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I 034. I
𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒔
❝ chains ❞
SHE HAD TO RESIST THE URGE TO MURDER RACHEL AT THE MOMENT. The girl had led them into a trap, and that was enough to get Ariadne going.
It also wasn't that great when one of the dracaenae took her medicine from her pocket. She needed to take those in a few minutes, and if she didn't, it wouldn't be pretty.
They were being marched down the tunnel, flanked by dracaenae, with Kelli and the giant in the back, just in case they tried to run for it. Nobody seemed to worry about them running forward. That was the direction they wanted them to go.
Up ahead she could see bronze doors. They were about ten feet tall, emblazoned with a pair of crossed swords. From behind them came a muffled roar, like from a crowd.
"Oh, yessssss," said the snake woman on her left. "You'll be very popular with our hossssst."
Ariadne had only gotten a look at a dracaena up close once before, and it was when Beckett had died. She would've had a beautiful face, except her tongue was forked and her eyes were yellow with black slugs for pupils. She wore bronze armor that stoped at her waist. Below that, where her legs should've been, were two massive snake trunks, molted bronze and green.
She moved by a combination of slithering and walking, as if she were on living skis.
"Who's your host?" Percy asked.
She hissed, which might have been a laugh. "Oh, you'll sssssee. You'll get along furiousssly. He'ssss your brother, after all."
"My what?"
Immediately Ariadne thought of Tyson, but it was impossible. The giant rushed past them and opened the doors. He picked up Annabeth by her shirt and said, "You stay here."
"Hey!" she protested, but the guy was twice her size and he'd already confiscated her knife and Percy and Ariadne's swords.
Kelli laughed. She still had her claws at Rachel's neck. "Go on, Percy, Ariadne. Entertain us. We'll wait here with your friends to make sure you behave."
Percy looked at Rachel. "I'm sorry. I'll get you out of this."
She nodded as much as she could with a demon at her throat. "That would be nice."
