Abracadabra | Percy Jackson

1.9

"And if it's not Hades?" Atalanta questioned.

"It is." Annabeth replied with conviction. "It has to be."

"But if I'd already retrieved the bolt," Percy started, "why would I be traveling to the Underworld?"

"To threaten Hades," Grover suggested. "To bribe or blackmail him into getting your mom back."

Percy whistled. "You have evil thoughts for a goat."

"Why, thank you."

"But the thing in the pit said it was waiting for two items," Percy said. "If the master bolt is one, what's the other?"

Grover shook his head, clearly mystified.

Annabeth stared at Percy almost pleading with her eyes, willing him not to ask the question they all knew he really wanted to ask.

"You have an idea what might be in that pit, don't you?" Percy finally asked her. "I mean, if it isn't Hades?"

"Percy ... let's not talk about it. Because if it isn't Hades ... No. It has to be Hades."

Atalanta scooted closer to the blonde, close enough to whisper into her ear. "It's not him, you and I both know it."

The blonde only pursed her lips and side eyed the Asian girl before staring out the window.

Wasteland rolled by. They passed a sign that said CALIFORNIA STATE LINE, 12 MILES.

Atalanta stared into space as she thought.

It wasn't Hades doing this. She knew that much. She went over the information she had.

1.) Zeus' master bolt was missing
2.) Hades' helm of darkness was also missing
3.) someone had stolen the bolt (and the helm?) at the last visit to Olympus
4.) a demigod took it (most likely) and failed to get it to the one who wanted it
5.) someone wants a war between Zeus and Poseidon
6.) someone from the pit wants a war and has someone helping him from the outside (probably multiple people/monsters?)

Okay that was a pretty good list. Now she just had to figure out who planned this and who was the traitor who executed it.

She had an idea about who the former might be, but she was so deeply hoping to be wrong. She needed to be wrong or it meant something horrible was coming.

Atalanta continued to think and stare off into space until she saw a figure in the passenger seat of the cab.

She turned towards the others and they hadn't noticed anything off so she looked back at the person.

It was then she noticed that the figure didn't look well. They were pale and had a blueish tint to them. They almost didn't look human but she knew they were.

Atalanta slowly reached her hand out and put it on the persons shoulder.

Ever so slowly the figure's head turned and looked at her.

Their eyes were unnerving. Cold and pale and empty. The eyes bore right through her and the figure just stared.

It didn't speak. From how they looked Atalanta didn't think they'd even be capable of speaking at all.

Atalanta didn't know how long she and the figure stared at each other but she couldn't shake the feeling that this moment was important.

I mean you don't just see random dead looking people in a cab without there being some sort of significance right?

"The answer is in the Underworld," Annabeth assured everyone, filling the very still silence. "You saw spirits of the dead, Percy. There's only one place that could be. We're doing the right thing."