The Battle of the Labyrinth

with our quest,” I told him. “It would be safe.”
    “Safe?” Nico said. “What do you care if I’m safe? You got my sister killed!”
    “Nico,” Annabeth said, “that wasn’t Percy’s fault. And Geryon wasn’t lying about Kronos wanting to capture you. If he knew who you were, he’d do anything to get you on his side.”
    “I’m not on anyone’s side. And I’m not afraid!”
    “You should be,” Annabeth said. “Your sister wouldn’t want—”
    “If you cared for my sister, you’d help me bring her back!”
    “A soul for a soul?” I said.
    “Yes!”
    “But if you didn’t want my soul—”
    “I’m not explaining anything to you!” He blinked tears out of his eyes. “And I will bring her back.”
    “Bianca wouldn’t want to be brought back,” I said. “Not like that.”
    “You didn’t know her!” he shouted. “How do you know what she’d want?”
    I stared at the flames in the barbecue pit. I thought about the line in Annabeth’s prophecy: You shall rise or fall by the ghost king’s hand. That had to be Minos, and I had to convince Nico not to listen to him. “Let’s ask Bianca.”
    The sky seemed to grow darker all of the sudden.
    “I’ve tried,” Nico’s said miserably. “She won’t answer.”
    “Try again. I’ve got a feeling she’ll answer with me here.”
    “Why would she?”
    “Because she’s been sending me Iris-messages,” I said, suddenly sure of it. “She’s been trying to warn me what you’re up to, so I can protect you.”
    Nico shook his head. “That’s impossible.”
    “One way to find out. You said you’re not afraid.” I turned to Eurytion. “We’re going to need a pit, like a grave. And food and drinks.”
    “Percy,” Annabeth warned. “I don’t think this is a good—”
    “All right,” Nico said. “I’ll try.”
    Eurytion scratched his beard. “There’s a hole dug out back for a septic tank. We could use that. Cyclops boy, fetch my ice chest from the kitchen. I hope the dead like root beer.”

TEN

WE PLAY THE GAME SHOW OF DEATH
    We did our summons after dark, at a twenty-foot-long pit in front of the septic tank. The tank was bright yellow, with a smiley face and red words painted on the side: HAPPY FLUSH DISPOSAL CO. It didn’t quite go with the mood of summoning the dead.
    The moon was full. Silver clouds drifted across the sky.
    “Minos should be here by now,” Nico said, frowning. “It’s full dark.”
    “Maybe he got lost,” I said hopefully.
    Nico poured root beer and tossed barbecue into the pit, then began chanting in Ancient Greek. Immediately the bugs in the woods stopped chirping. In my pocket, the Stygian ice dog whistle started to grow colder, freezing against the side of my leg.
    “Make him stop,” Tyson whispered to me.
    Part of me agreed. This was unnatural. The night air felt cold and menacing. But before I could say anything, the first spirits appeared. Sulfurous mist seeped out of the ground. Shadows thickened into human forms. One blue shade drifted to the edge of the pit and knelt to drink.
    “Stop him!” Nico said, momentarily breaking his chant. “Only Bianca may drink!”
    I drew Riptide. The ghosts retreated with a collective hiss at the sight of my celestial bronze blade. But it was too late to stop the first spirit. He had already solidified into the shape of a bearded man in white robes. A circlet of gold wreathed his head, and even in death his eyes were alive with malice.
    “Minos!” Nico said. “What are you doing?”
    “My apologies, master,” the ghost said, though he didn’t sound very sorry. “The sacrifice smelled so good, I couldn’t resist.” He examined his own hands and smiled. “It is good to see myself again. Almost in solid form—”
    “You are disrupting the ritual!” Nico protested. “Get—”
    The spirits of the dead began shimmering dangerously bright, and Nico had to take up the chant again to keep them at bay.
    “Yes, quite right, master,” Minos said with amusement. “You keep chanting. I’ve only come to protect you from these liars who would deceive you.”
    He turned to me as if I were some kind of cockroach. “Percy Jackson . . . my, my. The sons of Poseidon haven’t improved over the centuries, have they?”
    I wanted to punch him, but I figured my fist would go right through his face. “We’re looking for Bianca di Angelo,” I said. “Get lost.”
    The ghost chuckled. “I understand you once killed my Minotaur with your bare