The only good thing about any of this was that Thalia, at least, had not been taken. The tighter the invisible hand clenched around the Mousai, the more furiously Gaia swore to keep them safe. She was above all else a mother, a mother and a grandmother and a damn goddess who would not allow this to happen to her babies.
Getting to Thalia's apartment hadn't been easy. It took her the better part of two hours to pick her way through the city, to skirt looting and police blockades, but eventually she made it. With a knock, she called, "Thalia, honey? It's your grandmother."