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came and went. Random harpies and wind spirits flew by overhead. Reyna’s dogs would snarl in<br />
warning, but the monsters didn’t stop to fight.<br />
Ghosts skulked around the edges of the courtyard, apparently intimidated by the Athena Parthenos.<br />
Reyna couldn’t blame them. The longer the statue stood in Pompeii, the more anger it seemed to<br />
radiate, making Reyna’s skin itchy and her nerves raw.<br />
Finally, just after sunset, Nico woke. He wolfed down an avocado and cheese sandwich, the first<br />
time he’d shown a decent appetite since leaving the House of Hades.<br />
Reyna hated to ruin his dinner, but they didn’t have much time. As the daylight faded, the ghosts<br />
started moving closer and in greater numbers.<br />
She told him about her dreams: the earth swallowing Camp Jupiter, Octavian closing in on Camp<br />
Half-Blood and the hunter with the glowing eyes who had shot Reyna in the gut.<br />
Nico stared at his empty plate. ‘This hunter … a giant, maybe?’<br />
Coach Hedge grunted. ‘I’d rather not find out. I say we keep moving.’<br />
Nico’s mouth twitched. ‘You are suggesting we avoid a fight?’<br />
‘Listen, cupcake, I like a smackdown as much as the next guy, but we’ve got enough monsters to<br />
worry about without some bounty-hunter giant tracking us across the world. I don’t like the sound of<br />
those huge arrows.’<br />
‘For once,’ Reyna said, ‘I agree with Hedge.’<br />
Nico unfolded his aviator jacket. He put his finger through an arrow hole in the sleeve.<br />
‘I could ask for advice.’ Nico sounded reluctant. ‘Thalia Grace …’<br />
‘Jason’s sister,’ Reyna said.<br />
She’d never met Thalia. In fact, she’d only recently learned Jason had a sister. According to Jason,<br />
she was a Greek demigod, a daughter of Zeus, who led a group of Diana’s … no, Artemis’s<br />
followers. The whole idea made Reyna’s head spin.<br />
Nico nodded. ‘The Hunters of Artemis are … well, hunters. If anybody knew about this giant<br />
hunter guy, Thalia would. I could try sending her an Iris-message.’<br />
‘You don’t sound very excited about the idea,’ Reyna noticed. ‘Are you two … on bad terms?’<br />
‘We’re fine.’<br />
A few feet away, Aurum snarled quietly, which meant Nico was lying.<br />
Reyna decided not to press.<br />
‘I should also try to contact my sister, Hylla,’ she said. ‘Camp Jupiter is lightly defended. If Gaia<br />
attacks there, perhaps the Amazons could help.’<br />
Coach Hedge scowled. ‘No offence, but, uh … what’s an army of Amazons going to do against a<br />
wave of dirt?’<br />
Reyna fought down a sense of dread. She suspected Hedge was right. Against what she’d seen in<br />
her dreams, the only defence would be to prevent the giants from waking Gaia. For that, she had to put<br />
her trust in the crew of the Argo II.<br />
The daylight was almost gone. Around the courtyard, ghosts were forming a mob – hundreds of<br />
glowing Romans carrying spectral clubs or stones.<br />
‘We can talk more after the next jump,’ Reyna decided. ‘Right now, we need to get out of here.’