Mercury Suites is eerie. I've never really trusted the rich suburbs, and since realizing I was a half blood, that's only increased. I've seen too many monsters in the shadows to take anything at face value.

Mercury Suites is worse than that, however. It's abandoned and decrepit. Water is seeping in and I can see rust stains on the walls and floors. Slowly but surely, the mask is slipping off, and the rot is coming to the surface. There are no gods here.

"Well," I said, quietly to Luke's shout, "Given that Aphrodite is here. Given that Cupid came and went. Given that we're here, and given that Annabeth is gone... not enough."