Turning Tides | P. Jackson Books 1-5

Mr. Di Angelo

"Oh yeah, I've been hearing some things down here," Ayden added as the group continued to walk together.

"Like?"

"Well it's not that important, but I don't know what's going to come after me especially since we are a bigger group now." Ayden looked back down the tunnel.

"I would prefer if we didn't split up anymore." Grover offered. "I would rather not."

"Ayden, I think you were heading the right way," Annabeth added. "How did you know?"

"Instinct."

"Where is Quintus, he's a traitor," Percy added. Ayden shrugged.

"He was too eager for me to come down here, I just hoped he wasn't Kronos or something. That would have been very unfortunate for me. I gave him a cut before we parted though, but he isn't normal. He doesn't bleed like we do or the gods do and he just walked through the wall." Ayden pulled her hair back into a low ponytail as she looked around a corner.

"What?" Annabeth paused her walking.

"Yeah."

"That's not possible," Grover ran his hands over his horns. "Right? I mean I don't know many things, but I know that's not right."

"I don't know, but I haven't run into him anymore, but about you guys? You met anyone interesting on your way in?" They all shared a look. "Oh."

"Hera," Annabeth mumbled. She shined her light down the tunnel and kept walking.

"That bad?" Ayden asked. "I kind of like her."

"We also broke a hundred-handed one," Grover whispered. ayden gave him a weird look. "His name was Briares."

"He was a coward." Tyson sniffled a little. Ayden put her hand on his arm trying to comfort him.

"We also fought Kampe," Percy added. "She was the one keeping Briares imprisoned." They came to an open room.

"Let's camp here for now. We must be close to Daedelus." Annabeth took off her backpack and looked around. "I'll take the first watch." Grover sat down and gather some moss as his pillow as he hugged himself.

"I shouldn't stay with you all," Ayden watched as Tyson sank to the ground as he played with a pebble from the floor.

"Sit, you aren't leaving," Percy told her. She knew better than to argue with him and she was too tired as well. She'd only been able to shut her eyes for a few minutes before she was dragged away by a dracanae. She leaned against the wall and sat down. Percy sat down beside her.

"What else did you get into?" She leaned her head on his shoulder. Percy smiled down at her as he took her hand in his.

"Well when we were running from Kampe we exited the labyrinth and then came back in, that was just before we found you." She hummed in response as her eyes closed.

"I just had to deal with the dracanae and dragons so far." She whispered. "At first I thought it was Nimbus, but it wasn't. Nim likes me."

"Who's Nimbus?"

"Esmeray's dragon familiar," Her voice was getting quieter and quieter.

"Who's Esmeray. Is she one of the condiuts that you went after?" She hummed again. "I'm glad she was nice at least." Ayden didn't respond to anything else as she drifted off to sleep curled up next to Percy.

***

The next morning everyone woke up and ate breakfast. Annabeth had packed them granola bars and juice. Ayden still had her sticks of dried jerky which she traded Tyson for. He really wanted the meat. They started walking once more as the tunnel changed to earth. They had wood beams around the structure like in old mines.