the_blood_of_olympus_-_rick_riordan

today … and maybe for the next few centuries.
‘That’s the problem with prophecies,’ Zeus growled. ‘When Apollo allowed the Prophecy of
Seven to be spoken, and when Hera took it upon herself to interpret the words, the Fates wove the
future in such a way that it had only so many possible outcomes, so many solutions. You seven, the
demigods, are destined to defeat Gaia. We, the gods, cannot.’
‘I don’t get it,’ Piper said. ‘What’s the point of being gods if you have to rely on puny mortals to do
your bidding?’
All the gods exchanged dark looks. Aphrodite, however, laughed gently and kissed her daughter.
‘My dear Piper, don’t you think we’ve been asking ourselves that question for thousands of years?
But it is what binds us together, keeps us eternal. We need you mortals as much as you need us.
Annoying as that may be, it’s the truth.’
Frank shuffled uncomfortably, like he missed being an elephant. ‘So how can we possibly get to
Camp Half-Blood in time to save it? It took us months to reach Greece.’
‘The winds,’ Jason said. ‘Father, can’t you unleash the winds to send our ship back?’
Zeus glowered. ‘I could slap you back to Long Island.’
‘Um, was that a joke, or a threat, or –’
‘No,’ Zeus said, ‘I mean it quite literally. I could slap your ship back to Camp Half-Blood, but the
force involved …’
Over by the ruined giant throne, the grungy god in the mechanic’s uniform shook his head. ‘My boy
Leo built a good ship, but it won’t sustain that kind of stress. It would break apart as soon as it
arrived, maybe sooner.’
Leo straightened his tool belt. ‘The Argo II can make it. It only has to stay in one piece long enough
to get us back home. Once there, we can abandon ship.’
‘Dangerous,’ warned Hephaestus. ‘Perhaps fatal.’
The goddess Nike twirled a laurel wreath on her finger. ‘Victory is always dangerous. And it often
requires sacrifice. Leo Valdez and I have discussed this.’ She stared pointedly at Leo.
Jason didn’t like that at all. He remembered Asclepius’s grim expression when the doctor had
examined Leo. Oh, my. Oh, I see … Jason knew what they had to do to defeat Gaia. He knew the
risks. But he wanted to take those risks himself, not put them on Leo.
Piper will have the physician’s cure, he told himself. She’ll keep us both covered.
‘Leo,’ Annabeth said, ‘what is Nike talking about?’
Leo waved off the question. ‘The usual. Victory. Sacrifice. Blah, blah, blah. Doesn’t matter. We
can do this, guys. We have to do this.’
A feeling of dread settled over Jason. Zeus was correct about one thing: the worst was yet to come.
When the choice comes, Notus the South Wind had told him, storm or fire, do not despair.
Jason made the choice. ‘Leo’s right. All aboard for one last trip.’