orenda [leo valdez]

xlii. Stomping on Tartarus' Heart (literally)

❝i'll never be that me again❞

⤷ b.m.

△△△

As Kira trudged toward the heart of Tartarus, she kept glancing down at her body, wondering how it could belong to her. His arms looked like bleached leather pulled over sticks. Her skeletal legs seemed to dissolve into smoke with every step. She'd learned to move normally within the Death Mist, more or less, but the magical shroud still made her feel like she was wrapped in a coat of helium.

Ahead of them was the most depressing view of all.

Spread to the horizon was an army of monsters—flocks of winged arai, tribes of lumbering Cyclopes, clusters of floating evil spirits. Thousands of baddies, maybe tens of thousands, all milling restlessly, pressing against one another, growling and fighting for space.

Bob led them toward the edge of the army. He made no effort to hide, not that it would have done any good. Being ten feet tall and glowing silver, Bob didn't do stealth very well.

About thirty yards from the nearest monsters, Bob turned to face the demigods.

"Stay quiet and stay behind me," Bob advised. "They will not notice you."

"We hope," Percy muttered.

On the Titan's shoulder, Small Bob woke up from a nap. He purred seismically and arched his back, turning skeletal then back to calico. At least he didn't seem nervous.

Annabeth examined her own zombie hands. "Bob, if we're invisible...how can you see us? I mean, you're technically, you know..."

"Yes," Bob said. "But we are friends."

"Nyx and her children could see us," Annabeth said.

Bob shrugged. "That was in Nyx's realm. That is different."

"Uh...right." Annabeth didn't sound reassured, but they were here now. They didn't have any choice but to try.

Kira's jaw stiffened as she glanced into the crowd with a guarded, hard expression.

She stared at the swarm of vicious monsters.

"Well, at least we won't have to worry about bumping into any other friends in this crowd." Percy said.

Bob grinned. "Yes, that is good news! Now, let's go. Death is close."

"The Doors of Death are close," Annabeth corrected. "Let's watch the phrasing."

They plunged into the crowd.

Kira trembled so badly, she was afraid the Death Mist would shake right off her.

She'd seen large groups of monsters before.

When she had fought the battle at the Wolf House to save Hera, there had been an army of monsters, but it looked like a preschool summer camp compared to this.