orenda [leo valdez]

xl. Bob's Wonderful Return

"Do you know who I am?" she demanded.

"Well, you're Night, I suppose," said Annabeth. "I mean, I can tell because you're dark and everything, though the brochure didn't say much about you."

Nyx's eyes winked out for a moment. "What brochure?"

Annabeth patted her pockets. "We had one, didn't we?"

Percy licked his lips. "Uh-huh." He was still watching the horses, his hand tight on his sword hilt, but he was smart enough to follow Annabeth's lead. Kira gave Night a wary smile.

"Anyway," Annabeth said, "I guess the brochure didn't say much, because you weren't spotlighted on the tour. We got to see the River Phlegethon, the Cocytus, the arai, the poison glade of Akhlys, even some random Titans and giants, but Nyx...hmm, no, you weren't really featured."

"Featured? Spotlighted?"

"Yeah," Percy said, warming up to the idea. "We came down here for the Tartarus tour—like, exotic destinations, you know? The Underworld is overdone. Mount Olympus is a tourist trap—"

"Gods, totally!" Annabeth agreed. "So we booked the Tartarus excursion, but no one even mentioned we'd run into Nyx. Huh. Oh, well. Guess they didn't think you were important."

"Not important!" Nyx cracked her whip. Her horses bucked and snapped their silvery fangs. Waves of darkness rolled out of the chasm.

Kira swayed.

"Well, how many other demigods have come to see you on the tour?" Annabeth asked innocently.

Nyx's hand went slack on the reins. "None. Not one. This is unacceptable!"

Annabeth shrugged. "Maybe it's because you haven't really done anything to get in the news. I mean, I can understand Tartarus being important! This whole place is named after him. Or, if we could meet Day—"

"Oh, yeah," Percy chimed in. "Day? She would be impressive. I'd totally want to meet her. Maybe get her autograph."

"Day!" Nyx gripped the rail of her black chariot. The whole vehicle shuddered. "You mean Hemera? She is my daughter! Night is much more powerful than Day!"

"Eh," said Annabeth. "I liked the arai, or even Akhlys better."

"They are my children as well!"

Percy stifled a yawn. "Got a lot of children, huh?"

"I am the mother of all terrors!" Nyx cried. "The Fates themselves! Hecate! Old Age! Pain! Sleep! Death! And all of the curses! Behold how newsworthy I am!"

She lashed her whip out again. Kira blinked hard, trying to focus on the goddess, but she felt weak and unprotected.

The darkness congealed around her. On either side, an army of shadows appeared—more dark-winged arai, a withered man who must have been Geras, the god of old age; and a younger woman in a black toga, her eyes gleaming and her smile like a serial killer's—no doubt Eris, the goddess of strife. More kept appearing: dozens of demons and minor gods, each one the spawn of Night.

"Yeah, not bad," Annabeth admitted. "I guess we could get one picture for the scrapbook, but I don't know. You guys are so...dark. Even if I used a flash, I'm not sure it would come out."

"Y-yeah," Percy managed. "You guys aren't photogenic."

Nyx glared at Kira, who looked pale, even for a dead girl.

"And you, daughter of Ares? I have not heard you speak!"

Both demigods turned to her, panicked that she would ruin the plan, but Kira managed to speak up, despite the dizziness.