𝐒 𝐓 𝐀 𝐑   𝐖 𝐀 𝐑 𝐒   !

⎯ 𝘕 𝘐 𝘕 𝘌 𝘛 𝘌 𝘌 𝘕 ⎯

( 𝔳𝔦𝔠𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔶 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔣𝔦𝔣𝔱𝔥 : 𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔱𝔴𝔬 ! )

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

          "𝐍𝐎!"

Her entire body was on fire. Her blood boiled as her skin began heating up to unbearable temperatures. She could feel her insides lighting up, like someone had taken a flaming poker to each organ and set it alight. The tears in her eyes steamed as she watched the cliff with terrifying eyes of dark amber and gold. 

There were still a few shades leftover, their ghostly bodies watching as their comrades fell to their deaths. The sight of them alone made the heat in her body grow, flaring up insufferably. When they turned their attention to her, everything snapped.

Aurora screamed and everything went silent.

Hazel and Frank watched in amazed horror as a wave of absolute darkness was released from her body, its heat so strong that it was freezing, burning away anything in its path. The ghosts dissolved immediately, their weapons melting to puddles of steaming Imperial gold. The icy buildings melted within seconds and parts of the glacier cleaved off. It was . . . there were no words.

When the darkness cleared, a crater the size of Jupiter's temple remained where Aurora had been. Hazel and Frank approached it uneasily, unsure if their friend would release another blast anytime soon. When she didn't, they peered over the edge to see Aurora lying on the icy floor, sobbing uncontrollably and completely unaware of the amount of power she'd just shown.

Hazel climbed into the crater and knelt down at Aurora's side, placing a gentle hand upon her shoulder. "Aurora?" The girl startled and opened her eyes, the usual bright blue now dull and gray like the ocean. "I'm so sorry. But we have to go. We have to finish this quest."

They didn't mention the darkness, nor the shock on Death's face when he'd seen it. They just watched as Aurora wiped away her tears and stood, a new determination brewing in her eyes. She had a quest to finish and then she could beat the shit out of Percy.

Hazel and Aurora met up with Frank and Thanatos outside of the crater, taking in the way the glacier was melting and crackling from the battle. They didn't have much time left on the stupid thing before it completely crumbled. 

Aurora swallowed the rest of her sobs. "What now?"

"Ah, yes," Thanatos said with satisfaction, eyeing the spawn of Apollo with unease. "There go some souls. Drowning, drowning. Bursting to flames. You'd best hurry, my friends, or you'll drown, too."

"But Percy . . ." Frank could barely speak his name. "Is he—?"

"Too soon to tell. I'm sure your friend here knows, don't you daughter of Apollo?" Aurora hoped he was right, along with that voice in the back of her head screaming at her. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be. She had to beat him up still for pulling something like that. "As for this one . . ." Thanatos looked down at Alcyoneus with distaste. "You'll never kill him here. You know what to do?"

Frank nodded numbly. "I think so."

"Then our business is complete."

The group of three exchanged nervous looks.

"Um . . ." Hazel faltered. "You mean you won't . . . you're not going to—"

"Claim your life?" Thanatos asked. "Well, let's see . . ."

He pulled a pure-black iPad from thin air. Death tapped the screen a few times, and all Aurora could think was: Please don't let there be an app for reaping souls.

"I don't see you on the list," Thanatos said. "Pluto gives me specific orders for escaped souls, you see. For some reason, he has not issued a warrant for yours. Perhaps he feels your life is not finished, or it could be an oversight. If you'd like me to call and ask—"

"No!" Hazel yelped. "That's okay."

"Are you sure?" Death asked helpfully. "I have video-conferencing enabled. I have his Skype address here somewhere . . ."

Aurora almost smiled at that. The god of the Underworld having Skype?

"Really, no." Hazel looked as if several thousand pounds of worry had just been lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you."

"Urgg," Alcyoneus mumbled.

Aurora glared at him with so much heat he almost burst to flames. She brought the butt of her sword down on his head, knocking him out again. "Shut the fuck up."

Death looked up from his iPad. "As for you, Frank Zhang, it isn't your time, either. You've got a little fuel left to burn. But don't think I'm doing either of you a favor. We will meet again under less pleasant circumstances."

The cliff was still crumbling, the edge only twenty feet away now. Arion whinnied impatiently. Aurora knew they had to leave, but she had one last question.

"What about the Doors of Death?" she asked. "Where are they? How do we close them?"

"Ah, yes." A look of irritation flickered across Thanatos's face. "The Doors of Me. Closing them would be good, but I fear it is beyond my power. How you would do it, I haven't the faintest idea. I can't tell you exactly where they are. The location isn't . . . well, it's not entirely a physical place. They must be located through questing. I can tell you to start your search in Rome. The original Rome. You will need a special guide. Only one sort of demigod can read the signs that will ultimately lead you to the Doors of Me."

Death stared at Aurora the entire time, and she paled. Rome? She had to go back to Rome. Cracks appeared in the ice under their feet. Hazel patted Arion's neck to keep him from bolting.

"What about my brother?" she asked. "Is Nico alive?"

Wait! What? Nico was missing? When did this happen?

Thanatos gave her a strange look—possibly pity, though that didn't seem like an emotion Death would understand. "You will find the answer in Rome. And now I must fly south to your Camp Jupiter. I have a feeling there will be many souls to reap, very soon. Farewell, demigods, until we meet again."

Thanatos dissipated into black smoke.

The cracks widened in the ice under their feet.

"Hurry!" Frank told them. "We've got to take Alcyoneus about ten miles due north!"

Aurora got on Arion with Hazel while Frank climbed onto the giant's chest. The horse took off, racing across the ice, dragging Alcyoneus like the world's ugliest sled.

⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯

It was a short trip.

Arion rode the glacier like a highway, slipping across the ice, leaping crevices, and skidding down slopes that would've made a snowboarder's eyes light up.

Aurora was stuck in her thoughts as they made it toward wherever they were headed. She and Percy had kissed. They had shared their first kiss, and then he had gone and fallen off the edge of a glacier in a move to save the others. Her lips tingled from where his had touched, and she reached up to press her fingers against them sadly. Her heart ached, but she just couldn't imagine he was dead. He couldn't be. The fire in her chest that had flared up upon his arrival hadn't died yet. So he had to still be alive. 

Or you're just being delusional. Aurora ignored that thought.

Then she went back to what Thanatos had said. She would have to return home to Rome. Go into the Mare Nostrum. Face her old home that she swore never to return to. She would be risking everything by going back there. Her parents could see her and figure out that she was still alive. That wouldn't end well. And being in Rome in general wasn't good for Roman demigods, which is why Apollo got to her when he did.

What would she do when she got there? She knew one thing was for sure . . . she was the only demigod in their group that knew the streets of Rome like the back of her hand. She could picture the roads and bridges and rivers in her mind like she had been there just yesterday. She knew every nook and cranny of that city, every historical building and cafe by the river. She knew it all.

Finally Arion zoomed between two mountains into a valley of ice and rocks, like a massive bowl of frozen milk with bits of Cocoa Puffs. The giant's golden skin paled as if it were turning to brass. Aurora knew what Frank's plan had been. They had removed the giant from his territory and into the one place that was closest to Alaska: Canada.

"Here!" Frank shouted.

Arion veered to one side. Aurora cut the rope connecting them to the giant, and Alcyoneus went skidding past. Frank leaped off just before the giant slammed into a boulder.

Immediately Alcyoneus jumped to his feet. "What? Where? Who?"

His nose was bent in an odd direction. His wounds had healed, though his golden skin had lost some of its luster. He looked around for his iron staff, which was still back at Hubbard Glacier. Then he gave up and pounded the nearest boulder to pieces with his fist.

"You dare take me for a sleigh ride?" He tensed and sniffed the air. "That smell . . . like snuffed-out souls. Thanatos is free, eh? Bah! It doesn't matter. Gaea still controls the Doors of Death. Now, why have you brought me here, son of Mars?"

"To kill you," Frank said. "Next question?"

The giant's eyes narrowed. "I've never known a child of Mars who could change his form, but that doesn't mean you can defeat me. Do you think your stupid soldier of a father gave you the strength to face me in one-on-one combat?"

Hazel drew her sword. "How about two on one?"

Aurora gripped the hilt of her blade, her eyes beginning to glow once more. "Or three?"

The giant growled and charged at Hazel and Aurora, but Arion nimbly darted out of the way. The girls slashed their swords across the back of the giant's calf. Black oil spouted from the wound.

Alcyoneus stumbled. "You can't kill me, Thanatos or no!"

Hazel made a grabbing gesture with her free hand. An invisible force yanked the giant's jewel-encrusted hair backward. Aurora rushed in, slashing his other leg, and raced away before he could regain his balance.

"Stop that!" Alcyoneus shouted. "This is Alaska. I am immortal in my homeland!"

"Actually," Frank said. "I have some bad news about that. See, I got more from my dad than strength."

The giant snarled. "What are you talking about, war brat?"

"Tactics," Frank said. "That's my gift from Mars. A battle can be won before it's ever fought by choosing the right ground." He pointed over his shoulder. "We crossed the border a few hundred yards back. You're not in Alaska anymore. Can you feel it, Al? You want to get to Alaska, you have to get through me."

Slowly, understanding dawned in the giant's eyes. He looked down incredulously at his wounded legs. Oil still poured from his calves, turning the ice black.

"Impossible!" the giant bellowed. "I'll—I'll—Gah!"

He charged at Frank, determined to reach the international boundary. For a split second, Aurora doubted Frank's plan. She'd only just discovered what his gift was, and she was worried he wouldn't be able to call upon it fast enough.

The giant kept coming. Twenty yards. Ten yards.

"Frank?" Hazel called nervously.

Frank stood his ground. "I got this."

Just before Alcyoneus smashed into him, Frank changed. His body swelled to a massive size. His skin thickened. His arms changed to stout front legs. His mouth grew tusks and his nose elongated. He became the animal that the three of them knew best—the one they'd all cared for, fed, bathed, and even given indigestion to at Camp Jupiter.

Alcyoneus slammed into a full-grown ten-ton elephant. The giant staggered sideways. He screamed in frustration and slammed into Frank again, but Alcyoneus was completely out of his weight division. Frank head-butted him so hard Alcyoneus flew backward and landed spread-eagled on the ice.

"You—can't—kill me," Alcyoneus growled. "You can't—"

Frank turned back into his normal form. He walked right up to the giant, whose oily wounds were steaming. The gems fell out of his hair and sizzled in the snow. His golden skin began to corrode, breaking into chunks.

Hazel and Aurora dismounted and stood next to Frank, Hazel's sword ready. "May I?"

Frank nodded. He looked into the giant's seething eyes. "Here's a tip, Alcyoneus. Next time you choose the biggest state for your home, don't set up in the part that's only ten miles wide. Welcome to Canada, idiot."

Hazel's sword came down on the giant's neck. Alcyoneus dissolved into a pile of very expensive rocks.

For a while the three of them stood together, watching the remains of the giant melt into the ice. Frank picked up his rope and Aurora perked a brow.

"An elephant?" she asked.

Frank scratched his neck. "Yeah. It seemed like a good idea."

Then, Hazel did something that both surprised and didn't surprise Aurora. She kissed Frank. A real kiss on the lips, not the kind she'd given Percy on the plane.

"You are amazing," she said. "And you make a very handsome elephant."

Frank got so flustered it made Aurora laugh. Before anyone could say anything, a voice echoed through the valley.

You haven't won.

They looked up. Shadows were shifting across the nearest mountain, forming the face of a sleeping woman. Aurora glared.

You will never reach home in time, taunted the voice of Gaea. Even now, Thanatos is attending the death of Camp Jupiter, the final destruction of your Roman friends.

The mountain rumbled as if the whole earth were laughing. The shadows disappeared.

Hazel, Frank, and Aurora shared a look. Neither said a word. They climbed onto Arion and sped back toward Glacier Bay.

⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯

Percy was waiting for them. He looked mad.

He stood at the edge of the glacier, leaning on the staff with the golden eagle, gazing down at the wreckage he'd caused: several hundred acres of newly open water dotted with icebergs and flotsam from the ruined camp.

The only remains of the glacier were the main gates, which listed sideways, and a tattered blue banner lying over a pile of half-melted snow-bricks.

When Aurora spotted him, her heart raced in her chest and fire flickered within her veins. A mix of emotions wrecked her, making it hard to decide if she was pissed at him or happy to see him. Meeting his eyes across the way hadn't made the decision any easier, despite the feeling of absolute completion that came with it.

She didn't wait for Arion to stop, jumping from the horse's back and marching toward the son of Poseidon. Her face must've hid her emotions well because he had the audacity to smile at her and say, "Hey," like they were just meeting for lunch or something.

Aurora stopped about six inches from him, unsure of what to do. Fury and sadness ran rampant in her mind, but the warmth of seeing him alive and well kept her from acting. Tears of frustration and relief filled her eyes and she jabbed a finger to his chest. "You piece of shit! Pezzo di merda! Non farmi mai più una cosa del genere! I don't know whether to kiss you or kill you! Do you have any idea how worried I was? What the fuck were you thi—"

She was cut off by his lips, gentle but firm. All words died in her throat as his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close to him. Salt infiltrated her senses and her heart pounded as fast as Arion's hooves within her chest. Her hands lifted to hold his cheeks as she responded, a gentle smile spreading across her face. All of her anger dried up, being replaced by absolute relief.

When he pulled away, their foreheads remained touching and it was like it was just the two of them in the world. "Are you done?"

"For now," she said, grinning. "But if you ever pull something like that again, I'll be the one sending you to Thanatos. Understand?"

Percy nodded. "Perfectly."

A throat clearing off to the side broke them out of their moment. Aurora turned to see Frank getting smacked by Hazel, who's smile was incredibly wide.

"You're alive!" Frank marveled.

Percy frowned. "The fall? That was nothing. I fell twice that far from the St. Louis Arch."

"You did what?" Aurora and Hazel asked, eyes wide.

"Never mind. The important thing was I didn't drown."

"So the prophecy was incomplete!" Aurora grinned up at him, eyes sparkling like a million sapphires in the arctic sunlight. Percy felt mesmerized by her stare, and he wanted to keep that smile on her perfect lips. "It probably said something like: The son of Neptune will drown a bunch of ghosts."

"For a daughter of the god of prophecies, that was pretty lame," Percy joked. Aurora rolled her eyes and punched him softly on the arm. He shrugged, moving his gaze to Frank. Immediately, he looked miffed. "I got a bone to pick with you, Zhang. You can turn into an eagle? And a bear?"

"And an elephant," Hazel said proudly.

"An elephant." Percy shook his head in disbelief. "That's your family gift? You can change shape?"

Frank shuffled his feet. "Um . . . yeah. Periclymenus, my ancestor, the Argonaut—he could do that. He passed down the ability."

"And he got that gift from Poseidon," Percy said. "That's completely unfair. I can't turn into animals."

Frank stared at him. "Unfair? You can breathe underwater and blow up glaciers and summon freaking hurricanes—and it's unfair that I can be an elephant?"

Percy considered. "Okay. I guess you got a point. But next time I say you're totally beast—"

"Just shut up," Frank said. "Please."

Percy cracked a smile and Aurora laughed.

"If you guys are done," Hazel said. "We need to go. Camp Jupiter is under attack. They could use that gold eagle."

Percy nodded. "One thing first, though. Hazel, there's about a ton of Imperial gold weapons and armor at the bottom of the bay now, plus a really nice chariot. I'm betting that stuff could come in handy . . ."

It took them a long time—too long—but they all knew those weapons could make the difference between victory and defeat if they got them back to camp in time.

Hazel used her abilities to levitate some items from the bottom of the sea. Percy swam down and brought up more. Frank helped by turning into a seal, which was kind of cool, though Percy claimed his breath smelled like fish. Aurora even aided by drying everything and everyone off with her photokinesis.

It took all four of them to raise the chariot, but finally they'd managed to haul everything ashore to a black sand beach near the base of the glacier. They couldn't fit everything in the chariot, but they used Frank's rope to strap down most of the gold weapons and the best pieces of armor.

"It looks like Santa's sleigh," Frank said.

Aurora furrowed her brows. "Who's Santa?"

The three of them stared at her with wide eyes. Hazel blinked. "You don't know who Santa is?"

Aurora shook her head "no." Frank gasped. "The old man who brings presents to good boys and girls?"

It dawned on her. "Oh . . . you mean La Befana and Babbo Natale? I know who they are."

Hazel looked at her in question, and Aurora realized she hadn't told them yet that she was from Italy. Percy was the only one who knew, and he thought she looked adorable when she was confused. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. "Anyway, can Arion even pull that much?" Arion huffed. "Hazel, I am seriously going to wash your horse's mouth with soap. He says, yes, he can pull it, but he needs food."

Hazel picked up an old Roman dagger, a pugio. It was bent and dull, so it wouldn't be much good in a fight, but it looked like solid Imperial gold.

"Here you go, Arion," She said. "High-performance fuel."

The horse took the dagger in his teeth and chewed it like an apple.

"I'm not doubting Arion's strength," Frank said. "But will the chariot hold up? The last one—"

"This one has Imperial gold wheels and axle," Aurora said. "It should hold."

"If not," Hazel said. "This is going to be a short trip. But we're out of time. Come on!"

Frank, Percy, and Aurora climbed into the chariot. Hazel swung up onto Arion's back.

"Giddyup!" She yelled.

The horse's sonic boom echoed across the bay. They sped south, avalanches tumbling down the mountains as they passed.

⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯

Four hours.

That's how long it took the fastest horse on the planet to get from Alaska to San Francisco Bay, heading straight over the water down the Northwest Coast.

That's also how long it took for Percy's memory to return completely. The process had started in Portland when he had drunk the gorgon's blood, but his past life had still been maddeningly fuzzy. Now, as they headed back into the Olympian gods' territory, Percy remembered everything: the war with Kronos, his sixteenth birthday at Camp Half-Blood, his trainer Chiron the centaur, his best friend Grover, his brother Tyson, his best friend Annabeth and her girlfriend. And most importantly, Aurora. The girl who had held the sky with him the time he fought to free Artemis.

Eight months of his life stolen. Next time Percy saw the Queen of Olympus, he was definitely going to give her a goddess-sized slap upside the head.

His friends and family must be going out of their minds. If Camp Jupiter was in such bad trouble, he could only guess what Camp Half-Blood must be facing without him.

Even worse: Saving both camps would be only the beginning. According to Alcyoneus, the real war would happen far away, in the homeland of the gods. The giants intended to attack the original Mount Olympus and destroy the gods forever. Which meant they had to go to Greece, and according to Aurora, Rome.

Percy knew the giants couldn't die unless demigods and gods fought them together. Nico had told him that. He understood Juno's plan: Unite the Roman and Greek demigods to create an elite team of heroes, then somehow convince the gods to fight alongside them. But first, they had to save Camp Jupiter.

The coastline began to look familiar as Aurora thought of how they would save the camp. They raced past the Mendocino lighthouse. Shortly afterward, Mount Tam and the Marin headlands loomed out of the fog. Arion shot straight under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco.

They tore through Berkeley and into the Oakland Hills. When they reached the hilltop above the Caldecott Tunnel, Arion shuddered like a broken car and came to a stop, his chest heaving.

Hazel patted his sides lovingly. "You did great, Arion."

The horse was too tired to even cuss: Of course I did great. What did you expect?

Percy, Frank, and Aurora jumped off the chariot. Aurora wished there'd been more comfortable seats or an in-flight meal. Her legs were wobbly. Her joints were so stiff, she could barely walk. This point was proven when she fell into Percy after stepping off the chariot. If they walked into battle like this, they wouldn't be very good reinforcements.

Frank hobbled to the top of the hill and peered down at the camp. "Guys . . . you need to see this."

When Aurora, Percy, and Hazel joined him, Aurora's heart sank. The battle had begun, and it wasn't going well. The Twelfth Legion was arrayed on the Field of Mars, trying to protect the city. Scorpions fired into the ranks of the Earthborn. Hannibal the elephant plowed down monsters right and left, but the defenders were badly outnumbered.

On her Pegasus Scipio, Reyna flew around the giant Polybotes, trying to keep him occupied. The Lares had formed shimmering purple lines against a mob of black, vaporous shades in ancient armor. Veteran demigods from the city had joined the battle, and were pushing their shield wall against an onslaught of wild centaurs. Giant eagles circled the battlefield, doing aerial combat with two snake-haired ladies in green Bargain Mart vests—Stheno and Euryale.

The legion itself was taking the brunt of the attack, but their formation was breaking. Each cohort was an island in a sea of enemies. The Cyclopes' siege tower shot glowing green cannonballs into the city, blasting craters in the forum, reducing houses to ruins. Aurora's blood boiled, a new sort of anger and determination brewing in her chest. She watched a cannonball hit the Senate House and the dome partially collapsed, fueling her anger.

"We're too late," Hazel said.

"No," Percy said. "They're still fighting. We can do this."

"Where's Lupa?" Frank asked, desperation creeping into his voice. "She and the wolves . . . they should be here."

Aurora thought about her time with the wolf goddess. She'd come to respect her teachings, but she also learned that wolves had limits. They weren't front-line fighters. They only attacked when they had vastly superior numbers, and usually under the cover of darkness. Besides, Lupa's first rule was self-sufficiency. She would help her children as much as she could, train them to fight—but in the end, they were either predator or prey. Romans had to fight for themselves. They had to prove their worth or die. That was Lupa's way.

"She did what she could," Aurora said. "She slowed down the army on its way south. Now it's up to us. We've got to get the gold eagle and these weapons to the legion."

"But Arion is out of steam!" Hazel said. "We can't haul this stuff ourselves."

"Maybe we don't have to." Percy scanned the hilltops. If Tyson had gotten his dream message in Vancouver, help might be close.

He whistled as loud as he could—a good New York cab whistle that would've been heard all the way from Times Square to Central Park.

Shadows rippled in the trees. A huge black shape bounded out of nowhere—a mastiff the size of an SUV, with a Cyclops and a harpy on her back.

"Hellhound!" Frank scrambled backward.

"It's okay!" Percy grinned. "These are friends."

"Brother!" Tyson climbed off and ran toward Percy. Percy tried to brace himself, but it was no good. Tyson slammed into him and smothered him in a hug. For a few seconds, Percy could only see black spots and lots of flannel. Then Tyson let go and laughed with delight, looking Percy over with that massive baby brown eye.

Aurora laughed at the look on Percy's face, which caught Tyson's attention. The Cyclops looked at Aurora and smiled wide. "Pretty girl!"

He attacked Aurora in a bone-crushing hug. The girl coughed, her eyes going wide, but she accepted the hug, laughing as Tyson lifted her in the air and spun her around. Percy smiled as he watched the girl he liked get along so well with his younger brother. The sight made him realize once again that he had made the right choice with Aurora.

Tyson set her down and Aurora smiled at him. "Hey, Tyson."

Tyson blushed and turned to Percy. "You are not dead! I like it when you are not dead!"

Ella fluttered to the ground and began preening her feathers. "Ella found a dog," she said. "A large dog. And a Cyclops."

Was she blushing? Before Aurora could decide, a black mastiff pounced on Percy, knocking him over and onto the ground. It barked so loud that even Arion backed up.

"Hey, Mrs. O'Leary," Percy said. "Yeah, I love you too, girl Good dog."

Hazel made a squeaking sound. "You have a hellhound named Mrs. O'Leary?"

"Long story." Percy managed to get to his feet and wipe off the dog slobber. "You can ask your brother . . ." His voice wavered when he saw Hazel's expression, confusion swimming in his eyes. He looked at Aurora, who mouthed 'Tell you later' before changing the subject. "But yea, this is my dog, Mrs. O'Leary. Tyson—these are my friends, Frank, Hazel, and Aurora."

Aurora looked at Ella, who was counting all of the barbs in one of her feathers. "Are you okay? We were worried about you."

"Ella is not strong," she said. "Cyclopes are strong. Tyson found Ella. Tyson took care of Ella."

Aurora and Percy met eyes, raising their eyebrows. Ella was blushing. They fought back their laughter and Percy turned to his brother. "Tyson, you big charmer, you."

Tyson turned the same color as Ella's plumage. "Um . . . No." He leaned down and whispered nervously, loud enough for all the others to hear: "She is pretty."

Frank tapped his head like he was afraid his brain had short-circuited. "Anyway, there's this battle happening."

"Right," Percy agreed. "Tyson, where's Annabeth and the others? Is any help coming?"

Tyson pouted. His big brown eyes got misty. "The big ship is not ready. Leo says tomorrow, maybe two days. Then they will come."

Aurora internally groaned. She could hear the sounds of battle filtering through the air, and all she wanted to do was go down at help her friends. But they had to come up with a plan first for them to make any difference.

"We don't have two minutes," Percy said. "Okay, here's the plan."

As quickly as possible, he pointed out which were the good guys and the bad guys on the battlefield, with a little help from Aurora. Tyson was alarmed to learn that bad Cyclopes and bad centaurs were in the giant's army. "I have to hit pony-men?"

"Just scare them away," Percy promised.

"Um, Percy?" Frank looked at Tyson with trepidation. "I just . . . don't want our friend here getting hurt. Is Tyson a fighter?"

Percy smiled. "Is he a fighter? Frank, you're looking at General Tyson of the Cyclopes army. And by the way, Tyson, Frank is a descendant of Poseidon."

"Brother!" Tyson crushed Frank in a hug.

Aurora laughed while Percy tried to stifle his. "Actually he's more like a great-great- . . . Oh, never mind. Yeah, he's your brother."

"Thanks," Frank mumbled through a mouthful of flannel. "But if the legion mistakes Tyson for an enemy—"

"I've got it!" Hazel ran to the chariot and dug out the biggest Roman helmet she could find, plus an old Roman banner embroidered with SPQR. She handed them to Tyson. "Put those on, big guy. Then our friends will know you're on our team."

"Yay!" Tyson said. "I'm on your team!"

The helmet was ridiculously small, and he put the cape on backward, like a SPQR baby bib.

"Now you're one of us, Tyson! Welcome to Camp Jupiter," Aurora said, smiling up at the Cyclops, who blushed. She then turned to Ella. "Ella, just stay here. Stay safe."

"Safe," Ella repeated. "Ella likes being safe. Safety in numbers. Safety deposit boxes. Ella will go with Tyson."

Aurora blinked. That was not what she said. "What?"

Percy chuckled. "Oh . . . fine. Whatever. Just don't get hurt. And Mrs. O'Leary—"

"ROOOF!"

"How do you feel about pulling a chariot?"

⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯

They were, without a doubt, the strangest reinforcements in Roman military history. Hazel rode Arion, who had recovered enough to carry one person at normal horse speed, though according to Percy, he was cursing about his aching hooves all the way downhill.

Frank transformed into a bald eagle—which Percy still found totally unfair—and soared above them. Tyson ran down the hill, waving his club and yelling, "Bad pony-men! BOO!" while Ella fluttered around him, reciting facts from the Old Farmer's Almanac.

As for Percy and Aurora, they rode Mrs. O'Leary into battle with a chariot full of Imperial gold equipment clanking and clinking behind, the golden eagle standard of the Twelfth Legion raised high above them. Aurora was holding tight to Percy because of two reasons: One, she had never ridden a hellhound before, and two, she liked being close to him.

They skirted the perimeter of the camp and took the northernmost bridge over the Little Tiber, charging onto the Field of Mars at the western edge of the battle. A horde of Cyclopes was hammering away at the campers of the Fifth Cohort, who were trying to keep their shields locked just to stay alive.

Aurora felt her anger boil over. She was their centurion, and they were her family. They were getting beaten to a pulp, but that was going to stop now. She could tell Percy was angry as well, since he shouted, "Fifth Cohort!" and slammed into the nearest Cyclops. The last things the poor monster saw were Mrs. O'Leary's teeth.

After the Cyclops disintegrated—and stayed disintegrated, thanks to Death—Aurora and Percy leaped off their hellhound ride and slashed wildly through the other monsters.

Tyson charged at the Cyclops leader, Ma Gasket, her chain-mail dress spattered with mud and decorated with broken spears.

She gawked at Tyson and started to say, "Who—?"

Tyson hit her in the head so hard, she spun in a circle and landed on her rump. Aurora cheered for him, grinning widely as she watched Percy's brother beat the ever living Hades out of the other Cyclops.

"Bad Cyclops Lady!" he bellowed. "General Tyson says GO AWAY!"

He hit her again, and Ma Gasket broke into dust.

Meanwhile Hazel charged around on Arion, slicing her spatha through one Cyclops after another, while Frank blinded the enemies with his talons.

Once every Cyclops within fifty yards had been reduced to ashes, Frank landed in front of his troops and transformed into a human. His centurion's badge and Mural Crown gleamed on his winter jacket. Aurora stepped up beside him, a dangerous look in her usually kind eyes.

"Fifth Cohort!" she shouted, her voice traveling over the multitudes of soldiers. "Get your Imperial gold weapons right here!"

The campers recovered from their shock and mobbed the chariot. Percy did his best to hand out equipment quickly.

"Let's go, let's go!" Dakota urged, grinning like a madman as he swigged red Kool-Aid from his flask. Aurora was quick to swipe it from his hands and give him a look, which he didn't respond to since he was too busy getting weapons. "Our comrades need help!"

Soon the Fifth Cohort was equipped with new weapons and shields and helmets. They weren't exactly consistent. In fact they looked like they'd been shopping at a King Midas clearance sale. But they were suddenly the most powerful cohort in the legion, and Aurora couldn't be more proud.

"Follow the eagle!" Frank ordered. "To battle!"

The campers cheered. Percy helped Aurora back onto Mrs. O'Leary and they charged onward, the entire cohort following behind them—forty extremely shiny gold-plated warriors screaming for blood.

They slammed into a herd of wild centaurs that were attacking the Third Cohort. When the campers of the Third saw the eagle standard, they shouted insanely and fought with renewed effort.

The centaurs didn't stand a chance. The two cohorts crushed them all like a vise. Soon there was nothing left but piles of dust and assorted hooves and horns. Percy hoped Chiron would forgive him, but these centaurs weren't like the Party Ponies he'd met before. They were some other breed. They had to be defeated.

"Form ranks!" Aurora shouted with the other centurions. The two cohorts came together, their military training kicking in. Shields locked, they marched into battle against the Earthborn.

Frank shouted, "Pila!"

A hundred spears bristled. When Frank yelled, "Fire!" they sailed through the air—a wave of death cutting through the six-armed monsters. The campers drew swords and advanced toward the center of the battle.

At the base of the aqueduct, the First and Second Cohorts were trying to encircle Polybotes, but they were taking a pounding. The remaining Earthborn threw barrage after barrage of stone and mud. Karpoi grain spirits—those horrible little piranha Cupids—were rushing through the tall grass abducting campers at random, pulling them away from the line. The giant himself kept shaking basilisks out of his hair. Every time one landed, the Romans panicked and ran. Judging from their corroded shields and the smoking plumes on their helmets, they'd already learned about the basilisks' poison and fire.

Reyna soared above the giant, diving in with her javelin whenever he turned his attention to the ground troops. Her purple cloak snapped in the wind. Her golden armor gleamed. Polybotes jabbed his trident and swung his weighted net, but Scipio was almost as nimble as Arion.

Then Reyna noticed the Fifth Cohort marching to their aid with the eagle. She was so stunned, the giant almost swatted her out of the air, but Scipio dodged. Reyna locked eyes with Aurora and gave her a large smile of thanks, the daughter of Apollo returning it brightly.

"Romans!" her voice boomed across the field. "Rally to the eagle!"

Demigods and monsters alike turned and gawked as Percy and Aurora bounded forward on his hellhound.

"What is this?" Polybotes demanded. "What is this?"

Percy felt a rush of power coursing through the standard's staff. He raised the eagle and shouted, "Twelfth Legion Fulminata!"

Thunder shook the valley. The eagle let loose a blinding flash, and a thousand tendrils of lightning exploded from its golden wings—arcing in front of Aurora and Percy like the branches of an enormous deadly tree, connecting with the nearest monsters, leaping from one to another, completely ignoring the Roman forces.

When the lightning stopped, the First and Second Cohorts were facing one surprised-looking giant and several hundred smoking piles of ash. The enemy's centaur line had been charred to oblivion.

The look on Octavian's face was priceless. The centurion looked at Percy and Aurora with shock, then outrage. Then, when his own troops started to cheer, he had no choice except to join the shouting: "Rome! Rome!"

The giant Polybotes backed up uncertainly, but Percy knew the battle wasn't over.

The Fourth Cohort was still surrounded by Cyclopes. Even Hannibal the elephant was having a hard time wading through so many monsters. His black Kevlar armor was ripped so that his label just said ANT.

The veterans and Lares on the eastern flank were being pushed toward the city. The monsters' siege tower was still hurling explosive green fireballs into the streets. The gorgons had disabled the giant eagles and now flew unchallenged over the giant's remaining centaurs and the Earthborn, trying to rally them.

"Stand your ground!" Stheno yelled. "I've got free samples!"

Polybotes bellowed. A dozen fresh basilisks fell out of his hair, turning the grass to poison yellow. "You think this changes anything, Percy Jackson? I cannot be destroyed! Come forward, son of Neptune. I will break you!"

Percy and Aurora dismounted the hellhound. Percy handed the standard to Aurora, who turned and gave it to Dakota with a smile. "You may not be the senior centurion of the cohort anymore, but I don't trust anyone else to be crazy enough to run into battle with this thing."

Dakota blinked, then he straightened with pride. He took the standard with a grin. "I will carry it with honor."

"Frank, Hazel, Tyson," Percy said. "Help the Fourth Cohort. I've got a giant to kill."

He raised Riptide, but before he could advance, horns blew in the northern hills. Another army appeared on the ridge—hundreds of warriors in black-and-gray camouflage, armed with spears and shields. Interspersed among their ranks were a dozen battle forklifts, their sharpened tines gleaming in the sunset and flaming bolts nocked in their crossbows.

"Amazons," Frank said. "Great."

Polybotes laughed. "You, see? Our reinforcements have arrived! Rome with fall today!"

Aurora's heart dropped. Queen Hylla hadn't survived. They had been too late.

The Amazons lowered their spears and charged down the hill. Their forklifts barreled into battle. The giant's army cheered—until the Amazons changed course and headed straight for the monsters' intact eastern flank

"Amazons, forward!" On the largest forklift stood a girl who looked like an older version of Reyna, in black combat armor with a glittering gold belt around her waist.

"Queen Hylla!" Aurora and Hazel shouted. "She survived!"

The Amazon queen shouted: "To my sister's aid! Destroy the monsters!"

"Destroy!" Her troops' cry echoed through the valley.

Reyna wheeled her pegasus toward Percy. Her eyes gleamed. Her expression said: I could hug you right now. She shouted, "Romans! Advance!"

The battlefield descended into absolute chaos. Amazon and Roman lines swung toward the enemy like the Doors of Death themselves.

Aurora turned to Percy. She knew what he had to do. "Go show that monster what a son of Poseidon can do."

Percy grinned down at her, and despite everything going on around them, he thought she looked utterly breathtaking. "Be careful, Sleeping Beauty."

"Always am, Kelp Head." Percy pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead before turning to the giant.

"You. Me. To the finish." With that, Percy took off, Polybotes following after him and leaving the army of monsters to fend for themselves.

Aurora watched him run for a moment before turning and diving back into the battle alongside her fellow Fifth Cohort members. She slashed and jabbed and parried, turning monsters to dust with just her blade and her years of training. She still hadn't fully recharged after . . . whatever had happened back in Alaska, but the sun's rays on her skin strengthened her and helped rejuvenate her powers.

Thank you, father! she thought.

Aurora was a force to be reckoned with. She no longer was the innocent and sweet girl from before her quest. No. Instead, she was a strong-willed warrior who knew when to throw a punch and when to lend a hand. She powered through the lines without breaking a sweat and aided her friends in battle, taking down Cyclopes and centaurs and Earthborn without a second thought.

Sometime during the battle, she had traded her sword for her photokinesis, using rays of sunlight to blind her opponents or even melt them into piles of golden goop. Anytime a projectile headed her way, a wall of light would protect her and the surrounding warriors, allowing them to continue fighting. Adrenaline and pure instinct rushed through her veins, telling her to keep going.

She momentarily caught a glimpse of Percy running toward New Rome, but he disappeared as soon as she had seen him. When most of the monsters surrounding her were reduced to ash, she took a moment to breathe. The monsters were still thick despite their failing troops. Aurora needed to do something about the clumps of large monsters fast, before her powers gave out on her. 

Aurora, she heard her father say in her head, startling her. You know what to do. He knows what to do. Finish this battle, once and for all.

She frowned and looked down at her ring as an odd flash of green caught her eye. Beside the sun engraving glowed a trident, its form pulsing with light. She then looked around, spotting a wall of aqueducts still intact from the battle. An idea quickly came together in her head, and she prayed that she'd understood her father correctly.

With a deep breath, Aurora pressed down on the trident.

A glow surrounded her ring and extended, forming a familiar sword that she knew all too well. Instead of Solstice, Riptide had appeared in her hand, the Celestial bronze glimmering in the sunlight. The blade felt perfectly balanced in her hand, and it shimmered with a golden light in response to her touch. She felt a surge of power, the smell of salt filtering through the air, and suddenly it all made sense.

Across the field, Percy felt something shift. He looked down to his sword hand to see that Riptide had been replaced by Solstice. The gold and bronze sword felt natural in his hand, and heat surged through his veins at the feel of the grip against his palm. He scanned the field for Aurora, and when he found her, an understanding passed between them.

Aurora's eyes flickered sea green, and Percy's flashed cerulean. Above them on Mount Olympus, Aphrodite/Venus squealed in excitement. Poseidon/Neptune and Apollo watched their children carefully, the gods all on the edges of their seats. Apollo hoped his message had been clear enough for Aurora, because if it hadn't, they were doomed.

The daughter of Apollo wasted no time. She raised Riptide toward the wall of aqueducts, slashing the blade through the air and toward the advancing groups of monsters. Her gut tugged, a sensation she was familiar with, and the aqueducts exploded with a force of a million waves. Gallons of water rushed forward, following her line, and plowed into the monsters with unrelenting power. The army toppled over, exploding into golden dust like fireworks on the Fourth of July. When the water cleared, all that was left were scattered bits of weaponry and armor that the legion quickly claimed as war trophies. 

Percy watched in amazement as Aurora controlled the water with his sword, and he looked down at her sword in his hands. With a deep breath, he focused on the sun beating down on him, and suddenly, the blade lit up. "Wicked!"

The fight continued, Aurora battling monsters with Riptide while Percy fought with Solstice, the two mirroring one another as they fought their own opponents. Soon, Aurora and the rest of the legion had taken down almost all of the giant's army, leaving a few of each monster behind for them to take on. Percy had yet to end Polybotes, but Aurora trusted him.

And she was right to, because as she turned to see how things were going, all she saw was Percy smashing Terminus's head into Polybotes's nose. The giant dissolved, crumbling into a steaming heap of seaweed, reptile skin, and poisonous muck.

Aurora immediately raced over to him, tackling him in a hug. They stayed that way for a moment before pulling apart and swapping swords, turning them back to their mortal forms without much thought. They were just glad they'd both survived, honestly.

"Ha!" Terminus said. "That will teach him to obey the rules of Rome!"

For a moment, the battlefield was silent except for a few fires burning, and a few retreating monsters screaming in panic.

A ragged circle of Romans and Amazons stood around Percy. Tyson, Ella, and Mrs. O'Leary were there. Frank and Hazel were grinning with pride. Arion was nibbling contentedly on a golden shield. And Aurora was beaming up at him.

The Romans began to chant, "Percy! Percy!"

They mobbed him. Before he knew it, they were raising him on a shield. The cry changed to, "Praetor! Praetor!"

Aurora had never been more proud. She laughed as Percy took her hand, Reyna taking his other hand to congratulate him on becoming Praetor. The mob then carried him around the Pomerian Line, carefully avoiding Terminus's borders, and escorted him back home to Camp Jupiter.

They had won.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

𝐀 𝐔 𝐓 𝐇 𝐎 𝐑 𝐒   𝐍 𝐎 𝐓 𝐄   !

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Longest. Chapter. Ever.

Okay, let me clear a few things up. First off, Aurora and Percy kissed again! EEP! Also, Aurora went full badass with her whole explosion of light thing and whacking Alcyoneus over the head with her sword. Tyson and Aurora's relationship is so cute even though it just started, and Ella and Tyson are an OTP!

Now, to the confusing stuff. So, the trident and sun emblems on Percy and Aurora's weapons? Yeah, I added a little spice. Okay, so as you read, when they press down on the emblems, they get each other's weapons. And when they get each other's weapons, they get each other's abilities. Only small amounts though. Like when Aurora has Riptide, she can control water for a short period of time. When Percy has Solstice, he can generate light through the blade. See what I mean?

This is because of something you will find out in the second half of this book. When the Argo II shit happens, Apollo and Poseidon will visit their children and explain everything to them. Also, when Aurora meets Aphrodite, she will explain a few things too. I just wanted to clear this up for those of you who were confused. Kay?

The last chapter is next. Then we move on to Mark of Athena! Y'all are not ready.

Please comment and vote!

Love you all!

~ a.h.