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

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Then it happened. Grover opened his mouth, and the most horrible sound I’d ever heard came out. It
was like a brass trumpet magnified a thousand times—the sound of pure fear.
As one, the forces of Kronos dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. The giants trampled the
dracaenae trying to get into the Labyrinth first.Telekhines and hellhounds and enemy half-bloods
scrambled after them. The tunnel rumbled shut, and the battle was over. The clearing was quiet except
for the fires burning in the woods, and the cries of the wounded.
I helped Annabeth to her feet. We ran to Chiron.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
He was lying on his side, trying in vain to get up. “How embarrassing,” he muttered. “I think I will be
fine. Fortunately, we do not shoot centaurs with broken…Ow !…broken legs.
“You need help,” Annabeth said. “I’ll get a medic from Apollo’s cabin.”
“No,” Chiron insisted. “There are more serious injuries to attend to. Go! I am fine. But, Grover…later
we must talk about how you did that.”
“That was amazing,” I agreed. Grover blushed. “I don’t know where it came from.” Juniper hugged him
fiercely. “I do!” Before she could say more, Tyson called, “Percy, come quick! It is Nico!”
There was smoke curling off his black clothes. His fingers were clenched, and the grass all around his
body had turned yellow and died.
I rolled him over as gently as I could and putmy against his chest. His heart was beating faintly. “Get
some nectar!” I yelled.
One of the Ares campers hobbled over and handed me a canteen. I trickled some of the magic drink
intoNico’s mouth. He coughed and spluttered, but his eyelids fluttered open.
“Nico, what happened?” I asked. “Can you talk?”
***
He nodded weakly.“Never tried to summon so many before. I—I’ll be fine.”
We helped him sit up and gave him some more nectar. He blinked at all of us, like he was trying to
remember who we were, and then he focused on someone behind me.
“Daedalus,” he croaked.
“Yes, my boy,” the inventor said. “I made a very bad mistake. I came to correct it.”
Daedalus had a few scratches that were bleeding golden oil, but he looked better than most of us.
Apparently his automaton body healed itself quickly. Mrs. O’Leary loomed behind him, licking the
wounds on her master’s head soDaedalus’s hair stood up funny. Briares stood next to him, surrounded
by a group of awed campers and satyrs. He looked kind of bashful, but he was signing autographs on
armor, shields, and T-shirts.