𝒊𝒗. 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔

𝒙𝒊𝒗.

"This way!" Rachel yelled.

Rachel was in the front of the group, no longer having Noelle the mustang to ride as the brunette had turned back to normal. Noelle and Annabeth were right behind her and Percy and Ethan behind them.

"Why should we follow you?" Annabeth demanded. "You led us straight into that death trap!"

"It was the way you needed to go," Rachel said. "And so is this. Come on!"

Annabeth didn't look happy about it, but she ran along with the rest of them. Rachel seemed to know exactly where she was going. She whipped around corners and didn't even hesitate at crossroads. Once she said, "Duck!" and they all crouched as a huge axe swung over their heads. Then they kept going as if nothing had happened

Noelle lost track of how many turns were made. They didn't stop to rest until they came to a room the size of a gymnasium with old marble columns holding up the roof. Noelle stood at the doorway, listening for sounds of pursuit with her enhanced hearing, but she heard nothing. Apparently they'd lost Luke and his minions in the maze.

While she did that, Percy realized something else: Mrs. O'Leary was gone. He didn't know when she'd disappeared. He didn't know if she'd gotten lost or been over run by monsters or what. His heart turned to lead. She'd saved their lives, and he hadn't even waited to make sure she was following them.

Ethan collapsed on the floor. "You people are crazy." He pulled off his helmet. His face gleamed with sweat.

Annabeth gasped. "I remember you! You were one of the undetermined kids from the Hermes cabin, years ago."

He glared at her. "Yeah, and you're Annabeth. I remember."

"What—what happened to your eye?" 

Ethan looked away, and Percy got the feeling that was one subject he would not discuss. 

"You must be the half-blood from my dream," Percy said. "The one Luke's people cornered. It wasn't Nico after all." 

"Who's Nico?" 

"Never mind," Noelle said quickly. "Why were you trying to join up with the wrong side?" 

Ethan sneered. "There's no right side. The gods never cared about us. Why shouldn't I—" 

"Sign up with an army that makes you fight to the death for entertainment?" Annabeth said. "Gee, I wonder." 

Ethan struggled to his feet. "I'm not going to argue with you. Thanks for the help, but I'm out of here." 

"We're going after Daedalus," Percy said. "Come with us. Once we get through, you'd be welcome back at camp." 

"You really are crazy if you think Daedalus will help you." 

"He has to," Annabeth said. "We'll make him listen." 

Ethan snorted. "Yeah, well. Good luck with that." 

Percy grabbed his arm. "You're just going to head off alone into the maze? That's suicide."

He looked at the boy with barely controlled anger. His eye patch was frayed around the edges and the black cloth was faded, like he'd been wearing it along, long time. "You shouldn't have spared me, Jackson. Mercy has no place in this war." 

Then he ran off into the darkness, back the way they'd came.

~

The group of four were so exhausted they made camp right there in the huge room. Percy found some scrap wood and they started a fire. Shadows danced off the columns rising around them like trees.