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

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The goddess smiled. “You found the answers, as I knew you would. Your quest was a success.”
“A success?”Annabeth said. “Luke is gone. Daedalus is dead. Pan is dead. How is that—”
“Our family is safe,” Hera insisted. “Those others are better gone, my dear. I am proud of you.”
I balled my fists. I couldn’t believe she was saying this. “You’re the one who paid Geryon to let us
through the ranch, weren’t you?”
Hera shrugged. Her dress shimmered in rainbow colors. “I wanted to speed you on your way.”
“But you didn’t care about Nico. You were happy to see him turned over to the Titans.”
“Oh, please.” Hera waved her hand dismissively. “The son of Hades said it himself. No one wants him
around. He does not belong.”
“Hephaestus was right,” I growled. “You only care about yourperfect family, not real people.”
Her eyes turned dangerously bright. “Watch yourself, son of Poseidon. I guided you more than you
know in the maze. I was at your side when you faced Geryon.I let your arrow fly straight. I sent you to
Calypso’s island. I opened the way to the Titan’s mountain. Annabeth, my dear, surely you see how I’ve
helped. I would welcome a sacrifice for my efforts.”
Annabeth stood still as a statue. She could’ve said thank you. She could’ve promised to throw some
barbecue on the brazier for Hera and forget the whole thing. But she clenched her jaw stubbornly. She
looked just the way she had when she’d faced the Sphinx—like she wasn’t going to accept an easy
answer, even if it got her in serious trouble. I realized that was one of the things I liked best about
Annabeth.
“Percy is right.” she turned her back on the goddess. “You’rethe one who doesn’t belong, Queen Hera.
So next time, thanks…but no thanks.”
Hera’ssneer was worse than anempousa’s . Her form began to glow. “You will regret this insult,
Annabeth. You will regret this very much.”
I averted my eyes as the goddess turned into her true divine form and disappeared in a blaze of light.
The hilltop was peaceful again. Over at the pine tree,Peleus the dragon dozed under the Golden Fleece
as if nothing had happened.
“I’m sorry,” Annabeth told me. “I—I should get back. I’ll keep in touch.”
“Listen, Annabeth—” I thought about Mount St. Helens, Calypso’s Island, Luke and Rachel Elizabeth
Dare, and how suddenly everything had gotten so complicated. I wanted to tell Annabeth that I didn’t
really want to be so distant from her.
Then Argus honked his horn down at the road, and I lost my chance.
“You’d better get going,” Annabeth said. “Take care, Seaweed Brain.”