Gnossienne (Book 1)

Chaoter 26

I turned back round to Percy, confused. Percy's eyes widened as if he had just realised something horrible. He slung it off his shoulder and unzipped it. Inside was a sixty-centimetre-long metal cylinder, spiked at both ends, humming with energy.

"Percy," Annabeth said. "How -"

"I - I don't know. I don't understand."

"Is wasn't in there whole time, right?" I asked. Annabeth had taken out some Oreos on the first night Ares gave it to us. She would've have noticed it... right?

"You hero's are always the same," Hades said. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus' master bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now... my helmet. Where is it?"

We were all speechless. We had all been played. Of course the god who set us up wanted a war between the gods. That was his job.

"Lord Hades, wait!" Percy cried. "This is all a mistake!"

"A mistake?" Hades roared.

The skeletons aimed their weapons. From high above, there was a fluttering of leathery wings, and the three Furies swooped down to perch on the back of their master's throne. Mrs Dodds grinned at us, licking her lips and flicked her whip, eagerly.

"There is no mistake," Hades said. "I know why you have come here - the real reason you have come here. You came to bargain for her."

Hades loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of us, and there was our mother, frozen in a shower of gold, just as she was at the moment when the Minotaur began to squeeze her to death.

"Mom!" I cried and reached out to grab her, but the light was hot as a bonfire. I hissed and jumped back, cradling my hand.

"Yes," Hades said with satisfaction. "I took her. I knew, children, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helmet, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change."

My mind flickered to the pears Percy had. They could get us out of this, but we were one short. One of us could stay behind, but I couldn't ask any of them for that.

"Ah, the pearls." Hades said and my heart dropped. "Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."

Percy did as he was told, although his face told me it was against his will.

"Only four." Hades tutted. "What a shame. You do realise each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms."

Percy and I looked at Annabeth and Grover. Theirs faces were grim.

"We were tricked." Percy muttered. "Set up."

"Yes, but why?" Annabeth whispered.

"I don't know yet." Percy said. "But I intend to ask."

"Decide, children!" Hades yelled.

"I'll stay." They all looked at me.

"What? No, Cassie!" Percy argued.

Grover put his hand on my shoulder. "You can't give him the bolt. Leave me here. Use the fourth pearl on your mom."

"No!" We argued.

"I'm a satyr." Grover reasoned. "We don't have souls like humans do. He can't torture me until I die, but he won't get me forever. I'll just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It's the best way."

"No," Annabeth drew her bronze knife. "You three go on. Grover, you have to protect Percy and Cassie. You have to get your searcher's licence and start you quest for Pan. Get their mom out of here. I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting."

"No way!" Grover said. "I'm staying behind."

"Think again, goat-boy."

"Neither of you are staying!" I snapped. "I am in no condition to keep moving. I'll just slow you down. Percy, you get mom. Grover, protect Percy. Annabeth," I paused and looked into her stormy grey eyes. "You remember what we talked about in the zoo transport?" Annabeth's eyes widened. "You tell Luke for me, okay?"

"Stop it, all of you!" We all looked to Percy. He had a grim look on his face. "I know what to do." He handed us each a pearl.

"But, Percy..." Annabeth said.

Percy turned and faced our mother, tears in his eyes.

"No!" I muttered. I stood next to him. "Percy, we can't just -"

"Think about it, Cassie. What would she want?" My lip wobbled. I shook my head. "She'd want us to leave her. She would never forgive us if we saved her."

"We'll come back." I promised Percy. He nodded.

"We'll find a way."

The smug face on Hades faded. "Godlings...?"

"I'll find your helmet, Uncle." Percy told him. "I'll return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise."

"Do not defy me -"

"And play with Cerberus more. He likes red rubber balls." I added.

"Percy and Cassie Jackson, you will not -"

Percy shouted, "Now, guys!"

We smashed the pearls at our feet. For a terrible moment, nothing happened.

Hades yelled, "Destroy them!"

Just as the skeletons opened fire, the pearls exploded at our feet with a burst of green light and a gush of fresh sea wind. I was encased in a milky white sphere, which was starting to float off the ground. The others were right behind me.

Spears and bullets bounced harmlessly off the pearl bubbles as we floated up. Hades yelled with such rage, the entire fortress shook. It was not going to be a peaceful night in L.A.

"Look up!" Grover cried. "We're going to crash!"

Sure enough, we were racing right towards the stalactites, which I hoped wouldn't pop our bubbles and skewer us.

We screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and... darkness?

I could still feel the racing sensation. We were going up, right through solid rock as easily as an air bubble in water.

What belongs to the sea will always return to the sea.

My pearl broke through the ocean floor and we all rocketed upward through the water. We exploded on the surface, in the middle of Los Angeles Bay, knocking off a surfer on his board.

I gasped as the water surrounded me. Energy flowed into me and all the cuts I had gained ebbed away until there was nothing left.

Percy grabbed Grover as I helped Annabeth over to a lifebuoy. A curious shark was circling us, a great white, about three metres long.

"Beat it!" I ordered and the shark turned and race away.

The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddles away from us as fast as he could.

It was early morning of June 21st, the day of the summer solstice.

In the distance, Los Angeles was on fire, plumes of smoke  rising from neighbourhoods all over the city. There had been an earthquake, and I was willing to bet it was Hades fault.

But that wasn't our biggest problem right now.

We had to get to shore, return Zeus' thunderbolt back to Olympus. And me and Percy needed a serious conversation with the god who'd tricked us.