thought she was going to pull us both over. Her feet dangled in the open air.

Her hand started to slip until I was holding her only by her fingers. Then

Grover and Thalia grabbed my legs, and I found extra strength. Annabeth was not

going to fall.

 

I pulled her up and we lay trembling on the pavement. I didn't realize we had

our arms around each other until she suddenly tensed.

 

"Um, thanks," she muttered.

 

I tried to say Don't mention it, but it came out as, "Uh duh."

 

"Keep moving!" Grover tugged my shoulder. We untangled ourselves and sprinted

across the sky bridge as more stones disintegrated and fell into oblivion. We

made it to the edge of the mountain just as the final section collapsed.

 

Annabeth looked back at the elevator, which was now completely out of reach — a

polished set of metal doors hanging in space, attached to nothing, six hundred

stories above Manhattan.

 

"We're marooned," she said. "On our own."

 

"Blah-ha-ha!" Grover said. "The connection between Olympus and America is

dissolving. If it fails — t!