▬▬▬ CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT ▬▬▬

ANNABETH COULDN'T BEAR TO LOOK Esmerelda in the eye once she joined their party. The younger girl couldn't blame her. According to Percy, who had explained everything to her in hushed whispers, Ethan had told them everything—from Nico's kidnapping to Luke's true plans for her. He also informed her of the last line of the prophecy and Esmerelda felt her heart pang with pain.

And lose a love to worse than death.

She remembered Luke's words to her in her dream. Ethan loved her, and after that kiss they shared, it definitely wasn't a platonic sort of love—not anymore at least.

The last line of the prophecy was down to her and Ethan, or Luke and Annabeth. But Luke had spared her of that grisly fate; he had accepted what was to come.

Annabeth was going to lose him to worse than death, while she and Ethan would be free of the pain.

So really, Esmerelda couldn't blame Annabeth for wanting to avoid her. She would do it too if she were in her situation.

The atmosphere was tense that night and the only thing that could make her feel slightly better was the refreshing new face of Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She was a clear-sighted mortal who Esmerelda quickly learned, was a lot stranger than most clear-sighted-mortal cases. Rachel's clear sight was a lot more sharper than expected, which made her suspect that there was more to her than she thought.

But right now, Rachel was just a clear-sighted mortal who was just recently thrust into the life of the Greek myths (poor girl). When Esmerelda casually mentioned something about the wizarding world, she was eager to know more.

"So there's, like, no technology? What if one of the, uh what did you call it? Muggle-born kids need to contact their parents or something? Isn't that too isolating?" Rachel asked with wide, curious eyes.

Esmerelda shrugged. "I don't have a clue. One of my friends, Justin, complained about it a lot because he doesn't like using owls. And as for the tech thing, apparently electricity doesn't work well with magic? It doesn't make sense to me because cameras, radios, trains, and stuff still exist... Maybe they just combine it? I haven't really tested it out since demigods can't use phones either."

"You can't?!"

"Text messages, phone calls, emails—any communicative measures via technology isn't advisable since we're also sending signals to nearby monsters where we are. Like a GPS thing, you know?"

"That explains a lot," the redhead mumbled, glancing over to a drooling Percy who had the remnants of a smudged phone number scrawled on his wrist.

Esmerelda looked around and noticed that even Annabeth was dead asleep too. "Come on, we should sleep already. I have a feeling that tomorrow'll be a busy day..."

Of course, their sleep didn't last very long. Even worse, they all had a very rude awakening in the form of a massive earthquake.

"How is he still asleep through this?!" Esmerelda gawked at Percy, who was still snoring through the earthquake, as she scrambled around to grab her things.

Annabeth wildly shook his shoulder. "Percy, wake up!"

His sea green eyes snapped open. "Tyson—Tyson's in trouble!" He yelped. "We have to help him!"

"First things first," she said. "Earthquake!"

The room rumbled even harder and pieces of the ceiling were beginning to fall on them. Once Rachel grabbed her pack, the four of them ran. They were almost to the far tunnel when a column next to them groaned and buckled. They kept going as a hundred tons of marble crashed down behind them.

They made it to the corridor and turned just in time to see the other columns toppling. A cloud of white dust billowed over them, but they kept running.

It wasn't long before they saw light up ahead—like regular electric lighting.

"There," Rachel pointed. She led them towards a stainless steel hallway, like something you would see on a space station. Fluorescent lights glowed from the ceiling. The floor was a metal grate.

"This way," Rachel said, beginning to run. "We're close!"

"This is so wrong!" Annabeth began to protest. Esmerelda was very quick to realize that Annabeth seemed to really dislike Rachel for no reason at all. She was pretty sure the older girl was just jealous though.

"Annabeth," Esmerelda sighed.

"No, the workshop should be in the oldest section of the maze. This can't—" She faltered once they arrived at a set of metal double doors. Inscribed in the steel, at eye level, was a large blue Greek ∆.

"We're here," Rachel announced. "Daedalus' workshop."

Annabeth gaped at the doors before quickly schooling her expression. Then, she reached out and pressed the symbol on the doors and they hissed open.

"So much for ancient architecture," Percy commented, earning himself a scowl.

Together they walked inside.

"Oh gods," Esmerelda groaned upon seeing the room.

It looked a lot the workshop of an artist's studio, which only reminded her of Pygmalion. It had thirty foot ceilings and industrial lighting, polished stone floors, and workbenches along with windows. A spiral staircase led up to a second-story loft. Half a dozen easels displayed hand-drawn diagrams for buildings and machines that looked like Leonardo da Vinci sketches. Several laptop computers were scattered around on the tables. Glass jars of green oil—Greek fire—lined one shelf. The blazing sun was basking into the room through giant windows, illuminating everything.

There were a bunch of complicated inventions in the room too, none of which she could understand. One was a bronze chair with a bunch of electrical wires attached to it, like some kind of torture device. In another corner stood a giant metal egg about the size of a man. There was a grandfather clock that appeared to be made entirely of glass, so you could see all the gears turning. And hanging on the wall were several sets of bronze and silver wings.

"Di immortals," Annabeth muttered. She ran to the nearest easel and looked at the sketch. "He's a genius. Look at the curves on this building!"

"And an artist," Rachel added in amazement. "These wings are amazing!"

"You know, if Daedalus wasn't the bad guy here, I'd totally pay him to bring technology to the wizarding world," Esmerelda chuckled to herself, admiring the intricately designed jars of Greek fire.

Then she walked over to the window, joined by Percy. The view was amazing. She could spot the Rocky Mountains in the distance. They must have been high up in the foothills, at least five hundred feet. Down below a valley spread out, filled with a tumbled collection of red mesas and boulders and spires of stone. It looked like some huge kid had been building a toy city with skyscraper-size blocks, and then decided to knock it over.

"Where are we?" Percy wondered aloud.

"Colorado Springs," a voice said from behind them. "The Garden of the Gods."

Everyone spun around.

Standing on the spiral staircase above them, with his weapon drawn, was man Esmerelda had never met before. He was around his fifties, with short grey hair and a clipped grey beard. Surprisingly, he was dressed in a Camp Half-Blood tee-shirt.

Esmerelda felt uncomfortable around his presence. There was something off about him. Something deathly, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Who is that?" She asked, exchanging confused looks with Rachel. At least she wasn't the only one lost.

"Quintus," Percy breathed out. "But—"

"—You!" Annabeth said angrily. "What have you done with Daedalus?"

Quintus smiled faintly. "Trust me, my dear. You don't want to meet him."

"Look, Mr. Traitor," she growled, "I didn't fight a dragon woman and a three-bodied man and a psychotic Sphinx to see you. Now where is DAEDALUS?"

Quintus walked down the stairs calmly, and they all tensed up.

"You think I'm an agent of Kronos," he said. "That I work for Luke."

"Well, duh," Annabeth replied.

"You're an intelligent girl, but you're wrong. I work only for myself."

"Luke mentioned you," Percy shot. "Geryon knew about you, too. You've been to his ranch."

"Of course," he said. "I've been almost everywhere. Even here."

He walked towards the windows, and Percy and Esmerelda inched away as he drew closer to stand by the window.

"The view changes from day to day," he mused. "It's always some place high up. Yesterday it was from a skyscraper overlooking Manhattan. The day before that, there was a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. But it keeps coming back to the Garden of the Gods. I think the Labyrinth likes it here. A fitting name, I suppose."

"You've been here before," Percy noted.

"Oh, yes."

"That's an illusion out there?" He asked. "A projection or something?"

"No," Rachel murmured. "It's real. We're really in Colorado."

Quintus regarded her. "You have clear vision, don't you? You remind me of another mortal girl I once knew. Another princess who came to grief."

Rachel seemed to shrink at hearing that, and that was when Esmerelda decided to speak up to draw his attention away.

"Um, excuse me," she cleared her throat, not really sure how to phrase her next question in a polite way. "Uh, are you... dead?"

Quintus stared at her carefully, before taking note of her bold green eyes. He nodded to himself. "Daughter of Hecate, I take it?"

She nodded.

"What do you sense from me, dear girl?"

"Well, you definitely don't feel alive... but you still have a soul. I don't understand how..." She trailed off.

He smiled grimly, but didn't say anything.

"Enough games," Percy demanded. "What have you done with Daedalus?"

Quintus stared at him. "My boy, you need lessons from your friend on seeing clearly. I am Daedalus."

Percy spluttered, "But you're not an inventor! You're a swordsman!"

Esmerelda shot him a weird look that said, 'Uhhhh, you know you can be both, right?'.

"I am both," Quintus confirmed. "And an architect. And a scholar. I also play basketball pretty well for a guy who didn't start until he was two thousand years old. A real artist must be good at many things."

"That's true," Rachel agreed. "Like I can paint with my feet as well as my hands."

"You see?" He motioned to her. "A girl of many talents."

"But you don't even look like Daedalus," Percy continued to protest. "I saw him in a dream, and..." He trailed off, eyes growing wide as he realized something.

"Yes," Quintus murmured. "You've finally guessed the truth."

"You're an automaton. You made yourself a new body."

Esmerelda's jaw dropped. "You've been cheating death...!" Oh man, Hades was going to be pissed.

Quintus nodded solemnly at her, and that was when she knew that he feared Hades' wrath.

"Guys," Annabeth said uneasily. "That's not possible. That—that can't be an automaton."

He chuckled. "Do you know what Quintus means, my dear?"

"The fifth, in Latin. But—"

"—This is my fifth body." The swordsman held out his forearm. He pressed his elbow and part of his wrist popped open—a rectangular hatch in his skin. Underneath, bronze gears whirred. Wires glowed.

"That's amazing!" Rachel awed.

"That's weird." Percy said.

He's gonna be in so much trouble, Esmerelda lamented.

"You found a way to transfer your animus into a machine?" Annabeth gaped. "That's... not natural."

"Oh, I assure you, my dear, it's still me. I'm still very much Daedalus. Our mother, Athena, makes sure I never forget that." He tugged back the collar of his shirt. At the base of his neck was the dark shape of a bird grafted to his skin.

"A murderer's brand," she stated.

"For your nephew, Perdix," Percy guessed. "The boy you pushed off the tower."

His face darkened. "I did not push him. I simply—"

"—Made him lose his balance," Percy cut in. "Let him die."

Quintus gazed out the windows at the purple mountains. "I regret what I did, Percy. I was angry and bitter. But I cannot take it back, and Athena never lets me forget. As Perdix died, she turned him into a small bird—a partridge. She branded the bird's shape on my neck as a reminder. No matter what body I take, the brand appears on my skin."

"You really are Daedalus," Percy decided. "But why did you come to the camp? Why spy on us?"

"To see if your camp was worth saving. Luke had given me one story. I preferred to come to my own conclusions."

"So you have talked to Luke."

"Oh, yes. Several times. He is quite persuasive."

"But now you've seen the camp!" Annabeth persisted. "So you know we need your help. You can't let Luke through the maze!"

But Esmerelda could tell from his expression that Daedalus had no interests in saving camp.

He set his sword on the workbench. "The maze is no longer mine to control, Annabeth. I created it, yes. In fact, it is tied to my life force. But I have allowed it to live and grow on its own. That is the price I paid for privacy."

"Privacy from what?"

"The gods," he answered. "And death. I have been alive for two millennia, my dear, hiding from death."

"But how can you hide from Hades?" Percy asked. "I mean...Hades has the Furies."

"They do not know everything," he said. "Or see everything. You have encountered them, Percy. You know this is true. A clever man can hide quite a long time, and I have buried myself very deep. Only my greatest enemy has kept after me, and even him I have thwarted."

"Minos," Esmerelda said grimly. Nico had been abducted because of him. Minos wanted to use him to murder Daedalus for everything he'd done. She would warn Daedalus about it, but she didn't want him seeing Nico as a potential threat, being a son of Hades and all.

Daedalus nodded. "He hunts for me relentlessly. Now that he is a judge of the dead, he would like nothing better than for me to come before him so he can punish me for my crimes. After the daughters of Cocalus killed him, Minos's ghost began torturing me in my dreams. He promised that he would hunt me down. I did the only thing I could. I retreated from the world completely. I descended into my Labyrinth. I decided this would be my ultimate accomplishment: I would cheat death."

"And you did," Annabeth marveled, "For two thousand years." She sounded kind of impressed, despite the horrible things Daedalus had done.

Just then, a loud bark echoed from the corridor. Not even a second later, a gigantic hellhound burst into the room, licked Percy's face, sniffed Esmerelda, then almost knocked Daedalus over with an enthusiastic leap.

"Uh," Esmerelda uttered, looking around for help.

"That's Mrs. O'Leary. She's a friend." Percy explained.

So now he was friends with a hellhound. Okay. That was good to know.

"There is my old friend!" Daedalus beamed, scratching Mrs. O'Leary behind the ears. "My only companion all these long lonely years."

"You let her save me," Percy said. "That whistle actually worked."

Daedalus nodded. "Of course it did, Percy. You have a good heart. And I knew Mrs. O'Leary liked you. I wanted to help you. Perhaps I—I felt guilty, as well."

"Guilty about what?"

"That your quest would be in vain."

"What?" Annabeth blinked. "But you can still help us. You have to! Give us Ariadne's string so Luke can't get it."

"Yes... the string. I told Luke that the eyes of a clear-sighted mortal are the best guide, but he did not trust me. He was so focused on the idea of a magic item. And the string works. It's not as accurate as your mortal friend here, perhaps. But good enough. Good enough."

"Where is it?" She asked.

"With Luke," Daedalus said sadly. "I'm sorry, my dear. But you are several hours too late. Kronos promised me freedom. Once Hades is overthrown, he will set me over the Underworld. I will reclaim my son Icarus. I will make things right with poor young Perdix. I will see Minos's soul cast into Tartarus, where it cannot bother me again. And I will no longer have to run from death."

"That's your brilliant idea?" Annabeth yelled. "You're going to let Luke destroy your camp, kill hundreds of demigods, and then attack Olympus? You're going to bring down the entire world so you can get what you want?"

"Your cause is doomed, my dear. I saw that as soon as I began to work at your camp. There is no way you can hold back the might of Kronos."

"That's not true!" She cried out.

"I am doing what I must, my dear. The offer was too sweet to refuse. I'm sorry."

Annabeth pushed over an easel. Architectural drawing scattered across the floor. "I used to respect you. You were my hero! You—you built amazing things. You solved problems. Now... I don't know what you are. Children of Athena are supposed to be wise, not just clever. Maybe you are just a machine. You should have died two thousand years ago."

Instead of getting mad, Daedalus hung his head. "You should go warn your camp. Now that Luke has the string—"

Suddenly Mrs. O'Leary pricked up her ears.

"Someone's coming!" Rachel warned.

The doors of the workshop burst open, and Esmerelda let out a terrified gasp as Nico was pushed inside, his hands in chains. An empousa and two familiar Laistrygonians marched in behind him, followed by Minos. He looked almost solid now—a pale bearded king with cold eyes and tendrils of Mist coiling off his robes.

He fixed his gaze on Daedalus. "There you are, my old friend."

The empousa, meanwhile, turned to Esmerelda and grinned wickedly. "Hey there, sis! We've never met, but I'm your big sister Kelli!"

Percy made a dying noise from the back of his throat.

Esmerelda glared. "Let Nico go."

Kelli made a humming noise before shaking her head. "Hmm, how about 'no'? Look, I'd totally get along with you, but not when you're siding with Barnacle Breath over there. So not cool. I think I prefer Alabaster more."

Esmerelda was about seconds away from throwing a table at her when Daedalus spoke up. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded from Kelli.

"Luke sends his compliments," she said sweetly. "He thought you might like to see your old employer Minos."

"This was not part of our agreement," Daedalus said.

"No indeed," Kelli agreed. "But we already have what we want from you, and we have other agreements to honor. Minos required something else from us, in order to turn over this fine young demigod." She ran a finger under Nico's chin. "He'll be quite useful. And all Minos asked in return was your head, old man."

Daedalus paled. "Treachery."

"Get used to it." She shrugged.

"Nico," Percy spoke up. "Are you okay?"

He nodded morosely. "I—I'm sorry, Percy. Minos told me you were in danger. He convinced me to go back into the maze. Essie came with me. I'm sorry, I know you told us to stay at the ranch."

"You were trying to help us?"

"I was tricked," he said. "He tricked all of us."

Percy glared at Kelli. "Where's Luke? Why isn't he here?"

Kelli smiled widely. "Luke is... busy." She said, and Esmerelda felt her blood turn to ice. Luke was getting ready to host Kronos. "He is preparing for the assault. But don't worry. We have more friends on the way. And in the meantime, I think I'll have a wonderful snack!" Her hands changed into claws. Her hair burst into flame and her legs turned to their true form—one donkey leg, one bronze.

"Guys," Rachel whispered. "The wings. Do you think—"

"Get them," Percy whispered back. "I'll try to buy you some time."

And with that, all Hades broke loose. Annabeth and Percy charged at Kelli. The giants came right at Daedalus, but Mrs. O'Leary leaped to his defense. Nico got pushed to the ground but before he could hit, Esmerelda caught him and quickly undid his bindings.

Beside them, Minos wailed, "Kill the inventor! Kill him!"

Meanwhile, Rachel managed to grab the wings off the wall without anyone noticing. Amidst all the chaos, one of the giants accidentally broke the clay jar of Greek fire, and the green flames immediately began to spread.

"To me!" Minos cried. "Spirits of the dead!" He raised his ghostly hands and the air began to hum.

"No!" Nico cried out.

"You do not control me, young fool," Minos sneered. "All this time, I have been controlling you! A  soul for a soul, yes. But it is not your sister who will return from the dead. It is I, as soon as I slay the inventor!"

Nico stumbled back as spirits began to appear around Minos—shimmering forms that slowly multiplied, solidifying into Cretan soldiers.

"Nico!" Esmerelda grasped his hand tightly and he looked at her in panic. "Don't forget who you are, Nico. You are more powerful than him."

He nodded shakily, and turned to the spirits and addressed them. "I am the son of Hades," he insisted. "Be gone!"

Minos laughed. "You have no power over me. I am the lord of spirits! The ghost king!"

"No." Nico drew his sword. "I am."

He stabbed his black blade into the floor, and it cleaved through the stone like butter.

"Never!" Minos's form rippled. "I will not—"

The ground rumbled. The windows cracked and shattered to pieces, letting in a blast of fresh air. A fissure opened in the stone floor of the workshop, and Minos and all his spirits were sucked into the void with a horrible wail.

That was one problem down.

Then Annabeth killed Kelli, so two problems down. There was still the issue of more monsters coming and the workshop being set ablaze.

"We have to help Daedalus!" Percy shouted.

"No time!" Rachel said. "Too many coming!"

Quickly, they all fitted themselves with the coppery wings and were already feeling their feet lift off the floor. Esmerelda felt queasy. Hopefully Zeus wouldn't try to shoot any of them for breaking into his territory.

"Daedalus! Come on!" Percy called out to him.

The inventor was cut in a hundred places—but he was bleeding golden oil instead of blood. "I won't leave Mrs. O'Leary!" He said. "Go!"

There was no time to argue.

"None of us know how to fly!" Nico protested.

"Great time to find out," Percy said, before the all jumped out the window into open sky.

Esmerelda immediately regretted jumping out a window five hundred feet above ground. She was certain her father would probably be scolding her for her idiocy if he could see her now—flapping her arms up and down like a flightless duck.

They plummeted towards the valley and the red rocks below and before anyone could land splat on the ground, Annabeth yelled out, "Spread your arms! Keep them extended!"

Esmerelda did as she was told and the results were instantaneous. As soon as she spread her arms out, the wings stiffened, caught the wind, and she began gliding in the air.

"Land!" Annabeth ordered. "These wings won't last forever!"

"How long?" Rachel asked.

"I don't want to find out!"

They swooped down towards the Garden of the Gods, startled a couple of climbers, and landed on the terrace of the visitor center.

It was late afternoon and the place looked pretty empty, but they ripped off our wings as quickly as they could. Without anyone spying them, they stuffed the wings in trash bins outside the cafeteria.

According to Percy, who used the tourist binocular camera to look up at the hill, Daedalus' workshop had all but vanished. There was no smoke, broken windows, or anything. Just the side of an ordinary hill.

"The workshop moved," Annabeth guessed. "There's no telling where."

"So what do we do now?" Percy asked. "How do we get back in the maze?"

Annabeth gazed at the summit of Pikes Peak in the distance. "Maybe we can't. If Daedalus died... he said his life force was tied into the Labyrinth. The whole thing might've been destroyed. Maybe that will stop Luke's invasion."

"No," Nico shook his head. "He isn't dead."

"How can you be sure?" Percy asked.

"I know when people die. It's this feeling I get, like a buzzing in my ears."

"What about Tyson and Grover, then?"

"That's harder. They're not humans or half-bloods. They don't have mortal souls."

Percy looked over at Esmerelda. "Can you do that too?"

She shrugged. "I don't think so, but if I could, then it probably wouldn't be as strong as Nico's. I'm not the Ghost King after all," she teased the boy, ruffling his hair. Nico's face reddened, but he didn't seem to mind the affection.

"We have to get into town," Annabeth decided. "Our chances will be better off finding an entrance to the Labyrinth. We have to make it back to camp before Luke and his army."

"We could just take a plane," Rachel suggested.

Percy shuddered. "I don't fly."

"Same here," Esmerelda added. "And I don't think Nico should risk it either."

"But you guys just did."

"That was low flying," Percy explained. "And even that's risky. Flying up really high—that's Zeus's territory. Not all of us are allowed there. Besides, we don't even have time for a flight. The Labyrinth is the quickest way back."

Esmerelda sighed.

"So we need a car to take us into the city," Annabeth stated.

Rachel looked down into the parking lot. She grimaced, as if she were about to do something she regretted. "I'll take care of it."

"How?" Annabeth asked.

"Just trust me."

Annabeth looked uneasy, but she nodded. "Okay, I'm going to buy a prism in the gift shop, try to make a rainbow, and send an Iris-message to camp."

"Nico and I will go in with you," Esmerelda chimed. "We need food anyways."

Nico scowled. "Please don't make me eat veggies again."

"You need it," she told him firmly, then the three of them disappeared into the building.

Thankfully, the visitor's center had their own food court. They couldn't stay and eat for long, so they grabbed food for easy packing and some drinks for everyone else.

"I hate baby carrots," Nico protested as she nabbed him a small baggie of the accursed orange vegetable.

"They're good for you," she insisted. "Plus, 90% of our time in the Labyrinth was either spent starving to death or eating cookies. Not exactly healthy."

He grumbled under his breath but miserably ate them anyways along with a few bites of his sandwich.

"What happened to Ethan?" He asked suddenly.

Esmerelda fell silent, half-wondering if he was bringing this up in order to avoid eating his veggies, and half-wondering what to say to him.

"He... left," she answered carefully.

Nico frowned darkly, but he looked more disappointed than angry. As if Ethan had failed him in some way. "I knew we couldn't trust him..."

"It's not like that, Nico," she explained gently. "He just... it's complicated. He feels like he's doing the right thing."

"Humph."

He ate the rest of his food silently and bitterly, and Esmerelda sighed to herself, wondering if there was anything she could do to lift his sour mood up.

"I'm..." he began again once he finished with his carrots. "I'm sorry for not listening to you about Minos. You were right about him."

"Nico, that's not your fault," she told him. "He was manipulating you, pretending to help you bring your sister back. If it were me, I'd fall for it too."

But Nico looked down at the remnants of his sandwich, clearly still upset. Over his shoulder she spotted a gelato stand at the corner of the food court. There was a long line for it, but she could easily deal with that.

She turned back to Nico. "How about some gelato to cheer you up?"

His eyes lit up. "Gelato?"

"Mmhmm," she jutted her chin behind him.

"I thought you said you wanted me to eat healthy."

"Consider this a treat."

"Then let's go."

By the time they were finished with their gelato, they found Percy outside and tossed out their empty cups.

Percy gawked at them enviously. "You guys went and had ice cream?"

"Gelato," Nico corrected.

"Seriously? How is any of this fair?"

Esmerelda shrugged. "You should've came with us then."

Annabeth and Rachel meet up with them

"I talked to Chiron," Annabeth said. "They're doing their best to prepare for battle, but he still wants us back. They're going to need every hero they can get. Did we find a ride?"

"The driver's ready when we are," Rachel replied. "Come on."

She led them to a taxi van, big enough to fit all five of them. It was impressive. The seats were leather. There was plenty of legroom. The backseat had flat-panel TVs built into the headrests and a mini-fridge stocked with bottled water, sodas, and snacks.

They squeezed in and a minute later, they were cruising down the road.

"Where to, Miss Dare?" The driver asked, and Esmerelda was suspiciously reminded of how certain magical creatures would treat her with utmost respect and obedience. She figured that Rachel's family was very wealthy. 

"I'm not sure yet, Robert," she replied. "We just need to drive through town and, uh, look around."

"Whatever you say, miss."

"Do you know this guy?" Percy asked her quietly.

"No."

"But he dropped everything to help you. Why?"

"Just keep your eyes peeled," she said. "Help me look."

We drove through Colorado Springs for about half an hour and saw nothing that Rachel considered a possible Labyrinth entrance. After about an hour they decided to head north toward Denver, thinking that maybe a bigger city would be more likely to have a Labyrinth entrance, but they were all getting nervous. They were losing time.

Then right as they were leaving Colorado Springs, Rachel sat bolt upright. "Get off the highway!"

The driver glanced back. "Miss?"

"I saw something, I think. Get off here."

The driver swerved across traffic and took the exit.

"What did you see?" Percy asked.

So far, they were out of the city now. There wasn't much around them except hills, grassland, and some scattered farm buildings.

Rachel had the driver turn down this unpromising dirt road. They drove by a sign too fast for anyone to read it, but Rachel said, "Western Museum of Mining & Industry."

It looked more like an old-fashion railroad station than a museum. There were drills and pumps and old steam shovels on display outside.

"There," Rachel pointed to a hole in the side of a nearby hill—a tunnel that was boarded up and chained. "An old mine entrance."

Quickly, they paid the driver and hurried over. The museum seemed to be closed, so nobody bothered the kids as they climbed the hill to the mine shaft. When they got to the entrance, Esmerelda saw the mark of Daedalus engraved on the padlock.

She touched it, and the chains fell away. After kicking down a few boards, they walked inside. For better or worse, they were back in the Labyrinth.

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

They reached a crossroad. The tunnel continued straight ahead, but a side tunnel T'd off to the right—a circular shaft carved from volcanic rock. Wind came down the tunnel, and Esmerelda smelled something horribly familiar.

"Eucalyptus trees," she said in a small voice, bad memories of her time in Mount Tamalpais resurfacing.

"There's something evil down that tunnel," Rachel said in an equally small voice. "Something very powerful."

"And the smell of death," Nico added, which didn't make anyone feel better.

"Luke's entrance," Annabeth guessed. "The one to Mount Othrys—the Titans' palace."

"I have to check it out." Percy said.

"Percy, no."

"Luke could be right here," he insisted. "Or... or Kronos. I have to find out what they're planning."

"I'm going too," Esmerelda said quietly. "If he's done what I think he did then..."

They all fell silent, and it was decided that only Percy and Esmerelda would go. She could disguise herself with the Mist and, if anything happened, she would be able to Mist travel away with Percy.

Together, with Percy wearing Annabeth's Yankees cap, they sneaked down the stony tunnel. Before they even reached the exit, they heard voices.

"Telekhines," she heard Percy inform her.

"At least we salvaged the blade," one said. "The master will still reward us."

"Yes! Yes!" A second shrieked. "Rewards beyond measure!"

Another voice, this one more human, said: "Um, yeah, well that's great. Now, if you're done with me—"

Esmerelda's breath hitched. Ethan.

"No, half-blood!" A telekhine said. "You must help us make the presentation. It is a great honor!"

"Gee, thanks," Ethan replied sarcastically.

Esmerelda crept towards the end of the tunnel, unable to be seen. She wondered if Percy was doing the same thing. A blast of cold air hit her as she emerged. She was standing near the top of the mountain, the Pacific Ocean spread out below, gray under a cloudy sky. About twenty feet downhill, two telekhines were placing something on a big rock—something long and thin and wrapped in a black cloth. Ethan was helping them open it.

"Careful, fool," the telekhine scolded. "One touch, and the blade will sever your soul from your body."

Ethan swallowed nervously. She had never seen him so anxious before. "Maybe I'll let you unwrap it, then."

"There!" The telekhine exclaimed. Reverently, he lifted the weapon. It was a scythe—a six foot-long blade curved like a crescent moon, with a wooden handle wrapped in leather. The blade glinted two different colors—steel and bronze.

It was the weapon of Kronos, the one he'd used to slice up his father, Ouranos, before the gods had taken it away from him and cut Kronos to pieces, casting him into Tartarus. Now the weapon was re-forged.

Not a good sign.

"We must sanctify it in blood," the telekhine said. "Then you, half-blood, shall help present it when the lord awakes."

Esmerelda headed towards the fortress and reached a familiar scene: the golden sarcophagus standing on a dais. It was the same as in her dreams, but a hundred times more terrifying since she was now witnessing the real thing.

It was ten feet long, much too big for a human. It was carved with elaborate scenes of death and destruction, pictures of the gods being trodden under chariots, temples and famous world landmarks being smashed and burned. The whole coffin gave off an aura of extreme cold, colder than that freezer in Ikea. Her breath began to steam.

She heard shhk! sound beside her and knew Percy had drawn his blade.

"Percy?" She whispered.

"I have to kill him," he whispered back, then pushed the golden lid back.

Esmerelda flinched when it hit the floor with a huge WHOOOM!

"...Oops," Percy said sheepishly.

Shaking her head, she stepped forward and peered inside. She felt like screaming. She knew it was coming, knew he meant well on his promise to her, but she never could've braced herself for this.

Luke's body was in the coffin.

"He did it," she croaked. "He did it, Percy. It's done."

"He—he looks dead," he said shakily. "Why—? I don't—"

The telekhines rushed into the room.

"What has happened?!" One of them screamed when he saw the lid.

"Careful!" The other warned. "Perhaps he stirs. We must present the gifts now. Immediately!"

The two telekhines shuffled forward and knelt, holding up the scythe on its wrapping cloth.

"My lord," one said. "Your symbol of power is remade."

Silence. Nothing happened in the coffin.

"You fool," the other telekhine muttered. "He requires the half-blood first."

Esmerelda watched as Ethan grimaced. She remembered him saying that once he got her out of the Labyrinth, he was going to pledge himself to Kronos, which would then fully awaken him. He seemed so sure then.

But he was hesitating now, staring at the coffin with an unreadable expression.

"Well?" The first telekhine snapped impatiently. "Don't be a coward! Step up and swear your allegiance! Pledge him your service. Renounce the gods. That is all."

"I know how it works," he grumbled darkly.

"Then do it already!"

"No!" Percy suddenly yelled. He charged into the room and took off the cap. "Ethan, don't!"

Esmerelda facepalmed and then made the next dumbest mistake. She groaned aloud, "Percy!"

She froze.

Ethan looked around the room. "E-Essie...?"

Fuck, she thought, then revealed herself. "Uh... hi."

He gawked at her like an idiot.

"Trespassers!" The telekhines bared their seal teeth. "The master will deal with you soon enough. Hurry, boy!"

"Ethan, please," Esmerelda said, and realized this was probably her one last chance to make him come back. "You told me you wanted to do the right thing. Trusting Kronos isn't it."

He stared at her sadly and that was enough to make to tell her everything. He wasn't going to stop, not for her, and especially not when he thought he was doing the right thing.

"Ethan," Percy pleaded this time. "Don't listen to them. Help me destroy it."

Ethan gave them a pitying look. "Essie, I'm sorry."

Her lips trembled, but she fell silent with resignation.

Then he looked at Percy and his gaze hardened. "I told you not to spare me, Percy. 'An eye for an eye.' You ever hear that saying? I learned what it means the hard way—when I discovered my godly parent. I'm the child of Nemesis, Goddess of Revenge. And this is what I was made to do."

He turned toward the dais. "I renounce the gods! What have they ever done for me? I will see them destroyed. I will serve Kronos."

The building rumbled. A wisp of blue light rose from the floor at Ethan's feet. It drifted toward the coffin and began to shimmer, like a cloud of pure energy. Then it descended on the sarcophagus.

Luke sat up like a zombie rising from the grave. When he opened his eyes, they were no longer blue. They were golden, the same color as the coffin.

He leaped out of the coffin with ease, and where his feet touched the floor, the marble froze like craters of ice. He looked at Ethan and the telekhines with those horrible golden eyes, as if he were a newborn baby, not sure what he was seeing. Then he looked at Esmerelda, and a smile of recognition crept across his mouth.

"This body has been well prepared." His voice sent chills down her spine. It sounded like Luke's but there was another voice mixed in as well. Something more horrible and ancient, a cold sound like metal scraping against rock. "Though I think yours would've suited me much better."

Esmerelda shuddered. All she could do was look at Ethan with eyes that screamed, 'What have you done?!'

Kronos threw his head back and laughed. "Luke feared you," he said to Percy. "His jealously and hatred have been powerful tools. It has kept him obedient. For that I thank you."

Ethan collapsed in terror. He covered his face with his hands. The telekhines trembled, holding up the scythe.

Percy was the first to move. He lunged at him and thrust his blade at his chest, but his skin deflected the blow like he was made of pure steel. Kronos looked at him in amusement before flicking his hand and sending Percy flying across the room.

Esmerelda reacted next. Before Percy could slam against a pillar, she caught him with her magic and gently set him down.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, rushing to his side.

"I'm fine. But Lu—Kronos, I struck him but something happened," he panted.

During that, Kronos went and grasped the handle of his scythe. "Ah... much better," he said. "Backbiter, Luke called it. An appropriate name. Now that it is re-forged completely, it shall indeed bite back."

Esmerelda was terrified. There was no chance that they could fight the Titan lord, especially now that he had his strongest weapon.

"Percy," she said quickly, helping him stand. "We need to get out of here, hold on!" She prepared herself to Mist travel, but it was like everything slowed down. Her whole body felt like lead. Green Mist slowly appeared, but it was like they were stuck in place.

Kronos' doing. His presence was so strong it could bend time itself.

"Run, little heroes," he laughed, approaching them casually while swinging his scythe around. He may as well have been frolicking down a field of daisies. "Run!"

Esmerelda stopped trying to Mist travel. "I can't do it!" Her voice rose an octave. They tried to run, but they felt like they were glued in place.

He was ten feet away when someone shouted, "PERCY! ESSIE!"

Rachel's voice.

Something flew past them, and a blue plastic hairbrush hit Kronos in the eye.

"Ow!" He yelled. For a moment it was only Luke's voice, full of surprise and pain. Esmerelda and Percy were freed and they ran straight into Rachel, Nico, and Annabeth, who were standing in the entry hall, their eyes filled with dismay.

"RUN!" They shouted to them.

Esmerelda's lungs burned but she kept going. They were almost back to the Labyrinth entrance when she heard the loudest bellow in the world—the voice of Kronos, coming back into control. "AFTER THEM!"

"No!" Nico yelled. He clapped his hands together, and a jagged spire of rock the size of an eighteen-wheeler erupted from the ground right in front of the fortress. The tremor it caused was so powerful the front columns of the building came crashing down. Dust billowed everywhere.

They plunged into the Labyrinth and kept running, the howl of the Titan lord shaking the entire world behind them.

— author's note —

Essie and Percy: Hoe don't do it

Ethan: *does it*

Essie and Percy: Oh my gawd

THE FINAL RESULTS ARE IN! I got an 88% on my exam and I am VERY pleased :D

It's not an A, but that's alright because my expectations weren't that high in the first place :')