Anthízo, Percy Jackson

X. the great invasion of man-dolphins

KARINA'S HEART DID jumping jacks while chrysaor walked back and forth, inspecting them like prized cattle. a dozen of his dolphin-man warriors stayed in a ring around them, spears leveled at her and percy's chest, while dozens more ransacked the ship, banging and crashing around belowdecks. one carried a box of ambrosia up the stairs. another carried an armful of ballista bolts and a crate of greek fire.

"careful with that!" karina warned. "it'll blow up both our ships."

"ha!" chrysaor said. "we all know about greek fire, girl. don't worry. we've been looting and pillaging ships on the mare nostrum for eons."

"your accent sounds familiar," percy said. "have me met?"

"i haven't had the pleasure," chrysaor's golden gorgon mask snarled at him, though it was impossible to tell what his real expression might be underneath. "but i've heard all about you, percy jackson. oh, yes, the young man who saved olympus. and his faithful sidekick, annabeth chase." his eyes flicked the karina. "and you, karina ashwood. gaea's little puppet."

karina's jaw clenched. "how do you know about that?"

chrysaor laughed. "me? everyone knows about it! and we couldn't be any more excited to see what you're capable of with her powers shared with your own."

"i won't be doing anything for that monster," karina growled. "so you can take your little fantasy of gaea taking over the world and shove it right up your— "

"percy," annabeth interrupted, giving karina a warning look. "his accent sounds familiar because he sounds like his mother. we killed her in new jersey."

percy frowned. "i'm pretty sure that accent isn't jew jersey. who's his— oh."

it seemed to look like everything had fallen into place, and a look of realization fell onto percy's face.

"medusa is your mom?" he asked. "dude, that sucks for you."

"ew," karina said. "the snake lady?"

percy nodded, trying to stifle a chuckle at his girlfriend's blatant response.

judging from the sound in chrysaor's throat, he was now snarling under his mask, too.

"you are as arrogant as the first perseus," chrysaor said. "but, yes, percy jackson. poseidon is my mother. medusa was my mother. after medusa was changed into a monster by that so-called goddess of wisdom . . . " the golden mask turned on annabeth, who was standing beside piper and hazel. "that would be your mother, i believe . . . medusa's two children were trapped inside her, unable to be born. when the original perseus cut off medusa's head— "

"two children sprang out," annabeth remembered. "pegasus and you."

percy blinked. "do your brother is a winged horse. but you're also my half brother, which means all the flying horses in the world are my . . . you know what? let's forget it."

karina had learned years ago it was better not to dwell too much and who was related to who on the godly side of things.

"but if you're medusa's kid," percy said, "why haven't i ever heard of you?"

chrysaor sighed in exasperation. "when your brother is pegasus, you get used to being forgotten. oh, look, a winged horse! does anyone care about me? no!" he raised the tip of his blade to percy's eyes, and karina glared deathly at him, her hand clenching her necklace. "but don't underestimate me. my name means the golden sword for a reason."

"imperial gold?" percy guessed.

"bah! enchanted gold, yes. later on, the romans called it imperial gold, but i was the first to ever wield such a blade. i should have been the most famous hero of all time! since the legend-tellers decided to ignore me, i became a villain instead. i resolved to put my heritage to use. as the son of medusa, i would inspire terror. as a son of poseidon, i would rule the seas!"