Lucas came back to himself with the taste of nectar on his tongue and the grit of stone beneath his back. He blinked up at rough rock overhead, vision blurred at the edges. His chest hurt, a deep bruise from the water turned to iron under the pressure of the depths. The cold had sunk all the way to the bone. Even now, he felt his body shiver. That was good news, at least. If he couldn't feel the cold, then he should have worried.
Warmth pressed against his lips again. He turned his head just enough to see Elizabeth crouched at his side. Her hair was damp, sticking to her forehead where a bandage was half-soaked through.
He was sure there were probably a few bruises on her, too. He had the stronger physique and still felt the deep ache of the pressure, but seeing her able to move and fuss over him let him believe it wasn't as bad as it could have been. She held the last vial of nectar between her fingers, grip tight, careful not to waste the last of their medicine.
"Stop squirming," she muttered. "You'll choke." She grabbed his jaw, cheeks squishing under her grip, and tipped the remaining nectar between his lips. Warmth spread through him, threading into frozen veins and around his body.
He tried to sit up. Elizabeth's free hand pressed flat on his collarbone and pushed him back down with less effort than it should have taken.
"Sit. Eat. Then complain."
Lucas exhaled a rough, hoarse laugh. "How can I sit if you keep forcing me to lie down?"
Elizabeth didn't bother replying. She sat back on her heels, arms resting on her knees, dagger balanced across her thighs. She looked ready to keep watch, and from the ease with which she entered that position, she may have been keeping watch for a while.
He lay in the silence for a moment longer, tasting his own breath instead of ice water; the stale air never felt fresher than when you had no air at all. When he could breathe without feeling like a knife was stabbing him in his ribs, he pushed himself upright. He looked around, taking in where they were. The tunnel around them was raw rock, no polished walls, no flickering lamps. Just earth cracked open, a vein carved through the Labyrinth's belly. It was unlike the usual corridors; hopefully, that was a good sign.
He moved closer to where he'd pulled them through before collapsing. There was a solid wall of ice now, a reminder of what they'd survived. He rapped his knuckles against it. It was rough, solid. The cold scraped his skin red. If they'd still been in the water when it froze, they wouldn't have made it. He stayed there for a moment, staring at the frozen wall, before returning to Elizabeth.
Somewhere ahead, faint air drifted through the stone tunnel. Not stale like the usual Labyrinth air, he smelled pine, wet soil, warmth. Fresh air. That meant only one thing: an exit.
He turned back to find Elizabeth watching him, flat-eyed, waiting for the word. He nodded once. She stood first, hauling him up by the elbow. No words passed between them. They moved up the tunnel together, boots slipping on loose stone. The walls shifted gradually from rough rock to the carved, familiar corridor style. Ahead lay a slope leading upward, with light slipping down from an opening above.
Lucas pushed ahead, parting a fringe of thorned brush with his hand. Beyond lay a cluster of rough boulders piled high. He squeezed through the cluster and stepped out, scanning the forest clearing beyond.
He didn't need long to realise where they were. Camp Half-Blood. He turned to check the stones behind him. Zeus' Fist, an old boundary marker and meeting place during the capture the flag games. He'd stumbled through the Labyrinth straight into it.
Elizabeth stepped up beside him, peering out over his shoulder at the forest beyond. The breeze caught her hair, ruffling strands that hadn't dried from the flooded chamber. She looked ready to step forward.
He caught her wrist before she could. She arched a brow at him, unimpressed.
"We're at camp."
It took Elizabeth a few seconds to process the words and understand what camp he was talking about. They both turned and made their way back to the cluster of rocks, shielding themselves from any potential watchful eyes.
"You're going to have to stay here." Lucas proposed, voice quiet but firm. "Maybe I could have convinced Chiron to allow you entry into camp, but now...you would be killed on sight."
Her brow twitched, but Elizabeth didn't argue the logic. Knowing it to be the truth, even if she was reluctant to stay so soon after gaining freedom. He squeezed her wrist once. She folded her arms, scowling toward the clearing. Although she would stay hidden, she wasn't going to stay near the entrance.
Leaving Elizabeth behind to hide, Lucas made his way through the forest, enjoying the change from the labyrinth. The warmth, the little signs of life like birds singing or leaves rustling, the fresh air. Lucas had come to appreciate these little things more after surviving the labyrinth, but this happy mood soon turned sour when he exited the treeline and saw the camp.
Familiar cabins waited ahead, but they no longer radiated the personality of those they housed, feeling more like barracks from this distance. A row of training dummies lined the clearing past the cabins, all fresh straw and new shields. Campers moved between them with stiff shoulders, blades and spears in hand, no longer any mischief or laughter.
Lucas began second-guessing whether this place was Camp Half-Blood and not a war camp. Gone was the silent joy that had always shrouded the camp, making it truly feel like a summer camp, even with all the training they underwent. Instead, it now felt too militaristic, and he could guess who was the cause of this.
He kept to the tree line, boots quiet on needles and roots, avoiding drawing the attention of any campers, and instead silently made his way towards Cabin One.
Inside, behind the small window, a flash of storm-grey eyes. Thalia was pacing the floor, looking like she was ready to bite steel in half out of boredom and annoyance. Luke and Annabeth were seated on her bed in the corner, all three avoiding the gaze of the statue of Zeus in the center of the room.
Lucas lifted a hand and knocked once. Thalia's head jerked up. She froze. Her eyes caught his through the glass.