▬▬▬ CHAPTER TWENTY NINE ▬▬▬

"I'M SORRY," ESMERELDA HICCUPED, HER voice small and cracking. "Annabeth... he wanted me to tell you and Thalia how sorry he was..."

But Annabeth was too overwhelmed to listen clearly. Understandably, she hadn't stopped sobbing since she and Percy explained to her what transpired in Mount Tamalpais. The scythe, Ethan's pledge... and lastly, Luke waking up as Kronos.

Esmerelda felt like this was all her fault because she was still standing and Luke... well, he wasn't him anymore.

"No," Annabeth wept, shaking her head in denial. "That can't be true. He couldn't—"

"—He gave himself over to Kronos," Percy said. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. But Luke is gone."

"No!" She insisted. "You saw when Rachel hit him."

He nodded, looking at Rachel with respect. "You hit the Lord of the Titans in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush."

Rachel looked embarrassed. "It was the only thing I had."

"But you saw," Annabeth pressed on. "When it hit him, just for a second, he was dazed. He came back to his senses."

"So maybe Kronos wasn't completely settled in the body, or whatever," he said. "It doesn't mean Luke was in control."

"You want him to be evil, is that it?" Annabeth yelled. "You didn't know him before, Percy. I did!"

"What is it with you?" He snapped. "Why do you keep defending him?"

"Whoa, you two," Rachel said. "Knock it off!"

Annabeth turned on her. "Stay out of it, mortal girl! If it wasn't for you..."

Whatever she was going to say, her voice broke. She put her head down and sobbed miserably. Esmerelda knelt beside her and hugged her close. Annabeth didn't thrash away from her and instead melted into her embrace, crying harder.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth, I really am," she murmured into her ear.

"We have to keep moving," Nico said quietly. "He'll send monsters after us."

Nobody was in any shape to run, but Nico was right. Slowly, they rose to their feet and trudged through the Labyrinth again.

"Back to New York," Percy said. "Rachel, can you—"

He suddenly froze and Esmerelda realized why. There was a well-worn Rasta cap on the ground, the one Grover always wore. There was a muddy boot print on it.

Shakily, Percy bent down and picked it up.

"He should be nearby," Esmerelda muttered. "Look, there's footprints."

Someone flashed a flashlight up ahead and saw what she was talking about. The cave floor was mushy and wet from the water dripping off the stalactites. There were large footprints like Tyson's, and smaller ones—goat hooves—leading off to the left.

"We have to follow them," Percy said urgently. "They went that way. It must have been recently."

"What about Camp Half-Blood?" Nico asked. "There's no time."

"We have to find them," Annabeth insisted. "They're our friends."

She picked up Grover's smashed cap and forged ahead.

The tunnel was treacherous. It sloped at weird angles and was slimy with moisture. Half the time they were slipping and sliding rather than walking. Finally they got to the bottom of a slope and found ourselves in a large cave with huge stalagmite columns. Through the center of the room ran an underground river, and Tyson was sitting by the banks, cradling Grover in his lap. Grover's eyes were closed. He wasn't moving.

"Tyson!" Percy gasped.

"Percy! Come quick!"

They ran over to him. Grover wasn't dead, but his whole body trembled like he was freezing to death.

"What happened?" Percy asked.

"So many things," Tyson murmured. "Large snake. Large dogs. Men with swords. But then... we got close to here. Grover was excited. He ran. Then we reached this room, and he fell. Like this."

"Did he say anything?" He asked.

"He said, 'We're close.' Then hit his head on rocks."

"I'll wake him up," Esmerelda said. She pressed her fingers against Grover's forehead. "Rennervate," she murmured, and Grover slowly blinked his eyes open.

"Percy? Essie? Where..."

"It's okay," Percy assured. "You passed out. The presence was too much for you."

"I—I remember. Pan."

"Yeah," he agreed, jutting his chin forward. "Something powerful is just beyond that doorway."

They made quick introductions before moving forward since Tyson and Grover had never met Rachel. Tyson told Rachel she was pretty, which made Annabeth's nostrils flare like she was going to blow fire.

She is tooootally jealous, Esmerelda inwardly sighed.

Grover, with the help of Annabeth and Percy, was able to wade across the underground river. The current was strong. The water came up to their waists, making them freezing cold.

"Don't worry," Esmerelda said through chattering teeth. "I know a spell that would dry us off. That is, if we ever get out of here... Where are we at, anyways?"

"I think we're in Carlsbad Caverns," Annabeth struggled to reply through the cold. "Maybe an unexplored section."

"How do you know?" Percy rose a brow.

"Carlsbad is in New Mexico," she said. "That would explain last winter."

Esmerelda had no idea what she was talking about, but Percy seemed to understand.

They finally got out of the water and kept walking. As the crystal pillars loomed larger, Esmerelda started to feel the power emanating from the next room. She'd been in the presence of gods before, but this was different. Her paling skin tingled with living energy. Her weariness fell away, as if she'd just gotten a good night's sleep. She could feel herself growing stronger, and the scent coming from the cave was nothing like the dank wet underground. It smelled of trees and flowers and a warm summer day.

It reminded her of Persephone, but this sort of nature was ten times stronger.

Grover whimpered with excitement.

They stepped into the cave, and Rachel said, "Oh, wow."

It was the most beautiful thing Esmerelda had ever seen. She was pretty sure even Persephone would never be able to create something so gorgeous.

The walls glittered with crystals—red, green, and blue. In the strange light, beautiful plants grew—giant orchids, star-shaped flowers, vines bursting with orange and purple berries that crept among the crystals. The cave floor was covered with green moss. Overhead, the ceiling was higher than a cathedral, sparkling like a galaxy of stars. In the center of the cave stood a Roman-style bed, gilded wood shaped like a curly U, with velvet cushions. Animals lounged around it—but they were animals that shouldn't have been alive. There was a dodo bird, something that looked like a cross between a wolf and a tiger, a huge rodent like the mother of all guinea pigs, and roaming behind the bed, picking berries with its trunk, was a wooly mammoth.

And then she saw him.

On the bed lay an old satyr. He watched them as they approached, his eyes as blue as the sky. His curly hair was white and so was his pointed beard. Even the goat fur on his legs was frosted with gray. His horns were enormous—glossy brown and curved. There was no way he could've hidden those under a hat the way Grover did. Around his neck hung a set of reed pipes.

The awed look on Esmerelda's face immediately faded once she realized he was radiating with death. It shouldn't be possible since he was a god, but...

He's fading, she realized sadly.

Grover fell to his knees in front of the bed, the rest of them following suit. "Lord Pan!"

The god smiled kindly, but there was sadness in his eyes. "Grover, my dear, brave satyr. I have waited a very long time for you."

"I... got lost," Grover apologized.

Pan laughed, but the exhaustion on his face didn't disappear. His form was shimmering, another indication that he was no longer entirely whole.

"You have a humming dodo bird," Percy said stupidly.

The god's eyes twinkled. "Yes, that's Dede. My little actress."

Dede the dodo looked offended. She pecked at Pan's knee and hummed something that sounded like a funeral dirge.

"This is the most beautiful place!" Annabeth marveled. "It's better than any building ever designed."

"I am glad you like it, dear," Pan smiled. "It is one of the last wild places. My realm above is gone, I'm afraid. Only pockets remain. Tiny pieces of life. This one shall stay undisturbed... for a little longer."

"My lord," Grover said. "Please, you must come back with me! The Elders will never believe it! They'll be overjoyed! You can save the wild!"

Pan placed his hand on Grover's head and ruffled his curly hair. "You are so young, Grover. So good and true. I think I chose well."

"Chose?" Grover blinked. "I—I don't understand."

Pan's image flickered, momentarily turning to smoke. The giant guinea pig scuttled under the bed with a terrified squeal. The wooly mammoth grunted nervously. Dede stuck her head under her wing. Then Pan re-formed.

"I have slept many eons," the god said forlornly. "My dreams have been dark. I wake fitfully, and each time my waking is shorter. Now we are near the end."

"What?" Grover cried. "But no! You're right here!"

"My dear satyr," Pan said. "I tried to tell the world, two thousand years ago. I announced it to Lysas, a satyr very much like you. He lived in Ephesos, and he tried to spread the word."

Annabeth's eyes widened. "The old story. A sailor passing by the coast of Ephesos heard a voice crying from the shore, 'Tell them the great god Pan is dead.'"

"But that wasn't true!" Grover exclaimed.

"Your kind never believed it," Pan said. "You sweet, stubborn satyrs refused to accept my passing. And I love you for that, but you only delayed the inevitable. You only prolonged my long, painful passing, my dark twilight sleep. It must end."

"No!" Grover's voice trembled.

"Dear Grover," Pan said. "You must accept the truth. Your companions, Nico and Esmerelda, they understand."

Nico nodded slowly. "He's dying. He should have died long ago. This... this is more like a memory."

"I'm sorry, Grover," Esmerelda said sympathetically. "He's fading."

"Fading?" Percy asked. "What do you mean?"

"Gods can fade," Pan explained. "When everything they stood for is gone. When they cease to have power, and their sacred places disappear. The wild, my dear Grover, is so small now, so shattered, that no god can save it. My realm is gone. That is why I need you to carry a message. You must go back to the council. You must tell the satyrs, and the dryads, and the other spirits of nature, that the great god Pan is dead. Tell them of my passing. Because they must stop waiting for me to save them. I cannot. The only salvation you must make yourself. Each of you must—"

He stopped and frowned at the dodo bird, who had started humming again.

"Dede, what are you doing?" Pan demanded. "Are you singing Kumbaya again?"

Dede looked up innocently and blinked her yellow eyes.

Pan sighed. "Everybody's a cynic. But as I was saying, my dear Grover, each of you must take up my calling."

"But... no!" Grover whimpered.

"Be strong," Pan said. "You have found me. And now you must release me. You must carry on my spirit. It can no longer be carried by a god. It must be taken up by all of you."

Pan looked straight at them with his clear blue eyes. He wasn't just talking about satyrs. He meant half-bloods, too, and humans. Everyone.

"Percy Jackson," the god said. "I know what you have seen today. I know your doubts. But Igive you this news: when the time comes, you will not be ruled by fear."

He turned to Annabeth. "Daughter of Athena, your time is coming. You will play a great role, though it may not be the role you imagined."

Then he looked at Tyson. "Master Cyclops, do not despair. Heroes rarely live up to our expectations. But you, Tyson—your name shall live among the Cyclopes for generations. And Miss Rachel Dare..."

Rachel flinched when he said her name. She backed up like she was guilty of something, but Pan only smiled. He raised his hand in a blessing.

"I know you believe you cannot make amends," he said. "But you are just as important as your father."

"I—" Rachel faltered. A tear traced her cheek.

"I know you don't believe this now," Pan said. "But look for opportunities. They will come."

Finally he turned back toward Grover. Nico and Esmerelda frowned at each other. Pan... didn't acknowledge them.

"My dear satyr," Pan said kindly, "Will you carry my message?"

"I—I can't."

"You can," he said gently. "You are the strongest and the bravest. Your heart is true. You have believed in me more than anyone ever has, which is why you must bring the message, and why you must be the first to release me."

"I don't want to."

"I know," the god said. "But my name, Pan... originally it meant rustic. Did you know that? But over the years it has come to mean all. The spirit of the wild must pass to all of you now. You must tell each one you meet: if you would find Pan, take up Pan's spirit. Remake the wild, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. You cannot wait for anyone else, even a god, to do that for you."

Grover wiped his eyes. Then slowly he stood. "I've spent my whole life looking for you. Now... I release you."

Pan smiled. "Thank you, dear satyr. My final blessing."

He closed his eyes, and the god dissolved. White mist divided into wisps of energy, but this kind of energy wasn't cruel like Kronos'. It filled the room. A curl of smoke went straight into their mouths, but more went into Grover.

The crystals dimmed. The animals gave them a sad look. Dede the dodo sighed. Then they all turned gray and crumbled to dust. The vines withered. And we were alone in a dark cave, with an empty bed.

A flashlight was switched on.

Grover took a deep breath.

"Are... are you okay?" Percy asked him.

"We should go now," Grover said quietly. "And tell them. The great god Pan is dead."

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

After they made it out of the Labyrinth, Percy summoned a bunch of Pegasi to give them all a ride to Camp Half-Blood while Rachel stayed behind in New York.

When they got there, they tried their best to explain everything that had happened in the maze to Chiron. He wasn't even surprised when they got to the part about Quintus being Daedalus or Kronos rising.

"I feared as much," he said. "We must hurry. Hopefully you have slowed down the Titan lord, but his vanguard will still be coming through. They will be anxious for blood. Most of our defenders are already in place. Come!"

"Wait a moment," Silenus demanded. "What of the search for Pan? You are almost three weeks overdue, Grover Underwood! Your searcher's license is revoked!"

Grover took a deep breath. He stood up straight and looked Silenus in the eye. "Searcher's licenses don't matter any more. The great god Pan is dead. He has passed on and left us his spirit."

"What?" Silenus's face turned bright red. "Sacrilege and lies! Grover Underwood, I will have you exiled for speaking thus!"

"It's true," Percy stepped forward. "We were there when he died. All of us."

"Impossible! You are all liars! Nature-destroyers!"

Chiron studied Grover's face. "We will speak of this later."

"We will speak of it now!" Silenus said. "We must deal with this—"

"—Silenus," Chiron cut in. "My camp is under attack. The matter of Pan has waited two thousand years. I fear it will have to wait a bit longer. Assuming we are still here this evening."

And on that happy note, he readied his bow and galloped toward the woods, leaving the rest of them to follow.

The camp had turned into a military operation. Everyone was at the clearing, dressed in full battle armor, but this time it wasn't for capture the flag.

The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth—razor wire, pits filled with pots of Greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect a charge. Beckendorf was manning two catapults the size of pickup trucks, already primed and aimed at Zeus's Fist.

The Ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in phalanx formation with Clarisse calling orders.

Apollo's and Hermes' cabins were scattered in the woods with bows ready. The second Esmerelda saw them, she hurried over.

"Lou!" She breathed out a sigh of relief and wrapped her arms around her sister.

"You're alive!" Lou Ellen cried out excitedly, hugging her back. "Oh thank gods! Connor, Travis!" She called out.

The pair of brothers tumbled down the trees and nearly tackled the girl down.

"Dude!" Travis exclaimed. "You had us so worried!"

"We thought you got kidnapped again!" Connor added. "What were you doing so close to an entrance of the Labyrinth?!"

"I didn't know it was an entrance," she rolled her eyes. "I just fell in on accident. Is everything ready?"

"Yep. We were all just waiting on you guys." He replied.

She looked around. Everyone was stationed and ready for a fight, but then she recalled Ethan's warning for her. The Titan Army's numbers were by the thousands, and that was just the demigods. There were still the monsters to worry about, not to mention Kronos' power.

"This isn't enough..." She whispered, her hands shaking.

Lou Ellen blinked at her. "Huh?"

She swallowed thickly. "Guys, Ethan told me—" But then her voice faltered.

The ground underneath them was trembling. Esmerelda whipped her head towards the Labyrinth's entrance.

Everyone in the clearing stopped what they were doing. Clarisse barked a single order: "Lock shields!"

Then the Titan lord's army exploded from the Labyrinth.

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

Esmerelda had been in hundreds of fights before, but never a full-scale battle with people fighting every which way.

The first set of monsters to show up were a dozen Laistrygonian giants. They erupted from the ground, yelling. They carried shields made from flattened cars, and clubs that were tree trunks with rusty spikes bristling at the end. One of the giants bellowed at the Ares phalanx, smashed it sideways with his club, and the entire cabin was thrown aside, a dozen warriors tossed to the wind like rag dolls.

"Fire!" Beckendorf yelled. The catapults swung into action. Two boulders hurtled toward the giants. One deflected off a car shield with hardly a dent, but the other caught a Laistrygonian in the chest, and the giant went down.

Apollo's archers fired a volley, dozens of arrows sticking in the thick armor of the giants like porcupine quills. Several found chinks in armor, and some of the giants vaporized at the touch of celestial bronze.

So far so good, but then the next wave surged out. Thirty, maybe forty dracaenae in full battle armor, wielding spears and nets. They dispersed in all directions. Some hit the traps the Hephaestus cabin had laid. One got struck on the spikes and became an easy target for archers. Another triggered a trip wire, and pots of Greek fire exploded into green flames, engulfing several of the snake women. But many more kept coming. Argus and Athena's warriors rushed forward to meet them.

More monsters kept flooding in. Empousai, hellhounds, and then came the enemy demigods. They poured into the battle and soon enough, Esmerelda was interlocked into a fight.

She had no idea who she was fighting. She had never seen her before, but it was a teenage girl, probably a few years older than her. She wielded a golden sword, similarly to Alabaster's, but designed differently.

She really didn't want to kill her, but people were dying all around her and she had lost sight of her sister. While she was looking around, she locked eyes with Ethan, before she immediately turned away.

Quickly, she stunned her with her free hand and slashed her labrys across the girl's chest.

She raced across the battlefield, slashing and stabbing left and right, shooting enemies down with spells, and dodging attacks with ease. 

She quickly noticed that something was very, very wrong. Her fights were too easy. Nothing was actually hitting her. Most of the attacks aimed at her just seemed to miss. It was weird, but she dismissed it at first until she realized that enemy Apollo kids were trying to shoot her down with arrows but neither of them struck.

Children of Apollo never missed. Unless something was interfering, and the interference definitely wasn't coming from her.

She looked over at Ethan again, who was busy fighting. From what she knew, Nemesis had absolute and divine authority over luck. She could grant bad luck and good luck to anyone she wished.

Did Ethan have that power too? And had he (unknowingly?) used it on her grant her this sort of luck? Protected her so that no one could hurt her?

Either way, she was practically untouchable now. 

Time to use it to her advantage. 

She rushed into a spacious clearing and stood at the very center of it.

"Hey monsters!" She called out, amplifying her Charmspeak with the sonorus charm. Every monster in the vicinity stopped what they were doing.

"Come and kill me!" She said excitedly, and they came running at her. There were probably almost a hundred of them, but for once she wasn't scared. 

Her hand buzzed with magic. Once they drew closer, she thrust her palm out and the world around her burst into flames. 

KA-BOOOOOOM!

Her body was flung back, but luckily she landed on a blueberry bush that softened her landing. Her body was hot from the blast of her bombarda, but other than that, she remained miraculously unharmed thanks to the weird protection over her. 

Gods, I love that spell, she thought. She looked up and grinned. The clearing had been blown up to smithereens. The charred crater on the ground was covered in golden dust, as if it had gone through a golden glitter spill.

As she pushed herself off the bush, the ground suddenly trembled again. At first, she thought more monsters were coming from the Labyrinth but as she looked over, she spotted a fissure opening before Nico.

A dozen undead warriors crawled from the earth—horrible corpses in military uniforms from all different time periods—U.S. Revolutionaries, Roman centurions, Napoleonic cavalry on skeletal horses. As one, they drew their swords and engaged the dracaenae trying to make it to the cabins.

Nico crumpled to his knees, but she didn't have the chance to check up on him because she was engaged into another fight with a monster.

Through the fight, she spotted a flash of familiar fiery hair. Lou Ellen. Quickly killing the beast, she sprinted for her. She knew she shouldn't let herself get distracted by her sister and that she could handle herself just fine, but she was paranoid big sister who couldn't help herself.

In the corner of her eyes, she spotted horrible scenes. And even worse, she found Ethan locked into battle with Caleb Warring, a son of Ares who used to antagonize him throughout his childhood. The fight ended quickly, with Ethan piercing him through the knee, and then again through the back. A definite kill.

On the other side she spotted Alabaster facing another camper. They didn't stand a chance against the lethal combination of Alabaster's magic and his sword-fighting skills. As the camper fell to his knees, Alabaster swiped his sword through his neck, beheading him.

Esmerelda turned away.

"LOU ELLEN!" She shrieked, finally spying her younger sister. She was in danger.

Lou Ellen's knife was pressed against the sword blade of another demigod, but she was being pushed back. Behind her was a dracaeana. It threw a net and Lou Ellen was caught in it. When the monster yanked the net back, she was forced onto the ground. 

The enemy demigod stood before her, sword pulled back to stab. 

Before he could deliver the finishing blow, Esmerelda arrived just in time. She grabbed the boy by the back of his head and cut his throat open with her labrys before shooting the dracaeana down. 

"Get up!" She ordered, tossing the body aside and helping Lou Ellen stand. "Are you okay?"

Lou Ellen's whole body was trembling, but she nodded anyways.

Esmerelda was about to say something when something in the sky caught her eye. Her heart dropped.

Kampê was here, her bat wings fully extended. She landed on the top of Zeus's Fist and surveyed the carnage. Her face was filled with evil glee. The mutant animal heads growled at her waist. Snakes hissed and swirled around her legs. In her right hand she held a glittering ball of thread—Ariadne's string—but she popped it into a lion's mouth at her waist and drew her curved swords. The blades glowed green with poison.

Kampê screeched in triumph, and some of the campers screamed. Others tried to run and got trampled by hellhounds or giants.

"Di Immortales!" Chiron yelled. He quickly aimed an arrow, but Kampê seemed to sense his presence. She took flight with amazing speed, and Chrion's arrow whizzed harmlessly past her head.

"What is THAT?" Lou Ellen cried out.

"That's Kampê," Esmerelda answered faintly. "As if we weren't already screwed before..."

Percy and Annabeth came at her. Just when it looked like they were about to lose, Mrs. O'Leary appeared and body slammed the monster away.

"Good girl!" Daedalus shouted, fighting his way out of the Labyrinth, slashing down enemies left and right. Next to him was someone else—a familiar giant, much taller than the Laistrygonians, with a hundred rippling arms, each holding a huge chunk of rock.

"Who are they?" Lou Ellen asked.

"They," Esmerelda smiled. "Are friends. Hey, Briares!"

Briares turned to her.

"I think this is yours!" She called out, then threw him her glittering labrys. Briares' eyes widened and he caught effortlessly.

At first, he looked like he didn't know what to do with it, but then he grinned widely and gave out a triumphant laugh.

"KAMPÊ!" He roared, swinging madly. "YOUR REIGN OF TERROR ENDS HERE!"

Kampê raised her swords and snarled threateningly at him, but whatever fear Briares had of her had completely vanished. 

She slashed madly at him, but he deflected each hit back, his movements more swift and skillful. In a matter of seconds, Kampê had been sliced into ribbons and she finally exploded into golden powder.

A cheer went up from the campers, but the enemies weren't done yet. One of the dracaenae yelled, "Ssssslay them! Kill them all or Kronossss will flay you alive!"

The giants surged forward in a last desperate attempt. One surprised Chiron with a glancing blow to the back legs, and he stumbled and fell. Six giants cried in glee and rushed forward.

"No!" Someone screamed.

Then it happened. Grover opened his mouth, and the most horrible sound she'd ever heard came out. It was like a brass trumpet magnified a thousand times—the sound of pure fear.

As one, the forces of Kronos dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. The giants trampled the dracaenae trying to get into the Labyrinth first. Telekhines and hellhounds and enemy half-bloods scrambled after them.

The tunnel rumbled shut, and the battle was over.

The clearing was quiet except for the fires burning in the woods, and the cries of the wounded.

Chiron, thankfully, wasn't too injured, but Nico's state was different.

When she reached him, there was smoke curling off his black clothes. His fingers were clenched, and the grass all around his body had turned yellow and died.

"Oh gods no!" She cried out, dropping to her knees beside him. His heart was beating faintly. "Get some nectar!" She shouted to anyone who was near.

One of the Ares campers hobbled over and handed her a canteen. She trickled some of the magic drink into Nico's mouth. He coughed and spluttered, but his eyelids fluttered open.

"Nico!" She breathed out in relief. "You're okay! You had me so worried!"

"Sorry," he coughed slightly. "Never tried to summon so many before. I—I'll be fine."

She helped him sit up and gave him some more nectar to drink. He didn't seem to mind her fussing over him even in front of others, but then again, he never did mind it.

"Daedalus," he croaked, spotting the older man.

"Yes, my boy," the inventor said. "I made a very bad mistake. I came to correct it."

Daedalus had a few scratches that were bleeding golden oil, but he looked better than most of the campers. Apparently his automaton body healed itself quickly. Mrs. O'Leary loomed behind him, licking the wounds on her master's head so Daedalus's hair stood up funny.

Briares stood next to him, surrounded by a group of awed campers and satyrs. He looked kind of bashful, but he was signing autographs on armor, shields, and T-shirts.

"I found the Hundred-Handed One as I came through the maze," Daedalus explained. "It seems he had the same idea, to come help, but he was lost. And so we fell in together. We both came to make amends."

"Yay!" Tyson jumped up and down. "Briares! I knew you would come!"

"I did not know," the Hundred-Handed One said. "But you reminded me who I am, Cyclops. You are the hero."

Tyson blushed, but Percy patted him on the back.

Then Briares turned to Esmerelda. Slowly, he held out the labrys to her.

She blinked in shock. "Wait—you're giving Glimmer back to me?"

He stared at her. "You... you named it Glimmer?"

She blushed. "Um—"

"—An excellent name for an excellent weapon!" He said quickly. "But... I'm afraid I'm not suited for it."

"You kidding me? You killed Kampê like a pro!"

"Well, yes," he said, feeling flattered. "But... I have committed a great crime with this weapon. I killed an innocent."

"You mean Bessie, the Ophiotaurus," Percy muttered.

Briares looked really weirded out by their choice of names, but ignored it anyways. "Yes, the Ophiotaurus. I slaughtered an innocent creature using... Glimmer. But you, daughter of Hecate, I believe you will do many great things in the future with this weapon. And so, I give this to you."

Esmerelda was honored, and pretty damned relieved. She adored her gorgeous weapon and knew she would miss it should it be gone. She took Glimmer back with a grateful smile. 

"Thank you," she murmured.

"So now what?" Percy said uneasily. "The Titan army is still down there. Even without the string, they'll be back. They'll find a way sooner or later, with Kronos leading them."

Daedalus sheathed his sword. "You are right. As long as the Labyrinth is here, your enemies can use it. Which is why the Labyrinth cannot continue."

Annabeth stared at him. "But you said the Labyrinth is tied to your life force! As long as you're alive—"

"—Yes, my young architect," Daedalus agreed. "When I die, the Labyrinth will die as well. And so I have a present for you."

He slung a leather satchel off his back, unzipped it, and produced a sleek silver laptop computer. On the lid was the blue symbol ∆.

"My work is here," he said. "It's all I managed to save from the fire. Notes on projects I never started. Some of my favorite designs. I couldn't develop these over the last few millennia. I did not dare reveal my work to the mortal world. But perhaps you will find it interesting."

He handed the computer to Annabeth, who stared at it like it was solid gold. "You're giving me this? But this is priceless! This is worth... I don't even know how much!"

"Small compensation for the way I have acted," Daedalus said. "You were right, Annabeth, about children of Athena. We should be wise, and I was not. Someday you will be a greater architect than I ever was. Take my ideas and improve them. It is the least I can do before I pass on."

"Whoa," Percy said. "Pass on? But you can't just kill yourself. That's wrong."

He shook his head. "Not as wrong as hiding from my crimes for two thousand years. Genius does not excuse evil, Percy. My time has come. I must face my punishment."

"You won't get a fair trial," Esmerelda warned him. "Minos is still one of the judges. Plus, with all the other crimes you've committed..."

You would be sent to the Fields of Punishment, she finished.

"I will take what comes," he said, resigned to his eternal fate. "And trust in the justice of the Underworld, such as it is. That is all we can do, isn't it?"

He looked straight at Nico, and Nico's face darkened.

"Yes," he said.

"Will you take my soul for ransom, then?" Daedalus asked. "You could use it to reclaim your sister."

"No," Nico said quietly. "I will help you release your spirit. But Bianca has passed. She must stay where she is."

Esmerelda couldn't help the feeling of pride bursting in her chest. He was no longer the happy little boy from before, but he was no longer holding on to grudges either. He learned to accept things as they were. Nico had truly grown up.

Daedalus nodded. "Well done, son of Hades. You are becoming wise." Then he turned toward Percy. "One last favor, Percy Jackson. I cannot leave Mrs. O'Leary alone. And she has no desire to return to the Underworld. Will you care for her?"

He looked at the massive black hellhound, who whimpered pitifully, still licking Daedalus's hair.

"Yeah, of course I will." He answered, though she had no idea where he was going to put her. Mrs. O'Leary couldn't exactly fit in regular doghouses after all. Or any house. 

"Then I am ready to see my son... and Perdix," Daedalus closed his eyes. "I must tell them how sorry I am."

Annabeth was tearing up.

Daedalus turned toward Nico, who drew his sword. He took a deep breath and said, "Your time has long since come. Be released and rest."

A smile of relief spread across Daedalus's face. He froze like a statue. His skin turned transparent, revealing the bronze gears and machinery whirring inside his body. Then the statue turned to gray ash and disintegrated.

Mrs. O'Leary howled.

The earth rumbled—an earthquake that could probably be felt in every major city across the country—as the ancient Labyrinth collapsed.

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

It was the worst night of her life. She had never seen so many bodies wrapped up in burial shrouds before.

Among the dead, Lee Fletcher from the Apollo cabin had been downed by a giant's club. He was wrapped in a golden shroud without any decoration. Castor, the son of Dionysus who'd gone down fighting an enemy half-blood was wrapped in a deep purple shroud embroidered with grapevines. He'd been seventeen years old. His twin brother, Pollux, tried to say a few words, but he choked up and just took the torch. He lit the funeral pyre in the middle of the amphitheater, and within seconds the row of shrouds was engulfed in fire, sending smoke and sparks up to the stars.

The next few days were spent treating the wounded. Esmerelda could've used that time to contact her relatives, but she just couldn't force herself to do it. Her body had grown sluggish and it felt like a dark cloud had rained in on her head. She didn't want to do anything but grieve.

At least her closest friends were alright. Lou Ellen, the Stolls, Basil, Percy, Annabeth, and everyone else were still alive.

Unfortunately, she had no idea how long it would stay that way.

At noon, the Council of Cloven Elders held an emergency meeting in their sacred grove. The
three senior satyrs were there, along with Chiron, who was in wheelchair form. His broken horse leg was still mending, so he would be confined to the chair for a few months, until the leg was strong enough to take his weight. The grove was filled with satyrs and dryads and naiads up from the water—hundreds of them, anxious to hear what would happen.

Esmerelda stood by to watch because she knew Basil would be devastated by what Grover was going to announce.

"It was panic," insisted Juniper. "Grover summoned the power of the wild god."

"Panic?" Percy asked.

"Percy," Chiron explained. "During the first war of the gods and the Titans, Lord Pan let forth a horrible cry that scared away the enemy armies. It is—it was his greatest power—a massive wave of fear that helped the gods win the day. The word panic is named after Pan, you see. And Grover used that power, calling it forth from within himself."

"Preposterous!" Silenus bellowed. "Sacrilege! Perhaps the wild god favored us with a blessing. Or perhaps Grover's music was so awful it scared the enemy away!"

"That wasn't it, sir," Grover said calmly. "He let his spirit pass into all of us. We must act. Each of us must work to renew the wild, to protect what's left of it. We must spread the word. Pan is dead. There is no one but us."

Poor Basil let out a loud weep. Esmerelda had to help him stand up since he nearly fell to his knees from the grief. 

"He's gone!" He wailed. "Lord Pan is gone!"

"Nonsense!" Silenus snapped. "After two thousand years of searching, this is what you would have us believe? Never! We must continue the search! Exile the traitor!"

Some of the older satyrs muttered assent.

"A vote!" He demanded. "Who would believe this ridiculous young satyr, anyway?"

"I would," said a familiar voice.

Everyone turned. Striding into the grove was Dionysus. He wore a formal black suit, like he was dressed for a funeral. His eyes were bloodshot as usual, and his pudgy face was flushed, but he looked like he was suffering from grief more than wine-withdrawal.

The satyrs all stood respectfully and bowed as he approached. Dionysus waved his hand,and a new chair grew out of the ground next to Silenus's—a throne made of grapevines.

Dionysus sat down and crossed his legs. He snapped his fingers and satyr hurried forward with a plate of cheese and crackers and a Diet Coke.

The god of wine looked around at the assembled crowd. "Miss me?"

The satyrs fell over themselves nodding and bowing. "Oh, yes, very much, sire!"

"Well, I did not miss this place!" Dionysus snapped. "I bear bad news, my friends. Evil news.The minor gods are changing sides. Morpheus has gone over to the enemy. Hecate, Janus, and Nemesis, as well. Zeus knows how many more."

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Strike that," Dionysus said. "Even Zeus doesn't know. Now, I want to hear Grover's story. Again, from the top."

"But, my lord," Silenus protested. "It's just nonsense!"

Dionysus's eyes flared with purple fire. "I have just learned that my son Castor is dead, Silenus. I am not in a good mood. You would do well to humor me."

Silenus gulped, and waved at Grover to start again.

When Grover was done, Mr. D nodded. "It sounds like just the sort of thing Pan would do. Grover is right. The search is tiresome. You must start thinking for yourselves." He turned to a satyr. "Bring me some peeled grapes, right away!"

"Yes, sire!" The satyr scampered off.

"We must exile the traitor!" Silenus insisted.

"I say no," Dionysus countered. "That is my vote."

"I vote no as well," Chiron put in.

Silenus set his jaw stubbornly. "All in favor of the exile?"

He and the two other old satyrs raised their hands.

"Three to two," Silenus said.

"Ah, yes," Dionysus drawled. "But unfortunately for you, a god's vote counts twice. And as I voted against, we are tied."

Silenus stood, indignant. "This is an outrage! The council cannot stand at an impasse."

"Then let it be dissolved!" Dionysus snapped. "I don't care."

Silenus bowed stiffly, along with his two friends, and they left the grove. About twenty satyrs went with him. The rest stood around murmuring uncomfortably. Basil was still sobbing.

"Don't worry," Grover assured them. "We don't need the council to tell us what to do. We can figure it out ourselves."

He told them again the words of Pan—how they must save the wild a little at a time. He started dividing the satyrs into groups—which ones would go to the national parks, which ones would search out the last wild places, which ones would defend the parks in the big cities.

It looked like Nico wasn't the only one who had grown up.

Speaking of Nico, he hadn't shown up for dinner that night. Grabbing some food, Esmerelda left the Hermes table and headed off. She found him in the outskirts of camp, ready to leave.

"You didn't eat." She chided him, handing him his packaged dinner.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"You're really going to leave, Nico?" She asked him sadly.

"I can't stay here. This place... My father doesn't even have a cabin here. That's enough to tell me that I don't belong."

"Where will you stay?"

He shrugged. "The Underworld most likely. I'll probably roam around too. There's still so much I need to know. Like who was my mother? Who paid for Bianca and me to go to school? Who was that lawyer guy who got us out of the Lotus Hotel? I know nothing about my past. I need to find out. And... there's another thing."

She tilted her head.

He looked at her straight in the eye and said, "I think I may know a way to help Percy win the war."

— author's note —

The demigods from both sides after they just slaughtered their friends and/or siblings: