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chapter thirty-two
( battle of the labyrinth )
❝ the ghost king! ❞
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"This way!" Rachel yelled.
"Why should we follow you?!" I demanded. "You lead us right into a death trap!"
"It was the way you needed to go," she argued back and I scoffed. "And so is this. Come on!"
I wasn't happy about it, but I had no choice but to follow. Running side-by-side with Annabeth, I let my feelings pass just for now. Rachel seemed to know exactly where she was going. She whipped around corners and didn't even hesitate at the crossroads. Once she said, "Duck!" and we all crouched as a huge axe swung over our heads. Then we kept on going as if nothing happened. No matter how much I will never admit it, I guess Rachel kind of knows what she's doing and is kind of useful.
We didn't stop to rest until we came to a room the size of a gymnasium with old marble columns holding up the roof. Percy stood a the door, listenng for sounds of pursuit, but he soon met out gazes and shook his head. We lost Luke and his army in the maze.
Mrs O'Leary was also gone. I didn't know when she disappeared but she had. I hoped she was okay━shadow-travelled out before Luke could catch her. I hated her owner; the traitor. But the dog, she had done nothing wrong.
Percy's opponent━who's name I've learnt to be Ethan Nakamura━collapsed onto the floor. "You people are craszy," he pulled off his helmet and his face gleamed with sweat.
And then it hit me━I knew that face. It's been a long time, but I knew that face. "You!" I gasped. "Annabeth━Annabeth━" I tapped the daughter of Athena next to me, and realisation crossed her face, too. "It's him! He was one of the undetermined kids in Hermes cabin, years ago."
"Yeah," Annabeth murmured, her gaze narrowed. "I remember you."
Ethan glared at us. "Yeah, and you're Annabeth and Claire. I remember."
"What━what happened to your eye?"
He looked away, and I got the feeling that it might be a touchy subject.
"You must be the half-blood from my dream," spoke up Percy. "The one Luke's people cornered. It wasn't Nico after all."
"Who's Nico?"
"Never mind," said Annabeth quickly. "Why were you trying to join up with the wrong side?"
Ethan sneered. "There's no right side. The gods never cared about us. Why shouldn't I━?"
"Sign up with an army that makes you fight for the death for entertainment?" I arched a brow. "Wow, I wonder. If I knew that ... well ..."
Ethan struggled to his feet. "I'm not going to argue with you," he told us. "Thanks for the help, but I'm out of here."
"We're going after Daedalus," Percy stopped him quickly, stepping forward. "Come with us. Once we get through, you'd be welcome back at camp."
He stared at us. "You really are crazy if you think Daedalus will help you."
"He has to," said Annabeth. "We'll make him listen."
Ethan snorted. "Yeah, well. Good luck with that."
Percy grabbed his arm as he spun on his heel to leave, "You're just going to head off alone into the maze? That's suicide."
Ethan looked at him with barely controllable anger. His eye patch was frayed around the edges and the black cloth was faded━he had been wearing it for a long, long time. "You shouldn't have spared me, Jackson. Mercy has no place in this war."
Then he ran off into the darkness, back the way we'd come.
(I had a strange feeling this wouldn't be the last time we would see him).
Percy, Annabeth, Rachel and I were so exhausted we made camp right there in the huge room. Percy found some scrap wood and started a fire. Shadows danced off the columns rising around us like trees, so I just brightened the room up with a ball of light. Rachel watched it, quite in awe. I frowned. Why is she so annoying?
I felt someone shuffle in beside me. Looking over, I saw Annabeth pull her knees to her chest. Her pretty face was forlon━a look she held whenever she was thinking and trying not to cry at the same time. I immediately pushed away my anger for Rachel to shuffle in closer next to her, knowing that if she wanted to talk to me, she wouldn't want others overhearing.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Something was wrong with Luke," she muttered, meeting my gaze briefly. She poked at the fire with her knife. "Did you notice the way he was acting?"
This was dangerous waters. I didn't want to fall back into the stream of me believing that Luke can be saved. I just managed to get out of it, and while every other time I had jumped back in at any sign, this time, I refused to allow myself to even think that the old Luke was still there. But I also didn't want to upset Annabeth.
So, I sighed. "I don't know," I murmured. "I don't━I don't want to think that about that, though ... I've just managed to accept that the Luke we knew is gone, and there's nothing we can do about it."
"But what if we could?" Annabeth whispered, glancing nervously at Percy. "Claire, I saw it. There was something wrong with him. He looked ... nervous. He told his monsters to spare us. He wanted to tell us something."
It was tempting. Gods, it was so tempting. But I couldn't let myself fall into that trap again. I couldn't. So, I quickly changed the subject. Narrowing my gaze back onto Rachel, I said, "So, which way now, Little Red Riding Hood?"
Rachel didn't reply straight away. She was quiet━which was unusual. Now, whenever I made a sarcastic comment, she hardly bothered to answer, which was only more annoying. She had burned the tip of a stick in the fire and was using it to draw ash figures on the floor, images of monsters we had seen. WIth a few strokes she had caught the likeness of a drcaena perfectly. I pursed my lips. She must be pretty shaken up from what had happened ... a mortal amongst all of this━
Stop it, I scolded myself. Don't feel sorry for her.
"We'll follow the path," she said. "The brightness on the floor."
"Uh━huh ..." I nodded. "Yeah, sure. The brightness that led us to a death trap."
"Lay off her, Claire," Percy snapped at me, and I stared at him, taken-aback. "Okay?" he was angry at me. I had made him angry. "She's doing the best she can!"
I clenched my fists. He was defending her. He was angry at me. I remembered what he said, I don't want to be whatever we are if I continue to treat Rachel like this. It looked like he was already ready to just go straight to her and leave me in the dirt. Because I just angered him. I just made fun of him. I was just mean.
"Whatever," I stood up harshly. "The fire's getting low. I'll go look for some more scraps while you lot talk it up."
I marched off into the shadows, the ball of light following me like an angry swarm of buzzing bees.
I took this time to cool off. Maybe it's not just Rachel━perhaps it was just everything. It was Jay, it was Luke, it was Percy, everyone at camp being in danger ... it was just everything. I don't even know why I'm still angry at Rachel anymore. Percy told me it was nothing. He told me he'd pick me. He was loyal to the bone━it was his bloody fatal flaw! I knew we needed Rachel. I knew she didn't mean to lead us to that trap. I know she's trying, and she's scared, and she probably doesn't even know what she's doing but she's trying because she knows that Percy's home was in danger.
I've never warmed up to people quickly. Whenever there's someone new, I usually push them far from me straight away before slowly shuffling back in with my tail between my legs. Rachel hasn't done anything wrong━at all.
I kicked a stone nearby. I'm just scared, maybe that was it. Scared and taking it out on her because she's the only one out of us who has barely any knowledge of what was happening. But that would make her just as scared, if not more. I was terrified, but so was she.
Glancing back at the way I came, I pursed my lips. I know I'm in the wrong, I just don't want to admit it.
Walking back, I saw that Rachel and Annabeth were asleep. Percy sat by himself, gazing at the fire and brooding; keeping watch. Making my way over, passing Rachel curled up and using her backpack as a pillow, I chucked the few sticks I had found onto the fire.
Meeting Percy's gaze, I felt embarrassed. He must think I'm such a terrible person now. He would want to walk away, and all because I was jealous and scared.
There was a small silence between us. There was some whispers in the air━scary whimpers of the Labyrinth moving and shifting around us.
In the end, I whispered, "I don't hate her."
Percy knew what I was talking about immediately. "I know."
He shuffled over to the side, and I realised he was offering for me to sit next to him. I went red and took the place by the fire. There were no more words exchanged for a while, we just both gazed into the fire until I felt brave enough to rest my cheek on his arm. I was scared that Percy would just pull away, but after a few seconds he reached for my hand. I watched him link our fingers together.
It wasn't until then that I spoke again. "What you did with the chains, fighting Antaeus. I thought that was pretty smart."
"Yeah?" his voice was soft, but filled with amusement. He glanced down at me, and had his troublemaker smile back on again. His sea-green eyes flickered with copper in the firelight.
"Yeah, it was pretty badass."
"Well, thank you, then."
I couldn't help but manage a small smile and I shoved him lightly at the arrogant response. He chuckled lightly, the both of us careful not to wake up Rachel or Annabeth. We settled pretty quickly, and I took a deep breath. "I'll take first watch," I decided. "You should get some sleep, too."
Percy looked like he might object, but decided against it. He let go of my hand and shuffled down along the dusty floor. When he settled his head on my lap, I went bright red. Okay, okay, okay, okay━He sighed, relaxing. Percy closed his eyes, and I forgot I was on watch for a second, and instead, gently brushed his hair out of his face.
° ° °
Everything was okay until the Earthquake happened.
I was just sitting there, watching for any monsters, very happy that Percy was sound asleep with his head settled on my lap━his face scrunched up every now and then, which told me he was probably having a nightmare, and I would brush his hair off his face again, running my fingers through the dark strands, and he seemed to calm down━and thinking that despite everything, it was peaceful.
And then the room started to shake.
For a second, I was stunned. My brain went fuzzy; wait, is that an earthquake...?
Thankfully, I quickly snapped out of it. I shook Percy's shoulder, "Percy, wake up!"
He shot up with a start, eyes wide. "Tyson━Tyson's in trouble!" he told me. "We have to help him!"
"First thing's first!" I reached over and shook Annabeth awake. "Earthquake!"
Annabeth woke up with a start, and in realising what was happening, she sat up and grabbed her bag. Percy hovered over near Rachel. With a shout of her name, she was up. She grabbed her pack, and the four of us ran. We were almost to the far tunnel when the column next to us graoned and buckled. We kept going as a hundred tons of marble crashed down behind us. We made it to the corridor and turned just in time to see the other columns toppling. A cloud of white dust billowed after us, and we kept running.
It wasn't long before we saw light up ahead━normal, electrical lighting.
"There!" Rachel gasped.
We followed her into a stainless-steel hallway. Fluorescent lights glowed from the ceiling, and the floor was a metal grate. My light was gone, but we didn't need it. The bright lights made me squint.
"This way," Rachel said, beginning to run. "We're close!"
"This is so wrong!" Annabeth frowned, but we followed anyway. "The workshop should be in the oldest section of the maze. This can't━"
She faltered. I nearly ran into her. Skidding to a stop, I saw that we had arrived at a set of metal double doors. Inscribed in the steel at eye level, was the mark of Daedalus━a large blue, Greek Δ.
"We're here," Rachel murmured. "Daedalus's workshop."
Annabeth was stunned for a second, but she pressed the symbol on the doors and they hissed open.
"So much for anceint architecture," said Percy.
Annabeth sent him a sharp glare. Together we walked inside. Daylight struck us like a million spotlights blazing through giant windows. Daedalus's workship was like an artist's studio, with ten-metre ceilings and industrial lighting, polished stone floors and workbenches. A spiral staircase let up to a second-floor; a loft. Half a dozen easels displayed hand-drawn diagrams for buildings and machines. There were several laptops, scattered around on the tables. Glass jars of green oil━Greek fire━lined one shelf. There were inventions, ones that if I was a child of Hephaestus I was sure I could understand, but as your happy go-to cheerful daughter of Apollo, I had no idea what the bonze chair with a bunch electrical wires attatched was. The only thing I did know, were the set of bronze and metal wings hanging off the wall. I remembered the statue of Icarus the Cercopes gave Will, Cain and I ... gods, that seemed so long ago, now.
"Di immortales," Annabeth muttered. She ran to the nearest easel and looked at the sketch. "He's a genius! Look at the curves on this building!"
"And an artist," Rachel let out a breath of amazement. "These wings are amazing!"
The wings looked far more advanced than the ones pictured in the stories. I saw Percy slip his hand into his pocket, fingers most likely grasping around Riptide. I met his gaze, and nodded. Daedalus didn't look to be at home, but the workshop seemed like it had been used recently. The laptops were running their screen savers, and there was a half-eaten blueberry muffin and a coffee cup━still warm, I had Percy feel it━sitting on a workbench.
"He can't be long gone," I murmured, walking up to the window to try and get an understanding of where we were. I saw the Rocky Mountains in the distance. We were up high in the foothills, at least one hundred and fifty meetres, and, down below, a valley spread out.
"Where are we?" asked Percy, coming to stand over my shoulder.
"Colorado Springs," a voice said behind us. "The Garden of the Gods."
I gasped and spun around. Percy looked over his shoulder. Standing on the spiral staircase above us, with his weapon drawn, was the traitor; Quintus.
Percy uncapped Riptide. My fingers itched towards my necklace.
"You," Annabeth seethed, her grey eyes flaring. "What have you done with Daedalus?"
Quintus smiled faintly. "Trust me, my dear. You don't want to meet him."
"Look, Mr Trator," she growled, "I didn't fight a dragon woman and a three-bodied man and a psychotic Sphinx to see you. Now where is Daedalus?!"
Quintus came down the stairs, holding his sword at his side. He was dressed in jeans and boots, alongside his counsellor's T-shirt from camp, which I saw as an insult. How dare he betray us, and still wear our colours like he belongs there. As he came closer, I held up my hand.
"You think I'm an agent of Kronos," he said. "That I work for Luke."
"Well, duh," said Annabeth.
"You're an intelligent girl," said Quintus, "but you're wrong. I only work for myself."
"Luke mentioned you," Percy said. "Geryon knew about you, too. You've been to his ranch."
"Of course," he said. "I've been almost everywhere. Even here."
He walked past Percy and I like we were no threat at all and stood by the windows. My hand faltered, a little offeded that he didn't think I was dangerous. "The view changes from day to day," he mused. "It's always some place high up. Yesterday it was a skyscraper overlooking Manhattan. The day before that, there was a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. But it keeps coming back to the Garden of the Gods. I think the Labyrinth likes it here. A fitting name, I suppose."
"You've been here before," Percy frowned.
"Oh, yes."
"That's an illusion out there? A projection or something?"
"No," said Rachel. "It's real. We're really in Colorado."
Quintus regarded her. "You have clear vision, don't you? You remind me of another mortal girl I once knew. Another princess who came to grief."
"Enough games," Percy snapped, bringing his attention back over. "What have you done with Daedalus."
Quintus stared at him. "My boy, you need lessons from your friend on seeing clearly. I am Daedalus."
It was silent for a second. I stared at our old activities director━the traitor━and frowned. How in Hades was he Daedalus? He looks nothing like the illustrations, at all. But at the look on his face; he looked very serious. Like being Daedalus was the worst possible thing he could tell us.
Percy gaped, frowned, and then said, "But you're not an inventor! You're a swordsman!"
"I am both," Quintus said. "An architect. And a scholar. I also play basketball pretty well for a guy who didn't start until he was two thousand years old. A real artist must be good at many things."
I could agree with that. Like I'm an artist, and I'm good at archery, singing, music, healing, poetry━I can write some banger haikus, like this one!
I'm stuck in a maze
Quintus is now Daedalus
This motherfu━
"That's true," said Rachel, nodding. "Like I can paint with my feet as well as my hands."
"You see?" Quintus said. "A girl of many talents."
"But you don't even look like Daedalus," Percy protested, and I nodded, agreeing. "I saw him in a dream, and ..." he faltered, looking as though he had hit a terrible realisation.
"Yes," Quintus said. "You've finally guessed the truth."
"Truth?" I frowned. I met Percy's gaze, confused. "What truth?"
Percy just continued to stare at Quintus. "You're an automation. You made yourself a new body."
I stopped, not sure whether I heard that right. Wait, automation? Had this guy turned himself into a Cyberman from Doctor Who or something?
Annabeth seemed to be thinking the same thing, "Percy ..." she said uneasily, "that's not possible. That━that can't be an automation."
Quintus chuckled. "Do you know what Quintus means, my dear?"
"The fifth, in Latin. But━"
"This is my fifth body," the swordsman held out his forearm. He pressed his elbow and part of his wrist popped open━a rectangular hatch in his skin. Underneath, bronze gears whirred. Wires glowed.
"That's amazing!" said Rachel.
"That's weird," said Percy.
"That's gross!" I said.
"You found a way to transfer your animus into a machine?" Annabeth blanched. "That's ... not natural."
"Oh, I assure you, my dear, it's still me. I'm still very much Daedalus. Our mother, Athena, makes sure I never forget that," he tugged back the collar of his shirt. At the base of his neck was the mark of a murderer━a dark shape of a bird grafitied into his skin.
"A murderer's brand," Annabeth said.
"For your nephew, Perdix," Percy frowned. "The boy you pushed off the tower."
Quintus's face darkened. "I did not push him. I simply━"
"Made him lose his balance. Let him die."
Quintus gazed out of the windows at the purple mountains. "I regret what I did, Percy. I was angry and bitter. But I cannot take it back, and Athena never lets me forget. As Perdix died, she turned him into a small bird━a partridge. She branded the brid's shape on my neck as a reminder. No matter what body I take, the brand appears on my skin."
Percy narrowed his eyes at him, trying to see through Quintus to see whether he spoke the truth or not. I wasn't sure what to believe, but I think he really was Daedalus, but I also don't know what that meant for us, and for the camp. "You really are Daedalus," he decided. "But why did you come to camp? Why spy on us?"
"To see if your camp was worth saving. Luke had given me one story. I preferred to come to my own conclusions."
"So you have talked to Luke."
"Oh, yes. Several times. He is quite persuasive."
"But now you've seen the camp!" Annabeth persisted. "So you know we need your help. You can't let Luke through the maze!"
Daedalus placed his sword gently on the workbench. "The maze is no longer mine to control, Annabeth. I created it, yes. In fact, it is tied to my life force. But I have allowed it to live and grow on its own. That is the price I paid for privacy."
"Privacy from what?"
"The gods," he said. "And death. I have been alive for two millenia, my dear, hiding from death."
"But how can you hide from Hades?" Percy asked. "I mean ... Hades has the Furies."
"It is possible," said Daedalus. "Your friend here knows exactly how to cheat death," his eyes landed on me, and I suddenly felt very small.
"That's different," I managed to say, my throat dry. "I'm not an automation. Hades became my patron. I'm not hiding from him. He controls whether I live or die."
Daedalus hummed, "Yes. All demigods far too powerful must be balanced on the scales. But you and I, Claire Moore? We are not that different, I assure you. But you see, Percy, death isn't that hard to hide from. The Furies do not know everything. Or see everything. You have encountered them, Percy. You know this is true. A clever man can hide quite a long time, and I have buried myself very deep. Only my greatest enemy has kept after me, and even him I have thawrted."
"You mean Minos," Percy said.
Daedalus nodded, "He hunts for me relentlessly. Now that he is judge of the dead, he would like nothing better than for me to come before him so he can punish me for my crimes. After the daughters of Cocalus killed him, Minos's ghost began tormenting me in my dreams. He promised that he would hunt me down. I did the only thing I could. I retreated from the world completely. I descended into my Labyrinth. I decided this would be my ultimate accomplishment: I would cheat death."
"You can't cheat death without a price," I told him, glowering. "Trust me, I know."
"Yes, I'm sure you do," he mused. "And faced many prices, I have. What price have you been met with? Tragedy? Lonliness? Bitterness?"
I clenched my fists. He wasn't saying this to get a rile out of me. Daedalus was genuinally curious, but that didn't change the fact that death was still a real touchy subject for me. I felt Percy step in front of me, as if he was ready to protect me from his questions.
(Oh, my gods, this boy).
Just then a loud bark echoed from the corridor. Ba-BUMP! Ba-BUMP! and in bounded Mrs O'Leary. She licked Percy's face once, then almost knocked Daedalus over with an enthusiastic leap.
"There is my old friend!" Daedalus said, scratching Mrs O'Leary behind the ears. "My only companion all these lonely years."
"You let her save me," said Percy. "That whistle actually worked."
Daedalus nodded. "Of course, it did, Percy. You have a good heart. And I knew Mrs O'Leary liked you. I wanted to help you. Perhaps I━I felt guilty, as well."
This caused me to frown. My stomach dropped, as if it knew the answer before I did. "Guilty about what?"
"That your quest would be in vain."
"What?" Annabeth said. "But you can still help us. You have to! Give us Ariadne's string so Luke can't get it."
"Yes ... the string. I told Luke that the eyes of a clear-sighted mortal are the best guide, but he did not trust me. He was so focused on the idea of a magic item. And the string words. It's not as accurate as your mortal friend here, perhaps. But good enough. Good enough."
"Where is it?"
"With Luke," said Dadaleus sadly (and there it was). "I'm sorry, my dear. But you are several hours too late."
As if my stomach dropping wasn't enough, my heart thought it would be cool to join it. Twisting and writhing in it's journey down as I realised that we've lost. Luke has the string, and he had a oneway ticket back to Camp. We've lost.
"Kronos promised me freedom," said Daedalus. "Once Hades is overthrown, he will set me over the Underworld. I will reclaim my son Icarus. I will make things right with poor young Perdix. I will see Minos's soul be cast into Tartarus, where it cannot bother me again. And I will no longer have to run from death."
"That's your brilliant idea?!" Annabeth yelled. "You're going to let Luke destroy our camp, kill hundreds of demigods and then attack Olympus? You're going to bring down the entire world so you can get what you want?!"
"Your cause is doomed, my dear. I saw that as soon as I began to work at your camp. There is no way you can hold back the might of Kronos?"
"Yeah?" I challanged. "Well, just wait until he meets me."
Daedalus gave me a sad smile. "Even you can't hold him back, Light's Kin."
I was so angry, I thought I would've gone at him right then and there. But instead, I held back and snapped. "How about we try it? And we'll see what happens."
But he shook his head. "I am doing what I must, my dear. The offer was too sweet to refuse. I'm sorry."
Annabeth gritted her teeth, before suddenly, she pushed over an easel. Architectural drawings scattered to the floor. "I used to respect you!" She cried. "You were my hero! You—you built amazing things. You solved problems. Now ... I don't know what you are. Children of Athena are meant to be wise, not just clever. Maybe you are just a machine. You should have died two thousand years ago!"
Instead of getting mad, Daedalus hung his head. "You should go warn your camp. Now that Luke has the string—"
Mrs O'Leary pricked up her ears. Rachel's face dropped with dread. "Someone's coming!"
The doors to the workshop burst open, and Nico was pushed inside, his hands in chains. My stomach lurched, and I went to rush forward, but stopped to see Kelli and two Laistrygonians march in behind him, followed by the ghost Minos. He looked almost solid—a pale bearded king with cold eyes and tendrils of Mist coiling off his robes.
He fixed his gaze on Daedalus. "There you are, my old friend."
Daedalus's jaw clenched. He looked at Kelli. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Luke sends his compliments," she smirked. "He thought you might like to see your old employer, Minos."
"This was not part of our agreement."
"No indeed," Kelli was enjoying this. Her monstrous eyes glittered with sick mirth. "But we already have what we want from you, and we have other agreements to honour. Minos required something else from us, in order to turn over this fine young demigod." She ran a finger under Nico's chin, and I tried to have a go at her again, but Percy held me back this time. "He'll be quite useful. And all Minos asked in return was your head, old man."
Daedalus paled, "Treachery."
"Get used to it," Kelli said.
"Nico," I said, meeting the kid's dark gaze. "Are you all right?"
He nodded morosely. "I—I'm sorry. Minos told me you, Percy and Annabeth were in danger. He convinced me to go back into the maze."
Percy frowned. "You were trying to help us?"
"I was tricked," said Nico. "He tricked all of us."
Percy glared at Kelli. "Where's Luke? Why isn't he here?"
The she-demon smiled. "Luke is ... busy." I didn't like the way she said that. She knew something we didn't and it made her amused. "He is preparing for the assault. But don't worry. We have more friends on the way. And in the meantime, I think I'll have a wonderful snack!" Her hands changed to claws. Her hair burst into flame and her legs morphed into a terrible mix of one a donkey leg, and the other bronze.
"Percy," whispered Rachel, "the wings. Do you think—?"
"Get them," he said. "We'll try to buy you some time."
All Hades broke loose.
Percy and Annabeth charged at Kelli while I took on the giants that came right at Daedalus. Mrs O'Leary bounded to help, locking her jaws on their arms while I blinded them with a wave of my arm before turning one of them into monster dust with a stab of my dagger in between his ribs.
I didn't see the second one until it hit me. With the wind knocked out of me, I went flying and hit some easels. Ouch. Falling to the ground, I saw Daedalus grab for his sword, but the same giant smashed the workbench with his fist and the sword went flying. A clay jar of Greek fire broke on the floor and began to burn, green flames spreading quickly. I pushed myself to my feet, narrowly missing the fire as I dived to the left.
I rolled past Kelli while Annabeth and Percy fought her. As I did, I grabbed my dagger and swiped against her donkey leg. She screeched in pain and was distracted long enough for Percy to pull me back up.
"You okay?" he asked me.
"Yeah, fine," I managed before Kelli was back at it again.
"To me!" Minos cried. "Spirits of the dead!" He raised his hands and the air began to hum.
"No!" Nico shouted. He was on his feet now. He had somehow managed to remove his shackles.
"You do not control me, young fool!" Minos sneered. "All this time, I have been controlling you! A soul for a soul, yes. But it is not your sister who will return from the dead. It is I, as soon as I slay the inventor!"
Spirits began to appear around Minos—shimmering forms that slowly multiplied, solidifying into Cretan soldiers.
"I am the son of Hades!" Nico shouted. "Begone!"
Minos laughed. "You have no power over me. I am the lord of spirits! The ghost king!"
"No," Nico drew his sword, and as the Stygian Iron met the glare of the green Greek Fire, it looked like shadows were swallowing Nico—or rather, supporting him. "I am."
He stabbed his black blade into the floor, and it cleaved through the stone like butter.
"Never!" Minos's form rippled. "I will not—"
The ground rumbled. The windows cracked—
Smash! They shattered to pieces, and a blast of fresh air blew into the workshop. A fissure opened in the stone floor, and Minos and all of his spirits were sucked into the void with a horrible wail; Nico stood above them all, looking very much like a ghost king in the shadows of his face that glimmered with green.
My attention returned to the fight around us when I heard the smack! Of Percy's head hitting hard on a work table as he fell. Riptide skittered away. Percy couldn't raise his arms as Kelli laughed over him, looming in for the kill.
"No!" I shouted and threw out my hand. A beam of pure light extended out from my fingers—there was a pull in my gut—and I watched it burn a hole right through Kelli's chest.
She stood there still for a few seconds, her body right. She gasped. "No ... school ... spirit ..." and Kelli dissolved into yellow vapour.
Not taking into account what I just done—the power I just concentrated into a single hit—I rushed towards Percy and with Annabeth's help, we hauled him up. He looked dazed, but he had no time to lose. Mrs O'Leary and Daedalus were still locked in combat with the remaining giant, and I could hear shouting in the tunnel; more monsters were on their way.
"We have to help Daedalus!" Percy managed.
"No time!" argued Rachel. "Too many coming!"
She had already fitted herself with wings and was working on Nico, who looked pale and sweaty from his struggle with Minos. The wings grafted instantly to his back and arms.
"Now you!" She told Percy.
In seconds, Nico, Annabeth, Rachel, Percy and I had fitted ourselves with coppery wings. We pushed through the chaos to the windows. Greek fire was burning the tables and furniture, spreading up the circular stairs.
"Daedalus!" Percy yelled. "Come on!"
He was cut in a hundred places—but he was bleeding golden oil instead of blood. He had found his sword and was using part of a smashed table as a shield against the giant. "I won't leave Mrs O'Leary!" He said. "Go!"
We didn't have time to argue. I pulled Percy along with a grunt of, "Come on!"
"None of us know how to fly!" Nico protested.
"Great time to find out," said Percy.
And together, the five of us jumped out of the window and into the open sky.
*
a/n: I drew two of my favourite head cannons from last chapter!!! I wanted to draw a third but I couldn't get it right so I'm still gonna tag u
okay so here's no. 1 by @Sociopathintraining
cc: a few times after Percy was suspected to be dead after blowing up St Mt Helens, Claire will wake up after nightmares of Percy actually dying. She will then walk over to make sure that he's alive, or hug him super tight when she sees him in the morning.
no. 2 by @-losershit
cc: Percy doing something stupid and Claire rambling about how worried she was and him kissing her to shut her up
And no. 3. I'm sorry I couldn't work out how to draw this!! I did so many attempts and I'm sorry I'm such a terrible drawer of bodies and stuff ahahaha but I still wanna let you know I loved the headcannon
It was by @itnineintheafternoon and it said:
Claire helps Percy cut his hair when it gets too long.
And let me just say, she would 100% do that. And Percy would complain and Claire would then be like: "weLl dOnT cOmPlAIn tO mE whEN iT gETs tOO lOng!"
If y'all want ur head cannons drawn or tried to be drawn (I am still so sorry), have a go and writing some in the comments!