Death's Favorite -Clarisse La Rue-

"Beneath the throne where lost ones kneel,
A broken oath shall break the seal.
The sea must drown, the war must bleed,
And death must face her father's need.
Three descend where four return,
While nameless fires beneath them burn.
Before the final soul is crossed,
Choose what lives-and what stays lost."

Silence followed.

Real silence.

Even the woods beyond the pavilion seemed to stop moving.

Then Rachel collapsed.

Percy caught her before she hit the floor.

Chiron hurried forward, ordering campers to give them space, while Mr. D remained seated at the head table with a Diet Coke suspended halfway to his mouth.

"Well," the god said eventually. "That sounded unpleasant."