The Battle of the Labyrinth

try,” she said. “If you love me, don’t . . .”
    Her voice trailed off. Spirits had started to gather around us again, and they seemed agitated. Their shadows shifted. Their voices whispered, Danger!
    “Tartarus stirs,” Bianca said. “Your power draws the attention of Kronos. The dead must return to the Underworld. It is not safe for us to remain.”
    “Wait,” Nico said. “Please—”
    “Good-bye, Nico,” Bianca said. “I love you. Remember what I said.”
    Her form shivered and the ghosts disappeared, leaving us alone with a pit, a Happy Flush septic tank, and a cold full moon.
    None of us were anxious to travel that night, so we decided to wait until morning. Grover and I crashed on the leather couches in Geryon’s living room, which was a lot more comfortable than a bedroll in the maze; but it didn’t make my nightmares any better.
    I dreamed I was with Luke, walking through the dark palace on top of Mount Tam. It was a real building now— not some half-finished illusion like I’d seen last winter. Green fires burned in braziers along the walls. The floor was polished black marble. A cold wind blew down the hallway, and above us through the open ceiling, the sky swirled with gray storm clouds.
    Luke was dressed for battle. He wore camouflage pants, a white T-shirt, and a bronze breastplate, but his sword, Backbiter, wasn’t at his side—only an empty scabbard. We walked into a large courtyard where dozens of warriors and dracaenae were preparing for war. When they saw him, the demigods rose to attention. They beat their swords against their shields.
    “Issss it time, my lord?” a dracaena asked.
    “Soon,” Luke promised. “Continue your work.”
    “My lord,” a voice said behind him. Kelli the empousa was smiling at him. She wore a blue dress tonight, and looked wickedly beautiful. Her eyes flickered—sometimes dark brown, sometimes pure red. Her hair was braided down her back and seemed to catch the light of the torches, as if it were anxious to turn back into pure flame.
    My heart was pounding. I waited for Kelli to see me, to chase me out of the dream as she did before, but this time she didn’t seem to notice me.
    “You have a visitor,” she told Luke. She stepped aside, and even Luke seemed stunned by what he saw.
    The monster Kampê towered above him. Her snakes hissed around her legs. Animal heads growled at her waist. Her swords were drawn, shimmering with poison, and with her bat wings extended, she took up the entire corridor.
    “You.” Luke’s voice sounded a little shaky. “I told you to stay on Alcatraz.”
    Kampê’s eyelids blinked sideways like a reptile’s. She spoke in that weird rumbling language, but this time I understood, somewhere in the back of my mind: I come to serve. Give me revenge.
    “You’re a jailor,” Luke said. “Your job—”
    I will have them dead. No one escapes me.
    Luke hesitated. A line of sweat trickled down the side of his face. “Very well,” he said. “You will go with us. You may carry Ariadne’s string. It is a position of great honor.”
    Kampê hissed at the stars. She sheathed her swords and turned, pounding down the hallway on her enormous dragon legs.
    “We should have left that one in Tartarus,” Luke mumbled. “She is too chaotic. Too powerful.”
    Kelli laughed softly. “You should not fear power, Luke. Use it!”
    “The sooner we leave, the better,” Luke said. “I want this over with.”
    “Aww,” Kelli sympathized, running a finger down his arm. “You find it unpleasant to destroy your old camp?”
    “I didn’t say that.”
    “You’re not having second thoughts about your own, ah, special part?”
    Luke’s face turned stony. “I know my duty.”
    “That is good,” the demon said. “Is our strike force sufficient, do you think? Or will I need to call Mother Hecate for help?”
    “We have more than enough,” Luke said grimly. “The deal is almost complete. All I need now is to negotiate safe passage through the arena.”
    “Mmm,” Kelli said. “That should be interesting. I would hate to see your handsome head on a spike if you fail.”
    “I will not fail. And you, demon, don’t you have other matters to attend to?”
    “Oh, yes.” Kelli smiled. “I am bringing despair to our eavesdropping enemies. I am doing that right now.”
    She turned her eyes directly on me, exposed her talons, and ripped through my dream.
    Suddenly I was in a different place.
    I stood at the top of a stone