craving |PERCY JACKSON| [book 1] UNDER EDITING

XXXVII

"LORD HADES, wait," Selena took a step forward beside Percy, "This is all a mistake."

"A mistake?" Hades roared.

The skeletons aimed their weapons. From high above, there was a fluttering of leathery wings, and the three Furies swooped down to perch on the back of their master's throne. The one with Mrs. Dodds's face grinned at them eagerly and flicked her whip.

"There is no mistake," Hades said. "I know why you have come, Percy Jackson, I know the real reason you brought the bolt. You came to bargain for her."

Hades loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of them, and there was Percy's mother, frozen in a shower of gold, just as she was at the moment when the Minotaur began to squeeze her to death.

Percy couldn't speak. He reached out to touch her, but the light was as hot as a bonfire.

"Yes," Hades smirked with satisfaction. "I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helm, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change."

Percy's fingers twitched towards his pocket, where the pearls lay. Selena reached over and took his hand, hoping Hades didn't know about the pearls.

"Ah, the pearls," Hades said, and Selena winced, "Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."

Percy's hand dropped Selena's and moved against his will and brought out the pearls. "Only four," Hades stated. "What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little Godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms."

All four of them turned towards each other, faces grim, "We were tricked," Percy told them. "Set up."

"Yes, but why?" Annabeth asked. "And the voice in the pit-"

"I don't know yet," Percy replied, "But I intend to ask."

"Decide, boy!" Hades yelled.

"Percy." Grover put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You can't give him the bolt,"

"I know that."

"Leave me here," he said. "Use the fourth pearl on your mom."

"No!" 

"I'm a satyr," Grover argued,  "We don't have souls like humans do. He can torture me until I die, but he won't get me forever. I'll just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It's the best way."

"No." Selena drew her knife. "You two go on. Grover, you have to protect Percy. You have to get your searcher's license and start your quest for Pan. Get his mom out of here. I'll cover you guys."

"If you stay, I stay." Annabeth said, taking out her knife as well.

"No way," Grover said. "I'm staying behind."

"I have no use at Camp Half-Blood. I'm a nuisance, Grover, admit it. I've been a pain in the butt since day one." Selena told the satyr,

"That's not true!" Annabeth exclaimed,

"Stop it, all of you!" Percy hissed, feeling like his heart was being ripped in two. They had been with him through so much. They had done nothing but save him, over and over, and now they wanted to sacrifice their lives for his mom.

"I know what to do," Percy said. "Take these."

He handed them each a pearl. "But, Percy..." Tears filled Selena's eyes,

Percy turned and faced his mother. She would never allow any of them to sacrifice them for her. Besides, Percy had to get the bolt back to Olympus and tell Zeus the truth. He had to stop the war. She would never forgive him if Percy saved her instead. 

Percy thought about the prophecy made at Half-Blood Hill, what seemed like a million years ago. 'You will fail to save what matters most in the end.' "I'm sorry," He told her. "I'll be back. I'll find a way."

The smug look on Hades's face faded. He said, "Godling... ?"

"I'll find your helm, Uncle," Percy told him. "I'll return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise."

"Do not defy me-"

"And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls."

"Percy Jackson, you will not-"

Percy shouted, "Now, guys!" They smashed the pearls at their feet. For a scary moment, nothing happened.

Hades yelled, "Destroy them!"

The army of skeletons rushed forward, swords out, guns clicking to full automatic. The Furies lunged, their whips bursting into flame.

Just as the skeletons opened fire, the pearl fragments at their feet exploded with a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind,  they were encased in a milky white sphere, which was starting to float off the ground.

Spears and bullets sparked harmlessly off the pearl bubbles as they floated up. Hades yelled with such rage, the entire fortress shook and Percy knew it was not going to be a peaceful night in L. A.

"Look up." Grover yelled. "We're going to crash!"

Sure enough, they were racing right toward the stalactites, which Percy figured would pop the bubbles and skewer them. "How do you control these things?" Annabeth shouted.

"I don't think you do!" Percy shouted back.

They screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and... Darkness. They were going up, right through solid rock as easily as an air bubble in water. That was the power of the pearls, Percy realized, What belongs to the sea will always return to the sea.

For a few moments, They couldn't see anything outside the smooth walls of their spheres, then the pearls broke through on the ocean floor. 

They exploded on the surface, in the middle of the Santa Monica Bay, knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant, "Dude!"

Percy grabbed his friends and dragged them over to a buoy. A curious shark was circling them, a great white about eleven feet long. Percy said, "Beat it." The shark turned and raced away.

The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from them as fast as he could.

Selena looked around and knew what day it was. June 21, the day of the summer solstice.

In the distance, Los Angeles was on fire, plumes of smoke rising from neighborhoods all over the city. There had been an earthquake, all right, and it was Hades's fault. He was probably sending an army of the dead after them right now.

But at the moment, the Underworld wasn't their biggest problem.

Percy had to get to shore. He had to get Zeus's thunderbolt back to Olympus. Most of all, he had to have a serious conversation with the God who'd tricked him.