until we were only a block from the Empire State Building in any direction. At

one point Grover was next to me, bonking snake women over the head with his

cudgel. Then he disappeared in the crowd, and it was Thalia at my side, driving

the monsters back with the power of her magic shield. Mrs. O'Leary bounded out

of nowhere, picked up a Laistrygonian giant in her mouth, and flung him into the

air like a Frisbee.

 

Annabeth used her invisibility cap to sneak behind the enemy lines. Whenever a

monster disintegrated for no apparent reason with a surprised look on his face,

I knew Annabeth had been there.

 

But it still wasn't enough.

 

"Hold your lines!" Katie Gardner shouted, somewhere off to my left.

 

The problem was there were too few of us to hold anything. The entrance to

Olympus was twenty feet behind me. A ring of brave demigods. Hunters, and nature

spirits guarded the doors. I slashed and hacked, destroying everything m my

path, but even I was getting tired, and I couldn't be everywhere at once.

 

Behind the enemy troops, a few blocks to the east, a bright light began to

shine. I thought it was the sunrise. Then I realized Kronos was riding toward us

on a golden chariot. A dozen Laistrygonian giants bore torches before him. Two

Hyperboreans carried his black-and-purple banners. The Titan lord looked fresh

and rested, his powers at full strength. He was taking his time advancing,