The Battle of The Labyrinth [Book Four]

This Is a Normal Day When You're a Demigod.

"Rose!"

The shared feeling of happiness to see each other was palpable, and as her arms wrapped around my waist in a tight hug I hugged back just as tightly. When she finally pulled away, we looked at each other and smiled.

"REAGAN, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

In an instant I get this sensation that I was being yelled at by my mom. When was she invited to camp? But as Rose and I let go of each other, I search through the familiar faces inquisitively until I spot her; Annabeth. Like the Red Sea parting for Moses, the campers separate and let her through to me easily because she looks angry.

Gods, she's so pretty.

Now that she's closer, I can tell that she's been crying, and frequently. Before I can get a word in, she's right in front of me. I'm expecting an eager hug, but instead she slugs me hard in the shoulder like any child of Ares, causing me to wince and rub the bruising section tenderly.

"Nice to see you, too," I mumble under my breath sarcastically.

However, my words are muffled even more as Annabeth envelopes me in a bone-crushing hug. My ribs feel like they are snapping under her surprising strength, and she leaves barely any wiggle room for myself. But eventually I loosen her grip enough to slip my arms tightly around her in return. And it's probably the best hug ever. We part and she stares me down, two orbs of swirling grey scrutinizing my features before she turns and goes to Percy. I notice almost immediately that she doesn't give him the same welcoming treatment. She's eyeing him for any serious injury, and then hugs him tightly as well. But there's no punch to his arm like she did to me.

Chiron trots over, and everyone parts to avoid getting stomped by his hooves. "That's enough, now. Everyone get back to you're activities!"

There's faint protests, but they aren't answered as Chiron plucks us off the ground by the back of our clothes, and carries the three of us up the hill to the Big House. I feel this clutching sensation in my chest, but not in the bad way. As I settle behind Annabeth and hold onto her so that I don't fall off, the familiarity lulls me into this sense of serenity, and my grip around her waist tightens as we gallop towards the white house.

Percy talked about his side of the story first, what happened to him when he had gotten separated from us. Mine was more straightforward, because I had fallen off the cliffside, blacked out, and woke up on Calypso's island.

"The important part is that I know how we can navigate the maze now," Percy ends with an outward sigh, leaning back in his chair and gazing out the window down at the strawberry fields.

I follow his gaze absently, eyeing the Satyr prancing about and playing their reed pipes.

"Hephaestus told you?" Annabeth asked curiously.

I notice her voice sounds hollow still, like her throat is scratchy and she's shaken up, but a little better then earlier.

My eyes catch hers, and I know she won't like this idea without even having to mention it.

That's when Percy and I bring up our encounter with the mortal, Rachel Elizabeth Dare in the Hoover Dam, and how she saw the skeletons and Percy's sword when mortals usually can't see through the Mist.

And as I predicted, she wouldn't like this at all.

"This is my quest, we don't need her help!"

"I know it may be hard, but you need her assistance if you want to survive, Annabeth," Chiron replies calmly.

Annabeth is bristling with anger in her chair, eyes like a swirling storm that make me fidget with anxiety. They remind me of Athena all too much. "We don't need a mortal's help, Chiron!"