Ivy Pittaluga had always made a solemn vow to keep her distance from Percy Jackson, determined to keep her world separate from the camp hero.
However, she realizes that fate has a mischievous plan in store for her. Suddenly thrown together as unlik...
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We trudged toward the heart of Tartarus. The ground glistened a nauseating purple, pulsing with webs of the veins. In the dim red light of the blood clouds, Death Mist Percy looked like a freshly risen zombie. I tried my best to ignore it, knowing I probably looked the same. Fear gnawed at my stomach that we may be stuck as Death Mist Percy and Ivy back on the mortal world...if we even made it that far.
Spread to the horizon was an army of monsters. Thousands, if not more, monsters milled restlessly around, pressing against one another, growling and fighting for space. Flocks of arai, tribes of cyclopses, and clusters of floating evil spirits were the few of many I was able to identify right away.
Bob led us toward the edge of the army. He made no effort to hide. About thirty yards from the nearest monsters, Bob turned to face Percy.
"Stay quiet and stay behind me." He advised. "They will not notice you."
"We hope." Percy muttered.
I slipped my hand into his. Small Bob woke up from his nap on Bob's shoulder. He purred seismically and arched his back, turning skeletal then back to calico. I glanced at Percy's and my intertwined hands.
"Bob, if we're invisible..." I struggled to put my thoughts into words. "How can you see us? I mean, you're technically, you know..."
"Yes." Bob said. "But we are friends."
"Nyx and her children could see us." I mentioned.
"That was in Nyx's realm." Bob shrugged. "That is different."
"Right..." I trailed off.
"Well, at least we won't have to worry about bumping into any other friends in this crowd." Percy stared at the swarm of monsters.
"Yes, that is good news!" Bob grinned. "Now, let's go. Death is close."
"How about we refer to it as Doors or Doors of Death, 'kay?" I asked.
We plunged into the crowd. Percy trembled and I tightened my hold on his hand. I wasn't doing any better. My own hands were shaking.
A few feet away, a group of empousai tore into the carcass of a gryphon while other gryphons flew around them, squeaking in outrage. An Earthborn and Laistrygian giant pummeled each other with rocks. A dark wood of smoke seeped into a cyclops, made the monster hit himself in the face, then drifted off to posses another victim. An eidolon. Then someone caught my eye.
"Percy look." I whispered to him.
A guy in a cowboy outfit was cracking a whip at some fire-breathing horses. Geryon. If he was here, how many of other old enemies were in this crowd? My eyes drifted across the crowd, trying to see who else I could identify. Then my eyes caught Percy's. He wore a grimace, or maybe a grin, with a twinkle in his sunken eyes.
"What's wrong?" I whispered. "You okay?"
"Nothing." Percy said. "I was just-"
"IAPETUS!" a deep voice bellowed from somewhere in front of us.
