It wasn't long before they saw the light ahead—like regular electric lighting. "There," Rachel said.

They followed her into a stainless steel hallway. Fluorescent lights glowed from the ceiling. The metal grate. Evangeline had to blink a few times to adjust to harsh lighting.

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

"This is so wrong!" Annabeth said. "The workshop should be in the oldest section of the maze. This can't—"

The blonde faltered because they had arrived at a set of metal double doors. Inscribed in the steel, at eye level, was a large blue Greek ∆.

"We're here," The Dare girl announced. "Daedalus's workshop."

With a touch of hesitancy, Annabeth pressed the symbol on the doors. The metal panels hissed open. "So much for ancient architecture," Percy murmured.

Evangeline shot him a look as she caught sight of Annabeth's scowl. Instead of saying anything, the daughter of Athena walked inside.

The first thing that caught her attention was the daylight—the blazing sun coming through giant windows. The workshop was like an artist's studio, with thirty-foot ceilings and industrial lighting, polished stone floors, and workbenches. A spiral staircase led up to a second-story loft. Half a dozen easels displayed hand-drawn diagrams of 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. There were inventions, too—weird metal machines Evangeline couldn't make out. There was a grandfather clock that appeared to be made entirely of glass, so every gear was visible. Hanging on the wall were several sets of bronze and silver wings.

"Di immortales," 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 said in amazement. "These wings are amazing!"

Evangeline didn't like the feeling she was getting from the place, it was like her mind was telling her to be prepared for anything. It was much less her mind more of her mother's voice.

The laptops were running something that Will explained to her: screen-savers. A half-eaten blueberry muffin and a coffee cup sat on a workbench. She stayed close to the giant windows, recognizing the scene below them' the Rocky Mountains. They were high up in the foothills, and down below a valley spread out, filled with a tumbled collection of red mesas and boulders and spires of stone.

Percy nudged her shoulder. "Where are we?"

"Colorado Springs," Evangeline spoke in unison with a voice behind them. The children of the Big Three snapped their heads in the direction of the voice.

"The Garden of the Gods," Standing on the spiral staircase above them, with his weapon drawn, was the missing sword master, Quintus.

Evangeline discreetly grabbed her necklace and hid it behind her back ready to press the snake if needed. "You," Annabeth said. "What have you done with Daedalus?"

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

Then it clicked in her mind like a piece being fit into a puzzle.

"Look, Mr. Traitor," the daughter of Athena growled, her grey eyes holding a swirling storm. "I didn't fight a dragon woman and a three-bodied man and a psychotic Sphinx to see you. Now—where is Daedalus?"

Quintus came down the stairs, holding his sword at his side. He was dressed in jeans and boots and his counselor's T-shirt from Camp Half-Blood, which made Evangeline grip the pendant tighter.

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

"Well, duh," Annabeth said.

"You're an intelligent girl," he told her. "But in this instance, you're wrong."

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

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

The sword master walked past the children of the Big Three as if they were no threat at all and stood by the window. Evangeline was fighting the urge to push him out of it.

"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 said.

"Oh, yes." He replied cryptically.

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

"No," Rachel murmured. "It's real. We're actually 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."

Evangeline rolled her eyes. "For the love of gods," she grumbled. "Get to the point already grandpa, we don't have all day."

"What have you done with Daedalus?" Percy asked.

Quintus stared at the brunette. "My boy, these two could teach you about seeing clearly. I am Daedalus."

The daughter of Hades waited for the other three to get over their shocks. Percy was the first one to break the silence. "But you're not an inventor! You're a swordsman!"

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

"He's not wrong," Rachel said. "Like I can paint with my feet as well as my hands,"

"Why were you trying that out in the first place?"  The brunette asked.

"It's a talent," He said. "And she is a girl of many talents."

"But you don't even look like Daedalus," the son of Poseidon protested. "I saw him in a dream and..." Suddenly, his face paled as he looked at the sword master a little closer.

"I think you already know the truth," Quintus responded.

"You're an automaton. You make yourself new bodies." The daughter of Hades narrowed her eyes.

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

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

"The fifth," Evangeline arched a brow. "This is your fifth body isn't it?"

Quintus 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 said.

"That's weird," Percy disagreed.

"You found a way to transfer your animus into a machine?" Annabeth said, staring at the man in horror. "That's... not natural."

"Oh, but I assure you, my dear, it's still me. I'm still very much Daedalus. Our mother, Annabeth, makes sure I never forget that." He tugged back the color of his shirt to reveal the mark Evangeline had seen before—the dark shape of a bird grafted to his skin.

"A murderer's brand," Percy said, "for your nephew, Perdix, the one you killed."

Quintus' face darkened. "I did not—"

"Mean to make him lose his balance," Evangeline finished. "Let him die."

Quintus gazed out the windows at the purple mountains. "I regret what I did. 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 partridge. This brand serves as a reminder. No matter what body I take, it appears on my skin."

"God, you really are Daeudalus," 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've 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!"

Daedalus warily stepped back and away from the Stygian Iron at his throat and 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 said. "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. And Evangeline was at camp."

"They do not know everything," He said. "Or see everything. You have encountered them, Percy. You know this is true. Evangeline could have sensed me if she was using her brain, but it seems she chose not to. A clever man can hide for 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."

Evangeline clenched her jaw as she glared at the automaton. "Well, you're not fucking good at hiding," she snapped. "if Minos seems to be close to finding you,"

Daedalus nodded. "He hunts for me relentlessly. He would like nothing better than to punish me for my crimes. After the daughters of Cocalus killed him, Minos's ghost began tormenting me in my dreams. He promised to hunt me down, so I did the only thing I could. I retreated from the world and into the Labyrinth. I decided this would be my ultimate accomplishment: I would cheat Death." 

"And you did," Annabeth marveled, "for two thousand years." Evangeline shot her a look. But it wasn't much of a surprise that Annabeth was siding with him, she was his biggest fan.

Just then, a loud bark echoed from the corridor. She heard the ba-BUMP, ba-BUMP, ba-BUMP of huge paws. Mrs. O'Leary bounded into the workshop, licking Percy's face once before running up to her owner, nearly knocking him over.

"There is my old friend!" Daedalus said, scratching Mrs O'Leary behind the ears. "My only companion all those 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 shrieked. "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?" Annabeth asked.

"With Luke," Evangeline mumbled.

The son of Athena lowered his head. "I'm sorry. But you are several hours too late."

That explained why the son of Hermes had been in such a good mood in the arena. He'd already gotten what he wanted. Percy took care of Antaeus for him.

"Kronos promised me freedom," Quintus said. "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 Pedrix. 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."

"You're pathetic," Evangeline spoke. "You're a fool if you think Kronos of all people will help you."

The sword instructor swallowed harshly as he looked at the blonde. "Your cause is doomed. 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!" Annabeth cried.

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

Annabeth pushed over an easel. Architectural drawings are 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, Evangeline felt a chill run up her spine at the same time as Mrs. O'Leary pricked up her ears.

"Someone's coming!" Rachel warned.

The doors of the workshop burst open, and Nico was pushed inside, his hands in chains. Then Kellie, another Empousa, two Laistrygonians, and another boy with a bag over his head; also in chains marched in behind him. Followed in by Minos's ghost, He looked almost solid now—a pale bearded king with cold eyes and tendrils of Mist coiling his robes.

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

The inventor's jaw clenched. He looked at Kelli. "What is the meaning of this?"

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

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

"No indeed," Kelli said. "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 these fine young demigods." She ran a finger under Nico's chin.

Evangeline felt a knot in her stomach and suddenly the bones in the demoness' knee snapped in half. The demon shrieked and fell to the ground.

"You try to touch him again and you'll be dead  next." The brunette gritted her teeth.

"Wouldn't that be a fun sight to see," Minos sneered. "But I would be careful if I were you, we wouldn't want lover boy to get more hurt now would we?"

"What?" She knitted her eyebrows. Minos snapped his finger and one of the giants removed the bag from above the mysterious half-blood's head and there stood; Landon Martin alive but in terrible condition.

"That bag smelled terrible," Landon coughed.

The brunette felt her heart stop once she saw her late best friend being held by the neck with dried-up blood all over his throat, covered in sweat. "Wait a second, he's—"

"Dead?" Minos offered. "Not so much, that Empousa that I sent, had sucked just enough blood to make it seem like the boy was dead, Luke Castellan really wanted to see him. Hilarious isn't it?"

Daedalus paled. "Treachery."

"Get used to it," Kelli snarled.

Evangeline snapped out of her thoughts once she saw Landon nod towards Nico. "Nico," she called. "Are you okay?"

He nodded morosely. "I—I'm sorry, Evangeline. Minos told me you were in danger. He convinced me to go back into the maze."

"You were trying to help us?" Percy asked.

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

Percy now matched the brunette's expression glaring at Kelli. "Where's Luke? Why isn't he here?"

The demon snake smiled. "Luke is... busy 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 snack!" Her hands changed into claws, her hair burst into flames and her legs became mismatched.

"Percy," Evangeline heard Rachel whisper, "the wings Do you think—"

"Get them," he said. "We'll try to buy you some time."

And with that, the fight began. Annabeth and Percy charged at Kelli. The giant threw Landon to the ground and came right towards Daedalus, but Mrs. O'Leary leaped to his defense. Nico got pushed to the ground next to Landon and struggled with his chains while Minos wailed. "Kill the inventor! Kill him!"

Rachel grabbed the wings off the wall. Nobody paid her any attention. Evangeline shadow traveled herself next to the demigods on the ground.

"Landon," she sighed in relief.

"I'm here too!" Nico yelled.

"I know," She said as she aligned her sword in front of his chains. Out of the corner of her eye, the brunette saw Mrs O'Leary chomp her fangs into the giant's arm. He wailed in pain and flung her around, trying to shake her off. Daedalus grabbed for his sword, but the second giant smashed the workbench with his fist, and the sword went flying. A clay jar of Greek fire broke on the floor and began to burn, green flames spreading quickly.

Evangeline turned towards Landon and saw he was already free, when he was removing the shackles she caught sign of burn marks on the palm of hands.

"Hey, is she on our side?" Landon asked pointing to Rachel.

"Yeah, go help her," Evangeline told him, and the son of Hermes took off, light on his feet. The brunette raised her sword. "Don't move," she told her brother.

He nodded and she sliced through the bonds. Nico took the hand she held out for him, picking up his sword, the children of Hades got to their feet pointing their weapons at the ghost.

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

"No!" Nico cried, gripping the sword so tight his knuckles turned white.

"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!"

Spirits began to appear around Minos-shimmering forms that solidified into Cretan soldiers.

"Who told you, that you were in charge?" Evangeline spun her sword in her hand.

"I am the son of Hades," Nico said imperiously. "Begone!"

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

"No," Nico said. "I am." He stabbed his black blade into the floor and it cleaved through the stone like butter. The ground rumbled, the windows cracking and shattering to pieces. A fissure opened on the floor of the workshop.

"Never!" Minos's form began to ripple."I will not—"

A blast of fresh air came in through the forcibly opened windows, Evangeline raised her hand and Minos and all his spirits were grabbed by the shadows and sucked into the void with a terrible wail. Nico slightly stumbled backward almost falling if it weren't for Evangeline placing her hand on his back and helping him stand up straight.

The bad news: Percy let himself get distracted by this, and Kelli pounced so fast he had no time to defend himself. His sword skittered away and his head slammed against the edge of a worktable.

Kelli laughed in the raven-haired boy's face. "You will taste wonderful!"

The she-demon bared her fangs, then suddenly went rigid. She gasped her last words. "No... school...spirit..."

Evangeline pulled her sword out of the ancient empousa's back. With an awful screech, Kelli dissolved into a yellow vapor.

The daughter of Hades helped a dizzy Percy up.  "You hit your head pretty hard. You're not bleeding are you?"

Percy touched the back of his head softly, and Evangeline could see him trying not to wince. "I'm fine," There were shouts approaching in the tunnel. More monsters were coming towards them.

"We have to help Daedalus," Percy said. 

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

The redhead had already fitted herself with wings. Annabeth had on a pair too, trying to see them on her back. Landon already put his wings on and finished putting the set onto Nico's arms and back.

"Now you!" Rachel pointed to Percy.

In seconds, the five demigods and Rachel had fitted themselves with coppery wings. Greek fire was burning the tables and furniture, spreading up the circular stairs.

"Daedalus!" Percy yelled. "Come on!"

He was cut in a hundred places, bleeding oil instead of blood and using part of a smashed table as a shield. "I won't leave Mrs O'Leary!" he said. "Go!"

Evangeline was fine with his sacrifice, she wasn't about to argue at a time of life or death. "None of us know you how to fly!" Nico protested.

"Great time to find out," Percy told him.

Evangeline jumped out of the window into the open sky.

Jumping out a window five hundred feet above the ground was somewhat calming, she had always wondered what it would be like to jump out a window.

The Merlyn girl looked to her right, spotting Rachel, Nico, and Landon with their glittering manmade wings. Behind them, smoke was billowing from the open windows of Daedalus's workshop.

"We need to land!" Annabeth yelled, her voice being carried by the wind. "These wings won't hold forever."

"How long?" Rachel asked nervously.

"I don't want to find out!"

They swooped down toward the Garden of the Gods, thoroughly freaking out a couple of climbers. Then the six of them soared across the valley, over a road, and landed on the terrace of the visitor center. It was a late afternoon and the place looked empty, but they ripped off the wings as quickly as possible. They stuffed them in the bin outside the cafeteria. 

Evangeline used a tourist binocular camera to look up the hill where Daedalus' workshop had been, but it had since vanished. No more smoke, no splintered windows, just the side of a hill.

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

"So what do we do now?" Percy asked. "How do we get back to 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," the children of Hades spoke at the same time. "He isn't dead," Nico said as Evangeline felt a little proud of him.

"You can tell?" Percy asked, looking at the two.

"You're weird death-sense," Landon said, looking at the brunette."You told me about that."

"What about Tyson and Grover, then?"

"It's harder, they don't have mortal souls," Evangeline explained.

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

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

Percy shuddered. "I don't fly," he informed her.

"But you just did," she pointed out.

"That was low flying," the son of Poseidon said, "and even that's risky. Flying up really high—that's Zeus's territory. I can't do it. Besides, we don't even have time for a flight. The Labyrinth is the quickest way back."

And their best chance to find Grover and Tyson.

"That means we need a car into the city," Annabeth said.

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

"How?" Landon asked.

"Just trust me."

"I just met you,"

Annabeth said, "Okay, I'm going to buy a prism in the gift shop, try to make a rainbow, and send an Iris Message to camp. Landon we can get you some new clothes that aren't so..."

"Bloody?" He offered.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Nico and I will come with you guys," Evangeline spoke up.

"I'll stick with Rachel, then," Percy said. "Meet you guys in the parking lot."

Rachel frowned like she didn't want Percy stuck with her. The group separated as Evangeline and Nico walked a few steps behind Annabeth and Landon.

Soon enough when the four split up, Evangeline placed a hand on the top of Nico's head, turning him around to face her.

"I'm proud of you, you know that," she told him.

Nico avoided her gaze. She could see how hard the Di Angelo boy was trying to resist a smile. He shifted on his feet trying not to let her see him smile. "Thanks."

"I never got to say thank you," Evangeline mumbled. "For coming back to help us."

"You're welcome,"

"But you shouldn't have come back, you could have been put in more danger."

Nico stared at the ground. "I already lost one sister, I wasn't going to lose another."

Evangeline was taken aback by what he had said, she knew he wouldn't like it. But she needed it, so she wrapped her arms around his and pulled him in for a tight hug. She rested her chin on top of his head as she took a deep breath.

Reluctantly, Nico let his tough act slip and hugged back. Clinging on to her as if she were life support. She mumbled into his hair. "You're a good brother,"

When the children of Hades, Hermes, and Athena reunited with Percy and Rachel, the redhead would barely look at the four.

"We talked to Chiron," Annabeth told the two. "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 you find a ride?" "

"The driver's ready when we are," Rachel said.

She was looking at a man talking to another guy dressed in khakis and a polo shirt. The two were talking in front of a big black car parked at the edge of the lot, it was a Lexus.

The brunette couldn't hear what the man dressed in khakis was saying, but she did hear the other guy tell him. "I'm sorry, sir. Emergency. I've ordered another car for you."

"Come on," Rachel said. She led them to the car and got in without even looking at the man in khakis. A minute later they were cruising down the road. The seats were leather. There was plenty of legroom. Percy and Nico ate from the stocked mini-fridge with bottled water, drinks, and snacks while Landon who was now in a clean black T-shirt and jeans, was explaining to Annabeth how to pick a lock for some reason.

Evangeline spun her necklace in her hand, leg bouncing up and down.

"Where to, Miss Dare?" she heard the driver ask.

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

"Whatever you say, miss."

Percy looked at Rachel. "Do you know this guy?"

"No," she said.

Percy peered at the redhead. "You don't know him, but he'd dropped everything to help you?"

Rachel swallowed the bile in her throat. "Just keep your eyes peeled," she said. "Help me look." 

The daughter of Hades spared a glance at the two and turned her attention back to the floor of the car when she felt something in her hand, she looked down and saw that Nico had placed a small piece of mint chocolate in her hand.

About an hour later, they decided to head north towards Denver, thinking that maybe a bigger city would be more likely to have the Labyrinth entrance, but they were all getting nervous.

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

The driver glanced back. "Miss?"

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

The driver swerved across traffic and took the exit. "What do you see?" Percy asked since there wasn't anything around except hills, grassland, and some scattered farm buildings.

Rachel had the driver turn down some unpromising dirt road. They drove by a sign too fast and Rachel said, "Western Museum of Mining and Industry."

The museum didn't look like much—a little house like an old-fashioned railroad situation, some 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."

"A door to the Labyrinth?" Annabeth asked. "How can you be sure?"

"Well, look at it!" Rachel said. "I mean... I can see it, okay?"

She thanked the driver and the six got out. He didn't ask for money or anything. "Are you sure you'll be all right, Miss Dare? I'd be happy to call your—"

"No!" Rachel said. "No, really. Thanks, Robert. But we're fine."

"She has her very own Alfred, Eve," Landon whispered to the brunette. "She has a butler."

The museum seemed to be closed, so nobody bothered them as they climbed the hill to the mine shaft. When they got to the entrance, Evangeline saw the mark of Daedalus engraved on the padlock. Percy touched the padlock and the chains fell away. They kicked down a few boards and walked inside. For better or worse, they were back in the Labyrinth.

------✧------

A/N:  Evangeline was pissed at everyone in this chapter except our boy Neeks, also sibling bonding time.

And Landon's alive!! Now you know why I was so casual about Landon's death. I'm curious did anybody expect him to come back?

I know some of y'all were set on him joining Luke but a little fun fact here:

Landon hates Luke 10x more than eve because of some things that you'll find out in later events...