──── chapter eleven

{ 🔮 }  · fuck you, jackson. . ݁ ٬٬ ࣪

THERE WERE NO MORE tears left to cry. After countless nights of crying, suffering under the pressure of blankets on top of her body while she laid in her bed in the corner of the Hermes' cabin, Endora just didn't have any tears left in her body to come out of her eyes. It have been weeks since she and Annabeth arrived back from the Labyrinth alone, without Grover, without Tyson, without Percy.

The moment the girl stepped out of the bolder, her knees gave up, her body crumbling into the hurrying arms of Madeline You and Lee Fletcher who were on the border duty. The sobs that wrecked her body were nothing she experienced ever before. The last time she truly cried was when her brother left and joined the Titans in this war.

But this. This was something else.

It felt like someone was tearing her body in half, taking piece and piece of her soul and leaving just corpse behind. It felt like her other half was missing, like part of her just disappeared and left the other part unattended, letting it try and mend itself. It felt like she lost everything. And Endora decided she didn't like the feeling. She never knew a human being could feel like what she experienced and she didn't wish it even upon her worse enemy to feel what she has felt.

It was eating her up not knowing what happened. If he is alive or not. It was eating her up and frustrating her to the core that none of her tracking and locator spells were working ─ they always showed the middle of no where. And maybe that's where he was. No where. He's not dead. Endora kept assuring herself. She would have felt it. But as much she kept saying those words, the horrid thoughts made their way into her mind and she let it consume her.

Over and over again.

It happened at least twice in the past two weeks and if it wasn't for her siblings and her friends, Endora would have given in into the temptation of the greedy witch and let her gain control of her body and her magic.

She was done living.

She heard Lou Ellen reassuring tear-eyed Basil one night, telling the boy that everything will be okay and that Endora was fine and she could fight it, that she was strong and that she will not let it get inside her mind ─ that happened after the Hollow almost overpowered the voices of Ancestors as the brunette thought of Percy over and over again. And it was the poor Basil that had found their sister in the Poseidon cabin, on her knees in the middle of the room, her eyes looking up at the ceiling as blood flowed from her eyes and nose, sobs leaving her body and unintelligible words leaving her mouth.

Endora wishes she could erase the memory from her sibling's mind. 

"After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked his best surviving friends to do the final honors."

Endora scanned the crowd of demigods. They were all facing forward, looking at her and Annabeth. The brunette felt her insides eating her up as she and the blonde took a long green silk burial cloth, embroidered with a trident, and set it on the flames. 

Annabeth turned to face her best friend subtly, asking with her eyes, You or me?

Endora motioned towards the blonde, not having enough energy nor emotions left inside her body to do the honors. Her eyes were puffy from crying, throat dry and her figure seemed even slimmer from not eating properly.

The girl hated the way she felt.

The daughter of Athena took a deep breath, squeezing Fredrick's hand who was beside her ─ him and Madeline making sure the two girls were doing alright ─ before she faced the audience. "He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had. He. . ." Annabeth's voice died down, her eyes fixed upon something in the distance. Her face went blood red. "He's right there!"

Heads turned. People gasped. And Endora felt like someone punched her in the face. No. That couldn't be right. No. She must have seen wrong. No. He wasn't there. But Endora knew those were just lies she told herself. She knew that the greedy witch in her mind was right.

And she hated it.

He was with her.

"Percy!" Beckendorf grinned.

A bunch of other kids crowded around the boy and clapped him on the back. Endora heard a few curses from the Ares cabin, but Clarisse just rolled her eyes, like she couldn't believe Percy'd had the nerve to survive.

Chiron cantered over and everyone made way for him. "Well," he sighed with obvious relief. "I don't believe I've ever been happier to see a camper return. But you must tell me ─ "

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Annabeth interrupted, shoving aside the other campers. "I ─ we thought you were dead, Seaweed Brain!"

"I'm sorry," Percy said. "I got lost."

Endora couldn't help it anymore. She felt rage building inside her body, all wanting to explode. It didn't help that she felt his eyes on her, those sea-green eyes she got to adore watching her and waiting for her reaction. And then he walked towards her, pushing away anyone who tried to stop him. The brunette felt her hands sparking with magic; they felt hot, burning her skin, fire against her soft hands.

She only knew one thing ─ she was right, and Endora hated it.

"Endy." he breathed out.

And all Endora did was stare blankly at his excited expression, watching as his eyes slightly scrunched up as he smiled. It made the anger grow even more inside of her, and not wanting to cause the scene, Endora turned on her heel and walked towards the Big House, walking away from the son of Poseidon and letting him experience the pain she felt after he left her.

Percy didn't tell them the whole story. He just couldn't bring himself to talk about Calypso. He explained how he'd caused the explosion at Mount St. Helens and gotten blasted out of the volcano. He told them he'd been marooned on an island. Then Hephaestus had found him and told me the boy could leave. A magic raft had carried him back to camp. All that was true, but as Percy said it his palms felt sweaty; and he was sure Endora knew he was lying.

"You've been gone two weeks." Annabeth's voice was steadier now, but she still looked pretty shaken up. "When we heard the explosion, I thought ─ "

"I know," Percy said. "I'm sorry, but ─ "

Madeline huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "You know? No, Jackson, you don't know." she stared down at Percy with annoyance evident in her eyes, "While you were dead, a lot of shit happened here at the Camp. You just know what happened to you, not what happened to people around you. Did you ask yourself what happened to the others while you got marooned? Like how Endora almost died for your information ─ twice, just to add."

"Maddy," Endora said softly, putting her hand over her best friend's shoulder and shaking her head.

"No, he needs to know," the black haired girl glared at Percy, "Did you stop to think what kind of emotional damage others will feel? Did you stop to think what happens when too much emotions consume her body or did you forget that part, hm?"

Percy's jaw dropped open at what the daughter of Apollo had said. His eyes darted between everyone in the room, waiting for someone to tell him that this information was not truth. But no one denied it. Everyone looked down at the table.

"What. . . ?" he managed to say.

"That shit tried to overpower her," it was Fredrick that answered this time, keeping calmer tone, but his eyes boring into the son of Poseidon, "So no, Percy, you don't know what happened because you were not here. You were dead for two weeks."

Percy felt guilt forming in the pit of his stomach. He knew what happened when Endora gets lost in emotions. He watched it happen last winter. He didn't even think about that.

He felt ashamed.

"Past is past. We must look on the brighter side." Chiron cleared his throat uncomfortably, "You said you talked to Hephaestus, Percy?"

"Yes," the boy felt his throat drying and closing up, "I figured out how to get through the Labyrinth with hints he gave me during our conversation."

"He told you the answer?" Annabeth asked.

"Well, he sort of told me that I already knew. And I do. I understand now."

Percy told them his idea.

Annabeth's jaw dropped. "Percy, that's crazy!" she turned towards the rest present at the table, "Tell me I'm not crazy for thinking so."

"Definitely not," Fredrick agreed.

Chiron sat back in his wheelchair and stroked his beard. "There is precedent, however. Theseus had the help of Ariadne. Harriet Tubman, daughter of Hermes, used many mortals on her Underground Railroad for just this reason."

"But this is my quest," Annabeth said. "I need to lead it."

Chiron looked uncomfortable. "My dear, it is your quest. But you need help."

"And this is supposed to help? Please! It's wrong. It's cowardly. It's ─ "

"Hard to admit we need a mortal's help," Percy said. "But it's true."

The room grew dark despite the afternoon sunlight that had been pouring though the windows. Percy looked towards Endora, knowing that the darkness was coming of her. She flinched slightly and glanced behind her before her body relaxed. When her eyes finally returned towards the boy, he could see they were a few shades darker. Her arms crossed on the table and her chin leaning on her hand, "You've been missing for two weeks, Jackson, two weeks, probably drinking mojitos or something with her and not thinking about what was happening outside that island," her voice was full of spite, "Well let me remind you that this is Beth's quest, not yours. It's someone else's time to shine. World doesn't revolve around you let me remind you of that."

And she got up from her seat, her chair scrapping against the wooden floor painfully making everyone wince at the noise. With chin held high, Endora walked out of the room with darkness disappearing with her.

Madeline was not having good time. From the reappearance of Percy motherfucking Jackson, to her weird dream that she blames her father for, the black haired girl had enough of it. First of all ─ what was Jackson thinking of ordering people around when clearly it was Annabeth's quest and not his. Yeah, maybe his plan was not that crazy, but still. It would be so hamulating for demigods to ask for mortals help. And second of all ─ why Apollo? Why did you have to give that curse and make your child suffer even more then they needed to.

In her dream, Madeline stood next to a boy ─ his curly black hair that sat messy atop his head, dark brown eyes with a look in them that made him look like he has taken much more caffeine than the normal limit. He had pointy ears and elf-like face that the girl found cute in some sort of a way, a diminutive stature with a slim and relatively scrawny build. He is around five foot six, about two inches taller than her.

The boy was hiding behind the crane, his head slowly looking at horrors in front of him. Madeline eyes followed where he was looking and instantly sucked in a breath.

The three smaller things dangling from crane arms weren't engines like she first thought. They were. . . oh gods. . . they were people. . . and she is one of them.

Madeline swallowed.

Beside her were two more chained up bodies ─ a boy and a girl.

The girl was beautiful ─ simple as that. She looked of Cherokee descent, with chocolate-brown hair that was cut choppy and unevenly, and had thin strands braided down on the sides. Her eyes seemed to change color like a kaleidoscope, going from brown to blue to green, and she was dressed in a simple white t-shirt tucked into faded jeans, and hiking boots. There was something so magical about her that Madeline couldn't describe ─ her aura reminded her of Silena Beauregard.

And the boy ─ he seemed tall and very athletic looking; he has well-muscled, tanned arms and legs and the girl felt her heart do a little flip as she looked. He was extremely handsome ─ close-cropped blond hair that seemed soft to touch. His eyes were closed, but the girl figured his eyes would be just as beautiful as he was.

But something bother her.

She moved closer to the curly haired boy so she could see better. And as she looked closely, the girl felt her whole world spinning. She noticed a tattoo on his right arm ─ a picture of an eagle with something written under it and twelve lines underneath.

But horrors were not over.

Her eyes drifted towards two massive humanoids gathered around the fire. Oh gods, what was happening? Two were standing, stoking the flames. The largest one crouched with his back to the boy and her. The two facing them were each ten feet tall, with hairy muscular bodies and skin that glowed red in the firelight. One of the monsters wore a chain mail loincloth that looked really uncomfortable. The other wore a ragged fuzzy toga made of fiberglass insulation. Other than that, the two monsters could've been twins. Each had a brutish face with a single eye in the center of his forehead.

The cooks were Cyclopes.

And before she woke up from her dreams, Madeline felt a hand touching her arm. Her eyes locked towards the hand, her eyes drifting towards the boy she stood beside as his brown eyes squinted at her figure before she fully woke up.

Endora made sure she placed Annabeth in the middle of her and Percy. The blonde glared at her but sat in the middle, much to Percy's disappointment. They didn't talk much in the van. Argus never spoke, probably because he had eyes all over his body, including at the tip of his tongue, and he didn't like to show that off.

Annabeth looked queasy, fiddling with her fingers.

"Spill it, Beth." Endora said, tearing her eyes from the window and looking at her best friend.

"Eurytion Iris-messaged me last night." the blonde said.

"Eurytion!" Percy said, "Is something wrong with Nico?"

"He left the ranch last night, heading back into the maze."

"What?" Endora asked uneasily. They had agreed for him to stay at the ranch with everything going on. "Didn't Eurytion try and stop him?"

"Nico was gone before he woke up. Orthus tracked his scent as far as the cattle guard. Eurytion said he'd been hearing Nico talk to himself the last few nights. Only now he thinks Nico was talking with the ghost again, Minos."

"He's in danger," Percy said.

Endora rolled her eyes, "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," Percy said. "I had this dream last night. . ."

They boy told them 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?" 

Endora flicked her hair behind her shoulder, "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. They  arrived at Sally Jackson's apartment around noon. When she answered the door, she gave the boy a hug only a little less overwhelming than having a hellhound jump on you.

"I told them you were all right," Percy's mom said, but she sounded like the weight of the sky had just been lifted off her shoulders. She gave Annabeth a hug, "It's so good to see you again, Annabeth! And, oh. . . " she turned her attention towards Endora, "Who's this, Percy?"

Everyone turned towards the boy, "Um, well," he said awkwardly, clearing his throat, "This is Endy ─ I mean Endora Prince. . . friend from the Camp."

The woman nodded at what her son said and a realization seemed to drown of her face as her eyes sparkled, "Oh, that's Endora! It's so lovely to meet you, dear, Percy's spoken so much about you. Although, his description is nothing then in real life. You're way more pretty ─ "

"Mom!" Percy cut in, his cheeks turning scarlet red. Endora was sure hers were too despite trying her best not to let heat overwhelm her cheeks.

"Um," Endora said awkwardly, "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Jackson."

"Oh, please," Percy's mom waved her hand, "Call me Sally, please."

She sat them down at the kitchen table and insisted on feeding them her special blue chocolate-chip cookies Percy told the girl about while the three demigods caught her up on the quest.

"Oh, let me please." Endora said as she watched Sally standing up to grab more cookies. The girl waved her hand and a plate full of cookies floated towards them. The woman stared at her in amazement.

"You're a child of Hecate, right?" Sally asked, "I remember Percy telling me something about magic."

"Yes," Endora nodded, "Along with my three siblings. . ." her mind drifted towards Alabaster, "But we don't talk about one."

Sally nodded understandingly.

As usual, Percy tried to water down the frightening parts ( which was pretty much everything ), but somehow that just made it sound more dangerous. When he got to the part about Geryon and the stables, his mom pretended like she was going to strangle him.

"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?"

Endora laughed. It was the first time Percy'd heard her laugh in a long time, and it was nice to hear. He looked at her, his lips forming in a soft smile. Neither of them caught Sally and Annabeth looking at them with knowing looks.

 "So," Sally said when Percy 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." 

"Yep," the son of Poseidon 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." Percy scratched the back of his neck, "What did you tell him?" 

Sally 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."

Endora was studying Percy. She looked pretty sympathetic even with their current not talking and ignoring each other phase. After all, every demigods has been in similar situations. It's never easy for a half-blood in the mortal world.

"I'll talk to him," Percy promised. "After we're done with the quest. I'll even tell him the truth if you want." 

Sally put her hand on the boy's 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 Percy told his mom. Hearing the plan again, Endora frowned at her cookie, her lips settled in a tight line, trying her best not to let the darkness consume the room again like it did back at the Big House. She took a deep breath in, closing her eyes and chanted under her breath, feeling calmness overcome her. Oh how she loved that spell.

She nodded slowly. "It sounds very dangerous. But it might work."

"You have the same abilities, don't you?" Percy asked. "You can see through the Mist." 

His 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," Endora said. "Keeping your son safe is a big job, though. Very big job" she folded her arms, crossed her legs and glared out the kitchen window. Percy picked at his napkin and tried not to say anything. 

Sally frowned. "What's going on with you two? Have you been fighting?"

Neither of them said anything.

"I see," Sally said, and Percy wondered if she could see through more than just the Mist. It sounded like she understood what was going on with Endora and him, but he sure as heck didn't. "Well, remember," she said, "Grover and Tyson are counting on you guys."

"I know," Endora, Annabeth and Percy said at the same time

Sally smiled. "Percy, you'd better use the phone in the hall. Good luck." 

Percy arranged a meeting in Times Square. They found Rachel Elizabeth Dare in front of the Marriott Marquis, and she was completely painted gold. 

And Endora means her whole body ─ her face, her hair, her clothes, everything. She was standing like a statue with five other kids all painted metallic ─ copper, bronze, silver. They were frozen in different poses while tourists hustled past or stopped to stare. Some passers by threw money at the tarp on the sidewalk. The sign at Rachel's feet said, URBAN ART FOR KIDS, DONATIONS APPRECIATED.

They stood there for like five minutes, staring at Rachel, but if she noticed them she didn't let on. Being ADHD and all, Endora could not have done that. Standing still that long would've driven the girl crazy.

"Maybe if we push her over," Annabeth suggested.

After another few minutes, a kid in silver walked up from the hotel taxi stand, where he'd been taking a break. He took a pose like he was lecturing the crowd, right next to Rachel. Rachel unfroze and stepped off the tarp.

"Hey, Percy." she grinned. "Good timing! Let's get some coffee."

They walked down to a place called the Java Moose on West 43rd. Rachel ordered an Espresso Extreme, the kind of stuff Grover would like. Annabeth and Percy got fruit smoothies, while Endora ordered iced macchiato, and they sat at a table right under the stuffed moose. Nobody even looked twice at Rachel in her golden outfit.

"So," she said, "it's Annabell, right? And. . . I didn't catch your name last time."

"Annabeth," Annabeth corrected.

"That's because I didn't say it," Endora rolled her eyes, "It's Endora, not Ursula like you seem to think. Do you always dress in gold?"

"Not usually," Rachel said. "We're raising money for our group. We do volunteer art projects for elementary kids 'cause they're cutting art from the schools, you know? We do this once a month, take in about five hundred dollars on a good weekend. But I'm guessing you don't want to talk about that. You're a half-bloods, too?"

"Shhh!" Annabeth said, looking around. "Just announce it to the world, how about?"

"Okay." Rachel stood up and said really loud, "Hey, everybody! These three aren't human! They're half Greek god!"

Nobody even looked over.

Rachel shrugged and sat down. "They don't seem to care."

"You're making me want to shut your mouth again," Endora said.

"That's not fucking funny," Annabeth said. "This isn't a joke, mortal girl."

"Hold it, you three," Percy said. "Just calm down."

Endora pinched the bridge of her nose, "You never tell a girl to calm down, Jackson."

"I'm calm," Rachel insisted. "Every time I'm around you, some monster attacks us. What's to be nervous about?"

"Look," the son of Poseidon said. "I'm sorry about the band room. I hope they didn't kick you out or anything."

"Nah. They asked me a lot of questions about you. I played dumb."

"Was it hard?" Annabeth asked.

Endora spat out her coffee while containing her laugh. The blonde girl patted her on the back to help her stop couching. She wanted to laugh so bad.

"Okay, stop!" Percy intervened. "Rachel, we've got a problem. And we need your help."

Rachel narrowed her eyes at Annabeth and Endora. "You need my help?"

Annabeth stirred her straw in her smoothie. "Yeah," she said sullenly. "Maybe."

Percy told Rachel about the Labyrinth, and how they needed to find Daedalus. He told her what had happened the last few times they'd gone in. 

"So you want me to guide you," she said. "Through a place I've never been."

"You can see through the Mist," Percy said. "Just like Ariadne. I'm betting you can see the right path. The Labyrinth won't be able to fool you as easily."

"And if you're wrong?"

"Then we'll get lost. Either way, it'll be dangerous. Very, very dangerous."

"Deadly dangerous," Endora added.

"I could die?"

"Yeah."

"I thought you said monsters don't care about mortals. That sword of yours ─ "

"Yeah," Percy said. "Celestial bronze doesn't hurt mortals. Most monsters would ignore you. But Luke. . . he doesn't care. He'll use mortals, demigods, monsters, whatever. And he'll kill anyone who gets in his way."

"Nice guy," Rachel said.

"He's under the influence of a Titan," Annabeth said defensively. "He's been deceived."

Endora sipped on her coffee quietly ─ that was the topic she didn't want to talk about.

Rachel looked back and forth between Annabeth and Percy. "Okay," she said. "I'm in."

Percy blinked, looking impressed. Endora just rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure?" the boy asked.

"Hey, my summer was going to be boring. This is the best offer I've gotten yet. So what do I look for?"

"We have to find an entrance to the Labyrinth," Annabeth said. "There's an entrance at Camp Half-Blood, but you can't go there. It's off-limits to mortals."

"Okay. What does an entrance to the Labyrinth look like?"

"It could be anything," Annabeth said. "A section of wall. A boulder. A doorway. A sewer entrance. But it would have the mark of Daedalus on it. A Greek L, glowing in blue."

"Like this?" Rachel drew the symbol Delta in water on their table.

"That's it," Annabeth said. "You know Greek?"

"No," Rachel said. She pulled a big blue plastic hairbrush from her pocket and started brushing the gold out of her hair. "Let me get changed. You'd better come with me to the Marriott."

"Why?" Annabeth asked.

"Because there's an entrance like that in the hotel basement, where we store our costumes. It's got the mark of Daedalus."

niki speaks!

well, percy is in some deep shit
but are we surprised?
am i foreshadowing again...??
me??
nah....

have a nice day/night!
bye!