[mos maiorum]

A sharp breeze whipped through the open-air pavilion, rustling the blades of grass surrounding the crumbling ruins. As Tessa waded through the field of grass, she couldn't feel the wind, but she saw how it ruffled the hair of the man standing in the center of the pavilion, his face taut in thought.

Tessa watched as he straightened up, letting out a sigh. He threw his hand forward, and all around him, the space in between the pillars circling the pavilion in a U ignited into light. Tessa looked closer and saw the light begin to swirl, shimmering different colors and sparking with stars and sparkles. A hum resonated through the air, like electricity was rushing past them, and as the light of one of these galactic spaces fell upon the man's face, Tessa bit back her anger: Orion.

"What is it?" The leader of the Regiment barked into the light between two pillars. The sapphire light flared for a moment, as if his words triggered more energy within it.

"Our escape route may be compromised, my lord," A distorted voice came through the other side and Tessa realized—Orion was facing a portal.

Which meant the person he was talking to was the traitor.

Had it not been a dream, Tessa would have blitzed the immortal before her right then and there. But she forced herself to stay put and listen, trying to gather as much information as possible.

Orion narrowed his eyes. He was silent for a moment, but then spoke, "Yes, that seems to be the case. Ah, well, the camps won't see it coming, then."

"My lord?" The traitor spoke on the other end—a male voice, Tessa was able to make out, but what if the depth of it was due to the portal?

"Our plans will go forth as planned," Orion spoke, straightening his posture. He reached behind him, drawing one of the arrows from his quiver. It seemed to be made of a mix of all three immortal metals, glimmering in the light of the portals. "Has my gift been put to good use?"

"Y-yes, my lord," The traitor responded hastily. "It was used to disable Hale recently."

"Disable? I asked you to kill him."

"I'm aware, my lord, but the circumstances were...challenging. I won't fail next time, I promise." The traitor responded, and Tessa could feel the anger within her begin to rise like a sleeping beast, on the verge of destroying everything as soon as it came to.

"Good," Orion said brightly, twisting the arrow in his hands. "I have a new task for you, anyways." He turned on his heel, pacing the polished stones of the pavilion.

"Tessa Brennan and her little friends have five days left to prepare for their journey into the Labyrinth, yes? They are training and researching, doing all that they can. Of course, they are already put off by the fact that you are in their midst, but let's stir the pot some more, shall we?" Orion said, staring off into the indigo horizon.

"What do you mean, sir?" The traitor spoke.

For a moment, Orion was silent. Whatever plan he was formulating in his head was intricate, and Tessa could almost imagine him moving around the various steps like pawns on a chessboard. The hunter chuckled, and Tessa felt her blood run cold.

"We'll make life a little harder for our beloved friends before we apprehend them," Orion decided. "Grief can only hinder them, but that might just be what they need."

Tessa knit her eyebrows, but at that moment, Orion waved his hand, and the blue light of the portal turned back to the silvery shimmer of the other portals. He turned away from it, and with a pang of her heart, he looked directly at Tessa in her dream.

"Can you take all that I'm about to throw at you, little heroine?" He grinned devilishly, the smile of killers, and Tessa found herself facing flashes and mirages of other instances.

She saw her mother bound and gagged, glaring up at someone who stood before her with a murderous look in her green eyes. A scream ripped through Tessa's head as she watched the scene change into another that twisted her heart. Dale walked down a shrouded corridor—the Labyrinth—a flashlight in her hand. She seemed to be troubled, Tessa could tell from the look in her best friend's luminescent irises but what she didn't see was the shadow of a creature behind her. Tessa screamed at Dale through her vision, but the daughter of Demeter only turned and faced what was behind her.

Suddenly, Tessa stood on a dais with a throne behind her. She was swathed in battle armor; a bronze breastplate on her torso, Tempest in its sheath at her waist, greaves on her arms and shins. For some reason, a laurel wreath was in her hair. Tessa instinctively drew her sword and her heart stopped in her chest at seeing the glowing bronze blade doused in crimson blood.

"Hail the conquering heroine!" Orion cackled, his voice booming through the vision.

Tessa's eyes widened as she lowered her sword, and bit back vomit at what she saw. A battlefield, filled with the bloodied bodies of her friends. Kaden, Dale, Reese, Mark, Charlie, Amelie, Flynn, everyone dead at Tessa's hand.

Tessa screamed.

~~

"Tessa! Tessa, wake up!" Kaden's voice ripped her out of her dreams, and Tessa's eyes shot open. She saw the son of Venus' face above hers, concern flashing in his emerald eyes.

Tessa sat up, breathing heavily as she did. She glanced around her to confirm that she was in her room, with Kaden standing beside her bed. No pavilion of portals, no Orion, no battlefield.

"Are you okay?" Kaden asked, his voice soft. He sat down beside Tessa, reaching forward to brush away the remnants of her tears.

Tessa took a ragged breath. "Nightmare," She croaked.

Kaden's eyes filled with understanding as Tessa enlightened him on what she had seen. By the end of it, Kaden had taken Tessa's hands in his, pressing a kiss to the back of one of them.

"Sounds like Orion is trying to trip you up," He sighed, meeting her gaze. "He showed you images of your mom and Dale right?"

As well as you and just about everyone else I've met in my life beaten to a pulp, Tessa thought bitterly. She nodded. "He asked me if I could handle what he was about to throw at me."

"Then you can't let this affect you, Tess," Kaden said softly. Tessa shifted so she could sit at his side, and he wrapped her in his arms. "We have to focus on the Labyrinth, and then we'll be able to stop him and the rest of the Regiment. Besides, he's got the traitor to keep an eye on you. If whoever they are—"

"It's a he," Tessa interjected. "At least, I'm pretty sure it is."

"How do you know?"

"The voice that came through the opposite end of the portal...it sounded masculine." Tessa ran a hand through her hair, feeling a sort of calm rush through her despite the strife. They could eliminate the female suspects of theirs, at least for the time being.

"Regardless," Kaden brushed a strand of hair out of her face, smiling down at her softly. "I believe in you. You can get through this, Tessa, I promise you. I'll be right at your side to back you up."

Tessa smiled at that. She leant forward, pressing a kiss to Kaden's lips. He kissed her back, and that butterfly feeling that surged through her came back in the moment. After a moment, Kaden pulled away, standing up.

"Where are you going?" Tessa asked, knitting her eyebrows together.

Kaden gave Tessa an apologetic look. "The Principia," He said. "Kaya's requested an audience regarding my trial."

With a pang of Tessa's heart, she remembered. After all, it was half the reason they were at Camp Jupiter to begin with. Kaden still had to be tried in front of the Senate to debate whether or not he would remain in Rome to complete his service in the legion. With all that'd happened lately, Tessa could understand how it would have gotten swept under the rug until other priorities were met.

"Okay," Tessa responded, forcing a weak smile.

"Will you be okay going to see Theseus on your own? I can go with you if you want me to," Kaden said.

Tessa shook her head, standing up. "I'll be fine," She met his gaze. "Besides, Alex is supposed to let me know who'll be escorting me there during breakfast."

Kaden's lips twitched, the way they always did when he was stifling a laugh. Tessa arched an eyebrow, watching him suspiciously. "What?" She asked.

"Tessa," Kaden shook his head, a boyish grin on his face. "Breakfast started an hour ago. I came to wake you up."

Tessa's eyes widened at the news, and with that, she leapt around her room. She snatched up her backpack, digging out her jeans, before grabbing her hoodie from the foot of her bed and sweeping past Kaden. "Thank you for this poorly timed news, Kaden!" She called, pecking his lips as she dove into the bathroom, executing possibly the fastest quick-change of all time.

By the time she was ready to go, Kaden was still fighting a laugh. She walked out of her bathroom, slipping into her shoes and making sure Tempest was with her as she went.

"Stop laughing," She chided as she and Kaden left her room.

"Nope, it's pretty funny." Kaden said sarcastically.

Tessa groaned, causing Kaden to laugh again. But as they walked towards their different destinations, Tessa was glad to feel that bond between them once again, with sounds like Kaden's laughter and the feeling of his lips on hers strengthening it.

~~

Breakfast was just ending as Tessa dashed into the room. Everywhere she looked, plates were being retrieved by the air spirits, and Romans were getting up and leaving for their war training.

"Tessa!" Someone called. Tessa scanned the crowd before her and spotted Sophia, forging her way through the people until she stood before her.

"Hey, what's up?" Tessa asked, noticing the features of distress on the daughter of Athena's face.

Sophia swept a hand through her flyaways, glancing around the room. "Nothing," She said breathlessly. "I've just been looking for Alexia. I haven't seen her since yesterday, and she wasn't in the barracks either."

Suspicion began to rise in Tessa's head, as well as a small arc of fear through her heart. "The schedules for the legionnaires have been crazy with all that's happening, maybe she's busy doing something?"

Sophia pressed her lips into a thin line in thought, and Tessa could see the fear flashing through her eyes. In that moment, Tessa made a silent vow to herself to help Sophia in whatever way she could to find the daughter of Pluto.

"Hey," Tessa snagged Sophia's attention. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Tessa!" Alex's voice boomed from the other side of the room, and Tessa said a quick goodbye to the daughter of Athena as she swept towards the praetor, her mood and posture hardening in front of the son of Mars.

"Alex," Tessa said curtly.

"So glad you could meet me after breakfast even though I ever so eloquently said 'during'," Alex deadpanned. "You need an escort into San Francisco to help you find Theseus so you can ask him about the Labyrinth, yes?"

"Yes."

"Well, then," Alex snapped his fingers. "Here you go."

Tessa turned and found Vinny walking towards her, his signature goofy smile on his face. He was dressed for a winter's day in San Francisco, with sneakers, jeans, and a sweatshirt on his figure. His disheveled hair was tucked under a black beanie, which brought out his blue eyes.

"Hey there, Tessa," Vinny greeted cheerfully.

"Hey," Tessa said, her stress alleviating slightly. If Vinny was her escort, there would not be a dull moment. Besides, if things went bad in the city, she knew that the centurion would be able to keep himself up in a fight. She was still a little sore from their fight the previous day.

"Maxwell will take you to and from the city to serve as a bodyguard in case anyone less than friendly gets any ideas," Alex reported with a short exhale. "When you're done with Theseus, come back as soon as possible to report the information to Kaya and myself. Understood?"

"Understood," Vinny responded. He shot a sideways look at Tessa, who matched it with a confused one.

"Am I understood, Tessa? Or are you just going to traipse along the city and wreak havoc the way a daughter of Poseidon would normally do?"

Tessa felt the chill of his words surround her like a mist, but as her eyes sharpened on the son of Mars glaring at her, she used his frostiness to her own advantage. Ice built in her heart, in her veins, and coated her words.

"I may wreak havoc, but at least I don't have an ego the size of Jupiter," Tessa said venomously. "Or Mars, for that matter."

Alex's eyes narrowed and Tessa knew that he had more he wanted to say to her, but Tessa shoved past him towards the entrance, running in on initiative. Vinny followed in her wake, and when the dining hall was left in the distance, only then did Tessa relax.

"Well, you surely put a twist in his toga," Vinny joked as they headed down the paths of Camp Jupiter.

Tessa scanned the valley, noting the war preparation that was ensuing. Everywhere she looked, legionnaires were executing combat training. Some groups were even dressed in full battle armor, becoming streaks of gold under the winter sun. However, each demigod was armed and wearing some form of armor. A certain air of tension filled the atmosphere, and Tessa knew why: they were expecting an attack at any moment.

"He does that for himself without my help," Tessa said to Vinny at last. "He just likes to make my life hell for some reason."

Vinny tugged down on his beanie as they turned a corner. A small parking lot sat in the near distance, and that seemed to be their destination.

"Alex is...meticulous. He likes to run this camp with an iron fist but a big heart. He's not really a people person aside from that. That's more of Kaya's personality." The centurion said. "Don't take what he says personally. I've seen what you can do, and wreaking havoc is not one of your abilities."

Tessa made a face as they kept walking. "Thanks, but he's got a point." She mumbled.

Vinny didn't seem to hear her. He got a glint in his eyes, a certain shimmer of admiration, as he continued to speak. "I've heard stories from Kaden about all of the things you've done in the past but what was that thing you did at War Games? That earthquake thing?"

Tessa tensed. The slightest falter, the smallest hesitation, but she kept walking. "What about it?"

"Nothing, I just think it's pretty cool," Vinny shrugged. Tessa glanced back up at him and found the same look in his eyes that had been there during their fight the day before. "No wonder the Regiment wants you."

Tessa gauged his words, but before she could ask, Vinny's blue eyes flicked forward to the parking lot. "Oh, we're here."

He led her over to one of the cars, and together, they hopped in. Vinny sparked the ignition and then the both of them were headed down the path that led to the highway outside Camp Jupiter, towards San Francisco.

~~

Maybe it was her memory, or maybe it was her connection to the sea, but Tessa found Pier 39 easily as soon as she and Vinny were into the city. They parked along the curb before the pier, and entered swiftly.

"Where are we gonna find Theseus here?" Vinny looked around in confusion, his hands stuffed into the pocket of his sweatshirt.

"He works at the aquarium," Tessa responded simply, making her way towards the blue building nearby.

"What?" Vinny yelped. "A mythic hero works at an aquarium."

"Yep."

"That's new."

Tessa smiled wryly as she and Vinny made their way into the aquarium. It was just as she remembered it from the summer before, if only slightly less crowded. She made her way back downstairs, Vinny in her wake, to the hall of sharks. Surprisingly, her half-brother was in the same spot as the first time she'd met him, only now, he was actually working.

"Theseus," Tessa called.

The hero of myth looked up from his clipboard, searching for the source of the voice. His sea-green eyes fell upon Tessa, and when he smiled, he looked a little like their father.

"Tessa," Theseus responded, lowering his work. "What are you doing here?"

Tessa stepped forward, fiddling with Tempest in pin form within her pocket. "I need to talk to you about something." She said with an exhale.

Theseus arched an eyebrow. "What kind of something?"

Tessa glanced around the room carefully. Vinny was a few paces behind her, amused by a tank of jellyfish. There were a few guests nearby, but that alone was enough to put their identities at risk.

"Do you remember that time you visited Crete?" Tessa chose her words carefully, gauging her half-brother's reaction.

Theseus' eyes widened in shock. He glanced from Tessa to Vinny, setting down his clipboard. "Come with me," He said, his voice grave.

Tessa and Vinny followed Theseus through the aquarium until they'd emerged into the same place by the bay as last time. Theseus walked straight to the railing, breathing in the sea air before he turned back to Tessa.

"You can't be serious, Tessa," He said, shaking his head. "The Labyrinth is a monstrosity. I barely made it out alive."

"But you made it out," Tessa countered. "And you saved thirteen other kids in the process."

"That was a long time ago! The Labyrinth is not a means of travel, Tessa, you have to understand that." Theseus snapped, his sea green eyes stormy.

Tessa met his gaze full on, two storms on the verge of meeting. The water in the bay began to churn, turning from a deep blue to a stormy grey. "No, it's a means of mobilization for an enemy army who is dead set on destroying Olympus."

Theseus knit his eyebrows together. "What?"

Vinny told Theseus about the Regiment, and how they were planning to overthrow the camps and Olympus overall in a matter of time. Upon hearing the news, Tessa could discern the conflict in her brother's eyes; the Labyrinth was no joke, she knew that much, but Theseus more so than anyone would have to understand the sacrifice in order to save the masses.

"What do you want to know?" Theseus looked up, his voice gravelly. His grip tightened on the railing, his white lab coat flicking in the wind that was generating in the wake of the two children of Poseidon.

"How to navigate the maze, what to expect," Tessa waved her hand around in thought.

Theseus laughed darkly. "You want to know what to expect? Tunnels of darkness, absolute darkness. Strange sounds and chilling feelings that you can't tell where they're coming from. The constant premonition that something within its confinement is out to get you, fueled by bloodlust, and you can't decide whether to succumb to the madness that the maze creates or sacrifice yourself as food for the beast."

Tessa pressed her lips into a thin line. She knew the Labyrinth was bad, but Theseus spoke of his time in the maze as if he'd lived through a war, which in a way, he did.

"I heard about what King Minos had decreed, and took the place of one of the Athenian youths that was chosen to go in. Thankfully, when I arrived in Crete, Ariadne..." Theseus paused for a moment, but took a deep breath and continued. "Ariadne was able to give me a gift to help navigate the maze. Her advice to me was to only go forward, not to make any turns. I would find what I was looking for that way.

"I'd hidden a sword from the guards that I brought into the maze with me. I listened to Ariadne's advice and tied the end of the string to the door and then went on my way...Tessa, when I say that the maze will drive you mad, I go based on the expressions of the kids I was able to rescue after I defeated the Minotaur. They were dehydrated, malnourished, mad. The maze messed with their heads, warped their senses of reality. It's no place to go as a shortcut." Theseus took another breath, watching Tessa and Vinny carefully.

Tessa glanced away. "I understand, Theseus, I really do."

"Except you don't," The hero rebuffed. "You won't until you go in. My advice to you is to do as I did: find Ariadne's string, follow it dead ahead in the maze, and pray to every god that you'll make it out alive."

Tessa pressed her lips into a thin line. She nodded softly, and upon seeing his sister's concession, the sea behind them both began to ease.

"Where can we find Ariadne's string?" Tessa asked.

Theseus shook his head, dragging a hand through his black hair. "No idea," He confessed. "Although I would imagine it should be in possession of one of the demigod camps."

Tessa knit her eyebrows in thought. She knew the armory back at camp like the back of her hand, and she was positive that the string of myth wasn't there. The armory at Camp Jupiter, however...

Tessa gasped. She looked from Vinny to Theseus wildly, who both seemed startled by her exclamation.

"What is it?" Vinny asked.

"The string," Tessa exhaled. "That's what Orion must have been looking for in the armory when I found him there."

"Hold on, Orion?" Theseus interjected.

"The leader of the Regiment," Tessa responded. "He attacked Camp Jupiter and I apprehended him in the armory, but he disappeared."

Theseus seemed troubled by this. He cast a careful look at Vinny before escorting Tessa a short distance away from the centurion. "Tessa, you can't listen to anything that that giant tells you."

"He's a giant?"

"Listen!"

Tessa clamped her lips shut.

Theseus took a deep breath, like he knew what to say but he didn't know how to phrase it. "He's a rule-breaker, a traitor, not anyone to be trusted. You see him as an enemy, which is good, but you must see past the brand of villain that he's marked himself with. He will do anything to achieve what he wants, and he excels at betrayal."

"Considering the fact that he's sent a spy into the legion, I've figured that much."

"What I'm trying to say is...be careful who you trust. Orion became the enemy to the one person who he loved most; you have to be aware of people's intentions. They may say they are your friend, but you can only trust those that you truly know will be by your side in any battle." Theseus said, gripping her shoulders.

Tessa looked into her brother's eyes, gauging the level of panic that was filling them now. "Okay," She said numbly.

Theseus sighed in relief. "I'll talk with Poseidon soon, ask him to give you some sort of blessing on your journey. Just remember, Tessa: go straight ahead in the Labyrinth and trust only those who you must."

Tessa nodded, watching her brother carefully. Theseus was the epitome of the sea; calm and collected one moment, then frantic and wild the next. He'd gone from informing them on what to do in the Labyrinth to warning Tessa of what was to come in an instant. However, Tessa knew that his advice was worth listening to. After all, he'd seen what was to happen on her quest last summer, and if he was generally concerned for her loyalties, then she had to double check who she was allying with.

"Thank you for your help," Tessa said, smiling weakly.

Theseus let go of her, taking a step back. "Stay safe, Tessa."

Tessa walked back to Vinny, who asked a few questions as to what Theseus had told her in private. She dodged his questions all the way back to the car, and even as they rode in silence, Tessa couldn't stop herself from thinking that maybe the traitor was someone who she trusted, someone who had wormed their way into her life and made her believe that they were her friend. Maybe it was Vinny right beside her, maybe it was Charlie or Kaya or Alex or anyone that she'd made the acquaintance of in New Rome.

She couldn't trust anyone but herself, and even in that moment, she wasn't sure of even that anymore. Everyone had their secrets nowadays, people wearing masks but hiding agendas underneath, sweeping past in intricate steps and dancing around the dilemmas. Tessa wondered when this masquerade would end, and if it like in her nightmare, the waltzing of secrets would only end with a slash of her sword.