𐌙/𐌍 Ᏽ𐌵𐌀𐌋𐌄 & 𐌕𐋅𐌄 Ᏽ𐌐𐌄𐌀𐌕 𐌌𐌙𐌕𐋅𐌔 ¹

Chapter 10

Ten
ꕤ

Game Show Of Death

 
  We did our summons after dark, at a twenty-foot-long pit in front of the septic tank. The tank was bright yellow, with a smiley face and red words painted on the side: HAPPY FLUSH DISPOSAL CO. It didn’t quite go with the mood of summoning the dead.

  The moon was full. Silver clouds drifted across the sky.

  "Minos should be here by now," Nico said, frowning. "It’s full dark."

  "Maybe he got lost," I said hopefully, after a drink of root beer.

  Nico poured root beer and tossed barbecue into the pit, then began chanting in Ancient Greek. Immediately the bugs in the woods stopped chirping. In my pocket, the Stygian ice dog whistle started to grow colder, freezing against the side of my leg.

  "Make him stop," Tyson whispered to me.

  Part of me agreed. This was unnatural. The night air felt cold and menacing. But before I could say anything, the first spirits appeared. Sulfurous mist seeped out of the ground. Shadows thickened into human forms. One blue shade drifted to the edge of the pit and knelt to drink.

  "Stop him!" Nico said, momentarily breaking his chant. "Only Bianca may drink!"

  I summoned Nightshade and the ghosts retreated from the mixture of barbecue and beer, not before hissing collectively at the sight of the silver glow emanating from the sword. But it was too late to stop the first spirit. He had already solidified into the shape of a bearded man in white robes. A circlet of gold wreathed his head, and even in death his eyes were alive with malice.

  "Minos!" Nico said. “What are you doing?”

  "My apologies, master," the ghost said, though he didn’t sound very sorry. "The sacrifice smelled so good, I couldn’t resist." He examined his own hands and smiled. "It is good to see myself again. Almost in solid form—"

  "You are disrupting the ritual!" Nico protested. "Get—"

  The spirits of the dead began shimmering dangerously bright, and Nico had to take up the chant again to keep them at bay.

  "Yes, quite right, master," Minos said with amusement. "You keep chanting. I’ve only come to protect you from these liars who would deceive you."

  He turned to me as if I were some kind of cockroach. "(y/n) (l/n)…my, my. The first son of Artemis, and it doesnt improve any more than the other punny children?"

  I wanted to punch him, but I figured my fist would go right through his face. "We’re looking for Bianca," I said. "Get lost."

  The ghost chuckled. "I understand you once killed my Odontotyrannos with a simple pair of knives. But worse things await you in the maze. Do you really believe Daedalus will help you?"

  The other spirits stirred in agitation. Annabeth drew her knife and helped me keep them away from the pit. Grover got so nervous he clung to Tyson’s shoulder.

  "Daedalus cares nothing for you, half-bloods," Minos warned. "You can’t trust him. He is old beyond counting, and crafty. He is bitter from the guilt of murder and is cursed by the gods."