“I’ll admit you make a good pitch, Mr. Castellan.” The portly man admitted. “There’s a ship docked at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal—the Princess Andromeda. You’ll find it rather hard to miss, I’m sure. If you can prove your ability to…execute this, we may work on a further deal.”

  Luke’s fingers twitched in annoyance, but he forced out the words anyway. “Thank you. Now, the papers?”

  The man smiled in a way that made Luke feel slimy. “The end of the western civilization by the hands of the titans brought back from a thousand pieces. I must say, you are quite the speaker, Mr. Castellan. Is that how so many have joined your cause? Have you filled their heads with the same glorious ideas, the brilliant lies of revenge and a better future?”

  “They are not lies. ” Luke tried to keep his voice even, only leveling a small glare at the salesman. “I am not like the gods. This is the only path to a better future for half-bloods. You must understand that.”

  Behind the portly man in purple, a man dressed like a sailor made a noise suspiciously like a chuckle. “Oh, we do. Why be satisfied with good when you can have something better? I believe you have a lot of potential, Mr. Castellan.”

  The man’s tone sent shivers up Luke’s back, and Luke tried to ignore the nervous sweat forming on his own neck. He almost felt like he was standing in front of Ares again, defeated and under the complete mercy of someone so much more powerful. “If we are done here…”

  “Ah, right. Commodus.” The man in purple flicked his hand, and the absurdly beefy man next to him placed papers into his hand, neatly clipped.

  “I wish you luck on your journey to the Sea of Monsters.” He offered the papers to Luke, with all the authority of an emperor. “We will watch your progress with much interest. To fertilize the ground for the future, you must burn it down in flames first.”

  Despite his agreement with such a sentiment, Luke didn’t like that look in the boat seller’s eyes. He averted eye contact, focusing on the man’s tacky gold chains, ugly leather-tooled shoes, and stupid-looking neckbeard. “Understood, Mr. Germanicus.”

  The casual sneer was still on the man’s face after Luke took the papers. They treated him like an aggressive puppy, willing to indulge him in his cute little plans. He hated being reliant on these people, but Luke had no choice.

  “Goodbye, Mr. Castellan.” The trio unnerved Luke, they really did. And even though he would never admit it, they probably knew that. “I do so hope our investment in you pays off.”

  Luke left the building as quickly as he could. Not because he was afraid, no. He told himself it was simply because there was no time to waste. He found the cruise ship with ease, its deck already filled with Dracanae prowling on guard. The golden sarcophagus glowed hungrily as Luke’s monsters began carrying it up the boat, and a voice hissed in his mind, uncaring of his discomfort.

  Find the Fleece, Luke.

  Find it, and it will bring me back to life.

  Then you will have what you want.

  Do not fail again.

  DO NOT FAIL.

  FIND IT. FIND IT. FIND IT.

  In the chaos that was the life of a demigod, it wasn’t surprising that Jason couldn’t remember every time he was attacked by monsters out of the blue, hired by gods for random errands, or some other ridiculous event. There was just too much that had happened over the years that it blurred together, fading into the back of his mind.

  And apparently, the Fates decided he needed a rude awakening. Thanks to his forgetfulness, Jason and Piper sprinted through the streets of Elmwood, Berkeley, chased by a swarm of angry, divine bees.

  Unfortunately, it made just as much sense in context.

  “You know, this was not what I had in mind for our first date!” Piper yelled as they pushed past pedestrians.

  Jason didn’t have the breath (or an excuse) to respond, ignoring the annoyed shouts and looks from the bystanders. He was more focused on the malicious buzz of the bees, who completely ignored the mortals to focus their charge solely on the demigods.

  Figures.

  Jason held out his hand to Piper, and she grabbed it without hesitation. “Hold on!”

  A sharp gust of wind launched them into the air, carrying the two up the side of a building. They landed on the rooftop of an apartment complex and kept running, the angry hum of the swarm still close enough to hear.

  “Jump!”

  They leaped off the roof, Jason’s grip on Piper’s hand tightening in focus. He let the wind glide them safely down to the ground, and Piper pulled him into an alleyway as soon as they touched down. Her face was flushed, probably from running, and her hair was messy from the wind. She glared at him with her sparkling eyes like she was about to slap him.

  Gods, Piper was beautiful.

  “Sorry.” Jason tore his gaze away to look up and around, finding no bees. They had shaken them for the time being, thankfully. “I can’t believe I forgot about them.”

  Piper took a deep breath, sounding exasperated. “So, the one day you get a break from a legion, a bunch of monster bees decide to attack you?”

  “They’re not monsters.” Jason felt obligated to point out. “They’re godly bees. The personal servants of Aristaios, god of beekeeping.”

  She didn’t look any less annoyed. “So the gods are messing with us? Again?”

  “Pretty much.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Pipes. I really thought we could enjoy today, together.”

  Piper’s expression softened, and she nudged him gently. “It’s okay. It’ll be just like old times. We’re experts at this kind of stuff now, don’t you think?”

  Jason snorted, raising his head to look at Piper. She was taller than him, with both of them twelve years old. It was before he had hit his growth spurt, and Jason would be lying if he said it didn’t make him feel a little awkward. “So much for a fresh start. We’re back to bonding over life-or-death situations.”

  “We’re demigods. We don’t get nice things. The best we can do is…make a good memory, at least.” Piper tried to smile, but Jason knew she was hiding her disappointment. “Now, do you know how to get rid of these divine murder-bees?”

  At this point, it was kind of sad how that question wasn’t even strange to Jason. He tried to remember how he dealt with this last time. “The bees are sacred to Aristaios. We can’t kill them, or he’ll get mad.”

  “What happened last time?”

  “We killed them.”

  “Bummer.”

  Jason glanced up again, mentally preparing himself for an ambush from the bees. They would find them soon, he knew. They always did. “We have to find Aristaios. He’ll be able to tell us what to do.”

  “Where? Oh, wait, let me guess.” Piper rolled her eyes. “He has a secret temple that’s disguised as a beekeeping apiary?”

  “...Cheese shop was my second guess, you know.”

  “Mmhmm.” Jason didn’t try to argue; he was too busy plucking the barbed bee stingers out of his arm.

  After making sure the coast was clear of any bees, they entered the building, with the smell of cheese being the first thing that Jason noticed. He remembered Percy saying that demigods smelled like buttered toast to monsters…maybe the cheese smell would mask and hide them for a while.

  The bakery looked like any normal cheese shop, though it wasn’t like Jason had been to any to compare with. At the cashier's desk sat a mortal woman who was the only other person in the shop. She stared at them while they stood at the entrance silently, and Jason fidgeted awkwardly. He quickly turned away to stare at the fascinating arrays of cheese, trying to act natural, and Piper soon joined him in marveling at the wonders of dairy.

  Through the corner of her mouth, she whispered back, “What do we do? Is that a monster?”

  “Uh…don’t think so. But we have to get to the back, somehow.” Jason side-eyed the cashier, who had returned to staring at her phone. Behind her was the door he knew led to Aristaios’ lair. “If we can convince her to let us go in…”

  Piper raised an eyebrow at him.

  “Oh, right.”

  They walked to the cashier, and the woman looked up at them with a fake smile. “Already done shopping?”

  Her eyes glanced down at their very empty hands. Jason gestured at Piper, prompting her to plaster on her own fake smile. “Oh, we were just curious about all these types of…cheese. Could you explain to us how they’re all prepared?”

  The woman raised an eyebrow. “Um, that all happens in the back. I’m just the cashier, little girl.”

  Piper clasped her hands pleadingly. “Oh, then could you please let us in there? It would be so cool if I could see the cheese being made!”

  “Right…” The cashier faltered, her unfocused eyes turning to Jason. “B-both of you?”

  “Yes, of course! It’s our first date.” Piper assured in her most convincing voice. “Learning about the secrets of cheesemaking together; isn’t it the most romantic thing you’ve ever heard?”

  Jason thought she was laying it a little too thick at this point, but it seemed to work. The mortal woman nodded agreeably. “I guess I can let you in…”

  “Oh, thank you so much!” Piper smiled sweetly.

  “Just through this door.”

  She ushered them into the back area, through the door labeled ‘EMPLOYEES ONLY’ in big red letters. Jason knew what to expect, but his breath still caught when they entered Aristaios’ secret lair. If not just for how impressive this building was, then for how weird it was.

  Light streamed through tinted glass windows, shining upon rows and rows of cheese. Many were lined on metal tables, but there were also old-fashioned wooden barrels and shelves stacked with wheels of cheese, lining the walls next to little statues and altars of Aristaios. Several workers molded cheese in their ancient-looking wooden contraptions, side-by-side with high-tech machines churning milk into curds. The whole room was like a crude mix of a modern factory and an ancient cheesemaking temple.

  Piper looked around the room, looking unsure of how to react. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. Are you sure he’s here?”

  Jason nodded, pointing at the far end of the room. At the foot of the largest altar in the center, a man in blue jeans and a Roman toga stood with his back turned to them.

  “He’s the god of cheesemaking and beekeeping.” Jason recounted. “With his bees out chasing demigods, I guess he has more time to focus on all...this.”

  “Hm. Drew would have a field day if she saw what he’s wearing.”

  Jason decided not to point out that he himself had worn the same outfit before. They walked past the cheesemaking to reach the god, who didn’t seem to notice them. Jason cleared his throat pointedly, but he still didn’t turn around.

  “Um, Lord Aristaios.” Jason began. “We’re here for–”

  “STOP!” His voice echoed throughout the theater-sized room, and every man and machine stopped what they were doing in an instant. The god tilted his head dramatically into the air, inhaling the powerful scent of cheese. “I want to talk about cheese!”

  Piper took a step back. “...Sorry?”

  “Isn’t that what you godlings are here for?” He spun around with a wild smile on his face. “A young couple sightseeing the wonders of cheese for their first date! Finally, someone who appreciates the romantic elements of cheese!”

  “Er, right.” Jason rubbed his neck. Maybe it was because Aristaios was the god of so many random things, as his personality could be a bit…unpredictable. “Romantic. That’s exactly what I think of first when cheese is brought up.”

  Like most gods, Aristaios didn’t seem to understand sarcasm. With delighted (and slightly manic) eyes, the god said, “Exactly! Too few people understand it these days. Like, why would you marry the best musician in the world if you could marry a cheese god?”

  “‘Best musician in the world?’” Piper echoed, her eyes narrowing. “You mean Orpheus?”

  “Pah! Don’t speak his name.” Like a switch had been flicked, Aristaios hunched and brooded moodily. “What did she see in him, seriously?! What’s the reason?”

  “For not marrying a cheese god. I’m sure she made a terrible mistake.” Jason agreed.

  Piper snapped her fingers in realization. “Wait, you’re talking about Eurydice. She was Orpheus’ wife.”

  “But she was my love. From day one, she had my heart and soul. All I wanted was to be with her forever and ever.” Jason withheld a sigh. His romantic lines were still as cheesy as he remembered.

  “Think of what I could have provided her!” Aristaios continued to lament. “Honey and cheese for life! The best crafts of the market! A priority reservation to the Cheesecake Factory!”

  Piper muttered something along the lines of being chased into a pit of poisonous snakes. Jason didn’t want to provoke the god, but he was starting to get a little impatient. He had to stop Aristaios’ ranting before it got any worse, or the god would begin rambling about his other (and somehow even less successful) romantic exploits. If Jason had to listen to one more of the god’s failed attempts to woo women with camembert…

  He raised his voice, trying to interrupt Aristaios’ teenage breakup phase. “That’s very sad, Lord Aristaios, but we need your help.”

  The god perked up with both eyebrows raised, seemingly over his depression in an instant. “Oh? Are your honeybees dealing with pests? Is your cheese molding too quickly?”

  “Um, nothing like that. It’s just, we’ve been chased by a swarm of divine bees lately.” Jason explained, holding back a relieved breath. “We were wondering if you had anything to do with it.”

  Aristaios huffed slightly, looking disappointed. “Not cheese? Pah. They’re probably my bees, I guess. What’s it to you?”

  “Uh…”

  “As we said, they’re hostile and keep chasing us.” Piper jumped in. “We need a way to calm them down or get them to stop attacking us. As the great god of beekeeping, you can help, right?”

  Aristaios chuckled bashfully, his chest puffing out slightly. “Well, of course I can! To start, the bees aren’t naturally hostile. They’re simply upset.”

  Thank you, Captain Obvious. Jason wanted to roll his eyes, but he carefully kept his expression carefully neutral. “And why are they upset?”

  Suddenly, Aristaios deflated and gave a heavy sigh. “A tale as old as time, really. God meets nymph. God and nypmh fall in love. God divorces nymph and remarries. Nymph gets mad and curses his bees to eternal torment and death.”

  Jason blinked slowly. This was the actually first time he had heard this explanation. Aristaios had put 100% of the blame on the demigods for the bees’ temperament last time since they had killed a few. But if the bees were already dying in the first place, why had the god been so mad at them last time for accidentally killing them in self-defense?

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Maybe it was the concept of it all; just using the demigod as a scapegoat. Or more likely Aristaios was just a little cuckoo.

  “So they’re lashing out? On us specifically?”

  “Why, yes! Heroes are easy targets, after all.” Aristaios cheerfully explained.

  Piper’s smile was a little strained now. “Can’t you heal them? That would get them to stop chasing us, right?”

  “Oh, no. It’s a very powerful curse. Easier to just let them all die and make more later.” The god shrugged. “Of course, the bees don’t know that. So they’re letting out all their anger before they pass.”

  “You say that like they have thoughts and feelings.” Jason said.

  Aristaios looked offended. “Well, of course they do! You have no idea of the sentience in the beings of this world, Son of Rome.”

  That thought was more than a little unnerving. Jason tried not to think about the presence of emotions and feelings in all the monsters he had killed over the years. If they had sensible thoughts deeper than ‘kill demigods’, what would they be thinking as they were killed over and over again? How many were suffering in Tartarus, cursing Jason to a death just like their own?

  “What if you made more right now?” Jason quickly said, pushing the mental image away. “Would that calm them down?”

  Aristaios looked surprised. He thought about it for a moment. “It might, I suppose. It would allow them to rest in peace. Save me some trouble, too. They avoid me when they’re angry and cause all kinds of trouble for the beekeeping community.”

  “So just make more now.” Piper offered. “It’s a win-win.”

  The god smirked like he knew something they didn’t. “It’s not that simple. These aren’t just normal bees that I can easily create.”

  “Right, right, there’s a ritual.” Jason rushed, not in the mood for any more of Aristaios’ long-winded rants. “In the old myths, you faced a similar problem. The nymphs cursed your bees since you caused the death of Eurydice.”

  “That was not my fault!” Aristaios objected hotly.

  Jason ignored him. “You sacrificed bulls and cows to the gods at the suggestion of your mother Cyrene, and later you found a swarm of bees inside one of their carcasses.”

  “Correct.” Aristaios looked irked but nodded anyway. “Find me a bull, and I can make more bees. Oh, and it has to be a special cow, too. No run-on-the-mill bovine will do.”

  Piper looked a little queasy at the discussion of cows. “Where are we supposed to find a ‘special’ cow?”

  The god guffawed, locking eyes with Jason. “You’re the Champion of Juno. You tell me!”

  “How did you…?” Piper faltered, exchanging a glance with Jason.

  He sighed and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache start to rise. He had really been hoping for an easier time solving the bee issue, but things frustratingly played out the same way in the end. “Fine. We’ll get a special bull for you, and you’ll make more bees to get the others to calm down.”

  Aristaios looked at them up and down appraisingly. “How confident. Very well, son of Rome. Find a special bovine for me. If you succeed, the bees will bother you no more.”

  “And if you don’t…” The god shrugged. “Then we’ll just have to see if you can outlive the bees.”

  “Uh oh. Big uh oh.” Leo whispered.

  Next to him, a beefy 14-year-old girl stammered in disbelief and anger. “Is that–it’s–who would–”

  Camp Half-Blood was well into the late months of spring. The strawberries were in their budding season, the birds were singing in the air, and Thalia’s pine tree would be thriving in the air of May.

  Or at least, it should have been.

  Instead, a pile of dead pine needles ringed the tree's base. The ones still on the tree were yellow and drooping weakly. In the center of the trunk was a puncture mark the size of a bullet hole that oozed an ugly green sap.

  Thalia’s tree had been poisoned. It was dying.

  “Who would dare!” Clarisse cursed in Ancient Greek, slashing her spear at the grass as she paced back and forth. “Who could have done this?!”

  “A traitor.” Leo muttered. “Someone who tried to cause war and destruction for Olympus already.”

  Clarisse stopped, her dark boar-like eyes narrowing. “You mean Luke.”

  Her trademark vicious sneer spread across her face, and she began pacing back and forth again, muttering about creative ways to dismember the son of Hermes. Leo drowned it out, trying to focus on the tree.

  “I haven’t been here very long. What would happen if Thalia’s tree dies?” Leo asked.

  Clarisse grimaced. “Tch. Probably bring down the camp borders. We’d get overrun by monsters if that happens. He’d want that, the little rat.”

  Leo studied the puncture wound in the bark again. If only the tree was mechanical so he could help, but no, it was a tree. Not just a tree, but a magic one too. Completely out of his element. “We should tell Chiron. Maybe he can come up with an antidote.”

  He started to stand but immediately fell back down when the whole hill shook, making both demigods stumble. “What–”

  It shuddered again, as if something was violently slamming into the hill. “Down there!”

  Leo looked where Clarisse was pointing, down the other end of the hill. He wished he hadn’t.

  A pure black creature larger than an elephant slammed its three horns against the invisible barrier, causing the ground to shake like an earthquake. It had a horse’s head filled with jagged sharp teeth, which Leo suspected had no problem chewing down demigods. Behind them, Thalia’s tree glowed dimmer as it tried to keep the monster out, its weakening power working overtime.

  “It’s going to break through!” Leo shouted over the quake.

  Of course, as soon as he said that, the barrier bent like a blanket from the creature’s weight, the monster pushing through like it was nothing but a strong wind. It entered the border, dropping into a crouch like a lion ready to pounce. Its wide red eyes were fixed on them like pools of blood, and Leo fought the urge to scream.

  “Kill!” Clarisse, as if not realizing this monster was the size of a small truck, immediately charged.

  The beast clawed its way up the hill, snorting madly. Its three horns aimed forward like a triceratops, ready to skewer anything and anyone in its way. For something so big, it was moving frighteningly fast, and even though Clarisse was wearing a breastplate and helmet (she always wore armor, 24/7), it probably wouldn’t do much against that charge.

  Leo’s whole body trembled at the sight of the monster, and every instinct told him to run. However, Leo had learned to block out those instincts a long time ago. And he couldn’t leave Clarisse alone. Leo reached inside his tool belt and pulled out one of his magic grenades.

  After getting to Camp Half-Blood with a head start, Leo decided to do some real hero training for once. He tried swordfighting and spearfighting, both of which Clarisse bluntly told him he was hopeless at. He dabbled in archery, which even Chiron admitted ‘he may not have the aptitude for such a weapon’ (Leo had disappointed enough teachers to know that meant he was the worst the centaur had ever seen).

  He’d even tried the few guns in the armory, hoping his mechanical skills would help. Unfortunately, Hephaestus didn’t give him any skills in aiming, and even if he did, Chiron probably would have cut him off anyway after the third shotgun blew up in his face.

  Leo just happened to set off the gunpowder, it wasn’t on purpose!

  But clearly, Leo had to stick to his expertise. So, he spent most of his time building all sorts of gadgets, tools, and weapons; he even weaved magic into some of them. And though he didn’t have Archimedes' sphere, Leo still remembered enough to cook up some nice toys. His favorite were the grenades, and this one in particular was nasty.

  “Clarisse!”

  Though she was definitely crazy, no one could deny the girl was brave. Without hesitation, Clarrise pole-vaulted into the air with her spear as the monster gorged its horns into the ground where she had been standing. As it snorted in confusion, she expertly landed on its back and stabbed her electric spear at the creature's rhino-like hide.

  The monster growled in annoyance like it had been stung like a bee. It flung Clarisse off like she was a bug, which wasn’t a bad comparison when seeing how big the thing was. That beast could swallow them whole if it wanted to.

  “Grenade! Cover!” Leo shouted, and trusting Clarisse would oblige, he pulled the pin and lobbed the grenade at the beast.

  Thankfully, the daughter of Ares had been thrown away by the monster, and she had already rolled to a safe distance. The grenade landed a little short thanks to Leo’s weak arm, but it was still close enough. The bomb detonated violently, but the force immediately reversed, pulling the monster forward like a black hole to land right atop the bomb. The beast face-planted into the ground, abruptly brought to its knees by the grenade’s suction force.

  “It worked!” Leo pumped a fist triumphantly.

  The monster thrashed and struggled, trying to break free from the gravity well under it. Leo took the opportunity to start throwing hammers and saws at the thing. Most of his tools only irritated it, but he couldn’t help but laugh victoriously when a two-foot-long pipe wrench slammed into the middle of its horse head, rattling its eyes. And just to add salt to the wound, they also stuck on the monster’s body like magnets, pulled in by the force of Leo’s grenade.

  “Electric spear!” Leo called to Clarisse.

  Thankfully, she understood. With a battle cry worthy of Achilles, Clarisse threw her spear with all her force. It soared in a beautiful arc, stabbing through the monster’s thick black hide. Electricity ran through its body and the metal tools connected to it, leaving it to shudder and spasm violently as it went through an abrupt electrocution.

  She ran back up the hill to Leo, with a look of grudging respect. “Nice trick.”

  “I’ve got more.” Leo grinned cheekily. “Let’s hope I don’t have to use them.”

  The monster shook and flailed wildly, unable to even manage a sound with lightning running through its every fiber. Clarisse’s spear generated near-limitless electricity, and Leo hoped it would continue to cook the monster’s insides until it died. As long as it was stuck to the beast, it would eventually kill it.

  But why would the Fates ever make things that easy?

  Suddenly, the tools attached to the beast fell off, dead motionless. The monster’s eyes abruptly blazed in concentrated fury, and its unparalyzed tail swung to the spear and plucked it out like a thorn, snapping the shaft in the process. It roared hoarsely up the hill, but its limbs were still jittering slightly from the shocks.

  “Your bomb wore off!” Clarisse realized with a growl.

  Leo grimaced. Clearly, his grenades were still a work in process. The overdose of electricity must have short-circuited it somehow. “It must be weakened, though. We should go get reinforcements.”

  “It’s weakened? Then like Hades am I letting them take the glory.” Clarisse scoffed, a cruel grin spreading across her face. “This kill’s mine.”

  She unsheathed her sword and charged at the monster again, and Leo couldn’t help but sigh. He quickly looked to the other side of the hill. The rest of Camp must have heard by now, and Leo thought he could see Chiron’s centaur form galloping out of the Big House.

  But in the meantime, he had to make sure Clarisse didn’t get herself killed. The monster was charging back up, still alarmingly quick. He threw a fireball the size of a baked potato at the beast’s face, stopping it clean in its tracks. Clarisse followed it up with a heavy cleave that slashed one of its horns clean off.

  It recoiled up with a scream, and the daughter of Ares took the opportunity to jab it in the gut. It swiped clumsily at Clarisse, who jumped away right as Leo sent a stream of fire right at its face. Disoriented, it stumbled blindly, letting Clarisse lunge and quickly slash off its other horn.

  Leo didn’t know how they were coordinating so well, didn’t know how they were moving so fast. He let his instincts take over and supported Clarisse the best he could with well-timed attacks, allowing her to do what she did best: slash, hack, and destroy.

  By the time Chiron made it up the hill, the monster was barely standing, all three horns scattered away from its bare horse-head. Its deadly red eyes were now dazed, while golden dust poured out of a dozen wounds. Clawed legs lashed out, but they were weak and slow, easily batted away by Clarisse.

  “You two…how did you…?” Chiron trailed off, his bow lowering. He narrowed his eyes at the monster. “The two of you fought off this monster all by yourselves?”

  “What does it look like?” With a savage grin, Clarisse picked up the half of her spear with the point.

  The broken spear still spurt out a few sparks of electricity, and the daughter of Ares brutally thrust it into the monster’s neck. With a final, pained cry, the beast finally dissolved into golden dust.

  Leo finally breathed out, his flaming hands extinguishing. “What was that, Chiron?”

  “An odontotyrannos.” Chiron grimly said. “Tooth-tyrant, if you will. It hasn’t been seen since Alexander the Great fought it during his conquest of Asia Minor. A beast of this history, size, and power…how did it get through the camp borders?”

  Clarisse bounded up to them, a rare grin on her face. Apparently, demolishing a monster was all it took to put her in a good mood. She smacked Leo on the back roughly. “Not bad there, Valdez.”

  As nice as it was to be appreciated, Leo’s smile quickly faded. He turned to Thalia’s tree, and he could practically feel the gloom set in. “Look. Thalia’s tree…it’s dying.”

  The centaur’s face turned even more grim if that was even possible. He approached the poisoned tree, analyzing the puncture hole. As Chiron looked it over, Leo could tell it wasn’t good. Chiron’s expression seemed to age by the second, and for once Leo could see how their teacher was thousands of years old.

  Clarisse was silent now, fidgeting with her broken spear. The glory of killing the terrifying monster was over; it would only be the first of many if this continued.

  The centaur straightened, his face ashen. “I will call the head counselors and Dionysus. We must act quickly. This is much more than a sabotage job. This is even more than a treachery, an act of malice.”

  Chiron looked at Leo and Clarisse sadly, his next words seeming to echo in Leo’s mind. The words that he had been waiting for since he had arrived at camp. The words he had honestly been dreading.

  “Poisoning the tree is only the beginning. This is a declaration of war.”

  Frank was trying to relax, he really was. It was one of the very few rest days that the Legion gave its soldiers. But it wasn’t like Frank could go back to Canada so quickly, so he decided to enjoy his day in the city.

  Jason left for his date with Piper, leaving Frank in Camp Jupiter. It was fine, honestly; Frank was happy to have some alone time. Eating, sleeping, and training all day with his cohort wore him down at times. He wasn’t exactly the most socially adept of people.

  If there was anyone he wanted to be with, though, it would be Hazel. He would never get tired of being with her. Simple things like talking or walking with her meant more than any icebreaker game that the Centurions would sometimes try playing with their new probatios .

  There was a café downtown that Frank and Hazel had gone to once, and he wanted to check it out again. It wasn’t like they had time to go again after, well, after everything. Thankfully, it did exist in this time, and Frank soon walked out with a cup of classic drip coffee with (lactose-free) almond milk.

  The servers gave him an odd look, since he was a preteen ordering coffee. However, Frank was technically seventeen, and those nightmares would have killed his daylight hours if he didn’t have coffee on the Argo II. Caffeine added to ADHD did wonders to keep him and his friends awake and alert when all they wanted to do was sleep and give up on everything…

  Anyway, Frank decided to go for a stroll on Temple Hill. Shrines and vaults lined the stone path to Jupiter’s temple, large statues of the gods seeming to follow Frank with their eyes. He ignored them, pointedly sipping on his drink loudly as if they could hear him. Frank could imagine the gods watching him through their temples and deciding that he was the perfect hero to find their lost weapon or retrieve their angry pet.

  Sorry, the hero you are trying to contact is currently unavailable. Please try again later.

  He stopped at a massive red crypt decorated with human skulls on iron spikes. The Temple of Mars Ultor, the second most important god of Rome. Frank’s father. He stood at the open entrance, the altar inside of the room glowing blood red.

  Frank slowly walked in, the scent of war fresh. The altar seemed to call to him, like a siren of war. An aggressive fear coursed through him, making his hair stand up straight. Battle jitters twisted and turned in his stomach.

  “Father…” Frank hesitated. “You once said that war comes for everyone. That it’s inevitable.”

  He swallowed. “Camp Jupiter will be at war, sooner or later. If you can hear me, maybe–maybe you could help us out. T–tell me what I should do.”

  The altar did nothing but look imposing. Frank sighed, his voice dropping to a whisper. “And please…please watch over mom. Keep her safe.”

  It felt weird praying to his father, but almost as if Mars had noticed, Frank’s queasiness suddenly disappeared. Frank left the temple, surprised that he was feeling a little better. The constant pressure of duty that he had since returning seemed to lessen. He felt lighter and more at peace, the rainbow in front of him filling him with hope and joy.

  Wait.

  Frank almost dropped his coffee, stumbling as the Iris Message formed. The faces of Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Leo Valdez formed in front of him. In another rainbow were Piper and Jason, and a final image showed Hazel Levesque.

  Frank tried to act like he didn’t just get jump-scared. “Um–Annabeth! I–uh, I thought the next meeting call was tomorrow.”

  “Oh, so you aren’t glad to see me?” She raised an eyebrow.

  Frank stuttered as Percy laughed. “That’s not what I meant!”

  “Relax.” Jason cut in. “She’s just messing with you. While I wish we could talk long, Piper and I are kind of in the middle of something.”

  “Didn’t you two have a date?” Hazel asked. “Are we interrupting?”

  Piper sighed. “It’s already been interrupted. Now we have to capture a magic bull and deliver it to a god so divine bees stop trying to kill us.”

  The Seven went silent as they tried to process her words. Percy was the first to speak, “Hey, I’ve got a history group project with my Cyclops brother due today. Want to trade?”

  Frank marveled at how they could treat this like an actual conversation. Even in the bizarre world of demigods, their lives were still definitely on a separate level. “Jason, do you need any help?”

  His friend shrugged. “First things first. Annabeth, what’s going on?”

  Their de-facto leader gestured to Leo beside her. “At Camp Half-Blood, Leo found Thalia’s tree poisoned.”

  Jason’s face grew stony, and Frank remembered that the pine tree still contained his sister’s soul. For it to be poisoned was akin to Jason’s sister slowly suffering and dying. He of all people would want to heal her immediately, and then hunt down the person who poisoned the tree.

  The centurion was still an expert and staying calm, though. “How long until you guys quest for the Fleece?”

  “At least two weeks. Sorry, Jason.” Percy looked down guiltily. “We have to wait until Grover finds it before anything. If I knew where it was, I would have gone sooner, but…”

  “It’s not your fault, Percy.” Piper frowned. “Why are you saying this like it is?”

  The son of Poseidon looked embarrassed. “It’s just…”

  “He forgot the coordinates.” Leo dryly explained for him, and Percy ducked his head sheepishly. “They received it last time, but he doesn’t remember the numbers.”

  Frank blinked and chewed his lip uncomfortably. “That’s…unfortunate.”

  “To be fair, it was a long time ago,” Hazel interjected after a moment of silence. “It’s a randomly specific memory. We can’t fault him for that.”

  “She’s right; I don’t remember it either.” Annabeth’s expression made it clear they were not going to blame Percy for this.

  Frank had no intention to do so, of course, and Hazel and Leo didn’t seem to care either as they nodded in assent. Jason still looked apprehensive, but a pointed look from Piper made him sigh in defeat. “You’re right. Sorry, I’m just…worried.”

  Annabeth’s expression softened. “She’ll be fine, just like last time. L-Luke wouldn’t kill her.”

  Frank didn’t miss the stutter (or the worried look from Percy) but decided not to press. “Okay then. Things have been smooth here in Camp Jupiter, at least for now. We’ll trust you guys have this under control.”

  From Percy, Annabeth, and Leo’s rainbow, an older woman’s voice said something Frank couldn’t make out. Then a plate of cookies slid into their frame, causing Leo to beam.

  “Thanks, mom.” Percy said, picking up a cookie.

  The cookies looked like normal chocolate chip cookies, except for one major difference. Each biscuit was an almost aggressive, vibrant shade of ocean blue.

  Jason sounded amused now. “So those are the famed blue cookies?”

  “Dude.” Leo’s voice was muffled, already on his second cookie. “These are amazing . Sally Jackson is a goddess.”

  Cookies would be great to pair with his drink, Frank realized. Unfortunately, he could only watch as Annabeth, Percy, and Leo fought over the last remaining treat.

  Hazel sighed. “Cookies do sound great right now...I bet they taste even better than Proserpina’s pomegranates.”

  Frank was just about to ask Hazel about the food and cuisine of the Underworld when a loud insectoid buzz echoed from Piper and Jason’s rainbow. The sound sent pins and needles up his back, nerves on high alert.

  “Jason! The bees are back.” Piper suddenly said, her voice filled with urgency.

  Jason swore in Latin. “Frank, if you can help, that would be great.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Elmwood, Berkeley. Near the Taco Bell on the 31st.” A hum got louder, and Jason began to look worried. “Look for the bees. Or the giant white bull.”

  “Wait, what?”

  Jason swiped a hand through the image, and he and Piper vanished. Percy looked at him blankly, crumbs at the corners of his mouth. “Um, well, good luck with the bees, man.”

  “Have fun!” Leo’s muffled voice agreed.

  Annabeth chided them. “Don’t speak with your mouth full.”

  Frank sighed, leaving his friends to their antics. He said goodbye to Hazel (the only one actually supportive, of course), and dispersed the rainbow. He could probably get to the city in ten minutes as a falcon. Hopefully, Jason and Piper could wait that long.

  Frank gave one last look at his father’s temple. No one tried to seek war, not unless they were stupid. But war was inevitable. It came for everyone.

  It would be foolish not to prepare for it.

  ‘War is closer than you may think, son of Mars. Very close.

  The first declaration has been enacted. The Titans are beginning their rise, beginning to grow in their strength.

  This is the true start of the 2nd Titanomachy. The enemies are leaving their shadows, now not as traitorous spies but a true hostile force, a foe to be reckoned with.

  The Lord of Time…he was always so cunning. The heroes have the advantage of knowledge and the advantage of their experience. Things will not go the way he intends…he will not stay idle in his plans for long, I believe.

  How will he adapt, I wonder?