Annabeth and I stayed shoulder to shoulder, facing opposite directions. A dark

shape passed over me, and I dared to glance up. Blackjack and Porkpie were

swooping in, kicking our enemies in the helmets and flying away like very large

kamikaze pigeons.

 

We'd almost made it to the middle of the bridge when something strange happened.

I felt a chill down my spine — like that old saying about someone walking on

your grave. Behind me, Annabeth cried out in pain.

 

"Annabeth!" I turned in time to see her fall, clutching her arm. A demigod with

a bloody knife stood over her.

 

In a flash I understood what had happened. He'd been trying to stab me. Judging

from the position of his blade, he would've taken me — maybe by sheer luck — in

the small of my back, my only weak point.

 

Annabeth had intercepted the knife with her own body.

 

But why? She didn't know about my weak spot. No one did.

 

I locked eyes with the enemy demigod. He wore an eye patch under his war helm:

Ethan Nakamura, the son of Nemesis. Somehow he'd survived the explosion on the

Princess Andromeda. I slammed him in the face with my sword hilt so hard I

dented his helm.