The Second Jackson- Piper McLean book 1

The Fall of A Giant

Frank

I was so stunned that Hazel had to yell my name a dozen times before I realized Alcyoneus was getting up again.

I slammed the shield into the giant's nose until Alcyoneus began to snore. Meanwhile the glacier kept crumbling, the edge getting closer and closer.

Thanatos glided toward us on his black wings, his expression serene.

"Ah, yes," he said with satisfaction. "There go some souls. Drowning, drowning. You'd best hurry, my friends, or you'll drown too"

"But Lani, Percy..." I could barely speak either twin's name. "Are they-?"

"Too soon to tell. As for this one..." Thanatos looked down at Alcyoneus with distaste. "You'll never kill him here. You know what to do?"

I nodded numbly. "I think so"

"Than our business is complete."

Hazel and I exchanged nervous looks.

"Um..." Hazell faltered. "You mean you won't... you're not going to-"

"Claim your life?" Thanatos asked. "Well, let's see..."

He pulled a pure-black iPad from thin air. Death tapped the screen a few times, and all I could think was: Please don't let there be an app for reaping souls.

"I don't see you on the list" Thanatos said. "Pluto gives me specific orders for escaped souls, you see. For some reason, he has not issued a warrant for yours. Perhaps he feels your life is not finished, or it could be an oversight. If you'd like me to call and ask-"

"No!" Hazel yelped. "That's okay."

"Are you sure?" Death asked helpfully. "I have video-conferencing enabled. I have his Skype address here somewhere..."

"Really, no." Hazel looked as if several thousand pounds of worry had just been lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you"

"Urgg" Alcyoneus mumbled.

I hit him over the head again.

Death looked up from his iPad. "As for you Frank Zhang, it isn't your time either. You've got a little fuel left to burn. But don't think I'm doing either of you a favor. We will meet again under less pleasant circumstances"

The cliff was still crumbling, the edge only twenty feet away now. Arion whinnied impatiently. I knew we had to leave, but there was one more question I had to ask.

"What about the Doors of Death?" I said. "Where are they? How do we close them?"

"Ah, yes" A look of irritation flickered across Thanatos's face. "The Doors of Me. Closing them would be good, but I fear it is beyond my power. How you would do it, I haven't the faintest idea. I can't tell you exactly where they are. The location isn't... well, it's not entirely a physical place. They must be located through questing. I can tell you to start your search in Rome. The original Rome. You will need a special guide. Only one sort of demigod can read the signs that will ultimately lead you to the Doors of Me"

Cracks appeared in the ice under our feet. Hazel patter Arion's neck to keep him from bolting.

"What about my brother?" she asked. "Is Nico alive?"

Thanatos gave her a strange look- possibly pity, though that didn't seem like an emotion Death would understand. "You will find the answer in Rome. And now I must fly south to your camp Jupiter. I have a good feeling there will be many souls to reap, very soon. Farewell, demigods, until we meet again."

Thanatos dissipated into black smoke.

The cracks widened in the ice under my feet.

"Hurry!" I told Hazel. "We've got to take Alcyoneus about ten miles due north!"