Quite understandably Luke was mad, but since I hadn't actually done anything to help Percy this time I was in the clear. I wasn't sure if he'd seen me at all in the stands, but if he had he hadn't given any indication of it. I just hope he would be alright. Annabeth was with him, and she tends to keep him out of trouble, or at least rescue him from it, so I reasoned he should be fairly alright. Although Ethen had run off with Percy and the others, he'd come back, still wanting to join the army and Luke let him, because although he was mad that my brother escaped, again, Ethan's involvement had prompted Percy to challenge Antaeus and then kill him, which wasn't entirely in Kronos's plan but it did mean that the arena now belonged to us and we could move the army freely through the Labyrinth. Thus, Ethan became one of us. I talked to him for a little while, though sometimes I would feel cold daggers seemingly digging into my back and I'd look quickly behind me to see Luke glowering. It made me nervous. He became distracted though when someone came rushing into the arena, and for a moment I did not realise who they were until I turned my head to look at them properly and nearly leaped six feet in the air when I saw Nico being followed by a form that floated, yet looked near enough corporeal. If it weren't for the ghostly vapours that smoked form his shoulders and robes, I would have thought it to be a real person in bad lighting. The Ghost King. "Where is Percy?! What have you done to him and Annabeth?!" Nico yelled with so much force that a lot of us gaped at him in astonishment. How did such a scrawny kid have such guts? Luke laughed coldly.
"Thank you, King Minos, for delivering on your promise to us." With a snap of his fingers, Kelli tackled Nico and after a brief scuffle, hand his wrists bounds in chains. No, not Nico! I told him to stay out of the Labyrinth!
"It was my pleasure. Now, about your promise to me. Where is Daedalus? Where is the oath-breaker, the traitor?" Minos demanded to know though he kept very close to Nico. "I will not hand over the boy until he is within my grasp, nor complete my end of the bargain should you cheat me. I will have Daedalus before I vow any ghost army to your cause, demigod." My mind was already reeling as I started to slip forwards, moving around the arena quietly whilst everyone else maintained their focus upon Nico, Minos and Luke, though when my movement caught Nico's eye it drew his attention. His jaw dropped when he saw me but I hastily pressed a finger to my lips, pleading with him to be quiet. I had to do something about this. If I was right then Hades had linked our dreams together so that I would protect Nico from Luke and Kronos, but right now things weren't looking too great. Nico clamped his mouth shut and pointedly tried to keep his eyes averted, though they kept on straying towards me as I attempted to think. Luke agreed to allow Nico to remain with King Minos along with Kelli and two laistrygonians, trusting that Kelli would make sure that Nico would not escape. He warned Minos what would happen if he did not fulfil his end of the bargain, and so the group went to find Daedalus at his workshop, because apparently Minos had an old score to settle.
I knew I had to follow, because not only was Nico in trouble, but Percy had also gone in that direction. He and Annabeth were probably looking for Ariadne's string, though Quintus had got to it first. I had to warn them and free Nico. I just couldn't get caught. With the confusion of everyone packing up in order to prepare to go back, I managed to find Luke and tell him that I was going to stay here with the vanguard for a bit before then following after him. He frowned at me. "That is not necessary, someone else can do that. I'd rather you stay with me." His words were biting and harsh and I could tell he was studying me intensely, because I felt like any moment I was going to burst into flames under his glare. "You're coming."
"Who else can keep the monsters from killing and eating one another? They only listen to you and me." I pointed out and this made Luke pause, considering for a moment before eventually sighing. He agreed and told me that I could stay, but he wanted me back with the return of the second supply group as someone would return with the string to help them find their way out again. I smiled to him, naturally and with relief but tried not to look too happy about it as I nodded my head. "I'll see you soon Luke. I…I promise we'll be okay." Dead and empty eyes turned away from me.
"Don't make promises that you can't keep." He sounded sombre and afraid, like knowing that his time was coming to an end which in a way, it was. Soon Kronos would order Luke to merge with him, and then it may be too late to save Luke at all. Reaching out my hand, I tried to touch his arm but he brushed me off and sent me a rather sharp look which made me retract as he spoke. "I saw you getting close and cosy with Michael and Ethan. You should be more discreet when flirting." Flirting. Flirting?! I was so astounded that my jaw dropped open and I just gaped at Luke, almost completely forgetting about Nico and Percy.
"That's why you've been glaring at me? Oh my gods Luke, that's so stupid! I was not flirting!" Now I was angry, growing red faced and fuming at him as he blinked at me like I had suddenly sprouted two more heads and turned bright magenta. "You're such a bonehead. Why would you even think something like that? You think I have the kind of spare time to think about flirting with guys when I have a thousand other more pressing concerns to be dealing with? You know what? I don't care!" Turning around I stormed away from Luke who just looked puzzled, which only made me angrier. He was a total moron. Flirting. As if I'd flirt with any other guy when I had so many other problems and priorities on my mind. Flirting! He can go suck on a giant's toe for all I care. At least now I had the perfect excuse to stomp off which is exactly what I did, vanishing from sight before then bolting after Nico, Minos and Kelli with their two guards, racing for all I was worth in order to catch up. Thankfully they were in no hurry as I moved to catch up, slowing down once I could hear them as thankfully they hadn't gotten very far as the tunnel they had taken was long and narrow, the giant laistrygonians having to stoop and almost crawl in order to fit through. I closed my eyes in order to listen, following them by sound and carefully feeling my way forwards as I tracked them at a safe distance so that no matter how many times they turned around, they never saw I was there. I think Minos was leading them, because he seemed to know exactly where he was going and soon enough they had entered through some kind of large metal door. The floor was lined with grating and the walls a flawless metal with bright lights above me, seemingly out of place in such an ancient maze.
Behind the doors I could hear a fight ensuing, so I rushed forwards with Amaryllis jumping into my hand to extend into a bright bronze trident, glowing faintly with white at the tips where she would freeze and slow a target with the lightest of touches. I'd yet to explore the full reach of that particular capability, but perhaps Kelli would make a fine test subject. I burst in all at once though no one took any notice as they were so focused on their own battles, which suited me just fine. Glancing around to quickly assess the situation. I arrived at the exact moment that Nico banished Minos and the ghosts he had begun to summon, however this had left Percy distracted for a brief moment, meaning Kelli pounced upon my brother with her talons raised. Oh no you don't, it's time you turn to dust you filthy crone. I darted forwards with speed I did not know I possessed, locking one arm around my brother and drawing him slightly to the side so that even if I missed, Kelli's wild swing would miss him too as I thrust forwards with my trident. Her focus had been so entirely fixated upon Percy that she had not seen me and did not even notice until the three prongs had been driven through her chest, pushing all the way to the head until the trident erupted out the other side of her with ice beginning to creep from the wounds, spreading across her entire body as she slowed like trying to move through syrup before all at once freezing in place, becoming near enough a solid block of ice in front of Percy and me. She blinked, now staring at me with her mouth hanging open and unable to move as I looked back coldly, still clutching my brother against me as he remained blank with shock. Then I smirked at her. "I win." With that, her body shattered into chunks of ice before turning to dust in front of us.
Shifting my brother back onto his feet as Annabeth brandished her knife at me warily, I ignored the threat and glanced back over my shoulder, recognising that more monsters were on their way as I could hear them in the distance on their way here. "L-Lily?" Percy looked so shocked as he whirled around to face me, I couldn't help but smile as he stared at my eyes.
"Long story little bro, I promise I'll explain everything at some point." Then I tackled him with a hug, breathing in his scent and feeling like I had been completed as he remained in such a state that he didn't even think to hug me back, but even as he began to do so I had released him and grasped his arms. "You have to run, Percy. Get away from here, all of you. I can't protect you if you're caught, at least not without blowing my cover." Striding over to the door I kicked it shut then dropped the latch, hoping that would hold off the hordes at least for a little while. The girl I didn't know was standing by a bunch of wings that were the most incredible works of art I had ever seen, but now was not the time for admiration. I recognised Quintus and the hellhound from before fighting the two laistrygonians so I hurried to get everyone else away to safety before I could help him, though something didn't add up about that. "Hurry!" I practically had to shove Percy over to the wings, as it seemed the girl was already trying to get hers on with the intention of using them. Now I turned to Nico. "Hey little guy, it's good to finally meet you in person." Then I was hugging him too, pulling him up from the ground to give him a strong squeeze for as long as I could risk it.
"Lily! I can't believe it's really you!"
"I know, I know, but now is not the time. You've all got to go. Annabeth? Keep them out of trouble for me, and remember you have the Fleece. Use it." The daughter of Athena was watching me suspiciously with her intelligent mind whirring, just as I expected she would but then she too started to hurry and dress herself with a pair of wings, seemingly deciding that for now, I was trustworthy. Turning around, I stabbed one of the laistrygonians in the back, turning him to dust so that the hellhound, Mrs O'Leary, could then leap on the other and help Quintus fight it off. At my feet Greek fire started to blaze up and threaten to consume all the impressive works of a genius in the form of architecture, designs, inventions and artwork and my heart physically wilted to see such priceless works go up in flames. At the window, I heard Percy shout.
"Lily! Daedalus! Come on!" My surprise must have registered as I looked quickly to Quintus who seemed to be covered in some kind of liquid ooze. I thought perhaps a bottle of oil had smashed on him or something, but then I realised that it was coming from him. "Lily!" Percy's cry was desperate, so as I spun my trident in my hand, I turned around to smile at him one last time.
"Tell mom I love her and that I'll be home when the work is done. I love you, Percy." But then I turned and leaped into the fight, somehow wrestling my way between a hellhound, a man with golden blood and a laistrygonian in order to fend him off and give Quintus – or Daedalus – a chance to catch his breath. Annabeth yelled to Percy to drag him away as Nico pointed out that none of them knew how to fly. I didn't hear the response, but when I next looked around, all of them were gone and I saw nothing but bronze glints shining in the sky as they flew far into the distance at incredible speed. The laistrygonian bellowed as it attempted to pummel me with its fist so I ducked and rolled, coming up next to its side whereby I then thrust upwards and buried Amaryllis into its armpit, turning it into dust to join the other and Kelli, who I felt no sense of loss to be nothing more than a wispy vapour of yellow. Quintus dropped to the ground and the hellhound growled at me suspiciously but then I reached out and scratched her under the jaw, causing her to jolt before then closing her eyes and leaning into my fingers, scratching at her flank and wagging her tail maniacally as I then lowered myself to one knee before Quintus, studying him closely. "Daedalus?" I asked softly, hearing the sound of the monsters now getting closer. Too close. I didn't know how I was going to explain this.
"They betrayed me. I was a fool…a fool to trust them. To believe they would grant me peace. Were it not for your brother and his friends…I would have been turned over into the hands of my enemy and subjected to eternal torment in the Underworld for his amusement." Offering a sad smile of sympathy, I pressed my hand to the largest wound to try and stem the flow of whatever it was coming out of him, the golden liquid beginning to rise and slide over my hands. We couldn't stay here, the fire was spreading and soon, we'd go up in smoke with the rest of the workshop. At the door, the monsters that had followed began to hammer against it though whatever it had been made out of did not crumple immediately, giving us a little more time.
"I can help you escape, if that's what you want." I offered him and Daedalus looked to me with a quirk of his brow, not expecting me to make such an offer. What can I say? I feel like I have a soft spot for him, for some reason. "We'll fight them off, turn them to dust, and then you can make a run for it with Mrs O'Leary your friendly hellhound. Once I'm the last witness, I'll head back to Luke and tell him that Kelli failed and everyone got away."
"Won't you be punished, my dear?" Daedalus asked with genuine concern which made me smile at him warmly.
"Of course not, Luke adores me. I'm like a little sister to him."
"And what of Kronos?" To this I could not respond, but as the doors began to buckle we didn't exactly have time to debate on this. I made the decision and with a firm grasp to his arm, I pulled Daedalus to his feet then returned his sword to him as Mrs O'Leary barked cheerfully and licked at my face which left a rather disgusting trail of slobber. It was gross, but I did my best not to grimace as I didn't want to hurt her feelings as I then held my trident in both hands to make ready for the wave that was about to hit us. "You two really are alike." I heard Daedalus murmur softly as the door began to crunch and groan, crippling under the onslaught of the monsters on the other side. "Both of you were born to be heroes." This took me aback, glancing briefly to Daedalus who had that distant yet kind look in his face that brought a fuzzy kind of warmth to my heart. Before I could answer the doors burst open and we both turned to face our enemies, weapons raised and rushing forwards in order to leap into the air, side by side, directly into the howling fray.