"True," muttered Demeter. "No appreciation of agriculture."

 

"Mother!" Persephone complained.

 

Hades drew his sword, a double-edged Stygian blade etched with silver. "Now

fight me! For today the House of Hades will be called the saviors of Olympus."

 

"I don't have time for this," Kronos snarled.

 

He struck the ground with his scythe. A crack spread in both directions,

circling the Empire State Building. A wall of force shimmered along the fissure

line, separating Kronos's vanguard, my friends, and me from the bulk of the two

armies.

 

'What's he doing?" I muttered.

 

"Sealing us in," Thalia said. "He's collapsing the magic barriers around

Manhattan — cutting off just the building, and us."

 

Sure enough, outside the barrier, car engines revved to life. Pedestrians woke

up and stared uncomprehendingly at the monsters and zombies all around them. No

telling what they saw through the Mist, but I'm sure it was plenty scary. Car

doors opened. And at the end of the block, Paul Blofis and my mom got out of

their Prius.