❦𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓒𝓻𝓲𝓶𝓮❦ - 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓬𝔂 𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼𝓸𝓷

𝒳𝒳𝐼𝐼. 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒟𝑜𝓃'𝓉 𝒢𝑒𝓉 𝒮𝓂𝑜𝓉𝑒 (𝒮𝓂𝒾𝓉𝑒𝒹? 𝒮𝓂𝒾𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓃?)

𝓣𝓱𝓮𝔂 circled over midtown Manhattan, making one complete orbit around Mount Olympus. No matter how many times she'd been there, Olympus amazed Zoe every time.

In the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colors, from blood-red to indigo. It was almost like no one ever slept on Olympus. The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or sedan chairs carried by Cyclopes. Winter didn't seem to exist that high in the sky. Zoe caught the scent of the gardens in full bloom, jasmine and roses and even sweeter things She couldn't name. Music drifted up from many windows, the soft sounds of lyres and reed pipes.

Towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods.

Their pegasi set them down in the outer courtyard, in front of huge silver gates. The gates opened by themselves as they approached, welcoming the demigods.

Blackjack and his friends flew off, leaving Thalia, Annabeth, Percy, and Zoe alone. For a minute they stood there regarding the palace, the way they'd stood together in front of Westover Hall, what seemed like a million years ago.

And then, side by side, they walked into the throne room.

Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations—even the newest one, Zoë Nightshade the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn.

All of the seats were occupied. Each god and goddess was about fifteen feet tall, and feeling a dozen all-powerful super-huge beings turn their eyes on her at once... Suddenly, facing monsters seemed like a picnic.

"Welcome, heroes," Artemis said.

"Mooo!"

That's when Zoe noticed Bessie and Grover.

A sphere of water was hovering in the center of the room, next to the hearth fire. Bessie was swimming happily around, swishing his serpent tail and poking his head out the sides and bottom of the sphere. In any other circumstance, Zoe might have laughed at the sight. He seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble. Grover was kneeling at Zeus's throne, as if he'd just been giving a report, but when he saw them, he cried, "You made it!"

He started to run toward them, then remembered he was turning his back on Zeus, and looked for permission.

"Go on," Zeus said. But he wasn't really paying attention to Grover. The lord of the sky was staring intently at Thalia.

Grover trotted over. None of the gods spoke. Every clop of Grover's hooves echoed on the marble floor. Bessie splashed in his bubble of water. The hearth fire crackled.

Zoe looked towards her mother, who was already smiling softly at her. The goddess, as always, shifted between the usual features. The two most prominent were the ones that reminded her of her dad and Pepper, along with one set of attributes that resembled the boy next to her a little too much to be a coincidence.

Grover gave Annabeth, Zoe, and Thalia big hugs. Then he grasped Percy's arms. "Percy, Bessie and I made it! But you have to convince them! They can't do it!"

"Do what?" the ravenette asked.

"Heroes," Artemis called.

The goddess slid down from her throne and turned to human size, a young auburn haired girl, perfectly at ease in the midst of the giant Olympians. She walked toward them, her silver robes shimmering. There was no emotion in her face. She seemed to walk in a column of moonlight.