I wasn't sure why I wanted to spare Ethan. I guess we'd had enough fighting for one day, and in truth I felt sorry for the kid. He would be in enough trouble when he reported back to Kronos.

I am Persephone" she said, her voice thin and papery. "Welcome, demigods.
Nico squashed a pomegranate under his boot. "Welcome? After last time, you've got the nerve to welcome me?"
I shifted uneasily, because talking that way to a god can get you blasted into dust bunnies. "Um, Nico-"
"It's all right," Persephone said coldly. "We had a little family spat."
"Family spat?" Nico cried. "You turned me into a dandelion!

Christmas in the Underworld was NOT my idea.
If I'd known what was coming, I would've called in sick. I could've avoided an army of demons, a fight with a Titan, and a trick that almost got my friends and me cast into eternal darkness.
But no, I had to take my stupid English exam.

Images flashed through his mind. He saw Nico and his sister on a snowy mountain cliff in Maine, Percy Jackson protecting them from the manticore. Percy's sword gleamed in the dark. He'd been the first demigod Nico had ever seen in action. Later at Camp Half-Blood, Percy took Nico by the arm, promising to keep his sister Bianca safe. Nico believed him. Nico looked into his sea-green eyes and though, How can he possibly fail? This is a real hero.

I had a crush on Percy," Nico spat. "That's the truth. That's the big secret.

Percy is the most powerful demigod I've ever met. No offense to you guys but it's true.