"You know what would help this boy?" Demeter mused. "Farming."

 

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Mother — "

 

"Six months behind a plow. Excellent character building."

 

Nico stepped in front of his father, forcing Hades to face him. "My mother

understood about family.

 

That's why she didn't want to leave us. You can't just abandon your family

because they did something horrible. You've done horrible things to them too."

 

"Maria died!" Hades reminded him.

 

"You can't just cut yourself off from the other gods!"

 

"I've done very well at it for thousands of years."

 

"And has that made you feel any better?" Nico demanded. "Has that curse on the

Oracle helped you at all? Holding grudges is a fatal flaw. Bianca warned me

about that, and she was right."

 

"For demigods! I am immortal, all-powerful! I would not help the other gods if

they begged me, if Percy Jackson himself pleaded — "