❛𝟎𝟏𝟒❜
❝𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬: 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞❞
Imagine the largest concert crowd you've ever seen, a football field packed with a million fans. Now imagine a field a million times that big, packed with people, and imagine the electricity has gone out, and there is no noise, no light, no beach ball bouncing around over the crowd. Something tragic has happened backstage. Whispering masses of people are just milling around in the shadows, waiting for a concert that will never start.
If you can picture that, you have a pretty good idea what the Fields of Asphodel looked like.
The black grass had been trampled by eons of dead feet. Juliet, Annabeth, Grover, and Percy tried to blend into the crowd, keeping an eye out for security ghouls. They crept along, following the line of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates toward a black-tented pavilion with a banner that read:""JUDGMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION Welcome, Newly Deceased!"
Out the back of the tent came two much smaller lines. To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path toward the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance, a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas. The line coming from the right side of the judgment pavilion was much better. This one led down toward a small valley surrounded by walls—a gated community, which seemed to be the only happy part of the Underworld.
Beyond the security gate were neighborhoods of beautiful houses from every time period in history, Roman villas and medieval castles and Victorian mansions. Silver and gold flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled in rainbow colors. Juliet could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking.
Elysium.
In the middle of that valley was a glittering blue lake, with three small islands like a vacation resort in the Bahamas. The Isles of the Blest, for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium. Immediately Juliet knew that's where she wanted to go when she died.
"That's what it's all about," Annabeth said, like she was reading her thoughts. "That's the place for heroes."
They left the judgment pavilion and moved deeper into the Asphodel Fields. It got darker. The colors faded from their clothes. The crowds of chattering spirits began to thin. After a few miles of walking, they began to hear a familiar screech in the distance. Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering black obsidian. Above the parapets swirled three dark batlike creatures: the Furies.
"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Grover said wistfully.
"We'll be okay." Percy tried to sound confident.
"Maybe we should search some of the other places first," Grover suggested. "Like, Elysium, for instance . . ."
"Come on, goat boy." Annabeth grabbed his arm.
Grover yelped. His sneakers sprouted wings and his legs shot forward, pulling him away from Annabeth. He landed flat on his back in the grass.
"Grover," Annabeth chided. "Stop messing around."
"But I didn't—" He yelped again. His shoes were flapping like crazy now.
They levitated off the ground and started dragging him away from them.
"Maia!" he yelled, but the magic word seemed to have no effect. "Maia, already! Nine-one-one! Help!"
A sinking feeling occurred in the pit of Juliet's gut, the ringing returned to her ears this time so loud she couldn't even hear her own voice as she whispered, "Luke,"
Percy had heard her his eyes turned towards her confused before he got over being stunned and made a grab for Grover's hand, but too late. He was picking up speed, skidding downhill like a bobsled. They ran after him.
Annabeth shouted, "Untie the shoes!"
Grover tried to sit up, but he couldn't get close to the laces. They kept after him, trying to keep him in sight as he zipped between the legs of spirits who chattered at him in annoyance. Juliet was sure Grover was going to barrel straight through the gates of Hades's palace, but his shoes veered sharply to the right and dragged him in the opposite direction. The slope got steeper.
Grover picked up speed. They had to sprint to keep up. The cavern walls narrowed on either side, and Juliet realized they'd entered some kind of side tunnel. No black grass or trees now, just rock underfoot, and the dim light of the stalactites above.
"Grover!" Percy yelled, his voice echoing. "Hold on to something!"
"What?" he yelled back.
He was grabbing at gravel, but there was nothing big enough to slow him down. The tunnel got darker and colder. The hairs on Juliet's arms bristled. It smelled evil down here. The ringing in her ear was loud, she couldn't hear anything except it. Then she saw what was ahead of them, and stopped dead in her tracks. The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block. Grover was sliding straight toward the edge.
"Come on, Percy!" Annabeth yelled, tugging at Juliet and Percy's wrist who had stopped right next to her.
"But that's—"
"I know!" she shouted. "The place you described in your dream! But Grover's going to fall if we don't catch him."
She was right, of course. Grover's predicament got them moving again. He was yelling, clawing at the ground, but the winged shoes kept dragging him toward the pit, and it didn't look like they could possibly get to him in time. What saved him were his hooves.
The flying sneakers had always been a loose fit on him, and finally Grover hit a big rock and the left shoe came flying off. It sped into the darkness, down into the chasm. The right shoe kept tugging him along, but not as fast. Grover was able to slow himself down by grabbing on to the big rock and using it like an anchor.
He was ten feet from the edge of the pit when they caught him and hauled him back up the slope. The other winged shoe tugged itself off, circled around us angrily and kicked our heads in protest before flying off into the chasm to join its twin. They all collapsed, exhausted, on the obsidian gravel. Except Juliet who stood there with a dazed look. It all made sense, it was all making sense. Luke, he'd given the shoes to Percy. It wasn't Grover who was supposed to take the fall, it was Percy. Percy was supposed to wear the shoes and then fall to his death into the pit. The pit that held Kronos.
Bile rose up in her throat. the voices around her were blur, she didn't register anything until she saw Percy uncap his sword and her voice came out freezing, "Step back, Percy. Let's leave immediately,"
Percy turned back and stared at her for a second whatever he saw must've been serious because he nodded and stepped back.
He really is on the other side.
The thought echoed through Juliet's head as she gulped back a sob and helped Grover. They dragged him to his hooves and started back up the tunnel. It was getting slightly hard to breathe. The voice got louder and angrier behind them, and they broke into a run. Not a moment too soon.
A cold blast of wind pulled at their backs, as if the entire pit were inhaling. For a terrifying moment, Percy lost ground, his feet slipping in the gravel. Juliet's entire being froze as her hand shot out to help him. Oh gods.
They kept struggling forward, and finally reached the top of the tunnel, where the cavern widened out into the Fields of Asphodel. The wind died. A wail of outrage echoed from deep in the tunnel.
"What was that?" Grover panted, when they'd collapsed in the relative safety of a black poplar grove. "One of Hades's pets?"
Annabeth and Juliet looked at each other. Annabeth shook her head, of course, how could Juliet forget, Annabeth was Luke's best friend. They'd bonded with each other during the quest that Juliet had forgotten why Annabeth and her never got along. She always took Luke's side, even when she knew the truth. She always had, the memory Juliet had willed herself to forget came barging back in her head.
First week of her entering camp, Clarisse had created a whole fiasco on how her sword had been stolen right before capture the flag, she'd pointed fingers at Hermes cabin, from where in turn Luke had settled all the blame on the new girl, they'd searched her cabin and found the sword. Juliet had tried to prove she wasn't guilty, called Annabeth as a witness who'd seen Luke sneak into her cabin, but the girl had just stared straight in her eyes and called her a liar and theif.
How could she forget?
"Jules-" Percy reached out to her, she'd been too silent since they'd existed, he had grown really concerned, Juliet side stepped his hold and walked to Grover.
"Let's keep going." She looked at Grover. "Can you walk?"
He swallowed. "Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes, anyway."
He tried to sound brave about it, but he was trembling as badly as the rest of them.
"The garden of Persephone," Annabeth said. "Keep walking."
The tart smell of those pomegranates was almost overwhelming. Juliet had a sudden desire to eat them, but then she remembered the story of Persephone. One bite of Underworld food, and they would never be able to leave. She pulled Grover away to keep him from picking a big juicy one.
They walked up the steps of the palace, between black columns, through a black marble portico, and into the house of Hades.
"You know," Grover mumbled, "I bet Hades doesn't have trouble with door-to-door salesmen."
"Well, guys," Percy said. "I suppose we should . . . knock?""
A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside.
"I guess that means entrez-vous," Annabeth said.
The throne of Hades was occupied. He was at least ten feet tall, for one thing, and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder-length and jet black. He wasn't bulked up like Ares, or muscly like her dad, but he radiated power. He lounged on his throne of fused human bones, looking lithe, graceful, and dangerous as a panther. The Lord of the Dead resembled pictures she'd seen of Adolph Hitler, or Napoleon, or the terrorist leaders who direct suicide bombers. Hades had the same intense eyes, the same kind of mesmerizing, evil charisma.
"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon," he said in an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish.""
Numbness crept into Juliet's joints, tempting her to lie down and just take a little nap at Hades's feet. Curl up here and sleep forever. Hade's eyes drifted to her figure as he gave a mocking chuckle, "What a joke Apollo is playing, Birthing a Locrian"
Juliet wrapped her arms around her stomach, there was a sudden pain right in the middle as if she was being poked there, "Excuse me?"
Hades didn't answer her back, his gaze moved away as if she was too much hassle to deal with. Beside her Percy took a deep breath and came forward.
"Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests."
Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out.
"Only two requests?" Hades said. "Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."
Percy swallowed.
Juliet cleared her throat. Her finger prodded Percy in the back.
"Lord Hades," Percy said. "Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be . . . bad."
"Really bad," Grover added helpfully.
"Return Zeus's master bolt to me," he said. "Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."
Hades's eyes grew dangerously bright. "You dare keep up this pretense, after what you have done?"
Percy glanced back at them. They probably looked as confused as he was.
"Um . . . Uncle," he said. "You keep saying 'after what you've done.' What exactly have I done?"
The throne room shook with a tremor so strong, they probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in Western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits.""
Hades bellowed, "Do you think I want war, godling?"
Juliet wanted to say, Well, these guys don't look like peace activists. But she thought that might be a dangerous answer.
"You are the Lord of the Dead," Percy said carefully. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"
"A typical thing for my brothers to say! Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields?"
"Well . . ."
"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions I've had to open?"
Percy opened his mouth to respond, but Hades was on a roll now.
"More security ghouls," he moaned. "Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!"
"Charon wants a pay raise," Percy blurted, Juliet wanted to slam her head in the nearest wall.
"Don't get me started on Charon!" Hades yelled. "He's been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I've got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. No, godling. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war."
"But you took Zeus's master bolt."
"Lies!"
More rumbling. Hades rose from his throne, towering to the height of a football goalpost. "Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan."
"His plan?"
"You were the thief on the winter solstice," he said. "Your father thought to keep you his little secret. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus. You took the master bolt and my helm. Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helm back!"
"But . . ." Annabeth spoke, confirming Juliet's thoughts about Luke "Lord Hades, your helm of darkness is missing, too?"
"Do not play innocent with me, girl. You and the satyr have been helping this hero, Your roped in the daughter of Apollo, as if her father isn't indebted to me," Woah back up, indebted to him, what the actual fuck? "—coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt—to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?"
"No!" Percy said. "Poseidon didn't—I didn't—"
"I have said nothing of the helm's disappearance," Hades snarled, "because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you."
"You didn't try to stop us? But—"
"Return my helm now, or I will stop death," Hades threatened. "That is my counterproposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson—your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades."
The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready. At that point, Juliet probably should have been terrified. The strange thing was, she felt offended. Nothing got her angrier than being accused of something she or someone didn't do. She've had a lot of experience with that.
"You're as bad as Zeus," Percy said. "You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me?"
"Of course," Hades said. "And the other monsters?" Hades curled his lip. "I had nothing to do with them. I wanted no quick death for you—I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment. Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?"
"Easily?"
"Return my property!"
"But I don't have your helm. I came for the master bolt."
"Which you already possess!" Hades shouted. "You came here with it, little fool, thinking you could you threaten me!"
"But I didn't!"
"Open your pack, then."
A horrible feeling struck Juliet. It all made sense. . . . Percy slung it off his shoulder and unzipped it. Inside was a two-foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.
"Percy," Annabeth said. "How—"
"I—I don't know. I don't understand."
"You heroes are always the same," Hades said. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus's master bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now . . . my helm. Where is it?"
Juliet was speechless.
"Lord Hades, wait," Percy said. "This is all a mistake."
"A mistake?" Hades roared.
The skeletons aimed their weapons. From high above, there was a fluttering of leathery wings, and the three Furies swooped down to perch on the back of their master's throne. The one with Mrs. Dodds's face grinned at Percy eagerly and flicked her whip.
"There is no mistake," Hades said. "I know why you have come—I know the real reason you brought the bolt. You came to bargain for her."
Hades loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of them, and there was Percy's mother, frozen in a shower of gold, just as she was at the moment when the Minotaur began to squeeze her to death. Percy reached out to touch her, but the light was as hot as a bonfire.
"Yes," Hades said with satisfaction. "I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helm, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change."
"Ah, the pearls," Hades said, and Juliet's blood froze. "Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."
Percy's hand moved against his will and brought out the pearls. Juliet knew she had to step in and do something.
"Listen, please sir, you need to listen, This isn't-" She tried to speak but Hades gave her a venomous look.
"Stop, son of opus" Juliet didn't know what he was saying but suddenly a gasp left her, she doubled over in pain at her stomach. Annabeth came towards her but Juliet shakily held up a hand. The daughter of wisdom was looking at her as if she'd figured something out.
"Only four," Hades said. "What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms."
Percy looked at Annabeth and Grover. Their faces were grim. Juliet was by the side hunched over in pain yet still holding on by Grover's support
"We were tricked," He told them. "Set up."
"Yes, but why?" Annabeth asked. "And the voice in the pit—"
"I don't know yet," Percy said. "But I intend to ask."
"Decide, boy!" Hades yelled.
"Percy." Grover put his hand on his shoulder. "You can't give him the bolt."
"I know that."
"Leave me here," he said. "Use the third pearl on your mom."
"No!"
"I'm a satyr," Grover said. "We don't have souls like humans do. He can torture me until I die, but he won't get me forever. I'll just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It's the best way."
"No." Annabeth drew her bronze knife. "You two go on. Grover, you have to protect Percy. You have to get your searcher's license and start your quest for Pan. Get his mom out of here. I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting."
"No way," Grover said. "I'm staying behind."
"Think again, goat boy," Annabeth said.
"How about both of you leave and I stay behind," Juliet finally spoke up.
Save yourself before others. Her mother's voice hissed out so loud, Juliet was about to take her words back.
"I'm already cursed or something, I should stay behind. I was sent on this quest to help you three, so this is my help. Take it and leave."
"You can't stay here!" Annabeth yelled.
"Why?"
"Because-because you're- gods it's gonna sound crazy! Your soul, Juliet you carry the soul of a reincarnate."
"What? Stop talking bullshit Annabeth!"
"I'm not!"
"Stop it, both of you!"
"I know what to do," Percy said. "Take these."
He handed them each a pearl.
Juliet said, "But, Percy . . ."
He turned and faced his mother.
"I'm sorry," he told her. "I'll be back. I'll find a way."
The smug look on Hades's face faded. He said, "Godling . . . ?"
"I'll find your helm, Uncle," Percy told him, Juliet's breath left her for a second, she must've been in a lot of pain because Percy's form had flickered to someone else's, someone who was wearing a gold armour before the image flickered away. "I'll return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise."
"Do not defy me—"
"And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls."
"Percy Jackson, you will not—"
He shouted, "Now, guys!"
They smashed the pearls at our feet. For a scary moment, nothing happened.
Hades yelled, "Destroy them!""
The army of skeletons rushed forward, swords out, guns clicking to full automatic. The Furies lunged, their whips bursting into flame. Just as the skeletons opened fire, the pearl fragments at their feet exploded with a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind. Juliet was encased in a milky white sphere, which was starting to float off the ground. Percy, Annabeth and Grover were right behind her. Spears and bullets sparked harmlessly off the pearl bubbles as they floated up. Hades yelled with such rage, the entire fortress shook and Juliet knew it was not going to be a peaceful night in L.A.
"Look up!" Grover yelled. "We're going to crash!"
Sure enough, they were racing right toward the stalactites, which Juliet figured would pop their bubbles and skewer them.
"How do you control these things?" Annabeth shouted.
"I don't think you do!" Percy shouted back.
They screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and . . . Darkness.
Were they dead? No, Juliet could still feel the racing sensation. They were going up, right through solid rock as easily as an air bubble in water. That was the power of the pearls, she realized—What belongs to the sea will always return to the sea.
Wait...sea...it meant fishes.
Her throat closed up and her arms blindly reached for Percy. Her eyes were wide and Percy recalled the conversation they'd had in his cabin. His own eyes widened as he held onto her tightly. He saw her eyes roll back and brought her to his chest to swim them up.
And—ker-blam!
They exploded on the surface, in the middle of the Santa Monica Bay, knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant, "Dude!"
Percy first hauled Juliet over to a life buoy, her fainted figure landing with a thud, then he grabbed Grover and hauled him over too, the satyr immediately got to nursing the passed Juliet. Percy caught Annabeth and dragged her over too. A curious shark was circling the, a great white about eleven feet long.
Percy said, "Beat it." The shark turned and raced away.
The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from them as fast as he could. Juliet awoke a minute later, spluttering salt water out of her mouth and cursing about ammonia coated creatures, a sentence Percy decided to ignore.
Somehow, he knew what time it was: early morning, June 21, the day of the summer solstice. In the distance, Los Angeles was on fire, plumes of smoke rising from neighborhoods all over the city. There had been an earthquake, all right, and it was Hades's fault.
He was probably sending an army of the dead after them right now. But at the moment, the Underworld wasn't Percy's biggest problem. He had to get to shore. He had to get Zeus's thunderbolt back to Olympus.
Most of all, he had to have a serious conversation with the god who'd tricked him.