𝒊𝒗. 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔

𝒗𝒊𝒊𝒊.

They settled in a corridor made of huge marble blocks. It looked like it could've been part of a Greek tomb, with bronze torch holders fastened to the walls. It had to be an older part of the maze, and Annabeth decided this was a good sign. 

"We must be close to Daedalus's workshop," she said. "Get some rest, everybody. We'll keep going in the morning." 

"How do we know when it's morning?" Grover asked. 

"Just rest," she insisted. 

Grover didn't need to be told twice. He pulled a heap of straw out of his pack, ate some of it, made a pillow out of the rest, and was snoring in no time. Annabeth and Noelle sat next to each other in silence, the blond leaning her head on the brunette's shoulder. Tyson tinkered with some metal scraps from his building kit for a while, but whatever he was making, he wasn't happy with it. He kept disassembling the pieces. Percy went over to talk with him.

"How you holding up, Annie?" Noelle asked softly after Annabeth had readjusted to lay her head in her friend's lap. Noelle's fingers combed through the blond, tangled curls, Annabeth finding it soothing.

Annabeth looked up at Noelle to find her smiling down at her. "I'm alright."

Noelle remained quiet for a bit. "Everything will work out. Even if it's not how you expect or want it to."

Annabeth nodded and closed her eyes, falling asleep to the feeling of Noelle's hands in her hair.

Percy made his way over after trying and failing to fall asleep. Something about getting chased by a large dragon lady with poison swords made it real hard to relax. He picked up his bedroll and dragged it over to where Noelle was sitting with Annabeth's head still in her lap, keeping watch while humming a soft tune.

Percy, despite knowing that the girl in his girlfriend's lap had feelings for her, smiled at the two of them. No matter how much he teased the blond for her crush, he never found himself jealous of their friendship.

He sat down next to his girlfriend, intertwining their fingers. 

"You should sleep," she said. 

"Can't. You doing all right?"

Noelle smiled softly. "I think I'm the one who should be asking you that.

"I'm fine," he said.

"Good."

The stayed silent for awhile, cherishing each other's warmth in the cold, damp maze.

"Percy, what did Hera mean when she said you knew the way to get through the maze?" Noelle asked softly.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Honestly." 

"You'd tell me if you did?" 

"Of course."

More silence, listening to strange creaks and groans in the maze, the echo of stones grinding together as tunnels changed, grew, and expanded. The dark made Percy think about the visions they'd seen of Nico di Angelo, and suddenly he realized something.

"Nico is down here somewhere," Percy said. "That's how he disappeared from camp. He found the Labyrinth. Then he found a path that led down even farther—to the Underworld. But now he's back in the maze. He's coming after me." 

Noelle was quiet for a long time. "Percy, I hope you're wrong— gods, I hope you're wrong. I would hope Nico is smarter than that. That after everything he wouldn't cause me more hurt. But if you're right . . ." 

"What do you mean more hurt?"

Noelle tensed, realizing she had slipped up. She debated just saying that she meant when they thought she lost him, but she couldn't bear any more lies weighing on her conscience.