Annabeth knit her eyebrows. "Percy, you weren't out at all. You just looked at

Hestia for like one second and collapsed."

 

I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I couldn't afford to look weak. Whatever

those visions meant, I had to stay focused on our mission.

 

"Um, Lady Hestia," I said, "we've come on urgent business. We need to see — "

 

"We know what you need," a man's voice said. I shuddered, because it was the

same voice I'd heard in the vision.

 

A god shimmered into existence next to Hestia. He looked about twenty-five, with

curly salt-and- pepper hair and elfish features. He wore a military pilot's

flight suit, with tiny bird's wings fluttering on his helmet and his black

leather boots. In the crook of his arm was a long staff entwined with two living

serpents.

 

"I will leave you now," Hestia said. She bowed to the aviator and disappeared

into smoke. I understood why she was so anxious to go. Hermes, the God of

Messengers, did not look happy.

 

"Hello, Percy." His brow furrowed as though he was annoyed with me, and I

wondered if he somehow knew about the vision I'd just had. I wanted to ask why

he'd been in May Castellan's house that night, and what had happened after he