Percy trudged through the flashing lights and endless noise of the Lotus Casino, his expression a mix of exhaustion and irritation. He had no interest in being here—not now, not ever—but Chiron had sent him on a mission, and ignoring an order from Chiron usually led to more trouble than it was worth.

Somewhere in this casino was a demigod, one who had been stuck here for who-knew-how-long. According to Chiron, they already knew about their heritage and could fight, which at least meant Percy wouldn’t have to deal with the usual “What do you mean, gods are real?” conversation. But what really set this demigod apart was their parentage—something unusual, even by demigod standards.

With a sigh, Percy dragged a hand through his already messy hair, dodging a waitress carrying a tray of lotus flowers. He was about five seconds away from giving up and letting this mystery demigod spend eternity gambling when he finally spotted them at a poker table, completely at ease among the oblivious mortals.

“Finally,” Percy muttered, squaring his shoulders as he made his way over.