‘Well, none of us – other than Hades – can go,’ said Athene. ‘And Elliot’s only met him once. Respectfully, Uncle Hades, I can’t see him listening to you.’

‘Daemons can’t come up to Olympus and Gods can’t travel to the Underworld,’ Hera confirmed. ‘How are we going to get to the child before it’s too late?’

‘This is ABSURD!’ Zeus roared, sending a pile of papers flying up the table. ‘We’re trying to save the world and we’re being held back by a pointless bit of admin! What are we going to do?’

The Olympians looked at each other helplessly.

At length, a throat was cleared at the back of the hall.

‘Er, did someone say “pointless bit of admin”,’ asked Taurus, surrounded by the Zodiac Council. ‘I wonder if we might be able to offer our services . . .’

4. Can’t Stand the Heat

4. Can’t Stand the Heat

‘So, are you ready?’

Elliot stared into the fiery flames from the bank of the Phlegethon early the next morning. How could he ever be ready for that?

‘You’re sure this will help?’ he asked the Daemon of Sleep, looking doubtfully at the tube of ointment in his hand.

‘Sure.’ Hypnos shrugged, looking far from certain. ‘Medea swears by it.’

‘Is this the one she used to protect Jason from the fire-breathing dragons?’ said Elliot, recalling his school mythology.

‘No, it’s the one she uses to protect herself from harmful UV rays,’ said Hypnos. ‘She’s terrified of premature ageing. It’s factor 57,000.’

Elliot squeezed a handful of golden cream from the tube and smelt it. He quickly wished he hadn’t.

‘Will it or won’t it shield me from the heat?’ he sighed.

‘Full disclosure: I can’t say for sure,’ Hypnos mused. ‘But the good news is that you definitely don’t need to worry about wrinkles.’

‘Good to know,’ said Elliot, standing back from the ferocious flames. He was beginning to feel as if he didn’t need to worry about any kind of ageing.

‘Good morning. How’s everything coming along here?’ said Thanatos, his slow footsteps crunching on the cinders beneath his feet. ‘Shall we get this show on the road?’

Elliot felt the blast of the blaze burnish his skin. Surely he couldn’t survive even a few seconds in there, let alone long enough to dive down to the bottom to retrieve the Fire Stone? In the depths, the bright sapphire sparkled invitingly and he felt the tingle of its powers flow through his blood.

‘Tick-tock,’ said Thanatos, his nervous fingers betraying his impatience. ‘None of us is getting any younger.’

‘It’s getting any older I’m worried about,’ Elliot grumbled, removing his T-shirt.

‘It’s really quite simple,’ Thanatos drawled. ‘The flames are a test of courage. Hold your nerve and they will bounce off you. Show your fear and . . . well. You won’t need to worry about that.’

‘Why not?’ Elliot asked hopefully.