The Last Olympian

Prologue: The decision that changes everything

Silena Beauregard rolled out of bed as quietly as she could, her long black hair in complete disarray. She looked over her shoulder as her bare feet hit the cold stone floor to make sure that Charlie hadn’t stirred. He made a small snoring noise, and her blue eyes twinkled. He was so cute when he was asleep. Then her expression turned serious again as she looked around, trying to spot her jeans in the darkness.

She loved that her boyfriend has his own private underground room in the Hephaestus cabin, mainly because it meant the two of them could spend hours doing whatever they wanted with no one the wiser, as long as they made sure no one saw her coming or going, of course. It was completely sound-proof, surprisingly roomy, and had all the amenities a girl could want. Sure, it was a little heavy on the electronics, but it also had a private bathroom where she could take long, luxurious showers, something not even her own Aphrodite cabin could provide.

Silena had even come to appreciate the ever-present underground chill that Charles Beckendorf liked to maintain, despite the fact that he’d installed a perfectly good heating system. It made curling up with her man that much more enjoyable. Though it made moments like this, standing there naked, body still beaded with perspiration from their afternoon of passion, a bit more uncomfortable. Her nipples, among other parts, had certainly taken notice. She imagined they’d be ready to cut glass in another moment or two.

She found her jeans against the wall, where Charlie had thrown them after practically ripping them off of her an hour or so before. She fished out a small silver bracelet with a scythe charm hanging from it. She never wore it. She didn’t imagine that anyone could possibly guess its purpose, but it was still better to keep it concealed. She also wasn’t sure what use Luke, Kronos now she reminded herself, might be able to make of the connection if she walked around all day with the macabre little charm touching her skin.

She held the charm tightly in her hand and, after taking one last long look at Beckendorf, closed her eyes, calling out in her mind, “Lord Kronos.”

“Daughter of Aphrodite,” Kronos responded almost instantly, “you have very nearly made me wait. What news do you bring?”  

Silena had made her decision earlier that evening, as she lay in Charlie’s arms, and though she’d never had much talent with charmspeak and wasn’t even sure it would work with a strictly mental communication, she put everything she had into trying to make the titan lord believe what she told him next.

“The others continue to train to assault your ship, Lord Kronos, but your allies in the sea have been successful in concealing its location. Beckendorf told me today that it will probably be several more days before they can divine the location of the Princess Andromeda and attempt an assault.”

Kronos seemed to consider this for a moment, and Silena’s heart practically stopped beating. “Days, you say?” he replied finally. “I will have landed my forces long before that. For a child of the sea usurper, Percy Jackson is wonderfully easy to avoid on the water. You serve me well, child.” And with that the connection was cut. The lord of time wasn’t much for pleasantries like hello and goodbye.

With a sigh of relief the head counselor for the Aphrodite cabin tucked the bracelet back into her pants pocket and dropped the jeans to the cold floor again. Beckendorf stirred. “Silena?” He asked groggily.

She climbed back onto the bed and kissed him lightly. “I’m right here, Charlie. I was just going to take a shower. Maybe you should join me.” He smiled at this. “We’ve got to get you ready.” She continued. “You’ve got a boat to blow up in a couple of hours.”