Death and Shadows

Ch.13 Battle and Aftermath

~Lia's POV~

Distance was shorter in the Labyrinth. Still, by the time Rachel got us back to Time Square, I felt like we'd pretty much run all the way from New Mexico. We climbed out of the Marriott basement and stood on the sidewalk in the bright summer daylight, squinting at the traffic and crowds.

I couldn't decided which seemed less real- New York or the crystal cave where I'd watched a god die.

Percy led the way to an alley, where he could get a nice echo. Then he whistled as loud as he could, five times.

A minute later, Rachel gasped. "They're beautiful!"

A flock of pegasi descended from the sky, swooping between the skyscrapers. A pure black pegasus was in the lead, followed by five of his white friends.

"Yeah," Percy told the black pegasus. "I'm lucky that way. Listen, we need a ride to camp quick."

He could talk to horses. Of course he could. Why couldn't I do anything that cool?

One of the pegasus groaned, and eventually let Tyson climb onto his back. Everybody started saddling up- except Rachel and me. I knew Rachel couldn't come with, but I was reluctant to even get near the pegasus. Back at Camp Half-Blood, I had only seen the pegasi from afar. Seeing one right in front of me made me giddy with excitement, but I was afraid of killing the beautiful creature. The pegasus seemed to have the same idea as it whinnied and backed away from me.

Nico was having the same problem. His pegasus kept shying away from him, reluctant to let him mount.

"Go without me!" Nico said. "I don't want to go back to that camp anyway!"

I had forgotten Nico had already been to the camp before. His whole journey started there.

"Nico," Percy said, "we need your help." He looked at me. "You too, Lia."

I pressed my mouth into a thin line. "I guess. But I have to leave after."

Nico folded his arms and scowled. Slowly, I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Nico," I said. "Please."

I didn't want to stay there, but I couldn't just not help the camp. The place had to stay alive. It needed all the help it could get.

Slowly, Nico's expression softened. "All right," he said reluctantly. "For you. But I'm not staying."

I smiled a little. "We can go off together once it's over."

Nico nodded in agreement.

At last we got everybody on a pegasus. We shot into the air, and soon we were over the East River with Long Island spread out before us.

We landed in the middle of the cabin area and were immediately met by Chiron, a potbellied satyr, and a couple of Apollo cabin archers. Chiron raised an eyebrow when he saw Nico and me, but he didn't say anything about our arrival. He didn't seem fazed either about Percy's telling him about his quest and Kronos rising.

"I feared as much," Chiron said. "We must hurry. Hopefully you have slowed down the Titan lord, but his vanguard will still be coming through. They will be anxious for blood. Most of our defenders are already in place. Come!"

"Wait a moment!" the potbellied satyr demanded. "What of the search for Pan? You are almost three weeks overdue, Grover Underwood! Your searcher's license is revoked!"