𐌙/𐌍 Ᏽ𐌵𐌀𐌋𐌄 & 𐌕𐋅𐌄 Ᏽ𐌐𐌄𐌀𐌕 𐌌𐌙𐌕𐋅𐌔 ¹

Chapter 19

Nineteen
𖧷

The Council Decides How To Kill Us

  We circled over midtown Manhattan, making one complete orbit around Mount Olympus. I'd only been there once before, traveling by elevator up to the secret six hundredth floor of the Empire State Building. This time, if it was possible, Olympus amazed me even more.

  In the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colors, from bloodred to indigo. Apparently no one ever slept on Olympus.

  The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or sedan chairs carried by Cyclopes. Winter didn't seem to exist here. I caught the scent of the gardens in full bloom, the smell jasmine and roses and even sweeter things I couldn't name all made my vision stuffy with mixed colors. Music drifted up from many windows, the soft sounds of lyres and reed pipes.

  Towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing whits hall of the gods.

  Our pegasi set us down in the outer courtyard, in front of huge silver gates. Before I could even think to knock, the gates opened by themselves.

  "Good luck, bosses," Blackjack said.

  "Yeah." I didn't know why, but I had a sense of doom. I'd never seen all the gods together. I knew any one of them could blast me to dust, and a few of them would like to.

  "Hey, if ya don't come back, can I have your cabins for my stable?"

  Percy and I looked at the pegasus.

  "Just a thought," he said. "Sorry."

  Blackjack and his friends flew off, leaving Thalia, Percy, Annabeth, and me alone. For a minute we stood there regarding the palace, the way we'd stood together in front of Westover Hall, what seemed like a million years ago.

  And then, side by side, we walked into the throne room.

  Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations—even the newest one, Zoe the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn.

  All of the seats were occupied. Each god and goddess was about fifteen feet tall, and I'm telling you, if you've ever had a dozen all-powerful super-huge beings turn their eyes on you at once… Well, suddenly, facing monsters seemed like a picnic.

  "Welcome, heroes," my mother said.

  "My Lord!"

  That's when I noticed Bessie and Grover. A sphere of water was hovering in the center of the room, next to the hearth fire. Bessie was swimming happily around, swishing her serpent tail and poking her head out the sides and bottom of the sphere. She seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble. Grover was kneeling at Zeus's throne, as if he'd just been giving a report, but when he saw us, he cried, "You made it!"

  He started to run toward us, then remembered he was turning his back on Zeus, and looked for permission.

  "Go on," Zeus said. But he wasn't really paying attention to Grover. The lord of the sky was staring intently at Thalia.

  Grover trotted over. None of the gods spoke. Every clop of Grover's hooves echoed on the marble floor. Bessie splashed in his bubble of water. The hearth fire crackled.

  I glanced nervously at my mother. I had seen her just a few moments ago, but still, her presence was so much different I felt chills run up and down my spine. Like she was so much more powerful now. Her clothes were not her scrapped and bloodied rags, but a long silver dress, slitted on each of her legs and with linings made out of pure gold and silver. Her legs were crossed, she was giving a look even more stern than the usual mad look she usually wore when we weren't alone.