I 035. I

𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒔

❝ wings ❞

SHE DIDN'T EXACTLY TRUST THE MORTAL. Not after what had just happened. They had been captured and Ariadne had to fight a fifteen foot tall giant and latch a hook onto his loincloth, not exactly fun. Also, she was covered in part of Antaeus's sand-matter-stuff, and she was disgusted.

"This way!" Rachel yelled.

"Why should we follow you?" Annabeth demanded. "You led us straight into a death trap!"

"It was the way you needed to go," Rachel said. "And so is this. Come on!"

Annabeth didn't look happy about it, and neither did Ariadne, but they ran along with the rest of them. Rachel seemed to know exactly where she was going. She whipped around corners and didn't even hesitate at crossroads. Once she said, "Duck!" and they all crouched as a huge axe swung over their heads. Then they kept going as if nothing had happened.

Ariadne lost track of how many turns they made. They didn't stop to rest until they cane to a room the size of a gymnasium with of Ambrose columns holding up the roof. Percy stood at the door way, listening fir sounds of pursuit, but he heard nothing.

Ethan collapsed on the floor. "You people are crazy." He pulled off his helmet. His face gleamed with sweat.

Annabeth gasped. "I remember you! You were one of the undetermined kids in the Hermès cabin, years ago."

He glared at her. "Yeah, and you're Annabeth. I remember."

Ethan glanced over at Ariadne, who was taking deep breaths and stood next to Annabeth. "And you're Ariadne." He said her voice as if she was a delicate flower he was afraid to crush. Percy didn't like it.

"What—what happened to your eye?"

Ethan looked away, and Ariadne got the feeling that was one subject he would not discuss. Ariadne knew the feeling.

"You must be the half-blood from my dream," Percy said. "The one Luke's people cornered. It wasn't Nico after all."

"Who's Nico?"

"Never mind," Annabeth said quickly. "Why were you trying to join up with the wrong side?"

Ethan sneered. "There's no right side. The gods never cared about us. Why shouldn't I—"

"Sign up with an army that makes you fight to the death for entertainment?" Annabeth said. "Her, I wonder."

Ethan struggled to his feet. "I'm not going to argue with you. Thanks for the help, but in out of here."

"We're going after Daedalus," Percy said. "Come with us. Once we get through, you'd be welcomed back at camp."

"You really are crazy if you think Daedalus will help you."

"He has to," Annabeth said. "We'll make him listen."

Ethan snorted. "Yeah, well. Good luck with that."

Percy grabbed his arm. "You're just going to head off alone into the maze? That's suicide."

He looked at Percy with barely controlled anger. His eye patch was frayed around the edges and the black cloth was fading, he'd been wearing it a long, long time.

"Ethan," Ariadne said, moving to stand next to Percy. "You can come with us. If we find Daedalus, we can save camp, and then—"

"Then what?" he asked. "Send me back into Hermès cabin like the rest of the undetermined? Yeah, no thanks."

The brunette grit her teeth in frustration. "It's stupid to head back into the Labyrinth alone, take it from the girl who's name is literally Ariadne."

Ethan stared at her, and his anger diminished. "I don't have to go alone," he said. The girl gave him a confused look. "Come with me."

He held out his hand. He wanted her to take it.

"You were the first person I met at camp, remember?" She nodded. "You know the gods don't care for us, Ariadne, come with me and we can leave together. You don't need to be apart of this."

Ariadne shook her head. "Ethan, that's crazy—"

"We're expendable," Ethan interrupted her, trying to persuade her to join him. "They don't care for you. What's going to happen when Percy turns sixteen? You'll die fighting for the gods who won't even think twice about you, or any other demigod. Come on, Ariadne, you know it's the right thing."

She stared at him like he had asked her to never eat pasta again—she gave him a look like he was crazy. The girl shook her head.

Ethan didn't like that answer. He went to grab her hand, but Percy gripped his arm tightly, squeezing it as he pushed Ariadne behind him, keeping a hand on her waist.

Percy let go of Ethan and gave him a glare that looked similar to one his father would give. "She said no," he said lowly. He was angry, Ariadne noticed. "If you're gonna leave, leave. Or else you'll have two eyepatches instead of just one."

The boys gave each other hardened expression before Ethan began backing away. He looked at Ariadne. "Find me when you're tired of being a pawn. You shouldn't have chosen that answer, I'll show you one day."

Then he ran off into the darkness, back the way they'd come.

***

     THEY WERE EXHAUSTED. They made camp right there in the huge room. Percy found some scrap wood and they started a fire. Shadows danced off the columns rising around them like trees.

"Something's wrong with Luke," Annabeth muttered, poking at the fire with her knife. "Did you notice the way he was acting?"

"He looked pretty pleased to me," Percy said. "Like he'd spent a nice day torturing heroes."

"That's not true! There was something wrong with him. He looked... nervous. He told his monsters to spare me. He wanted to tell me something."

Ariadne glared at her shoes and hugged her knees close to her chest. He only cared for Annabeth, he didn't care if she died.

"Probably, 'Hi, Annabeth! Sit here with me and watch while I tear your friends apart. It'll be fun!'"

"You're impossible," Annabeth grumbled. She sheathed her dagger.

Ariadne looked at Rachel. "So which way now, GPS?"

Rachel didn't respond right away. She'd become quieter since the arena. Now, Whenever Annabeth or Ariadne made a sarcastic comment, Rachel hardly bothered to answer. She'd burned the tip of a stick in the fire and was using it to draw ash figures on the floor, images of monsters they'd seen. With a few strokes, she caught the likeness of a dracaena perfectly.

Ariadne only glared at the figures, noticing the way Percy was watching the mortal girl.

"We'll follow the path," she said. "The brightness in the floor."

"The brightness that led us straight into a trap?" Annabeth asked.

"Late off her, Annabeth," Percy said. "She's doing the best she can."

Annabeth stood. "The fire's getting low. I'll go look for some more scraps while you guys talk strategy."

And she marched off into the shadows.

Ariadne glared at Percy, who only glanced at her in confusion. "What was that for?" she asked.

Percy gave her a heated look. "She needs to lay off on, Rachel, she's doing all she can."

The brunette only scoffed.

It was quite. They listened to the crackles of the fire before Rachel was doodling one of the bat creatures they saw in the arena. The mortal girl looked at Ariadne, who was concentrated on the fire, and the orange glow illuminating her face, making her seem as if she was a beautiful renaissance painting.

"Who's your parent?" Rachel asked.

Ariadne looked at her with dead eyes. "Dead."

The red head's eyes widened and nodded. The fire hid her flushed cheeks. "Uh... I meant, like, godly parent, or whatever you call them," she said.

It was quite before Ariadne said something. "Dionysus," she muttered.

Rachel's eyebrows raised. "Like the wine god?"

"Yes," Ariadne said bitterly, "the wine god."

"So, why are you on the quest?"

Percy immediately knew she had asked the wrong question. He looked at Rachel, giving her a look that told her to shut up, but it was too late.

Ariadne only stared at the fire. "Because Annabeth asked me to come," she said.

"But, why?" Rachel asked.

The brunette only clenched her jaw, finding the girl's voice annoying. "Because I'm her closest friend. And I saved your life back there, don't you forget it."

"I won't." Rachel made a few more lines on the floor. "But all I'm asking, is why you would come here if you're scared."

Ariadne's head snapped over. "I'm not scared," she said lowly, scowling in the firelight. Percy had to admit, she looked extra pretty in that light, but also ten times scarier. He could only imagine what Rachel must've been feeling.

Rachel looked at her. Her green eyes swam with terror, and slight admiration. "Yeah, you are. You don't want to be here, but you only are for your friends."

"I won't hesitate to stab you a thousand times if you don't shut up," Ariadne growled at the girl who kept going.

Percy was urging Rachel to be quiet, afraid of what an angry Ariadne would to the girl.

"You're afraid they'll get hurt. I've met plenty of people like you," Rachel said. "It's not a bad thing."

"Shut up," Ariadne said a bit louder.

Rachel only shook her head. "But I'm asking why you would decide to go into a Labyrinth when you're named after the girl who helped Theseus escape. It just doesn't make—"

"SHUT UP!" Ariadne yelled.

Rachel stared with wide eyes along with Percy. The brunette had jumped from her spot on the floor and panted heavily, clenching her jaw and fists as she tried to not punch the mortal girl.

Ariadne gave Percy a glare which made him flinch. "I'm going to go break something."

She turned and walked into the shadows.

Rachel drew another figure with her stick—an ashy Antaeus dangling from his chains

"Ariadne's not usually like this," Percy told her. "I don't know what her problem is. Or Annabeth's."

Rachel raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure you don't know?"

"What do you mean?"

"Boys," she muttered. "Totally blind."

They talked for a few more minutes until Rachel fell asleep. She curled up, using her backpack as a pillo. She closed her eyes and laid very still.

A few minutes later, Annabeth came back. She tossed some more sticks in the fire. She looked at Rachel, then at Percy.

"Where's Ari?" she asked.

Percy only looked at his hands. "She freaked out at Rachel and said she was going to go break something." He glanced at the blonde. "She can't actually find something to—"

SNAP!

They both heard it echo across the marble columns. There were a few more heavy thuds before hearing something toss to the side, and slight muttering a about how stupid he was.

Then, Ariadne walked back into view. She looked passive, her medicine bottle in hand as she forced it back into her backpack and sat down.

Annabeth gave the girl a cautious look. "I'll take first watch," she said. "You two should sleep, too."

"You don't have to act like that," Percy said.

"Like what?"

"Like... never mind." Percy laid down, feeling miserable. He looked at Ariadne and expected her to curl next to him, like the usually did, but he realized she was angry with him and watched as she moved her stuff next to the blond and laid down.

Both were so tired that they fell asleep as soon as their eyes closed.

***

IN HER DREAMS SHE FELT COLD. It hurt like small bullets in her skin, piercing through and attempting to beat her heavy heart.

She opened her eyes to see she was standing on Olympus, except it wasn't what it once was.

What was once perfectly, polished marble was now cracked and burned with Greek fire. The lively streets that used to be filled with music were filled with screams and wails, satyrs and naiads running for cover as they defended their home.

Clouds swirled above and a storm headed their way, a black mass of thunder and lightning as figures raced around it. One was cast down and hit the ground, another sent flying away.

Ariadne watched as swords clashed down below the Empire State Building. Figures dropping to their knees, and monsters turning to gold dust. Her eyes were drawn toward a bridge off to the far side, a jet of water separating it, leading an army back.

Her heart pounded as a figure was laid onto a lounge couch in a hotel, eyes barely open and their head lolling to the side as people fretted over them, one bursting through with a younger figure and panicking.

"How sweet," a cold, harsh voice trembled her bones. "So close to your own undoing, little one. What will happen in a year's time?"

Kronos. She knew that for sure.

She felt the stone around her feet cracking, and anywhere she took a step the cracks followed her like her vines did.

His laughter was sharpened knives in her back. "How long until your powers are uncontrollable? All that power, gone to waste for the gods." His hate for the gods was strong, and she swore she heard parts of Luke in it.

"What would happen, if you break?"

The ground beneath her cracked and cut led. She clawed her way back through the dark hole in the floor, it leading to a pit in Tartarus, where wails for to fall grew louder and louder.

Ariadne was pulled down by a massive hand, screaming as she fell into the pit. It shut in her. No light entered, and she thought she was dying, her chest heavy.

But a caravan appeared, and with her nails, she broke it open, leaving her nails bloody from the sharp rocks digging into her skin.

Golden light flooded across her face, blinding her eyes as she hid her face to prevent herself from going blind. It grew brighter and brighter until she was absorbed in sparkles.

"A debt," Kronos chimed with a hint of amusement, and she could only imagine a smile on his face. "The Titans Lord repays his debts. A glimpse into the future, of your near and far future..."

The light rippled around her, and she was no longer in the dark pit, but in the middle of a battle.

Herself was clashing swords with a monster as vines swung around. Percy, who was behind her, blasting enemies with enough water to make her shiver, and it did. They fought like demons. They tore down monsters, but that didn't prevent the image from changing.

Luke rested on a throne. His eyes glowing gold as he gazed down at the scene before him.

The Olympians. Shackled and bound as they yelled at the boy to free them, and that they may show him some mercy if he did. The boy only laughed, and it felt like knives in her back.

Ariadne's eyes widened as he stood, larger than before, making the gods look small in their large forms. He gripped Apollo by his neck, the sun god attempting to burn his chains away with his light powers that reflected like the gold light she had once seen.

Apollo struggled, and all too soon, the weapon she had seen the Telekhines making in Mount St. Helen was sent through his heart.

The god slumped down to the floor, Luke setting back in his throne with a gleam of exciting his eyes. Artemis looked at her brother, and the tiniest bit of hope died in them as the god sizzled away and floated into the sky.

Ariadne knew he would reform, but how long that would be, she didn't know. Maybe as long as it took for Kronos, or maybe longer. But whatever the reason, the sun was dead, and it was only due time until the moon was too.

"You chose the wrong side, little one." Kronos dug into her mind. "Your powers could be useful, and you could rule with Luke. Forget Percy Jackson. You, Daughter of the Vines, could be the most powerful demigod."

A tempting offer.

Her hand waved with purple, and somehow, the gods went mad.

They writhed and screamed along the ground, trying to claw their way out. Aphrodite went down first. Her eyes shed gold tears, and ichor fell out of her mouth and eyes, streaming down her body as she fell to the ground.

Her father did all he could, but she was too strong. And no matter how many times Ariadne tried to stop it, nothing could be done, she was killing her own father.

"You can end him. When has he ever done something for you, hmm? It's always about him, and of your brothers, they will die for him."

Castor and Pollux? Dead? It wasn't an idea that ever crossed her mind, because she promised to save them.

Her hands stung, and she felt the ground beneath her moved ever so slowly. The ground was swallowing her whole.

She stumbled away and ran. She ran and ran until she couldn't no longer. Until finally, the ground caught up with her, and she was forced down into the dirt with vines shielding her from the now dark sun, seeing the lasting image of a woman in green, who was holding her head and screaming for mercy.

***

     ARIADNE WOKE UP TO RUMBLING. She thought she was having another dream, but her body shaking and the loud sound was enough to throw that option out the window.

The girl gasped and sat up straight. She quickly grabbed her things, noticing that Annabeth had sat up with her and was shaking Percy awake.

Annabeth shook his shoulder. "Percy, wake up!"

"Tyson—Tyson's in trouble!" Percy said. "We have to help him!"

"First things first," she said. "Earthquake."

Sure enough, the room rumbled again. "Rachel!" Percy yelled.

Her eyes opened instantly. She grabbed her pack, and the four of them ran. They were almost to the far tunnel when a column next to them groaned and buckled. The group kept going as a hundred tons of marble crashed down behind them.

They made it to the corridor and turned just in time to see the other columns toppling. A cloud of white dust billowed over them, and they key running.

"You know what?" Annabeth said. "I like this way after all."

It wasn't long before they saw light up ahead—like regular electric lighting.

"There," Rachel said.

They followed her into a stainless steel hallway, like Ariadne imagined they'd have on a space station, or a really high tech train station. Fluorescent lights glowed from the ceiling. The floor was a metal grate.

Ariadne was so used to being in the darkness she had to squint for a minute. Annabeth and Rachel looked pale in the harsh illumination. Percy glanced over at Ariadne, only to see that somehow, she looked perfect in the harsh lighting. As if it was made for her.

My girl's perfect, he said to himself. But shook his head at calling her his.

"This way," Rachel said, beginning to run. "We're close!"

"This is so wrong!" Annabeth said. "The workshop should be in the oldest section of the maze. This can't—"

"Annie, look." Ariadne pointed at a set of metal double doors. Both girls faltered. Inscribed in the steel, at eye level, was a large blue Greek Δ. Both of them hated to admit that Rachel had been right, mostly Annabeth, but the brunette looked a bit peeved.

"We're here," Rachel announced. "Daedalus's workshop."

***

     ANNABETH PRESSED THE SYMBOL ON THE DOORS AND THEY HISSED OPEN.

"So much for ancient architecture," Percy said.

Annabeth scowled. Ariadne gave the boy a side glance and knocked her elbow into his ribs. He rubbed the sore spot. Together they walked inside.

The first thing that struck Ariadne was the daylight—blazing sun coming through giant windows. Not the kind of thing she expected in the heart of a dungeon.

The workshop was like an artist's studio, with thirty foot ceilings and industrial lighting, polished stone floors, and workbenches along with windows. A spiral staircase led up to a second-story loft. Half a dozen easels displayed hand drawn diagrams for buildings and machines that looked like Leonardo da Vinci sketches.

Several laptop computers were scattered around on the tables. Glad hard of green oil—Greek fire—lined one shelf. There were inventions, too—weird metal machines she couldn't make sense of. One was a bronze chair with a bunch of electrical wires attached to it, like some kind of torture device. In another corner stood a giant metal egg about the size of a man. There was a grandfather clock that appeared to be made entirely of glass, so someone she could see all the heats turning. And hanging on the wall were several sets of bronze and silver wings.

"Di immortals," Annabeth muttered. She ran to the nearest easel and looked at the sketch. "He's a genius. Look at the curves on this building

"And an artist," Rachel said in amazement. "These wings are amazing!"

The wings looked more advanced than the ones she's seen in her dreams. The feathers were more tightly woven. Instead of wax seals, self-adhesive strips ran down the sides.

Ariadne kept her eyes groaned for a trap. Apparently Daedalus was not home, but the workshop looked like it had been recently used. The laptops were running their screensavers. A half-eaten blueberry muffin and a coffee cup sat in a workbench.

Then she noticed the view. She gasped and ran over, amazed at the sight.

The view outside was amazing. She recognized the Rocky Mountains in the distance. They were high up in the foothills, at least five hundred feet, and down below a valley spread out, filled with a tumbled collection of red mesas and boulders and spires of stone. It looked like a skyscraper had been knocked over, and it drew all the breath from her lungs.

Percy stoped next to her, shoulder-to-shoulder with her. She didn't notice. And if she did, she made no effort to push him away, and that seemed to ease the tension in his head a bit.

"Where are we?"

"Colorado Springs," a voice said behind them. "The Garden of the Gods."

Standing on the spiral staircase above them, with his weapon drawn, was their missing sword master Quintus.

"You," Annabeth said. "What have you done with Daedalus?"

Quintus smiled faintly. "Trust me, my dear. You don't want to meet him."

"Look, traitor," Ariadne growled. "We didn't fight a dragon woman and a three-bodied man and a psychotic Sphinx to see you. Now where is DAEDALUS?"

Quintus came down the stairs, holding his sword at his side. He was dressed in jeans and booths and his counselor's t-shirt from Camp Half-Blood, which seemed like an insult now that they knew he was a spy.

"You think I'm an agent of Kronos," he said. "That I work for Luke."

"Well, duh," said Annabeth.

"You're an intelligent girl," he said. "But you're wrong. I work only for myself."

"Luke mentioned you," Percy said. "Geryon knew about you, too. You've been to his ranch."

"Of course," he said. "I've been almost everywhere. Even here."

He walked past Ariadne and Percy like they were no threat at all and stood by the window. "The view changed from day to day," he mused. "It's always some place high up. Yesterday from a skyscraper overlooking Manhattan. The day before that, there was a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. But it keeps coming back to the Garden of the Gods. I think the Labyrinth likes it here. A fitting name, I suppose."

"You've been here before," Percy said.

"Oh, yes."

"That's an illusion out there?" Ariadne asked. "A projection or something?"

"No," Rachel murmured. "It's real. We're really in Colorado."

Quintus regarded her. "You have clear vision, don't you? You remind me of another mortal girl I once knew. Another princess who came to grief." His eyes twinkled as he caught Ariadne's purple ones, knowing she was regarding everything he said about her stepmom.

And she knew who he was.

"Enough games," Percy said. "What have you done with Daedalus?"

Ariadne looked at Percy. "Perc—"

Quintus stared at him. "My boy, you need lessons from your friend on seeing clearly. I am Daedalus."

"But you're not an inventor! You're a swordsman!" Was the only thing Percy could say.

"I am both," Quintus said. "An architect. And a scholar. I also play basketball pretty well for a guy who didn't start until he was two thousand years old. A real artist must be good at many things."

"That's true," Rachel said. "Like I can paint with my feet as well as my hands."

"You see?" Quintus said. "A girl of many talents."

"But you don't even look like Daedalus," Percy protested. "I saw him in a dream, and..." Suddenly realization dawned on him, and Ariadne only sighed at the boy.

He was incredibly smart. Just oblivious to the most obvious things sometimes.

"Yes," Quintus said. "You've finally guessed the truth."

"Your an automation. You made yourself a new body."

"Percy," Annabeth said uneasily, "that's not possible. That—that can't be an automaton."

Quintus chuckled. "Do you know what Quintus means, my dear?"

"The fifth, in Latin. But—"

"This is my fifth body." The swordsman held out his forearm. He pressed his elbow and part of his wrist popped out—a rectangular hatch in his skin. Underneath, bronze gears whirred. Wires glowed.

"That's amazing!" Rachel said.

"That's weird," Percy said.

"You found a way to transfer you animus into a machine?" Annabeth said. "That's... not natural."

"Oh, I assure you, my dear, it's still me. I'm still very much Daedalus. Our mother, Athena, makes sure I ever forget that." He tugged back the collar of his shirt. At the base of his neck was the mark she'd seen before—the dark shape of a bird grafted to his skin.

"A murderer's brand," Annabeth said.

"For your nephew, Perdix," Ariadne guessed. "The boy you pushed off the tower."

Quintus's gave darkened. "I did not push him. I simply—"

"Made him lose his bands," she said. "Let him die."

Quintus gazed out the windows at the purple mountains. "I regret what I did, Ariadne. I was angry and bitter. But I cannot take it back, and Athena never lets me forget. As Perdix died, she turned him into a small bird—a partridge. She branded the bird's shape on my neck as a reminder. No matter what body I take, the brand appears on my skin."

Ariadne looked into his eyes, and she realized he was the same man she'd seen in her dreams. His face might have been totally different, but the same soul was in there—the same intelligence and all sadness.

"You really are Daedalus," Percy decided. "But why did you come to the camp? Why spy on us?"

"To see if your camp was worth saving. Luke had given me one story. I preferred to come to my own conclusions."

"So you have talked to Luke."

"Oh, yes. Several times. He is quite persuasive."

"But now you've seen the camp!" Annabeth persisted. "Do you know we need your help. You can't let Luke through the maze!"

Daedalus set his sword on the workbench. "The maze is no longer mine to control, Annabeth. I created it, yes. In fact, it is tied to my life force. But I have allowed it to live and grow on its own. That is the price I paid for privacy."

"Privacy from what?"

"The gods," he said. "And death. I have been alive for two millennia, my dear, hiding from death."

"But how can you hide from Hades?" Percy asked. "I mean... Hades has the Furies."

"They do not know everything," he said. "Or see everything. You have encountered them, Ariadne. You know this is true. A clever man can hide quite a long time, and I have buried myself very deep. Only my greatest enemy has kept after me, and even him I have thwarted."

"You mean Minos," Ariadne said.

Daedalus nodded. "He hunts for me relentlessly. Now that he is a judge of the dead, he would like nothing better than for me to come before him so he can punish me for my crimes. After the daughters of Cocalus killed him, Minos's ghost began torturing me in my dreams. He promised that he would hunt me down. I did the only thing I could. I retreated from the world completely. I descended into my Labyrinth. I decided this would be my ultimate accomplishment: I would cheat death."

"And you did," Annabeth marveled, "for two thousand years." She sounded impressed, despite the horrible things Daedalus had done.

Just the a loud bark echoed from the corridor. Ariadne heard the ba-BUMP, ba-BUMP, ba-BUMP of huge paws, and Mrs. O'Leary bounded into the workshop. She locked Percy's face once, then almost knocked Daedalus over with an enthusiastic leap.

"There is my old friend!" Daedalus said, scratching Mrs. O'Leary behind the ears. "My only companion all these long lonely years."

Ariadne was still hesitant around the hellhound, worried something would happen like Beckett.

"You let her save us," Percy said. "The whistle actually worked.

Daedalus nodded. "Of course it did, Percy. You have a good heart. And I knew Mrs. O'Leary liked you. I wanted to help you. Perhaps I—I felt guilt, as well."

"Guilty about what?"

"That your quest would be in vain."

"What?" Annabeth said. "But you can still help us. You have to! Give us Ariadne's string so Luke can't get it."

"Yes... the string. I told Luke that the eyes of a clear-sighted mortal are the best guide, but he did not trust me. He was so focused on the idea of a magic item. And the string works. It's not as accurate as your mortal friend here, perhaps. But good enough. Good enough."

"Where is it?" Ariadne said.

"With Luke," Daedalus said sadly. "I'm sorry, my dear. But you are several hours late."

With a chill Ariadne realized why Luke had been in such a good mood in the arena. He'd already gotten the string from Daedalus. His only obstacle had been the arena master, and she'd taken care of that for him by killing Antaeus.

Percy seemed to realize that, too. Because, despite her being angry with him, he gripped her hand tightly, as if knowing she was killing herself over and over again for not opening her eyes sooner to Luke's plan. And Ariadne squeezed his hand.

"Kronos promised me freedom," Quintus said. "Once Hades is overthrown, he will set me over the Underworld. I will reclaim my son Icarus. I will make things right with poor young Perdix. I will see Minos's soul cast into Tartarus, where it cannot bother me again. And I will no longer have to run from death."

"That's your brilliant idea?" Annabeth yelled. "You're going to let Luke destroy your camp, kill hundreds of demigods, and then attack Olympus? You're going to bring down the entire world so you can get what you want?"

"Your cause is doomed, my dear. I saw that as soon as I began to work at your camp. There is no way you can hold back the night of Kronos."

"That's not true!" she cried.

"I am doing what I must, my dear. The offer was too sweet to refuse. I'm sorry."

Annabeth pushed over an easel. Architectural drawings scattered across the floor. "I used to respect you. You were my hero! You—you built amazing things. You solved my problems. Now... I'd not know what you are. Children of Athena are supposed to be wide, not just clever. Maybe you are just a Maxine. You should have died two thousand years ago."

Instead of getting mad, Daedalus hung his head. "You should go warn your camp. Now that Luke has the string—"

Suddenly Mrs. O'Leary pricked up her ears.

"Someone's coming!" Rachel warned.

The doors of the workshop burst open, and Nico was pushed inside, his hands in chains. Then Kelli and two Laistrygonians marched in behind him, followed by the ghost of Minos. He looked almost solid now—a pale bearded king with cold eyes and tendrils of Mist coiling off his robes.

His fixed his gas on Daedalus. "There you are, my friend."

Daedalus's jaw clenched. He looked at Kelli. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Luke sends his compliments," Kelli said. "He thought you might like to see your old employer Minos."

"This was not part of our agreement," Daedalus said.

"No indeed," Kelli said. "But we already have what we want from you, and we have other agreements to honor. Minos required something else from us, in order to turn over this fine young demigod." She ran a finger under Nico's chin. "He'll be quite useful. And all Minos as in return was your head, old man."

Daedalus paled. "Treachery."

"Get used to it," Kelli said.

"Nico," Percy said. "Are you okay?"

He nodded morosely. "I—Im sorry, Percy. Minos told me you were in danger. He convinced me to go back into the maze."

"You were trying to help us?"

Ariadne was shocked. The boy she thought hated her and Percy both, had run back inside to save them.

"I was tricked," he said. "He tricked all of us."

Ariadne glared at Kelli. "Where's Luke? Why isn't he here

The she-demon smiled like they were sharing a private joke. "Luke is... busy. He is preparing for the assault. But don't worry. We have more friends on the way. And in the meantime, I think I'll have a wonderful snack!" Her hands changed into claws. Her hair burst into flame and her legs turned to their true form—one donkey leg, one bronze.

"Percy," Rachel whispered, "the wings. Do you think—"

"Hey them," he said. "I'll try to buy you some time."

And with that, all Hades broke loose. Annabeth and Percy charged at Kelli. The giants came right at Daedalus, but Mrs. O'Leary and Ariadne leaped to his defense.

Nico got pushed to the ground and struggled with his chains while the spirit of Minos wailed, "Kill the inventor! Kill him!"

Rachel grabbed the wings off the walls. Nobody paid her any attention. Kelli slashed at Annabeth. Percy tried to get to her, but the demon was quick and deadly. She turned over tables, smashed inventions, and wouldn't let them get close.

Mrs. O'Leary chomped her fangs into a giant's arm. He wailed in pain and flung her around, trying to shake her. Daedalus grabbed for his sword, but the second giant smashed the workbench with his fist, and the sword went flying. A clay jar of Greek fire broke on the floor and began to burn, green flame spreading quickly.

Ariadne was growing tired of the giant reaching for her as she tied to worry about Kelli and her friends. She slashed Lunacy, and the monster dissolved into gold dust, its partner wailing a s Mrs. O'Leary was flung to the side.

"To me!" Minos cried. "Spirits if the dead!" He raised his ghostly hands and the air began to him.

"No!" Nico cried. He was on his feet now. He'd somehow managed to remove his shackles.

"You do not control me, young fool," Minos sneered. "All this time, I have been controlling you! A soul for a soul, yes. But it is not your sister who will return from the dead. It is I, as soon as I slay the inventor!"

Spirits began to appear around Minos—shimmering forms that slowly multiplied, solidifying into Cretan soldiers.

"I am the son of Hades," Nico insisted. "Be gone!"

Minos laughed. "You have no power over me. I am the lord of the spirits! The ghost king

"No." Nico drew his sword. "I am."

He stabbed his black blade into the floor, and it cleaved through the stone like butter.

"Never!" Minos's form rippled. "I will not—"

The ground rumbled. The windows cracked and shattered to pieces, letting in a blast of fresh air. A fissure opened in the stone floor of the workshop, and Minos and all his spirits were sucked into the void with a horrible wail.

While Ariadne was busy watching Nico, she was pushed away from the giants. Annabeth sat next to her, both climbing to their knees before Percy grew distracted. Kelli pounced on him so fast he had no time to defend himself. Riptide skittered away and he hit his head hard in the worktable as he fell.

Kelli laughed. "You will taste wonderful!"

Ariadne gave Annabeth a nod. The blonde raced to reach Nico.

The brunette ran towards the empousa, Lunacy in hand as she watched the demon threaten the boy she liked.

Kelli bared her fangs. Then suddenly her body went rigid. She gasped, "No... school... spirit."

Ariadne removed her sword from the empousa's back. With an awful screech, Kelli dissolved into yellow vapor.

She helped Percy up. Mrs. O'Leary and Daedalus were still locked in combat with one of the giants, and she could hear shouting in the tunnel. More monsters were coming toward the workshop.

"We have to help Daedalus!" Percy said.

"No time," Rachel said. "Too many coming!"

She'd already fitted herself with wings and was working on Nico, who looked pale and sweaty from his struggled with Minos. The wings grafted instantly to his back and arms.

"Now you!" she told Annabeth.

In seconds, Nico, Annabeth, Rachel, Percy, and Ariadne had fitted themselves with coppery wings. Already she could feel herself being lifted by the wind coming through the window. Greek fire was burning the tables and furniture, spreading up the circular stairs.

"Daedalus!" Ariadne yelled. "Come on!"

He was cut in a hundred pieces—but he was bleeding golden oil instead of blood. He'd found his sword and was using part of a smashed table as a shield against the giants. "I won't leave Mrs. O'Leary!" he said. "Go!"

There was no time to argue. Even if they stayed, Ariadne wasn't sure they could help, and they pained her.

"None of us know how to fly!" Nico protested.

"Great time to find out," Percy said. And together, the five of them jumped out the window into open sky.

authors note:

This is late I know.

I'm sorry.

I hope you guys enjoyed it. And slowly, Ariadne is forgiving him. And as a hint, she will not fully forgive him at the end of the book. Sorry!

So. I couldn't copy the link, but on Spotify, I have a playlist for Percaidan. It's literally their ship name.

My account is called Jasmine and it has a yellow cloud photo as the profile. That's my account! You can listen to the other playlists if you wish.

I love you guys!

PS: CASTLE OF GLASS BY LINKIN PARK REMINDS ME OF LUKE. AND CONTROL BY HALSEY AND CONTROL HY ZOE WEES REMINDS ME OF ARIADNE.