𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲.

The final sprint

"This way!" Rachel yelled back to them all.

"Why should we trust you?" Lilia retorted. "You lead us straight into a death trap!"

"It was the way you needed to go!" She said. "And so is this!"

Lilia looked at Percy, pleading with him to see some sense but his expression mirrored hers exactly, he trusted Rachel.

They kept running, Rachel whipped around corners and didn't even hesitate at crossroads, once she said; "Duck!" And they all crouched as a huge axe swung above them. They kept going as if nothing happened.

Lilia lost track of how many turns they'd 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. Lilia stood at the doorway, listening for sounds of pursuit, but heard nothing. Apparently they'd lost Luke and his minions in the maze.

Then she realized something else: Mrs. O'Leary was gone. She didn't know when she'd disappeared. She didn't know if she'd gotten lost or been overrun by monsters or what. Lilia looked over at Percy, a look of guilt across his face. She'd saved their lives, and they 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.

Lilia looked at him, anger rising her chest. He looked back at her as though he hadn't realised she were there until now.

"Lili...how—" he was quickly cut off as Lilia kicked him hard in the shin.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" She hissed. "Why would you want to join their side?"

"You left me, remember?" He said back a hurt look in his eyes.

"I didn't leave you, for Gods sake I don't even know where I went!"

Percy coughed. "Am I missing something?" He said drawing everyone's attention to him.

"This is Ethan Nakamura, Son of Nemesis." Annabeth said. "What happened to your eye?"

He glared at her, clearly it was a touchy subject.

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

"Who's Nico?" He asked.

"It doesn't matter, why were you trying to join the wrong side?" Lilia seethed.

Ethan struggled to his feet so he was talking down on her now. "Don't you get it Lili? There is no right side. The Gods never cared about any of us. Why shouldn't I—"

"Join an army that makes you fight to the death for entertainment?" Lilia scoffed. "Gee, I wonder."

"I'm not going to argue with you Lil, thanks for the help, but I'm leaving." He sighed.

"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," Annabeht said. "We'll make him listen."

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

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

He looked at him with barely controlled anger. His eye patch was frayed around the edges and the black cloth was faded, like he'd been wearing it a long, long time.

"You shouldn't have spared me, Jackson. Mercy has no place in this war?"

He began to walk back the way they'd come, Lilia stormed after him, just out of earshot of the others.
She grabbed his arm and turned him to face her.