handle our first little challenge. They have no idea how many others we have in

store. Mark my words, in a few days' time, Olympus will be in ruins, and we will

meet here again to celebrate the dawn of the Sixth Age!"

 

The golden Titan erupted into flames and disappeared.

 

"Oh, sure," Krios grumbled. "He gets to erupt into flames. I get to wear these

stupid ram's horns."

 

The scene shifted. Now I was outside the pavilion, hiding in the shadows of a

Greek column. A boy stood next to me, eavesdropping on the Titans. He had dark

silky hair, pale skin, and dark clothes — my friend Nico di Angelo, the son of

Hades.

 

He looked straight at me, his expression grim. "You see, Percy?" he whispered.

"You're running out of time. Do you really think you can beat them without my

plan?"

 

His words washed over me as cold as the ocean floor, and my dreams went black.

 

"Percy?" a deep voice said.

 

My head felt like it had been microwaved in aluminum foil. I opened my eyes and

saw a large shadowy figure looming over me.