LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE . . . pjo

XXVI.

FORTUNATELY, BLACKJACK WAS on duty.

Percy whistled, and within a few minutes two dark shapes circled out of the sky. They looked like hawks at first, but as they descended Mia could make out the long galloping legs of pegasi.

Blackjack landed at a trot, his friend Porkpie right behind him.

"Thanks for coming," Percy told Blackjack. "Hey, why do pegasi gallop as they fly, anyway?"

Blackjack whinnied. Mia exchanged an exasperated look with Annabeth.

"We need to get to the Williamsburg Bridge," Percy said.

Blackjack lowered his neck, and they hopped on and flew away.

They saw the battle before they were close enough to make out individual fighters. It was well after midnight now, but the bridge blazed with light. Cars were burning. Arcs of fire streamed in both directions as flaming arrows and spears sailed through the air.

They came in for a low pass, and Mia saw the Apollo campers retreating. They would hide behind cars and snipe at the approaching army, setting off explosive arrows and dropping caltrops in the road, building fiery barricades wherever they could, dragging sleeping drivers out of their cars to get them out of harm's way. But the enemy kept advancing. An entire phalanx of dracaenae marched in the lead, their shields locked together, spear tips bristling over the top. An occasional arrow would connect with their snaky trunks, or a neck, or a chink in their armor, and the unlucky snake woman would disintegrate, but most of the Apollo arrows glanced harmlessly off their shield wall. About a hundred more monsters marched behind them.

Hellhounds leaped ahead of the line from time to time. Most were destroyed with arrows, but one got hold of an Apollo camper and dragged him away. Mia didn't see what happened to him next, but his life force fizzled out. Yikes.

"There!" Annabeth called from the back of her pegasus.

Sure enough, in the middle of the invading legion was the Minotaur.

Mia had never seen him — she hadn't been there when Percy had fought him — but he looked pretty intimidating. From the waist down, he wore standard Greek battle gear — a kiltlike apron of leather and metal flaps, bronze greaves covering his legs, and tightly wrapped leather sandals. His top was all bull — hair and hide and muscle leading to a head so large he should've toppled over just from the weight of his horns. He was at least ten feet tall. A double-bladed axe was strapped to his back, but he was too impatient to use it. As soon as he saw Percy circling overhead, he bellowed and picked up a white limousine.

"Blackjack, dive!" Percy yelled.

Mia yelped and ducked behind Percy as the limo came sailing toward them.

Annabeth and Porkpie swerved madly to the left, while Blackjack tucked in his wings and plunged. The limo sailed over Mia's head, missing by maybe four inches. It cleared the suspension lines of the bridge and fell toward the East River.

Monsters jeered and shouted, and the Minotaur picked up another car.

"Drop us behind the lines with the Apollo cabin," Percy told Blackjack. "Stay in earshot but get out of danger!"

Blackjack swooped down behind an overturned school bus, where a couple of campers were hiding. Percy, Annabeth, and Mia leaped off as soon as their pegasi's hooves touched the pavement. Then Blackjack and Porkpie soared into the night sky.

Michael Yew ran up to them. He was definitely the shortest commando Mia had ever seen. He had a bandaged cut on his arm. His ferrety face was smeared with soot and his quiver was almost empty, but he was smiling like he was having a great time.