Nico wondered what the heck it was about him that made everyone in the world feel the need to try to capture, restrain, or kidnap him. Was it because he was Italian? Or did they just not like his face?

"Oh, hello Thalia," he responded to her greeting. "Now's not really a great time."

"Why? Were you planning on going somewhere?" asked Thalia. "Because it'll be kind of hard with all those arrows pinning you there."

Nico scowled. "Thanks for ruining my aviator jacket, by the way. Really. Thanks for that."

"That thing's old and ugly anyway. And isn't that the one you were wearing when we first met you? It doesn't fit you much better. Get something that you don't get lost in when you try to put it on," advised Thalia. She moved to stand right in front of him, smirking.

She wasn't really being unfriendly, Nico forced himself to remember. It was a game of Capture the Flag and they were on opposite sides. But why she'd come all the way out here he wasn't sure. And now really wasn't a good time, because he had to smuggle a couple Egyptian magicians out of camp before anyone found out what they were. So he felt himself getting frustrated at Thalia even more than he would have if it was just the jacket he was worried about.

"I've had this as long as I can remember," he said angrily. "I think it was my grandfather's."

That made Thalia pause. "I'm sorry," she said immediately. "I didn't know."

Nico would have shrugged if his arms hadn't been pinned. "Do you think you could get your arrowheads out of my jacket?" he asked as politely as he could.

Thalia's face colored. "I'm sorry," she said again. "My bow . . . there's a lot of weight on the string -"

"They're not going to come out, are they?" asked Nico miserably.

"No. They're stuck in the tree too deep. We'll have to cut you free," said Thalia. "I really am sorry, Nico."

What's going on? asked the voice in Nico's head. Anubis had been checking in periodically to see what the situation with the Kanes was. He'd come at a bad time. I can't leave you alone for five minutes without you getting yourself captured!

It's just Thalia, Nico told him. And I'm not captured.

Then why are you pinned to a tree?

"Because I freaking feel like it, okay?"

"What?" asked Thalia, looking at him oddly.

"Nothing," said Nico quickly.

Well done, commented Anubis.

Shut up. To Thalia he said, "Could you just cut me free then? Carefully. I want to try to get this mended."

"I'll cut you free in a minute," said Thalia. Obviously her guilt about ruining his jacket only went so far. "You and I need to talk."

"But I don't want to talk," said Nico, his sulkiness returning.

Your jacket will actually be easy to fix, said Anubis. Not for you, since you're a horrible magician, but the Kanes can do it for you. Just ask Sadie to use a hi-nehm spell on it and it'll be good as new.

"Really? That's great!" said Nico, cheering up immediately.

"What?"

Nico blushed and shook his head. He'd gotten used to Anubis' presence in his mind being at a minimum the past few days. It was amazing how quickly he got out of practice at carrying on multiple conversations. "Nothing." he said again.

Thalia regarded him with curiosity for several seconds. "You know what I want to talk with you about?" she asked.

"I can guess," said Nico. "Bianca can't spy on me anymore and asked you to find out why."

"She wasn't spying," said Thalia. "She was watching over you."

"Which, from where I'm standing, seems a lot like spying," said Nico.

"She cares about you -"

"I know," said Nico. "And I still love her. She's my sister, even if she did abandon me. But she's gone, and I'm still here, and she doesn't have any right to tell me what to do anymore, Thalia. I'm twelve or thirteen. In Ancient Egypt I'd be considered an adult."

Uh, Nico . . .

"We're not in Ancient Egypt," said Thalia. "But speaking of them . . . Percy seems to think that the reason Bianca can't watch over you anymore is because of something Anubis did."

I know what I'm doing, Nico told the god in his head. We had to get to this part of the conversation eventually. Maybe if I hurry it up I can get her to cut me free before the Kanes get here.

I see. Not a bad tactic.

"Anubis is my friend," said Nico, looking at Thalia defiantly. Then he faltered as he realized what he'd said . . . and that it was -

True? Anubis supplied and gave a mental chuckle.

I never gave it any thought, not really, Nico told him. But . . .

But we are friends, strange as it seems, said Anubis. Alright, Nico, chick-flick moment over. You have your cousin to deal with.

"Oh, right," said Nico then froze.

"Why do you keep doing that?" asked Thalia. "Saying strange things? It's almost like you're . . ."

Nico shrunk back against the tree trunk, worried that Thalia had figured it out.

Claim amnesia. Or dementia. Blame your confusion on the River Lethe, said Anubis.

Good idea.

"Sometimes . . ." Nico tried to give Thalia puppy-dog eyes, "I . . . forget what I'm doing . . . or saying, right in the middle of it. I don't know if I've always been like that, or only the past few years. I think it might be a side effect from the River Lethe."

"Oh." Thalia stepped close enough that Nico could have spit on her, were he so inclined. "I'm sorry."

"I don't want your pity. All I want is for all you Hunters to leave me alone," said Nico. "Every time I see you, it reminds me what I lost because of you, and I'm trying very hard not to hold grudges, because I know that's my fatal flaw, but that doesn't make it hurt any less! So just leave me alone!"

The look Thalia gave him held even more pity than the last one. "Okay," she said. "I will try to honor your wish, Nico. But I also need to honor my fallen comrade's wish as well. Bianca -"

"Bianca doesn't get to choose my friends! She doesn't get to say that it's too dangerous to be friends with an Egyptian god with 3500 attack power. Not after she chose to join the Hunters and got killed on her very first quest with you," said Nico. He didn't mean to be bitter, but it was true. He'd made a dumb choice of friends too, when he thought that Minos was really trying to help him, but since then he'd done better. And he was still alive. Besides . . . "Anubis looks out for me. The amulet he gave me protects me from Egyptian magic, like the kind the House of Life freaks use. And if one of the side effects is that it keeps people from spying on me, then that's an added plus."

"Could I see the amulet?" asked Thalia.

"No," said Nico contritely.

Thalia sighed and reached for Nico's neck. She grabbed the cord that he kept the jackal pendant on and pulled it out from beneath his shirt. Nico glared at her as she inspected it.

"I can feel there is power in this," said Thalia, taking a step closer. "But is it enough to shield you from a Child of the Underworld?"

It was the proximity that did it. Or at least that's what Anubis would tell him it probably was later, and Nico would believe it because . . . well because the last time a woman had gotten in his personal space like that, it had been Aziza the sadistic House of Life bitch, and she had been taunting him about the collar she'd put on his neck that had kept him in too much pain to think, let alone move. Thalia and Aziza were about the same height, and they both had dark hair. And when Nico tried to shrink away from her as his mind took him back to the last time he'd been restrained, he lost all reason and started to panic finding that he was pinned again.

"No!" he cried. "Stay back! D-d-d-don't!"

Nico? asked Anubis. Nico!

Thalia dropped the pendant and looked at him alarmed. "Nico? What's wrong?"

"Don't touch me! P-please, just s-stay back!" He tried to raise his arms to shield himself, but of course they were still pinned, which only sent him into more panic. Without regard for his jacket or anything else, he began thrashing, trying to break free.

You're not there, Nico! shouted Anubis in his head. She's not Aziza. She's not going to hurt you!

"Nico? Nico!" Thalia grabbed him and tried to hold him still.

"Don't touch me!"

"Hey!"

"Get away from them you bitch!"

Thalia jumped back as Sadie and Carter arrived on scene, Carter wary and focused on defending, Sadie not sure whether to try to help Nico or attack Thalia. Some part of Nico's mind realized this as he was thrashing, trying to free himself, and making the holes in his jacket bigger. Sadie chose comforting Nico over clobbering Thalia and turned her back to the Hunter, as Carter moved to stand directly between Thalia and the younger kids.

"Nico," said Sadie in a soothing voice. "What's wrong? Are you hurt? Nico?"

Sadie's voice got through to him, somehow. Nico wasn't sure how. Maybe because Sadie had been there with him. They'd had to watch out for each other there, protect each other. Neither of them would have been able to escape without the other. But whatever the reason, he managed to calm down enough to see reason.

"Sadie?"

"Hey," said Sadie. "Are you okay?"

"Y-y-yeah." Nico grimaced and made an effort to stop stuttering. "Sorry."

"Nico?" asked Thalia. "What happened?"

"I . . . don't know."

"Did she hurt you?" asked Carter, keeping his sword pointed at Thalia.

"No," said Nico. "I don't . . . I don't know what happened."

"You sure she didn't do this?" asked Sadie. "She's got a bow. You're pinned here with arrows. Do the math."

"She pinned me, but didn't hurt me," said Nico.

Sadie grabbed one of the arrows and tried to yank it out, but as Thalia predicted, it wasn't coming.

"There's a knife in my boot," Nico told Sadie. "Could you get it out and cut me free?"

"I want an explanation, right now," said Carter. His back was still to Nico and Sadie, so Nico couldn't see his face, but he had never heard Carter use that tone of voice before.

"I didn't hurt him," said Thalia. "I wouldn't hurt him. Please let me introduce myself. I'm Thalia, leader of the Hunters of Artemis and Daughter of Zeus. I came here to have a word with Nico and only pinned him in place so that he wouldn't run away while I was trying to have a conversation with him."

"You two are cousins?" asked Carter.

"Er -" Thalia blinked then shrugged. "In a manner of speaking, but . . . well, you know how it is with demigods."

Nico started as he remembered that he and Thalia really were parallel-cousins, the same as him and Percy. The genetic relation, or lack thereof, was the same, but somehow it was strange to think of Thalia that way, even though acknowledging Percy as family now felt like the most natural thing in the world.

"She didn't do anything to me," said Nico because he could tell Carter wasn't convinced. "I . . . I don't know what happened. I guess I got claustrophobic and panicked."

"You're claustrophobic? About people crowding you?" asked Thalia, enlightenment dawning on her face.

"I guess." Nico stood still and tried not to wince as Sadie cut his aviator jacket to free him from the arrowheads. Even if the jacket could be fixed, he didn't like it being cut apart.

Suddenly there was an odd buzzing in Nico's ears. The sound he always heard when a soul was released from somewhere nearby.

"Uh oh."

"What?" asked Sadie.

"I think there's been an accident," said Nico. "Someone close by just died. I could feel their soul leave."

It wasn't anyone he knew closely at least. He immediately concentrated on the faces of the people he really didn't want to be dead. Percy was a given, Annabeth he liked well enough too, Rachel who was always kind to him, Clarisse who always picked Hades cabin first when she led in Capture the Flag, Jake Mason who made anyone from his cabin who insulted Nico clean out all the forges. Thankfully all of their souls remained tethered safely on earth.

"Do you know who it was or how it happened?" asked Thalia.

"No to both," said Nico.

"We should find them," said Thalia. "Someone else could be hurt and need help."

Nico hesitated and looked at Carter and Sadie. He needed to get them out of there. The longer they were at camp, the more likely they were to be found out. But how did he refuse something like this without drawing suspicion?

But Sadie and Carter were both nodding, Carter as he lowered his sword and his guard, deciding that Thalia really wasn't a threat, and Sadie as she handed Nico his knife back, hilt first.

"Can you locate the body of whoever died?" asked Thalia.

Nico stared at her feeling a bit offended. "What kind of question is that?"

Thalia held up her hands defensively. "I'm sorry, I just assumed since you're a Child of the Underworld -"

"Of course I can locate the corpse." Nico slid the knife back into his boot and turned in the direction of the body.

---------------------------------------------

It was an Aphrodite daughter who'd been killed. Thalia didn't recognize her but could tell by the perfectly applied makeup that made her look more like a broken doll than a murder victim, and the pristine armor that looked more like props from a kid's movie where everyone's equipment was all shiny and new, rather than scratched and chinked and battle tested like the gear real heroes wore. She'd been killed by a single puncture wound in her back. The kind, Thalia noted uncomfortably, that was most often caused by arrows.

Nico supplied her name as he closed her eyelids and placed two coins on them. "Martina Amourzelle, daughter of Aphrodite. May your spirit fly swiftly to the other side, and may these coins aid you in your passage. Father, please let her judgment come to pass quickly, with no delays, and show her mercy . . . because she showed kindness to your son."

Thalia bowed her head in respect for several seconds then removed a whistle from her parka and blew into it. A haunting note pierced the air and carried for miles, and every Hunter who heard it immediately stopped what they were doing and began to race toward Thalia. "Do you have some way of contacting Chiron?" she asked Nico, who had sat down on the ground looking tired.

"I could summon a ghost or a zombie to take him a message," said Nico dryly. He rested his chin on his knees, making it clear he had no intention of doing that, which was just as well. It really wasn't appropriate to call up the dead to announce the death of one of the newly dead.

The two demigods who Thalia had just met, but learned were called Sadie and Carter, were discussing something amongst themselves and seemed to be arguing. Sadie appeared to win the argument and when they turned back toward Nico and Thalia, she was holding some sort of firework in her hand.

"Got a light?" she asked.

Nico produced an old-timey looking brass Zippo lighter from the pocket of his aviator jacket and held it out to Sadie, reaching up to hand it to her. Thalia noticed that Sadie clasped her hand around Nico's when she took the lighter instead of simply taking the lighter. She gave his hand a comforting squeeze then stepped back and set the firework down and went to light it.

"Did you have that thing a minute ago?" asked Thalia realizing that it was a pretty big firework and that it would have been a trick to conceal something that big.

"No, I pulled it out of my secret locker in the netherworld," answered Sadie. "Fire in the hold!"

"Fire in the hole," corrected Carter.

"Whatever."

"When you say things wrong you look ignorant."

"At least that's only when I say things wrong. You look ignorant all the time."

"Guys," said Nico in a strained voice.

"Sorry, Nico," said Carter immediately. "She . . . Martina was a friend of yours?"

"An acquaintance. She is . . . was . . . always kind to me, sometimes at her own expense. The rest of her cabin is comprised of bitches or spineless wretches who are too afraid to think for themselves."

"I'm sorry, man."

They know each other, realized Thalia, watching the exchange. They know each other well. Are those two really new here? Or were they loners who Nico knew before they came to camp?

She didn't have much time to ponder on this before the rest of the demigods began to arrive, alerted to their position and the fact that something was wrong by Thalia's whistle and Sadie's firework. Several Hunters were the first to arrive, followed quickly by Percy and Annabeth who must have been closeby. Percy ran onto the scene with definite worry in his eyes which only seemed to intensify when he saw Nico sitting beside the dead girl, Sadie, Carter, and Thalia all closeby while the Hunters hung back.

"What happened?" asked Percy. He seemed very nervous.

"There was an accident, but we didn't see it," said Nico quickly before Thalia could talk. "I felt her soul depart. I led Sadie and Carter here because Thalia thought someone else might be hurt, like if the accident had happened to more than one person because we didn't know what had happened. All we knew was that someone was dead. When we got here Martina was already gone, obviously, or else I wouldn't have known where to find her, but there was no one else here. Whoever caused the accident was long gone. Oh, and the reason Thalia went along with us without thinking I was up to a trick was because the three of us had her outnumbered. She ambushed me and ruined my jacket, but Sadie and Carter stumbled upon us and we got the upper hand. Then this happened so we came here."

Thalia got the feeling that there was more to what Nico was saying than she understood. Yes, something was definitely going on between Nico and Percy. Whether or not Sadie and Carter were a part of it, she wasn't sure, but Nico and Percy were keeping secrets. Thalia glanced at Annabeth and saw that her friend had come to the same conclusion.

But Thalia's original mission had to be put on hold because more campers and Hunters had begun to arrive and one of the campers made the accusation that Thalia knew they would but had been dreading.

"The Hunters killed Martina!"