"Percy Jackson," he said in a silky voice. "It's a great honor."

 

His lady friend the empousa hissed at me. She'd probably heard how I'd destroyed

two of her sisters last summer.

 

"My dear," Tux Dude said to her. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable over

there, eh?"

 

She released his arm and drifted over to a park bench.

 

I glanced at the armed demigod behind Tux Dude. 1 hadn't recognized him in his

new helmet, but it was my old backstabbing buddy Ethan Nakamura. His nose looked

like a squashed tomato from our fight on the Williamsburg Bridge. That made me

feel better.

 

"Hey, Ethan," I said. "You're looking good."

 

Ethan glared at me.

 

"To business." Tux Dude extended his hand. "I am Prometheus."

 

I was too surprised to shake. "The fire-stealer guy? The

chained-to-the-rock-with-the-vultures guy?"

 

Prometheus winced. He touched the scratches on his face. "Please, don't mention