THE NEXT MORNING THERE was a lot of excitement at breakfast.
Stella, however, was the opposite of excited. The only thing coursing through her veins was the weariness from a sleepless night spent combating an Aethiopian drakon at the ungodly hour of three in the morning.
The drakon had been spotted at the camp borders during the night. The magical boundaries had kept the monster out, but it prowled the hills, looking for weak spots in their defenses.
Kayla Knowles, one of her half-siblings, had shaken her awake, urgency etched across her features. With the information that Lee needed her help in scaring away the drakon, Stella had groggily pulled herself out of bed and pulled on some armor, joining Lee, Kayla, Michael Yew, and Will Solace as they ventured out of the cabin.
Armed with bows, they reached the borders to find the drakon relentlessly trying to penetrate the magical barrier. Lee assumed command, barking orders as they unleashed a barrage of arrows, attempting to pierce the swift drakon's defenses.
Once they had lodged a few dozen arrows in the chinks of the drakon's armor, it got the message and withdrew.
Exhausted but victorious, they returned to the cabin. Though Stella had fallen asleep as soon as they reached the cabin, the night had been restless and she seemed to wake up every half hour.
"It's still out there," Lee warned the rest of the camp during morning announcements. "Twenty arrows in its hide, and we just made it mad. The thing was thirty feet long and bright green. Its eyes—" He shuddered.
"You did well, Lee." Chiron patted him on the shoulder. "Everyone stay alert but stay calm. This has happened before."
"Aye," Quintus, their new swordsman trainer, said from the head table. "And it will happen again. More and more frequently."
The campers murmured among themselves.
Everyone knew the rumors: Luke and his army of monsters were planning an invasion of the camp.
Most of them expected it to happen this summer, but no one knew how or when. It didn't help that their attendance was down. They only had about eighty campers, a low number compared to what it was three years ago. Between now and then, some had died, some had joined Luke, and some had just disappeared.
"This is a good reason for new war games," Quintus continued, a glint in his eyes. "We'll see how you all do with that tonight."
"Yes..." Chiron said. "Well, enough announcements. Let us bless this meal and eat." He raised his goblet. "To the gods!"
The campers raised their glasses in unison, repeating the blessing.
Stella took her plate to the bronze brazier, the flickering flames casting dancing shadows across her face. She carefully scraped a portion of her food into the fire.
"Hey Dad," she whispered, her words a soft murmur against the crackling of the flames. "Thank you for helping us last night."
Her gratitude, a quiet acknowledgment of Apollo's support during the drakon attack, wasn't the only thing she wanted to share. Yet, she couldn't lay bare her heart in that moment, not with the watchful eyes of the camp around her.
Turning away from the brazier, she made her way back to the Apollo table, the scent of smoke lingering in her wake. She settled between Lee and Michael, the warmth of the fire still clinging to her skin.
"Alright, sis?" Lee asked, watching as she gulped down as much coffee as possible.
Stella groaned, exhaustion evident in the lines that briefly etched her face. "Didn't sleep much."
He nodded understandingly, "Well if you want to take a break from archery duties, I can cover for you today."
A grateful smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Thanks, Lee. I might take you up on that."
She looked around the pavilion and noticed Chiron and Grover approaching the Poseidon table. The satyr casually slid his plate onto the table, slumping in front of Percy, while Tyson stood up and lumbered away, responding to something Chiron said.
Stella glanced towards the Athena table, where Annabeth was also watching the interaction intently. The grey-eyed girl met her stare and subtly beckoned her head toward the Poseidon table.
"Let's go," Annabeth mouthed to her.
Before she could even agree, Annabeth abandoned her table, striding purposefully over the pavilion's stone floor. Stella mirrored her actions, leaving behind her cherished, half-empty cup of coffee.
As they neared the table, Chiron's words came into earshot. "I brought Grover over because I thought you two might want to, ah, discuss matters. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some Iris-messages to send. I'll see you later in the day." He gave Grover a meaningful look, then trotted out of the pavilion.
"What's he talking about?" Percy asked Grover.
Grover chewed his eggs. He seemed distracted, biting off the tines of his fork and chewing them down. "He wants you to convince me," he mumbled.
The two girls joined them, Stella sliding next to Percy while Annabeth settled in front of them, next to Grover.
"He's talking about the Labyrinth," Stella answered, the word carrying a weight that seemed to echo through the air.
Annabeth delved into an explanation of the Labyrinth. Yet, as she spoke, Stella became hyperaware of how closely she was sitting to Percy. She hadn't meant to slide so close to him, but she had, and now she couldn't help but admire the contours on his face.
"You're not supposed to be here," Percy said, noticing how the rest of the dining pavilion was stealing glances at them and whispering.
"We need to talk," Annabeth insisted.
"But the rules..." Percy hesitated, glancing at Stella.
They all knew that campers weren't allowed to switch tables. Satyrs were different. They weren't really demigods. But the half-bloods had to sit with their cabins.
Stella wasn't even sure what the punishment was for switching tables. She had never seen it happen. If Mr. D had been here, he probably would've strangled them with magical grapevines or something, but Mr. D wasn't here. Chiron had already left the pavilion. Quintus looked over and raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything.
"Since when do you care about rules?" Stella teased, a light laugh escaping her.
"Um, like, since always," Percy retorted with a playful smirk.
She couldn't resist, grinning in response. "Yeah, right."
Annabeth, growing impatient with their banter, interjected. "Look, Grover is in trouble. There's only one way we can figure out to help him. It's the Labyrinth. That's what Clarisse, Stella, and I have been investigating."
Percy shifted, his muscles flexing as he stretched his arms behind him. The bench creaked faintly under his grip, and Stella couldn't help but notice the solid presence of his arm just inches behind her.
Almost instinctively, she leaned into it.
"You mean the maze where they kept the Minotaur, back in the old days?" He said, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Exactly," Annabeth said.
"So...it's not under the king's palace in Crete anymore," he guessed. "The Labyrinth is under some building in America."
Stella turned her head to him, "Sort of, but it's not under just one building."
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Please, Percy. The Labyrinth is huge. It wouldn't fit under a single city, much less a single building."
"So...is the Labyrinth part of the Underworld?" He asked.
"No." Annabeth frowned. "Well, there may be passages from the Labyrinth down into the Underworld. I'm not sure. But the Underworld is way, way down. The Labyrinth is right under the surface of the mortal world, kind of like a second skin. It's been growing for thousands of years, lacing its way under Western cities, connecting everything together underground. You can get anywhere through the Labyrinth."
"If you don't get lost," Grover muttered. "And die a horrible death."
"Grover, there has to be a way," Stella insisted as they had been over this a thousand times before. "Clarisse lived."
"Barely!" Grover exclaimed. "And the other guy—"
"He was driven insane. He didn't die," Annabeth interjected.
"Oh, joy." Grover's lower lip quivered. "That makes me feel much better."
"Whoa," Percy said. "Back up. What's this about Clarisse and a crazy guy?"
Stella glanced over toward the Ares table. Clarisse's gaze bore into them, a mixture of intensity and curiosity evident in her eyes. For a moment, it seemed like she knew every word of their conversation, but then her attention abruptly shifted, fixating on her breakfast plate.
"Last year," Annabeth said, lowering her voice, "Clarisse went on a mission for Chiron."
"I remember," Percy said, a flicker of interest in his eyes. "It was secret."
"It was secret," Stella confirmed, leaning in slightly, her tone hushed, "because she found Chris Rodriguez."
"The guy from the Hermes cabin?" Percy questioned.
"Yeah," Annabeth said. "Last summer he just appeared in Phoenix, Arizona, near Clarisse's mom's house."
Percy's brow furrowed. "What do you mean he just appeared?"
"He was wandering around the desert, in a hundred and twenty degrees, in full Greek armor, babbling about string."
"String," Percy repeated.
Stella nodded, "He'd been driven completely insane. Clarisse brought him back to her mom's house so the mortals wouldn't institutionalize him. She tried to nurse him back to health. Chiron came out and interviewed him, but it wasn't much good. The only thing they got out of him: Luke's men have been exploring the Labyrinth."
"Okay," Percy asked. "Why were they exploring the Labyrinth?"
"We weren't sure," Annabeth said, casting a quick glance at Stella. "That's why Clarisse went on a scouting expedition. Chiron kept things hushed up because he didn't want anyone panicking. He got me involved because...well, the Labyrinth has always been one of my favorite subjects. The architecture involved—" Her expression turned a little dreamy. "The builder, Daedalus, was a genius. But the point is, the Labyrinth has entrances everywhere. If Luke could figure out how to navigate it, he could move his army around with incredible speed."
"Except it's a maze, right?"
"Full of horrible traps," Grover agreed, a shiver of unease evident in his voice. "Dead ends. Illusions. Psychotic goat-killing monsters."
"But not if you had Ariadne's string," Stella argued. "In the old days, Ariadne's string guided Theseus out of the maze. It was a navigation instrument of some kind, invented by Daedalus. And Chris Rodriguez was mumbling about string."
"So Luke is trying to find Ariadne's string," Percy said. "Why? What's he planning?"
Annabeth shook her head, frustration evident on her face. "I don't know. I thought maybe he wanted to invade camp through the maze, but that doesn't make any sense. The closest entrances Clarisse found were in Manhattan, which wouldn't help Luke get past our borders. Clarisse explored a little way into the tunnels, but...it was very dangerous. She had some close calls. I researched everything I could find about Daedalus. I'm afraid it didn't help much. I don't understand exactly what Luke's planning, but I do know this: the Labyrinth might be the key to Grover's problem."
Percy blinked, processing the information. "You think Pan is underground?"
"It would explain why he's been impossible to find," Stella shrugged.
Grover shuddered. "Satyrs hate going underground. No searcher would ever try going in that place. No flowers. No sunshine. No coffee shops!"
"But," Stella continued, determination in her voice, "the Labyrinth can lead you almost anywhere. It reads your thoughts. It was designed to fool you, to trick you and kill you; but if you can make the Labyrinth work for you—"
"It could lead you to the wild god," Percy finished, the realization dawning on him.
"I can't do it." Grover hugged his stomach, a visible unease washing over him. "Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up my silverware."
"Grover, it may be your last chance," Annabeth said, her tone edged with a mix of urgency and concern. "The council is serious. One week or you learn to tap dance!"
Over at the head table, Quintus cleared his throat. Stella got the feeling he didn't want to make a scene, but they were really pushing it, sitting at the Poseidon table for so long.
"We'll talk later," Annabeth announced, standing up and turning to Grover. "Convince him, will you?"
Annabeth returned to the Athena table, ignoring all the people who were staring at her. Stella felt Quintus' eyes settle on her, a silent reminder of the fine line she was still treading. But at that moment, she couldn't bring herself to care.
Grover buried his head in his hands. "I can't do it. My searcher's license. Pan. I'm going to lose it all. I'll have to start a puppet theater."
"Don't say that! We'll figure something out," Percy said, trying to comfort the satyr.
He looked at them teary-eyed. "You guys are my best friends. Percy, you've seen me underground. In that Cyclops's cave. Do you really think I could..."
His voice faltered.
Stella remembered what Percy and Annabeth had told her about the Sea of Monsters, when Grover had been stuck in a Cyclops's cave. He had never liked underground places to begin with, but now he really hated them. Cyclopes gave him the creeps, too. Even Tyson...Grover tried to hide it, but Stella could tell he was terrified of the big guy.
"I have to leave," Grover said miserably. "Juniper's waiting for me. It's a good thing she finds cowards attractive."
As Stella watched him walk away, she heard Quintus clear his throat again, the sound louder than the first time, if that were even possible.
"I'm going to go back before Quintus makes me the target of the war games," She joked, starting to rise from her seat.
Percy's hand shot out, grabbing hers, and he pulled her back down to her seat. "Wait! How are you feeling?"
Stella blinked, caught off guard by his sudden concern. "What?"
"Are you okay? I'm assuming you fought the drakon too. It didn't hurt you anywhere, did it?" Percy's words tumbled out, genuine worry lacing his tone.
She almost melted at his concern. His sea-green eyes bore into hers, and for a moment, she felt like she couldn't string coherent words together.
Snap out of it, she reminded herself.
"No, Perce, I'm fine, don't worry. I'll see you at the war games, yeah?" She said, standing back up and shooting him a wink before confidently striding back to the Apollo table. The eyes of the entire camp seemed to follow her, including Percy's.
☀︎
That night after dinner, Quintus had them suit up in combat armor like they were getting ready for capture the flag, but the mood among the campers was a lot more serious. Sometime during the day the crates in the arena had disappeared, and Stella had a feeling whatever was in them had been emptied into the woods.
"Right," Quintus said, standing on the head dining table. "Gather 'round."
He was dressed in black leather and bronze. In the torchlight, his gray hair made him look like a ghost. Mrs. O'Leary bounded happily around him, foraging for dinner scraps.
"You will be in teams of two," Quintus announced. When everybody started talking and trying to grab their friends, he yelled, "Which have already been chosen!"
"AWWWWW!" Everybody complained.
"Your goal is simple: collect the gold laurels without dying. The wreath is wrapped in a silk package, tied to the back of one of the monsters. There are six monsters. Each has a silk package. Only one holds the laurels. You must find the wreath before the other teams. And, of course...you will have to slay the monster to get it, and stay alive."
The crowd started murmuring excitedly. The task sounded pretty straightforward. They had all slain monsters before. That's what they trained for.
"I will now announce your partners," Quintus said. "There will be no trading. No switching. No complaining."
"Aroooof!" Mrs. O'Leary buried her face in a plate of pizza.
Quintus produced a big scroll and started reading off names. Charles Beckendorf would be with Silena Beauregard, which he looked pretty happy about.
Travis nudged Stella's arm playfully, and she turned to see him standing next to her. Leaning down, he whispered into her ear, "Wouldn't it be funny if we were partners?"
Stella narrowed her eyes at him, "What are you on about?"
A mischievous grin spread across Travis's face as he replied, "Oh, don't you worry."
"This better not be part of your delusional idea that Percy likes me. Would being partners make him jealous? Is that what you're trying to say?" Stella whispered back.
His grin grew even wider as he briefly glanced away before locking eyes with her again. Straightening up, he whispered, "No, sweetheart, he's jealous already."
Before she could even ask what he meant, his name got called along with Connor's.
"See you on the flip side," Travis winked at her before going to join his brother's side.
Stella's gaze followed in the direction Travis had glanced towards when he made that comment, and she found Percy staring at her intently. His jaw was clenched, and a storm of emotions brewed in his eyes, more than mere annoyance.
She quickly redirected her attention to Quintus, who was still announcing partners. The next pairing was Clarisse and Lee—melee and ranged combat combined, they would be a tough combo to beat.
Quintus kept rattling off the names before announcing, "Percy Jackson with Stella Cruz."
Of fucking course. Stella walked over to where Percy stood, noting the crookedness of his armor.
She reached out to fix the misaligned straps, her fingers deftly readjusting them. She couldn't help but notice how the annoyed expression on Percy's face transformed into a small, appreciative smile.
"Your armor was crooked," Stella said once she was done, her voice a low murmur amidst the chatter.
"Is that an excuse just to be close to me?" Percy teased with a smirk.
"You wish, waterboy," Stella retorted, rolling her eyes. Despite her playful words, an involuntary smile lingered on her lips.
"Grover Underwood," Quintus said, "with Tyson."
Grover just about jumped out of his goat fur. "What? B-but—"
"No, no," Tyson whimpered. "Must be a mistake. Goat boy—"
"No complaining!" Quintus ordered. "Get with your partner. You have two minutes to prepare!"
Tyson and Grover both looked at Percy pleadingly. He tried to give them an encouraging nod, and gestured that they should move together. Tyson sneezed. Grover started chewing nervously on his wooden club.
"They'll be fine," Stella told him. "Come on. Let's strategize on staying alive and winning."
It was still light when they got into the woods, but the shadows from the trees made it feel like midnight. It was cold, too, even in summer. Percy and Stella found tracks almost immediately—scuttling marks made by something with a lot of legs. They began to follow the trail.
"So how much begging did you have to do to get Quintus to pair us together," Stella joked, looking over at him.
"You know I missed you, Elle," Percy replied, a grin on his face.
Suddenly, Stella halted in her tracks, disbelief etched on her face. "Wait, I was joking. There's no way you actually asked Quintus. He would've snapped you like a twig."
Percy burst into laughter as they jumped over a creek in their path. "I'm joking too. Come on, sunshine, you're making me start to think you lost your sense of humor."
She playfully shoved him, "Perseus Jackson, you take that fucking back."
Some twigs snapped nearby, and their laughs fell silent. Crouching behind a boulder, they saw it was only the Stoll brothers tripping through the woods and cursing. Their dad was the god of thieves, but they were far from being stealthy.
Stella had to stifle a laugh when she saw Travis almost fall miserably into the creek. Once the Stolls had passed, they stood back up from their hiding place.
The amusement that had danced on Percy's face moments ago was replaced with a stoic expression. "What's up with you and Travis?"
Stella sucked in a breath of air, not expecting him to ask her that question so soon. Fuck.
They forged deeper into the west woods where the wilderness and monsters were wilder. "What do you mean?"
She knew exactly what he meant. He wasn't stupid, and whatever lingered between Travis and her hadn't escaped his notice. But why did it matter? It's not like he had feelings for her.
"You know, the whole Travis blatantly flirting with you," Percy grumbled, his tone edged with a hint of frustration.
Stella's eyebrows raised, surprised by his straightforwardness. She hadn't expected him to address it so openly.
"He flirts with everyone," she deflected casually.
Percy rolled his eyes, "Yeah, except you don't seem to mind. Did something happen between you two?"
The question lingered in the air, and Stella felt a pang of discomfort. "Why do you even care?" she pressed, her defense mechanisms kicking in.
"I don't."
She couldn't lie; those two words stung.
"But you're my best friend," he continued, shifting uncomfortably, "if something happened I would like to know."
Stella hesitated, feeling the weight of Percy's gaze and the unspoken complexities between them. The air around them seemed charged with unresolved emotions as they ventured deeper into the heart of the west woods.
"I don't get why you're making it a big deal," Stella said, her voice taking on a defensive edge. She avoided Percy's eyes, focusing on the path ahead as if the trees could provide an escape from the conversation.
Percy sighed, his frustration palpable. "It's not just about Travis. It feels like things have changed between us since I got back to camp."
The honesty in Percy's words cut through the forest air, leaving Stella with a sense of vulnerability she hadn't anticipated. She knew he was right; things had shifted between them. The almost kiss, her departure for camp, and the growing distance had all left a mark on their friendship.
Stella stopped walking, turning to face Percy. "Look, things are different, but that doesn't mean—"
"That doesn't mean what, Stella?" Percy interrupted, his gaze searching hers for answers.
Stella struggled to find the right words. "It doesn't mean we're not still friends. I value our friendship, Percy. It's just..."
I missed you. That's what she wanted to say—but she didn't.
She wanted to bare her soul, to tell him everything. How she grew close to Travis over the spring. How he was there for her when Percy's absence weighed heavily on her. How he became a fun distraction, a temporary escape from the confusing feelings she harbored for her best friend—feelings she wasn't ready to confront.
"Like you said, things have changed," Stella lied, the words tasting bitter on her tongue.
The distant sound of a monster's roar shattered the quiet, jolting them back to the reality of the dangerous woods they were navigating.
"We should keep moving," Percy said, and she nodded.
They reached a ledge overlooking a marshy pond, the air thick with the pungent scent of damp earth. Stella's muscles tensed, a haunting sense of déjà vu gripping her.
"This is where we stopped looking."
Last winter, when they had been searching for Nico di Angelo, this is where they had given up hope of finding him. Grover, Annabeth, Percy, and Stella had stood on this rock, and the latter two convinced them not to tell Chiron the truth: that Nico was a son of Hades. At the time it seemed the right thing to do—protect his identity. Stella wanted to be the one to find him and make things right for what had happened to his sister. Now, six months later, she hadn't even come close to finding him.
"I saw him last night," Percy said, his voice cutting through the heavy silence.
Stella knit her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
Percy recounted how he had seen Nico in an Iris-message. When he was done, she stared into the shadows of the woods, a chill crawling down her spine. "Summoning the dead...that's not good, at all."
"The ghost was giving him bad advice," Percy said, his expression troubled. "Telling him to take revenge."
"Spirit are never good advisers. They've got their own agendas. Old grudges. And they resent the living." She remarked.
"He's going to come after me," Percy said. "The spirit mentioned a maze."
She turned to him, "Well, not necessarily, but we still have to figure out the Labyrinth."
"Maybe," Percy said uncomfortably. "But who sent the Iris-message? If Nico didn't know I was there—"
A branch snapped in the woods. Dry leaves rustled. Something large was moving in the trees, just beyond the ridge.
"That's not the Stoll brothers," Stella whispered.
Together, they drew their weapons.
They got to Zeus's Fist, a huge pile of boulders in the middle of the west woods. It was a natural landmark where campers often rendezvoused on hunting expeditions, but now there was nobody around.
"Over there," Stella whispered, her senses on high alert.
"No, wait," Percy cautioned. "Behind us."
It was weird. Scuttling noises seemed to be coming from several different directions. They were circling the boulders, weapons drawn, when someone right behind them said, "Hi."
They whirled around, and the tree nymph Juniper yelped.
"Put those down!" she protested. "Dryads don't like sharp blades, okay?"
"Juniper," Stella exhaled, the tension leaving her in a rush as she stepped forward. "What are you doing here?"
"I live here."
Percy lowered his sword, his confusion evident. "In the boulders?"
She pointed toward the edge of the clearing. "In the juniper. Duh."
"Are you guys busy?" Juniper continued.
"Well," Percy said, "we're in the middle of this game against a bunch of monsters, and we're trying not to die."
"We're not busy," Stella said, dismissing Percy's comment. "What's wrong, Juniper?"
Juniper sniffled. She wiped her silky sleeve under her eyes. "It's Grover. He seems so distraught. All year he's been out looking for Pan. And every time he comes back, it's worse. I thought maybe, at first, he was seeing another tree."
"No," Stella reassured her gently as Juniper started crying. "I'm sure that's not it."
"He had a crush on a blueberry bush once," She said miserably.
"Juniper," Stella told her, "Grover would never even look at another tree. He's just stressed out about his searcher's license."
"He can't go underground!" she protested. "You can't let him."
Stella found herself at a loss for words. How could she explain to Juniper that this might be Grover's last chance?
"It might be the only way to help him...if we just knew where to start."
"Ah." Juniper wiped a green tear off her cheek. "About that..."
Another rustle in the woods, and Juniper yelled, "Hide!"
Before they could ask why, she went poof into green mist.
Percy and Stella turned. Coming out of the woods was a glistening amber insect, ten feet long, with jagged pincers, an armored tail, and a stinger as long as Riptide. A scorpion. Tied to its back was a crimson silk package.
"One of us gets behind it," Stella strategized as the thing clattered toward them. "Cuts off its tail while the other distracts it in front."
"I'll take the tail," Percy said. "You've got the arrows to distract it."
She nodded in agreement. They had fought together so many times they knew each other's moves. They could do this easily.
But it all went wrong when the other two scorpions appeared from the woods.
"Three?" Stella exclaimed. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. The whole woods and half the monsters come at us?"
Percy swallowed. One, they could take. Two, with a little luck. Three? Doubtful.
The scorpions scurried toward them, whipping their barbed tails like they had come here just to kill them. Stella and Percy put their backs against the nearest boulder.
"Climb?" Percy suggested.
"No time," Stella replied, her eyes scanning their narrowing options.
The scorpions were already surrounding them. They were so close Stella could see their hideous mouths foaming, anticipating a nice juicy meal of demigods.
"Look out!" Stella deflected a stinger with the top of her bow. Percy stabbed with Riptide, but the scorpion backed out of range.
They clambered sideways along the boulders, but the scorpions followed them.
Stella shot arrows in quick succession, trying to create an opening, but they were relentless. Percy slashed at another one, but going on the offensive was too dangerous. If they went for the body, the tail stabbed downward. If they went for the tail, the thing's pincers came from either side and tried to grab them.
All they could do was defend, and they wouldn't be able to keep that up for very long.
Percy took another step sideways and paused. "In here."
Stella shot more arrows at a scorpion before turning to see what Percy meant. She noticed a narrow crack between two of the largest boulders. Was he out of his mind?
"In there? It's too narrow."
Percy's gaze locked onto hers, determination burning in his sea-green eyes. "I'll cover you. Go!"
She hesitated only for a moment before ducking behind him, preparing to squeeze between the two boulders. As she maneuvered through the tight space, a sudden yelp escaped her, and she instinctively grabbed his armor straps.
In an instant, the world around them shifted, and they were tumbling into a pit that hadn't been there a moment before.
Stella could see the scorpions above them, the purple evening sky, and the trees, and then the hole closed like the lens of a camera, plunging them into complete darkness.
Their breathing echoed against the cold, damp stone. Stella found herself sitting on a bumpy floor, the surface beneath her seemingly made of bricks.
Percy lifted Riptide. The faint glow of the blade was just enough to illuminate Stella's panicked face and the mossy stone walls on either side of them.
"Wh-where are we?" Stella stammered, her eyes darting nervously around the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Safe from scorpions, anyway," Percy replied.
Stella could tell from his expression that he was trying to remain calm for both their sakes but he was freaking out on the inside like she was.
The crack between the boulders couldn't have led into a cave. She would've known if there was a cave here; she was sure of it. It was like the ground had opened up and swallowed them whole.
Images of the fissure in the dining room pavilion, where skeletons had vanished last summer, flashed through Stella's mind. She couldn't shake the unsettling thought that they might be facing a similar fate.
Percy lifted his sword again for light. "It's a long room," He muttered.
Stella gripped his arm, a chill coursing through her as she realized the truth. "It's not a room. It's a corridor."
The darkness seemed to expand ahead, and an unsettling emptiness filled the space. There was a warm breeze, like in subway tunnels, only it felt older, more dangerous somehow.
Percy started forward, but Stella stopped him. "Don't take another step," she warned. "We need to find the exit."
Dread settled over Stella as she grappled with the realization that they might have found...she shook her head, taking a sharp breath to steady herself.
"It's okay," Percy promised. "It's right—"
Stella looked up and realized they couldn't see where they had fallen in. The ceiling was solid stone, and the corridor seemed to stretch endlessly in both directions.
She slipped her hand into Percy's, finding comfort in his presence. Regardless of the complexities between them, one thing remained certain—they were there for each other.
"Two steps back," Stella advised.
They stepped backward together like they were in a minefield.
"Okay," she said, attempting to sound composed despite her growing nervousness. "Help me examine the walls."
Percy furrowed his brow. "What for?"
"The mark of Daedalus," Stella replied.
"Uh, okay. What kind of—"
"Got it!" she said with relief. Stella set her hand on the wall and pressed against a tiny fissure, which began to glow blue. A Greek symbol appeared: Δ, the Ancient Greek Delta.
The roof slid open, and they were greeted by the night sky, stars blazing. It was a lot darker than it should've been. Metal ladder rungs appeared on the side of the wall, leading upward, and Stella could hear distant voices yelling their names.
"Percy! Stella!" Tyson's voice bellowed the loudest, but others were calling out too.
Percy and Stella exchanged nervous glances, a silent understanding passing between them. Without hesitation, they began to climb.
They made their way around the rocks and ran into Clarisse and a bunch of other campers carrying torches.
"Where have you two been?" Clarisse demanded. "We've been looking forever."
"But we were only gone a few minutes," Percy said.
Chiron trotted up with Annabeth by his side while Tyson and Grover followed closely behind.
"Percy!" Tyson exclaimed. "You are okay?"
"We're fine," Percy reassured him. "We fell in a hole."
The others looked at Percy skeptically, then at Stella. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Lee raising his eyebrows suggestively while some other campers snickered.
"Honest!" Percy insisted. "There were three scorpions after us, so we ran and hid in the rocks. But we were only gone a minute."
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "You've been missing for almost an hour. The game is over."
Stella's stomach sank as the reality of their situation set in.
"Yeah," Grover muttered. "We would've won, but a Cyclops sat on me."
"Was an accident!" Tyson protested, and then he sneezed.
Even Clarisse, adorned with the coveted gold laurels, refrained from her usual bragging. Her suspicion was palpable as she pointed out, "A hole?"
Stella locked eyes with Annabeth, and in that brief exchange, the daughter of Athena grasped the significance of the discovery they had unearthed.
Annabeth took a deep breath, looking around at the other campers. "Chiron...maybe we should talk about this at the Big House."
Clarisse gasped, her eyes widening with sudden realization. "You found it, didn't you?"
Stella bit her lip. "I—Yeah. Yeah, we did."
A bunch of campers started asking questions, but Chiron raised his hand for silence. "Tonight is not the right time, and this is not the right place." He stared at the boulders as if he had just noticed how dangerous they were. "All of you, back to your cabins. Get some sleep. A game well played, but curfew is past!"
There was a lot of mumbling and complaints, but the campers drifted off, talking among themselves and giving them suspicious looks.
"This explains a lot," Clarisse said, "it explains what Luke is after."
"Wait a second," Percy interjected. "What do you mean? What did we find?"
Stella turned toward Percy, her amber eyes dark with worry. "An entrance to the Labyrinth. An invasion route straight into the heart of the camp."