𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 - 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐨𝐜

.•°*¯'*¤° 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞 °¤*'¯*°•.

"This way!" Rachel yelled.

"Why should we follow you?" Annabeth demanded. "You led us straight into that death trap! Phoenix is on the brink of death currently!"

"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 them.

Davey held Phoenix, trying to keep her awake, she had a large slice in her neck and had lost a lot of blood. She struggled to keep her eyes focused.

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 they all crouched as a huge axe swung over their heads.

Then they kept going as if nothing had happened.

Percy lost track of how many turns they 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.

Percy stood at the doorway, listening for sounds of pursuit, but he heard nothing.

Apparently they'd lost Luke and his minions in the maze. Then he realized something else: Mrs. O'Leary was gone.

Percy didn't know when she'd disappeared. He didn't know if she'd gotten lost or been overrun by monsters or what. His heart turned to lead. She'd saved their lives, and he hadn't even waited to make sure she was following them.

Davey sat Phoenix on the ground and began healing her.

Ethan collapsed on the floor. "You people are crazy."

He pulled off his helmet. His face gleamed with sweat.

Annabeth gasped. "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 Percy 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 after all."

"Who's Nico?"

"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."

"He has to," Annabeht 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 Percy 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."

Then he ran off into the darkness, back the way they'd come.