Summary

The boar guides the group into the desert before abandoning them to go and find food. They briefly discuss where to go. During this conversation, they come to the revelation that Bianca and Nico were trapped in the Lotus hotel, where time flowed differently. An hour to them was actually about 40 years, which is why Washington seemed so different to Bianca. Ares shows up in a limo, requesting a private audience with Percy. The others give them some space and Ares takes Percy into the limo where Aphrodite is waiting. She tells Percy that she supports his quest because she believes it is driven by true love for Annabeth. She does warn Percy that their love is going to be tragic, and she can’t trust the Hunters. Lastly, she tells Percy not to take anything from the junkyard they will be encountering.

The...