The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2)(116)

In Frank’s chest, a hard knot of anger and resentment—a lump of grief he’d been carrying since the funeral—finally began to dissolve. He understood why his mother never came home. Some things were worth dying for.

“Hazel.” He tried to keep his voice steady. “That package you’re keeping for me? I need it.”

Hazel glanced at him in dismay. Sitting on Arion, she looked like a queen, powerful and beautiful, her brown hair swept over her shoulders and a wreath of icy mist around her head. “Frank, no. There has to be another way.”

“Please. I—I know what I’m doing.”

Thanatos smiled and lifted his manacled wrists. “You’re right, Frank Zhang. Sacrifices must be made.”

Great. If Death approved of his plan, Frank was pretty sure he wasn’t going to like the results.

The giant Alcyoneus stepped forward, his reptilian feet shaking the ground. “What package do you speak of, Frank Zhang? Have you brought me a present?”

“Nothing for you, Golden Boy,” Frank said. “Except a whole lot of pain.”

The giant roared with laughter. “Spoken like a child of Mars! Too bad I have to kill you. And this one...my, my, I’ve been waiting to meet the famous Percy Jackson.”

The giant grinned. His silver teeth made his mouth look like a car grille.

“I’ve followed your progress, son of Neptune,” said Alcyoneus. “Your fight with Kronos? Well done. Gaea hates you above all others…except perhaps for that upstart Jason Grace. I’m sorry I can’t kill you right away, but my brother Polybotes wishes to keep you as a pet. He thinks it will be amusing when he destroys Neptune to have the god’s favorite son on a leash. After that, of course, Gaea has plans for you.”

“Yeah, flattering.” Percy raised Riptide. “But actually I’m the son of Poseidon. I’m from Camp Half-Blood.”

The ghosts stirred. Some drew swords and lifted shields. Alcyoneus raised his hand, gesturing for them to wait.

“Greek, Roman, it doesn’t matter,” the giant said easily. “We will crush both camps underfoot. You see, the Titans didn’t think big enough. They planned to destroy the godsin their new home of America. We giants know better! To kill a weed, you must pull up its roots. Even now, while my forces destroy your little Roman camp, my brother Porphyrionis preparing for the real battle in the ancient lands! We will destroy the gods at their source.”

The ghosts pounded their swords against their shields. The sound echoed across the mountains.

“The source?” Frank asked. “You mean Greece?”

Alcyoneus chuckled. “No need to worry about that, son of Mars. You won’t live long enough to see our ultimate victory.

I will replace Pluto as lord of the Underworld. I already have Death in my custody. With Hazel Levesque in my service, I will have all the riches under the earth as well!”

Hazel gripped her spatha. “I don’t do service.”

“Oh, but you gave me life!” Alcyoneus said. “True, we hoped to awaken Gaea during World War II. That would’ve been glorious. But really, the world is in almost as bad a shape now. Soon, your civilization will be wiped out. The Doors of Death will stand open. Those who serve us will never perish. Alive or dead, you three will join my army.”

Percy shook his head. “Fat chance, Golden Boy. You’re going down.”

“Wait.” Hazel spurred her horse toward the giant. “I raised this monster from the earth. I’m the daughter of Pluto. It’s my place to kill him.”

“Ah, little Hazel.” Alcyoneus planted his staff on the ice. His hair glittered with millions of dollars’ worth of gems. “Are you sure you will not join us of your own free will? You could be quite ... precious to us. Why die again?” Hazel’s eyes flashed with anger. She looked down at Frank and pulled the wrapped-up piece of firewood from her coat.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” he said.

She pursed her lips. “You’re my best friend, too, Frank. I should have told you that.” She tossed him the stick. “Do what you have to. And Percy…can you protect him?”

Percy gazed at the ranks of ghostly Romans. “Against a small army? Sure, no problem.”

“Then I’ve got Golden Boy,” Hazel said.

She charged the giant.

XLVI Frank

FRANK UNWRAPPED THE FIREWOOD and knelt at the feet of Th anatos.

He was aware of Percy standing over him, swinging his sword and yelling in defiance as the ghosts closed in. He heard the giant bellow and Arion whinny angrily, but he didn’t dare look.

His hands trembling, he held his piece of tinder next to the chains on Death’s right leg. He thought about flames, and instantly the wood blazed.

Horrible warmth spread through Frank’s body. The icy metal began to melt, the flame so bright it was more blinding than the ice.

“Good,” Thanatos said. “Very good, Frank Zhang.”

Frank had heard about people’s lives flashing before their eyes, but now he experienced it literally. He saw his mother the day she left for Afghanistan. She smiled and hugged him. He tried to breath in her jasmine scent so he’d never forget it.

I will always be proud of you, Frank, she said. Someday, you’ll travel even farther than I. You’ll bring our family full circle. Years from now, our descendants will be telling stories about the hero Frank Zhang, their great-, great-, great-—She poked him in the belly for old times’ sake. It would be the last time Frank smiled for months.