The Forbidden Daughter | PJO Book One

thirteen

AND YOU GUESSED IT.. EVEN MORE FIGHTING.

Midtown was a war zone. They flew over little skirmishes everywhere. A giant was ripping up trees in Bryant Park while dryads pelted him with nuts.

Outside the Waldorf Astoria, a bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin was whacking a hellhound with a rolled-up newspaper.

A trio of Hephaestus campers fought a squad of dracaenae in the middle of Rockefeller Center.

Ariana was tempted to stop and help, but she could tell from the smoke and noise that the real action had moved farther south.

Their defenses were collapsing. The enemy was closing in on the Empire State Building. They did a quick sweep of the surrounding area.

The Hunters had set up a defensive line on 37th, just three blocks north of Olympus.

To the east on Park Avenue, Jake Mason and some other Hephaestus campers were leading an army of statues against the enemy.

To the west, the Demeter cabin and Grover's nature spirits had turned Sixth Avenue into a jungle that was hampering a squadron of Kronos's demigods.

The south was clear for now, but the flanks of the enemy army were swinging around. A few more minutes and they'd be totally surrounded.

"We have to land where they need us most," Ariana muttered.

That's everywhere, boss.

Arianaspotted a familiar silver owl banner in the southeast corner of the fight, 33rd at the Park Avenue tunnel.

Percy, Annabeth and two of her siblings were holding back a Hyperborean giant.

"There!" She told Blackjack. He plunged toward the battle.

Ariana leaped off his back and landed on the giant's head. When the giant looked up, she slid off his face, shield-bashing his nose on the way down.

"RAWWWR!'The giant staggered backward, blue blood trickling from his nostrils.

Ariana hit the pavement running. The Hyperborean breathed a cloud of white mist, and the temperature dropped.

The spot where she had landed was now coated with ice, and she was covered in frost like a sugar donut.

"Hey, ugly!" Annabeth yelled. She hoped she was talking to the giant, not her.

Blue Boy bellowed and turned toward her, exposing the unprotected back of his legs. Percy charged and stabbed him behind the knee.

"WAAAAH!" The Hyperborean buckled.

Ariana waited for him to turn, but he froze. He literally turned to solid ice. From the point where Percy had stabbed him, cracks appeared in his body.

They got larger and wider until the giant crumbled in a mountain of blue shards.

"Thanks." Annabeth winced, trying to catch her breath. "The pig?"

"Pork chops or bacon, whatever you prefer."Ariana said.

"Good." She flexed her shoulder.

Obviously, the wound was still bothering her, but she saw Percys expression and rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Percy. Come on! We've got plenty of enemies left."

She was right. The next hour was a blur. Ariana fought like she had never fought before wading into legions of dracaenae, taking out dozens of telkhines with every strike, destroying empousai and knocking out enemy demigods.

No matter how many she defeated, more took their place. The trio raced from block to block, trying to shore up their defences.

Too many of their friends lay wounded in the streets. Too many were missing.