σɾɳιƚԋαʂ (ρʝσ x ɱαʅҽ σƈ)

The Curse of Achilles

The reporter screamed. People ran through the streets. Emergency lights flashed. I saw a streak of silver in the sky—a chariot pulled by reindeer, but it wasn't Santa Claus driving. It was Artemis, riding the storm, shooting shafts of moonlight into the darkness. A fiery golden comet crossed her path...maybe her brother Apollo.

One thing was clear: Typhon had made it to the Mississippi River. He was halfway across the U.S., leaving destruction in his wake, and the gods were barely slowing him down.

The mountain of darkness loomed above me. A foot the size of Yankee Stadium was about to smash me when a voice hissed...

???: Percy!

I lunged out blindly. Before I was fully awake, I had Nico pinned to the floor of the cell with the edge of my sword at his throat.

Nico: Want...to...rescue.

Percy: Oh, yeah? And why should I trust you?

Nico: No...choice?

I wished he hadn't said something logical like that. I let him go.

Nico curled into a ball and made retching sounds while his throat recovered. Finally, he got to his feet, eyeing my sword warily. His own blade was sheathed. I suppose if he'd wanted to kill me, he could've done it while I slept. Still, I didn't trust him.

And that's when I noticed his black eye and crooked nose, and finally noticed Theo standing behind Nico with his bow and arrow aimed at him. I glanced at his right hand and noticed that his knuckles were slightly bruised.

Nico: We have to get out of here.

Percy: Why? Does your dad want to talk to us again?

Nico: Percy, Theo, I swear on the River Styx, I didn't know what he was planning.

Theo: You should've, you little shit! You know what your dad is like!

Nico: Theo, come on. Wasn't this enough?

He pointed at his own face. And that's when I figured it out.

Theo actually punched Nico in the face. He must've done it at least twice, if Nico had a black eye and a broken nose at the same time.

Theo: You're lucky I didn't slice your head off the second I saw you, you lying fuck.

Nico: (sighs) Hades tricked me. He promised... (holds his hands up) Look . . . right now, we need to leave. I put the guards to sleep, but it won't last.

I wanted to strangle him again. Maybe at least, give him a second black eye and a few missing teeth. Unfortunately, he was right. We didn't have time to argue, and I couldn't escape on my own. He pointed at the wall. A whole section vanished, revealing a corridor.

Nico: Come on.

I wished I had Annabeth's invisibility hat, or maybe burrowed Theo's Hunter jacket, but as it turned out, neither of us needed them. Every time we came to a skeleton guard, Nico just pointed at it, and its glowing eyes dimmed. Unfortunately, the more Nico did it, the more tired he seemed. We walked through a maze of corridors filled with guards. By the time we reached a kitchen staffed by skeletal cooks and servants, I was practically carrying Nico. He managed to put all the dead to sleep but nearly passed out himself. I dragged him out of the servants' entrance and into the Fields of Asphodel.

I almost felt relieved until I heard the sound of bronze gongs high in the castle.

Nico: Alarms.

Theo: Now what?

Nico: (yawns) How about...run?

Theo's POV