Ivy Pittaluga had always made a solemn vow to keep her distance from Percy Jackson, determined to keep her world separate from the camp hero.
However, she realizes that fate has a mischievous plan in store for her. Suddenly thrown together as unlik...
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I never wanted to go skydiving before. And I will never do it again. The sensation of free falling felt like I left my organs back at the window while my body was hurtling towards the ground. It didn't help that the red rocks below was getting closer.
"Spread your arms!" Annabeth yelled from somewhere. I was too scared to look. "Keep them extended."
I quickly did as she said. The wings stiffened and caught the wind. My descent slowed and I was soaring. I heard Percy yell with excitement.
"Land!" Annabeth shouted. Relief settled in my chest. "These wings won't last forever."
"How long?" Rachel cried.
"I don't want to find out!" Annabeth said.
We swooped down toward the Garden of the Gods. The five of us soared across the valley, over a road, and landed on the terrace of the visitor center. Luckily there weren't any people out. We ripped off our winds quickly. As I took mine off, I saw the self adhesive seals that bound the winds to our backs were already melting and shedding bronze feathers.
We stuffed the wings in the near by trash bin outside the cafeteria. Percy used the tourist binocular camera to look up at the hill Daedalus's workshop had been. There was no smoke and no sign of the workshop.
"The workshop moved." Annabeth guessed. "There's no telling where."
"So what do we do now?" Percy asked. "How do we get back in the maze?"
"Maybe we can't." Annabeth gazed at the summit of Pikes Peak in the distance. "If Daedalus died...he said his life force was tied to the Labyrinth. The whole thing might've been destroyed. Maybe that will stop Luke's invasion."
"No. He isn't dead." Nico said.
"How can you be sure?" Percy asked.
"I know when people die. It's this feeling I get, like a buzzing in my ears."
"What about Tyson and Grover?"
"That's harder." Nico shook his head. "They're not humans or half-bloods. They don't have mortal souls."
"We have to get into town." Annabeth decided. "Our chances will be better finding an entrance to the Labyrinth. We have to make it back to camp before Luke and his army."
"We could just take a plane." Rachel suggested.
"I don't fly." Percy shuddered.
"But you just did."
"That was low flying." Percy informed her. "And even that's risky. Flying up really high-that's Zeus's territory. I can't do it. Besides, we don't even have time for a flight. The labyrinth is the quickest way back."
"So we need a car to take us into the city." Annabeth said.
"I'll take care of it." Rachel looked down at the parking lot with a grimace.
