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.

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...

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.

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...

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.

your loved ones have been used to lure you into Kronos’s traps. Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty Percy. You do not know when it is time to cut your losses. To save a friend...

Beckendorf closed eyes tight and brought his hand up to his watch.from that distance, the explosion shook the world. Heat seared the back of my head. The Princess Andromeda blew up from both sides, a...

All aboard for one last trip.

The story of Psyche finally made sense to him- why a mortal girl would be so afraid. Why would she risk breaking the rules to look the god of love in the face, because she...

That makes absolutely no sense.

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!

Gabe scratched his double chin. “Maybe if you hurry with the seven-layer dip…And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game.”Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, I thought. And make...

Different elevator music was playing since my last visit-that old disco song “Stayin’ Alive.” A terrifying image flashed through my mind of Apollo in bell-bottom pants and a slinky silk shirt.

Really? That would be a first. I’m the son of Hades, Jason. I might as well be covered in blood or sewage, the way people treat me. I don’t belong anywhere. I’m not even from...

I gotta say”—Apollo broke the silence—”these kids did okay.” He cleared his throat and began to recite: “Heroes win laurels—”Um, yes, first class,” Hermes interrupted, like he was anxious to avoid Apollo’s poetry.

There was Tyson moving into the Poseidon cabin, giggling to himself every fifteen seconds and saying, “Percy is my brother?” like he’d just won the lottery.Aw, Tyson,” I’d say. “It’s not that simple.

Then something occurred to me.”Get closer,” I told Blackjack.He whinnied in protest.”Just within shouting distance,” I said. “I need to talk to the statue.”Now I’m sure you’ve lost it, boss, Blackjack said

And I was holding someone who was destined to be my best friend, or possibly my worst enemy.

The god’s chosen beverage. Tremble before the horror of Diet Coke!