NO FAIRNESS IN DEATH. Those words kept ringing in Frank’s
head.
The golden giant didn’t scare him. The army of shades
didn’t scare him. But the thought of freeing Thanatos
made Frank want to curl into the foetal position. This god
had taken his mother.
Frank understood what he had to do to break those
chains. Mars had warned him. He’d explained why he
loved Emily Zhang so much: She always put her duty first,
ahead of everything. Even her life.
Now it was Frank’s turn.
His mother’s sacrifice medal felt warm in his pocket. He
finally understood his mother’s choice, saving her
comrades at the cost of her own life. He got what Mars had
been trying to tell him – Duty. Sacrifice. They mean
something.
In Frank’s chest, a hard knot of anger and resentment –
a lump of grief he’d been carrying since the funeral –
finally began to dissolve. He understood why his mother
never came home. Some things were worth dying for.
‘Hazel.’ He tried to keep his voice steady. ‘That package
you’re keeping for me? I need it.’
Hazel glanced at him in dismay. Sitting on Arion, she
looked like a queen, powerful and beautiful, her brown hair
swept over her shoulders and a wreath of icy mist around
her head. ‘Frank, no. There has to be another way.’
‘Please. I – I know what I’m doing.’
Thanatos smiled and lifted his manacled wrists. ‘You’re
right, Frank Zhang. Sacrifices must be made.’
Great. If Death approved of his plan, Frank was pretty
sure he wasn’t going to like the results.
The giant Alcyoneus stepped forward, his reptilian feet
shaking the ground. ‘What package do you speak of,
Frank Zhang? Have you brought me a present?’
‘Nothing for you, Golden Boy,’ Frank said. ‘Except a
whole lot of pain.’
The giant roared with laughter. ‘Spoken like a child of
Mars! Too bad I have to kill you. And this one … my, my,
I’ve been waiting to meet the famous Percy Jackson.’
The giant grinned. His silver teeth made his mouth look
like a car grille.
‘I’ve followed your progress, son of Neptune,’ said
Alcyoneus. ‘Your fight with Kronos? Well done. Gaia
hates you above all others … except perhaps for that
upstart Jason Grace. I’m sorry I can’t kill you right away,
but my brother Polybotes wishes to keep you as a pet. He
thinks it will be amusing when he destroys Neptune to
have the god’s favourite son on a leash. After that, of
course, Gaia has plans for you.’
‘Yeah, flattering.’ Percy raised Riptide. ‘But actually I’m
the son of Poseidon. I’m from Camp Half-Blood.’
The ghosts stirred. Some drew swords and lifted
shields. Alcyoneus raised his hand, gesturing for them to
wait.
‘Greek, Roman, it doesn’t matter,’ the giant said easily.
‘We will crush both camps underfoot. You see, the Titans
didn’t think big enough. They planned to destroy the gods
in their new home of America. We giants know better! To
kill a weed, you must pull up its roots. Even now, while my
forces destroy your little Roman camp, my brother
Porphyrion is preparing for the real battle in the ancient
lands! We will destroy the gods at their source.’
The ghosts pounded their swords against their shields.
The sound echoed across the mountains.
‘The source?’ Frank asked. ‘You mean Greece?’
Alcyoneus chuckled. ‘No need to worry about that, son
of Mars. You won’t live long enough to see our ultimate
victory. I will replace Pluto as Lord of the Underworld. I
already have Death in my custody. With Hazel Levesque
in my service, I will have all the riches under the earth as
well!’
Hazel gripped her spatha. ‘I don’t do service.’
‘Oh, but you gave me life!’ Alcyoneus said. ‘True, we
hoped to awaken Gaia during World War II. That would’ve
been glorious. But, really, the world is in almost as bad a
shape now. Soon, your civilization will be wiped out. The
Doors of Death will stand open. Those who serve us will
never perish. Alive or dead, you three will join my army.’
Percy shook his head. ‘Fat chance, Golden Boy. You’re
going down.’
‘Wait.’ Hazel spurred her horse towards the giant. ‘I
raised this monster from the earth. I’m the daughter of
Pluto. It’s my place to kill him.’
‘Ah, little Hazel.’ Alcyoneus planted his staff on the ice.
His hair glittered with millions of dollars’ worth of gems.
‘Are you sure you will not join us of your own free will? You
could be quite … precious to us. Why die again?’
Hazel’s eyes flashed with anger. She looked down at
Frank and pulled the wrapped-up piece of firewood from
her coat. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yeah,’ he said.
She pursed her lips. ‘You’re my best friend, too, Frank. I
should have told you that.’ She tossed him the stick. ‘Do
what you have to. And, Percy … can you protect him?’
Percy gazed at the ranks of ghostly Romans. ‘Against a
small army? Sure, no problem.’
‘Then I’ve got Golden Boy,’ Hazel said.
She charged the giant.
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