The Truths Spoken In The Sea Of Lies

Sealing the Labyrinth

Rhea's heedless move,

Scar from Kampê, but she grooves,

YOLO don't apply to her.

***

The distance was shorter in the Labyrinth. Still, by the time Rachel got them back to Times Square, it felt like they'd pretty much run all the way from New Mexico. They climbed out of the Marriott basement and stood on the sidewalk in the bright summer daylight, squinting at the traffic and crowds.

Rhea led the way into an alley, where she could get a nice echo. Then she whistled as loud as she could, five times.

A minute later, Rachel gasped. "They're beautiful!"

A flock of pegasi descended from the sky, swooping between the skyscrapers. Blackjack was in the lead, followed by four of his white friends.

"Yo, boss!" He spoke. "You lived!"

Rhea chuckled. "Of course I did. Listen, we need a ride to camp quickly."

"That's my speciality! Oh man, you got that Cyclops with you? Yo, Guido! How's your back holding up?"

The Pegasus Guido groaned and complained, but eventually, he agreed to carry Tyson. Everybody started saddling up—except Rachel.

"Well," she told Rhea, "I guess this is it."

"We'll see each other next time," Rhea said. "You were brave out there."

Behind them, Annabeth was pretending to be very busy with her Pegasus.

Rachel blushed a bit. "Thanks."

Rhea turned to look at a pegasus avoiding Nico, and she sighed.

"Well till next time."

Rachel looked at her. "Well...if you ever feel like hanging out with a mortal again...you could call me or something."

"Sure I still remember your number." Rhea nodded.

"See you later, Rhea Jackson. Go save the world for me, okay?"

She walked off down Seventh Avenue and disappeared into the crowds.

I'm doing it for my mother.

When I got back to the horses. Nico was having trouble. His Pegasus kept shying away from him, reluctant to let him mount.

"He smells like dead people!" The Pegasus complained.

"Hey now," Blackjack said. "Come on, Porkpie. Lots of demigods smell weird. It ain't their fault. Oh—uh, I didn't mean you, boss."

"Go without me!" Nico said. "I don't want to go back to that camp anyway."

Rhea grabbed Nico by the back of his jacket and then pointed at Porkpie. "Don't be rude, just because he smells like dead people doesn't mean that you have to avoid him, he won't hurt you, how would you feel if people avoided you because of your smell?"

Porkpie looked ashamed. "Sorry."

"Alright everyone, let's go!" Rhea gently pushed Nico close to Porkpie. "Come on Nico."

At last, everybody was on a Pegasus. They shot into the air, and soon they were over the East river with Long Island spread out before them.