificial fire at our dining pavilion. That's Lucia's handwriting. You can tell because of the stars on the I's. She asks for you by name."

Octavian stirred. "Tartarus? What do you mean?"

Reyna handed him the letter.

Octavian muttered as he read: "Rome, Arachne, Athena, Annabeth, Athena Parthenos?" He looked around in outrage, as if waiting for someone to contradict what he was reading. "A Greek trick! Greeks are infamous for their tricks!"

Reyna took back the note. "Why ask this of me?"

Rachel smiled. "Because Lucia wants to show we are on the same side. Read it yourself, She says that Annabeth will trust you. She believes you can do this, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano."

Reyna scowled. "How did you—"

"Uh," Grover Underwood interrupted. "You mean your initials are RA-RA?"

Reyna's hand drifted toward her dagger.

"But that's not important!" The satyr said quickly. "Look, we wouldn't have risked coming here if we didn't trust Lucia's instincts. A Roman leader returning the most important Greek statue to Camp Half-Blood—she knows that could prevent a war."

"This isn't a trick," Rachel added. "We're not lying. Ask your dogs." The metallic greyhounds didn't react.

Reyna stroked Aurum's head thoughtfully. "The Athena Parthenos...so the legend is true."

"Reyna!" Octavian cried. "You can't seriously be considering this! Even if the statue still exists, you see what they're doing. We're on the verge of attacking them destroying the stupid Greeks once and for all and they concoct this stupid errand to divert your attention. They want to send you to your death!"

The other Romans muttered, glaring at their visitors. Lucia couldn't believe it, he was winning the officers to his side.

Reyna is way better than him as a leader! Come on use your damn heads Romans!

Rachel Dare faced the augur. "Octavian, legacy of Apollo. You should take this more seriously. This is a direct child of Apollo who has sent this message. Plus, Even Romans respected his Oracle of Delphi."

"Ha!" Octavian said. "You're the Oracle of Delphi? Right. And I'm the Emperor Nero!"

"At least Nero could play good music," Grover muttered.

Burn! Ha! Go, Grover!

Octavian balled his fists.

The wind shifted. It swirled around the Romans with a hissing sound, like a nest of snakes. Rachel Dare glowed in a green aura, as if hit by a soft emerald spotlight. Then the wind faded and the aura was gone.

The sneer melted from Octavian's face. The Romans rustled uneasily.

"It's your decision," Rachel said, as if nothing had happened. "I have no way of knowing prophecy now, just like you. So I can not offer anything but Lucia. She still has her foresight. And if Lucia sees her bringing it." She pointed at Reyna. "She must."

"Also, Ella has been murmuring old lines from your Sibylline Books—"

"What?" Reyna interrupted. "The Sibylline Books were destroyed centuries ago."

"I knew it!" Octavian pounded his fist into his palm. "That harpy they brought back from the quest Ella. I knew she was spouting prophecies! Now I understand. She somehow memorized a copy of the Sibylline Books."

Reyna shook her head in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

"We don't know," Rachel admitted. "But, yes, that seems to be the case. Ella has a perfect memory. She loves books. Somewhere, somehow, she read your Roman book of prophecies. Now she's the only source for them."

"Your friends lied, " Octavian raged "They told me the Harpy was muttering gibberish. They stole her!"

Ugh, Am I really related to this loser?

Grover huffed indignantly. "Ella isn't your property! She's a free creature. Besides, she wants to be at Camp Half-Blood. She's dating one of my friends, Tyson."

Oh, my gods! Go, Tyson!

"The Cyclops," Reyna remembered. "A harpy dating a Cyclops..."

"That's not relevant!" Octavian said. "The Harpy has valuable Roman prophecies. If the Greeks won't return her, we should take their Oracle hostage! Guards!"

Two centurions advanced, their pila leveled. Grover brought his pipes to his lips, played a quick jig, and their spears turned into Christmas trees. The guards dropped them in surprise.

"Enough!" Reyna shouted.

Everyone listened.

Girlboss!

"We've strayed from the point," She demanded. "Rachel Dare, you're telling me Lucia is in Tartarus, yet she's found a way to send this message. She wants me to bring this statue from the ancient lands to your camp."

Rachel nodded. "Only a Roman can return it and restore peace."

"And why would the Romans want peace," Reyna asked, "after your ship attacked our city?"

"You know why," Rachel said. "To avoid this war. To reconcile the gods' Greek and Roman sides. We have to work together to defeat Gaea."

Octavian stepped forward to speak, but Reyna shot him a withering look.

"According to Percy Jackson," Reyna said, "the battle with Gaea will be fought in the ancient lands. In Greece."

"That's where the giants are," Rachel agreed. "Whatever magic, whatever ritual the giants are planning to wake the Earth Mother, I sense it will happen in Greece. But...well, our problems aren't limited to the ancient lands. That's why I brought Grover to talk to you."

The satyr tugged his goatee. "Yeah...see, over the last few months, I've been talking to satyrs and nature spirits across the continent. They're all saying the same thing. Gaea is stirring I mean, she's right on the edge of consciousness. She's whispering in the minds of naiads, trying to turn them. She's causing earthquakes, uprooting the dryads' trees. Last week alone, she appeared in human form in a dozen different places, scaring the horns off some of my friends. In Colorado, a giant stone fist rose out of a mountain and swatted some Party Ponies like flies."

Reyna frowned. "Party Ponies?"

"Long story," Rachel said. "The point is: Gaea will rise everywhere. She's already stirring. No place will be safe from the battle. And we know that her first targets are going to be the demigod camps. She wants us destroyed."

"Speculation," Octavian argued. "A distraction. The Greeks fear our attack. They're trying to confuse us. It's the Trojan Horse all over again!"

I wish I was there just to shut him up.

Reyna twisted the silver ring she wore, with the sword and torch symbols of her mother, Bellona. "Marcus," she said, "bring Scipio from the stables."

"Reyna, no!" Octavian protested.

Reyna yes!

She faced the Greeks. "I will do this for Lucia, for Annabeth, for the hope of peace between our camps, but do not think I have forgotten the insults to Camp Jupiter. Your ship fired on our city. You declared war—not us. Now, leave."

For Annabeth Lucia smirked,

Grover stamped his hoof. "Percy would never—"

"Grover," Rachel said, "we should go."

Her tone said: Before it's too late.

After they had retreated back down the stairs, Octavian wheeled on Reyna. "Are you mad?"

Oh put a sock in it!

"I am praetor of the legion," Reyna said. "I judge this to be in the best interest of Rome."

"To get yourself killed? To break our oldest laws and travel to the ancient lands? How will you even find their ship, assuming you survive the journey?"

"I will find them," Reyna said. "If they are sailing for Greece, I know a place Jason will stop. To face the ghosts in the House of Hades, he will need an army. There is only one place where he can find that sort of help."

"This is insanity," Octavian muttered. "We're already under attack. We must take the offensive! Those hairy dwarfs have been stealing our supplies, sabotaging our scouting parties—you know the Greeks sent them."

"Perhaps," Reyna ordered. "But you will not launch an attack without my say. Continue scouting the enemy camp. Secure your positions. Gather all the allies you can, and if you catch those dwarfs, you have my blessing to send them back to Tartarus. But do not attack Camp Half-Blood until I return."

Octavian narrowed his eyes. "While you're gone, the augur is the senior officer. I will be in charge."

"I know." Reyna didn't sound happy about it. "But you have my orders. You all heard them." She scanned the faces of the centurions, daring them to question her.

She stormed off, her purple cloak billowing and her dogs at her heels.

Once she was gone, Octavian turned to the centurions. "Gather all the senior officers. I want a meeting as soon as Reyna has left on her fool's quest. There will be a few changes in the legion's plans."

Hey—!

In Lucia's dream, the building seemed to tilt under his feet. Her stomach turned, she stumbled and when Lucia got up, she was in a different setting.

Can't I ever just dream of giving a speech naked like a normal person?

Lucia's heart soared when she saw Annabeth and Nico. Her smile grew tenfold. But when she noticed where they were it faltered.

They crept through a vast cellar with thick support columns holding up a vaulted ceiling. The limestone blocks were so old, they had fused together from centuries of moisture, making the place look almost like a naturally formed cave.

Where the hell are you two going?

Annabeth drew her dagger. They made their way under the low archways, their steps echoing on the stone floor. Barred windows lined the top of one wall, facing the street level, but that just made the cellar feel more claustrophobic.

The shafts of sunlight looked like slanted prison bars, swirling with ancient dust.

Annabeth passed a support beam, looked to her left, and slipped a note between the bust and pedestal of a Statue. "If Jason is right, and she really listened...Reyna should find it here..."

"Hello!"

Before Annabeth could register that the voice had come from somewhere else, she knocked the statue's head off. The bust toppled and shattered against the floor.

"That wasn't very nice," said the voice behind them.

Annabeth turned on her heel. A winged man was leaning against a nearby column, casually tossing a small bronze hoop in the air. At his feet sat a wicker picnic basket full of fruit.

"I mean," the man said, "what did Diocletian ever do to you?"

The air swirled around Annabeth's feet. The shards of marble gathered into a miniature tornado, spiraled back to the pedestal, and reassembled into a complete bust, the note still tucked underneath.

"Uh—" Annabeth lowered her daggered. "I didn't mean to. You startled me."

The winged dude chuckled. "Annabeth Chase, the West Wind has been called many things... warm, gentle, life-giving, and devilishly handsome. But I have never been called startling. I leave that crass behavior to my gusty brethren in the north."

Nico inched backward. "The West Wind? You mean you're—"

"Zephyros," Annabeth realized. "God of the West Wind. The man who killed Hyacinthus...Lucia's dad." Her face fell.

I miss you too, Beth.

Zephyros smiled and bowed, obviously pleased to be recognized. "You can call me by my Greek name, certainly, or Favonius, if you're Roman. I'm not hung up about it."

Nico looked pretty hung up about it. "Why aren't your Greek and Roman sides in conflict, like the other gods?"

"Oh, I have the occasional headache." Favonius shrugged. "Some mornings I'll wake up in a Greek chiton when I'm sure I went to sleep in my SPOR pajamas. But mostly the war doesn't bother me. I'm a minor god, you know-never been much in the limelight. The to-and-fro battles among you demigods don't affect me as greatly."

"So..." Annabeth questioned, "What are you doing here?"

"Several things!" Zephyros said. "Hanging out with my basket of fruit. I always carry a basket of fruit. Would you like a pear?"

"No."

"Let's see...earlier I was eating ice cream. Right now I'm tossing this quoit ring." Favonius spun the bronze hoop on his index finger.

Annabeth hissed, "Don't waste my time. I mean why did you appear to us? Why did you lead us to this cellar?"

"Oh!" Zephyros nodded. "The sarcophagus of Diocletian. Yes. This was its final resting place. The Christians moved it out of the mausoleum. Then some barbarians destroyed the coffin. I just wanted to show you" He spread his hands sadly, "That what you're looking for isn't here. My master has taken it."

"Your master?" Annabeth questioned. "Who is your master?"

"He means Eros." Nico's voice turned edgy. "Cupid, in Latin."

Zephyros smiled. "Very good, Nico di Angelo. I'm glad to see you again, by the way. It's been a long time."

Nico knit his eyebrows. "I've never met you."

"You've never seen me," The god corrected. "But I've been watching you. When you came here as a small boy, and several times since. I knew eventually you would return to look upon my master's face."

Nico turned even paler than usual. His eyes darted around the cavernous room as if he was starting to feel trapped.

"Nico?" Annabeth frowned. "What's he talking about?"

"I don't know. Nothing."

"Nothing?" Zephyros cried. "The one you care for most... plunged into Tartarus, and still you will not allow the truth?"

Annabeth's mouth fell agape. She furrowed her eyebrows.

Lucia felt her heart sink. Oh, No, Nico...I'm sorry.

"We've only come for Diocletian's scepter," Nico said, clearly anxious to change the subject. "Where is it?"

"Ah..." Zephyros nodded sadly. "You thought it would be as easy as facing Diocletian's ghost? I'm afraid not, Nico. Your trials will be much more difficult. You know, long before this was Diocletian's Palace, it was the gateway to my master's court. I've dwelt here for eons, bringing those who sought love into the presence of Cupid."

Annabeth began to spew out her thoughts."Like Psyche, Cupid's wife. You carried her to his palace."

Zephyros' eyes twinkled. "Very good, Annabeth Chase. From this exact spot, I carried Psyche on the winds and brought her to the chambers of my master. In fact, that is why Diocletian built his palace here. This place has always been graced by the gentle West Wind." He spread his arms. "It is a spot of tranquility and love in a turbulent world. When Diocletian's Palace was ransacked—"

"You took the scepter," Annabeth deduced.

"For safekeeping," Zephyros agreed. "It is one of Cupid's many treasures, a reminder of better times. If you want it..." Zephyros turned to Nico. "You must face the god of love."

Nico stared at the sunlight coming through the windows, as if wishing he could escape through those narrow openings.

"Nico....Hey...Are you okay?" Annabeth frowned. "Maybe—Maybe we can come up with another plan?"

Zephyros laughed, "Ha good luck with that."

Dick. That's why my Papa rejected your lame ass!

Nico looked like he was going to be sick. He squared his shoulders and nodded. "I-I'm not afraid of a love god. We have to do this. We need the scepter. I promised Lucia..."

Oh, Nico...

Zephyros beamed. "Excellent! Would you like a snack before you go?" He plucked a green apple from his basket and frowned at it. "Oh, bluster. I keep forgetting my symbol is a basket of unripe fruit. Why doesn't the spring wind get more credit? Summer has all the fun."

"That's okay," Nico said quickly. "Just take us to Cupid."

Zephyros spun the hoop on his finger, and Lucia's body dissolved into air. She appeared in another scene.

Nico braced himself against a column, his legs trembling visibly.

"Hey, Nico..." Annabeth stepped toward him, but Nico waved her off.

At Nico's feet, the grass turned brown and wilted. The dead patch spread outward, as if poison were seeping from the soles of his shoes.

"Ah." Zephyros nodded sympathetically. "I don't blame you for being nervous, Nico di Angelo. Do you know how I ended up serving Cupid?"

"I don't serve anyone," Nico muttered. "Especially not Cupid."

Zephyros continued as if he hadn't heard. "I fell in love with a mortal named Hyacinthus. He was quite extraordinary."

Annabeth's face twisted in annoyance, "You killed him out of your selfish jealousy. You couldn't handle how extraordinary he was."

Zephyros snorted. "You make it sound so simple. Alas, love is never simple. You see, the god Apollo also liked Hyacinthus. One day I came across them together, playing a game of discus, confessing their love for each other. At any rate, Yes, I was jealous. I shifted the wind and sent the heavy metal right at Hyacinthus's head and...well." The wind god sighed. "As Hyacinthus died, Apollo turned him into a flower, the hyacinth. I'm sure Apollo would've taken horrible vengeance on me, but Cupid offered me his protection. I'd done a terrible thing, but I'd been driven mad by love, so he spared me, on the condition that I work for him forever."

He growled, "I heard Apollo brought him back and they had a child together..." His voice carried immense irritation, "Whatever she can't be that great. Our kid would have been way better, and he wouldn't have had to have died for love... twice..."

"Mind you. You killed him." Annabeth repeated.

"That would be my cue." Zephyros stood. "Think long and hard about how you proceed, Nico di Angelo. You cannot lie to Cupid. If you let your anger rule you... well, your fate will be even sadder than mine."

The wind god disappeared in a swirl of red and gold. The summer air suddenly felt oppressive. The ground shook, and Annabeth and Nico drew their weapons.

So.

The voice rushed past their ear like a bullet. When they turned, no one was there.

You come to claim the scepter.

"Eros," Annabeth called, "Where are you?"

The voice laughed. It didn't sound like a cute baby angel. It sounded deep and rich, but also threatening like a tremor before a major earthquake.

Where you least expect me, Cupid answered. As Love always is.

Something slammed into Annabeth and hurled her across the street. She toppled down a set of steps and sprawled on the floor of an excavated Roman basement.

Annabeth! Lucia cried, she tried to move forward but her feet were firm on the ground.

I would think you'd know better, Annabeth Chase. Cupid's voice whirled around her. You've had your own struggles with love. Tell me. How does it feel to love two women at once?

Nico scrambled down the steps, and Lucia was finally able to follow. "You okay?"

Annabeth accepted his hand and got to his feet. "Yeah. I'm fine." She hissed.

Oh, did you expect me to play fair? Cupid laughed. I am the god of love. I am never fair.

This guy was nothing like Aphrodite. He was cruel... Awful, Lucia hated him in an instant.

Lucia felt the air ripple just as an arrow materialized, racing toward Nico's chest.

Annabeth intercepted it with her dagger and deflected it sideways. The arrow exploded against the nearest wall, peppering them with limestone shrapnel.

They ran up the steps. Annabeth pulled Nico to one side as another gust of wind toppled a column that would have crushed him flat.

"What the hell is wrong with this Asshole?" Annabeth growled.

Frank, Hazel, and Percy met my counterpart,
Thanatos. We are not so different. Except Death is sometimes kinder.

"We just want the scepter!" Nico shouted. "We're trying to stop Gaea. Are you on the gods' side or not?"

A second arrow hit the ground between Nico's feet and glowed white-hot.

Nico stumbled back as the arrow burst into a geyser of flame.

No!

Love is on every side, Cupid said. And no one's side. Don't ask what Love can do for you.

"Great," Annabeth growled. "Now he's spouting stupid greeting card messages."

Movement behind her: Annabeth spun, slicing her dagger through the air. Her blade bit into something solid. A grunt echoed in the air and she swung again, but the invisible god was gone. On the paving stones, a trail of golden ichor shimmered—the blood of the gods.

Very good, Annabeth, Cupid said. At least you can sense my presence. Even a glancing hit at true love is more than most heroes manage.

"So now do I get the scepter?" Annabeth tried.

Cupid laughed. Unfortunately, you could not wield it. Only a child of the Underworld can summon the dead legions. And only an officer of Rome can lead them.

"Just leave that to us," She said. "Nico can summon—"

The third arrow zipped by Annabeth's shoulder. She couldn't stop it in time.

Nico gasped as it sunk into his sword arm. "Nico!"

Stop it! Lucia screamed, You leave him alone!

Another arrow passed, It sliced through Annabeth's shoulder as she ran towards Nico.

No!

The son of Hades stumbled. The arrow dissolved, leaving no blood and no visible wound, but Nico's face was tight with rage and pain.

"Enough games!" Nico shouted. "Show yourself!"

It is a costly thing, Cupid said, looking on the true face of Love.

My wife Psyche learned that lesson, Cupid said. She was brought here eons ago when this was the site of my palace. We met only in the dark. She was warned never to look upon me, and yet she could not stand the mystery. She feared I was a monster. One night, she lit a candle, and beheld my face as I slept.

The god laughed. I was too handsome, I'm afraid. A mortal cannot gaze upon the true appearance of a god without suffering consequences. My mother, Aphrodite, cursed Psyche for her distrust. My poor lover was tormented, forced into exile, given horrible tasks to prove her worth. She was even sent to the
Underworld on a quest to show her dedication. She earned her way back to my side, but she suffered greatly.

Another column toppled. Annabeth scrambled out of its way so it wouldn't crush her.

"Stop it!" Nico yelled. "It's me you want. Leave her alone!"

Annabeth's ears rang. She was dizzy from getting smacked around.

Annabeth. Lucia tried emphasizing her voice. Annabeth, Hear me, please.

She thought of the one time when Annabeth was kidnapped and bearing the weight of the sky on her shoulders. Lucia was able to use her voice through the dream. It was so powerful that Annabeth could hear it. At the time, Annabeth was merely a stranger and she was still able to reach her. Now, Annabeth and Nico were in danger, and Lucia had to try. Her voice had to reach them somehow. They were anything but strangers, they were her family...

Poor Nico di Angelo. The god's voice was tinged with disappointment. Do you know what you want, much less what I want? My beloved Psyche risked everything in the name of Love. It was the only way to atone for her lack of faith. And you—what have you risked in my name?

"I've been to Tartarus and back," Nico snarled. "You don't scare me."

I scare you very, very much. Face me. Be honest.

Annabeth pulled herself up.

All around Nico, the ground shifted. The grass withered, and the stones cracked as if something was moving in the earth beneath, trying to push its way through.

"Give us Diocletian's scepter," Nico said. "We don't have time for games."

Games? Cupid struck, slapping Nico sideways into a granite pedestal. Love is no game! It is no flowery softness! It is hard work a quest that never ends. It demands everything from you, especially the truth. Only then does it yield rewards.

"Nico," Annabeth called, "What does this guy want from you?"

Tell her, Nico di Angelo, Cupid said. Tell her you are a coward, afraid of yourself and your feelings. Tell her the real reason you ran from Camp Half-Blood, and why you are always alone."

Nico let loose a guttural scream. The ground at his feet split open and skeletons crawled forth—dead Romans with missing hands and caved-in skulls, cracked ribs, and jaws unhinged. Some were dressed in the remnants of togas. Others had glinting pieces of armor hanging off their chests.

That was enough for Lucia to become livid. She screamed, her throat became raw from how hard she pushed herself. "NICO! NICO! LISTEN TO ME! LISTEN TO ME!"

Nico tried catching his breath. His Roman skeletons surged forward and grappled with something invisible. The god struggled, flinging the dead aside, breaking off ribs and skulls, but the skeletons kept coming, pinning the god's arms

What! Cupid said. What is this?

"I left Camp Half-Blood because of love," Nico said. "Lucia...She."

"NICO STOP!"

His eyebrows furrowed together, he turned to Annabeth. Annabeth eyes were pooled with tears.

"Y-You hear her too?" She asked. Her voice breaking.

"Lucia!" Nico screamed. He didn't even realize how his soldiers were now overpowering the God. He was too afraid that it was the ghost of her speaking to him. "H-How!"

"NICO. ITS ME, IM ALIVE. WE'RE ALIVE AND WE ARE COMING. REMEMBER THAT IM YOUR FRIEND." She cried, she shouted as loud as she could. All she prayed for was that he heard every word. "ITS ME OKAY NEEKS? I'VE BEEN YOUR FRIEND EVER SINCE YOU WALKED INTO WEST-OVER HALL. I'VE ROOTED FOR YOU EVERY DAY. EVERY SINGLE DAY. YOU DO NOT NEED TO EXPLAIN YOURSELF TO THIS ASSHOLE. BE YOU NICO THAT'S ALL YOU NEED TO BE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY IT. NOT UNTIL YOU ARE READY, OKAY?"

"Y-You know?" Nico asked, "And you don't hate me..."

"Silence that stupid voice!" Cupid growled, "It's ruining everything!"

Annabeth smiled, "Keep going, Lucy! Keep going! He's being overpowered!"

"NEVER!" She screamed. Tears spilled down her cheeks. She moved her feet forward. They were heavy but she dragged them across the floor like bricks.

She stood in front of him. He didn't seem to see her, but when her hand fell over his chest. She saw him relax. He inhaled sharply. "I could never hate you. You're my little brother. I promised Bianca once that I would take care of you. Not just because I loved her but because I love you.....I'll take care of you until my dying breath, I swear it...even though I know you can take care of yourself. And I would never hold anything against you. I would never hate you for having feelings. Or judge you for being yourself. Never. I love you. I love you Neeks, please don't feel forced to say what you're not ready to say...Just know that you are so loved Nico. And that when you are ready...You will continue to be dearly loved. Neeks. You're stronger than him. You are. Don't let him win..."

AGHHHH Cupid cried, smashing a skeleton to pieces. Shut up! Shut up! That's the only way to conquer me. To face it!

"NO!" Lucia screamed "IF NICO NEEDS TO FACE LOVE TO DEFEAT YOU. THEN YOU'VE ALREADY LOST."

Nico began to sob, he held his chest. "I love you!" He cried, his body was shaking. Lucia felt herself sobbing with him, how much he reminded her of that little boy who played with Mythomagic cards right now.

She felt all their memories together hit her all at once.

The first time she met the young nine-year-old at Westover Hall, when he gushed to her about points and his favorite heroes.

The first time he shoved himself between one of her hugs.

The way she held him when he cried over a fight with Bianca.

The way he ran towards her when he saw she was alive after her first quest.

The way he told her he hated her, but still saved her life.

Them in the labyrinth, In the battle of Manhattan. Nico running to her dying body. Him begging his father to spare her...

Her coming to save him from Otis and Ephilates.

The promise before Lucia fell.

"I love you so much, Lu! Thank you! Thank you for always being there for me. For being my sister...For caring and loving me when I thought no one would! I LOVE YOU!"

Cupid screamed out in rage as he dissolved into the wind.

On the ground where he'd stood lay an ivory staff three feet long, topped with a dark globe of polished marble about the size of a baseball, nestled on the backs of three gold Roman eagles. The scepter of Diocletian.

Nico gasped, his chest shaking.

Annabeth wiped away her tears, "I-It worked...Lucia—How—from Tartarus—?"

"I..." Nico began. "I don't know..." He knelt and picked it up.

Lucia smiled, she wanted to say something else. To say goodbye at least. To say—See you there, but it was at that moment that she woke up.

༄

LUCIA AWOKE TO SEE SHADOWS DANCING ACROSS THE HUTS CEILING. Her throat ached, and her head was spinning.

As she lay there, Percy snored in her ear and Small Bob purred on her belly, snuggling closer as he made biscuits on their blanket. She heard Bob and Damasen deep in conversation.

"You haven't told her," Damasen said.

"No," Bob admitted. "She is already scared."

The giant grumbled. "She should be. And if you cannot guide them past Night?"

Damasen said Night like it was a proper name an evil name.

"I have to," Bob said.

"Why?" Damasen wondered. "What have the demigods given you? They have erased your old self, everything you were. Titans and giants...we are meant to be the foes of the gods and their children. Are we not?"

"Then why did you heal the boy? Why did you care for the girl?"

Damasen exhaled. "I have been wondering that myself. Perhaps because the girl has a way with words, or perhaps...I find these two demigods intriguing. They are resilient to have made it so far. That is admirable. Still, how can we help them any further? It is not our fate."

"Perhaps," Bob said, uncomfortably. "But...do you like our fate?"

"What a question. Does anyone like his fate?"

"I liked being Bob," Bob murmured. "Before I started to remember..."

"Huh." There was a shuffling sound, as if Damasen was stuffing a leather bag.

"Damasen," the Titan asked, "Do you remember the sun?"

The shuffling stopped. Lucia heard the giant exhale through his nostrils.

"Yes. It was yellow. When it touched the horizon, it turned the sky to beautiful colors."

"I miss the sun," Bob said. "The stars, too. I would like to say hello to the stars again."

"Stars..." Damasen said the word as if he'd forgotten its meaning. "Yes. They made silver patterns in the night sky." He threw something to the floor with a thump. "Bah. This is useless talk. We cannot—"

In the distance, the Maeonian drakon roared.

Percy sat bolt upright. "What? What—where—what? Luz!"

"It's okay." Lucia held a small bob to her stomach as she got up. She squeezed his shoulder. "I'm here..."

When he registered that they were together in a giant's bed with a skeleton cat, he looked more confused than ever. "That noise...where are we?"

"How much do you remember?" She asked.

Percy frowned. His eyes seemed alert. All his wounds had vanished. Except for his tattered clothes and a few layers of dirt and grime, he looked as if he'd never fallen into Tartarus. Lucia couldn't help but admire him.

She then thought of Nico and Annabeth and the dream she had. She only wished that she could help ease Nico's worry and pain. She desperately wanted to get to the doors, to see him, to see her, to be with her friends and family again.

"I—the demon grandmothers and then....not much."

Damasen loomed over the bed. "There is no time, little mortals. The drakon is returning. I fear its roar will draw the others, my brethren, hunting you. They will be here within minutes."

Lucia's pulse quickened. "What! But—There's no time to talk!"

"I'm sorry Lucia, but you overslept."

Lucia cursed, she didn't regret taking her sweet time. Not only did she help Nico and get valuable information on how things were going on the other side, but she felt human again after resting. "Okay fine. I'll figure it out by myself. But—What will you tell them when they get here?"

Damasen's mouth twitched. "What is there to tell? Nothing of significance, as long as you are gone."

He tossed them two drakon-leather satchels. "Clothes, food, drink."

Bob was wearing a similar but larger pack. He leaned on his broom, gazing at Lucia as if still pondering Damasen's words: What have the demigods given you? We are meant to be the foes of the gods and their children.

Lucia was then struck by a thought so sharp and clear, it was like an arrow strike from Apollo himself.

"Prophecy of Eight..." She mumbled.

Percy had already climbed out of the bed and was shouldering his pack. He frowned at her. "What about it?"

Lucia dove forward and grabbed Damasen's hand, she squeezed, startling the giant. His brow furrowed.

His skin was as rough as sandstone.

"You have to come with us," She pleaded. "The prophecy says foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. I thought it meant Romans and Greeks, but that's not it. The line means us demigods, a Titan, a giant. We need you to close the Doors! It needs to be us!"

The drakon roared outside, closer this time. Damasen gently pulled his hand away.

"No, child," he murmured. "My curse is here. I cannot escape it."

"Yes, you can," Lucia cried. "Don't fight the drakon. Figure out a way to break the cycle! Find another fate!"

Damasen shook his head. "Even if I could, I cannot leave this swamp. It is the only destination I can picture."

Lucia's mind raced. "There is another destination. Look at me!
Remember my face. When you're ready, come find me. We'll take you to the mortal world with us. You can see the sunlight and stars. You will see them again."

The ground shook. The drakon was close now, stomping through the marsh and blasting trees and moss with its poison spray.

Farther away, Lucia heard the voice of the giant Polybotes, urging his followers forward. "THE SEA GOD'S SON! HE IS CLOSE!"

"Okay Princess," Percy said urgently, "That's our cue to leave."

"Go Child of Apollo!" Damasen cried, "Before it is too late."

Lucia wanted to sob. She knew the giant was meant to fight at their side. That was the answer but Damasen turned away.

"Please. Please think about it. We do not have to repeat these cycles." Lucia whispered, "We can create change..."

"We must leave," Bob urged as his kitten climbed onto his shoulder.

"He's right, Luz." Percy held her hand.

She nodded reluctantly and intertwined her fingers with his.

They ran for the entrance Lucia didn't look back as she followed Percy and Bob into the swamp, but she heard Damasen behind them, shouting his battle cry at the advancing drakon, his voice cracking with despair as he faced his old enemy, yet again.

A/N: Omg, okay so that was a long one.... sorry? not sorry. I really enjoyed writing this. I did change up Damansen's myth, I looked online to try and be as accurate as I could to Greek Mythology but it seems like Rick invented it so I took my creative liberties to fit with my Plot. I hope you're enjoying how things are going so far though! I know the Nico scene is a really sensitive topic and I wanted to change it up somehow. I truly wanted to show the importance of other loves than romantic ones and how that can truly save someone as well. I wanted to emphasize that Nico was never alone despite feeling like he was. Also, I felt like because of Nico's background he would be more ashamed of admitting who he loves than Lucia and Annabeth that's why I didn't want to exclude the scene completely. But the entire thing of him being outed just felt so wrong to me, I felt the need to make the change and have Lucia be a part of it. I truly hope it wasn't triggering or upsetting to anyone! Hopefully, you guys think I did it justice. It also allowed me to call back to a scene in my first book too!

Anyway! I'm soooo excited to finish up House of Hades and get to Blood of Olympus because I definitely am planning on inserting so many original plots and I just can't wait for you to see where Lucia's journey goes...

And not to self promo, (but to self promo) if you haven't yet you should totally check out my other Riordanverse books: Nightmare Fuel and She loves me, She loves me not!

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter <33

— LOVE V.