The Dragon's Daughter

ix. a suicidal quest

Chiron called a war council the next day. They met in the sword arena, which was pretty strange trying to discuss the fate of the camp while Mrs. O’Leary chewed on a life-size squeaky pink rubber yak. Ace was chasing Nova.

Chiron and Quintus stood at the front by the weapon racks. Clarisse and Annabeth sat next to each other and led the briefing. Tyson and Grover sat as far away from each other as possible.

Also present around the table was Juniper the tree nymph, Silena Beauregard, Travis and Connor Stoll, Beckendorf, Lee Fletcher, even Argus. That’s how she knew it was  serious. Argus hardly ever shows up unless something really major is going on. The whole time Annabeth spoke, he kept his hundred blue eyes trained on her so hard his whole body turned bloodshot.

"Luke must have known about the Labyrinth entrance,” Annabeth said.

“He knew everything about camp," Elora said.

Juniper cleared her throat. “That’s what I was trying to tell you last night. The cave entrance has been there a long time. Luke used to use it.”

Silena frowned. “You knew about the Labyrinth entrance, and you didn’t say anything?”

Juniper’s face turned green. “I didn’t know it was important. Just a cave. I don’t like yucky old caves.”

“She has good taste,” Grover said.

“I wouldn’t have paid any attention except…well, it was Luke.” She blushed a little greener.

Grover huffed. “Forget what I said about good taste.”

“Interesting,” Quintus polished his sword as he spoke. “And you believe this young man, Luke, would dare use the Labyrinth as an invasion route?”

“Definitely,” Clarisse said. “If he could get an army of monsters inside Camp Half-Blood, just pop up in the middle of the woods without having to worry about our magical boundaries, we wouldn’t stand a chance. He could wipe us out easily. He must’ve been planning this for months.”

“He’s been sending scouts into the maze,” Annabeth said. “We know because…because we found one.”

“Chris Rodriguez,” Chiron said. He gave Quintus a meaningful look.

“Ah,” Quintus said. “The one in the…Yes, I understand.”

“The one in the what?” Percy asked.

The one who's gone insane.

Woah. Where did that come from? she looked around. The voice... It doesn't sound like one of her friends. Said soft like it was supposed to be a secret.

Clarisse glared at him. “The point is, Luke has been looking for a way to navigate the maze. He’s searching for Daedalus’s workshop.”

“The guy who created the maze.”

“Yes,” Annabeth said. “The greatest architect, the greatest inventor of all time. If the legends are true, his workshop is in the center of the Labyrinth. He’s the only one who knows how to navigate the maze perfectly. If Luke managed to find the workshop and convince Daedalus to help him, Luke wouldn’t have to fumble around searching for paths, or risk losing his army in the maze’s traps. He could navigate anywhere he wanted—quickly and safely. First to Camp Half-Blood to wipe us out. Then…to Olympus.”

"Big ifs, Beth," Elora said. "It might not be true and he might not be able to convince him."

"But what if it is real? What if Luke can pull it off."

"Then we're all doomed. And if it is because of Daedalus, a good inventor or not, I'm taking him down under."

The arena was silent except for Mrs. O’Leary’s toy yak getting disemboweled: Squeak!