The Blood of Olympus

Hedge informs Nico that they’ve landed in Portugal, in the remains of a temple of Diana. The Athena Parthenos landed atop the temple. Nico passed out upon arrival and has been asleep for 36 hours. A Burning Man has appeared, apparently to speak to Nico. He wears a monk’s habit, and Nico guesses that he was burned alive. He gestures for Nico to follow and leads him to the Chapel of Bones, constructed from “[t]he remains of five thousand monks” (116), where Hades is waiting for him.

Hades reveals that Gaea’s hunter is Orion. Nico won’t be able to defeat him and must attempt to outrun him. Hades warns Nico that one of the seven demigods will die. Hazel may want to prevent it, in the process distracting her from her priorities. Additionally, Hades tells Nico that “[w]hatever happens, [he] has earned [his father’s] respect” (118). The burning monk warns them that time is short; the wolves will arrive soon.

Nico returns to Reyna and Hedge, and as they wait for darkness to fall, the three eat dinner, discuss Nico’s dreams (and his visit with his father), and strategize. Reyna worries that the wolves associated with both the goddess Lupa and the Amazons “have gone silent,” and “the only hope for either camp lies with us” (123). She acknowledges that the burden lies heavily on Nico’s shadow-traveling, which takes a great toll on him. Privately, Nico reflects on his unrequited feelings for Percy and the kindness that he and Annabeth have shown him, though other campers tend to find his presence unsettling. He believes that if he survives the quest, he’ll find peace only by leaving both camps behind.

Reyna offers Nico whatever help she can for the next shadow-jump, which will be the most difficult because it must take them across the Atlantic. Suddenly, wolves emerge, surrounding them. The largest morphs into a man.

It’s Lycaon, the first werewolf, whom Gaea has recruited to assist Orion on his hunt. Reyna takes out her silver knife, but Nico knows that they may not have enough time to survive since they can’t shadow-jump until after nightfall. Meanwhile, Lycaon boasts that he’ll spill Nico’s demigod blood on sacred ground, which will give him power over life and death. Reflecting on the many dead of this ancient city who lie beneath his feet, Nico summons bones from beneath the earth and traps the wolves and Lycaon. Hedge climbs up to the temple roof to secure the Athena Parthenos, while Reyna and her silver wolves fight off Lycaon’s wolves, who have begun to break out of Nico’s trap. Lycaon frees himself and rushes Nico, who stabs him with a silver knife. Orion arrives as Lycaon dissolves into shadow, which Nico uses to shadow-jump away with his friends and the Athena Parthenos, though he has no idea where they’ll land.