The Demigod Files - Running Water

“The River Lethe.” Nico cursed in Ancient Greek. “We’ll never make it across.”

The flower was pointing to the other side—toward a gloomy mountain and a path leading up to a cave. Beyond the mountain, the walls of the Underworld loomed like a dark granite sky. I hadn’t considered that the Underworld might have an outer rim, but this appeared to be it.

“There’s got to be a way across,” I said.

Thalia knelt next to the bank.

“Careful!” Nico said. “This is the River of Forgetfulness. If one drop of that water gets on you, you’ll start to forget who you are.”

Thalia backed up. “I know this place. Luke told me about it once. Souls come here if they choose to be reborn, so they totally forget their former lives.”

Nico nodded. “Swim in that water and your mind will be wiped clean. You’ll be like a newborn baby.”

Thalia studied the opposite bank. “I could shoot an arrow across, maybe anchor a line to one of those rocks.”

“You want to trust your weight to a line that isn’t tied off ?” Nico asked.

Thalia frowned. “You’re right. Works in the movies, but . . . no. Could you summon some dead people to help us?”

“I could, but they would only appear on my side of the river. Running water acts as a barrier against the dead. They can’t cross it.”

I winced. “What kind of stupid rule is that?”

“Hey, I didn’t make it up.” He studied my face. “You look terrible, Percy. You should sit down.”

“I can’t. You need me for this.”

“For what?” Thalia asked. “You can barely stand.”


- The Demigod Files: The Sword of Hades