The Heroes of Olympus, #3
The Mark of Athena
by Rick Riordan
Contents
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Overview
Annabeth painstakingly frees the Athena Parthenos, awakening its potent aura that destabilizes the cavern. She deceives Arachne into crawling into a giant silk version of Chinese handcuffs, trapping the monster. As Arachne panics and summons swarms of spiders, the chamber begins to collapse. Overwhelmed, Annabeth faces defeat until a fiery explosion blasts through the ceiling.
Summary
Annabeth, exhausted and injured, watches Arachne unravel the webs shrouding the Athena Parthenos. As the statue emerges, it radiates divine power, warming the chamber and driving back lesser spiders, but also worsening the floor’s cracks. Annabeth encourages Arachne to continue weaving, stalling while assessing the unstable room and the statue’s growing aura.
To survive, Annabeth guides Arachne to weave long silk strips, then braid them into a cylinder based on the principle of Chinese finger traps. After testing the tunnel herself, Annabeth claims there is a flaw and coaxes Arachne to crawl inside. The silk tightens around Arachne’s abdomen, trapping her exactly as intended.
With Arachne immobilized, Annabeth tries to plan an Iris-message to the Argo II. Provoked by Annabeth’s declaration that the Athena Parthenos will return to Olympus after aiding the war in Greece, Arachne panics. She thrashes, tears tapestries, spills magical braziers, and rips tiles, further destabilizing the chamber while shrieking for her spider-children.
Spiders swarm despite the statue’s aura. Arachne fires silk at Annabeth, dragging her toward the spinnerets until Annabeth severs the strand with her dagger. Cornered and outnumbered, Annabeth realizes she is about to die at the feet of her mother’s statue.
At the last moment, as the cavern groans and collapses worsens, a blast of fiery light explodes through the ceiling, interrupting the onslaught and offering sudden, uncertain salvation.
Who Appears
- Annabeth ChaseInjured but resourceful; frees Athena Parthenos and traps Arachne with a giant silk finger trap; nearly overwhelmed by spiders.
- ArachnePrideful weaver-spider; frees the statue, then is tricked into a silk ‘Chinese handcuffs’ trap; panics, summons spiders, destabilizes cavern.
- Athena Parthenos (statue)Divine statue whose aura intensifies, brightens the chamber, repels smaller spiders, and contributes to the cavern’s instability.
- Arachne’s spider-childrenSwarm into the chamber at Arachne’s call, threatening to overwhelm Annabeth despite the statue’s aura.