Back at the Plaza, Thalia pulled me aside. "What did Prometheus show you?"

 

Reluctantly, I told her about the vision of May Castellan's house. Thalia rubbed

her thigh like she was remembering the old wound.

 

"That was a bad night," she admitted. "Annabeth was so little, 1 don't think she

really understood what she saw. She just knew Luke was upset."

 

I looked out the hotel windows at Central Park. Small fires were still burning

in the north, but otherwise the city seemed unnaturally peaceful. "Do you know

what happened to May Castellan? I mean — "

 

"I know what you mean," Thalia said. "I never saw her have an, um, episode, but

Luke told me about the glowing eyes, the strange things she would say. He made

me promise never to tell. What caused it, I have no idea. If Luke knew, he never

told me."

 

"Hermes knew," I said. "Something caused May to see parts of Luke's future, and

Hermes understood what would happen — how Luke would turn into Kronos."

 

Thalia frowned. "You can't be sure of that. Remember Prometheus was manipulating

what you saw, Percy, showing you what happened in the worst possible light.

Hermes did love Luke. I could tell just by looking at his face. And Hermes was

there that night because he was checking up on May, taking care of her. He

wasn't all bad."