The battle was a scene of glorious chaos. The good kind of chaos, like what happens at festivals and Mardi Gras, not the evil destroy-the-world kind of chaos that Apophis was trying to bring about. Nico's housemates were kicking butt in every direction he turned. None of his friends seemed to be in dire straights, and no one seemed to need help more than anyone else, so Nico simply jumped in.

He could see Percy and Bast holding the deck by themselves. The rest of the deck defense team, and the reserve team were both tearing into the invaders, along with Alyssa and Julian who must have come down from the roof to help. Zia and Walt were more than likely okay on the roof on their own, since Ra's blessings would have restored their magic. And Sadie and Carter would be getting back any minute!

"Life is good," announced Nico to the first magician he came across. Then he slashed his sword through one of the tendons in the man's left leg and trampled over him as he sought out his next enemy. "Don't you think?" he called back.

"Nico! You're okay!" Felix looked delighted as he directed his penguins to charge down their enemies.

"Yeah! I feel great!" Nico moved to intercept an enemy who had singled out Felix. He kicked her in the knee as hard as he could and felt her knee-cap break beneath his foot. "Jaz is awake too! Ra's blessing got us back on our feet! Unlike this witch who's on her knees right here!"

Felix cheered and summoned more penguins. Nico squinted against the radiance as Felix's target conjured some kind of protective circle and stared screaming, "No, please no!"

Nico and Felix exchanged glances.

"What's up with him?" asked Nico as he casually cut down another one of their enemies.

"I have no idea. All I did was sic some penguins on him."

"Well," Nico stepped fast to dodge a magician who was being ridden around by Khufu the baboon, "that's . . . interesting. But I guess if he'd rather cower in there than fight, he's smarter than his comrades."

"Not Antarctica again! Please no! Anything but that!"

Every direction Nico turned, the House of Life freaks were getting their butts whooped. He was actually hard pressed to find enemies to cut down now and had to settle for reducing a few shabtis into dust.

"No more penguins! No more snow! Please! Please no!"

"That could get annoying," muttered Nico. He tried to make his way toward the terrace, to get Percy's attention, and let him know that he was okay, but the glow of flames caught his attention. He saw Aziza battling it out with Amos and redirected his course toward them.

Careful, warned Anubis.

Tell her to be careful. This time I kill that... nevermind... Nico trailed off disappointedly as he saw Amos sink Aziza into the marble floor so that only her head was visible. I can't kill someone who just got beaten by someone else, even if they do deserve it.

"Not Antarctica again! Anything but that!"

"Shut up, will you?" snapped Nico.

"Easy there, Death Boy. Don't burst a blood vessel."

"Sadie!" Nico grinned. "Thank the gods."

"Thanks for holding down the fort," she said, grinning at him so radiantly Nico would have sworn she was a battle goddess right there. She didn't look like she'd been trudging through the Duat all night, and running all over the world looking for pieces of scrolls for days before that. She looked perfect right then, the red streaks in her blond hair perfectly complimenting her sun-kissed skin. She looked like she was glowing.

"I . . . uh . . . yeah. It's cool."

Focus, Nico. Anubis did not sound pleased.

Right. Sorry.

"I mean: Let's finish this up then go for McDonalds!" said Nico, and dove back into the fight alongside Sadie.

Not even minutes, but seconds later the fight was pretty much over. All the shabtis and demons had been dusted, and the enemy magicians were scrambling to retreat. One of them opened a portal and the others started mobbing toward it.

"That's right, noobs! Run away!" shouted Felix.

But Sadie didn't allow them to flee right then. She summoned some sort of solar wind that swept through the room, knocking all their enemies to the ground but leaving all their allies standing. When Nico looked toward her his jaw dropped. Shimmering rainbow wings framed her on either side. And when he'd thought she was glowing before, that was only a figure of speech. Now she quite literally glowed with holy light. The sight was enough to make Nico feel like he should be dropping to his knees and kneeling before her.

She looks like an angel, he told Anubis.

Yes, she does, but why are you on your knees?

Nico blinked, realizing that he had indeed knelt before Sadie's awesomeness, the same as he would have if she were a goddess. Force of habit? he suggested.

He listened as Sadie explained what had happened in the Duat, how Ra had been restored, and how some Russian dude turned out to be a traitor, and how Desjardins was now dead. Once she was finished an argument broke out. Something about a leopard skin cape, that made the invading magicians start trying to insult the Kanes. Nico was on the verge of storming over there and slamming his fist into their faces until they shut up, but a hand on his arm stopped him. Percy shook his head and gave him a warning look, and Nico understood. And agreed when he thought about it rationally. This was an Egyptian affair. Something they had to resolve for themselves. Even though Nico was hosting Anubis, and was therefore one of them, they didn't know that and would see him as an outsider interfering.

"Sorry," whispered Percy, "but we have to let them deal with it."

"No, you're right," Nico whispered back.

Percy smiled. "I'm glad to see you're alright. You have no idea how glad."

"Sorry I worried you, cousin."

Percy slung an arm around his shoulders affectionately. But that affectionate gesture seemed to turn sort of protective, maybe even slightly possessive when Zia and Walt touched down on the terrace with Ra in his boat, then jumped off before he could rise into the heavens, accompanied by Bast.

There was a little more talk before the other magicians left, freeing Aziza from the floor and taking her with them. Aziza looked back toward Nico and locked eyes with him before she stepped through the portal. Then she mouthed a promise to him.

Next time, pet.

Nico tightened his hand on his sword-hilt. Then he stuck out his tongue at her and made a face. Not the most mature of responses, but it felt like the right thing to do. Judging by her sour expression, as she turned away, it was probably the best way he could have annoyed her.

"Don't forget, you're not alone," said Percy, feeling how tense Nico had grown.

"Like you'd let me forget," teased Nico. The comment fell a little flat, but he could tell Percy got the message. Nico was still afraid of Aziza, but he wasn't petrified of her now. When the time came, he would deal with her.

Zia came over to them, then hesitated a few yards back. She gave Percy a look that actually made Nico feel a little bit afraid for his cousin. The way she was glaring at him made him feel like she was planning on lobbing moltav cocktails at him, or poisoning him with something really nasty. Then Nico looked at Percy and wondered if maybe it should be Zia he was afraid for, because Percy was looking at her the same way he looked at monsters that needed to be cut down.

"Hey, you guys did see we won, right?" he asked, trying to break the ice. "We're all friends here now, right? Right?"

Zia moved her eyes toward him, and then they softened and she smiled. "I'm glad you are okay. I was . . . very worried."

Nico felt the urge to give her a hug, and started to push it back. Then realized that he didn't want to. He carefully detached himself from Percy's protective hold, then embraced Zia carefully, in case she'd been injured, or suddenly decided she didn't want him around her.

"Umm . . . you guys . . . are you . . . do you know each other?" Carter was suddenly there, looking at them oddly.

"Uh . . ." Nico quickly jumped back from Zia, not sure what to say.

"Nico is a very brave young man. He was badly injured earlier. I was worried about him," said Zia defensively.

"Uh, right." Carter gave Nico a strange look that Nico couldn't quite read. "Uh . . . there don't seem to be any injuries now, but there's a lot that needs to be cleaned up."

"And we should keep the guard up too," said Percy. "Your chaos snake might send something to attack you. Or our friends who just left might come back."

"Oh yeah. That too." Carter looked flustered.

"I'll help with the watch, since I don't have any magic," said Percy. "And Ra's blessing or no, I think Nico better join me. I don't want you draining yourself with magic on top of everything else that you've done to yourself the past two weeks."

Nico shrugged in agreement. "My hi-nehm spells suck anyway."

It is better not to tempt fate, agreed Anubis.

"Umm," Nico looked around. "But first . . . before we start cleaning up . . . do you think we could get some breakfast?"