The Battle of the Labyrinth

school. Kelli caught my eye and gave me an amused smile, like she was waiting to see what I’d do. It would look bad if I left right now. Paul Blofis was down there with the rest of the teachers. He’d wonder what was wrong.
    Then I thought about Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and the special ability she’d shown last winter at Hoover Dam. She’d been able to see a group of security guards who weren’t guards at all, who weren’t even human. My heart pounding, I got up and followed her out of the gym.
    I found Rachel in the band room. She was hiding behind a bass drum in the percussion section.
    “Get over here!” she said. “Keep your head down!”
    I felt pretty silly hiding behind a bunch of bongos, but I crouched beside her.
    “Did they follow you?” Rachel asked.
    “You mean the cheerleaders?”
    She nodded nervously.
    “I don’t think so,” I said. “What are they? What did you see?”
    Her green eyes were bright with fear. She had a sprinkle of freckles on her face that reminded me of constellations. Her maroon T-shirt read HARVARD ART DEPT. “You . . . you wouldn’t believe me.”
    “Oh, yeah, I would,” I promised. “I know you can see through the Mist.”
    “The what?”
    “The Mist. It’s . . . well, it’s like this veil that hides the way things really are. Some mortals are born with the ability to see through it. Like you.”
    She studied me carefully. “You did that at Hoover Dam. You called me a mortal. Like you’re not.”
    I felt like punching a bongo. What was I thinking?
    I could never explain. I shouldn’t even try.
    “Tell me,” she begged. “You know what it means. All these horrible things I see?”
    “Look, this is going to sound weird. Do you know anything about Greek myths?”
    “Like . . . the Minotaur and the Hydra?”
    “Yeah, just try not to say those names when I’m around, okay?”
    “And the Furies,” she said, warming up. “And the Sirens, and—”
    “Okay!” I looked around the band hall, sure that Rachel was going to make a bunch of bloodthirsty nasties pop out of the walls; but we were still alone. Down the hallway, I heard a mob of kids coming out of the gymnasium. They were starting the group tours. We didn’t have long to talk.
    “All those monsters,” I said, “all the Greek gods— they’re real.”
    “I knew it!”
    I would’ve been more comfortable if she’d called me a liar, but Rachel looked like I’d just confirmed her worst suspicion.
    “You don’t know how hard it’s been,” she said. “For years I thought I was going crazy. I couldn’t tell anybody. I couldn’t—” Her eyes narrowed. “Wait. Who are you? I mean really ?”
    “I’m not a monster.”
    “Well, I know that. I could see if you were. You look like . . . you. But you’re not human, are you?”
    I swallowed. Even though I’d had three years to get used to who I was, I’d never talked about it with a regular mortal before—I mean, except for my mom, but she already knew. I don’t know why, but I took the plunge.
    “I’m a half-blood,” I said. “I’m half human.”
    “And half what?”
    Just then Tammi and Kelli stepped into the band room. The doors slammed shut behind them.
    “There you are, Percy Jackson,” Tammi said. “It’s time for your orientation.”
    “They’re horrible!” Rachel gasped.
    Tammi and Kelli were still wearing their purple-andwhite cheerleader costumes, holding pom-poms from the rally.
    “What do they really look like?” I asked, but Rachel seemed too stunned to answer.
    “Oh, forget her.” Tammi gave me a brilliant smile and started walking toward us. Kelli stayed by the doors, blocking our exit.
    They’d trapped us. I knew we’d have to fight our way out, but Tammi’s smile was so dazzling it distracted me. Her blue eyes were beautiful, and the way her hair swept over her shoulders . . .
    “Percy,” Rachel warned.
    I said something really intelligent like, “Uhhh?”
    Tammi was getting closer. She held out her pom-poms.
    “Percy!” Rachel’s voice seemed to be coming from a long way away. “Snap out of it!”
    It took all my willpower, but I got my pen out of my pocket and uncapped it. Riptide grew into a three-foot-long bronze sword, its blade glowing with a faint golden light. Tammi’s smile turned to a sneer.
    “Oh, come on,” she protested. “You don’t need that. How about a kiss instead?”
    She smelled like roses and clean animal fur—a weird but somehow intoxicating smell.
    Rachel