CHAPTER 2

SPIRIT OF ELYSIUM

DISCLAIMER: All recognizable works do not belong to me.

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Nico

Within minutes Chiron had arranged for a daughter of Aphrodite and a son of Hypnos to make their way in to New York and confirm what Nico and Grover had claimed. They were the least likely to draw any more attention to themselves than was needed.

It took all of one minute for Nico to stop caring that the mist was failing. So what if it failed? He was a son of Hades, spending most of his time in the underworld left him with very little care for what happened above. It was on a whim that he had decided to tell the camp anyways. Bianca had asked him to try, to try to make friends with the other demi-gods. She had told him that she didn't want him to become the typical child of Hades, isolating himself.

But honestly, he had run all the way from New York on two hours of sleep to tell the camp what he had witnessed, and Annabeth had all but called him a liar. Maybe Bianca was wrong. Children of Hades were never going to be seen as trustworthy.

Not caring that the camp was in an uproar, demigods running from friend to friend spreading the news, Nico made his way back to his cabin. He was ready for a long nap before returning back to the underworld. While he missed Percy, he had searched everywhere he could think of for his friend. Not to mention that three fourths of the Ancient Greek World was out searching for the son of Poseidon. Percy would be found, he was sure, but in the meantime Nico still had his studies waiting for him. His father hadn't been too thrilled when he left to join the search. He had to try though, not only because Percy was his sort of friend, but because Bella would have whole heartedly jumped into the search and asked for his help as well.

Bella, who was currently in Elysium and had no idea that her brother was missing. He hadn't gathered up enough courage to tell her quite yet. She deserved the happiness she was experiencing in Elysium and Nico didn't have the guts to disrupt that.

From somewhere behind him Grover was yelling "Head counselors, meeting in the big house!" Being the only resident of his cabin, Nico should be attending. But he was never really a big team player anyways.

While Grover ran around amongst the chaos trying to gather all of the head counselors together, Nico slipped into his cabin and flopped down, fully clothed, on his bed. Within seconds he was finally sleeping.

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Rachel

Everything around her was hazy at best. She could only see what was in front of her; her peripheral vision was fuzzy, black creeping in at the edges, like her eyesight was set on a vignette filter.

It was like a dream, but different in some way.

Dreams about demigods were no stranger to Rachel. She had had a few of them ever since she became the new Oracle, mostly small easily fixed dreams. But demigod dreams were something she hadn't ever experienced herself. Percy had told her about his though; which is why she was sure that she was currently experiencing something of the sort.

Nothing else could explain the fact that Percy was right in front of her.

"Percy?!" she gasped, running forward to help him. He was sitting in front of a wall, slumped over, his head hanging. His orange camp half-blood shirt, which had looked no worse for wear when she had last seen him, now had a couple of rips here and there that were stained with blood. Her hand reached out to wake him but instead of making contact, her fingers went right through his shoulder.

She inhaled sharply, yanking her arm back.

"Percy!" she tried yelling instead. He didn't even stir.

"It is of no use, young Oracle."

Rachel spun around so fast that she landed on her butt, almost on top of Percy.

It took her eyes a second to focus and when they finally did she found herself looking at none other than Hecate herself. Her assimilation into the Greek world was fast, being able to spot a Greek God or Goddess had come almost first nature to Rachel.

Rachel sucked in a breath. Hecate had chains wrapped around her wrists and ankles that were attached to the wall behind her. She had seen it done in some cheesy horror movies, but never would she have thought that someone would have the guts to replicate it with a goddess. Hecate was the goddess of magic; despite being capable of appearing and disappearing as she pleased, couldn't she use some magic to get out of those binds?

As if reading Rachel's mind, Hecate gave a slight shake of her head, "I cannot leave here."

"Why not?" Rachel demanded. But boy was her brashness going to get her barbequed by the Gods one day.

A brief spark flashed in Hecate's now dull eyes. A small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. The young Oracle had very little interaction around a goddess; it was actually quite refreshing for one so young to not be intimidated. "Even if I could, I would not –"

Rachel opened her mouth.

"And even if I felt like it, I could not." Hecate cut her off.

Rachel was just about to demand answers when somewhere on her right a door squeaked open. She jumped at the noise, her breath increasing in panic at the lack of hiding spaces until she remembered that no one but the goddess could possibly see her.

"Are you ready to talk some more?" Whoever was talking had possibly the smoothest voice that Rachel had ever heard. She tried to turn her head to see who it was, but the blackness seemed to be creeping into her vision more. She could now barely make out Hecate.

"I have told you enough. You got what you wanted, now release my Empousai." Though she was losing sight of Hecate, Rachel had the sinking feeling in her gut that she was referring to Percy. Had Hecate given Percy over as a prisoner for some stupid Empousai?

The person chuckled as Rachel sank to her knees, unable to see more than vague fuzzy outlines, her vision deteriorating fast.

"You have no idea what the Volturi want. I suggest you cooperate before Aro sees fit to bring Alec back in to deal with you, your highness."

The last thing Rachel heard was Hecate's sigh of defeat.

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Rachel shot up with a gasp. She tried to swing her legs over the edge of the bed, but they were too entangled in her bed sheets and she ended up on the floor with a painful thump.

Ignoring the pain in her elbow, she stumbled up and towards the closed door. She could hear voices coming from somewhere in the house, Chiron must have called a head counselor meeting. It's a good thing she was so tired last night that she crashed in the spare room at the big house instead of going to her cave.

She fumbled with the doorknob, too nervous and her hands to slick with sweat to grasp it properly.

She had seen Percy. Once she told the others they would all be able to figure out where he was. Chiron had to know who the Volturi's were. This was the closest lead they had to finding Percy in months.

Finally, she turned the door knob.

It was locked.

"I'm afraid you can't leave just yet."

Rachel practically jumped a foot in the air. She whirled around, leaning against the door, her hand over her racing heart. "Let me out."

But Poseidon only shook his head.

She felt like throwing a fit. She had just had a very important dream! Why was he trying to stop her from finding his son? She looked closer at Poseidon then, hoping to find the answer. He seemed older than he normally chose to appear. His eyes held both a tsunami within them and the look of a dead sea. Even his normally bright clothes seemed to appear dull.

Her racing mind calmed at seeing the God before her, once so upbeat and carefree, now so beaten down. Poseidon was the only God she knew that showed any real caring for his children. Sure the other Gods and Goddesses showed kindness here and there, but Poseidon was different. And here he was, fresh out of losing one daughter, he was losing his son every day they could not find Percy.

"Poseidon, I-"

"Sorry to interrupt, Rach, but we're here on important business."

Rachel didn't jump this time. "Does this 'important business' involve what I just dreamed about?"

Apollo, leaning against the door, shrugged with his free shoulder. "Did you just have a dream about our lost little demigod?"

Poseidon gave the smallest sign of a wince. Rachel met his eyes, knowing that he needed the confirmation more than Apollo or anyone else did. "I saw him."

Poseidon straightened. "Where?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, sheepishly. She hurried onward before Poseidon or Apollo could dismiss her dream. "But he's held down with chains –"

At this Poseidon growled. Rachel help back a wince and forced herself to keep talking. "-and I heard a name."

"Who?" Both gods demanded. They had both been slowly making their way to stand in front of Rachel, intimidating her, unintentionally or not. She doubted they were aware of their growing height.

"Something about the Volturi; and the names Aro and Alec," she squeaked out. Normally she would never let fear show in front of a God; she wanted to prove that she was strong enough to be the Oracle. She knew there were many who didn't believe her capable.

But now was not the time to be proving her worth as an Oracle.

Poseidon went silent. He started to pace the small room, shrinking back down to a more normal human size. Apollo sprawled out on the bed, looking for all his worth like a model at a photo shoot.

Rachel chewed on her bottom lip. Curiosity and a sense of urgency were eating at her. "Does the name ring a bell?" she asked, hopefully.

Apollo chuckled. "I'm afraid I've never seen the appeal in remembering the names of the men I've come across."

Rachel couldn't help but blush at the innuendo. Thankfully Apollo had his arm draped across his eyes. The last thing she needed was for her mentor to see her schoolgirl reaction.

Poseidon sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Once, a long time ago, I heard the name Volturi."

Apollo peeked out from beneath his arm.

"But there is a problem-" the God of the Sea shook his head in frustration. "It was in the underworld that I heard that name."

Apollo stretched his arms above his head and let out a yawn. "So?"

"Not only will Hades not help us; he hasn't cared about the race he created for centuries. Past the first vampires ever created, I doubt he has any recollection of the vampires running amok today."

Rachel rubbed her temples. If neither Apollo nor Poseidon knew where they could find the Volturi, and it was doubtful that even Hades knew anything, then how were they supposed to find Percy? Their first lead in months and it was at a dead end before it even started.

"What do we do?" she sighed in despair.

Apollo jumped up off the bed. He clapped his hands, rubbing them together. "Correct me if I'm wrong –" He nudged Rachel and whispered "I'm never wrong" before continuing. "But didn't we just host a handful of vampires in this very camp a few months ago?"

"Right, the Cullen's" Rachel snapped her fingers.

Poseidon waved his hand again. "Does anywhere know where they went?"

"Back to Forks?" Rachel hesitantly said; though the fact that she worded it as a question let everyone know that she wasn't sure.

"No, they left not long after. We lost any sight we had on them as soon as Percy went missing." Apollo answered. It was quiet while everyone got lost in their thoughts. "There is one person who might be able to help us find them," ventured Apollo.

Rachel's heart sank as soon as she figured out who he was talking about. He didn't say it with his usual confident tone either, so he must know how crazy it was to pitch his idea to Poseidon. She was torn between letting him continue and steam rolling him before he could say the name out loud.

She didn't have to do either.

It was Poseidon himself who said her name.

"Bella."

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So freakishly hard to write. I struggled very, very much with this one.

So very much.

But thank the Gods that I finally got this out.

I'm done with school for a while. Got my Associate's degree and until I figure out what I want to be – I won't be in school for a while. Haha.

Go ahead and let your frustrated thoughts out in a review about me being a horrible updater. I can take it.

Or you can send me happy thoughts about me updating.

Or just send your thoughts in a review.

Haha. Okay, until next chapter.

Liv