The Heroes of Olympus, #2
The Son of Neptune
by Rick Riordan
Contents
XVIII Hazel
Overview
Hazel wakes ashore in Mendocino after a debilitating blackout and finally admits her episodes stem from her past and resurrection. Frank intuits she is from another time and vows support, strengthening their bond. Percy returns to the boat for supplies, sensing danger. An eerie calm precedes an ambush, and unseen forces seize Hazel, escalating the quest’s peril.
Summary
Hazel awakens on a cliff above a moonlit beach in Mendocino, disoriented after a prolonged blackout that began at sea. Percy explains they brought her ashore when they couldn’t wake her. Realizing she must be honest, Hazel admits her episodes aren’t seasickness but blackouts linked to where Nico found her.
Parched and shaky, Hazel asks for water. Percy, uneasy and sensing danger, decides to retrieve their supplies from the beached boat, instructing Frank to stay with Hazel and keep watch. After Percy leaves, Frank realizes he is still holding Hazel’s hand and awkwardly lets go.
Frank gently reveals he has pieced together Hazel’s origins from her speech and reactions: she was born in another time and came from the Underworld. Instead of recoiling, Frank reassures her that she is alive now and that they will protect her, deepening their trust and solidarity.
As they talk, the wind abruptly dies, yet the tall grass continues to ripple. Frank notices the discrepancy, and dark shapes glide through the field. Before Hazel can react, an unseen force slams Frank backward and coils around Hazel like a living gale, yanking her into the fields as the ambush begins.
Who Appears
- Hazel LevesqueWakes after a blackout, admits episodes tied to her past and Underworld origins, then is abducted by unseen forces.
- Frank ZhangComforts Hazel, deduces she’s from another time and the Underworld, vows support, then is knocked back during the ambush.
- Percy JacksonSenses danger, leaves to retrieve supplies from the boat, entrusts Hazel’s safety to Frank.