A 1

“Stop!” Piper ordered, but her voice quavered. She was rapidly losing faith in her plan. She’d made
the eidolons appear, but what now? If she couldn’t persuade them to leave, any bloodshed would be
her fault. In the back of her mind, she could almost hear Gaea laughing.
“Listen to Piper.” Hazel pointed at Jason’s sword. The gold blade seemed to grow heavy in his
hand. It clunked to the table and Jason sank back into his chair.
Percy growled in a very un-Percy-like way. “Daughter of Pluto, you may control gems and metals. You
do not control the dead.”
Annabeth reached toward him as if to restrain him, but Hazel waved her off.
“Listen, eidolons,” Hazel said sternly, “you do not belong here. I may not command you, but Piper
does. Obey her.”
She turned toward Piper, her expression clear: Try again. You can do this.
Piper mustered all her courage. She looked straight at Jason—straight into the eyes of the thing
that was controlling him. “You will leave those bodies,” Piper repeated, even more forcefully.
Jason’s face tightened. His forehead beaded with sweat. “We—we will leave these bodies.”
“You will vow on the River Styx never to return to this ship,” Piper continued, “and never to
possess any member of this crew.”
Leo and Percy both hissed in protest.
“You will promise on the River Styx,” Piper insisted.
A moment of tension—she could feel their wills fighting against hers. Then all three eidolons
spoke in unison: “We promise on the River Styx.”
“You are dead,” Piper said.
“We are dead,” they agreed.