I know you’ll do what’s best for Annabeth.””How can you be sure?””Because she’d do the same for you.

I am Persephone” she said, her voice thin and papery. “Welcome, demigods.Nico squashed a pomegranate under his boot. “Welcome? After last time, you’ve got the nerve to welcome me?”I shifted uneasily, because talking that way...

The truth hit him. Jason wasn’t quite Roman anymore. His time at Camp Half-Blood had changed him. Reyna had recognized that. Apparently, so did the undead legionnaires. If Jason no longer gave off the right...

You’re Dionysus,” I said. “The god of wine.”Mr. D rolled his eyes. “What do they say these days, Grover? Do the children say ‘Well duh!’?”Y-yes, Mr. D.”Then, well, duh! Percy Jackson. Did you think I...

If Annabeth’s mother was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, then why didn’t Annabeth know better than to fall off a cliff?

Nereus spun and expanded, turning into a killer whale, but I grabbed his dorsal fin as he burst out of the water.A whole bunch of tourists went, “Whoa!”I managed to wave at the crowd. Yeah,...

Like the zodiac sign?’ Percy asked. ‘I’m a Leo.”No, stupid,’ Leo said, ‘I’m a Leo. You’re a Percy.

A shame. I quite like blowfish. I am Poseidon.””Poseidon? That’s an interesting name.””Yes, I like it. I’ve gone by other names, but I do prefer Poseidon.””Like the god of the sea.””Very much like that, yes.

Percy, lesser beings do many horrible things in the name of the gods. That does not mean we gods approve. The way our sons and daughters act in our names…well, it usually says more about...

No, we wouldn’t.

If I had my way,” Dionysus said, “I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We’d sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this...

Oh, my Gods!

Please, Percy…change your clothes. You smell like you’ve been run over by an electric horse.

I can input star charts and order you a smoothie, if you want. Of course I can do latitude and longitude!

I nodded, looking at Rachel with respect. “You hit the Lord of the Titans in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush.

We need music,” Nico said. “How’s your singing?””Um, no. Can’t you just, like, tell it to open? You’re the son of Hades and all.””It’s not so easy. We need music.”I was pretty sure if I...

You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart.

Great, I thought. We just blowtorched a national monument.

Running with a drowsy child of Hades was more like doing a 3 -legged race with a life size rag doll.

You’re cute when you’re worried,” she muttered. “Your eyebrows get all scrunched together.”You are not going to die while I owe you a favor,” I said. “Why did you take that knife?”You would’ve done the...

Yay!’ he said. ‘Now we can eat peanut butter sandwiches and ride fish ponies! We can fight monsters and see Annabeth and make things go BOOM!

Zoe readied her arrows. Grover lifted his pipes. Thalia raised her shield and I noticed a tear running down her cheek. Suddenly it occurred to me: this had happened to her before.She had been cornered...

If you look at it from any other side, it looks like a pile of enormous deer droppings, but Chiron wouldn’t let us call the place the Poop Pile, especially after it had been named...

Nico: With great power, comes the great need to take a nap.

hermes has threatened me with slow mail. lousy Internet service and a horrible stock market if i publish this story. I hope he is just bluffing.

Now, leave.” All three boys slumped forward. Percy fell face-first into his pizza. “Percy!” Annabeth grabbed him.

Nico studied his face – his sea-green eyes, his grin, his ruffled black hair. Somehow Percy Jackson seemed like a regular guy now, not a mythical figure. Not someone to idolize or crush on.

So,’ Nico said, ‘since we’re going to be spending at least a year seeing each other at camp, I think I should clear the air.’ Percy’s smile wavered. ‘What do you mean?

The wine god sighed. ‘Oh Hades if I know. But remember, boy, that a kind act can sometimes be as powerful as a sword. As a mortal, I was never a great fighter or athlete...

Which reminded me…I still owed the gods a debt.”You’re a genius,” I (Percy) told Annabeth.

For a long time,’ Nico said, ‘I had a crush on you. I just wanted you to know.’ Percy looked at Nico. Then at Annabeth, as if to check that he’d heard correctly. Then back...

Kronos couldn’t have risen if it hadn’t been for a lot of demigods who felt abandoned by their parents,” I said. “They felt angry, resentful, and unloved, and they had a good reason.”Zeus’s royal nostrils...

Silena, take the Aphrodite crew to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel.”Oh my gods,” one of her sisters said. “Fifth Avenue is so on our way! We could accessorize, and monsters, like, totally hate the smell of Givenchy.

Wait just a minute,” Ares growled. He pointed at Thalia and me. “These two are dangerous. It’d be much safer, while we’ve got them here—””Ares,” Poseidon interrupted, “they are worthy heroes. We will not blast...

I guard borders. I don’t kill giants. It’s not in my job description.

Nico, you can do this,” Jason said. “It might be embarrassing, but it’s for the scepter.”Nico didn’t look convinced. In fact he looked like he was going to be sick. But he squared his shoulders...

Love is on every side, Cupid said. And no one’s side. Don’t ask what Love can do for you.”Great,” Jason said. “Now he’s spouting greeting card messages.

You guys are so… dark. Even if I used flash, I’m not sure it would come out.””Y-yeah,” Percy managed. “You guys aren’t photogenic.

Think long and hard about how you proceed, Nico di Angelo. You cannot lie to Cupid. If you let your anger rule you… well, your fate will be even sadder then mine.

As for me, I did the stupidest thing in my life, which is saying a lot. I attacked the Titan Lord Atlas.

Six minus six is zero. Spears are good for subtraction, yep.

Two hundred Romans, and no one’s got a pen? Never mind!” He slung his M16 onto his back and pulled out a hand grenade. There were many screaming Romans. Then the hand grenade morphed into...

Yeah, okay. But, Nico, you do choose how to live your life. You want to trust somebody? Maybe take a risk that I’m really your friend and I’ll accept you. It’s better than hiding.

Very slowly using two fingers, Annabeth drew her dagger. Instead of dropping it, she tossed it as far as she could into the water. Octavian made a squeaking sound. “What was that for? I didn’t...

Remind me again-why do you hate me so much?”I don’t hate you.”Could’ve fooled me.”She folded her cap of invisibility. “Look…we’re just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals.”Why?”She sighed. “How many reasons...

Lots of death, huh? Personally, I’m trying to avoid lots of death, but you guys have fun!

Meat!” he said scornfully. “I’m a vegetarian.”You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans,” I reminded him.Those are vegetables.

Husband, we talked about this,” Persephone chided. “You can’t go around incinerating every hero. Besides, he’s brave. I like that.”Hades rolled his eyes. “You liked that Orpheus fellow too. Look how well that turned out.

Hey, why do pegasi gallop as they fly, anyway?”Blackjack whinnied. Why do humans swing their arms as they walk? I dunno, boss. It just feels right.

I hoped I wasn’t blushing. It was bad enough I had to depend on my mom to drive me to my battles.