BIANCA P.O.V

MY EYES HURT. Blinking hard, I adjusted to the light. So this must be what reincarnation feels like.

You're not dead.

Father? I asked. He was the only person I could mind-speak to.

Yes, it's me. You are going to return to your old life.

Why is that? Gods, my head exploded with pain.

The prophecy is coming for you.

What? I thought Percy and his friends...

You'll learn all about it after.

With that, he somehow disappeared. Shivering, I could feel again. Cold air blew in my face.

"Bianca?"

I looked to see a pretty girl, with brown hair blown out, and friendly-eyes. "Silena Beauregard," I said at last.

She nodded, and a guy walked towards us. He seemed dazed, too.

"Ethan Nakamura," he greeted. "You're...Nico's sister, right?"

"Yeah." Somehow it bothered me that I was always going to be referred as Nico's sister. Ethan looked kind of good-looking, I guess, with the black shiny hair and slim-body. But he had an eye patch that I wondered what it was from.

"I don't understand this," Silena said. "We're all supposed to be dead - how can...?"

"Something about a prophecy," I guessed. "My dad told me. But I'm pretty sure it's not even allowed for the dead to be...undead."

"Let's not make this awkward," Silena suggested. "Okay, so we have to be in a prophecy. Son and daughter of Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and, um Nemesis..."

"Hey! Who are you guys!" A voice shouted out. He advanced towards us, a very tall African-American boy who looked exhausted.

"Charlie!" Silena shrieked. "Oh my gods - I thought you were dead!" She put her hands around his neck, and both of them started to pull into a long kiss.

Right...this is not awkward. I averted my eyes, looking at the meadow we were standing in. But somehow, I always glanced at Ethan. He caught my eye, and I blushed.

He scowled. "What are you staring at me for?"

Yikes. He thought I was staring at him just because of his eye. "Well, I thought we could talk," I shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. "You know - their gonna be busy for a while."

Silena and Charles both were laughing and crying, probably relieved to have found each other, and I figured they were a couple at least for a few months.

"Yeah, I guess so," Ethan said wryly. "I heard about you. You're a Hunter of Artemis."

"Yes." I immediately bit my lip. The rule that I had to swear off boys - I had to remember that.

"It's kind of sick that they show PDA, isn't it?" Ethan looked disgusted.

"Uh, well, they maybe are glad to see each other. You know, they were dead..."

"You're a goody," he broke in.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Putting my hands on my hips, I glared.

"You know. Like to play it safe. Follows and listens to the rules."

"Yes, and you think you're 'cool'," I snapped. "I guess that's how you died."

"No, I died by learning from my mistakes," he said calmly. "We both did - in fact, all of us here sacrificed ourselves. I'm guessing that we get a second chance."

"What are we supposed to do then?" I sighed. "We're stuck in a place that I don't even know, and-"

"We're in Canada," Ethan mused. "Calgary."

"How do you-"

"I've been here." Ethan looked around. "But I don't remember." His voice sounded sad.

I tried to stay angry at him, but couldn't help feeling sympathy. "Maybe you visited here with your dad when you were little."

"Maybe." Ethan shook his head doubtfully. "Hey, Beckondorf! Beauregard!"

They both turned around.

"Huh?" Silena asked.

"We need to find a place to rest. I have a feeling tomorrow we need to travel...a lot."