AN: Great news everybody! My copyright finally went through so this mega update is to celebrate! My short story is called 'The Stranger' and you can find it on amazon. There will be a link to it on the Facebook page for my stories. I want to thank everyone for supporting as I write and for anyone who ends up getting my story. This is hopefully the latest step to becoming a full-time writer.
Son of the Moon
Chapter 52
-Bianca-
Sighing, Bianca glanced at Nico, Percy, and Amanda "Guys, fall back a bit." She whispered, glancing towards Rachel. Frowning, they nodded and slowed down, leaving her and Rachel at the head of their group.
"So, you wanted to talk to me?" Rachel didn't even bother looking her direction, eyes focused on the path ahead.
"I wanted to get this stupid hatchet buried before someone gets killed or you become like someone else I know." She responded, forcing herself to stay neutral. "You've been pining for Percy this whole time and your glares at me are getting tiresome. Percy is my boyfriend, we've been dating long before he met you so why can't you just take the no for what it is?"
Rachel tried to keep up a glare before it cracked as she sighed, "You wouldn't understand." The redhead looked away, knuckles cracking as she clenched her fist.
"Try me." Bianca retorted dryly, hoping to stop the birth of a second Thalia.
"I met Percy in the Hoover damn," Rachel explained, "he showed up, saved me from some monsters, then quoted some old proverb before he ran off."
"That…sounds exactly like Percy." Bianca sighed, rubbing a hand down her face, having forgotten that Rachel mentioned that before "I love the big oaf, but he can be more than a little dramatic at times. So, what, you fell for his flair?"
"It's…not just that." Rachel sighed, "I don't really have the best relationship with my family. My dad focused more on business than anything or anyone, money being his family instead of me. My mother married my father because both their benefited from it and has always been upset that I wasn't a proper little lady. My solace? Fantasy, adventure, living in things I could create. Then I meet Percy who felt like someone who leapt right from the pages of one of my books."
"You fell for the idea of him before you even knew him." Bianca deduced, "And when you just were left with that one meeting that idea grew."
"And then I saw him again and what do I see? He has some other girl with him and all those ideas I'd had swimming around in my head got shattered. I hoped you were something else, anything besides a girlfriend but no, you just had to be. I'm jealous, I'm not going to lie, but I'm not going to fight you over him." Rachel sighed, "I'm not into fighting losing battles, you're a daughter of a powerful god, a strong fighter, you're beautiful! Me?" the redhead sent him a sad smile "I'm just the frumpy pain stained daughter of a business tycoon, pouting because she can't get a date from the dashing hero."
"Rachel," Bianca frowned, "even with all my strength and my training I can't do jack shit to find my way around here. If it had been up to me to get us through this place we all would have been dead long ago. Just because I can fight when you can't doesn't make me better than you. Here, getting us where we need to go alive you're worth ten of me."
"…Thanks…" Rachel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, but Bianca could tell the mortal girl wasn't quite as depressed as before.
"If you want when this mess is over I can help you train," Bianca gave the other girl's shoulder a squeeze "I look like this because I train and stay fit. And there are plenty of fish in the sea, I'm sure you'll find someone out there for you."
"I might just take you up on that." The redhead grinned, flashing her a small smile as the tension that dissolved from the air was almost palpable. Facing forward Rachel paused to look at the different paths that lay ahead, "We're close." Rachel told them, the others having caught up as they saw her conversation with their guide was over.
"How can you tell?" Percy asked, eyes serious as he looked at the different paths that lay before them, "And what are we looking at?"
"The path to the left leads a room full of a maze of mirrors that will trap you in hallucinations, so you wander around until you starve to death." Rachel pointed to said path, "The middle route leads to a room full of golds, books, scrolls, and treasure chests. The chests are automatons so if you open one or touch any treasure in the room they'll eat you."
"Charming." Bianca winced before looking at the remaining right route "So we go right?"
"Nope." Rachel grins "That way if you go a few feet down the hall then both ends seal shut and the floor and ceiling slam together."
"I thought you said that this was the right route." Nico frowned.
"And that we were close." Amanda piped in, the duo's confusion shared by Bianca and Percy as well.
"There's more here than meets the eye." Rachel smirked and grabbed one of the torches on the wall, pulling it forward with a click as a portion of the floor slid away to reveal a staircase. "And the glow is getting brighter, right now it's almost like looking at the yellow brick road."
"Well let's hope there's no witch at the end," Percy chuckled out at that "we're rather short on houses to dump on one and Bianca doesn't really have any ruby slippers with her." He paused before giving her a dramatic once over "Now that I think about it you could make some ruby heels work, maybe the god of gems could help you out?" he teased.
"Adventure now, fashion later." Bianca couldn't keep the laughter from her voice, the end of their quest almost in sight being a euphoric feeling she doubted would ever lose its rush.
Nodding, Percy took the torch from Rachel as they descended the staircase that had been revealed, "There aren't any more traps." Rachel spoke up proudly "We just have to follow the tunnel to its end and we reach the workshop of Daedalus.
"Then let's knock." Percy grinned, eyes blazing with excitement at the end of their quest, a pair of giant bronze double doors coming closer and closer as they approached the end of the hall. Getting to it they saw a Delta split between the two bronze slabs. Reaching forward, Bianca ran her fingers lightly over the symbol as it glowed blue, the two pieces of Celestial bronze sliding into the walls to allow them into the workshop of Daedalus.
The inside was amazing, looking like the loft of a rich artist. Floors of polished stone stretched out, unbroken and unblemished. A polished bronze spiral staircase led up to a loft that rested bellow the thirty-foot ceiling from where giant crystals floated, emitting light to fill the space. He could see a kitchen full of fresh fruit and a wet bar full of drinks and a small living room connected full of the most comfortable looking couches Bianca had ever seen. Most of the loft's first floor was taken up by the actual workshop portion. She saw a dozen easels showing various schematics for buildings, weapons, and inventions; adorning the walls were sets of wings composed of gold and silver feathers, different spoils of war and weapons likely forged by Daedalus himself. Finally, the back wall was entirely windows showing what Bianca recognized as the Rocky Mountains in the distance.
"Beautiful isn't it?" a familiar voice yawned from above them as they all jumped, weapons drawn and aimed as Rachel was pushed behind them for her safety. Looking towards the source of the voice they saw a familiar disheveled man leaning on the loft railing. "It's the garden of the gods in Colorado," the man yawned, slowly making his way down the spiral staircase "the windows and this loft change location from day to day but it's always somewhere high up." The man, who she was now able to see clearly was Quintus "A Manhattan skyscraper, the Eifel tower, Big ben. But it seems to come back here the most," Quintus snorted in dry amusement, "perhaps it likes the irony."
"Quintus he…he's tied to this place." Bianca frowned, as she studied Quintus. Something about the man had always felt off to her but now that she saw him in the Labyrinth she could feel his soul and how it was bound tight to the Labyrinth, almost as if the Labyrinth was his soul, or perhaps he its.
"Very astute young lady." Quintus yawned, "But perhaps it is best you be told my true name, even if you've likely figured it out already."
"You're Daedalus." Percy said, lowering his sword slightly which confused Bianca.
"I am indeed," the ancient smith nodded "now let us talk. The Titan forces are likely not far behind you."