THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH Percy Jackson ... - No one's invited.

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“My lord,” a voice said behind him. Kelli theempousa 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 monsterKampê 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’seyelids 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 carryAriadne’s string. It is a position of great honor.”
Kampêhissed at the stars. She sheathed her swords and turned, pounding down the hallway on her
enormous dragon legs.
“We should have left that one inTartarus ,” 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
MotherHecate 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.”