This Cold Year ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase²

―vi. bob and small bob against the world

"STOP IT."

Naomi looked back, startled by Annabeth's voice after a while of silence.

Percy frowned. "What?"

"No, not you." Annabeth grimaced. "Talking to myself. This place... it's messing with my mind. Giving me dark thoughts."

The worry lines around Percy's sea-green eyes deepened. "Hey, Bob, where exactly are we heading?"

"The lady," Bob said. "Death Mist."

"But what does that mean?" Annabeth asked. "Who is this lady?"

"Naming her?" Bob glanced back. "Not a good idea."

Annabeth sighed. "Can you at least tell us how far?"

"I do not know," Bob admitted. "I can only feel it. We wait for the darkness to get darker. Then we go sideways."

"Sideways," Annabeth muttered. "Naturally."

They walked for a little while longer before Bob stopped. He raised his hand: Wait.

"What?" Percy whispered.

"Shh," Bob warned. "Ahead. Something moves."

Naomi strained her ears. From somewhere in the fog came a deep thrumming noise, like the idling engine of a large construction vehicle. She could feel the vibrations through her shoes.

"We will surround it," Bob whispered. "Naomi and I go forward, Percy and Annabeth take a flank."

Silently, Naomi passed Hemlock to Annabeth. She crept left while Percy went right, Riptide at the ready.

Naomi and Bob took the middle, Stygian iron sword and glowing silver spearhead glowing in the fog.

The humming got louder, shaking the gravel at Naomi's feet. The noise seemed to be coming from immediately in front of them.

"Ready?" Bob murmured.

"On three?" Annabeth asked.

"One," Percy whispered. "Two—"

A figure appeared in the fog. Bob raised his spear.

"Wait!" Naomi shrieked.

Bob froze just in time, the point of his spear hovering an inch above the head of a tiny calico kitten.

"Rrow?" said the kitten, clearly unimpressed by their attack plan. It butted its head against Bob's foot and purred loudly.

It seemed impossible, but the deep rumbling sound was coming from the kitten. As it purred, the ground vibrated and pebbles danced. The kitten fixed its yellow, lamp-like eyes on one particular rock, right between Annabeth's feet, and pounced.

Without an ounce of concern, Annabeth scooped the kitten up and cuddled it.

"How did...?" She trailed off. "What is a kitten doing...?

The kitten grew impatient and squirmed out of her arms. It landed with a thump, padded over to Bob, and started purring again as it rubbed against his boots.

Naomi grinned. "Somebody likes you, Bob."

"It must be a good monster." Bob looked up nervously. "Isn't it?"

Naomi felt a lump in her throat. Seeing the huge Titan and this tiny kitten together, she suddenly felt insignificant compared to the vastness of Tartarus. This place had no respect for anything—good or bad, small or large, wise or unwise. Tartarus swallowed Titans and demigods and kittens indiscriminately.