The Daughter of Hecate (Percy Jackson/Harry Potter)

The Labyrinth

It wasn't long until Annabeth, Grover, and Percy joined Vitani and Luke at the Hecate table, brought by Chiron.

Everyone threw glances at the group, but no one said anything. Luke was excused from sitting at a different table because he was married to Vitani, Grover would've been excused because he was a Satyr, but Percy and Annabeth both got looks.

Vitani knew it was important and put out a spell to keep others from eavesdropping.

"Look." Annabeth said. "Grover is in trouble. There's only one way we can figure to help him. It's the Labyrinth. That's what Clarisse and I have been investigating."

"You mean the maze where they kept the Minotaur, back in the old days?" Percy asked.

"Exactly." Annabeth said.

"So...it's not under the king's palace in Crete anymore." Percy guessed. "The Labyrinth is under some building in America."

"Under a building? Please, Percy. The Labyrinth is huge. It wouldn't fit under a single city, much less a single building."

"So...is the Labyrinth part of the Underworld?"

"No." Annabeth frowned. "Well, there may be passages from the Labyrinth down into the Underworld. I'm not sure. But the Underworld is way, way down. The Labyrinth is right under the surface of the mortal world, kind of like a second skin. It's been growing for thousands of years, lacing its way under Western cities, connecting everything together underground. You can get just about anywhere through the Labyrinth."

"Assuming you know how to navigate it, if you don't, best chances are that you'd get lost." Luke said.

Grover nodded. "And die a horrible death."

"Grover, there has to be a way." Annabeth said. "Clarisse lived."

"Barely!" Grover said. "And the other guy-"

"He was driven insane. He didn't die."

"That's not much better, Annabeth." Vitani groaned.

"And it doesn't make me feel better either." Grover said, his lower lip quivered.

"Whoa." Percy said. "Back up, what's this about Clarisse and a crazy guy?"

Annabeth glanced over at the Ares table for a moment, catching Clarisse's eye before turning back.

"Last year, Clarisse went on a mission for Chiron." Annabeth said.

"Yeah, it was a secret one." Luke nodded.

"It was secret," Annabeth agreed, "because she found Chris Rodriguez."

"What? My brother?" Luke asked. He had seen his cabin's register, Chris had been claimed by Hermes sometime while Luke was on his honeymoon with Vitani.

"Yeah." Annabeth said. "Last summer he just appeared in Phoenix, Arizona, near Clarisse's mom's house."

"What do you mean he just appeared?" Vitani asked.

"He was wandering around the desert, in a hundred and twenty degrees, in full Greek armour, babbling about string." Annabeth answered.

"String." Percy repeated.

"He'd been driven completely insane. Clarisse brought him back to her mom's house so the mortals wouldn't institutionalize him. She tried to nurse him back to health. Chiron came out and interviewed him, but it wasn't much good. The only thing they got out of him is that Ethan's men have been exploring the Labyrinth."

"Okay." Percy asked. "Why were they exploring the Labyrinth?"

Vitani had a suspicion of the reason why, but she didn't voice it. Luke looked at her curiously.