CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
"THIS IS THE REAL DEAL!"
Two U.S. Marine skeletons guarded the doors that Lydia had been anticipating since the beginning of their quest. They grinned down at Lydia and her friends, rocket-propelled grenade launchers held across their chests.
"You know," Grover mumbled, "I bet Hades doesn't have trouble with door-to-door salesmen."
Lydia looked his way "Who'd even think about selling stuff to Hades? What would they sell? Decayed body parts?".
Grover stared at her "You had to give me that thought didn't you?".
She didn't reply, but Percy spoke up before anyone else could "Well, guys, I suppose we should ... knock?"
A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside. Lydia wondered why they didn't try and stop them, but she thought Hades was probably expecting them. Especially with all the chaos they caused in the past couple of days.
"I guess that means entrez-vous," Annabeth said.
Lydia walked inside first, which was strange since she wasn't the one Hades wanted to see. She just stepped ahead. Her jaw dropped. The room inside looked just how Percy described it, except this time the throne of Hades was occupied. She actually liked the way the room was decorated.
The dark marble walls weren't empty in here, beautiful paintings decorated the walls. Lydia gasped. She realized some of these paintings were historical mysteries, lost pieces of art that the mortals wrote down about. She wasn't usually the type to love art so much, but these..
Hades stared at her, wondering why this demigod was in awe of his throne room. Lydia saw this and bowed "Hello, Lord Hades"
He was at least ten feet tall, for one thing, and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder-length and jet black. He wasn't bulked up like Ares, but he radiated power. He lounged on his throne of fused human bones, looking lithe, graceful, and dangerous as a panther.
"Ah, the daughter of Dionysus I see?" Hades turned to her "It is very brave that you approach me first. Usually the immortals speak before others."
"Of course, Lord Hades." Lydia apologized "I was just interested in your paintings. These have been lost forever in the mortal world."
Hades chuckled, which surprised her. Everyone always said the god never laughed. "Interesting, you would say that. These paintings were actually given to me as a gift. Those historians just like to believe they were stolen. But that's no surprise on my end."
"I agree. These paintings really look amazing in here to be honest." Lydia stared at them "You have a sense of style, Lord Hades. I always thought you were mischaracterized in the stories."
Hades nodded "I can sense you tell the truth, and thank you for that. But still, no more small talk. We have a matter to discuss. Right, son of Poseidon?"
Lydia had been so immersed in conversation, she didn't even realize why she was even there. Annabeth looked at her from across the room. How did you just have a conversation with Hades and not get cursed out of existence?
Lydia was actually wondering that too. Although her mother always said she was a very easy talker, and could always get anyone to talk. Even some campers at camp half blood believed she was a daughter of Aphrodite at first. They always asked if that was some sort of power. But Lydia told them "I wouldn't call it a superpower. I just have a nice personality trait."
"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon," Hades said in an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."
Lydia slipped back next to Grover as Percy stepped forward to his uncle "Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests."
Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out.
"Only two requests?" Hades said. "Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."
Percy glanced at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades's. It was shaped like a black flower, gilded with gold. Lydia wondered about Queen Persephone. She remembered something in the myths about how she could calm her husband's moods. But it was summer. Of course, Persephone would be above in the world of light with her mother, the goddess of agriculture, Demeter. Her visits, not the tilt of the planet, create the seasons.
Annabeth cleared her throat. Her finger prodded
Percy in the back.
"Lord Hades," Percy said. "Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be ... bad."
"Really bad," Grover added helpfully.
"Return Zeus's master bolt to me," Percy said. "Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."
Hades's eyes grew dangerously bright. "You dare keep up this pretense, after what you have done?"
Percy was confused, and so was Lydia. So she decided to help "Lord Hades, do you mind explaining what you mean? I'm not sure we understand."
The throne room shook with a tremor so strong, they probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in Western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits.
Hades bellowed, "Do you think I want war, godling?"
"You are the Lord of the Dead," Percy said carefully. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"
"A typical thing for my brothers to say! Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields?" He asked "At least your friend, Lydia has some decency to recognize me in my domain. She is surprisingly smart for a demigod child of Dionysus. These stories you mortals make up about me are disgraceful!"
Lydia didn't speak up. She was great full to be on Hades's good side, but it was only because of beliefs in the stories about him. Her mother read them to her a lot as a kid. She hated the Disney movie Hercules, for thinking Hades was really that bad. Even if her heart used to belong to Dionysus.
Her mother used to say "What has Hades done other than kidnapping Persephone? That would be terrible, young one. But there are versions that explain she was willing to go with him for love. Just because he's the god of the underworld, doesn't mean he's necessarily evil. That's why we never judge and assume others."
Lydia just wondered why people believed he was all evil.
"Well-" Percy started to say.
"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions I've had to open?"
Percy opened his mouth to respond, but Hades was on a roll now.
"More security ghouls," he moaned. "Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!"
"Charon wants a pay raise," Percy blurted, just remembering the fact.
"Don't get me started on Charon!" Hades yelled. "He's been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I've got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. No, godling. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war."
"But you took Zeus's master bolt."
Lydia was starting to worry about Percy. He was definitely going to get zapped soon. She was surprised that hasn't happened already.
"Lies!" More rumbling. Hades rose from his throne, towering to the height of a football goalpost.
"Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan."
"His plan, Lord Hades?" Lydia stepped up "What plan does Poseidon have?"
Lydia didn't believe the sea god had any plans, but she wanted to make sure Percy didn't anger his uncle even further. There was something strange about everything that was going on.
"Your friend Percy was the thief on the winter solstice," Hades said. "His father thought to keep him his little secret"
Before Lydia could say more, Hades turned on Percy.
"He directed you into the throne room on Olympus. You took the master bolt and my helm. Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helm back!"
"But..." Annabeth spoke. Lydia could tell her mind was going a million miles an hour. "Lord Hades, your helm of darkness is missing, too?"
"Do not play innocent with me, girl. You and the satyr along with Lydia have been helping this hero-coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt-to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?"
Percy looked angry at Hades's words toward his father. But he was just as confused why this was happening.
"No!" Percy said. "Poseidon didn't—I didn't—"
"I have said nothing of the helm's disappearance," Hades snarled, "because I had no illusions that
anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you."
Everything was going too fast for Lydia's mind to think. It was like the world was spinning all around her, and soon enough she'd probably fall.
"You didn't try to stop us? But—"
Percy tried to talk, but Hades was too angry to let him go on. He was very defensive of his point of view.
"Return my helm now, or I will stop death," Hades threatened. "That is my counterproposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson—your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades."
The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready. At that point, they probably should have been terrified. But Percy wasn't.
"You're as bad as Zeus," He said. "You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me?"
"Of course," Hades said.
"And the other monsters?"
Hades curled his lip. "I had nothing to do with them. I wanted no quick death for you—I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment. Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?"
At least that question was answered for Lydia. She knew something was up when nobody in Hades's court prevented them from talking to their lord. But it definitely wasn't easy to get here like he said.
"Return my property!"
"But I don't have your helm. I came for the master bolt."
"Which you already possess!" Hades shouted. "You came here with it, little fool, thinking you could you threaten me!"
"But I didn't!"
The argument continued. Lydia, Annabeth, and Grover stayed quiet. Although thoughts were racing through all their minds. They were about to burst.
"Open your pack, then." Hades said.
Percy froze. He slung the pack off his shoulder and unzipped it. Inside was a two-foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy. Lydia felt an emptiness tugging at her stomach. She was starting to wish all of this was just a bad dream.
"Percy?" Lydia hid her emotions, but they needed to be seen. They wanted to come out and yell. She also wanted to break things.
"You heroes are always the same," Hades said. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus's master bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now..... my helm. Where is it?"
Lydia was speechless. She realized their quest had been played with. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades had been set at each other's throats by someone else. The master bolt had been in the backpack, and they'd gotten the backpack from . .
"Lord Hades, wait," Percy said, realizing the truth too. "This is all a mistake."
"A mistake?" Hades roared.
The skeletons aimed their weapons. From high above, there was a fluttering of leathery wings, and the three Furies swooped down to perch on the back of their master's throne. They pushed the group, marking a scar on Lydia's cheek. It started bleeding.
Her head was spinning around in circles. The world was starting to turn different colors, and it was way too much. She had to make it stop.
"Stop!" Lydia let out an ear shattering scream. Her friends covered their ears, and so did Hades and his furies. The walls shook with power.
Hades stared at her "What-"
"It was Ares." Lydia gasped for air, staring at the underworld king "He gave Percy the backpack. I don't know how he didn't see it before. Maybe some sort of enchantment, but Ares has Hades's helm."
The god widened his eyes "How is it that you know?"
"Because that's what makes sense." Lydia said.
✸
The group was no longer in the underworld. They now stood at the Santa Monica Pier with towels around their shoulders and water bottles that said I'M A JUNIOR COAST GUARD! and sped off to save more people.
Their clothes were sopping wet. After reaching dry land, they stumbled down the beach, watching the city burn against a beautiful sunrise. Lydia felt too tired to look at the view.
"I don't believe it," Annabeth said. "We went all that way—"
"It was a trick," Percy said. "A strategy worthy of Athena."
"Hey," she warned.
"You get it, don't you?"
Lydia's strength was gone. She hadn't felt so horrible in so long. She struggled to even see where she was.
Annabeth dropped her eyes, her anger fading. "Yeah. I get it."
"Well, I don't!" Grover complained. "Would somebody—"
Lydia's vision faltered, and she collapsed on the sand. Her friend's worried voices called for her. But those voices faded. And everything went darker than the underworld, but she swore she saw a gleam of sunlight.