Book 4 - The Battle of The Labyrinth
Percy had made it back from the island. He'd recovered there with Calypso after he'd exploded the volcanoes where Hephaestus's workshop was. He'd run into Kronos and his helpers. Annabeth had made it back to the camp a week ago alone. Grover and Tyson were in the tunnels looking for Pan. The entire group had split up on the quest. When Percy arrived to see them having his funeral, he expected to see one person amongst them.
Ayden.
She wasn't there. After Annabeth hugged him, and Clarrise smacked him. They told him that Ayden, Tyson, and Grover hadn't reappeared from the maze. He wanted to go back down immediately but was advised against it by Chiron and Annabeth. The entire camp had gone into war mode preparing for the worst. It was the following day when they had to go find Rachel Dare. The mortal that could see through the mist. She was going to be their only way to navigate the maze unharmed. Percy didn't like waiting this long, but he had no choice. He trusted that Ayden would be able to stay alive until they found each other again. The entire time on the island with Calypso he couldn't stop thinking about how he'd kissed her.
"Does Ayden know about this girl?" Annabeth asked. They were searching the streets for the girl. "It's odd that you know exactly where she would be?"
"Annabeth," Percy turned around to look at her. "I don't like Rachel like that, I need her to find my way back to Ayden, are you going to help me or are you just going to keep talking about how odd it is that I have friends that happen to be girls." Annabeth kept her mouth shut as they started walking again.
"All I'm saying is that it's a little odd, I just want to make sure, my close friend knows that her," Annaveth paused. "That you are close friends with a mortal. So close you know where she hangs out." Percy turned around looking at her annoyingly.
"Yes, Ayden knows about Rachel. She saw us at school together at the start of the year. She had no issue with Rachel, why do you?"
"I'm just looking out for Ayden." Annabeth held up her hands. She looked passed Percy and saw a person covered in gold paint. "Uh, Percy." She pointed. He turned seeing the girl. "Please tell me that's her?" Percy moved forward staring at the stature.
"Hey Rachel, I, uh, I need your help." He called, but the figure didn't move.
"Wow, are you sure your friends?" Annabeth laughed.
"Rachel, I don't have a lot of time. I lost Ayden and you might be one of the only people that can help me find her." Percy added. The statue's eyes fell on him as he played with the necklace. She sighed and stepped down as another boy stepped in her place.
"What do you need now? I already covered for you at school," She explained as she walked toward a bag lying a few feet away.
"Ayden's missing," Percy added.
"I got that. You want my help finding your girlfriend, what's in it for me?" She looked over at Annabeth. "Rachel." She introduced herself.
"Annabeth."
"Demigod as well."
"What have you not told her?" Annabeth threw her hands in the air as she turned away from the two.
"What do you need from me?"
"So you'll help?" Percy asked her. She stared at him and then nodded.
"Yeah, Ayden saved my, well our lives at school. I owe her a bit and she's nice." Rachel pulled something out of her bag. "Want to explain while I go grab a coffee?"
"Um," Percy looked at her appearance. "You're covered in gold paint."
"Yeah, it's a statement, so explain while I get caffeine." She walked off.
"Great friends," Annabeth scoffed as she followed after the shiny girl.
***
Ayden followed the butterflies. They'd split into two. Her mind thought of them as Cameron and her mother. They were leading her to certain doom. They kept pace with her as they showed her through the halls. Sometimes they grew brighter showing more of the hall, but there wasn't anything there. She hadn't run into any monsters yet. She could hear distant voices as she got closer to something. She didn't know what she was coming upon, but the butterflies vanished. A faint light was coming from the hall.
"What are we waiting for?"
"Patience, Luke. You need to learn patience."
"How do you take over his body like that?"
"You'll find out soon enough if the time comes and you're needed. Ayden, come forward." Ayden stepped into the hall slowly moving closer to the opening. It was a workshop. Monsters lined the walls like guards. They sniffed the air and snarled in her direction.
"How did none of you smell my scent?" she asked looking around the room. Her eyes landed on Ki, he had gold-glowing eyes. "Ki?"
"Guess again," He tilted his head to the side. She looked over at Luke, he seemed weaker. His face was pale and he was skinner than before. "Let me guess you're here to kill me."
"Stop you," Ayden corrected. "I'm here to save you both." She glanced at Luke. A mistake. He had backbiter in his hand, his knuckles white as he glared at her.
"I will kill you for what you did to Cameron."
"Who is this?" Another guy held up a sword to her right. She hadn't seen him before. He had an eyepatch on his eye.
"Oh Ayden, this is Ethan Nikumara, son of Nemesis," Ki introduced. "He's got some vengeance." The issue with this position is Ayden couldn't teleport.
"What are the marks on her arms?" Ethan asked her.
"She's a conduit." Ethan stepped back.
"What? Why didn't you say that."
"Stop wimping out before I have you killed like the others," Ki glared at him. He moved closer to Ayden. "So what have you come here for Ayden Rivera? To kill me? You're best friend."
"You aren't Ki," She stared at him.
"Even if I'm not, I'm in his body. You kill me, you kill him. Another friend down the drain," Ki smiled as he grabbed Ayden's hand bringing it to his neck. "do it then. Quick and easy just like this." Ayden looked around at the others.
"Don't taunt her," Luke warned him.
"Everyone else leave this room," Ki demanded. "We need some alone time. Luke, Ethan you stay." The monster obeyed as they left the room. A few other demigods left as well. "Do it Ayden, you could save e everyone. Save so many lives."
"Annabeth would-."
"Don't say her name!" Ki yelled as he stepped closer the knife piercing the skin on his neck Ayden stepped back, but he wouldn't let go of her arm.
"Come on Ayden, you've come this far. Do something!"
"Enough, don't press her," Luke stepped forward. "She will do it."
"You doubt her too much Luke," Ki looked over at him. "She may have killed your little girlfriend, but that was accidental. As long as I wear one of your faces, I'm safe from her. She won't unleash her wrath upon me. Upon him." He chuckled. "This was a perfect plan."
"Take me instead," Ayden offered. Ki tilted his head to the side.
"If you would have offered that to me a year ago, Ayden," He reached forward caressing her cheek. "I would have accepted, but now." He grabbed her face pulling her closer to him. "It's too late. I have what I want. You have nothing to bargain with anymore."
"Ki, please if you're still in there, you have to give me any kind of sign," Ayden begged. Ki threw her head back as she hit the wall behind her.
"Kronos if you don't kill her soon, I will."
"Don't even joke about that," Ki looked at him. "She would be able to kill you with only cutting one of those marks."
Ayden felt helpless. She wanted to end it all, she could. They were in the same room, she could do it. It would save so many lives. She gripped the knife in her hands. They were going to go after people she cared for. She stared into the face of someone she considered a brother.
"Ki, you have to give me something." She muttered. Ki only stood there staring at her.
"If you're going to do it, go ahead Ayden. I give you free reign for the next minute you have to decide who lives and who dies. It's all on your shoulders. The fate of Olympus!" He held his arms up toward the ceiling. "It's all on you my dear." He took a bow. Luke looked between the two. He thought Kronos was crazy for taunting her like this, but he knew as long as he didn't mention hurting Percy, Annabeth, or Grover Ki's body would go untouched.
"You'll get Annabeth killed," Ayden stepped forward. "You'll kill the only girl you've truly ever loved. Are you willing to do that Ki? Fight him!"
"Either fight me or I kill you!" Ki yelled, his voice switching from a deep tone to one that reminded her of Ki. She didn't like the change. She thought it was Ki trying to fight through to tell her to stop. "If you kill me Ayden. Annabeth will never forgive you. You'll lose another person. Percy won't talk to you, you'll be the kin slayer like the gods believe. You'll be a hero to them, but you will lose the people you really care for."
"Shut up!" She stepped closer putting the blade to his heart. Luke raised backbiter to Ayden's side, but Ki waved his hand.
"Let her wither," Ki laughed. "I want to see her break down in front of us. She can't handle the decision."
"She won't forgive me, but at least she'll be alive," Ayden put the knife against Ki's throat. A few drops of blood fell from her arm. She'd cut her Chaos' symbol. Ki's smile faded as he realized. He shoved her back as darkness flooded the room. Ayden moved her hands shoving it down the hall as she saw Luke standing in front of Kronos again. A glowing scythe appeared in Ki's hand. "I'm used to being hated." Ayden let a tear fall from her eye as she threw her hands forward. Monsters came in from the second tunnel as the two ran back.
"Cowards!" Ayden screamed. Her voice shook the tunnels making dirt and debris fall from the ceilings. She put her hands to her chest and threw them out watching as the chaos swept out disintegrating the monsters coming for her in the tunnels. Their shrieks echoed in her ears until it was utterly silent. She prayed her abilities went far enough to reach Kronos and Luke, but she wasn't sure.
She had to find her way home. She had to find her way back to camp in case she didn't get them. The plan could still be underway. She knew she wasn't behind yet, cause they hadn't spoken about an attack on camp yet.
"Damn it." Ayden looked down the halls seeing darkness once again. The torches from the others had gone out. There were no bags she could dig through. She didn't even know where the string of Arachane was. She'd lost it. She'd lost them in the tunnels once more. Ayden let out an angry yell as her entire body shook. Demigods were going to die and it was going to be her fault. She had the opportunity, she had the chance and wasted it.
She told herself if she saw them again she would be able to kill them without a second thought, but she knew that wasn't true. Her blade was to his neck and all she could see was Ki trying to punch her in the face on a sunny day in the strawberry fields at camp. There was a low growl and Ayden knew with all her yelling she'd lured the dragon right to her. She teleported into another tunnel seeing something shadowing in the distance. She used what was left of the chaos magic striking it as it burst into the bright orange ash. She leaned against the wall and tried to wipe at the cut until the blood stopped flowing.
When she was finished she saw the same butterflies from before. Two white ones. They glowed showing the tunnel ahead. She wanted to laugh or cry, but instead, she numbly followed the creature. She knew Pan had sent them, but there was still a part of her that hoped it was Cameron or her mother leading her to safety. It was a childish and naive thing to think, but she couldn't help it. The little creatures left light trails behind them as they fluttered around.
"If you can hear me," Ayden held out her hand. The butterfly rested on her palm fluttering its wings twice. "Thank you and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." It took off leading her back through the tunnels. The other stayed close to her shining light down the opposite side of the tunnel behind her so she couldn't be snuck up on. Ayden let herself trust the light sources as she followed after them once again. She wanted to find her friends. She wanted to get back to camp. She'd messed up and she didn't know how to fix it.
Either kill her friend and be despised by the people she cares for. Or don't kill them and watch as everyone she cares for dies in this fight.
Ayden knew she'd made a mistake, but she'd made a life for herself here. She didn't want to throw that away, but her hesitation may have cost her everything.