It only took me about an hour of looking for Daedalus' Mark to really start missing Annabeth. She was like the center of our group of friends. She knew what to do, where to go, and I felt lost without her here. We ended up not finding anything within the city, but fortunately for us the car had a small television hooked up along with a mini fridge filled with drinks and snacks for us to eat on the ride. On the way, Percy was poking at Rachel to give the reason why the driver was in such a rush to give her a ride and leave behind the last client, but she was as evasive as ever and looking out the window attentively.
"I think I saw something," Rachel interrupts. "Robert, stop here," she calls to him. "Get off on the next exit and drop us off there."
"Yes, Ms. Dare," the driver responds over his shoulder politely.
There's this museum about the mines in the area, already closed for the day. So we had no problem climbing this hill to a mine shaft at the top.
But I'm squinting skeptically. "Is there really a mark up here?" I ask, glancing over my shoulder and noting how far from the road we are.
"Oh, I am," the mortal says confidently, pointing to a glowing blue mark upon a wooden plank that blocked the entrance to the mine.
Percy steps forward and touches the sign, and the boards fall to the ground at our feet. Then he steps over and walks inside, turning his flashlight on to light their path, and all I can feel is trepidation as we are once again in the Labyrinth. I'm sick and tired of this place, and I feel like it's constantly taking stuff from me. Grover and Tyson are gone, now Annabeth. What would it claim next? But as darkness engulfs all of us again, part of me hopes that we'll run into Annabeth and Daedalus while down here. Rachel Elizabeth Dare leads us without pause through different corridors and halls. No traps go off, and we don't encounter Kronos or his army of monsters at all, and that's probably because they're off trying to get to camp to attack it. We stop at a crossroads, and Rachel shudders while looking down one way.
"Definitely not that way."
I frown. "Why?"
She hugs herself and frowns. "Something...." She trails off in consideration, nervously. "Something evil."
My eyebrows knit together, though I get what she means. The air is cold to the point that I keep thinking that my breaths will be seen in white puffs. I stare down the direction she's talking about and purse my lips.
"We're in San Francisco," Percy says slowly.
I tilt my head back a little and sniff, my nose coiling at the faint smell of eucalyptus leaves. I think of Luke.
"I'm gonna go check it out."
My feet carry me in that direction, ignoring my friend's protests as I pick up the pace and jog down the corridor. I hope there aren't any traps, she didn't mention any traps-
I slow down to a stop, panting through my nose as I reach the end of the corridor. I'm in Mount Othrys, the throne room of the Titans. Tall black pillars stretch down the throne room, and at the end is a golden sarcophagus that is too wide to belong to anything mortal.
"Is that...." I jump in surprise at the sound of Percy's voice approaching from behind, and look over at his inquiring expression. "Is that Kronos' coffin?"
I nod, my expression void of any emotion. "Yeah, that's it. I remember seeing it on the Princess Andromeda."
The room is eerily cold, and we take several hesitant steps into the throne room to make sure we were alone before walking to the golden coffin. As we get closer to it, I take note of the the carvings on it's side, scenes depicting violence and death. Back on the ship, I had seen these images before, but now for some reason they sent shivers down my spine.
"Percy, what are you doing?"
He's pushing the lid up, grunting from the weight. "Help me."
I frown, awkwardly finding solid spots to grip so that I can help him. With both of us, it became easier to push the top off. Managing to slide it, we push it back enough to explore what was beneath. I audibly gasp at what I see: Luke is laying there, looking rather peaceful in a coffin. There's the scar on his lip, pale blonde hair, it is him. And then in the center of his chest is a small, clean hole the size of a quarter. I'm pulled from my thoughts at the sound of Percy uncapping Riptide at my side.
"What are you doing?" I ask again, my voice wavering just a little with uncertainty.
"We have to end this now." Is his response as he raises Riptide to strike.
"No!"
Before he can say anything or stop me, I shove into him with all my strength. His sword clatters against the sarcaphagus edge, missing Luke's chest mere inches. We stumble down the few steps and hit the ground hard, wrestling each other before we disentangle from each other.
"What are you doing?" Percy demands angrily, exasperation clear in his voice.
I aim my spear at his chest once I'm off the ground. "That's Luke, not Kronos!" I snap. "You can't do this. I won't let you."
For a few seconds, we face each other, and I think that Percy might go to attack Luke's body again, but before anything could happen we hear inhuman voices getting closer. We give each other these wide stares before darting in opposite directions to hide behind some tall columns. Those creatures from Hephaestus' forge, Telekhines, come into view, marching in order and carrying a giant scythe towards the coffin. To my dismay, Ethan Nakamura was mixed in there, like the Telekhines were escorting him personally.
"So that's all I have to do?" I hear Ethan ask nervously, and I tilt my head around the stone pillar enough to watch them congregate before the coffin.
A Telekhine gasps. "Has the Lord stirred?" it hisses, eyeing the now open sarcophagus with unease.
There's chattering among them, all seemingly uncomfortable with the idea of Kronos awakening so suddenly without warning.
"Yes," a creature answers momentarily. "Just pledge your allegiance to the Titan Lord, and he will awaken anew."
"Ethan, no!" My eyes widen at Percy's sudden outburst, and he comes out of his hiding place suddenly. "You can't do this."
The boy looks at Percy sympathetically. "You should have killed me back in the arena, Percy," he says morosely. "My mother is Nemesis, the goddess of vengeance, I had to learn that the hard way. I lost an eye. Now it's the gods' turn to pay." He bows before the coffin, settling on one knee and lowering his head. "I, Ethan Nakamura, pledge my allegiance to the Titan Lord Kronos."
Fear courses through my system. Could this have been me, if they hadn't taken me off that ship way back when they were on the Sea of Monsters? If I had stayed, would I have been the one to really wake up Kronos? As I throw myself out of my own hiding place, intending to attack Ethan and the Telekhines, a blast of blinding light from the golden coffin throws me off my feet. Groaning as I recover, my eyes flutter open and look up, freezing as Luke rises from the case and climbs out.
"Luke-" I rasp, voice dry from being knocked out of me from the fall. "What-" But when his eyes open, I'm struck by his eyes, they're entirely golden now.
His head turns in my direction, and when those eyes train on me, I feel like they are looking right through me. I'm torn between wanting to talk to him, or turning to run in the opposite direction. Anything but those eyes.
"Reagan," Luke says, voice jarring. It was his voice, but something more sinister underneath it, overlapping like an echo. It was dark and evil, and it made my skin crawl. "It's not too late."
It's an offer, and as Luke climbs out of the coffin, flexing his muscles, testing out his body, I'm more shocked by the gentleness of his voice. It's warm and welcoming, and it brings back memories of Camp Half-Blood. The good memories of being in the Hermes Cabin. Training in the summer heat, marshmallows around the fire and the campfire songs. Of Luke's smile when we sparred together, just him and I, that same scar rippling whenever he would repel my attack with a grin, like the way his scar moved now as he spoke.
"I will spare you. And Annabeth and your mother as well. That's what you wanted, wasn't it?"
He stretches his hand to me, right in front of me now, and I'm gazing at his hand like I'm in a trance. In his other hand is that scythe, the steel glinting off the fires from the torches lining the walls on either side of us. His weapon looks heavy, but he carries it just fine.
"I should have told you no." My voice comes out sounding smaller then I wish it had, wavering and scared. I'm scared. "Way back then..." I trail off, finding my voice as I think of it all. Of my mom worrying about my disappearance, I think about Annabeth. "I should never have done what I did. I shouldn't have helped you, Luke." I'm talking louder now, or maybe it's not louder, but stronger, because I can't let myself be scared of him. I won't be scared of him. "What I did for you... It was all in vain, because you're going to lose."
The kindness in his expression dissolves, replaced by anger. "Then you'll die like the rest."
My spear is too far out of reach, but I grab for it nonetheless. Before my fingers can wrap around the staff, there's another bright flash of light from Luke's body, a harsh blast of hot air knocks me far out of reach of my weapon and I crash into a stone pillar. A pained noise loosens from my lips as I slide to the floor. Luke laughs, and he swings his scythe experimentally, testing it's weight. It glides through the air like a pocket knife, and I gulp at the sight as he approaches me.
"Luke!" Percy intervenes, coming out of his own daze and coming to my rescue. He's gripping Riptide so tightly that his knuckles are white.
Golden eyes zone in on him instead. "Do you like my weapon, Percy?" he asks instead. "Luke's Backbiter...." I stare at the bronze and steel weapon and frown. "It was a beautiful gift I bestowed upon him, and now it can serve it's true purpose as my weapon!"
He laughs maniacally and attacks Percy, who has nothing else he can do but roll under the swing and stab at Luke. But he's too fast, and maybe that's because Kronos is inside his body now. He takes a step back swiftly, and with another swing cuts Percy on the shoulder and he cries out and creates distance between them again. I grit my teeth, forcing myself to my feet and ignoring my own pain. I need to help Percy. Luke on his own was an almost impossible opponent to face back at camp, but maybe the both of us together...
"After I kill you both, I will crush your pathetic camp."
By the time I finally reach my weapon and pick it up, Percy is sprinting in my direction, the look in his eyes is clear: Fear. Run. Now. We are no match for him.
As he closes the distance between us, I catch on immediately and turn to leave the way we had come, through the Labyrinth. I'm hurting all over, from the impact against the column to the running, but I keep pushing harder and harder to flee from him. From Luke. From Kronos. He laughs again and casually follows us.
"I am also called the Lord of Time," he explains, and we find out what he means seconds later.
With a wave of his hand, time around Percy and I come to a near stand still. We're moving, but like snails now, and no matter how hard to try to run faster and harder, I don't budge. And while Percy and I are barely moving at all, Luke approaches us at a normal pace, totally unaffected by his time spell. With an evil gleam in his golden eyes, Luke raises his scythe once he's near us, and all I can do is watch in horror as we're about to be cut down so easily.
"Percy! Reagan!" A voice screams, and Nico and Rachel come into view. It was Rachel who screamed, and she flings something in our direction.
"Ow!" Luke howls after something blue smacks him right in the eye.
Percy and I stumble as the spell wavers then breaks. As Luke covers the attacked eye with his free hand and rubs it, I watch in awe as the golden eyes flicker then die, and I'm gazing at the stunned face of Luke. Actually Luke.
"C'mon!" Percy urges, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me to the Labyrinth entrance.
"What are you waiting for?" Luke growls, Kronos' malevolent voice resonating behind his own once again. "Get them!"
"No!" Nico shouts as Ethan and the Telekhines charge after us. He turns and claps his hands together, and the ground rumbles as two stone slabs grow, creating a barrier between us and them and allowing us to escape.
We hear the screams of anger from Luke as we flee back into the tight corridors of the Labyrinth and don't stop running well until we are far away. Even when we no longer hear anything pursuing us, we keep going on a little longer. My lungs are burning with pain, and I have to stop as the pain only grows. We're all heaving, and Nico is shaking from using his powers, and once we slow to a stop he sits on the floor against the wall to catch his breath. I wince, hugging my side and grimacing as more pain wracks my body.
"Reagan, are you okay?" Rachel Elizabeth Dare asks in concern as Percy sits on the floor beside Nico.
"I...I guess I'm just more hurt then I thought from hitting that column," I confess through gritted teeth.
Percy digs through his belongings. "Here's some ambrosia."
He tosses up a plastic bag filled with it, which I catch with a grateful nod and pull out a piece for myself. The taste is familiar and close to home, but even that taste spoils as I think about Luke and his golden eyes boring into me. Home, to me, was Camp Half-Blood, and a lot of that time was with Luke and the other kids in the Hermes Cabin. I swallow the bitterness, and a warmth begins to blossom in my chest, spreading through my stomach. I feel any internal injuries healing, and I start to feel better. But the ambrosia doesn't heal the subtle ache in my heart when I think of what happened to Luke, and how Annabeth would react in this situation.
"Thanks for saving us, Rachel," I say with a small smile and hand the bag back to Percy.
She blushes a little. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more. It's all I had on me."
I chuckle. "You saved us. Good throw back there."
We all stand there in silence then, catching our breath before we need to keep going. Eventually we start to move again, wanting to create as much distance between us Kronos with his army. As we walk, I start to smell something weird. Well, maybe not weird, but different. The Labyrinth usually smells musty and dank, but now I smell fresh air. Like nature after a fresh shower of rain. With flowers and clean water.
"Huh...." Percy mumbles curiously, smelling the scent as well. He quickens his pace as he senses something. "Grover and Tyson are this way."
"What? Are you sure?" I ask and follow him, eager to find our friends as well.
He nods. "Remember when we were going to Hephaestus' forge and we found that path and they went down it? This is the same path. It has to be."
The ground beneath our feet soften to fresh, damp earth as we travel. We enter a larger cavern with an underground stream trickling through the center of it. I look at the stalagmites and stalactites that grew off the ceiling and floor, dripping with water and looking like razor sharp teeth of a beast.
Percy gasps and rushes forward suddenly, but before I can ask what he's going to, he bends down and picks up a worn looking red cap.
Grover's cap, to be exact.
"Oh no," I murmur. "Is he.... Do you-"
"No, Grover is alive. I know it. And so is Tyson," he voices with conviction in his tone.
I just nod, not wanting to voice the possibility that they were both dead. I didn't want to think of that option, either. Relief quickly takes over as further down the cavern we spot Tyson, but he's cradling the motionless body of Grover in his arms. My face drops, and I slow down as Percy rushes over.
"Tyson, are you okay?"
The Cyclops looks up at us. "Good to see you, Percy!" he greets immediately, finding comfort with the arrival of his friends. "Grover is asleep."
And as we near him, his chest rises and falls slowly, unconscious.
"Percy," Grover's chest suddenly rises more, eyes slowly opening as he senses his friend approaching through their empathy link. "Pan...."
"Is Pan close?" he asks in surprise.
"There was wind," Tyson explains. "And Grover passed out."
"Oh, you mean like the time this happened while searching for Artemis?" I suggest, thinking to when Grover had collapsed after a strong wind blew through while we were traveling together a few years ago.
As Grover comes to, he takes his hat back and stands up with Tyson.
"He's close, Percy," the Satyr insists, wringing his cap out in his hands nervously. "Can't you feel it?"
"I can feel it," Rachel Elizabeth Dare chimes in, looking in a specific direction. "That way. Can't you?"
Grover squints in that direction, eyes go wide, and he jogs that way. We go after him, and I'm just happy that we're all together again. We have to wade through the stream though, and by the time I'm waist deep, I'm shivering to the core and my teeth are chattering from the icy cold water. Percy is lucky because he stayed dry the entire time. Shaking off the water as we go, we find another cavern further down, the same stream trickling through this one as well.
There's an ornate looking bed in the center, long ago extinct animals surrounding it. A large mammoth shakes a tree gently with it's trunk as it grabs a few branches from the highest point, and I watch the creature, well aware that my mouth might be hanging open again.
And on the center of the bed is none other then the ancient god Pan.