❝In a fight, they're lethal. Around each other, they melt❞
"I'm fine." I said, trying to hide the frown and tears that threatened to spill.
Percy looked at me once.
"I'm not going anywhere, unless you tell me what's wrong," he declared and I would h...
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"This way!" Rachel yelled.
"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 us. 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 we all crouched as a huge axe swung over our heads. Then we kept going as if nothing had happened.
I lost track of how many turns we made. We didn't stop to rest until we came to a room the size of a gymnasium with old marble columns holding up the roof. I stood at the doorway, listening for sounds of pursuit, but I heard nothing. Apparently we'd lost Luke and his minions in the maze.
Ethan collapsed on the floor. "You people are crazy." He pulled off his helmet. His face gleamed with sweat.
Annabeth gasped as I gently lowered myself to the ground next to Ethan. "I remember you! You were one of the undetermined kids in 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 I 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 or Caelan after all."
"Who's Nico and Caelan?"
"My brothers." I said through the pain that made my head swim and the world tipsy.
"Never mind," Annabeth 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."
"Yes we are. Thank you for such a wonderful compliment." I muttered to myself before wincing in pain as I tried to push myself more to sit upright.
"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 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."
