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chapter seventy-seven. ☄︎. *. ⋆
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DISTANCE WAS SHORTER in the Labyrinth. Still, by the time Rachel got us back to Times Square, I felt like we'd pretty much run all the way from New Mexico. We climbed out of the Marriott basement and stood on the sidewalk in the bright summer daylight, squinting at the traffic and crowds.
I couldn't decide which seemed less real—New York or the crystal cave where I'd watched a god die.
Percy led us to an alleyway behind a cluster of buildings. Then he whistled as loud as he could, five times. I recognized what he was doing when a flock of pegasi descended from the sky, swooping between the skyscrapers. Blackjack and Pepper held the lead, while three of their friends brought up the rear.
I don't know if I've ever told you, but somehow Percy can talk to horses. Something to do with his dad inventing seahorses, or something? I dunno. I always zone out when Percy tries to explain it to me. But anyway, he started talking to Blackjack telepathically while I stroked Pepper's mane. Eventually, he convinced the pegasi to give us rides back to camp, but Rachel would have to stay behind. I'm reluctant to admit that it was quite a regretful goodbye. I was almost sad to see her leave.
Nico was having trouble with his pegasus. It kept shying away from him, reluctant to let him mount. Percy said the pegasus thought Nico smelled like dead people.
"Go without me!" Nico said. "I don't want to go back to that camp anyway."
"Nico," Percy said, "we need your help."
But the child of Hades folded his arms and scowled. So I stepped in: I put my hand on his shoulder and lowered my voice.
"Nico," I said. "Please. You told me you'd try."
Slowly, his expression softened. "All right," he said reluctantly. "For you. But I'm not staying."
Percy raised an eyebrow at me, like, How come all of the sudden he listens to you? But I stuck my tongue out at him.
At last we got everybody on a pegasus. We shot into the air, and soon we were over the East River with Long Island spread out before us.
We landed in the middle of the cabin area and were immediately met by Chiron, the potbellied satyr Silenus, and a couple of my siblings that had been holding guard. Chiron raised an eyebrow when he saw Nico, but if I expected him to be surprised by our latest news about Quintus being Daedalus, or Kronos rising, I was mistaken.
"I feared as much," Chiron said. "We must hurry. Hopefully you have slowed down the Titan lord, but his vanguard will still be coming through. They will be anxious for blood. Most of our defenders are already in place. Come!"
