Chapter summary: *pats Tori's shoulder* this baby can fit so much trauma!

—

I had dreams about the forest.

Mostly the same things I'd heard while in the forest: pleas, whispers that sounded like prayers, calls for help, and the name "Castellan" a lot, as I stumbled through trees that pressed in on me from all sides. I kept tripping on knobby roots and scraping up my hands. My head pounded, my prickles roared, my heart felt like it was trying to break free from my chest.

At some point, when I tripped and fell, the forest floor gave way to a chasm of darkness. I knew this dream all too well. I landed in Tartarus. Despite knowing I was going to end up in Tartarus every night, it always felt fresh emotionally. It felt exactly like I was arriving for the first time, every time.

I used to have a therapy pet for this reason. Well, she was really more of a therapy dragon. A small thing (nothing like the size of Peleus), about the size of a cat. Not only did she provide warmth for my chronic pain, but she also woke me up if the dreams became too much, and helped me calm down if something triggered a flashback while awake. After being recruited, to put it nicely, by Triumvirate, she had disappeared.

Some part of me hoped that she had escaped for her own safety, sensing not only the danger of Triumvirate, but also the general danger in the city. But the longer I went without any sign from her, the more I feared Hargrave, or anyone from Triumvirate, had done something to her. I wanted to go look for her, or demand Hargrave tell me what they'd done to her, but to be honest…I didn't think I could handle what they told me. So I had put it off—let myself believe that she had simply left to protect herself, as that would've been the smart thing to do. (Even though I knew, deep down, she wouldn't have abandoned me.)

All that said, I woke with a shout, which woke everyone else in the cabin, as well.

"I'm fine," I quickly assured, because I could hear the question on their lips. "Go back to sleep."

It was winter, so the sun was far from rising, but after getting my prickles under control, I pulled myself out of bed anyway and went into the bathroom. Since it was still pretty early. No one in camp would be getting up for at least another hour or so. No one except for maybe Chiron. That reminded me I needed to talk to him about the three-legged death race today.

With a goal in mind, I locked my nightmares away in a box, and began getting ready for the day (making sure to take my phones out from underneath my pillow and into the bathroom with me). First and foremost, pain meds. Then I brushed out my hair again before putting into a diagonal Dutch braid, brushed my teeth, and dressed. I had clean underclothes, but none of the clothes I'd kept here for impromptu stays were my style anymore, except for the jeans. So I pulled on my jeans and put my turtleneck back on, making a mental note to go back to the city and grab some of my clothes, or have someone bring some here for me, if I was going to stay any longer.

I quietly exited the bathroom and attached my throwing knives belt to my thigh, then donned my jacket (slipping my phones into my breast pocket), and exited the cabin. I went to the hearth that burned in the middle of the green to warm up a little and quiet some of my prickles. Before I left, I gave a small, polite bow to the little girl tending the hearth, and then went to the Big House.

As I suspected, Chiron was awake. He was in wheelchair form when he opened the door, and from the sound of it, had been preparing water for tea.

"Good morning, Tori," he greeted. "Would you like to come in?"

I shook my head. "I'll wait out here. You can finish making tea. I just want to talk real quick about the death race this afternoon."

"Of course." Chiron nodded and closed the door again.

I huddled in my coat, hands in my pockets, and turned away from the door, looking out across camp. Winter was always hard; I always had to take more pain meds. Even with the new help of my elixirs.

Perhaps I should finally explain: after the Second Titan War, because Luke had made a heroic sacrifice, I was the one left to take the punishment. I was Dionysus' personal assistant (it was a nice way of putting it). I was at his beck and call, 24/7. I wasn't allowed to say no. I had to call him "my Lord" and kneel every time I greeted and departed from him. If he asked me to jump, I had to ask him how high. Lest I be killed, or worse driven mad, as he was also the god of madness. I knew firsthand how scary that aspect of him could be, so I didn't push my luck. He was also the reason I had a fear of vines—he'd made me relive one of my most traumatic experiences alongside nearly strangling me with grape vines.

You could say I was used to having to serve a higher power under threat of death or harm to me or my loved ones.

Thankfully, after helping win the Second Giant War, I was released of my punishment, and no longer served Mr. D, as we called him at camp. But seeing as it was hard to erase my experiences with the god, I tried to stay as far away from him and anything relating to him as much as I could.

Chiron came out a few minutes later, holding a steaming cup of tea.

"Good morning," I said to him. "I realized I didn't say it, so I thought I should."

Chiron smiled and nodded in understanding. "I assume you do not want to participate in the three-legged death race?" he asked before taking a sip of his tea.

"I would appreciate it if I didn't have to," I said. "Besides, if I did my headcount right last night, it would mean I'd be paired with Nyssa, and she does not like me at all."

"Of course," Chiron said. "You don't even need a doctor's note." He winked and grinned. I couldn't help but smile back. "And you are correct, Nyssa would be the only one left without a partner. Though, she also doesn't participate, as she helps Harley oversee the…ah, mechanics of the labyrinth."

"Right." I bit my tongue on the urge to lecture a centuries old centaur on his methods of training demigods. Maybe after all this was over and Triumvirate was defeated. "Thanks for understanding, Chiron," I said.

"Of course." Chiron nodded. "See you at breakfast, Tori."

"See you later, Chiron."

I made my way off the porch and began heading back to the cabins. The sky was beginning to lighten, and I could feel sunrise on the horizon.

As I passed by the edge of the porch, some whispered, "Psst!"

I froze and looked over my shoulder. In the dim morning light, I could really only see a shadowy figure, standing pressed against the side of the porch wall. My prickles automatically rose in response, but I tried to tell myself this wasn't an enemy, since this camp was protected by a magical border, reinforced by both the golden fleece and the Athena Parthenos, and guarded by a dragon.

"Um…" I said in a normal voice, not wanting to approach, but not wanting to be rude, either.

The shadowy figure stepped away from the wall, enough that I could tell he was a satyr. Looking around, I took a cautious step toward him.

"It's Woodrow," the satyr whispered, gesturing with one of his hands for me to come closer.

"Woodrow?" I asked. "Why are you—"

"Shhh!" he hissed, reluctantly stepping out of the shadows. I was grateful he hadn't tried to grab for my arm or I might've hurt him on instinct. "He could be watching," he whispered, his head on a swivel.

I leaned closer to be able to hear him and whispered, "Who?"

"Lord Apollo," Woodrow whispered back.

I tried not to burst out laughing at that, but I could feel the tickle strong in my chest. A giggle did manage to escape my lips and Woodrow's head snapped to me, eyes wide with fear.

"It's okay," I quickly reassured, trying to control my voice so he knew I was taking him seriously. "Apollo is mortal now. He can't hurt you."

Woodrow shifted, rubbing his hands together nervously. "How do we know he's not just faking it?"

I opened my mouth to respond but Woodrow continued, not giving me a chance to speak.

"Even if he isn't, what if he remembers all those who scorned him when he gets his immortality back? What if he goes after them for revenge? He's been known to be emotional and volatile."

I cleared my throat, swallowing more laughter. "You have a good point"—and he did, I meant that—"but he can't hurt you right now. And it's not like you would treat him badly while he's here. Besides, if he tries to make trouble for you, I can set him straight."

Woodrow huffed a little laugh, which was what I was hoping he'd do.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said immediately. "Not to say you aren't strong or powerful, or anything—"

I put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, I understand what you mean."

Woodrow sagged, some of the worry and tension melting out of him. "Thanks, Tori. Will you…will you come to my music class this morning? Lord Apollo is supposed to be there and I'm still a little nervous about it."

I honestly wanted to say no. Avoiding him was probably my best option right now, based on the looks he kept giving me, and the resentment it rekindled. But I could tell Woodrow was feeling extremely nervous, and I felt bad enough for him that I pushed my own weird thoughts and emotions aside.

"Sure," I said. "What time is your class?"

First was breakfast. During breakfast, the rules were more lax, and everyone was allowed to sit at whichever table they chose. I still sat at the Apollo table, though, especially after last night's…face-off with Sherman. And Will's reminder that no one liked or trusted me. I sat at the end of the table, near a brazier to fight off my prickles a little while longer.

Will and Nico were at the Hecate table, hanging out with Lou Ellen, one of Cecil's friends, as well as theirs. (Basically it was just a big friend group between the four.) That reminded me I needed to go talk to Lou Ellen about helping me gather supplies if I wanted to make more pain elixir.

It also brought back other things. Like, for example, the fact that, despite my undying love for Luke, I'd had a very, very brief fling with a son of Hecate. Older than most demigods, he'd managed to fly under the radar until one day he'd summoned a sphinx into the building he'd been doing research for, for a community college class he was taking. Despite his parents' wishes, he liked magic (yes, it was a bit on the nose), and practiced that more than he studied.

Apparently, when I'd helped rescue him, he'd developed a crush. Often using his magic to cheer me up because I hadn't been handling everything going on in my life very well at the time. So we grew close, and I found some kind of feelings grow for him. I couldn't say if they were strictly romantic, but after he'd been wounded and I thought he was going to die, I'd kissed him because of those strong feelings. But that was also when I found out that I could never love anyone as much as I loved Luke, and I felt it unfair to whoever chased after my affections that I couldn't give myself wholly to them. So we'd stayed just friends.

And then he'd died during the Second Giant War.

So it wasn't so much that there was bad blood between me and the Hecate cabin, it just brought back a lot of painful memories.

Lyra and Austin were sitting with Malcolm at the Athena table, and Kayla and Cressida were hanging out with Chiara, who was teaching them Italian.

So I sat alone, listening to the chatter around the pavilion. Half-way through my meal, I spotted Apollo and Meg conversing near one of the stone walls. I accidentally caught Apollo's eye, who quickly looked away. My mood soured tremendously and suddenly the food on my plate didn't look as appetizing as before.

I sighed and looked away as well, just as Holly came up to me with a pitcher of water.

"More water?" she asked.

I glanced at my full cup and cleared my throat, quickly taking it and dumping onto the floor near my feet. I placed my cup back on the table and said, "Sure, thank you."

"Herbert and Millard met up with your people," she said quietly as she filled my cup.

I nodded. "Good. Glad to hear. I can't promise anything, but they'll do their best."

Holly pulled the pitcher away. "Of course. Still, thank you."

"Happy to help."

Holly walked off and I faced forward, only to accidentally meet Apollo's gaze again. Once again, he looked away. Frowning, I stood to discard my plate and went down to the archery range. Technically, Sherman was running drills this morning, but seeing as we'd had a bit of a disagreement, shall we say, last night, I didn't think he wanted me in his class. So I had a little time before Woodrow's music class. I could probably convince Nico to spar with me during one of the afternoon timeslots, when the arena was free.

This time, I kept my jacket on. I switched between practice with my throwing knives and a bow and arrow, since I had more time.

Afterward, I'd wanted to cool off and take a quick shower, but when I saw Apollo go into our cabin, I took a detour and instead went to grab a few ibuprofen from the infirmary and sat in there, on the edge of one of the cots, to cool down. I shed my jacket, but kept it in my lap. I thought about taking off my turtleneck (as I had a tank top underneath), but I didn't want to risk it. Anyone could burst in here at any time, since injuries were common when training with real weapons.

When it was time for Woodrow's class, I stood, donned my jacket, grabbed the guitar I kept at camp, and headed over to the amphitheater.

"Mind if I join?" I called from one of the entrances. I couldn't help but feel a little twinge of vindictive satisfaction when Apollo stiffened at the sound of my voice. Still, I was not looking forward to having to endure more of his odd looks.

"Oh, Miss Tori!" Woodrow called, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Yes, please come in!"

Apollo frowned at me as I came forward. I smirked back. His glare intensified. Next to him, Austin held a violin, looking away but making a face. Valentina was trying to play some chords on the clarinet, but she was blowing too hard and the instrument squealed in response. Meanwhile, Damien was strumming intensely on an acoustic guitar, while Chiara sat back, glaring at Damien, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"Why are you here?" Apollo finally asked, bluntly.

I took a seat next to Woodrow, removing my guitar from my back and setting it beside me before leaning back on my elbows and stretching my legs out. "Woodrow invited me." I tried to ignore the annoyance I felt toward him at his question.

Apollo's glare turned to Woodrow, who jumped and whimpered.

"He's harmless, Woodrow," I assured. Apollo's glare turned back to me. I continued to smile at him.

One of the strings on Damien's guitar decided to snap at that moment, bringing my attention away from Apollo and his attention away from me.

Chiara sat forward and shoved Damien. "You killed it! I needed to use that guitar!"

"Shut up, Lucky," Damien muttered, cradling the guitar away from her. "In the real world, accidents happen. Strings snap sometimes."

Chirara started cursing him out in Italian.

Apollo reached for the guitar, then. "May I?"

Damien pouted at Apollo suspiciously before relinquishing the guitar to him. He turned to the open guitar case at Woodrow's feet and began reaching for one of the extra strings inside. Woodrow, having been distracted by Damien and Chiara, physically jumped a few inches when he noticed Apollo reaching in his direction.

Austin laughed. "Relax, Woodrow. He's just getting another string."

I frowned when Apollo didn't glare at Austin for making a similar comment as I had, but watched as Apollo deftly replaced the broken string before tuning it. I don't know why it surprised me…perhaps surprised wasn't the right word. It was just something about seeing your now-mortal father, who used to be the god of music, do something music related. It was one thing to know he was the god of music. It was another to see him use those skills.

I felt the familiar magic of demigod divinity wash over me as Apollo continued to tune the guitar and glanced around to see that it was having a huge effect on the others. Valentina put down her clarinet, for she had begun sobbing. Chiara was no better, and Damien was valiantly trying to hold back his own tears. Beside me, Woodrow's eyes had gone red and he sniffled.

Austin caught my eye and we exchanged a knowing look.

By that time, Apollo had realized what was going on and stopped tuning.

"That was so beautiful!" Valentina exclaimed, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "What was that song?"

I coughed to try and hide my snort.

"It's called tuning," Apollo responded, though he made it sound like a question.

"Yeah, Valentina, control yourself," Damien mumbled. "It wasn't that beautiful."

"No, it wasn't," Chiara added, her voice wavering.

Unphased, Apollo began playing scales. As he began another one, he started to explain which one he was playing but I felt another wave of magic wash over me. A strong emotion welled up in my chest, and my prickles responded unkindly. I had to close my eyes to control it. I took a deep breath and as I let it out, I expelled the magic from my body. My emotions, and pin-pricks, settled and I opened my eyes again.

Damien and Chiara had begun weeping outright, reaching for each other but also smacking each other's arms weakly. Valentina had fallen to her side and curled up into the fetal position, now trembling. Woodrow was holding his panpipes like he was about to rip them apart, so I sat up and reached over, laying my hand on his wrist, trying to infuse some of my calm into him. He took a shaky breath in and stopped gripping his pipes so hard. Austin even had a tear forming in the corner of his eye.

Apollo played a sharp note and I flinched. The others came out of their magic music-induced stupor, wiping their eyes. Valentina sat back up, her breathing a bit ragged. Apollo then began playing a one-four-five progression. Austin nodded his head and grinned.

"Yeah, man."

He brought his violin to his chin and began to improvise alongside Apollo. Their combined magic hit me like a truck, but I'd been expecting it, and had been prepared. I could still feel the edges of the effect, but it wasn't nearly as strong as it'd been before.

My hand was still on Woodrow's wrist, but he was frowning.

"That's amazing," he exclaimed, breaking Austin and Apollo's attention from each other to him. "You two should be teaching the class. What was I thinking? Please don't flay me!"

"My dear satyr," Apollo began, "I would never—" He broke off suddenly, his hands spasming. The guitar fell from his hands and tumbled down the stone steps. I winced each time it hit the ground as it continued its fall.

Austin slowly lowered his violin, giving Apollo a concerned look. "You okay?"

Apollo looked at Austin, miffed. "I…yes, of course," he breathed, sounding winded. After a moment, he sagged. "I'm…tired."

"Well, yeah," Valentina offered. "The way you were playing was unreal!"

"It's okay, Apollo," Austin added. "You'll get stronger. When demigods use their powers, especially at first, they get tired quickly."

"But I'm not…" Apollo began to object weakly. He didn't finish and the longer he thought, the more miserable he looked. Damien scowled and balled his fists.

"Don't you worry, Apollo," he said. "It's not your fault. I'll make that stupid guitar pay for this!" He stood and marched down the steps before smashing the guitar. I flinched at the sight and sound. A perfectly good instrument, gone to waste.

Chiara huffed. "Idiota! Now I'll never get my turn!"

"Would you like to borrow mine?" I asked, removing my hand from Woodrow's wrist and gesturing to mine. It was a gift from Leo Valdez, one of the demigods who was part of the prophecy that incited the Second Giant War. An acoustic guitar—it had been painted black with white flowers and flower petals adorning the front. I kept my mom's guitar at my apartment and would have never let anyone touch it. While Leo's gift was obviously precious to me, I didn't mind lending it to, at least Chiara, as I believed I could trust her to be gentle.

Chiara blinked and focused on me, as if she'd forgotten I was there. She opened her mouth to respond but Woodrow suddenly turned to me.

"Oh, would you sing a song for us, first?" he asked, as if also suddenly remembering I was there.

"Uh, well…" I glanced at Chiara again. "If-if Chiara doesn't mind waiting a moment longer?"

"I mean…" She blinked and her eyes widened. She let out a small gasp. "You were the one singing last night?"

"Oh." I'd somehow completely forgotten about that. I nodded mutely.

"I'd love to hear another song from you," Valentina said. Chiara nodded emphatically.

"I…um, s-sure." I turned and pulled my guitar from its case and into my lap. As I was tuning it, Apollo stood, keeping his gaze on the ground.

"Excuse me," he muttered before quickly exiting the amphitheater. I tried not to let that bother me, but my pin-pricks steadily grew in response to my emotions.

"Hey, wait! Uh—" Austin exclaimed, standing, too. He looked at me helplessly.

"It's okay." I nodded to the exit Apollo had gone through. "Go after him."

"Thanks, Tori." Austin set down the violin in its case and quickly left, too.

I finished tuning and began playing "Epic I" from the New York Theater Workshop version of Hadestown, but as I got to the "la la la's," combined the "la la la" section from Broadway's version of "Wedding Song," easily transitioning from one to the other. As I sang, the breeze picked up, bringing with it the promise of spring.

I let the last note hang in the air. Around me, red carnations had popped up and bloomed. Woodrow, Damien, Valentina, and Chiara looked at them in awe. Some other nature spirits had also joined us, sitting around our group.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, looking at Chiara. "Um…would you still like to practice?" I asked, holding out the guitar to her.

The rest of the class went swimmingly, as Woodrow and I taught everyone else the major chords. Though, I say that, knowing that it was mostly Chiara and Valentina who had any luck with actually playing notes that sounded like notes. To Damein's credit, however, violins aren't the type of musical instrument you just pick up and start playing, even if we'd taken the bow away and only let him pluck.

Afterward, I headed to the arena, having been able to wrangle Nico into sparring with me. We were pretty evenly matched, especially after my training with Triumvirate. But I was also feeling the exhaustion from using energy to counteract Apollo and Austin's magic. I'd taken more pain meds before, in anticipation, but some days my pin-pricks didn't respond. Some days, not even the elixir helped.

During one of our water breaks, Nico finally brought it up. In his usual, Nico fashion.

"You're usually better than this," he said.

I finished my cup of water and replied, "Just a little tired."

Nico eyed me suspiciously. "Maybe if you took off your turtleneck, you wouldn't be overheating. That might help."

I wheezed a laugh as I filled my cup back up. "No, I'm fine." I'd taken my jacket off, but had made sure to put my black phone in my front pants pocket. It wasn't totally conspicuous, but it was better than it falling out the back of my pants while we sparred. And it was certainly better than missing a call from Hargrave.

Nico's dark eyebrows furrowed and he inclined his head. "If I told you I found out more about why Apollo is here, would you finally tell me the truth?"

I exhaled sharply. "You're not going to let that go, are you?"

"No." He gestured to my pocket with his sword. "Especially because the shape in your pocket looks suspiciously like a phone."

I probably shouldn't have risked it. I should've just sparred with the dummies camp provided. But it wasn't good training, not when you were as good as I'd gotten. So I considered the options I had left and drank the water in my cup.

"As long as you promise not to tell Will anything," I said. "Not until I can figure out a way to tell him myself."

I could tell Nico didn't like that as he simply pursed his lips and nodded.

"I need you to say it out loud," I told him.

Nico blinked, not expecting that. "You're serious."

"I told you it was serious, Nico."

Slowly, Nico nodded. "I promise I won't tell Will anything."

"Thank you. Tonight. After lights out. I'll meet you at your cabin." I put my cup aside and grabbed my sword. "One more time before lunch?"

Nico gave me a crooked smile and raised his own sword. "You're on."

Most of lunch was more comprised of preparation for the three-legged death race than eating. I sat at the Apollo table once again (and yes, once again, near a brazier), nibbling on the food provided and watching everyone scramble to prepare. Many went up to Harley and Nyssa, a pile of bribes building up over the hour. Harley simply grinned at them and shook his head as he tinkered away at something in his hands. Nyssa beamed at his side.

The only reason I noticed Apollo was because he was running around, looking frantic and a little frazzled. First he'd tried to tell Chiron something, but Chiron was too preoccupied with preparations as the rest of them. Then it was Harley, but he was too preoccupied with the thing he was tinkering with. Then it was Cressida and Lyra, but they were busy strategizing. Then it was Austin and Kayla. Kayla seemed more open to what Apollo was saying but Austin was fully in three-legged death race mode and dragged her off as he cleaned out his saxophone. Briefly, for a split second, Apollo got so desperate he threw a glance my way. But he dismissed it and instead turned to find Meg.

I tried not to let that bother me; shoving those particular emotions into a box and shoving that box into a locked drawer. I just finished eating when Chiron blew a hunting horn.

"Demigods!" he announced. "Tie your legs together and follow me to your starting positions!"

I stood next to Chiron (on his other side were Harley and Nyssa), wanting to see my siblings off (then it was back to the cabin for more pain meds!). Just to be supportive, despite how much I silently objected to it. I didn't exactly want to crush a seven-year-old's passion project, though (and even if I'd tried, Nyssa would've had my throat). Even so, it seemed…unwise for everyone to go through this type of training. Chiron even seemed unsure about it, so I really wasn't sure why he kept it in the schedule.

Perhaps it was good that they all knew how to navigate the labyrinth just in case. But it seemed quite unlikely we'd need to use it for anything. And anyone sane would never go wandering down there by themselves, or even with a small group. It was just too dangerous and unpredictable.

Anyway, I was so lost in thought, I didn't even realize the event had started until I saw everyone in the clearing fall through square holes that opened up, dropping them down into the labyrinth. By the time I realized this, I was already falling down my own hole. I managed to land without falling over, having to squat to balance myself. I stood and looked up to see Chiron back up, pushing Harley and Nyssa away from the hole.

"Tori!" Chiron exclaimed.

"What—" was all I could manage before the ground above me closed up and I was left in darkness. My heart shot into my throat before speeding out of control. My prickles burst painfully. I immediately reached out to feel for walls with shaking hands. My knees felt weak.

When I couldn't immediately find a wall, I knelt down again, curling into a ball, trying to get my breathing and pin-pricks under control. Despite the darkness, I squeezed my eyes shut tight, shoving away all the nightmares I'd encountered in the labyrinth years ago.

Let's see if I can summarize concisely: The labyrinth had been created by Daedalus, who'd managed to cheat death by transferring his soul into automatons, throughout the years. And through the millennia, the labyrinth had grown and morphed into something apart from Daedalus—something that lived and breathed and had a mind of its own. A few years ago, I'd had to travel through it a couple of times and witnessed many horrors. So, obviously, I had traumatic memories associated with this magic maze.

Daedalus had finally died, but the labyrinth, having a life of its own, had survived. Except now, it was ungoverned. When Daedalus was alive, he'd been able to somewhat keep it in check. Now, no one had a clue. Partly why Chiron was having everyone at camp train to navigate it.

And now I was alone and unprepared inside the maze.

I mean, I always carried my throwing knives and sword (strapped to my back), some nectar and ambrosia but had not had time to make more pain elixir. Even still, I was far from prepared to navigate a hostile maze. Not to mention my PTSD.

I, of course, was working on my coping mechanisms when faced with situations that reminded me of my trauma, so I was able to get a handle on my breathing. Not so much my prickles, but enough I could kind of think. And it didn't make any of this any easier, but I was glad that I was at least able to unfurl from my ball and actually have enough of a brain to start thinking of a way out.

When I opened my eyes again, now that they'd adjusted, I could see several yards away, there was a dim light at…well, at the end of the tunnel. (At least, I think I was in a tunnel.) Just as I took a step toward it, I heard a voice call my name from behind.

Normally, this would've had me sprinting toward the light. Not to say I couldn't handle myself with the weapons I had, it just wasn't ideal in a maze full of traps and monsters that wanted to eat and kill me.

However, I recognized this voice. One of my "coworkers," shall we say.

I let out a slow breath as my nerves settled (but not my pin-pricks). Must've been one of their fucking games. They were just messing with me. I mean, I knew I was definitely in the labyrinth, but now I knew who'd orchestrated it.

I turned toward the darkness of the tunnel, cautious. I waited to make sure it wasn't the maze playing tricks on me.

"It's just me," he said, stepping out of the gloom. I frowned at him. His name was Ellery and he was wearing a suit, much like Hargrave did. Probably trying to emulate Hargrave, which was annoying.

The lower levels of Triumvirate were strange and modern, filled with mercenaries and humans. Ellery was a demigod, though. They were the heads of the mercenary groups, and in some cases, handlers of lower-level demigods. We weren't as low as the mercenaries, but we, obviously, were not above these demigod handlers, either. And just to make it more confusing, Hargrave was Ellery's handler, as well as mine. Though, Ellery was probably more on my ranking. Even so, he was sometimes sent out in Hargrave's stead to give me instructions or accompany me on missions to make sure I behaved. Because, unlike me, he wasn't being coerced into working for Triumvirate.

"This was their doing, wasn't it?" I spat.

Ellery paused. I thought I saw him swallow but it was too dark for me to be sure.

"A test," he finally said. I rolled my eyes. "Of sorts."

"They've tested me enough. I've been on dozens of their errands already. What more is there to prove?"

"It's been a few months since you…graduated, shall we say, and Hargrave decided it was time to test your skill." Ellery shrugged. "As one of ours, you should be keeping them sharp, Victoria."

"Where is Huixing?" I asked, eyeing the gloom behind him.

Ellery inclined his head, smirking. "Out. On her own test."

Cold dread flushed through my veins, followed quickly by my prickles. I took a step toward him, my hands balling into fists.

"I wouldn't," Ellery said easily.

As much as I wanted to, I restrained myself from tackling and throttling him. I didn't need to be injured right before having to navigate my way through the maze.

"How am I supposed to get out?" I ground through my teeth.

Ellery chuckled without humor. "Why, find three golden apples, of course." He pulled out a golden apple from his pocket and tossed it to me. I let it fall to the ground at my feet.

"Where did you get that?"

"Your siblings dropped it. Kayla and…Austin, was it?"

Heat flashed through me this time and I saw red. I rushed toward Ellery, grabbed the lapels of his jacket, and threw him against the wall. Behind me I heard shuffling of feet and the sound of swords being unsheathed but I kept my eyes on Ellery, who was gazing at me with an annoyingly calm expression.

"What did you do to them?" I growled.

"I didn't do anything," he said. "Swear on the Styx," he added when I shifted, to grab one of my throwing knives. "They were simply answering a call because they asked the wrong question. They dropped it on their way."

"Where are they?" I asked, gripping the front of his jacket so tight, my fingers ached.

Ellery's voice hardened and his eyes flashed. "That's not your concern, Victoria. You should focus on getting out of the maze." When I didn't let him go, he said, "You may not care about your physical safety, but if you do not complete this test, all Hargrave has to do is make one call and your two younger siblings aren't the only ones you'll be losing tonight."

My grip slackened, though my breathing was now ragged from anger, my voice barely a whisper as I asked, "They're dead?"

"Kayla and Austin? No. But they won't be returning to camp."

I tried to glare at Ellery again but I could feel tears filling my eyes—I wasn't really sure what from. Stress from being in the maze again? My younger siblings getting kidnapped and held hostage? The guillotine hanging over Dan and Anya's heads?

With a defeated sigh, I let go of Ellery's jacket and stepped back, averting my gaze. (Behind me, bodies shifted and feet shuffled.) I didn't exactly want him to see me cry, though he'd certainly seen it before. Which was already embarrassing enough.

Ellery pulled away from the wall and straightened his jacket.

"Don't you even care that they're children?" I asked, not sure why. I'd come to learn he didn't care for much, if anything at all.

Ellery shrugged and shook his head. "Not really." His eyebrows furrowed. "Is that why you're crying?"

"Forget it," I muttered, turning away from him. There was a sword in my way, still being held aloft by one of Ellery's bodyguards, but I pushed it aside and went to pick up the golden apple still glowing on the ground of the tunnel.

"Good luck," Ellery said. It was so deadpan I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic.

Regardless, as I continued forward to the light at the end of the tunnel, and without turning around, I replied with, "Fuck off."

End of October

There was a black SUV waiting for me when I exited the training building on the last day of my required training. I'd "graduated" and gotten to pick out a fun new weapon as a present. I'd picked the throwing knives.

I tried not to groan (or turn and run) as two mercs exited. One of them opened the door to the backseat. I could see Hargrave inside.

Grinding my teeth, I went up to the SUV and slid inside, to the middle seat. The two mercs who'd stepped out, got back in. One next to me in the back, and the other in the passenger's seat.

I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for Hargrave to speak. Couldn't he have at least given me time to go back to my apartment to take some pain meds? Get some rest after a long day?

"Oh, don't look so grumpy," Hargrave said. "This is your first assigned mission. You should be excited, and flattered. Most don't often get assigned so quickly."

I gritted my teeth and gave him the side-eye.

Hargrave sighed. "You're really no fun, Victoria."

"Wonder why," I responded in a flat tone.

"Well, regardless, I think you'll like this one," Hargrave said. "You'll be posing as a singer, under your alias, Serena Castellan, of course. There's a gala tonight, and you'll be the live entertainment."

"You put me through two weeks of intense, non-stop training," I began, "to pose as a singer?"

Hargrave gave me his signature soulless smile. "All you have to do is stand there and look pretty. Now that shouldn't be too difficult for you."

I unclipped one of my newly acquired throwing knives and held it to Hargrave's throat. I felt the barrel of a gun press to my side, but I ignored it, glaring at Hargrave.

"I have weapons again, or did you forget?" I asked.

"I think you resort to violence too quickly, Victoria," Hargrave said. Despite his casual tone, he was pressing his back into the car seat. "Perhaps you should work that out with your therapist."

I pressed my knife harder to his throat and a bead of blood appeared. The merc next to me cocked the gun but Hargrave waved him off. After a moment of hesitation, the barrel was no longer pressed into my side, and I heard the merc un-cock the gun.

"Perhaps you should stop giving me backhanded compliments," I replied. "And I'm being generous when I say 'compliments.'"

Hargrave cleared his throat. "Noted. I would like to tell you about the rest of the mission now, dear, but I'm going to need you to remove your knife."

I gave him one last glare before putting my knife back. "Fine."

Before speaking, Hargrave pulled out a handkerchief and gently pressed it against the small cut on his neck. He took his sweet time dabbing at it until it stopped bleeding, then carefully folded it up and tucked it into his breast pocket.

"You'll be getting a pair of bodyguards, as your reputation precedes you and we wouldn't want our newest asset getting hurt, now would we?" I tried to fight the urge to pull out my throwing knife again, instead eyeing the mercs in the car.

"Oh, no, not them." Hargrave chuckled. "They're errand boys. No, your bodyguards are also demigods. Three demigods is the best for quests, are they not?" He paused, as if waiting for me to respond. I didn't, so he continued, nonplussed. "They're much like you, except they were a lot more amicable about joining Triumvirate. Though, I will note, one of them reports to me and can instruct you. You could say he's training to take a handler position much like mine."

"Who are they?" I asked.

Hargrave waved his hand noncommittally. "You won't know them. They'll be dressed for the occasion and go by Charlie Burns and Haley Nakamura."

Acid washed through my veins, followed by a wave of my pin-pricks, at the sound of that last name. "Nakamura?" I asked.

Hargrave didn't fail to notice my reaction and chuckled again. "Yes, my employers thought it…fitting to pair you with someone with that last name."

I curled my hands into fists. A young demigod named Ethan Nakamura had become Kronos's right hand during the Second Titan War. He'd been a son of Nemesis, the last demigod to pledge himself to Kronos, which was what brought Kronos back. In the end, Ethan had sacrificed his life to help prevent Kronos from rising.

"A-are those their real names?" I asked, the thought suddenly occurring to me, and to distract from those painful memories.

"No," Hargrave replied helpfully.

"Are you going to tell me their real names?"

"No. If they decide they want to tell you their real names, they're free to. As it stands, however, you all know each other under your aliases. It's less of a liability."

I waited to get more information about what I was supposed to do, figuring there had to be some kind of twist. Otherwise, why have me do all that training? But when Hargrave didn't say anything else, I prompted him.

"That's it?" I asked, feeling like I was missing something. My first mission was to sing at a large event? How could that have possibly served Triumvirate? "I thought you said the emperors were cashing in what they're owed. They just want me to sing?"

"Well, you are known for your voice, seirína," Hargrave said. "Perhaps they would like to see just how enchanting your voice is."

I frowned. "Am I going to be…hypnotizing someone?" I asked, shifting in my seat. Hypnotize was the best word I could use for it. Sometimes, if I wanted to and sang the right song, I could basically put people into a trance-like state and get them to do what I wanted. I wasn't sure how far I could go—I had never wanted to test it. And I hoped they wouldn't force me to. But with Dan and Anya's lives on the line…I wasn't sure I was going to have a choice, as abhorrent as it was.

"Oh, no," Hargrave said. "Not this time. Just sing like you usually would. They'll give you a list of songs they'd like you to sing once you arrive."

I still felt like I was missing something but I wasn't sure how to word my question in a way that wouldn't put Hargrave onto me. But then a small voice that sounded horribly like Luke's said, Why the bodyguards?

Swallowing hard, I looked over at Hargrave. "You've just finished training me. Why would I need bodyguards? Regardless of my reputation," I said slowly.

"Well, like I said before, demigods working in three is—" Hargrave began.

"That's not what I asked."

Hargrave closed his mouth and sighed, giving me a look like he was about to scold a child. "That's really not important." He folded his hands in his lap. "You should be careful the questions you ask of me, Victoria. Remember that your brother's life, and his fiancée's, depends on how much you're pleasing me and my employers in your work. If you go poking your nose into places it doesn't belong, your brother will suffer for it. You best remember that."

I glared at him but said nothing.

Hargrave nodded. "Good. When you are given a mission, you do not ask questions. You take the information we give you and do it. Understood?"

"Understood," I ground out between my teeth.

Hargrave smiled. "See, not so difficult now, was it, Victoria?"

I turned back to face front, restraining myself from strangling him.

The sun began to set as the driver wove us through the city, to wherever my first mission was to be.

Sorry for the delay. Life has been pretty hectic for me in some not so great ways. Not really much else to say, I think ^^;

Hope you enjoyed! Comments are really appreciated ^_^

Thank you for reading,
TheBrightestNight