ABOVE THE GODS

NINETEEN

VERONICA FINISHED HER APPLE and her toast, and the glass of milk Jason made her drink. Sometimes it paid to have an older brother. Other times, it was almost like having another parent.

The meeting was like war council but with donuts. Then again, every war council was war council with donuts when Veronica had attended. Though she had been a centurion, she hadn't been able to attend every single council meeting. Half the time she had to be out of camp, finding demigods and sending them to either the Wolf House or Camp Half-Blood's borders. It was an endlessly tiring job.

Percy told everyone 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," Percy said. "You mean Persephone."

"The seeds are a last-resort food," Hazel said. Veronica could tell she was nervous because all the silverware on the table was starting to move toward her. Veronica placed her hand on her utensils lightly to stop them from gravitating toward to daughter of Pluto. "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," Annabeth said. "They're assuming we'll try to rescue him."

"Which we will," Veronica stated, looking around at the table for anyone that would object. In the short amount of time she had gotten to know the son of Hades, she had grown attached to the boy. In her line of work, making attachments proved dangerous but she knew she'd see Nico again. Hazel looked relieved at Veronica's quick response. It seemed to read, Oh, thank gods.

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

"Of course we'll help him," Frank said. "But how long do we have before... uh, I mean, how long can Nico hold out?"

"One seed a day," Hazel said miserably. "That's if he puts himself in a death trance."

"A death trance?" Annabeth scowled. "That doesn't sound fun."

"It keeps him from consuming all his air," Hazel said. "Like hibernation, or a coma. One seed ca 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 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..."

Veronica looked down at her half-eaten donut. This was probably the most she had eaten in the past couple of days after joining the crew.

"We'll rescue him," Percy promised her. "We have to. The prophecy says he holds the key to endless death."

"That's right," Veronica said. "Hazel, Nico said went searching for the Doors of Death in the Underworld. He must've found him since the last we spoke. When we find him, he can tell us where the doors are and how to close them."