The Titan's Curse

Percy sees that Atlas resembles all the bad things he first noticed about Zoë. As Zoë tries to take the sky from Artemis, the goddess forbids her, and Percy wonders aloud why the sky must be held up in the first place. Atlas explains that the sky wants to reunite with the earth and, if not held, would flatten everything within a hundred leagues. He then insults Thalia and Percy, saying, “So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge” (263).

Percy readies to fight Atlas, but Atlas sneers at him, saying that he is not worthy of fighting a Titan, so Percy will fight Luke. Atlas then turns to Thalia, pointing out the massive army ascending the mountain and saying that Luke was wrong about her. Luke tries again to convince Thalia to summon Bessie, who will come if she or Percy calls. Through their mental link, Grover tells Percy not to think about Bessie, as he’s already starting to transport himself to Mount Othrys. Percy tries to refocus his thoughts away from the Ophiotaurus. Percy also notices Luke’s desperation as he talks to Thalia, thinking that his life seems to depend on her joining him.

Thalia refuses to join them, saying, “You aren’t Luke. I don’t know you anymore” (266). As she does, Annabeth nods at Percy, and he, Zoë, and Thalia all charge.

Thalia battles Luke. Percy runs to Atlas, knowing that once he engages him, the Titan is no longer bound by ancient laws of conduct so could attack Percy with all his might. Atlas fights back, and Percy knows he can’t defeat him. Despite her warning that he will die, he cuts Artemis’s chains and takes the sky from her. Percy feels the wait of the sky on his back, and he’s pushed to his knees. His vision blurs, so he can barely make out what’s happening around him. Trying to think of his friends, he sees Thalia nearly best Luke.

Meanwhile, Artemis engages Atlas. When Atlas pins her down, Zoë intervenes, and Atlas sends her flying. Back on her feet, Artemis resumes fighting, grabbing Atlas’s javelin and using his momentum to throw him toward Percy. He knocks Percy out from under the sky and becomes trapped again.

Thalia and Luke tumble toward the cliff, near the golden coffin that holds pieces of Kronos summoned from Tartarus. Annabeth, having gotten free, runs over and tells Thalia not to kill him. She says that they can bring him back to Olympus. Luke teases Thalia about her desire to have her father’s approval, and Thalia pushes him off the edge. They look over and see Luke, dead, on the rocks below.

Artemis returns with Zoë, who is near death. The wound she sustained from Ladon was poisoned. Around them, Kronos’s army continues to approach when a plane comes through the sky, flown by Annabeth’s father. As he holds off the monsters using bullets made from celestial bronze, Artemis blows a horn, summoning a silver chariot. Percy likens it to Santa Claus’s, and Artemis says to him, “Indeed, young half-blood. And where do you think the legend came from?” (275).

Flying the chariot, Artemis leads them away, followed by Annabeth’s father.

After they land in Crissy Field, Annabeth, amazed by her father’s heroics, asks how he got the celestial bronze, and he explains that he melted down some of the weapons she’d left when she last ran away.

Thalia comes over to get her and Percy’s attention, bringing them to Zoë’s side next to Artemis. The goddess offers to heal her, but Zoë instead asks if she’s served Artemis well. Artemis responds by saying, “With great honor […] The best of attendants” (277). Percy realizes that Zoë knew all along that she would be the one to be killed by a parent but chose to come on the quest anyway.

Zoë then apologizes to Thalia for arguing so much, and Thalia says that it was her fault, and that Zoë was right about everything: Luke, heroes, and men. Zoë points out that she was perhaps wrong about all men, and she asks Percy to see Riptide, telling him that she is proud he carries it and that he is nothing like Hercules.

Looking at the night sky, she passes away. Artemis then whispers a spell and creates a new constellation of Zoë in the sky, one that looks like a girl holding a bow and arrow. Artemis looks at the new arrangement of stars, saying, “Let the world honor you, my Huntress […] Live forever in the stars” (279).

Artemis says that she has to get to Olympus, telling Thalia, Annabeth, and Percy that she will send for them. Annabeth apologizes to her father for running away, and then three pegasi, including Blackjack, appear. Dr. Chase marvels over them, but Annabeth interrupts, saying that they having to go. He reminds her that she always has a home with him. They then depart.

Thalia falls asleep on her pegasus immediately. As she does, Annabeth and Percy talk. Annabeth insists that, somehow, Luke is still alive and that they should help him because he’s under Kronos’s control. Percy disagrees on both points and worries for Annabeth.

As they arrive at Mount Olympus, a storm brews above the Empire State Building. The winter solstice has started, and the Council of the Gods has convened.

Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth arrive in Olympus. It is Percy’s second time there, and they arrive in front of the hall of the gods. The doors open, and they walk in.

The gods are all 12 feet tall. Percy spots Grover kneeling in front of Zeus, likely having just given a report. He also sees Bessie floating in an orb. Grover comes over to hug Annabeth and Thalia. He stops at Percy and says, “Percy, Bessie and I made it! But you have to convince them! They can’t do it!” (286).

Confused, Percy asks what they’re going to do, but Artemis comes over, shrinking down to size. The gods are voting to act, and Artemis, Athena, Poseidon, and Apollo each have roles.

Artemis lauds the half-bloods for their work during their quest. Hermes calls for a vote, asking, “All in favor of not disintegrating them?” (288). A few hands go up, but others consider whether they should destroy Thalia and Percy. Zeus and Poseidon each defend their children, making both feeling flattered since they don’t speak with their parents often. Athena voices her pride in Annabeth but says that both Percy and Thalia pose a risk. Annabeth starts to protest, but Athena quiets her with a look.

Artemis insists on rewarding them, saying, “If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it” (290).

Zeus considers this, but he says that Bessie should be destroyed. Percy protests, saying, “he’s just a sea creature. A really nice sea creature. You can’t destroy him” (290). He argues that no one can control prophecies and that it’s wrong to hurt an innocent, as wrong “as Kronos eating his children, just because of something they might do” (290). Zeus mentions the risk, pointing out that if they don’t destroy the Ophiotaurus, then one of the half-bloods will have the power destroy the gods, which is especially a threat with Thalia’s 16th birthday the next day. Annabeth insists that they should trust the heroes, but Zeus scowls at that.

Artemis insists that Annabeth is right and wishes to have a private word with Zeus. She says that she has to choose a new lieutenant since Zoë has died. They talk alone. Worried that Artemis will ask Annabeth, Percy tries to tell Annabeth that he doesn’t want to her to join the Hunt, but he’s afraid of admitting how he feels. She notices that he looks nervous, but Artemis comes back before he can say anything else.

She asks Thalia to join the Hunt, and Thalia agrees. This way, she won’t ever turn 16, ensuring that the prophecy isn’t about her. She takes the oath. Then, she hugs Percy, telling him that this is the right choice, and it will hopefully bring her peace.

Then, the conversation turns back to Bessie. Percy insists again that they spare him, and, despite protest, Poseidon vouches for both the Ophiotaurus and his son. Zeus refuses to allow Poseidon to keep Bessie in the sea as a bargaining chip. To placate him, Poseidon agrees to build an aquarium on Mount Olympus. The gods take a vote on this plan, and most agree, even though Dionysius, Ares, and Athena abstain.

Then, a party to celebrate the heroes’ victory begins. Percy sees Dionysius with his wife and talks to Hermes. He looks for Annabeth, but first, Poseidon comes over to him, saying that he hopes Percy won’t let him down. Percy assures him that he won’t, and Poseidon says that that’s also what Luke once said. When Percy points out that Luke is dead, Poseidon disagrees, saying that he has felt it. Luke’s ship, the Princess Andromeda, continues to sail, allying itself with older gods of the ocean. He soon disappears to care for the Ophiotaurus.

Athena comes over to him next, telling him, “Do not judge me too harshly, half-blood. Wise counsel is not always popular, but I spoke the truth. You are dangerous” (297). Percy asks if she ever takes risks, which she concedes. She warns him, however, that Kronos will work to manipulate him, as he has already done by kidnapping his mother, Grover, and, most recently, Annabeth. He doesn’t understand how this can be a flaw, but Athena points out that this can still cause problems. She also doesn’t approve of his friendship with Annabeth, threatening him if he is disloyal to the gods.

Annabeth comes over, and Athena leaves. With his courage taken by Athena, Percy doesn’t tell Annabeth that he didn’t want her to join the Hunters. Instead, he tells her he owes her a dance, and she agrees.

Percy calls Tyson and then his mother through an Iris message. He sees her with Mr. Blofis, whom she quickly sends to get her something in another room. He asks if she is happy, and she is. He tells her what happened and then tells her he’ll see her for Christmas, ending the call with the realization that she’s “pretty cool” (303).

Grover, Percy, and Annabeth go back to camp. There, they meet with some of the other campers, including Clarisse, a daughter of Ares who has just returned from a quest of her own. He tells everyone that Annabeth was right about Luke, and Percy knows that Annabeth will try to come up with some way to save him. Chiron then adds, with the war upon them, the Titans will come first for Camp Half-Blood because the heroes are tools of the gods.

Just then, Nico appears and asks about Bianca. Percy gets up from his seat and goes for a walk with him. He explains what happened, admitting that he’s not sure if she’s dead, but Nico is sure. He says that he feels it. He then reminds Percy that he promised to keep her safe and tells him he hates him.

Four skeleton warriors appear, and Percy tells him to get help. Nico puts his hands over his ears and yells at them to go away. The ground opens up and swallows them before Nico runs off, dropping the figurine Bianca had Percy give to him. Percy realizes that Nico is a son of Hades.

Percy tells Annabeth and Grover what he’s discovered. It’s possible that Hades didn’t break the oath since Nico and Bianca had been in the Lotus Casino since before World War II. He’s not sure who got them out of the casino, wondering if it might be a part of the “Great Stirring” of ancient monsters. He doesn’t want to tell anyone, especially since Nico may not know and it could start in-fighting between the gods anew. He has also decided that the prophecy will be about him, especially since Nico doesn’t deserve to have anything else happen to him.

He and Annabeth tell Chiron what happened with Nico. Chiron suggests that the war will likely start in the summer, so he and Annabeth should go home. Annabeth will go back to San Francisco and Percy to New York City.

The novel ends with Grover coming over exclaiming that he heard Pan’s voice in his head saying, “I await you” (312).