"I think I do want that break now," Thalia said before she could talk herself out of this.

Will set the book aside without hesitation and Percy looked as relieved for her sake as he did anxious as ever at the spine, like he'd sleep with it under his pillow just to make sure he didn't miss a word.

Nobody pointed out they'd just taken a break thankfully, but the problem was everybody had just eaten and she didn't have a way to casually pull Nico aside without it being obvious.

The kid actually helped her out though and excused himself to the bathroom. Thalia sighed in relief and muttered the same, mentally thanking Hades and promising she owed his boy a cookie.

He came out with a look on his face like he was reconsidering whatever he'd last eaten, and not a hint of shock to see Thalia hovering.

"I know how to read a map," he wasn't looking at her so much as glaring at her shoulder. "There's not a lot of desert left going east. I was expecting it in the last one, but that toy was never mentioned so, it'll be soon."

Thalia had no idea what he was talking about with a toy, who had described that automaton to him like that? She also still had a bone to pick with him over what he did and didn't know about Jason.

He just looked so troubled right now it would be cruel to say anything else. He had Bianca's sharp brown eyes that had watched every fight between her and Zoe, biting her lip and clearly thinking about intervening. He was tapping the grip of his sword like his sister had twining that knife about despite Zoe's crazy driving on that bus.

"Thank you for how you've been handling this," she told him uneasily. "I can't imagine how you've been feeling..." She couldn't begin to guess if Jason was here by accident, let alone if she was going to have to suffer his backstory in one of those mysterious other books and how she'd react to all that. "I don't know if you and Percy are friends exactly," Annabeth had told her multiple times Nico was an entity to himself around camp, avoiding everybody the few times he was there. He could have been making this a lot worse on them all. "If there's anything I can do to help with, well not just, um, this, but, anything?"

"Thanks," he echoed with a restless shrug. "I'd rather just get this over with." The nonexistent lighting flickered in the room, and she looked anxiously at the door. Percy was probably getting impatient.

She hustled out of the room, but her mind still lingered on his perfected impassive face he'd gotten straight from his dad. She tried to tell herself even if Nico had any prior knowledge of what Jason had been up to, there was a good chance he wouldn't know why she would be connected. She'd never told anybody about her dead little brother, not even Luke, who knew of a lost sibling but no specifics. Even if Hades did have some hand in resurrecting him, he must with a soul passing in and out of his domain, it didn't explain anything about why it had been done or where he'd been all this time.

Roman's existed, her mind whispered the reminder. He's lived another life than you...but she'd lived a very different life than anybody she knew. He was still her brother, she just had to figure out how to tell him that.

One problem at a time, as she came back into the room to see Jason wielding Riptide while Percy watched on with far to much curiosity and a great lack of self-preservation as usual.

She threw herself into her seat between them, headless herself of the sharp point as she asked casually, "Nico not back yet?"

Will looked around the room fondly. This was probably as close to world peace as would ever happen, nobody in here actively hating.

Percy, Thalia, Jason and Rachel were all laughing and making jokes about building weapons out of seaweed and kale chips for some reason, while Alex and Magnus were practicing more ASL. He could have joined either of them, but he didn't want Nico to come back in and see him socializing with to many people and start feeling to crowded. A caution that paid off when he saw Nico hovering in the doorway, eyes roving over the group surrounding Percy.

He had that same look Will was only just beginning to understand. Some kind of longing, to be a part of what he wouldn't let himself be. It tied back to his sister, he just knew it. 'You're just looking for a problem to fix,' he tried to school himself as Nico entered the room proper, walking normally enough back to his seat, but his hand was a tight fist in his pocket like he was ready to knock someone's eye out at a moments notice. 'He doesn't want you involved,' so he made sure he gave him just a casual smile as he cleared his throat and read the chapter title, getting all attention back on him.

"What do Gods consider junk?" Alex asked, only reluctantly distracted.

"I'll refrain from making a joke about their offspring there," Magnus muttered, far more relieved to not be her soul attention anymore, he was showing her all the basics he knew and was probably making a fool of himself. More importantly, Annabeth. Was it possible Kronos had Luke hiding her in such a place?

Nico hadn't taken his hand out of his pocket, he was sure the little head on his figurine was going to pop off before this was up. It wasn't junk to him though, but maybe that's all Bianca had thought it was. Percy had probably only thought that's why she'd been messing with it, when- for once he finally noticed how much the shadows were dancing around in here and gave himself a good mental slap.

Will took one last cautious breath before he started, for the first time really hating it was his turn to read. He couldn't keep as good an eye on Nico when he'd need to make a distraction like this, and it didn't take a child of Apollo to need a hint of foresight here. Everybody was looking around anxiously from Percy to the purple spine, the forbidding sense something bad was about to happen lingering in the water around them.

We rode the boar until sunset, which was about as much as my back end could take.

"You lost a whole day riding him?" Magnus asked anxiously.

"I doubt there was a faster way to get through those mountains," Thalia said, while Percy grimaced in agreement with both of them even as he rubbed his backside.

... a giant steel brush over a bed of gravel all day is how comfortable boar-riding is.

"And I always wondered why we never domesticated bears and boars instead of horses and dogs," Alex said with a tone that really meant a great mystery had been solved.

"My saddle sores thank whoever made that decision," Percy said through gritted teeth as he vividly remembered the throbbing.

...we were galloping (do boars gallop?) across the desert.

"As long as all four feet left the ground in one stride, it's a gallop," Rachel agreed. She smiled as she watched many people blink in fascination, trying to slow down a horse running in their head to figure out if that was really how that worked. It was a shame Percy had just been to the Smithsonian and missed a particular exhibit of the first example of such a feat.

...ripped up a cactus and chewed it, needles and all.

"You are what you eat," Jason snorted.

... then whirled around and galloped back toward the east.

"Did you never give him the apple?" Magnus asked on the pig's part, he'd been teased with it for miles.

"He deserved a treat for totting you guys around," Alex agreed.

"I can't say I noticed when Grover did, but I'm grateful he didn't maul us for it," Percy shrugged.

...Ahead of us was a two-lane road half covered with sand.

For the first time they all felt the temperature drop into dead, freezing cold, as if their skin finally noticed they were at the bottom of the ocean. The shiver that passed through the room made every one of them shudder.

Magnus was still trying to convince himself lost could still just mean Annabeth. Percy was just going to be frustrated, he might get close to rescuing her but miss the mark so she'd be lost again like she already was, but they get her back. Lost in a land without rain could easily even mean they lost another day of travel or something and Apollo would even show up to help again.

...a taco shop that hadn't been open since before Zoe was born,

"How much stuff do you think she invented and hasn't told you about?" Alex suddenly burst out in excitement. "Do you think she invented tacos? Or the bow?"

"I couldn't begin to guess what butterfly effects she caused on history," Thalia was pleased her laugh sounded natural enough and now Percy was muttering about tacos and didn't seem too twitchy about what was about to happen. Annabeth could probably tell her who did invent those things, but now Thalia was wondering if she'd be the unsung hero of the future for inventing the perfect dog guide book or something.

... GILA CLAW, ARIZONA hanging crooked above the door.

Nico flinched, his hand finally spasmed in and out of his pocket and began rubbing his nose like he'd swear frost was growing on it. The first of many things in this chapter he'd never wanted to know, the name of the place it had happened. Would he ever hear the casual state or noun again without unwanted memories chasing him?

... old cars, appliances, and scrap metal. A junkyard that seemed to go on forever.

Alex rubbed her hands together and looked ready to dive in head first.

"Who decided to summarize Earth in one sentence?" Nico muttered.

Will snorted in shock and fought back the urge to really laugh, and then start arguing the point with him.

"Who's the god of junkyards?" Jason asked in trepidation. "Why do I already know that place isn't going to be a good thing?"

"Good instincts," Percy said wearily with whatever confidence he had.

..."I don't suppose you got another wild boar up your sleeve?"

"At this rate it wouldn't surprise me," Rachel chuckled.

"Why can't he summon a monster goat? What is the point of being a satyr if you can't?" Percy nodded along. It was probably a more comfortable ride too, he hoped.

... "Those five nuts right there." "Which one is me?" I asked.

"Does it make a difference?" Jason asked more critically, as if life or death situations could be avoided if he knew which specific acorn each member was.

"Why would you ask that?" Magnus asked, Percy had to know the kind of answer he'd get with Thalia and Zoe right there.

"You are clearly not ADHD," Percy told Magnus while waving his hand in Jason's face to chase away that scrunched up expression. Nobody from camp would question why anything left his mouth.

"The little deformed one," Zoe suggested.

"Exhibit A," Magnus muttered anyways.

"That cluster right there," Grover pointed to the left, "that's trouble."

"It's not a giant squirrel is it?" Alex asked in something actually close to concern. "I've heard bad stories about those."

"The acorns led us to a lion last time, or even worse, Percy." Thalia falsely tapped her chin in contemplation. "There's really no telling." Her hand was shaking a bit at the end and she quickly dropped it and the act.

... "I don't smell anything, but the acorns don't lie.

"They don't, or they can't?" Jason asked this very important distinction.

"There's no acorns down here to ask," Will reminded.

... the hills of metal looked like something on an alien planet.

"Cool," Rachel grinned, her eyes sparking with challenge if she could make a painting like that.

...None of us wanted to go Dumpster-diving in the dark.

"You are on an adventure and actively avoiding the best parts," Alex groaned, sinking into her seat as if in mortal peril over this.

"Adventure time doesn't start until I have nightmares about it," Percy shrugged.

"It was the only unanimous vote our group ever had," Thalia said in a far to dismal voice for that to mean it was a good thing.

...their stuff just appeared over their backs, and then they they were gone.

Alex and Magnus both burst out laughing for no apparent reason to the others, even Magnus's innocent question of, "do they all have matching purses too?" Only made Alex hold her sides and fall back even farther into her seat.

"Um, no," Thalia answered, wondering if they lost their mind.

"Sorry, sorry, keep going," Alex tried to wave them on and brush tears of mirth away, but she and Magnus exchanged one last amused grin their mind kept drawing the same parallels to another book.

If Magnus wasn't so concerned hearing about Annabeth, he even would have liked to sit around and ask Alex her top five favorite books that just had specific magical space bags in them, but he'd have to shelve that for later.

... about as comfy as you can get in a rundown ghost town in the middle of nowhere.

"I really hope you come across some people out there looking for aliens, you could have quite the interesting conversation," Will smiled.

"Until somebody actually gets abducted," Nico muttered bitterly.

... Bianca said. "I've never actually seen the Milky Way."

Nico flinched again, a memory glimmering in and out of focus to fast to make real sense. He'd knocked over his glass of milk one time...and his sister had laughed and called it the Milky Way. He didn't know when that had happened, when they were little and their mom cleaned it up? In the hotel and it was a false moment of time passing as he visited her in the kitchens?

..."You talk like you're not human," ..."I am a Hunter. I care what happens to the wild."

"You can be a human and care about the environment," Rachel said proudly.

"Am I the only one who noticed she didn't actually answer the question?" Magnus asked. Hearth was an elf, he wasn't assuming anyone wasn't some secret species anymore.

Percy was focused uncomfortably on Rachel though and rubbing his nose again, so Thalia harshly cleared her throat to get Will to keep going.

..."For you," Thalia corrected. "Not thee."

"Why do you correct her?" Will asked. "You understand her Ye Old speech well enough."

"If you have to ask you wouldn't get it," Thalia said sullenly. She'd been mocking that uppity Huntress more than anything, thing number two she owed somebody an apology for she'd never get the chance. Bianca was currently number one for not being able to get her little brother out of this in the next few sentences.

"But you use you for the beginning of a sentence."

"My memories could never be so bad I'd forget I signed up for a grammar lesson," Percy vividly remembered exchanging an uneasy look with Bianca if they were supposed to do something about this.

...Zoe threw up her hands. "I hate this language. It changes too often!"

"That's fair," Nico muttered, only a tad surprised he was agreeing with a Huntress about something.

"Slang is the worst," Will agreed with an exasperated sigh. Kids always came back to camp saying something it took him half the summer to get, then by the time they came back again it was a whole new thing.

... "If only Pan were here, he would set things right."

Jason was a bit uneasy what exactly Grover was wanting from his search now. To revert time back before humans took away all those stars? They'd joked before about some great nature god running humanity into the wilderness and taking back over, but that apocalyptic scenario couldn't really be what Grover wanted, there had to be some kind of balance.

..."I was drinking coffee, and the wind came. Maybe if I drank more coffee..."

"Coffee, beans, nature, I can see the connection," only Will could make that not sound sarcastic, Nico found himself admiring as Percy muffled a snort.

..."Grover, do you really think that was Pan? I know you want it to be."

"Who else could it be?" Rachel seemed to be agreeing with Grover. "Unless Dionysius took a sip of his own wine and sent some crazy help, this kind of thing doesn't track with any other god but Artemis, who's in no position to help anyone."

"I just don't want Grover to get his hopes up if its not because it's something else crazy in this world," Percy sighed.

... Grover insisted. "I don't know how or why, but it was him.

Percy wanted to believe his best friend, but Grover had also followed a presence right into a cyclops den. He trusted his best friend with his life, but he was worried Grover would grow immune to caffeine before he found another trace of that presence.

... It's the best lead we've gotten in two thousand years. I was so close."

"Unless he got a shovel and started digging up that town, I can't figure out where he'd even keep looking," Magnus frowned thoughtfully. It seemed a pretty small place, in tune enough with nature, but it sounded impossible satyrs wouldn't have been searching the literal wilderness these two thousand years already for every small nook and cranny. What had made this town so special?

I didn't answer. I didn't want to squash Grover's hopes.

It was the kindest answer he could have given, and he waited with an annoyed huff for somebody to tell him something better he could have said.

Nobody did, they just looked as sullen as he felt Grover might be on a wild goose chase that would only lead him to boars and coffee beans his whole life.

... I just stabbed it and it went up in flames."

"A truly badass ability that should be shared," Alex nodded sagely.

"One I can't be teaching, so don't get any bright ideas," Thalia said with a strange smile only Nico got.

...Bianca looked uncomfortable with everybody paying attention to her.

Nico now lived that feeling alone. He wanted to offer her hat back. He knew she'd scoff at him and tell him a Huntress didn't hide behind such things anymore, but some part of him still wished he could help her.

"Never mind," Zoe told her... "we should plan our next move.

Nico didn't quite believe his ears for the short breath Will took, so leaned over his shoulder to check that for himself.

Yep. There it was. Zoe had really tried to do exactly what he'd just wanted to, offered her some way of stepping back. A better one than his stupid thought of just letting her go back to hiding behind her hat. Zoe had really been better for her.

"Wait your turn Nico," Will playfully nudged him back away. He saw the troubled way his brown eyes were watching the book though and knew he'd missed something. He couldn't imagine what Zoe could have said to upset him, but he offered, "I can skip my turn next time so you can read twice." Like that made up for anything at all.

"Ha, ha, " Nico gave him a very sardonic laugh, but it was clear his mind was elsewhere. They were in the desert, a land without rain if ever there was one. It didn't take a genius to figure out Bianca might not make it out of this one and Nico was going to be on edge this entire time. There wasn't anything anybody could do about it, but Will still wished he knew how best to try.

... hitchhike to the nearest city, Las Vegas."

Nico leaned all the way back in his seat at that suggestion, and they all felt like doing the same.

"Nobody needs to head back to the Paradise Thou Must Not Yonder," Percy said quickly.

"I don't think you used that right," Thalia corrected, she was an equal opportunity corrector that way.

"Like I ever actually paid attention when listening to the popcorn reading of Romeo and Juliet," Percy rolled his eyes.

..."No!" she said. "Not there!"

Will sighed, his little theory basically confirmed, and he hated it was in this way when Nico's skin kept getting sallower by the word.

Nico didn't see how Zoe was going to talk his sister out of this one.

... like she'd just been dropped off the steep end of a roller coaster.

Alex opened her mouth with a quick comment that was how you freaked out Thalia, not Bianca, but one quick glare from Jason stopped her.

...I think we stayed there for a while, Nico and I... I can't remember..."

Nico pursed his lips so tight it hurt. He'd never realized Bianca had shared that with Percy. No wonder he thought of Nico as some strange little kid, he knew he didn't belong in this time. He'd never fit in here.

The look of dawning comprehension on his tan face only confirmed it.

...the Lotus Hotel and Casino?" ..."How could you know that?"

"Crap," the others all muttered as that was all but confirmed.

"Is that what you meant by your memory problem was fixed?" Jason asked with worry, "cause Nico, that means you still had a whole life before you forgot it all in that place."

"Tell me about it," he snapped. "I've dealt with it fine!" What little he had pieced together through misty images and whatever dregs of detail he could pull from Hades without his ear curdling comments about how much Bianca had looked like her.

He was learning about a past in this book he'd never asked for and still being denied the one he most wanted. A real story, a true glimpse into a life he'd never known before it was all destroyed.

He felt the pity, the curiosity, all of their eyes on him with questions he would not answer. He had Percy's undivided attention now, his mouth opening. For whatever Percy had asked Bianca he was expected to answer too? Maybe even some sympathy like Percy finally knew what he was going through...

"You can still get a memory loss T-shirt with us," he gestured at Jason with an apologetic smile.

"Thanks," he scowled before nearly pushing the book into Will's nose to make him keep going. He did so quickly, it didn't take anyone having a good knowledge of the Son of Hades to figure out that's what he wanted right now.

... It makes time speed up." "No," Bianca said. "No, that's not possible."

"She's basically immortal now, I thought she'd believe that pretty easily," Alex said uneasily. Nico still looked like he was swallowing back his own bitter words with an annoyed, if casual enough eye roll, but this was also obviously a few years ago. He'd had time to adjust when his sister went back to Camp and told him, poor Bianca was being dumped into this realization in the middle of all this.

... I don't remember. Please, I really don't want to talk about this."

Will was fidgeting in place, his whole body shifting about. He wished he could jump in there, or Zoe would again even if it did upset Nico now. The girl should be able to talk about this one step at a time, she was clearly having a bit of a crisis and needed to take it more slowly. He hated the words coming out of his mouth now, for Nico drawing into himself more than ever as his past was being shoved into the limelight, for speaking what Bianca hadn't wished said. If it would do any good he'd skip this, but Percy would have to find all this out eventually. They were tied together to intricately.

... She told us the correct name of the president.

"That bar's to low," Magnus said quietly, so only Alex could hear. "We know they've been at that school long enough to know something like that, even the past few. Kids don't keep track of that stuff that well anyways." Even he'd hear about new elections, and he lived on the streets.

"Depends how far into history class they got," Alex shook her head, it was the best estimate they were going to get.

..."Like FDR Drive?" I asked. That's about all I knew about F.D.R.

"Are we sure we know what year you're from?" Jason snorted.

"Gods somebody strap an audio book to at least one of this boys ears," Thalia sighed. She didn't know how much she'd have to pay Annabeth to do it, but surely if it was at least his girlfriends voice reading off a textbook to him he'd live through it.

...She stared at her hands as if to make sure they weren't wrinkled.

Nico swallowed the bitter, grudging comment if she was still happy he'd been left back at camp, ignorant of all this while she was slapped with this revelation alone.

Thalia's eyes were sad. She knew what it was like to get pulled out of time for a while.

Nico startled and looked at her now.

Even during the last two books, she'd just sort of brushed off and laughed along this was all no news to her, Annabeth told her all of these stories, mostly. She'd never really reacted to much aside from being to high up while keeping pace with Percy's energetic mood.

He'd never really appreciated until now how much he and Thalia did have in common. She'd even offered him help just before, in thanks for his silence and making this easier on Percy.

She looked so exhausted now. Ever since her fear of heights had been thrust out, she'd been giving him quick glances. He'd felt the prickling feeling all his life and still wasn't immune to it. When he excused himself, he expected her to berate him for constantly wincing over Bianca's name and tipping off Percy because his sister had died in battle in service of Artemis or something.

He didn't know why Thalia had left everything behind to join the Hunters, but maybe he could ask her. Maybe it would give a little more insight into why Bianca did it too, some reason he was still searching for he still wasn't convinced he'd ever get a good answer to.

... escaped after being there for so long?" Bianca looked about ready to cry.

"You guys could have eased up a little," Will's voice was as harsh as it could ever get. He had the book close to his chest, like he wished it was the girl.

Thalia bowed her head in remorse, some tingling sensation had been tracing down her back whispering she was close to an answer as she and Percy had exchanged looks, to focused on some strange idea to let the big sister part of her see this for herself and step in like Will so clearly wanted to. She knew he wasn't accusing her personally, but she felt it. She should have looked out for Bianca, been the one to go into that stupid statue-

"Sorry," Percy's tone was regret enough, and Nico was scrunched up tight in his seat, white knuckled grip on his sword and staring at nothing. He needed to get through this more than her continuing to dwell on the past.

...Before she could answer, we were hit with a blazing light.

"The only time in history kids are going to be encouraged to hitchhike with a stranger," Alex had a strange look on her face like she wasn't sure if she should laugh at this new thing or still feel bad for Nico's strange thing.

"Even if he is a serial killer, I think they can take him," Magnus sounded mildly confident of that, even if he was squirming in his seat. He already had a feeling it was bad news regardless, what with that timing, it never meant anything good when information like that was constantly cut off.

... the engine was too silent for the sun chariot, and besides, it was nighttime.

"I don't think that would stop him from breaking the cosmos if he wanted to," Thalia sighed. She'd always prefer Apollo over who it was that showed up.

...Before I could step away, the point of a sword touched my throat.

"So it was friendly and tide greetings," Alex said without surprise.

"I'm growing more glad by the minute you didn't greet all of us with that wire at our throat," Percy informed.

"You weren't threatening enough," Alex scoffed. Only Thalia had made her consider it, and tensions had cooled to quickly to come to that.

I heard the sound of Zoe and Bianca drawing their bows.

"That was nice they came to your ready defense," Will grinned. Zoe had proved already she wouldn't just leave Percy behind, but it was still nice to have reaffirmed.

Nico kept the thought to himself Bianca was probably thankful for the sudden attack, keeping attention off her.

..."Ares," I growled.

"Wow, our first repeat god," Magnus blinked in surprise.

"Mer-er, Hermes showed up twice," Jason reminded.

"At the beginning and end of the same quest. Depending on how you count his disturbing appearance in Clarisse's warship, he's actually showed up on every one so far, and I feel like it's not a good omen," Magnus insisted.

Even Will couldn't come up with a chipper comment to that because, well, he wasn't wrong. If the guy had a theory over there Ares was still secretly working for Kronos, there wasn't much he could do to pull him off that idea. The God of war hardly acted innocent, except for one shining example of why he'd never let Olympus fall.

The same one as everyone else. Love, in his own selfish way.

..."This is a friendly meeting." He dug the point a little farther under my chin.

"I don't believe him," Rachel mock whispered.

... I never behead my enemies in front of a lady."

"He was about to kill you in front of Annabeth," Alex reminded.

"Mortal ladies probably don't count," Nico rolled his eyes.

... go get some tacos while you wait? Only take Percy a few minutes."

"We never expected to see you again," Thalia told him promptly.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Percy sighed.

"We will not leave him alone with thee, Lord Ares," Zoe said.

"I'm actually starting to like this girl," Alex admitted, her grudging approval going up another notch. Alex was sure being protective over a boy was not common for Zoe.

"Feeling's mutual," Percy promised, he'd been surprisingly touched as well as he kept rubbing his throat.

"Besides," Grover managed, "the taco place is closed."

"Because that was the important part of that," Jason snorted.

Ares snapped his fingers... the CLOSED sign flipped to OPEN. "You were saying?"

Magnus made a groaning, painful noise as his head fell into his hands that didn't need interpretation.

Alex gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder while Thalia said, "if it's any consolation, we went inside and there was a buffet. He didn't make people magically appear too."

"It did, thanks," he nodded while still digging the heels of his hands into his eyes from his brain going a bit haywire over that one. These gods could literally end world hunger at the snap of their fingers, and here he was still hoarding food in fear of when it would end.

...I tried to sound more confident than I felt. I don't think Ares was fooled.

"Neither were we," Thalia stage whispered.

Percy gave her a shove.

... "He's big and strong. He's got things under control."

"I'm sure Zoe loved that," Nico grimaced. His swirling stomach was calming though, he tried to convince himself he might get one more chapter. To hear Percy going back inside this place and seeing her laugh and trying to figure out the recipe for their salsa. Whatever this was going on was probably important enough the chapter would end on it.

...She's not as forgiving of rudeness as I am."

"Venus," Jason murmured for himself. A strange image came to mind, of a mind billowingly beautiful woman dressed in a southern bell, baby blue attire with a sun hat and eating oysters. The image came and went so quicky, like a snapshot flew across his eyes. It hadn't been a photo though, and yet the longer he sat and tried to remember anything else the more jumbled it all got until he'd swear his brain had made the whole thing up just to mess with him.

"The one and only," Thalia agreed with quiet a scowl. This goddess ranked right up there with having the most annoying kids at camp when she visited.

...I forgot my name. I forgot how to speak in complete sentences.

"Is it the god of memory loss?" Magnus asked uneasily.

Alex sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I thought you were paying better attention Maggie?"

"Please don't call me Maggie," he said with dread.

She gave him an appraising look to that, clearly filing this information for later.

Percy was still sitting over there with his mouth hanging open, and Will was reading on more in concern a fish might swim in if he left him like that.

...Pick your favorite hair color, eye color, whatever. The goddess had that.

Kind of like Alex, Magnus mused for a moment. She had so many layers and always-

He sat up painfully straight in his seat and leaned away from her like he feared she'd read his mind and gut him. She merely gave him a strange look for a moment, before her monochromic eyes flashed with a terrifying knowing light like that's exactly what she was doing.

When she smiled at me, just for a moment she looked a little like Annabeth.

The collective snort that resonated around the room made Percy grin. He'd never be upset at being the butt of this joke. His eyes flickered to Rachel to see her smile broad as anyone's, as she thought to herself with only amusement, 'I never stood a chance.'

Then like this television actress I used to have a crush on in fifth grade.

"And who was that Percy?" Thalia asked eagerly.

"Err, I forgot," Percy waved frantically at Will to keep going.

"Are you sure?" Her electric blue eyes scrutinized him, her hunting knife appeared between two fingers and began lazily flipping between her digits. Will swallowed and knew if he said another word that thing was going to end up point first in the spine of the book.

He muttered something that sounded like an ancient Greek curse for a moment before saying, "fine, Ashley Tisdale."

"Oh Annabeth's going to love that," Thalia cackled before finally stowing the blade away.

... said something like, "Um uh gah."

"I liked your nonplussed reaction to Artemis better," Magnus said without bothering to fight off a smile.

"You didn't see her," Percy said without any hope this blithering reaction wasn't going to be snickered at.

"And I mocked Grover for the same," Magnus shook his head in between his laugh, "you're not getting out of this."

...a polished mirror the size of a dinner plate and had me hold it up for her.

"I'm surprised the inside of that car isn't one big mirror," Rachel rolled her eyes.

... A seriously beautiful lady with eyes like pools of spring water- Whoa.

"You know it's bad when you start hitting Apollo territory," Thalia said gravely.

I pinched my own arm, hard.

"Without dropping the mirror," Percy added with a hint of pride.

"And I always thought those jokes about cabin 10 kidnapping you for a life model prop were a joke," Thalia rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed while Percy looked at her in horror.

..."Oh, dear," Aphrodite said. "Still in denial?"

"I've never been to Egypt," Percy said blankly.

Thalia zapped him, hard.

"Ow," he looked at her in exasperation for a hit that would have killed an elephant if it weren't for that impenetrable skin.

"I'm just happy over here he knows where that river is, clearly he was awake for some of school," Magnus had at least gotten a laugh out of his pun.

...The idea of him being out there made me angry, which cleared my mind.

"And now the real horror begins," Jason frowned. Gods only knew what this, of all goddesses, was going to do to him if Percy ticked her off. There was something about Venus he wondered if he should remember...Charleston. The city name flickered strangely in his mind, or was it even a persons name? He rubbed his temple in frustration and was grateful Will clearly wasn't looking to linger around in this chapter.

... I pity the poor dears who have to imprison Artemis. Bo-ring!"

Thalia's ears were ringing a painfully high noise, like her brain was trying to helpfully block out such stupidity. Percy had the urge to lean away from that look of outrage on her face lest she retaliate at the nearest person.

... that is why the others are on this quest. I'm more interested in you."

"Always terrifying when a god singles you out for any reason," Magnus said wearily.

"At least you're still keeping up with the important stuff," Alex nodded.

... her eyes drew an answer right out of my mouth. "Annabeth is in trouble."

Percy smiled fondly at his past self while Rachel cooed beside him. It wouldn't take anything to drag that out of him now, no matter how many years later, he'd still do anything to rescue her.

..."Ah, you even dream about her! That's so cute!"

Percy looked a little miffed, and concerned about that. "Why do we dream again? Aphrodite knows, I mean I would anyways but," he was stammering and still blushing just a bit.

"Just her narrow-minded focus," Thalia waved off. "The gods can manipulate our dreams and beam stuff into our heads sure, but mainly it's a manifestation of the shadow realm overlapping with the mist we travel in our sleep. We see what's important to us. Or did," she finished with a still bewildered huff they hadn't since being here.

Nico looked on at her with intrigue, that was a very well-rounded answer he himself would have given, making him wonder how she knew of such things. Had she done any voyaging in the Underworld herself? Did the huntress's speedy travel have any connection to the multifaceted pathways all connected?

... Sending Blackjack to find you? Helping you sneak out of the camp?"

"I kind of just assumed all that stuff happened on its own," Percy admitted with a mystified expression. "How often do the gods interfere?" It sort of annoyed him really. Apollo and Aphrodite were all for helping him along on this, but nobody had lifted a finger to stop Kronos yet? What were the rules around here again?

"Whenever their agenda wants," Will answered with a bit of lack-luster pep.

... A quest for some monster, blah blah blah. Saving Artemis. Let her stay lost, I say.

Thalia's bow appeared in her hand, her jaw-locked face made Percy a bit smug. She'd clearly be cracking that over this goddess's head if she could right now, and he really wanted to wave and say, 'See! I'm not the only one willing to challenge these guys!' She took a tempered breath and didn't interrupt, but Percy still gave her a friendly nudge and winked.

She grinned back, thinking to herself it would be worth a deadly quest to kill whichever god had hidden Jason from her all this time with Percy beside her. Nothing scared this nutjob, even impossible odds like taking on the oldest goddess.

... you, my dear, you can save her from that. It's so romantic!"

"Annabeth would sooner slay a dragon than be locked up in a tower," Nico rolled his eyes with confidence. If he had to give a begrudging compliment to her, it was how alike she and Percy were.

"It's weird being on the same page as both of you over there," Percy chuckled.

... as soon as I put it down, I noticed my arms were sore.

"Don't tell Chiron about that type of training, the Aphrodite kids will never let it go," Will grinned.

"Now listen, Percy," Aphrodite said. "The Hunters are your enemies.

"I want to strangle this woman with her own hair," Alex scoffed. How was this more infuriating than the gender-preferencing stereotyping goddess?

"I will help," Thalia promised.

"I doubt I listened," Percy said to nobody's surprise. He didn't need memories to know he'd hardly gone out of his way to start following a path he was told to take.

...Aphrodite waved her hand irritably. "No, no. I leave the details to you.

Magnus groaned harder than ever and looked ready to smother someone with a seaweed pillow cushion. It really was no wonder if all of them were going a little stir crazy, Will winced sympathetically.

... I never said anything about love. And second, what's up with tragic!"

"Your life is a tragedy," Jason helpfully reminded.

"And I'd like one exception!" Percy groaned, his hand aching for Annabeth's more every page.

..."Didn't they start the Trojan War and get thousands of people killed?"

"But gods forbid you know who a very famous president is outside his tunnel," Thalia rolled her eyes.

"I remember the important things," Percy insisted.

"Like if Paris was the boy or girl in that story," Rachel snorted.

... it was impossible not to feel giddy when she talked about it.

There was a softening to Will's voice as he said that, a gentleness he meant to invoke into all of them. He didn't have to be a child of hers to want to believe that too.

Nico's bangs fell into his eyes as his head tipped curiously to the side watching. Now there was an expression he couldn't say he'd ever seen up close before.

... It's so cute I'm going to cry." "No, no," I said. "Don't do that."

"Just what we needed to put the horror of this situation back into focus," Rachel nodded somberly. "A girl crying finally has you scared to speak again."

"Have I mentioned how grateful I am nobodies burst into tears in this room?" Percy asked weakly.

... I have some wonderful surprises in store. Anguish. Indecision. Oh, you just wait."

"So we can officially blame all future problems on her?" Percy said with a scowl that honestly kind of terrified them all for a moment.

"Err, maybe keep an eye on the big picture here?" Rachel gave a nervous laugh where she fell into the category of Percy's 'problems' in the coming time.

"That's really okay," I told her. "Don't go to any trouble."

"Or ever remove yourself from that mirror again," Percy continued his plea.

"You get full credit for finally leaving a godly interaction without one of them getting angry with you," Jason noted.

"And look where it got me!" Percy yelped, his mind on a hamster wheel of doom what was being done to Annabeth to appease this love-crazed goddess.

"You're so cute. I wish all my daughters could break the heart of a boy as nice as you."

"That's, a sentence," Alex said in disgust.

"I'm starting to get worried what the love goddess does with the rest of her free time," Magnus agreed.

... Don't take anything. He is awfully fussy about his trinkets and trash."

"Finally some helpful advice," Will let out a great whoosh of air in relief.

Thalia bit her tongue hard to stop herself snapping it hadn't done them any good.

...My audience with the goddess of love was over.

"Thank the gods," Percy sighed, before going cross-eyed.

"I'm with you there, any longer and she would have tried joining you and Annabeth's name together like a stupid tabloid heading," Rachel nodded.

"So why haven't you killed me?" ...Ares nodded like I'd finally said something intelligent.

"It only took you three and a half books," Thalia mock approved.

"To impress a god I don't think twice about," Percy rolled his eyes.

... you're going to raise your sword, and you're going to remember the wrath of Ares."

Percy shivered, and icy blast of water causing a flurry of ice to slice up their exposed skin for a few harrowing moments before his eyes snapped open and he exhaled sharply. The feeling, one he'd already had about this moment, was drawing near. He swallowed dread anew whose wrath it was going to be the end of, because it clearly hadn't been him, only his fault.

Will hesitated a moment more, a trickle of blood across his temple he impatiently swiped away as he looked around at the slight scratches upon everyone else. He saw Nico prodding in fascination at a slight oozing upon his wrist and thought he could at least take a few seconds to go see if that fridge would conjure up some band-aids before those dark brown eyes looked at him imploringly.

Nico knew the only thing left to happen was on the last pages to come, and fussing over a few scrapes wasn't going to make it better. Will swallowed bitter regret Nico might now forever associate him saying the words as he kept on so nobody else could keep trying to delay this and make it worse.

...I'll start the fight when I'm good and ready.

"When he can cheat his way to victory," Jason scoffed with lingering disgust. Ares was always a great reminder of clearing his head from all the noise, helped him focus on this world at hand.

... mountains of scrap metal stretched out in every direction.

"And nobody thought to bring me a taco," Percy huffed as he squirmed in his seat.

"I saw Grover slipping some hot sauce packets into his bag while he plowed through three salad bowls, somebody was thinking of you," Thalia waved her hand dismissively.

"What did she want with you?" Bianca asked.

Nico's face ticked with frustration for what that reason was. A bubble of anger trying to rise to the surface the goddess couldn't have appeared to Bianca, told her to be a little more careful or she'd be leaving behind somebody who loved her, but no, that wasn't as important- he tried to stop the bitter thought cold and push it all down.

There was a faint, piercing howl that made everybody's hair stand on end.

Magnus was looking anxiously at the walls and muttered, "did anybody say how safe we were from sea monsters in here?"

Nico didn't hear Percy's flippant answer. No grudges, no grudges, he would not throw a tantrum about this, nobody cared but him...

Will was starting to feel like the heartless monster in the room trying to continue reading when Nico was so obviously struggling with this. He didn't know what else to do though. If he stopped now and tried to pull him aside it would only draw attention to what Nico obviously was trying not to linger on, only creating more anger at everything.

..."For once I agree with Zoe," Thalia said. "You can't trust Aphrodite."

Thalia smiled ghost like to herself. The small curve of her lips to tinged with sadness for anybody to ask what it was. The last time she'd seen Bianca stifle a laugh, seeing them agree for the first time. Nico's sister would have gotten a kick in here out of watching Thalia relive all this and generally liking Zoe now.

... I got the feeling he knew exactly what Aphrodite had talked to me about.

"Now I'm sort of concerned how much of that is satyr stuff and how much of it is your empathy link stuff?" Jason asked.

"I feel kind of bad for him," Magnus added. "Can't be fun to have somebody else's emotions constantly running around your head."

..."That way is west," Zoe said.

"She can tell that without the sun rise?" Alex asked, clearly impressed.

"There are other ways, that's just the most common," Magnus casually agreed. Alex's impressed gaze fell on him, and his mind fizzled like bad reception as he imagined them under the stars, showing Alex all the techniques of living in the great out doors...she'd probably just laugh at him and ask if that's how he survived being homeless.

...In the light of the full moon, I was surprised how well I could see her roll her eyes at me.

"Yet another thing light pollution has taken from us, the ability to see that at all hours," Thalia said tragically.

...Zoe looked offended. "Show some respect. It was a fine bear. A worthy opponent."

Magnus snorted spectacularly while Alex looked on, hopefully not inspired to try this herself. "She fought a bear in the stars?"

"Err, before it went into the stars," Thalia mildly corrected without illuminating further, much to everyone's disappointment. Percy was looking a little bug-eyed, his trembling hand brushing at his temple why the stars and Zoe should hold any connection.

"You act like it was real."

"You don't act like everything is real," Rachel shook her head. "Zoe doesn't kid, remember."

"Right," Percy said with an uneasy smile, his stomach still felt like an icy blade was melting and leaving a wound wide open.

... refrigerators, washing machines, and computer monitors.

"I reiterate," Alex said with a baffled expression. "What do Gods consider junk?" Half of that stuff in there would make a homeless camp faint with joy. One artist alone could make a million sculptures from any of those items.

"One god, and I'm kind of scared of the answer now," Magnus shivered. Hephaestus was the metal worker, the one who's kid had taught Tyson how to build that awesome shield. What hadn't been said was what they did with the projects that didn't work.

..."Junk?" Grover picked up a beautiful crown made of precious metal, broken on one side.

"Cursed," Alex said confidently.

He bit off a point and began to chew. "It's delicious!"

"And now we wait," Alex groaned.

Only Percy could brave a smile like he hoped she was kidding, everybody else had grim looks like the shadows on the wall were really encircling them. It sure was starting to look that way.

Thalia swatted the crown out of his hands. "I'm serious!"

Magnus tried and failed at a smile of his own, his mouth opening with a stupid joke from one of his favorite books Alex might get, but the words died before his dry mouth could manage. Something was wrong. Thalia's blue eyes were trained on the ceiling, and Percy was looking anxiously from her to the book like he knew he was missing something, never a good sign.

...Bianca reluctantly set the hair clip down.

Percy felt an icy sensation on the back of his neck, like a ghost had just breathed on him. He whipped around in his seat and only saw the same flickering shadows as everyone, but his gut didn't hurt. He didn't understand how he was doing something that freaked himself out as he slowly turned back, but his pen was clutched in his hand again.

Nico was frozen in place, his eyes on the cracks in the floor, watching the fractured pebbles Percy had caused to come loose dance around like they were shaking with dread instead of him. He didn't know how Percy had swapped some stupid toy for something Bianca would actually care about. He didn't want to know what was inevitably coming for her or whose fault it had been.

His past ignorance had only caused him bitter anger. Maybe finally getting an answer would give him some peace?

..."You think we're going to get attacked by killer refrigerators?" I asked.

"That would be, a sight," Magnus muttered.

"Maybe you'd survive a coming explosion if one ate you," Rachel tried to offer a grin, and despite a few blanks looks and questions beginning for that bizarre statement, Will wasn't hesitating for any laughter to linger this time. Nico obviously wanted this done with and that's exactly what he was going to do.

..."That's the second time you've agreed with Zoe," I muttered, but Thalia ignored me.

She was doing an excellent job of recreating that in here, and the room was starting to blur around the edges Percy was looking back and forth between the book and her so much. Then he realized the room really was doing that.

... the length of a football field and as tall as goalposts.

"Americans really do use everything but the metric system," Alex said in fascination. "Can you not just say how many miles long it was?"

"Why when you know how long a football field is, plus goalposts," Percy shrugged.

..."Toes," Grover said.

"Is this like trying to find a bunny in the clouds?" Rachel asked. "I bet I'd see something else."

"No," Thalia's voice was as tight as Will's. She couldn't laugh this one off and pretend it was going to be okay for Percy or anyone's sake, because it wasn't going to be.

...Grover threw a rock, making a deep echo as if the column were hollow.

"Why?" Jason drew the word out with sublime confusion.

"That link is one way," Percy reminded with his own frown.

... "I don't know. I, uh, don't like fake feet?"

"Doesn't he wear fake feet?" Jason mock whispered.

"Why do you think he hates them," Thalia nodded, "personal knowledge."

"Come on." Thalia looked at me. "Around."

Thalia wasn't looking at him now. She made an odd gesture, one Percy had never seen before as her eyes betrayed and flickered to Nico.

He looked like a model for a Greek statue, frozen in place, his shaggy hair masking his face bent to the ground.

...who sculpts ten-foot tall metal toes and sticks them in a junkyard?

"Where's the rest of him?" Magnus asked with a bad feeling tightening up his stomach. Thalia looked as sick as he felt. Nico was appallingly pale, and Percy was getting a crick in his neck for now trying to keep an eye on the walls, that he'd swear were starting to form faces.

... apparently the gods didn't want to be thanked.

"Then I take it back," Jason said in a small voice. Every single thing about this situation there and here screamed this was not good.

...His joints creaked with rust... the words WASH ME.

Magnus's mouth was hanging open in a silent scream like his world view finally couldn't get any bigger.

Alex gave a nervous laugh, one part amusement for that, one part giddy terror at this fight.

... that can't be the original. It's too small.

"Too small? Too small!" Rachel repeated in a higher shriek each time.

Will finished the sentence like someone was pulling on his tongue.

...The metal giant didn't like the word defective.

Percy wanted to shake Thalia and ask her in which gods name made her think her running her mouth caused less problems than him. His hands were shaking to much.

...The sound of it coming out of its sheath was horrible, metal screeching against metal.

Thalia tried not to flinch and cover her ears again. Tried.

...Getting hit with that thing would be like getting hit with a battleship.

"I bet if it hit Percy he'd land in the ocean and be fine," Jason said faintly.

"Let's hope that theory was tested," Percy said in a low, dangerous voice. The feeling Ares had just pierced him with was now in him with a roaring vengeance, but something, some part of him couldn't blame what was about to happen on the war god. It was just a similar, icy dread consuming him.

..."Who took something?" She stared accusingly at me.

"And I thought we were past all that," Riptide was now glowing faintly in his hand, the shadows on the wall steadying for just a moment. That wild look of dangerous power was freezing everything in place before Percy shook himself. Will kept reading, fighting off tremors in his hand and voice as he'd swear Nico's lips were turning blue.

... I could swear she looked guilty, but I didn't have much time to think about it,

Nico knew what that meant, and the painful knot he was trying so hard to push away only grew tighter in him as knowledge settled in. There was nobody to blame. It wasn't Grover eating the edge of that stupid crown to do this. It wasn't Percy's fault he hadn't saved her from a fate she'd brought upon herself. Was it his fault? Had she finally done one thing for him, and it had been her last?

... "Run!" Grover yelped.

"Where?" Rachel asked through numb lips. The idea of painting someone outrunning a skyscraper was a monumental task that would take more paint than even she could afford, almost.

... Grover brayed like a baby goat and went climbing up a mountain of metal.

"I think those nightmares about the Cyclops den are finally going to be chased away for him," Magnus whispered as he pressed as far back into his seat as he could. The poor guy's nightmare of fake feat chasing him a reality, and the growing dread of every word his guess had been wrong. Annabeth wasn't anywhere near this place, he hoped, unless she was inside that thing.

...The lines sparked and sent a jolt of electricity up the giant's backside.

"How the hell can he do that?" Jason looked faint at this power the satyr had been sleeping on.

"Electricity is a manifest of nature," Thalia said grimly. She'd been a little to busy to question him about it. Her quiet, deadly tone didn't encourage further questions.

... it was for Nico. It was the only statue he didn't have."

She called it a statue. Not a toy, not an action figure. She actually called it a statue. The figurine he'd been obsessed with finding since his first deck.

..."No!" Thalia yelled.

Not again, Thalia's eyes sparked with blistering anger. Grover had seen them through the worst of the monsters chasing them in that last leg to Camp, all knobby kneed and still with a quick smile of false confidence he knew where he was going. He alone had kept his promise to look after Annabeth and been her friend all those years. She only wished her blast of raw energy had been enough before it had been to late. She'd saved Grover to continue his quest, but she hadn't saved everybody.

... FOR MAINTENANCE ONLY. "Crazy-idea time," I said.

"I still hate those words," Magnus groaned.

"I still love them," but Alex's tone was an uneasy mutter, the room was giving them all light-sensitive headaches and flashing so much they should be worried if anybody could have a seizure.

... "No. I'll go." "You can't. You're new at this! You'll die."

Nico had felt a tickling sense those first weeks awake he'd never known what to call. A sense of warped vision when he looked at a student in class and they fell down the stairs the wrong way. A kid at Camp who hadn't come out of the Forest after training. He wondered if his sister had felt that sensation in the air this starry night. If she had felt it for herself and not cared, or for one of the others and stepped in its path. Fault, fault, the word echoed oddly in his head as the cracks in the ground steadily began widening in his mind. Was there a god of fault, and when would they come for him?

"It's my fault the monster came after us," she said.

Will would have done anything right then to never make that choking noise escape Nico again. Push the son of Hades into Percy's arms, gone to the underworld and asked the god himself to give her back. How could it be fair that someone so alone had suffered the most?

..."If anything happens, give that to Nico, tell him I'm sorry."

Sorry? She was sorry she'd left him without an explanation, that he'd had to be trapped in a room to hear her last moments! She was sorry she'd abandoned him to figure out everything on his own and leave him with nothing but a statue! Anger burned so bright, he finally felt his power in its full, he could have shadow traveled out of here, he could have done anything.

But he clenched his fists tight, one on his Hades figurine and one on his sword. He'd hear every word she'd never wanted him to. Her sorry would get its every last breath into him.

...she wasn't waiting for me. She charged at the monster's left foot.

There was nothing Percy could have done to stop her, but he wanted to. He wished he'd tackled her to the ground, but she'd moved swift as the moonlight, he hadn't stood a chance against her Huntress speed. She was blessed with a goddess favor, if anyone could survive this, surely it had been her.

So why did he feel like there was a gap in his memory that would never be filled as he looked at Nico? A promise, a promise he'd broken.

Thalia had its attention for the moment... it was working so far.

Jason had always admired these Greek kids technique for adapting, especially in moments like this. With enough time and support like she had, he had ever confidence Thalia could have fallen this beast and found herself a trophy worthy of a- his mind blanked on the word, and he scowled for himself.

... The magic blade cut a gash in the bronze.

Percy had helped. They had all helped with this crazy plan that had gotten her killed. The anger wouldn't rise in Nico though. His confidence the hero of a lifetime could save everybody had shattered that cold day and been wavering ever since. Anything he was supposed to feel just put another twist in the knot he was now kicking and shoving away so hard just like she'd wanted.

Unfortunately, my plan worked.

"That happens a lot with your crazy plans," Magnus said in a jittery way, because this time it wasn't Percy executing his crazy plan. He was still sitting in front of them, sort of breathing as adrenaline kept him and the water around them in a constant swirl they were starting to get concerningly used to.

Nico had never once talked about his sister in here. He should have known from the start, that look of a lost boy, a kid who could never go home to his family. He saw it every day in the mirror.

... doing the Funky Chicken. Then he made a fist and punched himself in the face.

Alex let out a strangled noise that any other day would have been a laugh. She'd dreamed of fighting giants and destroying gods, hearing of this beautiful piece of deadly art living its full potential should have been the thrill of a lifetime.

It wasn't the cold air they were breathing that made it all feel so unmistakably wrong though.

... blue flickers of electricity shot up his body. I hoped the inside was insulated.

Thalia couldn't help it as she pressed herself close to Jason and looked at Nico with raw guilt of her own. They never knew the answer to that, or even if it mattered. For all they knew, her spirit had possessed that thing the moment she got inside and she'd been lost to them. It hadn't stopped the tormented thoughts plaguing her as they searched, it should have been her in there. She'd known it for so long after, one of the many reasons she'd shifted the burden of the prophecy away. Her absolute conviction she should have died this night.

If she had though, she'd never have found her brother giving her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, his strangely tight face watching with calculated interest trying to predict the outcome in a person she should have known her whole life. Bianca had lost the chance to be with her own little brother again so she could meet hers, and she sent a silent prayer of thanks to wherever the girl was as the guilt clenched tight.

...Zoe sat down and wept. I was stunned to see her cry.

Rachel pressed her hands tight together as if in prayer, but the bones in her fingers were too tense, the skin taught with stress as she mimicked a measure of calm her dad often forced, lacing her fingers together as she looked back up with a knowing, sorrowful gaze. She could hear the plea of anything to be done, Grover's tracking spell, reanimating the beast in a crazy stunt to go inside again, but it would all be for naught. This was a feeling she'd have to grow used to, the Oracle did not have the answers for why this had happened.

...Here we were in the desert. And Bianca di Angelo was gone.

There was a faint, sharp, howling noise like a whistle, long and ringing in their ears growing by the decibel as Nico sat hunched in on himself, arms wrapped so tight his jacket was straining at the seams. He hated her so much. He missed her every day.

He'd held onto his anger and denial for so long, been trying to ease into acceptance every passing hour he'd known this was coming, but somewhere along the way he'd skipped right over a grief that was swirling around him now, making ghostly shadows appear, the floor was cracking dangerously right up to the wall and that haunting wail sounded like it was right outside as his breaths couldn't seem to stop rasping loose.

"Nico," Will couldn't have stood by seeing anyone in this state, he had no hesitation left as he put his arms gently around him, gathering his pain close to his chest and whispered, "just let it out."

He wasn't afraid of the infinite flickering forms being drawn to him in the ocean, and trusted as Percy jumped to his feet his sword was to keep the apparitions back rather than the dawning horror for whoever was left needed to realize who and what Nico was capable of as he choked on a sob and pressed in close.

Images, memories, but more than anything, longing kept flashing through Nico in a weighted pattern with little rhyme or reason. She'd never go back to Italy with him to visit their mothers home, she'd never call him Neeks again and make that annoyed face when he asked her for homework help but then she'd do it for him anyways, she'd never give him as many packs of Mythomagic cards as she could pit-pocket, she'd never get a chance to perfect that recipe or grow up, forcing him to forever age past his big sister.

He didn't feel alone though, as the pain inevitably subsided enough he could breathe again. Will's grip was gentle but firm all at once, strong but pliable. He couldn't pull back, and his friend didn't make him want to.