Annabeth tried to struggle against the claws gripping her, but they only dug deeper causing her to cry out in pain. She tried to think. They were underground somewhere. The labyrinth maybe. Her right wrist was throbbing from where the empusa snapped it to wrest her weapon away. Speaking of which, she was now defenseless. One thing she did know was that they wanted her alive, and beat her only until she was complacent. She only hoped that Percy got away.

She heard voices up ahead and wondered who she was about to meet. The room she entered looked to be carved out of rock like a cave. There was a red glow coming from somewhere ahead, but she couldn't make out where it came from. There were some lit torches on the wall. But what really caught her eye was none other than Thorne the manticore. With him was Echidna with her Chimara. Annabeth struggled to get away from them, but she was just too weak.

"Well done," Thorne smiled as he approached her. Then he looked at the two empusa. "Where's the other one?"

"He was still fighting when we finally subdued this one."

"What do you want with us?" Annabeth said somewhere between a demand and a whimper.

"I want to destroy everything the god's love."

"Then why keep me alive?"

"Means to an end." Thorne turned toward the red glow and put his hands behind his back as he waited patiently. It wasn't much longer before Annabeth heard someone else coming down the tunnel. She prayed to Athena that he got away, but all hope disappeared when an empousi that Annabeth recognized as Kelly, two dracnea and a tellakine dragged Percy in.

"Percy." Annabeth choked out as she struggled again, but the claws dug in. Tears began streaming down her face at the sight of him.

"Is this all that is left of my command?" Thorne scowled. "Where is the rest?"

"Where do you think they are?" Kelly shot back. "He is stronger than when we last met. Do you have to have him alive." She caressed his bloody face before resting her clawed hand on his throat.

"Get away from him." Annabeth shouted.

Kelly turned her attention to Annabeth. "Well, if it isn't his back stabbing girlfriend. I owe you as well."

"Stay your hand." Thorne interrupted her. "If we are to strike at the gods, we cannot do it directly. We must hit them where it hurts.

Percy groaned as he started to come to. Kelly reacted quickly hitting him over the head. "I'd say that's hitting them where it hurts." she scoffed.

"What our lord has in mind is much more thoroughal." Thorne insisted.

"Then let's get on with it, before I change my mind." Kelly stepped back and folded her arms expectantly.

Thorne turned back toward the red glow and pulled out a tattered parchment. He read from it mumbling under his breath until he seemed to find what he was looking for and spoke in a loud voice. "Salt of the sea," He motioned for Percy to be brought over. Annabeth whimpered as his limp body was drug over to Thorne who had them lay him on an alter of sort. "And his heart's desire," he motioned for Annabeth, who tried to struggle but was so weak it hardly made a difference. They lay her next to Percy on the alter. She immediately reached for him, but her arms hurt more than she realized and she had to settle with grabbing his hand. "See blood spilt through murk and mire."

"Do they have enough blood spilt?" Kelly asked. "I could help."

"They're fine." an irritated Thorne replied. "He continued reading, "soaked into each other's fire." Annabeth watched as her blood from her arms was now mingling with Percy's blood. The grooves in the alter seemed to be collecting it and emptied into what Annabeth could now see was a deep chasm where red fire or lava crept. Panic started to take hold of her as memories of Tartarus came back to her. She barely heard Thorne's last chant, "see heart's portal open higher."

Annabeth's weak grip on Percy was ripped from her grasp as she felt a force literally hurl her. He ears popped and she was somewhat conscious of falling through a bright blue sky. She was trying to get her bearings when she saw the earth hurtling towards her. She screamed as she positioned herself to try and survive the fall. When she hit, her world went black.