Chapter Twenty-Three: Eddie. I Learn To Seriously Love Mexican Food

I Learn To Seriously Love Mexican Food
"Nico," I said. "What are you doing here?"

Nico sighed. "Look, my older sister Bianca was killed because a prophecy said one of the people in her quest would die. I didn't want that to happen again, so I came here to help Tara. And right now she's hurt and needs to get to camp immediately for medical attention. Where's Raymond by the way?"

"Tara sent him to get help from the Kanes, but without Tara I don't know how he can get back."

"He'll find a way," Natalie said. "Nico, you work on keeping Tara alive. We've got to take care of Xolotl before it's too late."

"Too late," Xolotl said. I swear he was just mocking us as he sent fireballs our way.

Charging complete, Thoth told me. ''I've been reducing your power for a while. You nowhave enough energy for one manifestation.''

"And a manifestation is...?"

"Creating something with your mind," Nico said. "If you've got enough energy, use it."

What was I going to manifest? A weapon? A giant fire extinguisher? A cage? A button that reads PRESS HERE TO DESTROY XOLOTL? Then it came to me.

I concentrated on the object of my choice until it was fully formed right in front of Xolotl.

"Really?" Natalie said. "Such a guy. You can manifest one item in the world, and you choose a giant taco?!"

I guess in hindsight it seems pretty stupid of me. But then, just as planned...

"Whoa, he smells something big this way!" a familiar voice said. Carter Kane. Sadie, Percy, Raymond, and a girl I vaguely remember seeing at Camp Jupiter were with him, along with a horse and a baboon. Khufu.

My plan had been to use the taco so Khufu could find his way here - taco ends in -o, after all. I knew Raymond would succeed in getting the Kanes, and would probably have Khufu come too. Now we were back in action, thanks to my giant taco.

I summarized the basics to them. Percy nodded. "Hazel, you and Arion should get Tara to Camp Half-Blood. Ask Chiron to show you Thalia's tree. Eddie, Natalie, Raymond, you already know what to do. Khufu, enjoy the taco. All of us, let's roll."

Vicis Tincidunt Vivamus went for Xolotl's neck, but was stopped by a massive waterfall right between us. "Natalie, Percy, whichever one of you is doing this, you should stop."

"It's neither of them," Raymond said. "There was a huge storm on the way from Kane mansion to Camp Half-Blood too. Want me to try sunshine-ing it up?"

"Sure," I said, but my mind was racing. What could be causing these freak storms? Xolotl wasn't a rain god... that would be Tlaloc... "It's a trap!"

"That's right," a girl's voice said. A blonde girl wearing a pink shirt and denim skirt walked up behind Xolotl and fired a lightning bolt at me. I barely dodged it.

"Melanie!" Natalie exclaimed. "How? You're one of Tlaloc's reps!"

"Looks like reps can be traitors just like demigods," Percy said.

"Ha-di!" Sadie continued to shout, breaking down the walls.

Khufu jumped onto Xolotl's head and yanked on his mouth. "Get off of me, you -"

"Agh! Agh!"

The ha-dis were doing major damage to the structure of the temple. "We've got to get out of here, now," I said.

Percy, Khufu, and I led the way while the others followed. I took one last look at Melanie, the Aztec traitor who started to work for Xolotl and expedite the Merge. Then I continued leading the others out.