𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐄

𝐗𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈

One day, I'll watch as you're leaving
And life will lose all its meaning

𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊-𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒐, taylor swift

They finally stopped in a room full of waterfalls. The floor was one big pit, ringed by a slippery stone walkway. Around them, on all four walls, water tumbled from huge pipes. The water spilled down into the pit, and even when Percy shined a light, they couldn't see the bottom.

Briares slumped against the wall. He scooped up water in a dozen hands and washed his face. "This pit goes straight to Tartarus," he murmured. "I should jump in and save you trouble."

"Yea, maybe you should," Selene scoffed. "Whiny bitch."

"Don't talk that way," Annabeth shot her a glare, then patted his shoulder. "You can come back to camp with us. You can help us prepare. You know more about fighting Titans than anybody."

"I have nothing to offer," Briares said. "I have lost everything."

"What about your brothers?" Tyson asked. "The other two must stand tall as mountains! We can take you to them."

Briares's expression morphed to something even sadder: his grieving face. "They are no more. They faded."

The waterfalls thundered. Tyson stared into the pit and blinked tears out of his eye.

"What exactly do you mean, they faded?" Percy asked. "I thought monsters were immortal, like the gods."

"Percy," Selene said weakly, "even immortality has limits."

Grover nodded. "Sometimes... sometimes monsters get forgotten and they lose their will to stay immortal."

Looking at Grover's face, Selene wondered if he was thinking of Pan. She thought of what her old-self had told her, that immortals envy humans because they have nothing to look forward to. She'd never thought about it too much, but now, looking at Briares, she realized how terrible it would be to be so old—thousands and thousands of years old—and totally alone.

For the first time, she thought of how will her life be in a few years, the prospect of outliving everyone she cares for. In Briares, she saw a glimpse of herself, and it scared her so much.

"I must go," Briares said.

Briares hung his head. "I cannot, Cyclops."

"You are strong."

"Not anymore." Briares rose.

"Hey," Selene grabbed one of his arms and pulled him aside, where the roar of the water would hide our words. "Briares, we need you. In case you haven't noticed, I saved you first, and now, after so much time, it is finally your turn to pay me back. Besides, Tyson believes in you too. He risked his life for you."

Selene told him about everything—Luke's invasion plan, the Labyrinth entrance at camp, Daedalus's workshop, Kronos's golden coffin, her memories being wiped away.

Briares just shook his head. "I cannot, m'lady. I do not have a finger gun to win this game." To prove his point, he made one hundred finger guns.

She turned her back to him, hands resting at her hips. She scoffed, "you're a coward. It's not the humans who've stopped believing—it's you. You've already given up on yourself."

His pure brown eyes regarded her. His face morphed into an expression she recognized—shame.

"If you're going to cower away, the least you could do is explain what that mark signifies," she demanded, brushing her hair aside to reveal the spot behind her ear. "I know you've seen it. You mentioned all your eyes spotted it."

He lowered her eyes, all of them averting hers. "I don't have much information," he admitted, his voice strained. "During my time in... confinement," he spoke haltingly, as if each word caused him physical anguish to utter. "When I saw you in battle, you were marked with that." He gestured towards the spot behind her ear. "I don't have all the details, but... if Zeus hadn't intervened, Kampê would have claimed victory and subjected you to her chains. You were strangely... vulnerable."

"Vulnerable?"

"Weak," he said. "I had seen you before. You were one of the greatest Titans of your age. It wasn't you."

"And you don't know why?"

He shook his head. "Everything is a blur. I'm only sure of one thing—it looked alive. As if the more you fought, the more it grew."

Selene didn't say anything else. She just turned and trudged off down the corridor until she was lost in the shadows.

"Oh. This pitch gives me shivers."

Selene glanced back from her shoulder. She sat on the stone floor, right by the pitch. Her legs dangled above the void as she quietly looked at the depths below.

She saw Annabeth cautiously approaching her, trying not to look terrified. Selene faintly smiled at her.

"It's not that bad. Have a seat here," she offered, gesturing towards the vacant spot on the stone beside her.

Annabeth hesitated for a moment before finally conceding, slowly lowering herself onto the stone next to Selene. As she settled in, she reached out, grasping the edge of Selene's jacket, which was tied to the knapsack.

Selene glanced down at Annabeth's hand resting on her jacket. "You can hold onto it if it makes you feel better."

"Oh, ok," she said. "We found a corridor that looks like it could've been part of a Greek tomb, so we settled there. Percy made a scene saying he'd come talk to you, but he looked like he hadn't slept in ages, so I came instead."

"My bad, I'll be right there so you all can rest."

"No problem." Annabeth turned to look at her. "Are you alright? I saw you talking to Briares and I wondered..."

"I guess not," she admitted. "I don't know. I feel I was too harsh on him. When I think about it, there's probably no one who understands him better than I do."

"Oh. I thought it was something more serious."

"Uh, kinda, too."

Selene pondered whether she'd tell Annabeth or not. She seemed quite too confused about the quest already. Then, she remembered how Annabeth was the first person to understand there was something weird about her, back in New York a few months ago. She was also the one to find Hyperion's form was just a vessel. If there was one person she could confide in, it would be Annabeth.

She pushed her hair away from her neck and turned back, allowing Annabeth to see it fully. "Hera said it's called the Moonstone Mark."

Annabeth leaned closer, her fingers gently tracing the path of the mark. Selene could sense the mark's growth since Hera had first mentioned it; it now extended further down her neck.

"What...?"

Selene recounted everything Briares had told her, her words tumbling out in a rush as she sought to explain it all. Then, she turned to look at Annabeth, half-expecting to see her friend wearing her usual 'I've got everything sorted out' expression. What Selene didn't anticipate, however, was the stunned 'the fuck?!' look that crossed Annabeth's face.

"I don't understand," Annabeth confessed, her head tilting slightly in puzzlement. "If there was any documentation on it, I would likely be familiar, but this is entirely new to me." She paused, trying to piece together the puzzle. "Briares mentioned that you were vulnerable during your battle with Kampê and required Zeus' assistance. But this occurred at the outset of the war, before you led the charge against Typhon and ultimately secured the Gods' triumph over the Titans. So whatever happened must have been in between those years, because otherwise, you wouldn't have possessed the strength to confront Typhon. Or maybe..."

"Maybe?"

"Maybe you used your last bit of strength to defeat him. It is said you were hidden for hundreds of years after the Titan War."

Selene nodded. "It makes sense. So, the Fates probably marked me again to weaken me, since I joined this quest without permission."

"If you're correct," Annabeth's voice wavered slightly, "then the longer you stay with us, the more your strength will diminish."

"Yeah, that's what I think," she nodded.

"You should return to camp. It's not fair for you to—" Annabeth began, but Selene interrupted her.

Grabbing Annabeth's hand, she said firmly, "I'm not going anywhere. Even at my weakest, I'm still stronger than all of you combined. You need me."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, you've got Zeus' ego." She huffed, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "When are you planning to tell the guys, though?"

She shifted on her seat. "I won't."

"What? Percy's going to lose it when he finds out."

"I'm aware," Selene replied. "That's precisely why I won't tell him."

Annabeth sighed. "Mene, I really, really disagree with your decision. We have no idea what lies ahead, and we can't predict how this mark will progress. Speaking as the leader of this quest, I truly believe you're making a mistake."

"And speaking as my friend?"

"I'm terrified," she confessed, her voice trembling slightly. "I really need you here more than ever."

"I'll take the friend one, then," she faintly smiled. "Can we keep this between us? Just until the quest is over. Then, I'll..." she thought of telling her about the judgment she'll have to face. It didn't matter, though. Nothing else mattered but her friends. She vowed to protect them the day she watched Bianca die, and she always kept her promises. "Can I trust you with this?"

Annabeth tightened her grip on Selene's hand. "I will ask you something too," she said. "Please, save Luke."

Selene narrowed her eyes. Moments of silence passed by. She blinked a few times, leaning her head slightly closer, "Girl, what?"

"Luke is not a bad guy, Mene. He's not evil," she whispered sadly. "But nobody believes me. He's just..."

"Didn't he trick you into taking the weight of the sky?"

"He did, but—"

"Isn't he trying to kill Percy every year since he was twelve?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"Isn't he trying to revive my evil uncle as we're speaking?"

"Can you let me talk?"

"Uh yeah, sure, go ahead."

"Everything changed when Luke was sent to his quest a few years ago," she began. "He chose two of his closest brothers to retrieve a Golden Apple from the Gardens of Hesperides. His own father, Hermes, handpicked him for the task. But... he failed to protect them, failed to protect his own flesh and blood. Luke's brothers..." Her voice faltered, unable to continue.

Selene stared at the pit, lost in the dark depths of it, and answered honestly, "Listen, Annabeth, I'm really sorry for him—I really am. But that isn't an excuse to try to deceive the gods, or me for that matter. His dad is a dick, okay. So is mine. I didn't kill innocent people because of it, though."

"You don't understand!" Her voice was an octave higher. When Selene met her eyes, she saw a part of Annabeth she had only seen once before—in one of her dreams, when Luke tricked her into taking the weight of the sky. "Kronos can be really manipulative. He took advantage of Luke's vulnerability and turned him into someone else, he turned Luke insane! I know you've been trying to find a way out for Chris. Maybe you could help Luke too!"

Selene sucked in a breath.

When she didn't respond, Annabeth continued, "Luke came to my house in San Francisco. He was scared, Selene. He feared what Kronos had in store for him," she revealed, her words pouring out in a rush. "And when I looked into his eyes, I saw the real Luke, the one I knew was still in there. Please, trust me on this."

She wanted to trust Annabeth. More than anything, she wanted her to be right about Luke. She wanted to have a way out for him.

When you don't have anything good to say, it's best to say nothing at all. That's what Selene decided to do. "Maybe we should head back,"

Annabeth caught her wrist when she tried to get up. "I'm not asking you this as my friend. I'm asking you as a god," she said. She lifted her head and her eyes were almost a plea. You could see the sadness on her face when she said, "He's my brother. He's my best friend. You're the only god that has never let us down, that fought for us. If even you lose faith in him, then I—I—" She clenched her fists in her lap, her fingers digging into the fabric of her pants as if searching for some semblance of reassurance.

"Annabeth." She finally understood what Dionysus said to her months ago. There are things we cannot control, even if we're gods, and in the end all we can do is mourn. "Let's go back now."

She bit the lower lid of her lips. "Alright."

As they rose from their seats by the pit, Selene and Annabeth exchanged a lingering look. They turned away from the darkness below and began to walk through a corridor formed by towering marble blocks.

Midway through, Selene stopped abruptly, her hand shooting out to catch Annabeth's wrist in a firm grasp. She turned to face her instantly.

"Listen, Annabeth," she began. "I won't make any promises. I don't want to give you false hope. But if the opportunity arises for me to help Luke, I'll do everything in my power to make it happen. Not just for you. For him."

Annabeth lowered her head and kissed Selene's cheek, which made her laugh. "Thank you," she said, then she seemed to remember something. "Thank you, Lady Selene," she bowed to her.

She didn't need an offering to be shown gratitude. She didn't need people to toss their favorite parts of dinner into fire for her. The simple, heartfelt kiss that Annabeth placed on her cheek was the most genuine expression of gratitude she had ever received from anyone.

They were settled not very far from where Annabeth and Selene had stopped. It had to be an older part of the maze, and Annabeth decided this was a good sign.

"We're back," she said. "Get some rest, everybody. We'll keep going in the morning."

"How do we know when it's morning?" Grover asked.

"Just rest," she insisted.

Grover didn't need to be told twice. He pulled a heap of straw out of his pack, ate some of it, made a pillow out of the rest, and was snoring in no time. Annabeth was the easiest one to fall asleep—it was like their conversation had lifted up a heavy weight from her shoulders. She even had a small smile on her lips.

Tyson took longer getting to sleep. He tinkered with some metal scraps from his building kit for a while, but whatever he was making, he wasn't happy with it. He kept disassembling the pieces.

"I'm sorry I lost the shield," Selene heard Percy telling him. "You worked so hard to repair it."

Tyson looked up. His eye was bloodshot from crying. "Do not worry, brother. You saved me. You wouldn't have had to if Briares had helped.

"What happened?" she asked, turning around to look at them.

He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "Briares disappeared right after you two talked."

"He was just scared," Percy said. "I'm sure he'll get over it."

"He is not strong," Tyson replied. "He is not important anymore."

"Don't say that, Big Boy," Selene patted on his shoulder. "Briares is scared, just like all of us. All he needs is... something to look forward. Something that gives his life sense."

Tyson sniffed. "He was my hero," he muttered. "Can't you force him to comply?"

"That's not how it works. I don't agree with forcing beliefs into people," she smiled, "but I can be your new hero!"

He heaved a big sad sigh, then closed his eye. "No, thanks."

The metal pieces fell out of his hand, still unassembled, and Tyson began to snore.

After a while, she heard a big sigh coming from behind. Percy picked up his bedroll and dragged it over to where Selene was sitting, keeping watch.

He sat down next to her.

"You should sleep," she said.

"Can't. You doing all right? I saw you talking to Briares and then you disappeared for a while. I wanted to talk to you, but Annabeth said no, and you know how bossy she gets at times."

Inhaling deeply, she replied, "Yea, I'm fine. Just thinking about the things Briares said."

"About his brothers fading?" Selene nodded. "Don't listen to him, he's just scared. Just... focus on our Quest. We'll find the workshop before Luke does."

She brushed her hair out of her face. She smiled faintly, as if trying to make herself believe it was just Briares' words too.

The smile faded quickly.

"What did Hera tell you back in that room?" he asked. "Ever since you spoke, you've been kinda off. You know I can recognize when you're upset."

"Gods thing, I guess. Nothing to worry about."

"But, the look on your face—"

"Stop!" Selene snapped. Then she took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, Perce. I'm just stressed. Just don't worry about it, okay?"

"You'd tell me if you were important?"

She hesitated. She didn't want to lie to him. "It's a personal thing," she said at last.

They sat in silence, listening to strange creaks and groans in the maze, the echo of stones grinding together as tunnels changed, grew, and expanded.

"Nico is down here somewhere," Percy said. "That's how he disappeared from camp. He found the Labyrinth. Then he found a path that led down even farther—to the Underworld. But now he's back in the maze. He's coming after me."

Selene was quiet for a long time. "Percy, I hope you're wrong. But if you're right..." she stared at the flashlight beam, casting a dim circle on the stone wall. "I vowed to Bianca to protect Nico before she died," she snapped.

He blinked a few times. "And you just kept it from me?"

"Well, you kept a lot from me too."

"You're right," he slowly nodded. Percy laid his head on her shoulder, sighing. His eyes drooled. "I'm sorry for it."

Selene looked at him. He'd never seemed more tired. "Go to sleep. I don't need it, but you do. You look awful."

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Can I sleep like this?"

She felt the effect of his hug travel all through her body.

"You'll probably wake up with a sore neck."

"So I can," he persisted, his grip tightening slightly.

"I didn't say you could!"

"You didn't say I couldn't."

They remained like this for a while, and when she was sure he was already sleeping, she whispered softly to herself, "This quest is the only thing I've truly chosen for myself. It may not be right, but it's my choice. Mine."

He shifted slightly. His hand breached the distance between them and his fingertip grazed over hers. Selene's fingers opened at his touch.

Percy ran his fingertip along the flesh of her palm, tracing the lines.

His hands were calloused and had a few cuts here and there. Selene's was as flawless as it could be.

She wanted to have hands like his.

"Remember that Saturday you ditched Ballet practice to stay at my place?" His voice caught her off-guard. His words were slow and a little sluggish. "You were reading that book you hated while I was playing Minecraft. What's the name?"

"How do you even remember that?" she chuckled, genuinely surprised. "A thousand boy kisses?"

"Um, this one," he nodded slowly, his eyelids drooping as he fought off sleep. "I read a little bit of it. To understand why you hated."

"But you hate reading books. You always tell me to wait for the movie."

"I do," Percy admitted with a sheepish grin. "But I don't hate you, so I read like, a hundred pages then jumped to the end."

"A hundred?" Selene widened her eyes, brushing back a few fallen strands of hair from her face. "That's a lot. Almost a third of the book. Congrats, Poseidon Junior."

"I know, I'm so smart," he replied, his smile turning silly. "I get why you hated it. You hate sad endings."

Selene closed her eyes. Then, she smiled too, moving his hand to touch a couple of new scars on his knuckles. "You're saying a load of nonsense. Just go to sleep."

"No, it makes sense," Percy insisted. He was watching her finger as he said it. "You hate sad endings, so I'll make sure this quest goes well. I don't want you to hate it."

"That's surprisingly sweet for someone that spends ten hours a day shifting between Minecraft and Fortnite."

"I try," he shrugged. "You know what I've been thinking? Mom and I always watch the first snow together. Maybe we could do it this year, what do you think?"

"First snow? That's months away. We're barely at the start of summer."

"I know. But if you promise to watch it with us, then I'll have an excuse to see you in December."

"What's gotten into you? You're so cringe."

When her finger stopped he looked up, and their eyes locked. He huffed, "I take back the invite."

His voice trailed off, his eyelids growing heavy as he finally gave in to sleep, his breathing deep and steady.

That entire day she'd been reminded about her fate. Whether it was by the growing burning sensation on the back of her ear, the encounter with Hera, or the look on Briares' face after thousands of years alone.

As she watched Percy sleep, she couldn't help but ask herself if they'd be able to watch the first snow together. And how many times they'd manage to watch until they grow so different their friendship won't make sense anymore.

Percy will grow up, go to college, find love, build a career, and eventually start a family. For Selene, time was frozen. Forever trapped at fifteen. Forever mourning the regular life she was supposed to have.

The thought of him living a full and happy life while she just watches from afar brought a bittersweet smile to her lips.

Percy was right—Selene hated being sad.

When Tyson woke up and poked her shoulder, saying she should sleep a little too, Selene finally let her body relax.

She shared dreams with Percy once again.

She was somewhere that looked like a workshop. Tables were littered with measuring instruments. A forge burned red hot in the corner. There was a boy stoking the bellows. He was quite tall, almost Percy's age. A weird funnel device was attached to the forge's chimney, trapping the smoke and heat and channeling it through a pipe into the floor, next to a big bronze manhole cover.

It was daytime. The sky above was blue, but the walls of the maze cast deep shadows across the workshop. After being in tunnels so long, Selene found it weird that part of the Labyrinth could be open to the sky. Somehow that made the maze seem like even a crueler place.

The old man looked sickly. He was terribly thin, his hands raw and red from working. White hair covered his eyes, and his tunic was smudged with grease. He was bent over a table, working on some kind of long metal patchwork—like a swath of chain mail. He picked up a delicate curl of bronze and fitted it into place.

"Done," he announced. "It's done."

He picked up his project. It was so beautiful, her heart leaped—metal wings constructed from thousands of interlocking bronze feathers. There were two sets. One still lay on the table. Daedalus stretched the frame, and the wings expanded twenty feet. Part of her knew it could never fly. It was too heavy, and there'd be no way to get off the ground. But the craftsmanship was amazing. Metal feathers caught the light and flashed thirty different shades of gold.

The boy left the bellows and ran over to see. He grinned, despite the fact that he was grimy and sweaty. "Father, you're a genius!"

The old man smiled. "Tell me something I don't know, Icarus. Now hurry. It will take at least an hour to attach them. Come."

"You first," Icarus said.

The old man protested, but Icarus insisted. "You made them, Father. You should get the honor of wearing them first."

The boy attached a leather harness to his father's chest, like climbing gear, with straps that ran from his shoulders to his wrists. Then he began fastening on the wings, using a metal canister that looked like an enormous hot-glue gun.

"The wax compound should hold for several hours," Daedalus said nervously as his son worked. "But we must let it set first. And we would do well to avoid flying too high or too low. The sea would wet the wax seals—"

"And the sun's heat would loosen them," the boy finished. "Yes, Father. We've been through this a million times!"

"One cannot be too careful."

"I have complete faith in your inventions, Father! No one has ever been as smart as you."

The old man's eyes shone. It was obvious he loved his son more than anything in the world. "Now I will do your wings, and give mine a chance to set properly. Come!"

It was slow going. The old man's hands fumbled with the straps. He had a hard time keeping the wings in position while he sealed them. His own metal wings seemed to weigh him down, getting in his way while he tried to work.

"Too slow," the old man muttered. "I am too slow."

"Take your time, Father," the boy said. "The guards aren't due until—"

BOOM!

The workshop doors shuddered. Daedalus had barred them from the inside with a wooden brace, but still they shook on their hinges.

"Hurry!" Icarus said.

BOOM! BOOM!

Something heavy was slamming into the doors. The brace held, but a crack appeared in the left door.

Daedalus worked furiously. A drop of hot wax spilled onto Icarus's shoulder. The boy winced but did not cry out. When his left wing was sealed into the straps, Daedalus began working on the right.

"We must have more time," Daedalus murmured. "They are too early! We need more time for the seal to hold."

"It'll be fine," Icarus said, as his father finished the right wing. "Help me with the manhole—"

CRASH! The doors splintered and the head of a bronze battering ram emerged through the breach. Axes cleared the debris, and two armed guards entered the room, followed by the king with the golden crown and the spearshaped beard.

"Well, well," the king said with a cruel smile. "Going somewhere?"

Daedalus and his son froze, their metal wings glimmering on their backs.

"We're leaving, Minos," the old man said.

King Minos chuckled. "I was curious to see how far you'd get on this little project before I dashed your hopes. I must say I'm impressed."

The king admired their wings. "You look like metal chickens," he decided. "Perhaps we should pluck you and make a soup."

The guards laughed stupidly.

"Metal chickens," one repeated. "Soup."

"Shut up," the king said. Then he turned again to Daedalus. "You let my daughter escape, old man. You drove my wife to madness. You killed my monster and made me the laughingstock of the Mediterranean. You will never escape me!"

Icarus grabbed the wax gun and sprayed it at the king, who stepped back in surprise. The guards rushed forward, but each got a stream of hot wax in his face.

"The vent!" Icarus yelled to his father.

"Get them!" King Minos raged.

Together, the old man and his son pried open the manhole cover, and a column of hot air blasted out of the ground. The king watched, incredulous, as the inventor and son shot into the sky on their bronze wings, carried by the updraft.

"Shoot them!" the king yelled, but his guards had brought no bows. One threw his sword in desperation, but Daedalus and Icarus were already out of reach. They wheeled above the maze and the king's palace, then zoomed across the city of Knossos and out past the rocky shores of Crete.

Icarus laughed. "Free, Father! You did it."

The boy spread his wings to their full limit and soared away on the wind.

"Wait!" Daedalus called. "Be careful!"

But Icarus was already out over the open sea, heading north and delighting in their good luck. He soared up and scared an eagle out of its flight path, then plummeted toward the sea like he was born to fly, pulling out of a nosedive at the last second. His sandals skimmed the waves.

"Stop that!" Daedalus called. But the wind carried his voice away. His son was drunk on his own freedom.

The old man struggled to catch up, gliding clumsily after his son.

They were miles from Crete, over deep sea, when Icarus looked back and saw his father's worried expression.

Icarus smiled. "Don't worry, Father! You're a genius! I trust your handiwork—"

The first metal feather shook loose from his wings and fluttered away. Then another. Icarus wabbled in midair. Suddenly he was shedding bronze feathers, which twirled away from him like a flock of frightened birds.

"Icarus!" his father cried. "Glide! Extend the wings. Stay as still as possible!"

But Icarus flapped his arms, desperately trying to reassert control.

The left wing went first—ripping away from the straps.

"Father!" Icarus cried. And then he fell, the wings stripped away until he was just a boy in a climbing harness and a white tunic, his arms extended in a useless attempt to glide.

Selene woke with a start, feeling like she was falling. The corridor was dark. In the constant moaning of the Labyrinth, she thought she could hear the anguished cry of Daedalus calling his son's name, as Icarus, his only joy, plummeted toward the sea, three hundred feet below.

Percy had also woken up startled.

"You know," she muttered. "When you push me into your dreams, I always remember why I shouldn't be sleeping."

He caught up his breath. "I wonder why it happens."

"Maybe is instinctive, I don't know. I don't do on purpose."

"Well, I'm just glad I don't have to go through this alone." 

There was no morning in the maze, but once everyone woke up and had a fabulous breakfast of Popeye's burgers Selene had summoned, they kept traveling. Percy and her silently agreed on not mentioning the dream. Something about it had really freaked both of them out, and they didn't think the others needed to know that.

The old stone tunnels changed to dirt with cedar beams, like a gold mine or something. Annabeth started getting agitated.

"This isn't right," she said. "It should still be stone."

They came to a cave where stalactites hung low from the ceiling. In the center of the dirt floor was a rectangular pit, like a grave.

Selene wrinkled her nose. "Why does it smell like my old church?"

Grover shivered. "It smells like the Underworld in here."

"Oh, that makes quite sense."

Then she saw something glinting at the edge of the pit—a foil wrapper. She shined her flashlight into the hole and saw a half-chewed cheeseburger floating in brown carbonated muck.

"Can I grab it?" she asked, looking around. "It's barely untouched."

Percy patted her head.

"Oh shoot!" She yelped, rubbing the spot where he'd slapped. "Why did you do that?"

"Focus on the quest, Mene," he said. "It's Nico. He was summoning the dead again."

Tyson whimpered. "Ghosts were here. I don't like ghosts."

"We've got to find him." She said. She didn't fully understand why, but she knew deep within that Nico was nearby. She couldn't bear the thought of him wandering alone in this desolate place, surrounded only by the deceased.

Selene started to run.

"Mene!" Annabeth called. 

She ducked into a tunnel and saw light up ahead. By the time Percy, Annabeth, Tyson, and Grover caught up with her, she was staring at daylight streaming through a set of bars above her head. She was under a steel grate made out of metal pipes. Selene could see trees and blue sky.

"Where am I?" She wondered.

A shadow fell across the grate and a cow stared down at her. It looked like a normal cow except with was a weird color—bright red, like a cherry. She'd never seen cows come in that color.

The cow mooed, put one hoof tentatively on the bars, then backed away.

"It's a cattle guard," Grover said.

"A what?" Selene asked.

"They put them at the gates of ranches so cows can't get out. They can't walk on them."

"How do you know that?"

Grover huffed indignantly. "Believe me, if you had hooves, you'd know about cattle guards. They're annoying!"

Selene turned to Annabeth. "Didn't Hera say something about a ranch? We need to check it out. Nico might be there."

She hesitated. "All right. But how do we get out?"

Tyson solved that problem by hitting the cattle guard with both hands. It popped off and went flying out of sight. They heard a CLANG! and a startled Moo! Tyson blushed.

"Sorry, cow!" he called.

Then he gave them a boost out of the tunnel.

They were on a ranch, all right. Rolling hills stretched to the horizon, dotted with oak trees and cactuses and boulders. A barbed wire fence ran from the gate in either direction. Cherry-colored cows roamed around, grazing on clumps of grass.

"Oh no, the red cattle," Selene pressed her hand on her mouth, looking around. "They shouldn't be here."

"What?" Percy asked.

"The cattle of the sun," Annabeth replied. "They're sacred to Apollo."

"Holy cows?"

"Exactly. But what are they doing—"

"Wait," Grover said. "Listen."

At first everything seemed quiet...but then she heard it: the distant baying of dogs. The sound got louder. Then the underbrush rustled, and two dogs broke through. Except it wasn't two dogs. It was one dog with two heads. It looked like a greyhound, long and snaky and sleek brown, but its neck V'd into two heads, both of them snapping and snarling and generally not very glad to see them.

"Bad Janus dog!" Tyson cried.

"Arf!" Grover told it, and raised a hand in greeting.

The two-headed dog bared its teeth. They really weren't impressed that Grover could speak animal. Maybe it was because Selene also could, and she understood little no nothing of what he said.

"Grover, that is so not how you talk to them," Selene hissed. "You just said their mother stinks."

Then its master lumbered out of the woods, and she realized the dog was the least of their problems.

He was a bulky guy with stark white hair, a straw cowboy hat, and a braided white beard— kind of like Father Time, if Father Time went redneck and got totally jacked. He was wearing jeans, a DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS T-shirt, and a denim jacket with the sleeves ripped off so you could see his muscles. On his right bicep was a crossed-swords tattoo. He held a wooden club about the size of a nuclear warhead, with six-inch spikes bristling at the business end.

"Heel, Orthus," he told the dog.

The dog growled at them once more, just to make his feelings clear, then circled back to his master's feet. The man looked them up and down, keeping his club ready.

"What've we got here?" he asked. "Cattle rustlers?"

"Just travelers," Annabeth said. "We're on a quest."

The man's eye twitched. "Half-bloods, eh?" Then, his eyes bored into Selene. "And what do we have here? A..." his breath faltered. "Titan?"

Percy started to say, "How did you know—"

Selene put her hand on his arm. "My name is Selene. I am the Titaness of the Moon, Night and Radiance. This is Annabeth, daughter of Athena and our leader. This is Percy, son of Poseidon. Grover the satyr. Tyson the—"

"Cyclops," the man finished. "Yes, I can see that. Funny how you call a demigod your leader." He glowered at Percy. "And I know half-bloods because I am one, sonny. I'm Eurytion, the cowherd for this ranch. Son of Ares. You came through the Labyrinth like the other one, I reckon."

"The other one?" She asked. "You mean Nico di Angelo?"

"We get a load of visitors from the Labyrinth," Eurytion said darkly. "Not many ever leave."

"Wow," Percy said. "I feel welcome."

The cowherd glanced behind him like someone was watching. Then he lowered his voice. "I'm only going to say this once, demigods. Get back in the maze now. Before it's too late."

Annabeth glanced at Selene. "Not without Nico. I am his patron." Patron? Where did she take that from?

Selene remembered the oath Dionysus had taken when he promised Artemis he'd teach her. "I swear on River Styx... that I'm protecting your brother, Nico."

Thunder rumbled in the sky. Apparently, the oath was sealed.

Annabeth nodded. She probably also didn't understand, but did trust her. "We're not leaving," she insisted, agreeing with Selene. "Not until we see this other demigod. Please."

Eurytion grunted. "Then you leave me no choice, ladies. I've got to take you to the boss."

She didn't feel like she was a hostage or anything. Not her, at least.

Eurytion walked alongside them with his club across his shoulder. Orthus the two-headed dog growled a lot and sniffed at Grover's legs and shot into the bushes once in a while to chase animals, but Eurytion kept him more or less under control.

They walked down a dirt path that seemed to go on forever. It must've been close to forty degrees, which was a shock after San Francisco. Heat shimmered off the ground. Insects buzzed in the trees. Before they'd gone very far, they were all sweating like crazy, except for Selene. Flies swarmed them.

Every so often they'd see a pen full of red cows or even stranger animals. Once they passed a corral where the fence was coated in asbestos. Inside, a herd of fire-breathing horses milled around. The hay in their feeding trough was on fire. The ground smoked around their feet, but the horses seemed tame enough. One big stallion looked at Percy and whinnied, columns of red flame billowing out his nostrils. Selene couldn't help but laugh. They were saying Percy was so ugly it melted their eyes.

"What are they for?" he asked.

Eurytion scowled. "We raise animals for lots of clients. Apollo, Diomedes, and...others."

"Like who?"

"No more questions."

Finally they came out of the woods. Perched on a hill above them was a big ranch house—all white stone and wood and big windows.

"It looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright!" Annabeth exclaimed.

Selene guessed she was talking about some architectural thing. To her it just looked like the kind of place where she'd break a few more rules to save the asses of four insufferable kids. They hiked up the hill.

"Don't break the rules," Eurytion warned as they walked up the steps to the front porch. "No fighting. No drawing weapons. And don't make any comments about the boss's appearance." Then, he turned to Selene, "keep your friends on a leash, Lady."

"You're too passive aggressive for someone who's five foot five," she huffed, "or someone I could disintegrate in a snap of fingers."

Before Eurytion could reply, a new voice said, "Welcome to the Triple G Ranch."

The man on the porch had a normal head, which was a relief. His face was weathered and brown from years in the sun. He had slick black hair and a black pencil mustache like villains have in old movies. He smiled at them, but the smile wasn't friendly; more amused, like Oh boy, more people to torture!

But his eyes locked with Selene's. And now, his smile was replaced by widened eyes full of horror.

She didn't ponder that very long, though, because then she noticed his body...or bodies. He had three of them. Now you'd think she would've gotten used to weird anatomy after Janus and Briares, but this guy was three complete people.

His neck connected to the middle chest like normal, but he had two more chests, one to either side, connected at the shoulders, with a few inches between. His left arm grew out of his left chest, and the same on the right, so he had two arms, but four armpits, if that makes any sense. The chests all connected into one enormous torso, with two regular but very beefy legs, and he wore the most oversized pair of Levis she'd ever seen.

His chests each wore a different color Western shirt—green, yellow, red, like a stoplight. She wondered how he dressed the middle chest, since it had no arms.

"Appetizer, main course, and dessert," she pointed to each belly as she spoke.

Annabeth face-slapped. "Not now, Mene," she whispered.

"He told you not to make comments," she whispered back. "He said nothing about me."

The cowherd Eurytion nudged Percy. "Say Hello to Mr. Geryon."

"Hi," he said. "Nice chests—uh, ranch! Nice ranch you have."

Annabeth face-slapped again, and Selene stifled a laugh. If this quest depended on both of them, they'd be long gone by now.

Before the three-bodied man could respond, Nico di Angelo came out of the glass doors onto the porch. "Geryon, I won't wait for—"

He froze when he saw them. Then he drew his sword. The blade was just like she'd seen in the Iris message; short, sharp, and dark as midnight.

Geryon snarled when he saw it. "Put that away, Mr. di Angelo. I ain't gonna have my guests killin' each other."

"But that's—"

"Percy Jackson," Geryon supplied. "Annabeth Chase. And a couple of their monster friends. Yes, I know."

"Monster friends?" Grover said indignantly.

"Did he just call a Goddess monster?"

"That man is wearing three shirts," Tyson said, like he was just realizing this.

"Percy let my sister die!" Nico's voice trembled with rage. "He's here to kill me!" Then, he turned to Selene, "how could you stay by his side?"

"Nico, we're not here to kill you." Percy raised his hands. "What happened to Bianca was—"

"Don't speak her name! You're not worthy to even talk about her!"

Selene raised her finger, pointed at Nico's sword, and tossed it away from him. "Too many whiny bitches for a day."

Before Nico could swear at her, Annabeth interrupted. "Wait a minute," she pointed at Geryon. "How do you know our names?"

The three-bodied man winked. "I make it my business to keep informed, darlin'. Everybody pops into the ranch from time to time. Everyone needs something from ole Geryon."

Nico tried to catch his sword.

"Now, Mr. di Angelo, stay right where you are before I have Eurytion keep you on your feet."

Eurytion sighed, but he hefted his spiked club. At his feet, Orthus growled.

Nico hesitated. He looked thinner and paler than he had in the Iris Messages. Selene wondered if he'd eaten in the last week. His black clothes were dusty from traveling in the Labyrinth, and his dark eyes were full of hate. He was too young to look so angry. She still remembered him as the cheerful little kid who played with Mythomagic cards, the kid she'd sworn to protect.

Reluctantly, he sheathed his sword. "If you come near me, Selene or Percy, I'll summon help. You don't want to meet my helpers, I promise."

"I believe you," Percy said.

Selene crossed her arms. "I'm so scared of a twink."

They looked at her as if they hadn't understood, except for Percy, who couldn't believe she said that.

Geryon patted Nico's shoulder. "There, we've all made nice. Now come along, folks. You too, lady Selene. I want to give you a tour of the ranch."

Geryon had a trolley thing—like one of those kiddie trains that take you around zoos. It was painted black and white in a cowhide pattern. The driver's car had a set of longhorns stuck to the hood, and the horn sounded like a cowbell. Maybe this was how he tortured people. He embarrassed them to death riding around in the moo-mobile.

Nico sat in the very back with Selene, both of them probably thinking of keeping an eye on the rest of the group (though for different reasons). Eurytion crawled in next to him with his spiked club and pulled his cowboy hat over his eyes like he was going to take a nap. Orthus jumped in the front seat next to Geryon and began barking happily in two-part harmony.

Annabeth, Tyson, Grover, and Percy took the middle two cars.

"We have a huge operation!" Geryon boasted as the moo-mobile lurched forward. "Horses and cattle mostly, but all sorts of exotic varieties, too."

Selene rolled her head on the headrest to face Nico. "I've got one of those too," she said, turning her palm up and summoning her fan with a flick of her wrist. She pointed to the blades. "Stygian Iron. They're terrified of her," she added, gesturing toward Geryon and Eurytion with a nod.

"Good for you."

She scoffed. First boy to ignore the Moon goddess' charm, it seems.

But before she could retort, Nico abruptly turned to her, leaning in closer as he whispered, "How did you get that?"

Selene shrugged. "Dunno. Came with the Goddess package."

"Maybe you should've used it to save Bianca instead of letting your friend kill her." Nico's jaw clenched as he straightened up. "I don't like this version of you."

She ran her teeth over her bottom lip and said, "What do you mean? You met the old Selene?"

"No."

They came over a hill, and Annabeth gasped. "Hippalektryons? I thought they were extinct!"

At the bottom of the hill was a fenced-in pasture with a dozen of the weirdest animals she'd ever seen. Each had the front half of a horse and the back half of a rooster. Their rear feet were huge yellow claws. They had feathery tails and red wings. As Selene watched, two of them got in a fight over a pile of seed. They reared up on their wings at each other until the smaller one galloped away, its rear bird legs putting a little hop in its step.

"Rooster ponies," Tyson said in amazement. "Do they lay eggs?"

"Once a year!" Geryon grinned in the rearview mirror. "Very much in demand for omelets!"

"That's horrible!" Annabeth said. "They must be an endangered species!"

Geryon waved his hand. "Gold is gold, darling. And you haven't tasted the omelets."

"That's not right," Grover murmured, but Geryon just kept narrating the tour.

"Now, over here," he said, "we have our fire-breathing horses, which you may have seen on your way in. They're bred for war, naturally."

"What war?" Percy asked.

Geryon grinned slyly. "Oh, whichever one comes along. And over yonder, of course, are our prize red cows."

Selene had kept her eyes tightly shut ever since they began their ascent up the hill. Despite never having been an enthusiast of animals, she found herself increasingly disturbed by the scene unfolding around her. The sound of cattle being herded grated against her senses, and she couldn't bear the thought of witnessing their plight.

Selene sensed shadows across her vision. With a hesitant breath, she reluctantly opened her eyes, only to see Nico's hand outstretched to cover the landscape around them. As they were in the far back, no one else noticed.

"What are you doing?"

He didn't respond.

"So many," Grover said.

"Yes, well, Apollo is too busy to see them," Geryon explained, "so he subcontracts to us. We breed them vigorously because there's such a demand."

"For what?" Percy asked.

Geryon raised an eyebrow. "Meat, of course! Armies have to eat."

"You kill the sacred cows of the sun god for hamburger meat?" Grover said. "That's against ancient laws!"

"Oh, don't get so worked up, satyr. They're just animals," he shrugged. "Besides, what about that friend of yours? Isn't she against ancient laws either?"

"Just animals!"

"Yes, and if Apollo cared, I'm sure he would tell us."

"If he knew," Selene muttered.

Nico sat forward, withdrawing his hand. "I don't care about any of this, Geryon. We had business to discuss, and this wasn't it!"

"All in good time, Mr. di Angelo. Look over here; some of my exotic game."

The next field was ringed in barbed wire. The whole area was crawling with giant scorpions.

"Triple G Ranch," Percy said, as if he suddenly remembered something. "Your mark was on the crates at camp. Quintus got his scorpions from you."

"Quintus..." Geryon mused. "Short gray hair, muscular, swordsman?"

"Yeah."

"Never heard of him," he said. "Now, over here are my prize stables! You must see them."

Selene shut her eyes once again, but she didn't even need to see them, because as soon as they got within three hundred yards she started to smell them.

Near the banks of a green river was a horse corral the size of a football field. Stables lined one side of it. About a hundred horses were milling around in the muck—horse poop. It was the most disgusting thing she'd ever seen, like a poop blizzard had come through and dumped four feet of the stuff overnight. The horses were really gross from wading through it, and the stables were just as bad. It reeked like you would not believe—worse than the garbage boats on the East River.

Even Nico gagged. "What is that?"

"My stables!" Geryon said. "Well, actually they belong to Aegas, but we watch over them for a small monthly fee. Aren't they lovely?"

"They're disgusting!" Annabeth said.

"Lots of poop," Tyson observed.

"One day I took five laxatives thinking it was Tylenol," Selene said. "Bathroom looked pretty much like this."

"How can you keep animals like that?" Grover cried.

"Y'all getting' on my nerves," Geryon said. "These are flesh-eating horses, see? They like these conditions."

"Plus, you're too cheap to have them cleaned," Eurytion mumbled from under his hat.

"Quiet!" Geryon snapped. "All right, perhaps the stables are a bit challenging to clean. Perhaps they do make me nauseous when the wind blows the wrong way. But so what? My clients still pay me well."

"What clients?" Percy demanded.

"Oh, you'd be surprised how many people will pay for a flesh-eating horse. They make great garbage disposals. Wonderful way to terrify your enemies. Great at birthday parties! We rent them out all the time."

Selene laughed. She'd want flesh-eating horses on her Sweet Sixteen.

"You're a monster," Annabeth decided.

Maybe it wasn't nice to laugh.

Geryon stopped the moo-mobile and turned to look at her. "What gave it away? Was it the three bodies?"

"You have to let these animals go," Grover said. "It's not right!"

"And the clients you keep talking about," Annabeth said. "You work for Kronos, don't you? You're supplying his army with horses, food, whatever they need."

Geryon shrugged, which was very weird since he had three sets of shoulders. It looked like he was doing the wave all by himself. "I work for anyone with gold, young lady. I'm a businessman. And I sell them anything I have to offer."

He climbed out of the moo-mobile and strolled toward the stables as if enjoying the fresh air. It would've been a nice view, with the river and the trees and hills. Great place for a date, Selene thought, except for the quagmire of horse muck. And the monsters. And the impertinent kids.

Nico got out of the back car and stormed over to Geryon. The cowherd Eurytion wasn't as sleepy as he looked. He hefted his club and walked after Nico, with Selene following right behind.

"I came here for business, Geryon," Nico said. "And you haven't answered me."

"Mmm." Geryon examined a cactus. His left arm reached over and scratched his middle-chest. "Yes, you'll get a deal, all right."

"My ghost told me you could help. He said you could guide us to the soul we need."

"Wait a second," Percy said. "I thought I was the soul you wanted."

Nico looked at him like he was crazy. "You? Why would I want you? Bianca's soul is worth a thousand of yours! Now, can you help me, Geryon, or not?"

"Oh thanks the gods," Selene sighed. "Now we're good."

Grover cleared his throat. "Um, he's still looking for a soul, Mene."

"I know. It's just not my business anymore."

"Your ghost friend, by the way, where is he?" The rancher asked.

Nico looked uneasy. "He can't form in broad daylight. It's hard for him. But he's around somewhere."

Geryon smiled. "I'm sure. Minos likes to disappear when things get...difficult."

"Minos?" She remembered the man she'd seen in her dreams, with the golden crown, the pointed beard, and the cruel eyes.

"You mean that evil king?" Percy completed. He'd also remembered that dream. "That's the ghost who's been giving you advice?"

"It's none of your business!" Nico turned back to Geryon. "And what do you mean about things getting difficult?"

The three-bodied man sighed. "Well, you see, Nico—can I call you Nico?"

"No."

"You see, Nico, Luke Castellan is offering very good money for halfbloods. Especially powerful half-bloods. And I'm sure when he learns your little secret, who you really are, he'll pay very, very well indeed."

Nico drew his sword, but Eurytion knocked it out of his hand. Before Percy could get up, Orthus pounced on his chest and growled, his faces an inch away from Percy's.

But monsters couldn't hurt her.

Without her moving even an inch, Selene's fan lunged forward, catching Eurytion from behind. In the blink of an eye, the sharp edge of the blades were pressing against his neck.

He froze, his breath catching in his throat as he watched the fan dangerously loom near him. The Stygian Iron blades, poised to strike, held the power not just to end his life, but to ensnare his soul for eternity.

"I wouldn't touch this kid if I were you," Selene warned. "Or I'll tear both your throats out."

Geryon sneered in response. "Oh, come on, we all know you can't, Lady Selene," he retorted with distaste. "You're not within your sphere."

She clenched on her teeth. Anyone who knows the laws would know she couldn't do much but threaten... at least for now. At least while she still had some respect left for the ancient laws.

Eurytion's voice trembled with fear. "There's nothing I hate worse than Stygian Iron," he cried out.

Selene didn't back down. Instead, she was slowly closing her fists, making her fan press harder against Eurytion's neck.

"I don't play by your law." She did, in fact, play by their laws. And internally, she was, indeed, freaking out. She could only pray Geryon would give up, because she really, really didn't want to break the most important law.

"Alright. No harming the boy," Geryon raised his hands. "I won't touch your... how do you call it?"

"My champion," Selene shouted through gritted teeth. She said without even thinking. "Nico is my champion. I am his patron."

"No harming your champion, whatever that means. Do we have a deal?"

She sighed, and withdrew her fan back to her hand. "For now."

"Now," Geryon said cheerfully, "we've had the tour. Let's go back to the lodge, have some lunch, and send an Iris-message to our friends in the Titan army."

"You fiend!" Annabeth cried.

Geryon smiled at her. "Don't worry, my dear. Once I've delivered Mr. di Angelo, you and your party can go. I don't interfere with quests. Besides, I've been paid well to give you safe passage, which does not, I'm afraid, include Mr. di Angelo."

"You said no harm to him!" Selene screamed.

She dashed forward, halting abruptly in front of Nico, her body forming a protective shield around him. Selene couldn't quite grasp why she felt so fiercely protective of Nico di Angelo. She couldn't even understand why she had called him a champion. In fact, she didn't even know what that meant. She was straight and utterly lost.

Nevertheless, Selene raised her hand. She was ready to send it hurtling towards Geryon and erase him from existence then and there. He'd been disrespectful to her from the start, anyways. She just wasn't ready for whatever the Fates would do to her after this.

"Wait!" Percy shouted, and she turned back, looking at him. He shook his head to her, and she instantly understood. Not killing Geryon. Not now. "Geryon, you said you're a businessman. Make me a deal."

Geryon narrowed his eyes. "What sort of deal? Do you have gold?"

"I've got something better. Barter."

"But Mr. Jackson, you've got nothing."

"You could have him clean the stables," Eurytion suggested innocently.

"I'll do it!" Percy said. "If I fail, Selene will allow you to get all of us, and she will cause you no harm. Trade us all to Luke for gold."

"Assuming the horses don't eat you," Geryon observed.

Selene was about to say something, but he looked at her again. At this point, she could proudly say she understood Percy Jackson just by his looks. And right now, he was telling her to trust him.

"Either way, you get my friends," he said. "But if I succeed, you've got to let all of us go, including Nico."

"No!" Nico screamed. "Don't do me any favors, Percy. I don't want your help!"

Selene stamped on his feet. "Say 'thank you', you mannerless kid."

He stamped on her feet back. "Shut up, Moonbeam."

"Is that supposed to be an insult?"

Geryon chuckled. "Percy Jackson, those stables haven't been cleaned in a thousand years...though it's true I might be able to sell more stable space if all that poop was cleared away."

"So what have you got to lose?"

The rancher hesitated. "I can't trust a Titan."

"You have my word!" She exclaimed. "I swear by the River Styx...

She really wanted to be right about Percy's look meaning I've got it! and not we're all dying!

...That I'll let you get all of them if Percy fails."

Thunder rumbled in the sky.

The rancher hesitated. "All right, I'll accept your offer, but you have to get it done by sunset. If you fail, your friends get sold, and I get rich."

"Deal."

He nodded. "Well, Percy Jackson, teach me your ways with the Titans. You're a very lucky man," he said. "I'm going to take your friends and your Titan with me back to the lodge for a welcoming feast. We'll wait for you there."

Eurytion gave Percy a funny look. It might have been sympathy.

He got out of the car and locked eyes with Selene. She walked to him, and caught his arm.

"I hope you know what you're doing," she said quietly. "If not, you fucked up real badly for me."

"Do I get a prize if I succeed?"

"Sure. Pick between Geryon or Eurytion to give you a kiss."

He grimaced. "Not exactly the prize I wanted."

Geryon got behind the driver's wheel. Eurytion hauled Nico into the backseat, and Selene sat right beside him.

Nico turned to her, "Those are Roman terms."

"What?"

"Champion. Patron."

That was all he said.

"Sunset," Geryon reminded him. "No later."

He laughed at Percy once more, sounded his cowbell horn, and the moomobile rumbled off down the trail. 

Author's Note:

Did y'all notice how Nico didn't straight up hate Selene? I wonder what's going on, hehe. 

I'm so excited for the next chapters. I've even lost sleep thinking about the ideas I've been developing. 

See y'all soon <3