The Altered Seven

Hercules or Heracles?

The next morning, they held their war council with donuts. Then again, back at Camp Half-Blood they used to have their most serious discussions around the Ping-Pong table in the rec room with crackers and Cheez Whiz, so Aelin felt right at home.

Artemis stuck around to add her input in the meeting and explain her situation and what was going on with the gods.

Aelin told them about her dream-the twin giants planning a reception for them in an underground parking lot with rocket launchers; Alex Mare trapped in a bronze jar, slowly dying from asphyxiation with pomegranate seeds at his feet.

"Nico did report him missing," Killian murmured. "Disappeared while they were in the underworld."

"What are the seeds?" Jason asked.

"They're a specialty of my sister's," Artemis said. "The seeds are a last-resort food. It used to be that only children of Hades could eat them, but she modified some and handed them out to close friends and allies."

"The giants are trying to lure us," Annabeth said. "They're assuming we'll try to rescue him."

"Well, they're right!" Aelin looked around the table, her confidence apparently crumbling. "Won't we?"

"Yes, we will," Killian said. "This is what the prophecy means. 'Twins hold Traitor's breath.' Alex is the traitor."

"Uh," Leo said, raising his hand. "If he's a traitor, why're we rescuing him? Isn't that, like, a bad thing?"

"He's not a traitor anymore," Lilly explained. "You remember us talking about the Titan War, how Kronos had a mortal host? Alex was that host, but he sent Kronos back to Tartarus. He would've died if Killian hadn't saved him."

"What's to say he won't betray us, though?" Jason asked. "You never trust a traitor."

"He won't," Killian said. "I'm sure."

"How can you be-"

"You dare question his word," Artemis snapped, eyes glowing. Jason paled.

"Easy, Arty," Aelin said, putting a hand on the goddess's shoulder. "He's never met Alex, so he doesn't know how much of a good person he is. He's just being wary."

Her eyes stopped glowing, but she still glared at the son of Jupiter. She crossed her arms. "Questioning him is like questioning me, boy. Do not do it again."

Jason nodded quickly.

"Uh..." Leo shifted in his chair. "One thing. The giants are expecting us to do this, right? So we're walking into a trap?"

Killian shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time. I remember having to go find Hades' sword in the underworld. That was a trap. I ended up fighting Iapetus next to the Lethe with Alex. He blasted the Titan with water from the river, wiping his memories."

From up above came a whirring sound like a large drill.

"That's Festus," Leo said. "He's my AI that I put on autopilot, but we must be nearing the Mediterranean. I'll have to get up there... uh, assuming we know where to go from there."

"You'll have to get past my step-brother, first," Artemis said, arms still crossed.

Everyone frowned.

Piper started to ask, "Who-" but was interrupted by a ship's horn-a blast so loud it literally shook a few of them out of their chairs. Leo's hair burst into flame, Jason popped with electricity, and Killian belched out a ball of fire. It sounded like it was coming from several hundred yards away-from another vessel.

They all rushed to get to the top deck. About a hundred yards to port, a massive cruise ship glided past. Tourists waved at them from fifteen or sixteen rows of balconies. Some smiled and took pictures. None of them looked surprised to see an Ancient Greek trireme. Maybe the Mist made it look like a fishing boat, or perhaps the cruisers thought the Argo II was a tourist attraction.