They did the summoning after dark, at a twenty-foot-long pit in front of the septic tank. The moon was full. Silver clouds drifted across the sky.

"Minos should be here by now," Nico said, frowning. "It's full dark."

"Maybe he got lost," Percy said, hopefully.

Evangeline shot him a look as Nico poured root beer and tossed barbecue into the pit, and Evangeline began chanting in Ancient Greek. Immediately the bugs in the woods stopped chirping.

The night air felt cold and menacing. Sulfurous mist seeped out of the ground. Shadows thickened into human forms. One blue shade drifted to the edge of the pit and knelt to drink.

"Stop him!" Nico said. "Only Bianca may drink!"

Percy drew Riptide. The ghosts retreated with a collective hiss at the sight of the celestial bronze blade. But it was too late to stop the first spirit. He had already solidified into the shape of a bearded man in white robes. A circlet of gold wreathed in his head, and even in death his eyes were alive with malice.

"Minos!" Nico said. "What are you doing?"

"My apologies, master," The ghost said, though he didn't sound very sorry. "The sacrifice smelled so good, I couldn't resist." He examined his hands and smiled. "It is good to see myself again. Almost in solid form—"

"You are disrupting the ritual!" Nico protested. "Get—"

The spirits of the dead began shimmering dangerously bright, and Nico had to join the chant again to keep them at bay.

"Yes, quite right, master," Minos said with amusement. "You have been chanting. I've only come to protect you from these liars who would deceive you."

He turned to Percy as if he were some kind of cockroach. "Percy Jackson... my, my. The sons of Poseidon haven't improved over the centuries have they?"

"We're looking for Bianca di Angelo," Percy said. "Get lost."

The ghost chuckled. "I understand you once killed my Minotaur with your bare hands. But worse things await you in the maze. Do you really believe Daedalus will help you?"

The other spirits stirred in agitation. Annabeth drew her knife and helped Percy keep them away from the pit. Grover got so nervous he clung to Tyson's shoulder.

"Daedalus cares nothing for you, half-bloods," Minos warned. "You can't trust him. He is old beyond counting, and crafty. He is bitter from the guilt of murder and is cursed by the gods."

"The guilt of murder?" Percy asked. "Who did he kill?"

"Do not change the subject!" The ghost growled. "You are hindering Nico. You try to persuade him to give up on his goal. I would make him a lord!"

"Enough, Minos," Nico commanded. 

The ghost sneered. "Master, these are your enemies. She is your enemy!" He pointed at the brunette. "You must not listen to them! Let me protect you. I will turn their minds to madness as I did the others."

"The others?" Annabeth gasped. "You mean Chris Rodriguez? That was you?"

"The maze is my property," He said, "not Daedalus's! Those who intrude deserve madness."

"Be gone, Minos!" Nico demanded. "I want to see my sister!"

The ghost bit back his rage. "As you wish, master. But I warn you. You cannot trust these heroes." With that, he faded into a mist.

"Bianca, appear!" Nico intoned. As they kept chanting faster, and the spirits shifted restlessly.

"Any time now," Grover muttered.

Then a silvery light flickered in the trees— a spirit that seemed brighter and stronger than the others. It came closer before it knelt to drink at the pit. When it arose, it was the ghostly form of Bianca di Angelo.

Nico's chant faltered. The other spirits started to crowd forward, but Bianca raised her arms and they retreated into the woods.

"Hello, Evangeline, Percy," she said.

Evangeline's chant also faltered, her heart feeling heavy. The girl looked the same as she had in life: a green cap set sideways on her thick black hair, dark eyes, and olive skin like her brother.

She wore jeans and a silver jacket, the outfit of a Hunter of Artemis. A bow was slung over her shoulder. She smiled faintly, and her whole form flickered. She looked like the ghost Evangeline had been seeing for the past few days.

"Bianca," Percy said. His voice was thick. "I'm so sorry,"

"You have nothing to apologize for, Percy. I made my own choice. I don't regret it." She looked at Evangeline. "I'm sorry for scaring you so much, in the past few days Evangeline."

"Bianca!" Nico stumbled forward like he was just coming out of a daze.

She turned towards her brother. His expression was sad as if she'd been dreading this moment. "Hello, Nico. You've gotten so tall."

"Why didn't you answer me sooner?" He cried. "I've been trying for months!"

"I was hoping you'd give up."

"Give up?" He sounded heartbroken. "How can you say that? I'm trying to save you!"

"You can't, Nico. Don't do this. Percy is right."

"No! He let you die! He's not your friend."

Bianca stretched out a hand as if to touch her brother's face, but she was made of mist. Her hand evaporated as it got too close to living skin. "You must listen to me," she said. "Holding a grudge is dangerous for children of Hades. It is our fatal flaw. You have to forgive. You have to promise me this."

"I can't. Never."

"Percy has been worried about you Nico. He can help. I let him see what you were up to, hoping he would find you."

"So it was you," Percy said. "You sent those Iris messages."

Bianca nodded.

"Why are you helping him and not me?" Nico screamed. "It's not fair!"

"You are close to the truth now," Bianca told him. "It's not Percy you're mad at, Nico. It's me."

"No!" Nico yelled.

"You're mad because I left you to become a Hunter of Artemis. You're mad because I died and left you alone. I'm sorry for that, Nico. I truly am. But you must overcome the anger and stop blaming Percy for my choices. It will be your doom."

"She's right," Annabeth broke in. "Kronos is rising, Nico. He'll twist anyone he can to his cause."

"I don't care about Kronos!" Nico cried. "I just want my sister back!"

"You can't have that, Nico," Bianca told him. "You have a sister and she's been worried sick about you."

"I'm the son of Hades! I can!"

"Don't try," she said. "If you love me, don't..."

Her voice trailed off. Spirits had started to gather around again, and they seemed agitated. Their shadows shifted. Their voices whispered, Danger!

"Tartarus stirs," Bianca said. "Your powers draw the attention of Kronos. The dead must return to the Underworld. It is not safe for us to remain."

"Wait," Nico said. "Please—"

"Goodbye, Nico," Bianca said. "I love you. Know that Evangeline's there for you. Remember what I said."

Her form shivered and the ghosts disappeared. Then, they were alone. With nothing but a pit, a Happy Flush septic tank, and a cold full moon.

Nobody wanted to travel at night, so they decided to wait until morning. Nico immediately stormed off to a spare bedroom. Evangeline sighed and ran a hand down her face. She didn't see Nico for a few hours until she found him outside on the porch staring out into the night.

"Can't sleep?" She asked sitting down next to him.

The boy spared her a glance and shook his head. His eyes were red and puffy, which told her that he had been crying.

They two sat in silence. For the first time in her life, Evangeline wanted to give him a hug, but she assumed it would make things more awkward than they already were.

"Minos, really?" Evangeline spoke up breaking the thick silence.

"Please, don't," Nico sighed, closing his eyes.

"How do you take help from Minos of all people but not me?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"You didn't offer," He mumbled under his breath.

The daughter of Hades shot him a look. "I would have if I knew where you were."

Nico rolled his eyes. "You knew where I was."

"No, I didn't,"

"You shouldn't have come here." He mumbled.

"I made a promise to Bianca that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, I plan on keeping that promise."

"And so I could yell at you about your friendship choices," she added.

"Minos isn't my friend."

"He better not be, he's useless," Evangeline slightly tilted her head.

"I still don't understand, what you two have against each other." Nico shook his head.

"That's a story, for another time." The brunette avoided the boy's gaze.

Evangeline pulled something out of her pocket and placed it in his hand. Nico looked at the rock in the palm of his hand. "You still have that?"

"Why wouldn't I? It's my lucky charm."

"Not very lucky, if you're in the Labyrinth now," Nico mumbled, spinning the rock.

"It's lucky,"

"How?" Nico asked.

"I found you, I came here to help Annabeth and find you." She said. "I spent months searching every corner of the Underworld looking for you but you're very good at hiding." 

"I wasn't trying to hide, I just..." he sighed. "Minos told me it would be best if I kept my distance from you because you were friends with Percy,"

"I still think you should give him a chance,"

"I knew you would say that," Nico grumbled.

"He's my friend."

"I'm your brother!" He sat up. "You should be defending me, you're only defending him because you have a crush on him."

"I don't have a crush on Percy."

"Oh give me a break," He rolled his eyes. "I've seen the way you look at him, back at camp and now here."

"We're just friends, and besides what's the point in me liking him it's not like he likes me."

"What?" Nico asked, crossing his arms.

"He doesn't like me Nico, he likes Annabeth."

"So he hurt your feelings?"

"I—I guess, it kind of hurt my feelings. I mean it was expected, Annabeth didn't fight with him over small things and she's spent more time with him, she knows him better." She twisted her ring back and forth.

"Does this mean I can kill him?"

The daughter of Hades shot him a look. "No."

"You can still think about it, I'll do it, you just have to tell me when." He shrugged, standing up.

"That's sweet, but you are not killing Percy." She got to her feet as well.

"I heard Dad doesn't like him either,"

"Goodnight, Nico." She mumbled as she turned the boy around and started walking him inside the ranch. This conversation with Nico reminded her of the conversation she had with Will before she came into the Labyrinth.

Evangeline didn't like the jittery feeling in her stomach she got whenever she saw him. She didn't like the way she would feel whenever he called her princess, she didn't like the way she started getting lost in his eyes. She didn't like how his smile caused her heart rate to pick up. 

She also didn't like being confronted by Will Solace and her brother.

Evangeline looked towards the couches where the others had been camping out and saw Percy lying at one end and Grover on the other. Annabeth was in a bedroom that she and the brunette decided to share.

Annabeth and Percy made sense, she would be a better choice than Evangeline. Percy and Annabeth were closer they balanced each other even beside their parent's feud. Annabeth was everyone's first choice, she was Luke's, she was Chiron's, she was Grover's, Evangeline was foolish to think she would be Percy's first choice.

Percy Jackson was the boy Evangeline might be developing some feelings for, but why would he choose her when he could have Annabeth? The daughter of Athena was smarter, prettier, funnier, and kinder it made sense why someone like Percy would fall for her. 

Evangeline felt a lump form in her throat as she glanced at the sleeping son of Poseidon. She felt something tug on her heart, she looked down avoiding the tears that were about to form in her eyes, and quickly went to the bedroom.

The next morning they walked down to the cattle guard and said their goodbyes. "Nico, you could come with us," Percy blurted out.

He shook his head. His eyes were red and his face was chalky. He was wrapped in a black robe that must've belonged to Geryon because it was three sizes too big even for a grown man. "I need time to think."

"Nico," Annabeth said. "Bianca just wants you to be okay."

Nico met Evangeline's gaze. The brunette wasn't sure if he would listen and stay but Nico sent her a slight nod before he trudged up the road toward the ranch house, The morning mist seemed to cling to him as he walked.

"I'm worried about him," Annabeth said. "If he starts talking to Minos's ghost again—"

"He'll be alright," Eurytion promised. The cowherd had cleaned up nicely. He was wearing new jeans and a clean Western shirt and he'd even trimmed his beard. He'd put on Geryon's boots. "The boy can stay here and gather his thoughts as long as he wants. He'll be safe I promise."

"What about you?" Percy asked.

Eurytion scratched Othrus behind one chin, then the other. "Things are going to be run a little differently on this ranch from now on. No more sacred cattle meat. I'm thinking about soybean patties. And I'm going to befriend those flesh-eating horses. Might just sign up for the next rodeo."

Percy shuddered. "Well, good luck."

"Yep." Eurytion spit into the grass. "I reckon you'll be looking for the Daedalus's workshop now?"

Annabeth's eyes lit up. "Can you help us?"

Eurytion studied the cattle guard like the feeling of the subject of Daedalus's workshop made him uncomfortable. "Don't know where it is. But Hephaestus probably would."

"That's what Hera said," Evangeline said. "Where would we even find him?"

Eurytion pulled something from under the collar of his shirt. It was a necklace—a smooth silver disk on a silver chain. The disk had a depression in the middle, like a thumbprint. He handed it to Annabeth.

"Hephaestus comes here from time to time," Eurytion said. "Studies the animals and such so he can make bronze automaton copies. Last time, I—uh—did him a favor. A little trick he wanted to play on my dad, Ares, and Aphrodite. He gave me that chain in gratitude. Said if I ever needed him, the disk would lead me to his forges. But only once."

"And you're giving it to me?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't need to see the forges, miss. Got enough to do here. Just press the button and you'll be on your way."

Annabeth pressed the button and the disk sprang to life. It grew eight metallic legs. Annabeth shrieked and threw it to Evangeline who caught it with ease, much to Eurytion's confusion.

"Spider!" The daughter of Athena screamed.

"She's scared of spiders," Evangeline said.

"That old grudge between Athena and Arachne," Grover explained.

"Oh." Eurytion looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry, miss."

The spider jumped from the brunette's hand and scrambled to the cattle grid and disappeared between the bars.

"Hurry," Percy said. "That thing's not going to wait for us."

Annabeth wasn't anxious to follow, but she didn't have much of a choice. They said their goodbyes to Eurytion, Tyson pulled the cattle guard off the hole, and the five dropped back into the maze.

They chased the mechanical spider while it scuttled through the tunnels.

They ran down a marble room, then dashed to the left and almost fell into an abyss. Evangeline grabbed Percy and hauled him back before he could fall.

The tunnel continued in front of them, but there was no floor for about a hundred feet, just gaping darkness and a series of iron rungs in the ceiling. The mechanical spider was about halfway across, swinging bar to bar by shooting out metal web fiber.

"Monkey bars," Annabeth said. "I'm great at these."

The daughter of Athena leaped onto the first rung and started swinging her way across. She was scared of tiny spiders, but not of plummeting to her death from a set of monkey bars. Go figure.

Evangeline shadow traveled herself across. "Cheater!" Percy yelled as he followed.

When he got across, Tyson gave Grover a piggyback ride. The Cyclops made his way across in three swings. which was a good thing since, just as he landed, the last iron bar ripped free under his weight.

They kept moving and passed a skeleton crumpled in the tunnel. It wore the remains of a dress shirt, slacks, and a tie. The spider didn't slow down.

Percy slipped on a pile of wood scraps, but when he shone his flashlight on them he realized they were pencils—hundreds of them, all broken in half. The tunnel opened up onto a large room. A blazing light hit.

Once their eyes adjusted, the first thing they noticed were the skeletons. Dozens littered the floor around them. Some were old and bleached white. Others were more recent and a lot grosser. They didn't smell quite as bad as Geryon's stables, but almost.

Then Evangeline saw the monster. She stood on a glittery dais on the opposite side of the room. She had the body of a huge lion and the head of a woman. Her hair was tied back in a tight bun and she wore a ton of makeup. She had a badge pinned to her chest that took a moment to read: THIS MONSTER HAS BEEN RATED EXEMPLARY!

Tyson whimpered. "Sphinx."

Spotlights blazed on either side of the creature. The only exit was a tunnel right behind the dais. The mechanical spider scuttled between the Sphinx's paws and disappeared.

Annabeth started forward, but the Sphinx roared, showing fangs in her otherwise human face. Bars came down on both tunnel exits, behind them and in front. Immediately the monster's snarl turned into a brilliant smile.

"Welcome, lucky contestants!" she announced. "Get ready to play... ANSWER THAT RIDDLE!" Canned applause blasted from the ceiling as if there were invisible loudspeakers. Spotlights swept across the room and reflected off the dais, throwing disco glitter over the skeletons on the floor.

"Fabulous prizes!" The Spinx said. "Pass the test, and you get to advance! Fail, and I get to eat you! Who will be our contestant?"

Annabeth grabbed Evangeline's arm. "I've got this," she whispered. "I know what she's going to ask."

The daughter of Athena stepped forward to the contestant's podium, which had a skeleton in a school uniform hunched over it. She pushed the skeleton out of the way, and it clattered to the floor. "Sorry," Annabeth told it.

"Welcome, Annabeth Chase!" The monster cried, Annabeth hadn't said her name. "Are you ready for your test?"

"Yes," she said. "Ask your riddle."

"Twenty riddles, actually!" The Sphinx said gleefully.

"What? Back in the old days—"

"Oh, we've raised our standards! To pass, you must show proficiency in all twenty. Isn't that great?"

Annabeth glanced at her friends nervously. Percy gave her a nonconvincing nod of encouragement.

"Okay," she told the Sphinx. "I'm ready."

A drumroll sounded from above. The Sphinx's eyes glittered with excitement. "What... is the capital of Bulgaria?"

Annabeth frowned. "Sofia," she said. "but—"

"Correct!" More canned applause. The Sphinx smiled so widely that her fangs showed. "Please be sure to mark your answer clearly on your test sheet with a number 2 pencil."

"What?" Annabeth looked mystified. Then a test booklet appeared on the podium in front of her, along with a sharpened pencil.

"Make sure you bubble each answer clearly and stay inside the circle," the Sphinx said. "If you have to erase, erase completely or the machine will not be able to read your answers."

"What machine?" Annabeth asked.

The Sphinx pointed with her paw. Over by the spotlight was a bronze box with a bunch of gears and levers and a big Greek letter on the side, the mark of Hephaestus.

"Now," said the Sphinx. "next question—"

"Wait a second," Annabeth protested. "What about 'What walks on four legs in the morning'?"

"I beg your pardon?" The Sphinx said, clearly annoyed now.

"The riddle about the man. He walks on four legs in the morning, like a baby, two legs in the afternoon, like an adult, and three legs in the evening, as an old man with a cane. That's the riddle you used to ask."

"Exactly why we changed the test!" The Sphinx exclaimed. "You already knew the answer. Now second question, what is the square root of sixteen?"

"Four," Annabeth said. "but—"

"Correct! Which US president signed the Emancipation Proclamation?"

"Abraham Lincon, but—"

"Correct! Riddle number four. How much—"

"Hold up!" Annabeth shouted. "These aren't the riddles."

"What do you mean?" the Sphinx snapped. "Oh course they are. The test material is specially designed—"

"It's just a bunch of dumb, random facts," Annabeth insisted. "Riddles are supposed to make you think."

"Think?" The Sphinx frowned. "How am I supposed to test whether you can think? That's ridiculous! Now, how much force is required—"

"Stop!" Annabeth said. "This is a stupid test."

"Um, Annabeth," Grover cut in nervously. "Maybe you should just, you know, answer the questions and complain later?"

"I'm a child of Athena," she huffed crossing her arms. "And this is an insult to my intelligence. I won't answer these questions."

"We're gonna die," Grover murmured nervously to the children of Hades and Poseidon.

"Yup," Percy agreed.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted." Evangeline shrugged.

The spotlights glared. The Sphinx's eyes glittered pure black. "Why then, my dear," the monster said calmly. "If you won't pass, you fail. And since we don't allow any children to be held back, you'll be EATEN!"

The Sphinx bared her claws, which gleamed like stainless steel. She pounced at the podium.

"No!" Tyson charged.

He tackled the Sphinx in midair and they crashed into a pile of bones. This gave Annabeth just enough time to gather her wits and draw her knife. Tyson got up, his shirt clawed to shreds. The Sphinx growled, looking for an opening.

Percy drew his sword stepping in front of the blonde. "Turn invisible," he told her.

"I can fight!"

"The sphinx is after you," Percy told her. "We can take her."

As if to prove her point, the Sphinx knocked Tyson aside and tried to charge past Percy. Grover poked her in the eye with somebody's leg bone. She screeched in pain. Annabeth put on her cap and vanished. The Spinx pounced right where she'd been standing, but came up with empty paws.

"No fair!" The Sphinx wailed. "Cheater!"

With Annabeth no longer in sight, the Sphinx turned to Evangeline. The brunette raised her sword, but before she could strike, Tyson ripped the monster's grading machine out of the floor and threw it at the Sphinx's head, ruining her hair bun. It landed in pieces all around her.

"My grading machine!" She cried. "I can't be exemplary without my test scores!"

The bars lifted from the exits. They all dashed for the far tunnel. The Sphinx started to follow, but Grover raised his reed pipes and began to play. Suddenly the pencils remembered they used to be parts of trees. They collected around the Sphinx's paws, grew roots and branches, and began wrapping around the monster's legs.

As they ran into the tunnel, the bars slammed shut behind them.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled.

"Here!" She said, appearing right next to them. "Keep moving!"

They ran through dark tunnels, listening to the roar of the Sphinx behind them as she complained about all the tests she would have to grade by hand.

Evangeline thought they'd lost the spider until Tyson heard a faint pinging sound. They made a few turns, backtracked a few times, and eventually found the spider banging its tiny head on a metal door.

The door looked like one of those old-fashioned submarine hatches—oval, with metal rivets around the edges and a wheel for a doorknob. Where the portal should have been was a big brass plaque, green with age, with a Greek letter inscribed in the middle.

"Ready to meet Hephaestus?" Grover said nervously.

"No," Percy admitted.

"Yes!" Tyson said gleefully, and he turned the wheel.

As soon as the door opened, the spider scuttled inside with Tyson right behind it. The rest followed, not quite as anxious. The room was enormous. It looked like a mechanic's garage, with several hydraulic lifts.

Some had cars on them, but others had stranger things: a bronze hippalektryon with its horse head off and a bunch of wires hanging out its rooster tail, a metal lion that seemed to be hooked up to a battery charger, and a Greek was chariot made entirely of flames.

Smaller projects cluttered a dozen worktables. Tools hung along the walls. Each had its own outline on a peg board, but nothing seemed to be in the right place. The hammer was over the screwdriver place. The staple gun was where the hacksaw was supposed to go.

Under the nearest hydraulic lift, which was holding a '98 Toyota Corolla, a pair of legs stuck out—the lower half of a huge man in grubby gray pants and shoes even bigger than Tyson's. One leg was in a metal brace. The spider scuttled straight under the car, and the sounds of banging stopped.

The mechanic pushed out on a back trolley and sat up. She'd only seen the god once and that was last year at Olympus and it was only for a brief moment.

He looked way different than he had on Olympus. Here in his own workshop, he apparently didn't care how he looked. He wore a jumpsuit smeared with oil and grime. His leg creaked and clicked in its metal brace as he stood, and his left shoulder was lower than his right, so he seemed to be leaning even when he was standing up straight.

His head was misshapen and bulging. His black beard smoked and hissed. Every once in a while a small wildfire would erupt in his whiskers and then die out. His hands were the size of a catcher's mitts, but he handled the spider with amazing skill. He disassembled it in two seconds, then put it back together.

"There," he muttered to himself. "Much better."

The spider did a happy flip in his palm, shot a metallic web at the ceiling, and went swinging away. Hephaestus glowered up at the questers. "I didn't make you, did I?"

"Uh," Annabeth said, "No, sir."

"Good," The god grumbled. "Shoddy workmanship." He studied them. "Half-bloods," he grunted. "Could be automatons, of course, but probably not."

"We've met, sir," Percy told him.

"Have we?" The god asked absently. "Well then, if I didn't smash you to a pulp the first time we met, I suppose I won't have to do it now."

He looked at Grover and frowned. "Satyr." Then he looked at Tyson, and his eyes twinkled. "Well, a Cyclops. Good, good. What are you doing traveling with this lot?"

"Uh..." Tyson said, staring in wonder at the god.

"Yes, well said," Hephaestus agreed. "So, there'd better be a good reason you're disturbing me. The suspension on this Corolla is no small matter, you know."

"Sir," Annabeth said hesitantly. "We're looking for Daedalus. We thought—"

"Daedalus?" The god roared. "You want that old scoundrel? You dare to seek him out!" His beard burst into flames and his black eyes glowed.

"Uh, yes, sir, please," Annabeth said.

"Humph. You're wasting your time." He frowned at something on his worktable and limped over to it. He picked up a lump of springs and metal plates and tinkered with them. In a few seconds, he was holding a bronze and silver falcon. It spread its metal wings and blinked its obsidian eyes and flew around the room.

Tyson laughed and clapped his hands. The bird landed on Tyson's shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately.

Hephaestus regarded him. The god's scowl didn't change, but Evangeline thought she saw a kinder twinkle in his eyes. "I sense you have something to tell me, Cyclops."

Tyson's smile faded. "Y-yes lord. We met a Hundred-Handed One."

Hephaestus nodded, looking unsurprised. "Briares?"

"Yes. He—he was scared. He would not help us."

"And that bothered you."

"Yes!" Tyson's voice wavered. "Briares should be strong! He is older and greater than Cyclopes. But he ran away."

Hephaestus grunted. "There was a time I admired the Hundred-Handed Ones. Back in the days of the first war. But people, monsters, and even gods change, young Cyclops. You can't trust 'em. Look at my loving mother, Hera. You met her, didn't you? She'll smile to your face and talk about how important family is, eh? Didn't stop her from pitching me off Mount Olympus when she saw my ugly face."

"But I thought Zeus did that to you," Percy said.

Hephaestus cleared his throat and spat into a bronze spittoon. He snapped his fingers, and the robotic falcon flew back to the work table. "Mother likes telling that version of the story," he grumbled. "Makes her seem more likable, doesn't it? Blaming it all on my dad. The truth is, my mother likes families, but she likes a certain kind of family. Perfect families. She took one look at me and... well, I don't fit the image, do I?"

He pulled a feather from the falcon's back, and the automaton fell apart. "Believe me, young Cyclops," Hephaestus said, "you can't trust others. All you can trust is the work of your own hands."

"I trust my friends," Tyson said firmly.

Hephaestus huffed.

"We need to find Daedalus," Evangeline said. "We need him to find him before the creep and grandpa do. If we don't get to Daedalus first then—"

"And I told you, girl." He turned to her and raised a brow. "Looking for Daedalus is a waste of time. He won't help you."

"Why not?" Percy asked.

The god of Forges shrugged. "Some of us get thrown off mountainsides. Some of us... the way we learn not to trust people is more painful. Ask me for gold. Or a flaming sword. Or a magical steed. These I can grant you easily. But a way to find Daedalus? That's an expensive favor."

"You know where he is, then," Annabeth pressed.

"It isn't wise to go looking, girl."

"My mother says looking is the nature of wisdom."

Hephaestus narrowed his eyes. "Who's your mother, then?"

"Athena."

"Figures. Fine goddess, Athena. A real shame she pledged never to marry. All right, half-blood. I can tell you what you want to know. But there is a price. I need a favor done."

"Name it," Annabeth said.

Hephaestus actually laughed—a booming sound like huge bellows stoking a fire. "You heroes," he said, "always making rash promises. How  refreshing!"

He pressed a button on his workbench, and metal shutters opened along the wall. It was something like a huge window. They were looking at a gray mountain ringed by forests. It must've been a volcano because smoke rose from its crest.

"One of my forges," Hephaestus said. "I have many, but that used to be my favorite."

"That's Mount St. Helens," Grover said. "Great forests around there."

"You've been there?" Percy asked.

"Looking for... you know, Pan."

"Wait," Annabeth said, looking at Hephaestus. "You said it used to be your favorite. What happened?"

Hephaestus scratched his smoldering beard. "Well, that's where the monster Typhon is trapped, you know. Used to be trapped under Mount Etna, but when we moved to America, his force got pinned under Mount St. Helens instead. Great source of fire, but a bit dangerous. There's always a chance he will escape. Lots of eruptions these days, smoldering all the time. He's restless with the Titan rebellion."

"What do you want us to do?" Percy said. "Fight him?"

The god snorted. "That would be suicide. The gods themselves ran from Typhon when he was free. No, pray you never have to see him, much less fight him. But lately, I have sensed intruders in my mountain. Someone or something is using my forges. When I go there, it is empty, but I can tell it is being used. I send my automatons to investigate, but they do not return. Something...ancient is there. Evil. I want to know who dares invade my territory and if they mean to lose Typhon."

"And we should find out what they are for you?" Evangeline raised a brow.

"Aye," Hephaestus said. "Go there. They may not sense you coming. You are not gods."

"Glad you noticed," Percy muttered.

"Go and find out what you can," Hephaestus said. "Report back to me, and I will tell you what you need to know about Daedalus."

"All right," Annabeth said. "How do we get there?"

Hephaestus clapped his hands. The spider came swinging down from the rafters. Annabeth flinched when it landed on her feet.

"My creation will show you the way," Hephaestus said. "It is not far from the Labyrinth. And try to stay alive, will you? Humans are much more fragile than automatons."

They were doing okay until they hit the tree roots. The spider raced along and they were keeping up, and then they spotted a tunnel off to the side that was dug from raw earth, and wrapped in thick roots. Grover stopped dead in his tracks.

"Grover," Evangeline said. "What is it?"

The satyr didn't move. He stared openmouthed into the dark tunnel. His curly hair rustled in the breeze.

"Come on!" Annabeth said. "We have to keep moving."

"This is the way," Grover muttered in awe. "This is it."

"What way?" Percy asked.

"To pan," Evangeline looked at Grover then the tunnel.

Grover looked at Tyson. "Don't you smell it?"

"Dirt," Tyson said. "And plants."

"Yes! This is the way. I'm sure of it!"

Up ahead, the spider was getting farther down the stone corridor. A few more seconds and it'd be lost.

"We'll come back," Annabeth promised. "On our way back to Hephaestus."

"The tunnel will be gone by then," Grover said. "I have to follow it. A door like this won't stay open!"

"But we can't!" Annabeth said. "The forges!"

Grover looked at her sadly. "I have to, Annabeth. Don't you understand?"

The daughter of Athena looked desperate like she didn't understand at all. Evangeline knew how much this meant to Grover, she had never seen him so confident and determined.

"We'll split up. "Percy blurted.

"No!" The blonde said. "That's way too dangerous. How will we ever find each other again?"

"He can't go alone," Evangeline said, twisting her snake ring back and forth. 

Tyson put his hand on Grover's shoulder. "I—I will go with him."

The brunette wasn't sure if she heard that right. "Tyson, are you sure?"

The Cyclops nodded. "Goat boy needs help. We will find the god person. I am not like Hephaestus I trust friends."

Grover took a deep breath. "Pecry, we'll find each other again. We've still got the empathy link. I just... have to."

"I hope you're right," Percy said.

"I know I am," he said, sounding more confident.

"Be careful," Percy told him. Then he looked at Tyson. The larger boy gulped back a sob and gave his brother a hug that just about squeezed his eyes out of their sockets.

Then he and Grover disappeared through the tunnel of tree roots and were lost in the darkness.

"This is bad," Annabeth said. "Splitting up is a really, really bad idea."

"We'll see them again," Percy said trying to sound confident. "Now come on. The spider is getting away!"

And so, the children of Hades, Poseidon, and Athena, continued on, following the spider and heading for the forges.

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A/N: Took me a while to write this chapter. I'm kind of nervous about next chapter and kind of excited. I have a question, does anybody like Landon?