the-mark-of-athena

Percy?" Annabeth gripped his arm."Oh, bad," he muttered. "Bad. Bad." He looked across the table at Frank and Hazel. "You guys remember Polybotes?""The giant who invaded Camp Jupiter," Hazel said. "The anti-Poseidon you whacked in the head with a Terminus statue. Yes, I think I remember

She led him past the engine room, which looked like a very dangerous, mechanized jungle gym, with pipes and pistons and tubes jutting from a central bronze sphere. Cables resembling giant metal noodles snaked across the floor and ran up the walls. __ow does that thing even work?_ Percy asked. __o idea,_ Annabeth said. __nd I__ the only one besides Leo who can operate it.___hat__ reassuring.___t should be fine. It__ only threatened to blow up once.___ou__e kidding, I hope.__he smiled. __ome on.

Piper and Hazel were ready to go, but first Annabeth turned to Percy, who was leaning on the starboard rail, gazing over the bay. Annabeth took his hand. __hat are you going to do while we__e go

I__ nobody__ sidekick,_ Annabeth growled. __nd, Percy, his accent sounds familiar because he sounds like his mother. We killed her in New Jersey.__ercy frowned. ____ pretty sure that accent isn__ New Jersey. Who__ his_? Oh.__t all fell into place. Aunty Em__ Garden Gnome Emporium__he lair of Medusa. She__ talked with that same accent, at least until Percy had cut off her

Percy says be talked to a Nereid in Charleston Harbor!___ood for him!_ Leo yelled back. __he Nereid said we should seek help from Chiron__ brothers.___hat does that mean? The Party Ponies?_ Leo had never met Chiron__ crazy centaur relatives, but he__ heard rumors of Nerf sword-fights, root beer-chugging contests, and Super Soakers filled with pressurized whipped cream. __ot sure,_ Annabeth said. __ut I__e got coordinates. Can you input latitude and longitude in this thi

Percy looked at Coach Hedge and Frank. __ trap?___robably,_ Frank said. __he__ not mortal,_ Hedge said, sniffing the air. __robably some kind of goat-eating, demigod-destroying fiend from Tartarus.___o doubt,_ Percy agreed. __wesome._ Hedge grinned. __et__ go.

Lord Bacchus, do you remember me? I helped you with that missing leopard in Sonoma." Bacchus scratched his stubbly chin. "Ah... yes. John Green." "Jason Grace.""Whatever," the god said.

So_these Pillars of Hercules. Are they dangerous?__nnabeth stayed focused on the cliffs. __or Greeks, the pillars marked the end of the known world. The Romans said the pillars were inscribed with a Latin warning

Very slowly, using only two fingers, Annabeth drew her dagger. Instead of dropping it, she tossed it as far as she could into the water.Octavian made a squeaking sound. __hat was that for? I didn__ say toss it! That could__e been evidence. Or spoils of war!__nnabeth tried for a dumb-blonde smile, like: Oh, silly me. Nobody who knew her would have been fooled. But Octavian seemed to buy it. He huffed in exasperation.__ou other two_ He pointed his blade at Hazel and Piper. __ut your weapons on the dock. No funny bus___ll around the Romans, Charleston Harbor erupted like a Las Vegas fountain putting on a show. When the wall of seawater subsided, the three Romans were in the bay, spluttering and frantically trying to stay afloat in their armor. Percy stood on the dock, holding Annabeth__ dagger.__ou dropped this,_ he said, totally poker-faced.Annabeth threw her arms around him. __ love you!___uys,_ Hazel interrupted. She had a little smile on her face. __e need to hurry.

Annabeth gripped the hilt of her dagger. __ bounty on our heads . . . as if we didn__ attract enough monsters already.___o we get WANTED posters?_ Leo asked. __nd do they have our bounties, like, broken down on a price li

Naturally, Coach Hedge went ballistic; but Percy found it hard to take the satyr seriously since he was barely five feet tall."Never in my life!" Coach bellowed, waving his bat and knocking over a plate of apples. "Against the rules! Irresponsible!""Coach," Annabeth said, "it was an accident. We were talking, and we fell asleep.""Besides," Percy said, "you're starting to sound like Terminus."Hedge narrowed his eyes. "Is that an insult, Jackson? 'Cause I'll__'ll terminus you, buddy!

Save yourselves!_ Percy warned. __t is too late for us!__hen he gasped and pointed to the spot where Frank was hiding. __h, no! Frank is turning into a crazy dolphin!__othing happ

Swords can__ solve every problem.

I still don't understand what a sea god would be doing in Atlanta."Leo snorted. "What's a wine god doing in Kansas? Gods are weird.

Annabeth wanted to sob. She wanted someone, anyone to be here for her. She wanted Leo with his fire skills, or Jason with his lightning, or Hazel to collapse the tunnel. Most of all she wanted Percy. She always felt braver when Percy was with her.

[Piper] rushed to get dressed. By the time she got up on deck, the others had already gathered__ll hastily dressed except for Coach Hedge, who had pulled the night watch. Frank__ Vancouver Winter Olympics shirt was inside out. Percy wore pajama pants and a bronze breastplate, which was an interesting fashion statement. Hazel__ hair was all blown to one side as though she__ walked through a cyclone; and Leo had accidentally set himself on fire. His T-shirt was in charred tatters. His arms were smoking.

Festus just detected a large group of eagles behind us__ong-range radar, still not in sight.__iper leaned over the console. __re you sure they__e Roman?__eo rolled his eyes. __o, Pipes. It could be a random group of giant eagles flying in perfect formation. Of course they__e Roman!

What exactly did you find in Atlanta?__rank unzipped his backpack and started bringing out souvenirs. __ome peach preserves. A couple of T-shirts. A snow globe. And, um, these not-really-Chinese handcuffs.__nnabeth forced herself to stay calm. __ow about you start from the top__f the story, not the backpack.