the_blood_of_olympus_-_rick_riordan

not worry. The demigods cannot change their fate. One way or another, their blood shall be spilled
upon these stones and wake the Earth Mother!’
The crowd roared approval and brandished their weapons. Hippolytos bowed and retreated, but
another giant approached the throne.
With a start, Piper realized this one was female. Not that it was easy to tell. The giantess had the
same dragon-like legs and the same long braided hair. She was just as tall and burly as the males, but
her breastplate was definitely fashioned for a woman. Her voice was higher and reedier.
‘Father!’ she cried. ‘I ask again: Why here, in this place? Why not on the slopes of Mount Olympus
itself? Surely –’
‘Periboia,’ the king growled, ‘the matter is settled. The original Mount Olympus is now a barren
peak. It offers us no glory. Here, in the centre of the Greek world, the roots of the gods truly run deep.
There may be older temples, but this Parthenon holds their memory best. In the minds of mortals, it is
the most powerful symbol of the Olympians. When the blood of the last heroes is spilled here, the
Acropolis shall be razed. This hill shall crumble, and the entire city shall be consumed by the Earth
Mother. We will be the masters of Creation!’
The crowd hollered and howled, but the giantess Periboia didn’t look convinced.
‘You tempt fate, Father,’ she said. ‘The demigods have friends here as well as enemies. It is not
wise –’
‘WISE?’ Porphyrion rose from his throne. All the giants took a step back. ‘Enceladus, my
counsellor, explain to my daughter what wisdom is!’
The fiery giant came forward. His eyes glowed like diamonds. Piper loathed his face. She’d seen it
too many times in her dreams when her father was held captive.
‘You need not worry, princess,’ Enceladus said. ‘We have taken Delphi. Apollo was driven out of
Olympus in shame. The future is closed to the gods. They stumble forward blindly. As for tempting
fate …’ He gestured to his left, and a smaller giant shuffled forward. He had ratty grey hair, a
wrinkled face and eyes that were milky with cataracts. Instead of armour, he wore a tattered sackcloth
tunic. His dragon-scale legs were as white as frost.
He didn’t look like much, but Piper noticed that the other monsters kept their distance. Even
Porphyrion leaned away from the old giant.
‘This is Thoon,’ Enceladus said. ‘Just as many of us were born to kill certain gods, Thoon was
born to kill the Three Fates. He will strangle the old ladies with his bare hands. He will shred their
yarn and destroy their loom. He will destroy Fate itself!’
King Porphyrion rose and spread his arms in triumph. ‘No more prophecies, my friends! No more
futures foretold! The time of Gaia shall be our era, and we will make our own destiny!’
The crowd cheered so loudly that Piper felt as if she were crumbling to pieces.
Then she realized someone was shaking her awake.
‘Hey,’ Annabeth said. ‘We made it to Sparta. Can you get ready?’
Piper sat up groggily, her heart still pounding.
‘Yeah …’ She gripped Annabeth’s arm. ‘But first there’s something you need to hear.’