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it would take, or even if time flowed at the same speed in Tartarus. How could they possiblysynchronize a meeting with their friends? And Nico had mentioned a legion of Gaea’s strongestmonsters guarding the Doors on the Tartarus side. Annabeth and Percy couldn’t exactly launch afrontal assault.She decided not to mention any of that. They both knew the odds were bad. Besides, afterswimming in the River Cocytus, Annabeth had heard enough whining and moaning to last a lifetime.She promised herself never to complain again.“Well.” She took a deep breath, grateful at least that her lungs didn’t hurt. “If we stay close to theriver, we’ll have a way to heal ourselves. If we go downstream—”It happened so fast, Annabeth would have been dead if she’d been on her own.Percy’s eyes locked on something behind her. Annabeth spun as a massive dark shape hurtleddown at her—a snarling, monstrous blob with spindly barbed legs and glinting eyes.She had time to think: Arachne. But she was frozen in terror, her senses smothered by the sicklysweet smell.Then she heard the familiar SHINK of Percy’s ballpoint pen transforming into a sword. Hisblade swept over her head in a glowing bronze arc. A horrible wail echoed through the canyon.Annabeth stood there, stunned, as yellow dust—the remains of Arachne—rained around her liketree pollen.“You okay?” Percy scanned the cliffs and boulders, alert for more monsters, but nothing elseappeared. The golden dust of the spider settled on the obsidian rocks.Annabeth stared at her boyfriend in amazement. Riptide’s Celestial bronze blade glowed evenbrighter in the gloom of Tartarus. As it passed through the thick hot air, it made a defiant hiss like ariled snake.“She…she would’ve killed me,” Annabeth stammered.Percy kicked the dust on the rocks, his expression grim and dissatisfied. “She died too easily,considering how much torture she put you through. She deserved worse.”Annabeth couldn’t argue with that, but the hard edge in Percy’s voice made her unsettled. She’dnever seen someone get so angry or vengeful on her behalf. It almost made her glad Arachne had diedquickly. “How did you move so fast?”Percy shrugged. “Gotta watch each other’s backs, right? Now, you were saying…downstream?”Annabeth nodded, still in a daze. The yellow dust dissipated on the rocky shore, turning to steam.At least now they knew monsters could be killed in Tartarus…though she had no idea how longArachne would remain dead. Annabeth didn’t plan on staying long enough to find out.“Yeah, downstream,” she managed. “If the river comes from the upper levels of the Underworld,it should flow deeper into Tartarus—”“So it leads into more dangerous territory,” Percy finished. “Which is probably where the Doorsare. Lucky us.”