𝐎 𝐂 𝐄 𝐀 𝐍   𝐄 𝐘 𝐄 𝐒   !

𝙲 𝙷 𝙰 𝙿 𝚃 𝙴 𝚁   𝚃 𝙴 𝙽   !

( 𝔴𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔥𝔢𝔯 𝔟𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡 𝔱𝔯𝔲𝔩𝔶 𝔩𝔦𝔢𝔰 ! )

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

          𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐊𝐀𝐈𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 to meet Malia. One of her guards, a woman named Phoebe, led her to the castle, which was almost as beautiful and extravagant as her father's. The great doors opened, revealing the decorated interior filled with glowing treasures and ancient relics. Malia's eyes wandered over every inch of the palace that she could see until Phoebe led her into the queen's throne room, where Queen Kaia waited excitedly for her.

The queen was beautiful. Malia thought for a moment she was looking at a goddess, and maybe she was. Queen Kaia had long, luscious black hair that floated around her tanned face, green eyes gleaming in the light of the ocean. She looked like how mermaids looked in pop culture⎯beautiful features, seashell bra, and a long tail made up of rainbow scales and fins. A crown of coral and pearls rested atop her head, a smaller version of Poseidon's trident in her hand.

"Ariel Malia Jackson!" the queen exclaimed, beckoning Malia further into the room. Phoebe stood by the door as Malia approached the throne in awe. "I've been waiting to meet you since you entered my waters! Oh, you are a lovely sight!"

Malia felt her cheeks warm at the compliment. She knelt down to one knee, bowing her head. "Queen Kaia, it is an honor to be in your presence."

The queen waved her hand. "Oh, none of that nonsense. After all, you are royalty as well. Come closer, come closer! I'm sure you have lots to tell me."

Malia did as she was told, moving closer to the queen until she was sitting on the last step up to the throne. "I do, your majesty. Terrible things are happening in Atlanta. All at the hands of Phorcys and Keto."

The queen nodded, listening intently as Malia explained everything. She told the queen about the aquarium, and how the children of Gaea had innocent sea life trapped and drugged. How they were being treated like animals, unable to swim freely and forced to battle one another for entertainment. As Malia went on, she noticed the rage behind the queen's eyes, her grip on the trident growing tighter.

"Oh, that old sea god!" she muttered through clenched teeth. "Don't you worry. I'll send my best warriors to handle them. Those poor creatures will be freed, I promise."

Malia beamed, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders. "Thank you, your majesty. That means more to me than you could possibly imagine."

"It's no problem, Ariel. After all, us children of the sea must stick together." The queen studied Malia for a moment. "Now, is there anything else I can do for you. I feel as though something is troubling you. Well, aside from this." She snapped her fingers, and Malia felt her bra return, as well as her bracelet. "Ah, there you go. Bythos may be smart, but sometimes he isn't wise."

Malia laughed softly. "Thank you." She began fiddling with her bracelet. "Your majesty, is the ship my friends are on okay? Are my friends alive and well? My brother?"

Queen Kaia nodded. "Yes, my dear, they are. Your brother Perseus currently searches the sea for you as we speak. The ship still floats, and your friends are working on repairing it. As for Leo, Frank, and Hazel, they are in safe hands as well. My men are healing them up and interrogating them lightly, but they will be fine." Her green eyes bore into Malia's. "Is there anything else you wish to know? Perhaps why I have not sent for your brother?"

Malia nodded. Now that she thought about it, it was weird for her to be meeting with the queen, but not her brother. After all, they both were children of Poseidon. Surely Queen Kaia would want to speak with the both of them, and not just Malia? And she had the power to summon Percy forth from the ocean, she was sure. So why just Malia?

"Yes, your majesty," Malia answered after a moment. "Why is it that you only wish to speak with me and not him as well?" 

The queen let out a soft breath as she leaned back in her throne. It was structured from sea stone and coral, a few pearls and shells stuck inside. It was beautifully crafted, and Malia wondered who had made it. Her father? The Cyclopes in his forge? Whoever had done so knew how to make a throne.

Her eyes wandered along the throne room next. Just like the halls, the room had high, arching ceilings and beautiful details along the walls and floors. The beams holding the walls up were engraved with gold and turquoise, the floor checkered with light from the small holes in the ceiling that filtered in sunlight. A few seahorses were swimming around, passing notes to one another and working much like the Aurae in Aeolus's palace.

 Finally, after what felt like an hour, the queen spoke. "You see, my people and Poseidon get along well in times of peace. In times of war, we tend to steer clear of Poseidon's brood and the god himself. The politics of undersea deities is . . . complicated, and my people value peace, safety, and independence from those of Poseidon's rule and the rule of other sea deities alike."

Malia frowned. "But, if you avoid Poseidon's children, then why are you being so kind to me? I'm a daughter of Poseidon. Shouldn't you be sending me back up to the surface where my brother is? Why take the time to talk with me and hold an audience with me?"

Queen Kaia studied Malia once more, and it was as though she was looking at the girl through new eyes. Her lips twisted in a curious frown, head tilting softly to the right in confusion. Her nails tapped against the arm of her throne, the sound echoing through the room and making the time move slower for Malia.

"You don't know?" she asked, sounding surprise. "I mean, your father hasn't old you?"

Malia shook her head, heart pounding in her chest with worry. "Told me what?"

She pursed her lips. "After all this time⎯it's been sixteen years. He promised he'd tell you after sixteen years. And yet, here you are. Clueless to the truth. If I was on speaking terms with Poseidon, I'd knock some sense into him. He'd swore on the River Styx that he'd tell you before your turned seventeen. And you turn seventeen in two days, if I am correct?"

Malia nodded. "Yes, your majesty. But what has my father swore to tell me? What is it that he's kept from me all these years?"

She knew her father could be secretive. That was how gods were. Their actions were decided by the fates, and they could only reveal so much. But the queen seemed so surprised by the admission, this lack of knowledge, that it startled Malia. What had her father kept from her? What had he swore to tell her about before she turned seventeen?

The queen gently placed a hand on Malia's shoulder, her eyes filled with sympathy. "My dear Ariel, you are not a child of Poseidon."

Malia's breath caught in her throat, heart stopping. "Wh⎯what? But⎯no, you can't be serious? How can I not be a child of Poseidon? I can control water, speak to sea creatures, cause earthquakes! All of those are Poseidon gifts!"

"Ariel." The queen's voice was as calm as the untouched ocean. Her hand moved from Malia's shoulder to her cheek. "You are not a child of Poseidon, but a child of Neptune. You are a Roman demigod, raised as a Greek. That is why you control the earth. Your brother, a son of Poseidon, can create hurricanes, but you. You are a daughter of Neptune, and your blood is strong enough to shake the earth."

It felt like Malia had been kicked between the eyes. Her lungs deflated, her heart vanishing within her chest as she sat on the steps, dumbstruck. How could she have not known this? All her life (well, since she'd entered Camp Half-Blood) she'd been told she was a Greek demigod. She'd been a natural at ancient Greek and Greek fighting styles. She'd called the gods by their Greek names and seen them in their Greek forms. She'd used drachmas and believed in Greek myths.

But now? Could she be? 

Her mind raced. All of the things stated above were true. She was excellent at all things Greek, but there had been this underlying yearning. A yearning for Roman myths, Latin, and Roman ways. A yearning she'd given into during her second year at camp. Latin had come so easily to her, and learning the myths and ways of the Romans seemed like learning her own heritage and history. How had she not known this earlier? It was staring at her right in the eyes, but she'd ignored it all.

This was why New Rome had called to her! This was why throughout her life, the gods just hadn't seemed right to her. This was why calling Poseidon dad had felt so strange at first. It wasn't because he was a god, but because he was the wrong god!

Every moment in her life flashed before her eyes as the pieces finally connected, revealing the entire puzzle before her. 

"Whoa." That was all she could say. Her life had just been flipped upside down, and now she had to try and figure out what to do with it. "Why didn't he tell me sooner?"

The queen sighed. "He wanted you and Perseus to grow up together, unlike Thalia and Jason. He and your mother didn't want you to be sent to Lupa and trained like a Roman, so they lied to you and told you you were a Greek. And the fates allowed it, which is why nothing ever seemed off until now." She removed her hand from Malia's cheek. "The moment you learned that the Roman gods existed⎯the moment you stepped foot on Roman soil⎯the Roman side of you activated. The blood that runs through your veins became active where it had once been dormant."

Malia looked at her hands as though she was seeing herself in a completely different light. She was Roman? She was Roman? A part of her was furious at her father. How could he? No, how dare he? He stripped her entire life's truth away because he wanted her to grow up with her brother, but did he ever think of how that would affect her when she found out? While she was happy to have grown up with Percy, the Roman half of her yearned for the structure and organization she'd been detached from her whole life. 

Pursing her lips, she ran her fingers through her hair. "How does that change things? Do I need to attend Camp Jupiter now? Will I never be allowed back in Camp Half-Blood?"

The queen shook her head. "No, my dear. The choice of which camp you attend is up to you. Your bloodline doesn't decide where your home is. Look at Jason Grace. Born and raised in the arms of the Romans, he now feels more at home with Camp Half-Blood, where he'd only been for a few months. Just like he can choose, so can you."

A slight weight lifted from her chest at that. "Wait . . ." Memories flashed through her mind. "Is this . . . is this why Khione and Hera tried to kill me as a child?"

Queen Kaia nodded. "Hera believed that you weren't meant to live. She let Zeus's situation slide since he is the king, but when it came to Poseidon, she didn't care for his wrath. She wanted you dead because she saw you as a potential threat to her family. A child of Rome raised with a Child of Greece. It went against everything."

That made sense. "And what about Khione?"

"She's always had a hatred for Rome. She went after you not only because of the prophecy, but also because of Gaea's whispers. The Earth Mother has been waking for longer than anyone has realized, and since your birth, she's seen you as a threat. A way to join both Rome and Greece. A Roman daughter raised by the Greeks is the perfect bridge between the two halves. Your existence was a threat to Gaea's plan, and still is."

"So . . . Khione's been working for Gaea since before I was born?" The queen nodded. "And she sent Khione after me?" Another nod. "Everything's making sense."

The queen smiled lightly before turning her attention to where Phoebe stood, signalling at her wrist. "Ah, it appears it is time for you to return to your friends. It was lovely speaking with you, Ariel. When this war is over, I do hope you'll come visit me again."

Malia nodded. "Of course, Queen Kaia. Thank you for everything."

The queen opened her arms and Malia stepped forward, smiling as she was wrapped in a hug. "Safe ventures, Ariel Jackson. You are stronger than you think."

Malia sucked in a deep breath and left the palace, searching for her friends. She had a lot to tell them, and she wondered how they'd take it. Hopefully well, since they couldn't really do much about it. 

She found her friends in a small hut not too far from the palace. When she walked in, she was tackled in a hug by Hazel. Malia laughed and hugged the girl back, listening as she ranted about not knowing where she was and worrying about her.

"Hazel, I'm okay. I just had an audience with the queen," Malia explained as Hazel let her go. "She told me some important things. The aquarium is going to be dealt with." Her eyes landed on something in Leo's hands. "Are those brownies?"

Leo nodded with a grin. "Yep! You got here just in time."

Bythos nodded. "He is correct." He produced four familiar pearls from his saddlebags. "Off with you, demigods! Good sailing!"

He threw a pearl at each of them in turn, and four shimmering pink bubbles of energy formed around them. They began to rise through the water just like they had in the Underworld, and before Malia could even think, they gained speed and rocketed toward the distant glow of the sun above.

⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯

Malia broke the surface and was nearly blinded by the sun. The Argo II bobbed before her as the others showed up beside her, Piper diving into the water to hug each of them. However, despite the happy aura, Malia couldn't help but worry about how her friends would react. She had to tell them, especially Percy, but she didn't know when or how.

Once they got on board and changed into dry clothes (luckily Lou Ellen had gotten Frank his pants just in time) the crew all gathered on the quarterdeck for a celebratory breakfast⎯except for Coach Hedge, who grumbled that the atmosphere was getting too cuddly for his tastes and went below to hammer out some dents in the hull. While Leo fussed over his helm controls, Hazel and Frank related the story of the fish-centaurs and their training camp while Malia thought about everything. 

"Incredible," Jason said. "These are really good brownies."

Malia looked at her boyfriend in shock. "That's your only comment?"

He looked surprised. "What? I heard the story. Fish-centaurs. Merpeople. Letter of intro to the Tiber River god. Got it. But these brownies⎯"

"I know," Frank said, his mouth full. "Try them with Esther's peach preserves."

"That," Hazel said, "is incredibly disgusting."

"Pass me the jar, man," Jason said.

Malia and Hazel exchanged a look of total exasperation. Boys.

Percy, for his part, wanted to hear every detail about the aquatic camp. He kept coming back to one point: "They didn't want to meet me?"

"It wasn't that," Hazel said. "Just . . . undersea politics, I guess. The merpeople are territorial. The good news is they're taking care of that aquarium in Atlanta. And they'll help protect the Argo II as we cross the Atlantic."

Percy nodded absently. "But they didn't want to meet me? How's that possible? Malia was able to meet them."

Hazel turned to Malia. "Yeah, why is that?"

Malia pursed her lips, eyes locked on her fingers. It was obvious something was bothering her. Her shoulders were tense and she wouldn't look at anyone as her knee bounced nervously. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Jason grabbed her hand, causing her to meet his worried eyes.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

Malia licked her lips and cleared her throat. "Um, there's something I need to tell you guys. Something I just found out when I was speaking with Queen Kaia."

Percy frowned at his sister, worry evident in his expression. "What happened, Lia? You know you can tell us anything."

The others nodded, and that was all the push Malia needed.

"My dad's Neptune, not Poseidon."

She didn't give anyone time to relax as she dove into the explanation Queen Kaia had given her. She told them about the deal made that allowed her to grow as a Greek. She told them the truth about everything, including the reasons why Hera, Khione, and Gaea all wanted her dead before she knew the truth. Everything she'd been told while in the palace was expelled from her thoughts, filling the silent air as everyone listened intently to what she had to say.

When she stopped, she hesitantly looked up to see all of them staring at her with wide eyes. Percy's jaw was slack, his shoulders slumped and his eyes blinking as thought Blackjack had kicked him in the head again. "W⎯what?"

"How can this be?" Annabeth asked, even though she'd already heard the answer. "And your dad was supposed to tell you all this before you turned seventeen?"

Malia nodded. "Yeah, I guess that was part of the deal."

"And that's what Hera had meant back at the Wolf House?" Piper asked. "When she said you were supposed to be dead?"

"Uh-huh," Malia said. "Pretty hypocritical, huh? Let's Jason live and steals him from his family, but tries to kill me altogether."

Jason chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Keep in mind, I almost died at Lupa's hands, so I think she was aiming for that."

Percy then stood up and walked over to Malia, grabbing her by the hand and pulled her to her feet. Before Malia could ask him what he was doing, she was thrown over his shoulder, a laugh escaping her lips as Percy began spinning the both of them around in circles before finally setting her down and hugging her tightly.

"I don't care if your dad is Neptune or Poseidon. You're still my baby sister, and no bloodline changes that." Malia smiled brightly as she hugged her brother tightly, tears pricking at her eyes. She'd needed to hear that.

"Thanks, dumbass."

"No problem, dipshit."

Annabeth smiled at the two. "While I hate to ruin this sweet moment, we have more things to talk about."

The two sat down in their original places, Jason taking Malia's hand again and pulling her closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, finally feeling weightless. 

"She's right," Hazel said. "After today, Nico has less than two days. The fish-centaurs said we have to rescue him. He's essential to the quest now."

She looked around defensively, as if waiting for someone to argue. No one did. Malia tried to imagine what Nico di Angelo was feeling, stuck in a jar with only two pomegranate seeds left to sustain him, and no idea whether he would be rescued. Malia knew how strong Nico truly was, but she still worried. It make Malia even more anxious to reach Rome.

"Nico must have information about the Doors of Death," Piper said. "We'll save him, Hazel. We can make it in time. Right, Leo?"

"What?" Leo tore his eyes away from the controls. "Oh, yeah. We should reach the Mediterranean tomorrow morning. Then spend the rest of that day sailing to Rome, or flying, if I can get the stabilizer fixed by then . . ."

Jason suddenly looked as though his brownies with peach preserves didn't taste so good. "Which will put us in Rome on the last day for Nico. Twenty-four hours to find him⎯at most."

Percy crossed his legs. "And that's only part of the problem. There's the Mark of Athena, too."

Annabeth didn't seem happy with the change of topic. She rested her hand on her backpack, which, since they'd left Charleston, she always seemed to have with her. 

She opened the bag and brought out a thin bronze disk the diameter of a donut. "This is the map that I found at Fort Sumter. It's . . ."

She stopped abruptly, staring at the smooth bronze surface. "It's blank!"

Percy took it and examined both sides. "It wasn't like this earlier?"

"No!" Annabeth said. "I was looking at it in my cabin earlier!"

Malia pursed her lips. "Maybe it's the Mark of Athena? You can only see it when you're alone and it won't show itself to other demigods?"

Annabeth nodded. "It must be that."

Frank scooted back like the disk might explode. He had an orange-juice mustache and a brownie-crumb beard that made Malia want to hand him a napkin.

"What did it have on it?" Frank asked nervously. "And what is the Mark of Athena? I still don't get it."

Annabeth took the disk from Percy. She turned it in the sunlight, but it remained blank. "The map was hard to read, but it showed a spot on the Tiber River in Rome. I think that's where my quest starts . . . the path I've got to take to follow the Mark."

"Maybe that's where you meet the river god Tiberinus," Piper said. "But what is the Mark?"

"The coin," Annabeth murmured.

Percy frowned. "What coin?"

Annabeth dug into her pocket and brought out a silver drachma. "I've been carrying this ever since I saw my mom at Grand Central. It's an Athenian coin."

She passed it around. While each demigod looked at it, Malia had a funny memory of show-and-tell in elementary school.

"An owl," Leo noted. "Well, that makes sense. I guess the branch is an olive branch? But what's this inscription, AΘE⎯Area Of Effect?"

"It's alpha, theta, epsilon," Malia corrected. "In Greek it stands for Of The Athenians . . . or you could read it as the children of Athena. It's sort of the Athenian motto."

Annabeth smiled at her. All those summers of studying with the Athena cabin had really paid off.

"Like SPQR for the Romans," Piper guessed.

Annabeth nodded. "Anyway, the Mark of Athena is an owl, just like that one. It appears in fiery red. I've seen it in my dreams. Then twice at Fort Sumter."

She described what had happened at the fort⎯the voice of Gaea, the spiders in the garrison, the Mark burning them away. Malia knew that it wasn't easy for her to talk about, or live through. After all, spiders were Athena children's worst nightmares.

Percy took Annabeth's hand. "I should've been there for you."

"But that's the point," Annabeth said. "No one can be there for me. When I get to Rome, I'll have to strike out on my own. Otherwise, the Mark won't appear. I'll have to follow it to . . . to the source."

Frank took the coin from Leo. He stared at the owl. "The giants' bane stands gold and pale, Won with pain from a woven jail." He looked up at Annabeth. "What is it . . . this thing at the source."

Before Annabeth could answer, Jason spoke up.

"A statue," he said. "A statue of Athena. At least . . . that's my guess."

Piper frowned. "You said you didn't know."

"I don't. But the more I think about it . . . there's only one artifact that could fit the legend." He turned to Annabeth. "I'm sorry. I should have told you everything I've heard, much earlier. But honestly, I was scared. If this legend is true⎯"

"I know," Annabeth said. Malia squeezed Jason's hand in comfort. "I figured it out, Jason. I don't blame you. But if we manage to save the statue, Greek and Romans together . . . Don't you see? Ir could heal the rift."

"Hold on." Percy made a time out gesture. "What statue?"

Annabeth took back the silver coin and slipped it into her pocket. "The Athena Parthenos," she said. "The most famous Greek statue of all time. It was forty feet tall, covered in ivory and gold. It stood in the middle of the Parthenon in Athens."

The ship went silent, except for the waves lapping against the hull.

"Okay, I'll bite," Leo said at last. "What happened to it?"

"It disappeared," Annabeth said.

Leo frowned. "How does a forty-foot-tall statue in the middle of the Parthenon just disappear?"

"That's a good question," Malia said, growing excited. The disappearance of the Athena Parthenos was one of her favorite mythological unsolved mysteries. "It's on of the biggest mysteries in history. Some people thought the statue was melted down for its gold, or destroyed by invaders. Athens was sacked a number of times. Some thought the statue was carried off⎯"

"By Romans," Jason finished. "At least, that's one theory, and it fits the legend I heard at Camp Jupiter. To break the Greeks' spirit, the Romans carted off the Athena Parthenos when they took over the city of Athens. They hid it in an underground shrine in Rome. The Roman demigods swore it would never see the light of day. They literally stole Athena, so she could no longer be the symbol of Greek military power. She became Minerva, a much tamer goddess."

"And the children of Athena have been searching for the statue ever since," Annabeth said. "Most don't know about the legend, but in each generation, a few are chosen by the goddess. They're given a coin like mine. They follow the Mark of Athena . . . a kind of magical trail that links them to the statue . . . hoping to find the resting place of the Athena Parthenos and get the statue back."

Malia was beaming. She and Annabeth had spent a few weeks each summer talking about the statue and its mysterious disappearance, and now that her friend was a part of the search party for it, Malia couldn't be more excited. And the way she, Jason, and Athena seemed to speak like a team without any hostility or blame toward each other warmed her heart. Annabeth was warming up to Jason. She knew it.

Percy seemed to be thinking hard. "So if we⎯I mean you⎯find the statue . . . what would we do with it? Could we even move it?"

"I'm not sure," Annabeth admitted. "But if we could save it somehow, it could unite the two camps. It could heal my mother of this hatred she's got, tearing her two aspects apart. And maybe . . . maybe the statue has some sort of power that could help us against the giants."

Malia had always admired Annabeth. The girl was strong. She'd survived a Cyclops when just seven years old. She'd stood up against her childhood crush and friend when it came to war. And she was now going off alone to potentially save the Greeks and Romans from killing each other. She admired Annabeth so much.

"This could change everything," Malia said. "It could end thousands of years of hostility. It might be the key to defeating Gaea. But if we can't help you . . ."

She didn't finish, but the question seemed to hang in the air: Was saving the statue even possible?

Annabeth squared her shoulders. Malia knew she was terrified inside, but Annabeth always did well at hiding her emotions. 

"I have to succeed," Annabeth said simply. "The risk is worth it."

Hazel twirled her hair pensively. "I don't like the idea of you risking your life alone, but you're right. We saw what recovering the golden eagle standard did for the Roman legion. If this statue is the most powerful symbol of Athena ever created⎯"

"It could kick som serious ass," Leo offered, causing Malia to laugh.

Hazel frowned. "That wasn't the way I'd put it, but yes."

"Except . . ." Percy took Annabeth's hand again. "No child of Athena has ever found it. Annabeth, what's down there? What's guarding it? If it's got to do with spiders⎯?"

"Won through pain from a woven jail," Frank recalled. "Woven, like webs?"

Annabeth's face turned as white as printer paper. Malia suspected that Annabeth knew what awaited her . . . or at least that she had a very good idea. She was trying to hold down a wave of panic and terror.

"We'll deal with that when we get to Rome," Malia stated firmly, wanting to direct the conversation elsewhere for now. "It's going to work out. Annabeth is going to kick some serious ass, too. You'll see."

"Yeah," Percy said. "I learned a long time ago: Never bet against Annabeth."

Annabeth looked at them both gratefully.

Judging from their half-eaten breakfasts, the others still felt uneasy; but Leo managed to shake them out of it. He pushed a button, and a loud blast of steam exploded from Festus's mouth, making everyone jump. 

"Well!" he said. "Good pep rally, but there's still a ton of things to fix on this ship before we get to the Mediterranean. Please report to Supreme Commander Leo for your superfun list of chores!"

Malia rolled her eyes with a groan. "Great. We nearly die and now we have to do chores."

Jason beamed. "All in a day's work."

"Shut up, Hercules."

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

𝐀 𝐔 𝐓 𝐇 𝐎 𝐑 𝐒   𝐍 𝐎 𝐓 𝐄   !

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING, NOW DID YOU? Malia is in fact a daughter of Neptune, not Poseidon. I'll be getting further into that as the story goes on, but for those of you confused about Khione and Hera hating her, here's your answer! Pretty cool, right?

Next chapter will be the longest chapter of this book. I'm squeezing the entire Hercules chapters into one so the book moves along a bit faster. Next chapter will be mainly a Jalia chapter since Malia and Jason will be questing by themselves for all of it. I'm very very excited for everything to come!

Please comment and vote!

Love you all!

~ a.h.