Dejardins Was So Stunned, He Momentarily Forgot

She Pulled Away. “i Missed You, Percy.” Percy Wanted To Tell Her The Same Thing, But It Seemed Too Small A Comment. While He Had Been On The Roman Side, He’d Kept Himself Alive Almost Solely By Thinking Of Annabeth. I Missed You Didn’t Really Cover That.

Something Inside Me Clicked, Like An Engine Shifting Into Higher Gear. My Thinking Suddenly Became Faster And Clearer. The Anger And Fear Didn't Go Away, But I Realized They Weren't Important. They Weren't Going To Help Me.

My Stomach Churned. The Monster Had Mimicked Thalia Perfectly. If I'd Heard That Voice In The Dark, Calling For Help, I Would've Run Straight Toward It.

Ever Come Home And Found Your Room Messed Up? Like Some Helpful Person (hi, Mom) Has Tried To "clean" It, And Suddenly You Can't Find Anything? And Even If Nothing Is Missing, You Get That Creepy Feeling Like Somebody's Been Looking Through Your Private Stuff And Dusting Everything With Lemon Furniture Polish?

Great, I Thought. We Just Blowtorched A National Monument.