The hallway was by far the worst one we'd been in, which neatly represented my mood. Charlie knew I was down and tried to cheer me up with an abundance of corny jokes. I didn't respond to any of them, besides to huff in acknowledgment.
Charlie chewed his cheek as if he were thinking, then began to hum a familiar tune. I rolled my eyes at his antics, but I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face.
"A kiss, a kiss, in the Labyrinth," he sang softly. "It's all I need to forget all that I miss, I just want a kiss, a kiss in the Labyrinth. It'll send me to bliss! Just one, just one kiss in the Labyrinth!"
I watched him with an uncontrolled goofy grin on my face. I pulled him closer to me and kissed him, but had to pull back when we both began to laugh.
Damasen had me eating some kind of strange herb that had the same effects of laughing gas. I didn't want to be sedated but without the medication I'd be in too much pain to fight anyway. Besides, the feeling of laughter bubbling in my chest was gladly welcomed. My long-ago cracked rib ached at the act, despite its recent healing.
I felt Daedalus's judging eyes on Charlie and I. When I turned around to see what he was doing, Damasen was glaring at him dangerously. Glad to know the giant had my back.
I was really beginning to despise Daedalus. The only time he ever spoke to us was to tell us that he was hungry or tired, or just to whine about how many monsters had infiltrated his Labyrinth. But he did seem sorry and shut up any time I mentioned my parents. I knew he felt guilty about what had happened, and something told me that his guilt was the only reason he was still here and hadn't run off by himself to escape.
"Do you hear something?" Luke, who was in the lead, stopped us to listen. At first, I didn't hear anything. Then, a voice I had never heard echoed through the hallway before us.
"Revenge, child of Athena, revenge!" Its hissing cadence sent chills down my spine. It took everything I had not to run in the other direction. I felt myself sinking down as if to avoid being seen, even though nothing was there.
"Jase, what's wrong?" Charlie asked. He didn't look terrified, although I'm sure I did. I couldn't find my voice.
It's coming for you
I believed the Arai with every piece of my being. Whatever was down that hallway, it wanted to kill me and me specifically. If I had my detached arm, I would have thrown it ahead as an offering and run in the other direction.
"We have to run," I warned. Luke tilted his head warily but stood his ground. I think the group was treating me as a delusional mental patient since what had happened to my arm. Maybe they thought Damasen's medicines were making me crazy but they forget that I'm still the child of Annabeth Chase.
"No, we have to go in this direction if we want to get out. Arm yourselves," he decided.
Arm yourself
Maybe the medicine was affecting the Arai more than me.
I knew Luke was right but that didn't mean I was going to like it. My fingers were wrapped so tightly around the hilt of my dagger that my knuckles had turned white. I wished my other hand was available to hold Charlie's.
Then we rounded the corner, and came face to face with Athena's worst enemy, the reason my mother was doomed to Tartarus all those years ago.
"Arachne," I whispered, hearing my own voice crack. Even Charlie knew who Arachne was. My mom held more fear for this spider than she did for Tartarus itself.
I raised my sword but I didn't think I had it in me to fight this creature. I had nightmares of Arachne since I was child. Being a child of Athena came with the perk of Arachnophobiabut being the child of Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena one who bested Arachne once and for all; the spider herself seemed to leak her essence into my dreams. My siblings and I have always had a rational fear of spiders.
"Jason, get down!" Luke yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me to the ground. My dagger nearly fell from my grip as he tugged at me to get out of the way. I had spaced out. I stupidly focused on my fear long enough for Arachne to attack. I knew I needed to focus but the pain killers clouded my reflexes.
Charlie fought the giant spider side-by-side with Bob. Damasen tried to get behind it so they could fight from both sides, and Luke was helping me snap out of my deliria.
It's going to kill you
Charlie could tell I was freaked out. He gently pushed Luke away and took his place. He knelt down in front of me, blocking my view of the monster.
"Jase, look at me. This is a monster just like any other monster," he said
"This is not like any other monster! This is Arachne!"
Charlie gave me a pointed look, as if to say duh, but ignore that. "Ok, that's fine. You stay here, and I'm going to go fight the giant spider lady." He kissed my hand and jumped up, joining the fight.
That tricky little fucker.
"Wait!" I grabbed his wrist to pull him back.
"What?" he asked, as if he didn't know what he was doing.
"You can't fight that thing!"
"Well somebody's got to!"
I glared at him, finally giving in. "Right. Fine. Let's go." I picked my dagger back up and ran into battle. I stayed in the back of the fight, only making a move when Arachne got close enough to hurt me. I found it much more difficult to fight with only one hand. I was off balance. It was difficult to block.
Arachne was spitting webs out of her backside, something that would have been a strange sight if I wasn't so terrified.
"Shit!" Charlie yipped just as one of the webs hit him and slammed him into the wall. I ran to help but the webbing was secured around him, creating a cocoon of sorts.
"Duck!" Charlie yelled. I ducked. Another web hit him, just avoiding my head. I tried to cut him loose but it was hard with the giant spider trying to kill me.
"Jase, stop! Turn around and join the fight! You're going to get yourself killed!" Charlie shouted angrily.
"I'm trying to cut you loose!"
"I don't care! Turn your ass around!"
"Fine!" I yelled back. I turned around, shielding him as I fought.
Now that I had joined the fight, Arachne was focused on me. I could hear her cursing Athena with every jab.
I found myself praying to my grandmother. I wondered if she heard me, or if she'd even heard me at all since the fall. Maybe she'd tell Mom that I'm alive, or maybe my prayers just went unheard. I prayed to my grandparents every night but I never knew if they heard me. A sign would be nice.
Luke had finally managed to sneak around behind Arachne. He dug his sword into her back. The monster screamed in pain and anger and reared its head. I took this opportunity to make a plan.
"Bob! I need a hand!" I yelled, ignoring the irony. Bob took this literally and set his hand on the ground. I could work with that.
I ran forward and jumped onto his hand, then kicked off and launched myself at her throat. I slashed my dagger across the thick leathery skin, trying my best to ignore the hairy hide that rubbed against my fingers as my blade plunged into the top of her head.
"That's for my mother," I hissed.