The Heroes of Olympus: The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan Page A

nearest cow carcass and instantly the meat turned to stone. A wave of petrifaction spread from carcass to carcass until the rack became so heavy it collapsed. Half a dozen granite cows broke to pieces.
    “Now, that’s interesting!” Cacus beamed.
    “Uh-oh.” Annabeth took a step back.
    The giant swung the staff in our direction. “Yes! Soon I will master this thing and be as powerful as Hermes. I’ll be able to go anywhere! I’ll steal anything I want, make high-quality knockoffs, and sell them around the world. I will be the lord of traveling salesmen!”
    “That,” I said, “is truly evil.”
    “Ha-ha!” Cacus raised the caduceus in triumph. “I had my doubts, but now I’m convinced. Stealing this staff was an excellent idea! Now let’s see how I can kill you with it.”
    “Wait!” Annabeth said. “You mean it wasn’t your idea to steal the staff?”
    “Kill them!” Cacus ordered the snakes. He pointed the caduceus at us, but the silver tip only spewed slips of paper. Annabeth picked up one and read it.
    “You’re trying to kill us with Groupons,” she announced. “‘Eighty-five percent off piano lessons.’”
    “Gah!” Cacus glared at the snakes and breathed a fiery warning shot over their heads. “Obey me!”
    George and Martha squirmed in alarm.
    Stop that! Martha cried.
    We’re cold-blooded! George protested. Fire is not good!
    “Hey, Cacus!” I shouted, trying to get back his attention. “Answer our question. Who told you to steal the staff?”
    The giant sneered. “Foolish demigod. When you defeated Kronos, did you think you eliminated all the enemies of the gods? You only delayed the fall of Olympus for a little while longer. Without the staff, Hermes will be unable to carry messages. Olympian communication lines will be disrupted, and that’s only the first bit of chaos my friends have planned.”
    “Your friends?” Annabeth asked.
    Cacus waved off the question. “Doesn’t matter. You won’t live that long, and I’m only in it for the money. With this staff, I’ll make millions! Maybe even thousands! Now hold still. Perhaps I can get a good price on two demigod statues.”
    I wasn’t fond of threats like that. I’d had enough of them a few years ago when I fought Medusa. I wasn’t anxious to fight this guy, but I also knew I couldn’t leave George and Martha at his mercy. Besides, the world had enough traveling salesmen. Nobody deserved to answer their door and find a fire-breathing giant with a magic staff and a collection of knockoff Rolexes.
    I looked at Annabeth. “Time to fight?”
    She gave me a sweet smile. “Smartest thing you’ve said all morning.”

    You’re probably thinking: Wait, you just charged in without a plan?
    But Annabeth and I had been fighting together for years. We knew each other’s abilities. We could anticipate each other’s moves. I might have felt awkward and nervous about being her boyfriend, but fighting with her? That came naturally.
    Hmm…that sounded wrong. Oh, well.
    Annabeth veered to the giant’s left. I charged him head-on. I was still out of sword-reach when Cacus unhinged his jaw and blew fire.
    My next startling discovery: flaming breath is hot.
    I managed to leap to one side, but I could feel my arms starting to warm up and my clothes igniting. I rolled through the mud to douse the flames and knocked over a rack of women’s coats.
    The giant roared. “Look what you’ve done! Those are genuine fake Prada!”
    Annabeth used the distraction to strike. She lunged at Cacus from behind and stabbed him in the back of the knee—usually a nice soft spot on monsters. She leaped away as Cacus swung the caduceus, barely missing her. The silver tip slammed into the bulldozer and the entire machine turned to stone.
    “I’ll kill you!” Cacus stumbled, golden ichor pouring from his wounded leg.
    He blew fire at Annabeth, but she dodged the blast. I lunged with Riptide and slashed my blade across the giant’s other leg.
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