claimed |PERCY JACKSON| [book 5]

XIII

THEY COULD SEE THE WHITE FLAG from half a mile away. It was as big as a soccer field, carried by a thirty-foot-tall giant with bright blue skin and icy gray hair.

"A Hyperborean," Thalia said. "The giants of the north. It's a bad sign that they sided with Kronos. They're usually peaceful."

"You've met them?" Percy asked.

"Mmm. There's a big colony in Alberta. You do not want to get into a snowball fight with those guys."

As the giant got closer, Selena could see three human-size envoys with him: a half-blood in armor, an empousa demon with a black dress and flaming hair, and a tall man in a tuxedo. The empousa held the tux dude's arm, so they looked like a couple on their way to a Broadway show or something, you know, except for her flaming hair and fangs.

The group walked leisurely toward the Heckscher Playground. The swings and ball courts were empty. The only sound was the fountain on Umpire Rock.

Percy looked at Grover. "The tux dude is the Titan?"

He nodded nervously. "He looks like a magician. I hate magicians. They usually have rabbits."

Percy stared at him. "You're scared of bunnies?"

"Blah-hah-hah! They're big bullies. Always stealing celery from defenceless satyrs!"

Thalia coughed.

"What?" Grover demanded.

"We'll have to work on your bunny phobia later," Selena smirked. "Here they come."

The man in the tux stepped forward. He was taller than an average human—about seven feet. His black hair was tied in a ponytail. Dark round glasses covered his eyes, but what really caught Selena's attention was the skin on his face. It was covered in scratches, like he'd been attacked by a small animal—a really, really mad hamster, maybe.

"Percy Jackson," he said in a silky voice. "It's a great honor."

His lady friend the empousa hissed at him. She'd probably heard how Percy had destroyed two of her sisters last summer.

"My dear," Tux Dude said to her. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable over there, eh?" She released his arm and drifted over to a park bench.

Selena glanced at the armed demigod behind Tux Dude. She hadn't recognized him in his new helmet, but it was her old backstabbing buddy Ethan Nakamura. His nose looked like a squashed tomato from his fight with Percy on the Williamsburg Bridge. That made Selena feel better.

"Hey, Ethan," Percy crossed his arms, "You're looking good."

Ethan glared at him and Selena smiled devilishly, "Let me guess. Karma hit you in the face?"

"Shut it, Selena."

"To business." Tux Dude extended his hand. "I am Prometheus."

Percy's eyebrows shot up, "The fire-stealer guy? The chained-to-the-rock-with-the-vultures guy?"