The Blood of Olympus(36)

A smile tugged at the corner of Percy’s mouth. ‘Sorry about that.’

The ground rumbled as another grenade exploded, sending spirals of whipped cream into the sky. ‘That’s Hazel’s signal,’ Leo said. ‘They’ve taken down another Nikette.’

Percy peeked around the corner of the wall.

Until this moment, Leo hadn’t realized how much he’d resented Percy. The dude had always intimidated him. Knowing Calypso had had a crush on Percy had made the feeling ten times worse. But now the knot of anger in his gut started to unravel. Leo just couldn’t dislike the guy. Percy seemed sincere about being sorry and wanting to help.

Besides, Leo finally had confirmation that Percy Jackson was out of the picture with Calypso. The air was cleared. All Leo had to do was to find his way back to Ogygia. And he would, assuming he survived the next ten days.

‘One Nikette left,’ Percy said. ‘I wonder –’

Somewhere close by, Hazel cried out in pain.

Instantly, Leo was on his feet.

‘Dude, wait!’ Percy called, but Leo plunged through the maze, his heart pounding.

The walls fell away on either side. Leo found himself in an open stretch of field. Frank stood at the far end of the stadium, shooting flaming arrows at Nike’s chariot as the goddess bellowed insults and tried to find a path to him across the shifting network of trenches.

Hazel was closer – maybe sixty feet away. The fourth Nikette had obviously sneaked up on her. Hazel was limping away from her attacker, her jeans ripped, her left leg bleeding. She parried the metal lady’s spear with her huge cavalry sword, but she was about to be overpowered. All around her, the Mist flickered like a dying strobe light. She was losing control of the magic maze.

‘I’ll help her,’ Percy said. ‘You stick to the plan. Get Nike’s chariot.’

‘But the plan was to eliminate all four Nikettes first!’

‘So change the plan and then stick to it!’

‘That doesn’t even make sense, but go! Help her!’

Percy rushed to Hazel’s defence. Leo darted towards Nike, yelling, ‘Hey! I want a participation award!’

‘Gah!’ The goddess pulled the reins and turned her chariot in his direction. ‘I will destroy you!’

‘Good!’ Leo yelled. ‘Losing is way better than winning!’

‘WHAT?’ Nike threw her mighty spear, but her aim was off with the rocking of the chariot. Her weapon skittered into the grass. Sadly, a new one appeared in her hands.

She urged her horses to a full gallop. The trenches disappeared, leaving an open field, perfect for running down small Latino demigods.

‘Hey!’ Frank yelled from across the stadium. ‘I want a participation award, too! Everybody wins!’

He shot a well-aimed arrow that landed in the back of Nike’s chariot and began to burn. Nike ignored it. Her eyes were fixed on Leo.

‘Percy … ?’ Leo’s voice sounded like a hamster’s squeak. From his tool belt, he fished out an Archimedes sphere and set the concentric circles to arm the device.

Percy was still sparring with the last metal lady. Leo couldn’t wait.

He threw the sphere in the chariot’s path. It hit the ground and burrowed in, but he needed Percy to spring the trap. If Nike sensed any threat, she apparently didn’t think much of it. She kept charging at Leo.

The chariot was twenty feet from the grenade. Fifteen feet.

‘Percy!’ Leo yelled. ‘Operation Water Balloon!’

Unfortunately, Percy was a little busy getting smacked around. The Nikette thumped him backwards with the butt of her spear. She threw her wreath with such force it knocked Percy’s sword from his grip. Percy stumbled. The metallic lady moved in for the kill.

Leo howled. He knew the distance was too far. He knew that if he didn’t jump out of the way now Nike would run him over. But that didn’t matter. His friends were about to be skewered. He thrust out his hand and shot a white-hot bolt of fire straight at the Nikette.

It literally melted her face. The Nikette staggered, her spear still raised. Before she could regain her balance, Hazel thrust her spatha and impaled the metal lady through the chest. The Nikette crashed into the grass.

Percy turned towards the victory goddess’s chariot. Just as those huge white horses were about to turn Leo into roadkill, the carriage passed over Leo’s sunken grenade, which exploded in a high-pressure geyser. Water blasted upward, flipping the chariot – horses, carriage, goddess and all.

Back in Houston, Leo used to live with his mom in an apartment right off the Gulf Freeway. He heard car crashes at least once a week, but this sound was worse – Celestial bronze crumpling, wood splintering, stallions screaming and a goddess wailing in two distinct voices, both of them very surprised.