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chapter twenty-eight
( battle of the labyrinth )
❝ who she's always been! ❞

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We found the spider banging its head on a metal door. Which was surprisingly very relatable.

The door looked like one of those old-fashioned submarines hatches━oval, with metal rivets around the edges and a wheel for a doorknob. Instead of a portal, was a big brass plaque, green with age, with a Greet Êta inscribed in the middle.

We all shared a look. None of us were really anxious to head inside straight away.

"Ready to meet Hephaestus?" Grover asked.

"No," Percy admitted.

"Yes!" Tyson giggled and turned the wheel. (Okay, everybody but Tyson).

As soon as the door opened, the spider scuttled inside with Tyson right behind it. The rest of us followed, much more hesitantly.

The room looked like a mechanic's garage with several hydraulic lifts. Some had cars on them, but others had much stranger things; like a bronze hippalektryon with its horse head off and bunch of wires hanging out of its rooster tail ... for example.

Other projects━albeit much smaller━hung along the walls. Each had its own outline on a peg-board, but othing seemed to be in the right 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 grey overalls and shoes even bigger than Tyson's (and that was saying something). One leg was in a metal brace.

The spider sucttled straight under the car, and the sounds of banging stopped.

"Well, well," a deep voice boombed from under the car. "What have we here?"

The mechanic pushed out on a back trolley and sat up. Percy gulped from beside me.

Hephaestus must have cleaned up last time I saw him on Olympus. Because, here, in his workshop, he looked more hideous than usual. (And I mean that in the nicest way possible). He wore overalls smeared with oil and grime with his name Hephaestus embroided over the chest pocket. His leg creaked in it's metal brace as he stood up, and his left shoulder was lower than his right, making him look like he was leaning instead of standing up straight. His head was misshapen and bulging, with a pernament scowl upon his face. His black beared smoked and hissed. Every once in a while, a small wildfire would erupt in his whiskers then die out. Despite having humongous hands, he held 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 metllic web at the ceiling, and went slinging away. Annabeth gasped and ducked when it flew over her.

Hephaestus glowered at us, "I didn't make you, did I?"

Cain looked at his hands as if just to check, "Uh ... no, sir."

"Good," grumbled the god. "Shoddy workmanship."

Percy looked offended, and glanced at Grover as if to say, I look like shoddy workmanship?

(I refained from saying that he was far from it).

Hephaestus studied us, "Half-bloods," he them muttered. "Could be automatons, of course, but probably not."

Um ... thanks?

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

"Have we?" the god asked absently. I don't think he cared either way. He was just trying to figure out Percy's jaw worked━whether it was a hing, or a lever, or something else ... "Well the, if I didn't smash you to a pulp the first time we met, I suppose I won't have to do it now." His beady eyes landed on Grover and frowned, "Satyr." Then he looked at Tyson, and his eyes twinkled. "Well, a Cyclops. Good, good. What are you doing travelling with this lot?"

"Uh ..." Tyson stared at the god, mouth agape in wonder.

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

"Sir," Annabeth stepped forward hesitantly, "we're looking for Daedalus. We thought━"

"Daedalus?!" the god's beard burst into flames. I didn't feel the heat, but the others must have, for they took steps back. "You want that old scoundrel?! You dare to seek him out?!"

Neither had Cain. He arched a brow at him. I wondered whether he was reading his fears like an open book and Hephaestus wasn't even realising.

"Um, yes, sir, please," Annabeth said, trying to stay brave. I admired her for that.

"Humph! You're wasting your stime," 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 seconds, he held a bronze and silver falcon. I let out a breath of awe at his work, watching it spread its metal wings, blink 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.

I couldn't help it, I smiled. "It's beautiful ..."

Hephaestus redgarded me. The god's scowl didn't change, but there was a twinkle of recognition when she saw me. "The Light's Kin, huh? Apollo's progidy."

I went red. "I ... I wouldn't exactly say that, sir..."

He huffed, "Didn't get the modesty from him, that's for sure. So," those beady eyes narrowed. "Have you figured it out yet?"

I frowed, confused. "Uh ... figured out what, sir?"

He arched a mangled brow. I saw amusement, and I hated it. Hades was prominent on saying I was missing something, and that I should have figured something out by now, and now Hephaestus was saying it, too. What do they mean? What have I missed?!

The god didn't talk to me any longer. His gaze travelled to Cain, lingering for a second. "You. You're Beckendorf's friend?" surprised, Cain nodded. "Good," said the god. "My children always find it hard to talk to things that aren't automatons."

(Oh, wow, I wonder where they get that from?)

Finally, Hephaestus's attention returned to Tyson. A kinder twinkle was in his scowl. "I sense you have something to tell me, Cyclops?"

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

The god of forges nodded, looking unsurprised. "Briares?"

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

"And that bothered you."

"Yes!" his voice wavered. "Briares should be strong! He is older and greater than Cyclops. 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, even gods change, young Cyclops. You can't trust 'em. Look at my 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."

Percy frowned, "But I thought Zeus did that to you?"

The god cleared his throat and spat into the bronze spittoon. He snapped his fingers, and the robotic falcon flew back to the worktable. "Mother likes telling that version of the story," he grumbled. "Makes her seem more likeable, doesn't it?" (Oh, please, Hera can never be likeable━at least, not in my book). "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 whole automation fell apart. "Believe me, young Cyclops," he said, "you can't trust others. All you can trust is the work of your own hands."

I found it strange to feel bad for a God but seeing Hephaestus gloomily rearrange the parts on the desk make my heart clench. I knew what that was like. Not being loved by your own mother. To put your turst in someone who shouldn't break it, only for them to leave you to die in the streets of Miami. I couldn't help myself. I took a deep breath and told the God, "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."

(Percy glanced at me. By the look on his face, I could tell he thought that Hephaestus had deserved it, considering our plenty of run-ins with his automatons. But his mother loved him. He doesn't know what it's like to feel so angry and unlovable because one of the most important people in your life━perhaps the only important person in your life: the woman who gave birth to you. Held you in your arms ... took a look at you, and thought that you weren't enough. I may not be hideous on the outside like Hephaestus, but sometimes I felt hideous on the inside. Thank you, Mommy Issues).

Hephaestus met my gaze again. I knew he was reading me━my emotions, my thoughts. In the end, he gave another huff and looked away. "Tragedy has hit you, Claire Moore."

I don't know what he meant by that, but I nodded sadly, unable to help but agree with him.

He focused in on Percy, and his eyes glowered again. "Oh, this one doesn't like me," he mused. "No worries, I'm used to that. What would you ask of me, little demigod?"

"We told you," said Percy. "We need to find Daedalus. There's this guy Luke, and he's working for Kronos. He's trying to find a way to navigate the Labyrinth so he can invade our camp. If we don't get to Daedalus first━"

"And I told you, boy. Looking for Daedalus is a waste of time. He won't help you."

"Why not?"

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

Annabeth's brows quirked. "You know where he is, then."

"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," he sighed. "Fine goddess, Athena. A 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 favour done."

"Name it," said Annabeth and he laughed━a booming sound like a huge bellows stoking a fire.

"You heroes," he chuckled, "always making rash promises. How refreshing!" He pressed a button on his workbench, and metal shutters opened along the wall. We were looking at a grey mountain tinged in forests (I'm still deciding whether we're looking through a window or a television screen...). At the smoke that rose from the mountain's crest, I realised it was a volcano. "One of my forges. I have many, but that used to be my favourite."

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

"You've been there?" Percy asked him.

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

"Wait," Annabeth held a hand up, back-tracking. "You said it used to be your favourite. What happened?"

Hephaestus scrached his ashen beard. "Well, that's where the monster Typhon is trapped, you know. Used to be 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, smouldering all the time. He's restless with the Titan rebellion."

"What do you want us to do?" Percy arched a brow. "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 mountains. Someone or something is using my forges. When I go there, it is empty, but I can tell it is being used. They sense me coming, but they do not return. Something ... ancient is there. Evil. I want to know who dares invade my territory, and if they mean to loose Typhon."

"You want us to find out who it is," Cain realised.

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

"Glad you noticed," Percy muttered. My eyes darted up to the ceiling in annoyance, stop having a death wish, Jackson!

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

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

The god clapped his hands. The spider came swinging down from the rafters. Annabeth flinched when it landed at her feet. "My creation will show you the way," he said. "It is not far through the Labyrinth. And try to stay alive, will you? Humans are much more fragile than automatons."

° ° °

Everything was going okay until we reached the tree roots. The spider raced along and we were easily keeping up, but then we spotted a tunnel off to the side that was dug from raw earth and wrapped in thick roots. Grover stopped dead in his tracks.

Percy frowned, "What is it?"

He didn't move. He stared open-mouthed into the dark tunnel. His curly hair rustled in the breeze.

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

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

"The way ..." I realised, and my breath hitched. "You mean ... to Pan?"

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

"Earth," Tyson said. "And plants."

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

Up ahead, the spider was getting further and further down the stone corridor. A few more seconds and we'll lose it. "We'll come back," Annabeth then promised, her eyes darting back and forth anxiously. "On our way back to Hephaestus."

"The tunnel will be gone by then," Grover said, his eyes not leaving the earthly corridor. "I have to follow it. A door like this won't stay open!"

"But we can't," Annabeth was getting frustrated. "The forges!"

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

Annabeth looked desperate. I didn't know what to do. I wanted Grover to find Pan, but we also had to save camp from Luke. Percy pursed his lips in thought, before he decided, "We'll split up."

"No!" Annabeth said. "That's way too dangerous. How will we ever find each other again? And Grover can't go alone."

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

Percy stared at him, surprised. "Tyson, are you sure?"

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

Cain furrowed his brows. "I'll go with you, too." This only made Annabeth worse, and I couldn't help but shake my head at him.

"Cain, no," I whispered.

He frowned at me, "Yes," he said as if it was obvious. "Look, there's six of us. We'll go three each way. This Labyrinth doesn't scare me. I know how to manipulate it, now━it's full of fear. I can use that."

Grover took a need breath, but he nodded at him, grateful. He turned back to Percy, "We'll find each other again," he promised him. "We've still got the empathy link. I just ... have to."

Percy swallowed hard, but there was no way he wouldn't take away his best friends's life dream when it was so close. "I hope you're right," he said.

"I know I am," I've never heard Grover sound so confident in anything.

I didn't like this. Meeting Cain's eyes, he knew exactly how scared I was. No longer am I scared of dying, I'm scared of people I care about dying. He gave me an encouraging nod; a promise we'll see each other again. "Be careful," Percy told Grover. He hugged Tyson, and then he, Cain and Grover disapeared 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, tyring to sound confident. "Now, come on. The spider is getting away!"

We continued on our way, a little tense after saying goodbye to half of our team. But Percy, Annabeth and I soldiered on, following the spider with tight chests. It wasn't long before the tunnel started to get hot. The stone walls were glowing, and the air felt like we were stepping right into an oven. The tunnel sloped down. The spider scuttled along, and Annabeth and I were right behind━

"Hey, wait up," Percy called, and we glanced back.

"Yeah?" Annabeth arched a brow.

"Something Hephaestus said back there ... about Athena."

"She swore never to marry," Annabeth said. "Like Artemis and Hestia. She's one of the maiden goddesses."

Percy blinked. Despite everything, Annabeth and I shared an amused glance at the stumped look upon his face. "But then━?"

"How come she has demigod children?" Percy nodded, and I couldn't help it, I snorted my laughter into my nose and Percy went red at my reaction. "Percy, you know how Athena was born?"

"She sprang from the head of Zeus in full battle armour or something."

"Exactly. She wasn't born the normal way. She was literally born from thoughts. Her children are born the same way. When Athena falls in love with a mortal man, it's purely interllectual, the way she loved Odysseus in the old stories. It's a meeting of minds. She would tell you that's the purest kind of love."

Percy blinked again, "So your dad and Athena ... so you weren't ..."

I laughed again, and Annabeth smacked me. I couldn't help it. "Do you even have a belly button?" I asked her, and she smacked me again.

"Of course, I have a belly button!" she snapped at me, and I laughed again. "Now, come on, the spider is getting away!"

The roaring got louder. After another half-kilometre or so, we emerged in a cavern the size of a stadium. Our spider tour-guide stopped and curled into a ball.

We had arrived at the forge of Hephaestus.

There was no floor, just bubbling lava hundreds of metres below. I brushed Percy's shoulder, and I felt the heat suddenly hit me in waves. "Whoa ..." I murmured, and stepped back away, quite liking the cold now. We stood o a rock ridge that circled the cavern; a network of metal bridges spanned across it. At the centre was a huge platform with all sorts of machines, cauldrons, forges and the largest anvil in the universe━no, I'm serious. It's a block of iron the size of a house. Creatures moved around the platform━several strange, dark shapes, but they were too far away to make out details.

"We'll never be able to sneak up on them," Percy said.

Annabeth picked up the metal spider and slipped it into her pocket. "I can. Wait here."

"Hold it!" he said, but before any of us could argue, she put on her Yankee's cap and disappeared.

"I miss being able to do that," I said, a little upset. I didn't say anything, but I was worried for Annabeth. Hephaestus said a god could be sensed, and she was half-god. Her going in there alone, was it safe?

Beside me, Percy glanced back over his shoulder. I know he was thinking about Grover and Tyson. I missed Cain already. We had gotten pretty close over the multiple quests we went on in the past year.

Percy's eyes darkened in determination. He glanced down at me━his brow was beaded in sweat, and his black hair was wet to his scalp. It was strangely very attractive━and muttered, "Come on."

He led the way along the outer rim of the lava lake n hopes to get a better angle to see what was happening in the middle. The heat was affecting him, I could see it. He blinked away tears from smoke irritation, his steps were slightly sluggish. For the first time, I wish I could move the cool air I felt over to him, but it didn't work that way.

We moved around, trying to stay away from the edge until our road was blocked by a cart on metal wheels. Percy lifted up the trap and we saw that it was half-full with scrap metal. He was about to squeeze his way around it when voices echoed from up ahead, probably from a side tunnel.

"Bring it in?" one asked.

"Yeah," another said. "Movie's just about done."

Percy panicked. Before I could comprehend what was happening, he was pulling me into the cart, and a wave of heat hit me again. He made sure I was in first before scrambling inside with me. He just pulled the tarp over us in time. His fingers curled around Riptide, just in case we had to fight. It was then that I realised how close we were.

I could feel his breath fanning my cheeks and nose, and I went bright red. He was red, too, watching me with startled sea-green eyes that barely sparkled in the red darkness. If I moved, our noses would knock━and that made my stomach flutter.

The cart lurched forward, and I was broken from my thoughts.

"Oi," said a gruff voice. "This weighs a ton."

"It's celestial bronze," the other said. "What did you expect?"

Percy and I got pulled along. We turned a corner, and I knocked into him. Bright red, I tried to focus on anything else except for his breath that was right by my ear. I instead focused on the sound of wheels echoing against the walls, and I guessed we had passed down a tunnel and into a smaller room. Percy's left hand quickly gripped my arm, anxious, and I understood. What if we were going to be dumped into a smelting pot? Or lava? If they started to tip us over, we'd have to fight our way out fast, and by the look on Percy's face, I knew he'd get me out first. No. I would get him out first.

I heard lots of talking━chatters that didn't sound human; instead, more of a growl and a seal's bark. There was another sound, too. Like an old-fashioned film projector and a tinny voice narrating.

"Just set it at the back," a new voice ordered from across the room. "Now, younglings. Please attend to the film. There will be time for questions afterwards."

The voices quietened down, and I could hear the film. "As a young sea demon matures," the narrator said, "changes happen in the monster body. You may notice your fngs getting longer and you may have a sudden desire to devour human beings. These changes are perfectly normal and happen to all young monsters..."

Wait ... am I listening to 'The Talk' for monsters? Oh, ewwww...

It sounded like a classroom. An older monster was asking the younger monsters questions, where I soon learned that these guys were Telkhines. I furrowed my brows and racked my brain for anything on the Telkhines. I know they were ancient ... they used to forge weapons for the gods━they forged Percy's father's trident. When there was a rush of movement, Percy gripped his pen tighter. I awkwardly reached down for my dagger and gripped the handle. Excited voices came towardss the cart and the tarp was thrown back. Percy jumped up and I followed, our weapons ready in our hands to face the Telkhines.

(Just so you know, Telkines are practically dog-seals). Their faces were dogs, with black snouts, brown eyes and pointy ears. But their bodies were sleek and black like sea mammals, with stubby legs that were half flipper, half foot, and humanoid hands with sharp claws.

"Demigods!" one snarled.

"Eat them!" yelled another.

But that was as far as they got before Percy slashed a wide arc with Riptide, and the entire front row of monsters disintergrated. "Back off!" he yelled at the rest. I held out my dagger, trying to look fierce. Behind them stood their instructor━a two-metre-tall telkhine with Doberman fangs. It snarled.

"New lesson, class," Percy announced. "Most monsters will vaporise when sliced with a celestial bronze sword. This change is perfectly normal, and will happen to you right now if you don't BACK OFF!"

This boy.

It worked. The monsters backed up, but there were at least twenty of them. Percy's fear factor wouldn't work for much longer. He jumped out of the cart, and I followed him. He yelled, "CLASS DISMISSED!" grabbed my hand, and pulled us towards the exit.

The monsters charged after us, barking and growling. I was seriously hoping that they couldn't run very fast with those feet, because our lives were depending on it. Percy and I ran for a door in the tunnel leading out to the main cavern. He pushed me through first before slamming it shut and turning the wheel handle to lock it. I doubt it would hold them for long, however.

We met each other's gazes, breathless. I didn't know what to do. Annabeth was out here somewhere, alone and invisible, and our stealth operation had just been blown. All we had left was to make sure she was okay, and so we ran towards the platform at the centre of the lava lake.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled.

"Shh!" invisible hands wrestled us down behind a big bronze cauldron. "You want to get us killed?!"

I found her head and took off her Yankees cap. She shimmered into existence in front of us, scowling, her face streaked with ash and grime. "What is your problem?" she seethed at us.

"We're going to have company!" Percy quickly explained about the monster orientation class. Her eyes widened.

"So that's what they are," she muttered. "Telkhines. I should've known. And they're making ... well, look."

We peeked over the top of the cauldron. In the centre of the platform stood four sea demons, but these were fully grown, at least two and a half metres tall. My breath hitched. Their black skin glistened in the light of the fire and lava as they worked, sparks flying while they took turns in hammering a long piece of glowing hot metal.

"The blade is almost complete," one said. "It needs another cooling in blood to fuse the materials."

"Aye," a second said. "It shall be even sharper than before."

"What is that?" Percy whispered.

Annabeth shook her head, "They keep talking about fusing metals. I wonder━"

"They were talking about the greatest Titan weapon," Percy said. "And they ... they said they made my father's trident."

"The telkhines betrayed the gods," I murmured, my eyes fixed on the two in front of us. "They were practising dark magic. I don't really know what, but Zeus banished them to Tartarus for it."

"With Kronos."

Annabeth nodded, "Yeah ... we have to get out━"

Bang! The door to the classroom exploded and young telkhines came pouring out. They stumbled over each other, trying to figure out which way to charge. Percy spun to Annabeth, "Put your cap back on," he said. "Get out!"

"What?" she frowned, shaking her head. "No! I'm not just leaving you guys!"

"I've got a plan. We'll distract them. You can use the metal spider━maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."

"But you'll be killed!"

"We'll be fine," I assured her. "I've already died once, can't die again, right?"

Annabeth didn't find that reassuring. Percy shoved her slightly, "Annabeth, go! We've got no choice!"

She glared at us, but placed her cap on and turned invisible. I took a deep, shuddering breath and turned to Percy. We've been through a lot of near-dying experiences together and gotten out of it alive, but this ... this seemed like it would be the last, no matter what I said. I felt like I should say something, or do something. But instead as the telkhines got closer, I let out a choked, "Plan?"

"Yeah," Percy fixed his grip on his sword and readied himself to fight. "You go left, keep them from getting to Annabeth, I'll go right."

I glanced back at the door right beside us. "Percy, I don't think━"

His hand gripped my elbow, and forced me to meet his gaze. "Do you trust me?"

I frowned. Is that even a question. "Y━yeah, of course I do, but━"

"Then go!" Percy pushed me up to my feet. "Run to the door. Keep them from getting out."

I don't know why, but I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was a dark pit; the deep end in his eyes, except, it wasn't calming. It was a storm. A storm that made me not want to leave him, because no matter how much I knew it was probably my paranoia, I had a terrible feeling that this was it.

But I nodded and stood up. Holding my dagger tight, I took a deep breath. This was it━I darted to the door. Little did I know that Percy was following right behind me. I was ready to fight when suddenly, his hand tugged my wrist back. I spun around, confused when all of a sudden, he kissed me.

The heat that washed through me was like a burst of white-hot flames, zipping through my limbs like electricity that made my legs weak. I felt alive again━actually alive. I heard my heart thumping in my ears, the blood rush to my head. I was alive.

And then it was gone, and the feeling left. What replaced it, was the slam of the metal door, and Percy was gone.

     I suddenly realised what he had done.

"NO!" I screamed, slamming my hands against the door. I tried to open it, but he had jarred it. "Percy━NO!" I think I was crying. He was going to die in there. He will die in there. I kicked it with everything I had. "No, no, no!" I heard his screams, and it was like someone crushed my rib-cage. I shouted his name, hoping that somehow, that would make it all stop. I think I was still screaming his name when the walls exploded around me.

I flew back. Everything was a mix of dust and stone; the sound was deafening━a terrifying rumble that burst the eardrums and made the whole ground shake. I remembered rubble falling down━and everything was black.

° ° °

I think I died.

(Again.)

But it was different this time. I was warm, instead of being cold. I could still feel my limbs, feel the pain, and yet, I wasn't floating. I was on my two feet, standing in a small apartment that was far too close to my home.

It was a punch to the gut when I realised exactly where I was. I fell back, and my legs hit the edge of a couch, and in seconds, I was sitting back on it. There was an open colouring book on the coffee table, and one of the pictures was half-finished. I recognised the image. It was the sight of the volcano erupting that my father had shown me in a dream.

I then also realised. I was alive. Somehow, I was alive, and this was a dream.

"Why am I here?" I mumbled out into the empty apartment, wondering who wanted to talk to me. The voice that replied made my breath hitch.

"I wanted a familiar place to talk."

Like I had been electrocuted, I shot up from the couch. Spinning around, I saw her. She hadn't aged a day. But it was her. It was her.

It was my mother. I remember her face even now; so vividly. The button nose, the blond ringlets. The hazel eyes. The freckles. I was looking at an older version of myself, except, it wasn't. It was my mother.

My words were stuck in the back of my throat as I tried to figure out how to feel; sad, shocked, confused, angry? "M━Mom? You━how are you━what?"

She smiled at me. I didn't like her smile. It didn't feel right. She shouldn't smile at me. Not after what she had done. "Hello, sweetie."

This is a dream, I reminded myself. She's not actually here. She's not real. This must be some sort of trick. I shuffled back, my legs hitting the coffee table. I stumbled around it to get as far away from her as I could. "No," there was a lump in my throat. "No. You're not really here."

"Yes, I am," she said, her voice as beautiful as a Siren's, egging me forward with a promise. But I know sirens. I know that it was a trap, no matter how tempting. "My dear, I've been waiting to see you again. I've been waiting so long. To talk. To tell you the truth. For you to be who you really are."

"What━what━?" I stumbled back even further. My vision was blurry, but my mother still stood out as clear as day. "Why━what do you mean━you━you left me! To die!"

"No," she shook her head vigioursly, stepping closer and closer. "No, I didn't. I knew you would survive. I had to let you make your own path. I had to let you figure out your own destiny. All of you have to."

"N━No," I hated how weak I was. I'm stronger than this. I'm better than this. "You ... you don't get to say that." I wanted to get out of here. I looked for an exit, but the windows and doors didn't exist. I was closed in a room. I suddenly understood how Percy felt when he's in small spaces━everything seemed to close in on me, narrowing down in my chest and making it hard to breath. "You left me alone, in an alley."

My mother's lips parted, her eyes glistening with tears. She held her hand out, but I didn't take it. I stared at it━I couldn't help it. My vision seemed to tunnel right to it. "I left you there, honey, because I love you. I knew how powerful you are. I knew your destiny. I believe in you. That's what family does. We help each other to become who we always have been."

I wanted to know what it felt like. Her hand. No matter what she did to me, I could help but itch towards her. Hades was right, the Sirens were right; this was my fatal flaw. I can't let go.

Something stopped me, however. Looking up, I met her gaze, and for a second, they weren't hazel, they were sea-green. Sea-green. Percy━

"I━I got to get back," I stammered, taking a sharp breath. My mother frowned, confused. "My friends. Percy, Annabeth━Oh, gods, Percy..." is he dead? Is Percy dead? I looked back down at the drawing of the volcano erupting. Hades said he'd do that, and I needed to be around for the aftermath. I don't know what for, but I needed to be there.

"No, honey, you don't," said my mother. "You can stay here. We can stay here. I've missed you so long━and look at you ... you are so beautiful, I'm so proud ..."

Something didn't feel right. And now that I started to think about Percy and Annabeth, I couldn't stop. My mind drifted to Grover, Tyson and Cain, how they were out in the Labyrinth searching for Pan. I couldn't stay. "I━I can't," I told her, shaking my head. "I have to get back."

"Darling," there was a snarl to her voice this time, and it made me jump back. Her eyes flickered darker, and my stomach dropped. "Darling, come on. Take my hand, you know you want to..."

All of a sudden, I didn't want to hold her hand as much anymore. "No," I sounded a lot braver than I felt. "No. You left me. I don't want to go anywhere with you."

"Claire," she purred. "Claire, listen to me, you don't have to go. You can hold on, to me, and never let go━"

    Let go.

I realised. Hades told me I needed to let go to get my powers back. I didn't know what I needed to let go, but now, it seemed to just stare at me straight in the face. I needed to let go of my past; of where it all started. With her. I needed to let go of wanting her to be a better person than she was. I needed to let go of that night in the alleyway, and wondering what I had done wrong. I had done nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing. It was my Mom who had done something wrong. She looked at me, and she thought I deserved to die. I don't deserve to die. I don't deserve her. No. She isn't my mother. Hannah is my mother. And my family; my family wasn't her. It was the people I surrounded myself with everyday. It was Annabeth, and Cain, and Tyson, and Grover, and Thalia. It was Percy, and Will, and Chiron, and Lee━everyone in my cabin back at Camp; it was Cory.

    It wasn't her.

"No," I said again, stronger this time. "No, I don't need to hold on to you. The girl in that alleyway might've, but not now; not anymore. I need to go back, and help the family I do still have. The family who didn't leave me. I need hold onto them. Not you."

The smile on my mother's face faltered. Her cheeks turned sunken, swallowing in and her eyes darkened. When she snarled, it was the fangs of a Fury. "You can't get out of here, Claire Moore. You need to accept it━you're dead. You're meant to be dead."

"Yeah, I can," I told her. "I will get out of here. I'm more powerful than you know." I took a deep breath, looking deep inside of myself and searching for the warmth that had been there all along. The warmth I felt around Percy, and Will, and Hannah, and Annabeth━the warmth of life, and love, and family. I had never lost the ability to control light. I never stopped being the Light's Kin. It's who I've always been, after everything. And then I felt it; the tug in my gut━the same gut I felt back on the Andromedia. But this time, I knew it wouldn't kill me. It wouldn't burn me apart. It was who I always was.

And so, my eyes snapped open. I glared at the Fury who had pretended to be my mother to trick me. She smirked at me, "Everyone thinks that."

"But in my case," I said. "It's true. I'm the Light's Kin."

And I let go.

Bright lights encased me━a flash, a crack, a rumble. I heard the Fury scream, and then it was gone. The house around me turned back to rock and metal. And even that disappeared━it burst away in an explosion of golden, burning light. I could finally breathe, basked in the power of the sun. I floated off the ground, watching the tunnel that had collapsed around me fly away, and I was free.

I fell to the ground with a great big thump! I landed on all-fours, my hands hitting the dirt. I coughed, but I was alive. I hadn't burned away. I was alive. I was warm. I was me.

I was the Light's Kin.

But when I woke, and everything came into focus around me, I realised something else. I may have survived, but Percy ... Percy was gone.

*

    a/n: wE'rE bAck bITChES! Claire's got her powers again! It's gonna be a whirlwind of a ride!