𝐎 𝐂 𝐄 𝐀 𝐍 𝐄 𝐘 𝐄 𝐒 !

𝙲 𝙷 𝙰 𝙿 𝚃 𝙴 𝚁 𝚂 𝙸 𝚇 !

( 𝔞 𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔭 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔞𝔮𝔲𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔲𝔪 ! )

⟶⬩⬥⬩⟵

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆, 𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 in for a surprise. After getting dressed and making herself presentable, she'd joined Jason, Piper, Hazel, and Leo in the Mess Hall for a much-needed breakfast. However, part way into their meal, Frank came running into the room with a red face and quickly explained that he'd just found Percy and Annabeth sleeping on the floor of the stables . . . all alone . . . all night. As soon as he said that, Malia heard Coach Hedge yelling and the sound of footsteps heading toward the Mess Hall. She didn't know whether to laugh at the expressions on her brother and Annabeth's faces once they entered the room or to be weirded out.

When Percy and Annabeth finally got into the mess hall, they were met with an assortment of reactions. Jason and Piper were holding back laughs. Leo couldn't stop grinning and muttering, "Classic, Classic." Hazel was the only one who seemed scandalized, probably because she was from the 1940s. She kept fanning her face and wouldn't look at Percy at all. Malia just rolled her eyes, already used to this sort of thing.

Naturally, Coach Hedge wen ballistic; but it seemed like Percy and Annabeth couldn't seem to take him seriously. She noticed her brother's lips quirk up when the coach got in his face.

"Never in my life!" Coach bellowed, waving his bat and knocking over a plate of apples. "Against the rules! Irresponsible!"

"Coach," Annabeth said, "it was an accident. We were talking, and we fell asleep."

Malia rolled her eyes. "Probably kissed a bit, too, right?"

Percy shot her a look while the others laughed under their breaths.

"Besides," Percy said, "you're starting to sound like Terminus."

Hedge narrowed his eyes. "Is that an insult, Jackson? 'Cause I'll—I'll terminus you, buddy!"

"Please do," Malia said, shooting Hedge a look. "I could use a break."

"Shut up, Lia," Percy said, though he seemed to be struggling to keep a laugh back. He turned to Coach. "It won't happen again, Coach. I promise. Now, don't we have other things to discuss?"

Hedge fumed. "Fine! But I'm watching you, Jackson. And you, Annabeth Chase, I thought you had more sense—"

Jason cleared his throat. "So grab some food, everybody. Let's get started."

Immediately, Malia noticed that the meeting was a lot like Camp Half-Blood war councils . . . but with donuts instead of Cheez Whiz and ping pong balls.

Percy told the group about his dream—the twin giants planning a reception for them in an underground parking lot with rocket launchers; Nico di Angelo trapped in a bronze jar, slowly dying from asphyxiation with pomegranate seeds at his feet.

Hazel choked back a sob. "Nico . . . Oh, gods. The seeds."

"You know what they are?" Annabeth asked.

Hazel nodded. "He showed them to me once. They're from our stepmother's garden."

"Your step . . . oh." Malia rolled her eyes at her brother. "You mean Persephone."

Malia knew her brother could be dense at times, but seriously? How could he forget about Persephone? The two had met her once. While she hadn't exactly been all sunny and warm, she had been nice to Malia and very sweet. She'd shown Malia around her garden, explaining the crystal-like trees and the flowers that bloomed bloodred and ghost white.

"The seeds are a last-resort food," Hazel said. The silverware on the table was slowly starting to move toward her. "Only children of Hades can eat them. Nico always kept some in case he got stuck somewhere. But if he's really imprisoned—"

"The giants are trying to lure us," Malia said. "They're assuming we'll try to rescue him."

"Well. they're right!" Hazel looked around the table, her confidence apparently crumbling. "Won't we?"

"Yes!" Coach Hedge yelled with a mouthful of napkins. "It'll involve fighting, right?"

Malia rolled her eyes and shoved Coach Hedge back into his seat, silencing him for the moment. Frank gave Hazel a sincere look. "Hazel, of course we'll help him. But how long do we have before . . . uh, I mean, how long can Nico hold out?"

Nice save, genius, Malia thought, giving Frank a look.

"One seed a day," Hazel said.

Malia hummed softly. "But that's only if he puts himself in a death trance, right?" Everyone at the table, excluding Piper, gave her looks of astoundment. "What? I know stuff."

Annabeth nodded slowly. "Um, a death trance? That doesn't exactly sound fun."

"It keeps him from consuming all his air," Hazel said. "Like hibernation, or a coma. One seed can sustain him one day, barely."

"And he has five seeds left," Percy said. "That's five days, including today. The giants must have planned it that way, so we'd have to arrive by July first. Assuming Nico is hidden somewhere in Rome—"

"That's not much time," Piper summed up. She put her hand on Hazel's shoulder. "We'll find him. At least now we know what the lines of the prophecy mean now. 'Twins snuff out the angel's breath, who holds the key to endless death.' Your brother's last name: di Angelo. Angelo is Italian for 'angel.'"

"Oh, gods," Hazel muttered. "Nico . . ."

Malia swallowed thickly. She and Nico had a bit of a bumpy history with each other. For one, his sister had died while on a quest trying to save her and Artemis, so immediately Malia blamed herself. And then Nico lured her brother to Hades's palace and placed him in a cell that nearly killed him. And let's not forget the time that Nico nearly impaled her during the Battle of the Labyrinth. Sure, it had been accidental, but Malia's life had flashed before her eyes.

Disappointing, to say the least.

But besides all of that, Nico sided with the good guys most of the time. He certainly didn't deserve to die by slow suffocation in a bronze jar, being held captive and acting as bait. And Malia couldn't imagine seeing someone as sweet as Hazel in so much pain. She'd only known the girl for a short amount of time—no more than a week, if Malia was counting her days right—but she liked to consider the curly-haired girl a friend.

"We'll rescue him, Hazel," Malia promised her. "We have to. For one, he's your brother, and two, the prophecy says he holds the key to endless death."

"That's right," Piper said encouragingly. "Hazel, your brother went searching for the Doors of Death in the Underworld, right? He must've found them."

"He can tell us where the doors are," Percy said, "and how to close them."

Hazel took a deep breath. "Yes. Good."

"Uh . . ." Leo shifted in his chair. "One thing. The giants are expecting us to do this, right? So we're walking into a trap?"

Hazel looked at Leo like he'd made a rude gesture. Malia sighed through her nose. "We have no choice!"

"Don't get me wrong, Hazel. It's just that your brother, Nico . . . he knew about both camps, right?"

"Well, yes," Hazel said.

"He's been going back and forth," Leo said, "and he didn't tell either side."

Jason sat forward, his expression grim. "You're wondering if we can trust the guy. So am I?"

Malia stiffened. She looked over at her boyfriend with furrowed brows, her lips tugged down in a deep frown. He'd heard her talk about Nico before, how she viewed the son of Hades like a sort of weird little-but-also-older brother. After all, she and Nico had both been through the hell that was the Lotus Hotel and Casino, the Labyrinth, and the Battle of Manhattan. They had a connection.

Hazel shot to her feet. "I don't believe this. He's my brother. He brought me back from the Underworld, and you don't want to help him?"

Frank slipped his hand into her own and gave her a soft look. "Nobody's saying that." He glared at Leo. "Nobody had better be saying that."

Leo blinked. "Look, guys. All I mean is—"

"Hazel," Jason said. "Leo is raising a fair point. I remember Nico from Camp Jupiter. Now I find out he also visited Camp Half-Blood. That does strike me as . . . well, a little shady. Do we really know where his loyalties lie? We just have to be careful."

Malia hated to admit that Jason and Leo were mentioning understandable points and raising understandable worries. But she knew Nico. After being through so much with him, she trusted him. He'd saved her life a multitude of times and she couldn't imagine him being on the wrong side of things. Plus, she had to also look at things from Nico's point of view. Something was keeping him from telling people about the two camps. Maybe his father? Maybe Zeus? Nico's secrets should not be the cause of his death.

Hazel's arms shook. A silver platter zoomed toward her and hit the wall to her left, splattering scrambled eggs. "You . . . the great Jason Grace . . . the praetor I looked up to. You were supposed to be so fair, such a great leader. And now you . . ." Hazel stomped her foot and stormed out of the mess hall.

"Hazel!" Leo called after her. "Ah, jeez. I should—"

"You've done enough," Frank growled. He got up to follow her, but Malia stopped him with a look.

"Stop the dick-measuring contest for a moment and think, you two," she said, crossing her arms. "Hazel's upset about her brother, about her home, and about the quest. She just needs some time to herself." She then turned her attention onto Leo and Jason, her eyes stormy like the seas. "You two, uncalled for."

Jason looked at her in shock. "Uncalled for? I'm just being cautious!"

"Her brother is dying!" Piper said, taking Malia's side.

"I'll go talk to her," Frank insisted.

"No," Piper said. "Let her cool down first like Malia said to. Trust us on this. I'll go check on her in a few minutes."

"But . . ." Frank noticed Malia's look and huffed like an irritated bear. "Fine, I'll wait."

From up above came a whirring sound like a large drill.

"That's Festus," Leo sad. "I've got him on autopilot, but we must be nearing Atlanta. I'll have to get up there . . . uh, assuming we know where to land."

Everyone turned to Percy.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "You're Captain Salt Water. Any ideas from the expert?"

Malia's frown deepened. She could hear his resentment toward her brother. Jason was obviously still miffed about the duel in Kansas. The two may have joked about it, but Malia knew they both harbored a little grudge. After all, you couldn't put two powerful demigods in a fight and not have them wonder who was stronger.

"Testosterone," Malia coughed out, causing Annabeth to muffle a laugh and Piper to grin.

Annabeth faked a look of concern. "You good?"

"Yeah, do you need a cough drop or something?" Piper added.

Malia waved them off, laughing to herself.

"I'm not sure," Percy said, giving the girls a strange look. "Somewhere central, high up so we can get a good view of the city. Maybe a park with some woods? We don't want to land a warship in the middle of downtown. I doubt even the Mist could cover up something that huge."

Leo nodded. "On it." He raced for the stairs.

Frank settled back in his chair uneasily. It was obvious he was worried about Hazel. It didn't take a genius to see how protective Frank felt toward her. She also noticed the baleful look Frank was giving Leo. It would probably be best for the two to get some space, maybe Frank needed some air and some time off the ship?

"When we land, I'll scout around Atlanta," Percy said, as if reading Malia's mind. "Frank, I could use your help."

"You mean turn into a dragon again? Honestly, Percy, I don't want to spend the whole quest being everyone's flying taxi."

"No," Percy said. "I want you with me because you've got the blood of Poseidon. Maybe you can help me figure out where to find salt water. Besides, you're good in a fight."

That seemed to make Frank feel a little better. "Sure. I guess."

"Great," Percy said. "We should take two more. Malia, Annabeth—"

"Oh, no!" Coach Hedge barked. "Young lady, you are grounded."

Malia covered her mouth, holding back a laugh as Coach Hedge glared at Annabeth. The blonde stared at him as if he was speaking a foreign language." Excuse me?"

"You and Jackson are not going anywhere together!" Hedge insisted. He glared at Percy, as if daring him to mouth off. "I'll go with Frank, Malia, and Mr. Sneaky Jackson. The rest of you guard the ship and make sure Annabeth doesn't break any more rules!"

Malia finally let out a laugh, throwing her head back as she leaned backward in her chair.

"This," Percy said sarcastically, "is going to be so much fun."

"Oh, I know!" Malia cheered.

⟶⬩⬥⬩⟵

Malia sucked in a deep breath once she climbed out on deck. "Whoa."

They had landed near the summit of a forested hill. A complex of white buildings, like a museum or a university, nestled in a grove of pines to the left. Below them spread the city of Atlanta—a cluster of brown and silver downtown skyscrapers two miles away, rising from what looked like an endless flat sprawl of highways, railroad tracks, houses, and green swathes of forest.

"Ah, lovely spot." Coach Hedge inhaled the morning air. "Good choice, Valdez."

Leo shrugged. "I just picked a tall hill. At least that's what Festus says."

"I don't know about that!" Hedge barked. "But do you realize what happened on this hill? Frank Zhang, you should know!"

Frank flinched. "I should?"

"A son of Ares stood here!" Hedge cried indignantly.

"I'm Roman . . . so Mars, actually."

"Whatever! Famous spot in the American Civil War!"

"I'm Canadian, actually."

Malia laughed softly to herself and patted Frank's shoulder. "Don't worry, Frank." she turned to Hedge. "General Sherman, Union leader. He stood on this hill and watched the city of Atlanta burn. He cut a path of destruction all the way from here to the sea, burning, looting, and pillaging."

"Now there was a demigod!" Coach finished, looking proud.

Frank inched away from the satyr. "Uh, okay." He then turned to Malia. "How did you know what he was talking about?"

Malia shrugged. "I know a bunch of different things."

"She did it so she could be smarter than me," Percy said, causing Malia to laugh and nod. "Any way, let's try not to burn down the city this time."

The coach looked disappointed. "All right. But where to?"

Percy pointed toward downtown. "When in doubt, start in the middle."

Malia scoffed. "First Jason with his stupid 'when it doubt, start at the top' and now you? That's never been a saying!"

Percy just rolled his eyes and ruffled Malia's hair before the group started down the hill, Malia getting back at her brother by shoving him and nearly sending him tumbling down the hill. The two siblings continued to push and shove until Malia jumped onto Percy's back, knocking him off balance and causing the both of them to go rolling down the hill, laughing and giggling while Frank and Coach Hedge just watched with wide eyes.

⟶⬩⬥⬩⟵

Catching a ride to the center of the city was easier than they all thought. The four of them headed to the presidential library—which turned out to be the Carter Center—and asked the staff if they could call a taxi or give them directions to the nearest bus stop. Percy and Malia could have summoned Blackjack, but Percy was hesitant to ask the pegasus for help so soon after their last disaster and Malia wanted to give the poor pegasus a break. Frank didn't want to polymorph into anything. And besides, Malia was in the mood for some mortal travel after the recent events.

One of the librarians, whose name was Esther, insisted on driving them personally. She was so nice about it, Malia thought she must be a monster in disguise; but Hedge assured the three of them that Esther smelled like an ordinary, normal human.

"With a hint of potpourri," he'd added. "Cloves. Rose petals. Tasty!"

They piled into Esther's big black Cadillac and drove toward downtown. Esther was so tiny, she could barely see over the steering wheel; but that didn't seem to bother her. She muscled her car through traffic while regaling them with stories about the crazy families of Atlanta—the old plantation owners, the founders of Coca-Cola, the sports stars, and the CNN news people. She sounded so knowledgeable that the group decided to try their luck.

"Uh, so, Esther," Percy said, "here's a hard question for you. Salt water in Atlanta. What's the first thing that comes to mind?"

The old lady chuckled. "Oh, sugar. That's easy. Whale sharks!"

The group exchanged looks.

"Whale sharks?" Frank asked nervously. "You have those in Atlanta?"

"At the aquarium, sugar," Esther said. "Very famous! Right downtown. Is that where you wanted to go?"

An aquarium! How could I have not thought of that? Malia mentally slapped herself for being so stupid. She could see her brother thinking similarly, but one thought stuck out in her mind: what would an Ancient Greek sea got be doing at a Georgia aquarium.

"Yes," Malia said. "That's where we're going."

Esther dropped them at the main entrance, where a line was already forming. She insisted on giving them her cell phone number for emergencies, money for a taxi ride back to the Carter Center, and a jar of homemade peach preserves, which for some reason she kept in a box in her trunk. Frank stuck the jar in his backpack and the group thanked Esther, who had already switched from calling them sugar to calling the boys son and Malia sweetheart.

As she drove away, Frank said, "Are all people in Atlanta that nice?"

Hedge grunted. "Hope not. I can't fight them if they're nice. Let's go beat up some whale sharks. They sound dangerous!"

Malia held back from telling Hedge that whale sharks were the most harmless creatures, instead thinking about the trouble of paying for admission into the aquarium. They stood behind a bunch of families and kids from multiple summer camps.

Looking at the elementary schoolers in their colorful tee shirts from various day camps, Malia felt a twinge of homesickness. She missed Camp Half-Blood, where she had been just days ago. She should be sitting in her cabin with Percy, the two joking around. Or sitting on the roof of Jason's cabin, pointing out different constellations and laughing at his dumbstruck expression.

Percy sighed. "Well, I guess we wait in line. Anybody have money?"

Frank checked his pockets. "Three denarii from Camp Jupiter. Five dollars Canadian."

Hedge patted his gym shorts and pulled out what he found. "Three quarters, two dimes, a rubber band and—score! A piece of celery."

He started munching on the celery, eyeing the change and the rubber band like they might be next.

Malia slipped her hands into her pockets and pulled out some money and a Reese's she forgot about.

"Fifteen dollars and a Reese's pumpkin," Malia said. "Wow, why am I carrying fifteen dollars in my pocket?"

Percy hummed. He dug through his own pockets, which were empty save for his pen/sword, Riptide. "Well, if we have to, then we'll just use your money and if it's not enough, then—"

"Ah, VIP visitors!" A woman in a blue-and-green Georgia Aquarium shirt came up to them, smiling brightly. She had perky dimpled cheeks, thick-framed glasses, braces, and frizzy black hair pulled to the sides in pigtails, so that even though she was probably in her late twenties, she looked like a schoolgirl nerd—sort of cute, but sort of odd. Along with her Georgia Aquarium polo shirt, she wore dark slacks and black sneakers, and she bounced on the balls of her feet like she simply couldn't contain her energy. Her name tag read: KATE.

"You have your payment, I see," she said. "Excellent!"

"What?" Percy asked.

Kate scooped the three denarii out of Frank's hand. "Yes, that's fine. Right this way!"

She spun and trotted off toward the main entrance.

Percy looked at Coach Hedge, Frank, and Malia. "A trap?"

"Probably," Frank said.

"When isn't it a trap?" Malia asked sarcastically.

"She's not mortal," Hedge said, sniffing the air. "Probably some sort of goat-eating, demigod-destroying fiend from Tartarus."

"No doubt," Percy agreed.

"Awesome." Coach Hedge grinned. "Let's go."

Kate got them past the ticket queue and into the aquarium with no problem.

"Right this way." Kate grinned at Percy and Malia. "It's a wonderful exhibit. You won't be disappointed. So rare we get VIPs."

"Uh, you mean demigods?" Frank asked.

Malia hit his arm while Kate winked impishly at them and put a finger to her mouth. "So over here is the cold-water experience, with your penguins and beluga whales and whatnot. And over there . . . well, those are some fish, obviously."

For an aquarium worker, she didn't seem to know much or care much about the smaller fish. They passed one huge tank full of tropical species, and when Frank pointed to a particular fish and asked what it was, Kate said, "Oh, those are the yellow ones."

"That's a tang fish," Malia whispered to him, Frank nodding in thanks.

They passed the gift shop. Frank slowed down to check out a clearance table with clothes and toys.

"Take what you want," Kate told him.

Frank blinked. "Really?"

"Of course! You're a VIP!"

Frank hesitated. Then he stuffed some tee shirts in his backpack.

"Dude," Percy said, "what are you doing?"

"She said I could," Frank whispered. "Besides, I need more clothes. I didn't pack for a long trip!"

He added a snow globe to his stash, which didn't seem like clothing to Malia. Then Frank picked up a braided cylinder about the size of a candy bar.

He squinted at it. "What is—?"

"Chinese handcuffs," Malia said.

Frank, who was Chinese Canadian, looked offended. "How is this Chinese?"

"I don't know," Malia said. "That's just what it's called. It's like a gag gift."

"Come along!" Kate called from across the hall.

Frank stuffed the handcuffs in his backpack, and they kept walking.

They passed through an acrylic tunnel. Fish swam over their heads, and Malia felt irrational panic building in her throat.

Why are you freaking out, genius? If the ceiling breaks, you'll live. Malia knew the answer. She was unnerved by Kate.

Hedge had already detected that she wasn't human. Any minute she might turn into some horrible creature and attack them. Unfortunately, Malia didn't see much choice but to play along with her VIP tour until they could find the sea god Phorcys, even if they were walking deeper into a trap.

They emerged in a viewing room awash with blue light. On the other side of a glass wall was the biggest aquarium tank Malia had ever seen. And she'd seen a lot of different aquarium tanks when traveling the world. Cruising in circles were dozens of huge fish, including two spotted sharks, each twice Malia's size. They were fat and slow, with open mouths and no teeth.

"Whale sharks," Coach Hedge growled. "Now we shall battle to the death!"

Kate giggled. "Silly satyr. Whale sharks are peaceful. They only eat plankton."

Malia's mood darkened even more. How did Kate know the coach was a satyr? Hedge was wearing pants and specially fitted shoes over his hooves, like satyrs usually did to blend in with mortals. His baseball cap covered his horns. The more Kate giggled and acted friendly, the more Malia wanted to smack her upside the head. Coach Hedge didn't seem fazed.

"Peaceful sharks?" the coach said with disgust. "What's the point of that?"

Frank read the plaque next to the tank. "The only whale sharks in captivity in the world," he mused. "That's kind of amazing."

"Yes, and these are small," Kate said. "You should see some of my other babies out in the wild."

"Your babies?" Frank asked.

Malia stiffened. Kate's eyes twinkled with malice and mischief, causing her to instinctively move closer to her brother. Not that she needed his protection, but she did feel a bit better knowing her brother was there to help her if things got out of hand. And Frank, too, but mostly Percy since she knew him better.

"So, Kate," Percy said, discreetly linking his pinky with Malia's and giving it a comforting squeeze. Something they would always do when one or the other was nervous. "We're looking for a guy . . . I mean a god, named Phorcys. Would you happen to know him?"

Kate snorted. "Know him? He's my brother. That's where we're going, sillies. The real exhibits are right through here."

She gestured at the far wall. The solid black surface rippled, and another tunnel appeared, leading through a luminous purple tank.

Kate strolled inside. The last thing Malia wanted to do was follow, but if Phorcys was really on the other side, and if he had information that would help their quest . . . Malia took a deep breath and followed her friends into the tunnel.

As soon as they entered, Coach Hedge whistled. "Now, that's interesting."

Gliding above them were multicolored jellyfish the size of trash cans, each with hundreds of tentacles that looked like silky barbed wire. One jellyfish had a paralyzed ten-foot-long swordfish tangled in its grasp. The jellyfish slowly wrapped its tendrils tighter and tighter around its prey.

Kate beamed at Coach Hedge. "You see? Forget the whale sharks! And there's much more."

Kate led them into an even larger chamber, lined with more aquariums. On one wall, a glowing red sign proclaimed "DEATH IN THE DEEP SEAS! Sponsored by Monster Donut."

Malia had to read the sign twice because of her dyslexia, and then twice more to let the message sink in. "Oh, fuck that. Monster Donut?"

"Oh, yes," Kate said. "One of our corporate sponsors."

Malia and Percy shared a look. Their last experience with Monster Donut hadn't been pleasant. It had involved acid-spitting serpent heads, much screaming, and a cannon.

In one aquarium, a dozen hippocampi—horses with the tails of fish—drifted aimlessly. Malia had seen many hippocampi in the wild. She'd even ridden a few; but she had never seen any in an aquarium. She tried her best to speak with them, but they just floated around, occasionally bonking against the glass. Their minds seemed addled. One glanced her way, and Malia could feel the painful boredom coming from the animal.

"This isn't right," Percy muttered to her.

Malia nodded and turned, spotting something even worse. At the bottom of a smaller tank, two Nereids—female sea spirits—sat cross-legged, facing each other, playing a game of Go Fish. They looked incredibly bored. Their long green hair floated listlessly around their faces. Their eyes were half closed.

Malia felt a bubble of searing hot anger building in her chest, making it hard to breathe. Her dug her nails into the palms of her hands and turned to Kate. "How can you keep them here?"

"I know." Kate sighed. "They aren't very interesting. We tried to teach them some tricks, but with no luck, I'm afraid. I think you'll like this tank over here much better."

Malia and Percy started to protest, but Kate had already moved on.

"Holy mother of goats!" cried Coach Hedge. "Look at these beauties!"

He was gawking at two sea serpents—thirty-foot-long monsters with glowing blue scales that could have bitten a whale shark in half. In another tank, peeking out from its cement cave, was a squid the size of an eighteen-wheeler, with a beak like a giant bolt cutter.

A third tank held a dozen humanoid creatures with sleek seal bodies, doglike faces, and human hands. They sat on the sand at the bottom of the tank, building things out of Legos, though the creatures seemed just as dazed as the Nereids.

"Are those—?" Percy's voice failed him.

"Telkhines?" Kate said. "Yes! The only ones in captivity."

"But they fought for Kronos in the last war!" Malia argued. "They're dangerous!"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Well, we couldn't call it 'Death in the Deep Seas' if these exhibits weren't dangerous. Don't worry. We keep them well sedated."

"Sedated?" Frank asked. "Is that legal?"

Kate appeared not to have heard. She kept walking, pointing out other exhibits. Malia looked back at the telkhines. One was obviously a younger. He was trying to make a sword out of Legos, but he seemed too groggy to put the pieces together. Malia had never liked sea demons, but now she felt sorry for them.

"And these sea monsters," Kate narrated up ahead, "can grow five hundred feet long in the deep ocean. They have over a thousand teeth and these? Their favorite food is demigod—"

"Demigod?" Frank yelped.

"But they will eat whales or small boats, too." Kate turned to Percy and blushed. "Sorry . . . I'm such a monster nerd! I'm sure you know all this, being a son of Poseidon, and all."

Malia crossed her arms and glowered at Kate. "How did you know that?"

She didn't like Kate at all. How did she know so much about their group after just meeting? And what did she mean by these monsters being her children? And why was she keeping all these godly creatures in captivity?

"Who are you?" Percy demanded. "Does Kate stand for something?"

"Kate?" She looked momentarily confused. Then she glanced at her name tag. "Oh . . ." She laughed. "No, it's—"

"Hello!" said a new voice, booming through the aquarium.

A small man scuttled out o the darkness. He walked sideways on bowed legs like a crab, his back hunched, his arms raised on either side like he was holding invisible plates.

He wore a wet suit that was sever horrible shades of green. Glittery silver words printed down the side read: PORKY'S FOLLIES. A headset microphone was clamped over his greasy wiry hair. His eyes were milky blue, one higher than the other, and though he smiled, he didn't look friendly—more like his face was being peeled back in a wind tunnel.

"Visitors!" the man said, the word thundering through the microphone. He had a DJ's voice, deep and resonant, which did not at all match his appearance. "Welcome to Phorcy's Follies!"

He swept his arms in one direction, as if directing their attention to an explosion. Nothing happened.

"Curse it," the man grumbled. "Telkhines, that's your cue! I wave my hands, and you leap energetically in your tank, do a synchronized double spin, and land in pyramid formation. We practiced this!"

The sea demons paid him no attention.

Coach Hedge leaned toward the crab man and sniffed his glittery wet suit. "Nice outfit."

He didn't sound like he was kidding. Of course, the satyr who wore gym clothes for fun would find that horrendous insult to fashion nice.

"Thank you!" The man beamed. "I am Phorcys."

Frank shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Why does your suit say Porky?"

Phorcys snarled. "Stupid uniform company! They can't get anything right."

Kate tapped her name tag. "I told them my name was Keto. They misspelled it as Kate. My brother . . . well, now he's Porky."

"I am not!" the man snapped. "I'm not even a little porky. The name doesn't work with Follies, either. What kind of show is called Porky's Follies? But you folks don't want to hear us complain. Behold, the wondrous majesty of the giant killer squid!"

Malia hummed to herself. "I'd rather watch them argue."

Phorcy's ignored her, gesturing dramatically toward the squid tank. This time, fireworks shot off in front of the glass right on cue, sending up geysers of golden sparkles. Music swelled from the loudspeakers. The lights brightened and revealed the wondrous majesty of an empty tank.

The squid had apparently skulked back into its cave.

"Curse it!" Phorcys yelled again. He wheeled on his sister. "Keto, training the squid was your job. Juggling, I said. Maybe a bit of flesh-rending for the finale. Is that too much to ask?"

"He's shy," Keto said defensively. "Besides, each of his tentacles has sixty-two razorlike barbs that have t be sharpened daily." She turned toward Frank. "Did you know the monstrous squid is the only beast known to eat demigods whole, armor and all, without getting indigestion? It's true!"

Frank stumbled away from her, hugging his gut as if making sure he was still in one piece.

"Keto!" Porky snapped—literally, since he clicked his fingers to his thumbs like crab claws. "You'll bore our guests with so much information. Less education, more entertainment! We've discussed this."

"But—"

"No buts! We're here to present 'Death in the Deep Seas!' Sponsored by Monster Donut!"

The last words reverberated through the room with extra echo. Lights flashed. Smoke clouds billowed from the floor, making donut-shaped rings that smelled like real donuts.

"Available at the concession stand," Phorcys advised. "But you've spent your hard-earned denarii to get the VIP tour, and so you shall! Come with me!"

"Um, hold it," Percy said.

Phorcys's smile melted in an ugly way. "Yes?"

"You're a sea god, aren't you?" Percy asked. "Son of Gaea?"

The crab man sighed. "Five thousand years, and I'm still known as Gaea's little boy. Never mind that I'm one of the oldest sea gods in existence. Older than your upstart father, by the way. I'm god of the hidden depths! Lord of watery terrors! Father of a thousand monsters! But, no . . . nobody even knows me. I make one little mistake, supporting the Titans in their war, and I'm exiled from the ocean—to Atlanta, of all places."

"We thought the Olympians said Atlantis," Keto explained. "Their idea of a joke, I guess, sending us here instead."

Malia narrowed her eyes. "And you're a goddess?"

"Keto, yes!" She smiled happily. "Goddess of sea monsters, naturally! Whales, sharks, squids, and other giant sea life, but my heart always belonged to the monsters. Did you know that young sea serpents can regurgitate the flesh of their victims and keep themselves fed for up to six years on the same meal? It's true!"

Frank was still clutching his stomach like he was going to be sick.

Coach Hedge whistled. "Six years? That's fascinating."

"I know!" Keto beamed.

"And how exactly does a killer squid rend the flesh from its victims?" Hedge asked. "I love nature."

"Oh, well—"

"Stop!" Phorcys demanded, and Malia had to agree with him. "You're ruining the show! Now, witness our Nereid gladiators fight to the death!"

A mirrored disco ball descended into the Nereid exhibit, making the water dance with multicolored light. Two swords fell to the bottom and plunked in the sand. The Nereids ignored them and kept playing Go Fish.

"Curse it!" Phorcys stomped his legs sideways.

Keto grimaced at Coach Hedge. "Don't mind Porky. He's such a windbag. Come with me, my fine satyr. I'll show you full-color diagrams of the monsters' hunting habits."

"Excellent!"

Before anyone could object, Keto led Coach Hedge away through a maze of aquarium glass, leaving Frank, Percy, and Malia alone with the crabby sea god.

Malia could feel a chill run down her spine, similar to the one she'd felt when she first landed in New Rome. The one she felt before something terrible had happened. She exchanged a nervous look with her brother and Frank. This felt like a divide-and-conquer strategy and Malia didn't like it at all. She didn't see any way the encounter was going to end well. Part of her wanted to attack Phorcys now—at least that might give them the element of surprise—but they hadn't found out any useful information yet. Malia wasn't sure she could find Coach Hedge again. She wasn't even sure she could find the exit.

Phorcys must've read her expression.

"Oh, it's fine!" the god assured her. "Keto might be a little boring, but she'll take good care of your friend. And honestly, the best part of the tour is still to come!"

Malia tried to think, but she couldn't seem to focus on one thought in particular. Tons of different things were going through her mind, both good and bad. She was beginning to grow dizzy from her thoughts.

"So . . ." Percy said, looking sick. "Dionysus sent us here."

"Bacchus," Frank corrected."

"Right." Percy looked annoyed. "The wine god. Whatever." He looked at Phorcys. "Bacchus said you might know what your mom Gaea is up to, and these twin giant brothers of yours—Ephialtes and Otis. And if you happen to know anything about this Mark of Athena—"

"Bacchus thought I would help you?" Phorcys asked.

"Well, yeah," Percy said. "I mean, you're Phorcys. Everybody talks about you."

Phorcys tilted his head so that his mismatched eyes almost lined up. "They do?"

"Of course. Don't they, Frank?"

"Oh . . . sure!" Frank said. "People talk about you all the time."

"What do they say?" the god asked.

Frank looked uncomfortable. "Well, you have great pyrotechnics. And a good announcer's voice. And, um, a disco ball—"

"It's true!" Phorcys clacked his fingers and thumbs excitedly. "I also have the largest collection of captive sea monsters in the world!"

"And you know stuff," Malia added. "Like about the twins and what they're up to."

She hoped this would work because she hated sucking up to the disaster on legs in front of her.

"The twins!" Phorcys made his voice echo. Sparklers blazed to life in front of the sea serpent tank. "Yes, I know all about Ephialtes and Otis. Those wannabes! They never fit in with the other giants. Too puny—and those snakes for feet."

"Snakes for feet?" Percy asked, looking confused.

"Yes, yes," Phorcys said impatiently. "They knew they couldn't get by on their strength, so they decided to go for drama—illusions, stage tricks, that sort of thing. You see, Gaea shaped her giant children with specific enemies in mind. Each giant was born to kill a certain god. Ephialtes and Otis . . . well, together they were sort of the anti-Dionysus."

Malia knew this already, but she still clung to every word Phorcys said.

"So . . . they want to replace all wine with cranberry juice or something?" Malia resisted the urge to slap her idiotic brother.

The sea god snorted. "Nothing like that! Ephialtes and Otis always wanted to do things better, flashier, more spectacular! Oh, of course they wanted to kill Dionysus. But first they wanted to humiliate him by making his revelries look tame!"

Frank glanced at the sparklers. "By using stuff like fireworks and disco balls?"

Phorcys mouth stretched into that wind tunnel smile. "Exactly! I taught the twins everything they know, or at least I tried to. They never listened. Their first big trick? They tried to reach Olympus by piling mountains on top of one another. It was just an illusion, of course. I told them it was ridiculous. 'You should start small,' I said. 'Sawing each other in half, pulling gorgons out of a hat. That sort of thing. And matching sequined outfits. Twins need those!'"

"Good advice," Malia managed, trying to wipe the image from her mind. "And now the twins are—"

"Oh, preparing for their doomsday show in Rome," Phorcys sneered. "It's one of Mother's silly ideas. They're keeping some prisoner in a large bronze jar." He turned toward Frank. "You're a child of Ares, aren't you? You've got that smell. The twins imprisoned your father the same way, once."

"Child of Mars," Frank corrected. "Wait . . . these giants trapped my dad in a bronze jar?"

"Yes, another stupid stunt," said the sea god. "How can you show off your prisoner if he's in a bronze jar? No entertainment value. Not like my lovely specimens!"

He gestured to the hippocampi, who were bonking their heads apathetically against the glass.

Malia tried to think. She felt like the lethargy of the addled sea creatures was starting to affect her. Percy shook his head. "You said this—this doomsday show was Gaea's idea?"

"Well . . . Mother's plans always have lots of layers." He laughed. "The earth has layers! I suppose that makes sense!"

"Uh-huh," Percy said. "And so her plan . . ."

"Oh, she's put out a general bounty on some group of demigods," Phorcys said, making Malia stiffen. "She doesn't really care who kills them, as long as they're killed. Well . . . I take that back. She was very specific that two must be spared. One boy and one girl. Tartarus only knows why. At any rate, the twins have their little show planned, hoping it will lure these demigods to Rome. I suppose the prisoner in the jar is a friend of theirs or some such. That, or perhaps they think this group of demigods will be foolish enough to come into their territory searching for the Mark of Athena." Phorcys elbowed and tense Malia in the ribs. "Ha! Good luck with that, eh?"

Malia laughed nervously. "Yeah. Ha-ha. That would be really dumb because, uh . . ."

Phorcys narrowed his eyes.

Malia glanced down at her bracelet to see the pendant glowing green in warning. She knew that even this old sea god was smart enough to realize that they were the demigods with the bounty over their heads.

But Phorcys just grinned and elbowed Malia again, harshly. "Ha! Good one, child of Poseidon. I suppose you're right. No point in talking about it. Even if the demigods found that map in Charleston, they'd never make it to Rome alive!"

"Yes, the MAP IN CHARLESTON," Frank said loudly, giving Percy and Malia a wide-eyed look to make sure he hadn't missed the information. He couldn't have been more obvious if he held up a large red sign saying CLUE!!!!!

"But enough boring educational stuff!" Phorcys said. "You've paid for the VIP treatment. Won't you please finish the tour? The three denarii entrance fee is nonrefundable, you know."

Malia was itching to get out of the aquarium. She wasn't excited for more fireworks, donut-scented smoke, or depressing captive sea creatures. But she glanced at her friend and brother and they decided they'd better humor the crabby old god, at least until they found Coach Hedge and got safely to the exit. Besides, they might be able to get more information out of Phorcys.

"Afterward," Percy said, "can we ask questions?"

"Of course! I'll tell you everything you need to know." Phorcys clapped his hands twice. On the wall under the glowing red sign, a new tunnel appeared, leading into another tank.

"Walk this way!" Phorcys scuttled sideways through the tunnel.

Frank scratched his head. "Do we have to—?" He turned sideways.

Malia gave him a serious look. "Yes."

Frank frowned and Percy managed a laugh, clapping him on the shoulder. "She's joking. It's just a figure of speech, man. Come on."

And with that, they followed the crazy crab man into the tunnel, Malia's bracelet lighting up the darkness with a terrorizing green light.

⟶⬩⬥⬩⟵

𝐀 𝐔 𝐓 𝐇 𝐎 𝐑 𝐒 𝐍 𝐎 𝐓 𝐄 !

⟶⬩⬥⬩⟵

This chapter is one of the longest I've written for this book, I think. I wanted to show Malia and Percy's sibling relationship more and give Malia a break from Jason, especially since she's pissed at him for everything he said surrounding Nico. I want her to also have time with other people besides Jason, to show that she is still her own person independent of her boyfriend. I think space is important in relationships even thought I've never had one.

Malia will definitely be spending more time with Percy since she missed him for six months and to earn back the taken time. Also, I want her and Percy's relationship to show through before he gets sucked into Tartarus and leaves her broken. Happiness before the shitiness, okay?

Also a huge sorry for taking so long to update. I've been dealing with school, trips to the doctor, and a bunch of mental health issues so I had to take a break but I'm back and I am so happy to be writing Malia some more!

Please comment and vote!

Love you all!

~ a.h.