This Dark Night ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase¹

―xvii. the graveyard arena

THEY ARRANGED A MEETING IN TIMES SQUARE. Naomi, Percy, and Annabeth found Rachel Elizabeth Dare in front of the Marriott Marquis, and she was painted entirely gold. Like, entirely—her face, her hair, her clothes. She looked like she'd had a run-in with King Midas, standing like a statue with five other kids all painted metallic—copper, bronze, silver. They were frozen in different poses while tourists hustled past or stopped to stare. Some passers-by threw money at the tarp on the sidewalk.

The sign at Rachel's feet said, URBAN ART FOR KIDS—DONATIONS APPRECIATED.

Naomi, Annabeth, and Percy stood there for a solid five minutes, staring at Rachel, but if she noticed them she didn't let on.

"Maybe if we push her over," Annabeth suggested.

Naomi frowned at her. "That's mean."

Annabeth huffed. "It was just a suggestion."

After another few minutes, a kid in silver walked up from the hotel taxi stand, where he'd been taking a break. He took a pose like he was lecturing the crowd, right next to Rachel. Rachel unfroze and stepped off the tarp.

"Hey, Percy." She grinned. "Good timing! Let's get coffee."

They walked down to a place called the Java Moose on West 43rd. Rachel ordered an Espresso Extreme (something Grover would like). Naomi, Annabeth, and Percy got fruit smoothies and sat at a table right under the stuffed moose. Nobody even looked twice at Rachel in her golden outfit.

"So," she said. "It's Annabelle and Natalie, right?"

"Annabeth and Naomi," Annabeth corrected her. "Do you always dress in gold?"

"Not usually," Rachel said. "We're raising money for our group. We do volunteer art projects for elementary kids 'cause they're cutting art from the schools, you know? We do this once a month, take in about five hundred dollars on a good weekend. But I'm guessing you don't want to talk about that. You guys are half-bloods, too?"

"Shhh!" Annabeth said, looking around. "Just announce it to the world, how about?"

"Okay." Rachel stood up and said really loud, "Hey, everybody! These three aren't human! They're half Greek god!"

Nobody even looked over. Rachel shrugged and sat down. "They don't seem to care."

"That's not funny," Annabeth said. "This isn't a joke, mortal girl."

"Hold it, you two," Percy said. "Just calm down."

"I'm calm," Rachel insisted. "Every time I'm around you, some monster attacks us. What's to be nervous about?"

"Look," Percy said. "I'm really sorry about the band room. I hope they didn't kick you out or anything."

"Nah. They asked me a lot of questions about you. I played dumb."

"Was it hard?" Annabeth asked.

Naomi looked at her imploringly, reaching for her hand under the table. "Be nice?" she whispered.

Annabeth scowled, but let Naomi hold her hand.

"Rachel, we've got a problem," Percy said. "And we need your help."

Rachel narrowed her eyes at Annabeth. "You need my help?"

Annabeth stirred her straw in her smoothie. "Yeah," she muttered. "Maybe."

Percy told Rachel about the Labyrinth, and how they needed to find Daedalus. He told her what had happened the last few times they'd gone.

"So you want me to guide you," she said, "through a place I've never been."