JAWBREAKER

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩

The Arch was about a mile from the train station. Luckily it was later in the day so the lines to get in weren't very long.

The group threaded their way through the underground museum, looking at covered wagons and other junk from the 1800s. Warren didn't find it all that thrilling, but Annabeth kept telling her interesting facts about how the Arch was built.

Warren bought some Twizzlers at the concession stand, and Percy insisted that she get the rainbow pack so he could eat the blue-raspberry ones. So overall she was okay.
Percy kept nervously glancing around at the other tourists, though.

"You smell anything?" he asked Grover.

The satyr looked up from the plastic Twizzler wrapper he was chewing on and sniffed.

"Underground," he said distastefully. "Underground air always smells like monsters. Probably doesn't mean anything."

But that didn't ease Percy's mind. He still had the strangest feeling that they shouldn't be there.

"Guys," he said. "You know the gods' symbols of power?"

Annabeth had been in the middle of reading about the construction equipment used to build the Arch, but she looked over.

"Yeah?"

"Well, Hade—"

Grover cleared his throat. "We're in a public place....You mean, our friend downstairs?"

"Um, right," Percy said. "Our friend way downstairs. Doesn't he have a hat like Annabeth's?"

"You mean the Helm of Darkness," Annabeth said. "Yeah, that's his symbol of power. I saw it next to his seat during the winter solstice council meeting."

"He was there?" Percy asked.

Warren nodded. "It's the only time he's allowed to visit Olympus— the darkest day of the year. But his helm is a lot more powerful than Annabeth's invisibility hat, if what I've heard is true...."

"It allows him to become darkness," Grover confirmed. "He can melt into shadow or pass through walls. He can't be touched, or seen, or heard. And he can radiate fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. Why do you think all rational creatures fear the dark?"

"But then...how do we know he's not here right now, watching us?" Percy asked.

"We don't," Warren shrugged.

"Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better," he said. "Got any blue Twizzlers left?"

Percy had nearly wrangled his nerves by the time they reached the little elevator that would take them to the top of the arch, but now it was Warren's turn to be anxious.

She swallowed thickly, suddenly queasy, and regretted eating so much licorice. Percy noticed her pale face.

"You okay?" he asked.