TERRIFIED . . . annabeth chase

eight.

VAL WAS STILL fighting, even after midnight.

The bridge in front of her blazed with light. Cars were burning. Arcs of fire streamed in both directions as flaming arrows and spears sailed through the air.

Currently, she was helping the Apollo campers. They would hide behind cars and snipe at the approaching army, setting off explosive arrows and dropping caltrops in the road, building fiery barricades wherever they could, dragging sleeping drivers out of their cars to get them out of harm's way. But the enemy kept advancing. An entire phalanx of dracaenae marched in the lead, their shields locked together, spear tips bristling over the top. An occasional arrow would connect with their snaky trunks, or a neck, or a chink in their armor, and the unlucky snake woman would disintegrate, but most of the Apollo arrows glanced harmlessly off their shield wall. About a hundred more monsters marched behind them. Hellhounds leaped ahead of the line from time to time. Most were destroyed with arrows, but one got hold of an Apollo camper and dragged him away. Val winced as she felt his soul disappear.

Val needed to get the energy up to kill all of the monsters, but that would take a while, considering she'd just done it with the Aphrodite children. And the Minotaur in the middle didn't help matters.

From the waist down, he wore standard Greek battle gear — a kiltlike apron of leather and metal flaps, bronze greaves covering his legs, and tightly wrapped leather sandals. His top was all bull — hair and hide and muscle leading to a head so large he should've toppled over just from the weight of his horns. He was at least ten feet tall. A double-bladed axe was strapped to his back, but he was too impatient to use it. He bellowed and picked up a white limousine. Val looked up to see pegasi above her.

"Blackjack, dive!" Percy yelled.

It cleared the suspension lines of the bridge and fell toward the East River.

Monsters jeered and shouted, and the Minotaur picked up another car. Val saw the pegasi take the owners down for a landing.

Michael Yew looked over at Val, grinning. He had a bandaged cut on his arm. His ferrety face was smeared with soot and his quiver was almost empty. "Meet them back there?"

"Does it mean that I finally get a break?" Val shifted. "It's nice, using my powers and all, but I really need a break before using them again."

"Yeah, yeah," Michael waved her off, taking her hand. "Come on!"

They ran up to the other side of a bus.

"Glad you could join us," he said. "Where are the other reinforcements? Val's powers are depleted."

"For now, we're it," Percy said.

"Then we're dead," Michael said.

"You still have your flying chariot?" Annabeth asked.

"Nah," Michael said. "Left it at camp. I told Clarisse she could have it. Whatever, you know? Not worth fighting about anymore. But she said it was too late. We'd insulted her honor for the last time or some stupid thing."

"Least you tried," Percy said.

Michael shrugged. "Yeah, well, I called her some names when she said she still wouldn't fight. I doubt that helped. Here come the uglies!"

He drew an arrow and launched it toward the enemy. The arrow made a screaming sound as it flew. When it landed, it unleashed a blast like a power chord on an electric guitar magnified through the world's largest speakers. The nearest cars exploded. Monsters dropped their weapons and clasped their ears in pain. Some ran. Others disintegrated on the spot.

"That was my last sonic arrow," Michael said.

"A gift from your dad?" Percy asked. "God of music?"

Michael grinned wickedly. "Loud music can be bad for you. Unfortunately, it doesn't always kill."