𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀 | No way out, nothingness, or the impenetrable. A puzzle or something puzzling.
Esmerelda spent the school year dog-hunting after discovering the truth about the mortal side of her family during a 'visit' to the Underworld. Her summer v...
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▬▬▬ CHAPTER TWENTY NINE ▬▬▬
"I'M SORRY," ESMERELDA HICCUPED, HER voice small and cracking. "Annabeth... he wanted me to tell you and Thalia how sorry he was..."
But Annabeth was too overwhelmed to listen clearly. Understandably, she hadn't stopped sobbing since she and Percy explained to her what transpired in Mount Tamalpais. The scythe, Ethan's pledge... and lastly, Luke waking up as Kronos.
Esmerelda felt like this was all her fault because she was still standing and Luke... well, he wasn't him anymore.
"No," Annabeth wept, shaking her head in denial. "That can't be true. He couldn't—"
"—He gave himself over to Kronos," Percy said. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. But Luke is gone."
"No!" She insisted. "You saw when Rachel hit him."
He nodded, looking at Rachel with respect. "You hit the Lord of the Titans in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush."
Rachel looked embarrassed. "It was the only thing I had."
"But you saw," Annabeth pressed on. "When it hit him, just for a second, he was dazed. He came back to his senses."
"So maybe Kronos wasn't completely settled in the body, or whatever," he said. "It doesn't mean Luke was in control."
"You want him to be evil, is that it?" Annabeth yelled. "You didn't know him before, Percy. I did!"
"What is it with you?" He snapped. "Why do you keep defending him?"
"Whoa, you two," Rachel said. "Knock it off!"
Annabeth turned on her. "Stay out of it, mortal girl! If it wasn't for you..."
Whatever she was going to say, her voice broke. She put her head down and sobbed miserably. Esmerelda knelt beside her and hugged her close. Annabeth didn't thrash away from her and instead melted into her embrace, crying harder.
"I'm sorry, Annabeth, I really am," she murmured into her ear.
"We have to keep moving," Nico said quietly. "He'll send monsters after us."
Nobody was in any shape to run, but Nico was right. Slowly, they rose to their feet and trudged through the Labyrinth again.
"Back to New York," Percy said. "Rachel, can you—"
He suddenly froze and Esmerelda realized why. There was a well-worn Rasta cap on the ground, the one Grover always wore. There was a muddy boot print on it.
Shakily, Percy bent down and picked it up.
"He should be nearby," Esmerelda muttered. "Look, there's footprints."
Someone flashed a flashlight up ahead and saw what she was talking about. The cave floor was mushy and wet from the water dripping off the stalactites. There were large footprints like Tyson's, and smaller ones—goat hooves—leading off to the left.
