The Veiled Legacy | PJO - Book Two

four

CUTE DINNERS BEFORE THE GAMES BEGIN

Percy and Nico shook hands. They studied each other warily. For some reason, Ariana didn't question that Nico was her brother - she felt like it was something she already knew.

She also didn't question Hazel being her sister. Ariana didn't know why; she just didn't.

Nico didn't appear scary. He was skinny and sloppy in his rumpled black clothes. His hair, as always, looked like he'd just rolled out of bed.

Ariana scowled. "I - I know you."

Percy nodded. "Same."

Nico raised his eyebrows. "Do you?"

He looked at Hazel for explanation. Hazel hesitated. Something about her brother's reaction wasn't right.

He was trying hard to act casual, but when he had first seen them, Ariana had noticed his momentary look of panic.

Nico already knew Percy and her. She was sure of it. Why was he pretending otherwise?

Hazel forced herself to speak. "Um .... Percy and Ariana lost their memory."

She told her brother what had happened since Percy and Ariana had arrived at the gates.

"So, Nico ..." she continued carefully, "I thought ... you know, you travel all over. Maybe you've met demigods like Percy and Ariana before, or ..."

Nico's expression turned as dark as Tartarus. Ariana got the message: Drop it.

"This story about Gaia's army." Nico said. "You warned Reyna?"

Percy nodded. "Who is Gaia, anyway?"

"She's the earth goddess." Nico glanced at the ground as if it might be listening. "The oldest goddess of all. She's in a deep sleep most of the time, but she hates the gods and their children."

"Mother Earth . is evil?" Percy asked.

"Very." Nico said gravely. "She convinced her son, the Titan Kronos - um, I mean, Saturn - to kill his dad, Uranus, and take over the world. The Titans ruled for a long time. Then the Titans' children, the Olympian gods, overthrew them."

"That story seems familiar." Ariana sounded surprised, like an old memory had partially surfaced. "But I don't think I ever heard the part about Gaia."

Nico shrugged. "She got mad when the gods took over. She took a new husband - Tartarus, the spirit of the abyss - and gave birth to a race of giants. They tried to destroy Mount Olympus, but the gods finally beat them. At least ... the first time."

"The first time?" Percy repeated.

Nico glanced at Hazel.

"Last summer." Nico continued, "Saturn tried to make a comeback. There was a second Titan war. The Romans at Camp Jupiter stormed his headquarters on Mount Othrys, across the bay, and destroyed his throne. Saturn disappeared -" He hesitated, watching Ariana's and Percy's face.

"Um, anyway." Nico continued, "Saturn probably faded back to the abyss. We all thought the war was over. Now it looks like the Titans' defeat stirred up Gaia. She's starting to wake. Ive heard reports of giants being reborn. If they mean to challenge the gods again, they'll probably start by destroying the demigods ..."

"You've told Reyna this?" Ariana asked.

"Of course." Nico's jaw tensed. "The
Romans don't trust me. That's why I was hoping she'd listen to you, Percy. Children of Pluto ... well, no offence, but they think were even worse than children of Neptune. We're bad luck."