The Battle of the Labyrinth

danger,” I said.
    “No kidding. Minos is one of the judges of the dead, but he’s got a vicious streak a mile wide. I don’t know what he wants with Nico, but—”
    “That’s not what I meant,” I said. “I had this dream last night . . .” I told her about Luke, how he’d mentioned Quintus, and how his men had found a half-blood alone in the maze.
    Annabeth’s jaw clenched. “That’s very, very bad.”
    “So what do we do?”
    She raised an eyebrow. “Well, it’s a good thing you have a plan to guide us, huh?”
    It was Saturday, and traffic was heavy going into the city. We arrived at my mom’s apartment around noon. When she answered the door, she gave me a hug only a little less overwhelming than having a hellhound jump on you.
    “I told them you were all right,” my mom said, but she sounded like the weight of the sky had just been lifted off her shoulders—and believe me, I know firsthand how that feels.
    She sat us down at the kitchen table and insisted on feeding us her special blue chocolate-chip cookies while we caught her up on the quest. As usual, I tried to water down the frightening parts (which was pretty much everything), but somehow that just made it sound more dangerous.
    When I got to the part about Geryon and the stables, my mom pretended like she was going to strangle me. “I can’t get him to clean his room, but he’ll clean a hundred tons of horse manure out of some monster’s stables?”
    Annabeth laughed. It was the first time I’d heard her laugh in a long time, and it was nice to hear.
    “So,” my mom said when I was done with the story, “you wrecked Alcatraz Island, made Mount St. Helens explode, and displaced half a million people, but at least you’re safe.” That’s my mom, always looking on the bright side.
    “Yep,” I agreed. “That pretty much covers it.”
    “I wish Paul were here,” she said, half to herself. “He wanted to talk to you.”
    “Oh, right. The school.”
    So much had happened since then that I’d almost forgotten about the high school orientation at Goode—the fact I’d left the band hall in flames, and my mom’s boyfriend had last seen me jumping though a window like a fugitive.
    “What did you tell him?” I asked.
    My mom shook her head. “What could I say? He knows something is different about you, Percy. He’s a smart man. He believes that you’re not a bad person. He doesn’t know what’s going on, but the school is pressuring him. After all, he got you admitted there. He needs to convince them the fire wasn’t your fault. And since you ran away, that looks bad.”
    Annabeth was studying me. She looked pretty sympathetic. I knew she’d been in similar situations. It’s never easy for a half-blood in the mortal world.
    “I’ll talk to him,” I promised. “After we’re done with the quest. I’ll even tell him the truth if you want.”
    My mom put her hand on my shoulder. “You would do that?”
    “Well, yeah. I mean, he’ll think we’re crazy.”
    “He already thinks that.”
    “Then there’s nothing to lose.”
    “Thank you, Percy. I’ll tell him you’ll be home . . .” She frowned. “When? What happens now?”
    Annabeth broke her cookie in half. “Percy has this plan .”
    Reluctantly I told my mom.
    She nodded slowly. “It sounds very dangerous. But it might work.”
    “You have the same abilities, don’t you?” I asked. “You can see through the Mist.”
    My mom sighed. “Not so much now. When I was younger it was easier. But yes, I’ve always been able to see more than was good for me. It’s one of the things that caught your father’s attention, when we first met. Just be careful. Promise me you’ll be safe.”
    “We’ll try, Ms. Jackson,” Annabeth said. “Keeping your son safe is a big job, though.” She folded her arms and glared out the kitchen window. I picked at my napkin and tried not to say anything.
    My mom frowned. “What’s going on with you two? Have you been fighting?”
    Neither of us said anything.
    “I see,” my mom said, and I wondered if she could see through more than just the Mist. It sounded like she understood what was going on with Annabeth and me, but I sure as heck didn’t. “Well, remember,” she said, “Grover and Tyson are counting on you two.”
    “I know,” Annabeth and I said at the same time, which embarrassed me even more.
    My mom smiled. “Percy, you’d better use the phone in the hall. Good luck.”
    I was relieved to get out