The Battle of the Labyrinth - Weakened

The bad news: the fight was still going on all around us, and I let myself get distracted. Kelli pounced on me so fast I had no time to defend myself. My sword skittered away and I hit my head hard on a worktable as I fell. My eyesight went fuzzy. I couldn’t raise my arms.

Kelli laughed. “You will taste wonderful!”

She bared her fangs. Then suddenly her body went rigid. Her red eyes widened. She gasped, “No . . . school . . . spirit . . .”

And Annabeth took her knife out of the empousa’s back. With an awful screech, Kelli dissolved into yellow vapor.

Annabeth helped me up. I still felt dizzy, but we had no time to lose. Mrs. O’Leary and Daedalus were still locked in combat with the giants, and I could hear shouting in the tunnel. More monsters were coming toward the workshop.

“We have to help Daedalus!” I said.

“No time,” Rachel said. “Too many coming!”

She’d already fitted herself with wings and was working on Nico, who looked pale and sweaty from his struggle with Minos. The wings grafted instantly to his back and arms.

“Now you!” she told me.


- The Battle of the Labyrinth, Chapter 15