The Tyrant's Tomb

On the morning of the battle, Apollo, Reyna, and Meg prepare to head to Sutro Tower to seek out the imprisoned “silent god.” After a review of camp defenses, the three depart in a pickup truck. During the drive, Reyna mentions that her ally, Thalia Grace (Jason Grace’s sister and the lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis) has flagged Sutro Tower as a trouble spot. Reyn clarifies to Apollo that she and Thalia are close friends, not romantic partners.

At the base of Sutro Tower, the group begins their hike, and Apollo struggles with the debilitating pain of his poisoned wound, which continues to worsen. When Reyna confronts him about his uncharacteristically deferential behavior, he admits that when he was still a god, Venus warned him not to approach Reyna romantically. He then suggests that as the mortal Lester, he would be obeying Venus’s injunction not to put his “godly face” near Reyna and might be able to heal her famously cursed and lonely heart. In short, he awkwardly offers to be her boyfriend. Reyna laughs uncontrollably and firmly rejects him, saying that she would not want to be romantically involved with him even if he were a god. Apollo squirms in humiliation as Reyna continues to laugh.