Rick Riordan
The Battle of the Labyrinth - 04
You’ve done me a favor.”
“You said you’d died for him before,” I remembered. “How?”
“I’ve worked for that creep for thousands of years. Started as a regular half-blood, but I
chose immortality when my dad offered it. Worst mistake I ever made. Now I’m stuck here at this
ranch. I can’t leave. I can’t quit. I just tend the cows and fight Geryon’s fights. We’re kinda tied
together.”
“Maybe you can change things,” I said.
Eurytion narrowed his eyes. “How?”
“Be nice to the animals. Take care of them. Stop selling them for food. And stop dealing with
the Titans.”
Eurytion thought about that. “That’d be all right.”
“Get the animals on your side, and they’ll help you. Once Geryon gets back, maybe he’ll be
working for you this time.”
Eurytion grinned. “Now, that I could live with.”
“You won’t try to stop us leaving?”
“Shoot, no.”
Annabeth rubbed her bruised wrists. She was still looking at Eurytion suspiciously. “Your
boss said somebody paid for our safe passage. Who?”
The cowherd shrugged. “Maybe he was just saying that to fool you.”
“What about the Titans?” I asked. “Did you Iris-message them about Nico yet?”
“Nope. Geryon was waiting until after the barbecue. They don’t know about him.”
Nico as glaring at me. I wasn’t sure what to do about him. I doubted he would agree to come
with us. On the other hand, I couldn’t just let him roam around on his own.
“You could stay here until we’re done with our quest,” I told him. “It would be safe.”
“Safe?” Nico said. “What do you care if I’m safe? You got my sister killed!”
“Nico,” Annabeth said, “that wasn’t Percy’s fault. And Geryon wasn’t lying about Kronos
wanting to capture you. If he knew who you were, he’d do anything to get you on his side.”
“I’m not on anyone’s side. And I’m not afraid.”
“You should be,” Annabeth said. “Your sister wouldn’t want—”
“If you cared for my sister, you’d help me bring her back!”
“A soul for a soul?” I said.
“Yes!”
“But if you didn’t want my soul—”
“I’m not explaining anything to you!” He blinked tears out of his eyes. “And I will bring her
back.”
“Bianca wouldn’t want to be brought back,” I said. “Not like that.”
“You didn’t know her!” he shouted. “How do you know what she’d want?”
I stared at the flames in the barbecue pit. I thought about the line in Annabeth’s prophecy:
You shall rise or fall by the ghost king’s hand. That had to be Minos, and I had to convince Nico not
to listen to him. “Let’s ask Bianca.”
The sky seemed to grow darker all of a sudden.
“I’ve tried,” Nico said miserably. “She won’t answer.”
“Try again. I’ve got a feeling she’ll answer with me here.”
“Why would she?”
“Because she’s been sending me Iris-messages,” I said, suddenly sure of it. “She’s been
trying to warn me what you’re up to, so I can protect you.”
Nico shook his head. “That’s impossible.”
“One way to find out. You said you’re not afraid.” I turned to Eurytion. “We’re going to need a
pit, like a grave. And food and drinks.”
“Percy,” Annabeth warned. “I don’t think this is a good—”
“All right,” Nico said. “I’ll try.”
Eurytion scratched his beard. “There’s a hole dug out back for a septic tank. We could use
that. Cyclops boy, fetch my ice chest from the kitchen. I hope the dead like root beer.”
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