The Heroes of Olympus, #2
The Son of Neptune
by Rick Riordan
Contents
XXIX Hazel
Overview
Hazel confesses her past to Frank and Percy, triggering a vision of the Underworld where judges consign both Hazel and her mother to Asphodel after Hazel refuses Elysium alone. Frank reveals his literal lifeline and entrusts it to Hazel. Nico di Angelo then appears, offering Hazel a path back to life.
Summary
As the trio’s boat turns north from the Columbia into the ocean, Hazel struggles with guilt over Phineas’s death and her role in Alcyoneus’s rise. She helps settle Ella aboard and sits with Frank, who keeps her spirits up. Prompted by his gentle support, Hazel confesses her origin: Pluto as her father, her cursed power over riches, Gaea’s manipulation of her mother, the move to Alaska, raising Alcyoneus, and her death collapsing his island.
When Percy asks about her afterlife, Hazel involuntarily slips into a vision of the Underworld, taking Frank’s presence with her. Charon ferries her across the Styx, Cerberus lets them pass, and before the Judges of the Dead, Hazel’s memories are weighed. Offered Elysium for herself and Eternal Punishment for her mother, Hazel refuses to let Marie suffer alone. The judges instead split the blame, condemning both to the Fields of Asphodel.
Hazel leads Frank through Asphodel, describing its endless, numbing drift and the unreachable distance to Pluto’s palace and Elysium. Frank protests the injustice of Hazel’s lost future. To share his own burden, he reveals the burned driftwood that ties to his life and asks Hazel to safeguard it, trusting her more than anyone.
A shadow falls: Nico di Angelo appears, searching for his sister after Death’s disappearance. Learning Bianca chose rebirth, Nico turns to Hazel, recognizes her as a daughter of Pluto who remembers her past, and offers her a second chance. He extends his hand, inviting Hazel to return with him to the living world.
Who Appears
- Hazel LevesqueNarrates her past, relives Underworld judgment, refuses Elysium to spare her mother, and receives Frank’s lifeline.
- Frank ZhangComforts Hazel, accompanies her vision, reveals his burned-wood lifeline, and entrusts it to Hazel.
- Percy JacksonSteers the boat seaward, supports Hazel, and prompts the revelation about her afterlife.
- EllaHarpie who joins the group, recites facts, and urges Frank to follow Hazel into the vision.
- Nico di AngeloAppears in Asphodel seeking his sister; offers Hazel a chance to return to life.
- CharonFerries Hazel across the Styx, acknowledging her as Pluto’s daughter.
- The Judges of the DeadWeigh Hazel’s life and assign both her and her mother to Asphodel.
- CerberusThree-headed guard dog who lets Hazel pass the gates of Erebos.
- Marie LevesqueHazel’s mother, shown in judgment; her fate factors into Hazel’s refusal of Elysium.