The Forbidden Daughter | PJO Book One

fifteen

QUINTUS OR DAEDALUS

"This way!" Rachel yelled.

"Why should we follow you?" Annabeth demanded. "You led us straight into that 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, Ariana knew the daughter of Athena was letting her jealousy take over, but she 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.

Ariana lost track of how many turns they made. They didn't stop to rest until they came to a room the size of a gymnasium with old marble columns holding up the roof.

Ariana stood at the doorway, listening for sounds of pursuit, but she heard nothing. Apparently they had lost Luke and his minions in the maze.

Then she realized something else: Mrs. O'Leary was gone. She didn't know when she'd disappeared.

She didn't know of she'd gotten lost or been overrun by monsters or what.

Her heart turned to lead. She'd saved their lives, and she hadn't even waited to make sure she was following them.

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 Hermes cabin, years ago."

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

"What-what happened to your eye?"

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

"That's rude to ask." Ariana told Annabeth.

"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.

"Gee, I wonder." Ariana said, sarcasm engulfed in her voice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ethan shrugged Ariana off and looked at Percy with barely controlled anger.

His eye patch was frayed around the edges and the black cloth was faded, like he'd been wearing it a long, long time. "You shouldn't have spared me, Jackson. Mercy has no place in this war."