He frowned uncertainly. It wasn't like we were good friends or anything, but I

wasn't going to tell him it was a request from his dad. That would just

embarrass him. Finally he promised, and when he sat back down, I could tell he

was kind of relieved.

 

Annabeth, Grover, and I kept walking toward the palace. That's where Kronos

would head. As soon as he made it up the elevator — and I had no doubt he would,

one way or another — he would destroy the throne room, the center of the gods'

power.

 

The bronze doors creaked open. Our footsteps echoed on the marble floor. The

constellations twinkled coldly on the ceiling of the great hall. The hearth was

down to a dull red glow. Hestia, in the form of a little girl in brown robes,

hunched at its edge, shivering. The Ophiotaurus swam sadly in his sphere of

water. He let out a half-hearted moo when he saw me.

 

In the firelight, the thrones cast evil-looking shadows, like grasping hands.

 

Standing at the foot of Zeus's throne, looking up at the stars, was Rachel

Elizabeth Dare. She was holding a Greek ceramic vase.

 

"Rachel?" I said. "Um, what are you doing with that?"

 

She focused on me as if she were coming out of a dream. "I found it. It's