ENTRAPPED ₂

79

QUITE FRANKLY, MADELEINE HAD ALWAYS FOUND THE IDEA OF THERAPY DAUNTING. Sitting down with a stranger and spilling all of her deepest traumas didn't seem the least bit helpful. Really, what was the point?

Oh, yeah, she imagined saying. Well, it all started when my dads―yes, dads―gave birth to me. Oh, it was absolutely biological on both ends. Don't ask me how that works, really. One of my dads was a god, you see―yes, a god.

And even if this therapist already knew all about the demigod world, well, where was Madeleine supposed to go from there?

Well, you see, she would explain. I was locked in this magical hotel for a few years while my godly father―the one that didn't die, right―figured out what to do with me. And then I got out, almost got dragged to Tartarus by my half-brother who I had not yet met―he's dead now, bless his wretched soul. Then my girlfriend died. But it's okay, because a lot more people died after her, so, you know. Word.

Madeleine had always hated the idea of therapy. It just seemed draining and stupid. Lee, of course, as the son of the god of healing, hated this mindset of hers. It was ironic, because his actual dad, the god of healing, wasn't much a fan of therapy either. In fact, Apollo and Madeleine had been each other's brief therapists for a while, although Madeleine didn't think sleeping with your therapist qualified as therapy.

Madeleine thought about all of this in the moment, because as the demons closed in, she was incredibly relieved. Certainly, she was terrified. She hated their odds. But she was immensely, disgustingly relieved. She loved the beast of the fight. She had loved it for almost as long as she could remember.

Maybe she did need therapy. Maybe, if she lived through all of this, Lee would sit down with her when she got back. Oh, she missed that boy.

"Back off." Percy jabbed Riptide at the nearest shriveled hag, but she only sneered.

We are the arai, said that weird voice-over, like the entire forest was speaking. The way the branches rustled reminded Madeleine of Gaea's voice, which was deeply unpleasant. You cannot destroy us.

"Yeah," Madeleine said, "I think we can, actually." She was itching to stab.

Annabeth, however, did not look so sure. "Don't touch them," she warned. "They're the spirits of curses."

"Bob doesn't like curses," Bob decided. The skeleton kitten Small Bob disappeared inside his coveralls. Smart cat.

The Titan swept his broom in a wide arc, forcing the spirits back, but they came in again like the tide.

We serve the bitter and the defeated, said the arai. We serve the slain who prayed for vengeance with their final breath. We have many curses to share with you.

Madeleine wasn't quite sure what was going on, but quite frankly, she wasn't really listening to the spirits. Let them try to hurt her. She wasn't scared. She wasn't.

"I appreciate the offer," Percy said, sounding as aggrieved as Madeleine felt. "But my mom told me not to accept curses from strangers."

Madeleine didn't even have time to smile as the nearest demon lunged. Her claws extended like bony switchblades. Percy cut her in two, but as soon as she vaporized he stumbled back, clamping his hand to his rib cage. His fingers came away wet and red.

"Percy, you're bleeding!" Annabeth cried, which seemed a little obvious. "Oh, gods, on both sides."

She was right. The left and right hems of Percy's tattered shirt were sticky with blood, as if a javelin had run him through.