¹𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 ! - percy jackson

-003

CHIRON HAD INSISTED ON calling a war council the next morning.

They met in the sword arena, which Stella thought was pretty strange—trying to discuss the fate of the camp while Mrs. O'Leary chewed on a life-size squeaky pink rubber yak.

Chiron and Quintus stood at the front by the weapon racks. Clarisse, Stella, and Annabeth sat next to each other and led the briefing. Percy's gaze remained fixed on them, his pen dancing absently between his fingers. Meanwhile, Tyson and Grover sat as far away from each other as possible.

Also present around the table were Lee, Travis and Connor Stoll, Juniper the tree nymph, Silena Beauregard, Beckendorf, and even Argus, their hundred-eyed security chief.

Stella grasped the gravity of the situation as soon as she saw Argus. He seldom appeared unless something really major was going on. Throughout Annabeth's briefing, his hundred blue eyes remained unwaveringly fixed on her, the intensity turning his entire body bloodshot. 

"Luke must have known about the Labyrinth entrance," Annabeth said. "He knew everything about camp."

Stella thought she heard a little pride in Annabeth's voice, as if she still harbored some respect for the asshole.

Juniper cleared her throat. "That's what I was trying to tell you last night. The cave entrance has been there a long time. Luke used to use it."

Silena frowned. "You knew about the Labyrinth entrance, and you didn't say anything?"

Juniper's face turned green. "I didn't know it was important. Just a cave. I don't like yucky old caves."

"She has good taste," Grover said.

"I wouldn't have paid any attention except...well, it was Luke." She blushed a little greener.

Grover huffed. "Forget what I said about good taste."

"Interesting." Quintus polished his sword as he spoke. "And you believe this young man, Luke, would dare use the Labyrinth as an invasion route?"

"Definitely," Clarisse said. "If he could get an army of monsters inside Camp Half-Blood, just pop up in the middle of the woods without having to worry about our magical boundaries, we wouldn't stand a chance. He could wipe us out easy. He must've been planning this for months."

"He's been sending scouts into the maze," Stella added solemnly. "We know because, well....we found one."

"Chris Rodriguez," Chiron said. He gave Quintus a meaningful look.

Quintus's face held a knowing expression. "Ah," he said, nodding slowly. "The one in the...Yes. I understand."

Percy leaned forward, curiosity etched across his features. "The one in the what?"

Clarisse shot him a glare. "The point is, Luke has been looking for a way to navigate the maze. He's searching for Daedalus's workshop."

Percy paused, his eyes widening in realization. "The guy who created the maze."

"Yes," Annabeth said. "The greatest architect, the greatest inventor of all time. If the legends are true, his workshop is in the center of the Labyrinth. He's the only one who knew how to navigate the maze perfectly. If Luke managed to find the workshop and convince Daedalus to help him, Luke wouldn't have to fumble around searching for paths or risk losing his army in the maze's traps. He could navigate anywhere he wanted—quickly and safely. First to Camp Half-Blood to wipe us out. Then...to Olympus."

The arena fell into a heavy silence, broken only by Mrs. O'Leary's toy yak getting disemboweled: SQUEAK! SQUEAK!

Finally, Beckendorf put his huge hands on the table. "Back up a sec. Annabeth, you said 'convince Daedalus.' Isn't Daedalus dead?"