Reyna's POV

I woke up to the sound of an alarm; I didn't set up one so I was quite glad for this one. It said it was seven thirty. The sunlight poured into the room, I lightly tapped my bandaged rib. It was defiantly bruised but it still felt better than it had last night.

After five minutes, my hair was in a long braid and I had my armor set out, ready to be put on at a moment's notice. I headed downstairs and smelled a variety of smells wafted towards me. I peered over the railing and saw a buffet of different breakfast foods, the crepes stuck out for me. I headed down and started to eat, but then I remembered Nico and felt guilty for eating without him. So I set out to find the son of Hades.

I found him half covered by blankets, still wearing his black converses and clothes he was wearing yesterday he was muttering something I couldn't understand... His hair was partially covering his face and I looked to see if he had his Stygian sword nearby (or any other pointy or harmful object for that matter.) Luckily he didn't, so I gently nudged him. "No Bianca, don't go…" he muttered and I felt like I was intruding on a very touchy subject. I nudged him awake and he sat up straight, "NO!" he forehead was beaded with sweat and I stepped back.

Nico closed his eyes and rubbed his temple like he was trying to erase a bad memory. Then he saw me, since the silence was becoming oppressive I said, "Morning." Nico didn't say good morning back to me. Instead he asked, "What time is it?" "Around eight…" I remembered what I came up to tell him, "Oh! And there's food downstairs, in fact a whole buffet." He stood up and stretched, he shirt raise and I saw some of his muscles. I already knew that he was dangerous, but now seeing that I knew I did not want to get in any hand-to-hand combat with him. "I've never really been much of an eater, but maybe today I'll break the rules." He said, I don't know wither he was talking to himself or to me.

Down stairs he looked at the buffet, "That's a lot of food Reyna." I nodded and he sighed, "While I try to tackle this mountain of food, why don't you go check on the statue?" That seemed like a plan, I grabbed my dagger and went to the lobby.

The man yesterday, that said he's take the "trophy" to the hotel storage room was standing out in the lobby. "Hello?" I called and he strode up to me. "Excuse but where is the statue-er-trophy?" the man said kindly, "Oh it's already at the cargo boat, say if you want to catch it you better get going with that young fellow you walked in with." I was liking our friend Nike more and more by the minute.

When I told Nico about how we should go he nodded, "Fine by me, I just hope indigestion won't affect shadow traveling." I looked at him wearily, and he held up his hands, "I'm just playing with you." I sure hope so. He held out his hand, "Let's go head down to the docks then." I held his ice cold hands and realized with a shock that even though in human years he was younger than me, in truth he was way older than me.

I closed my eyes as the shadows engulfed us and when I opened my eyes we were on a dock. A huge cargo shipped towered over us and men were hustling around a man looked at us.

The man had semi-curly brown hair with a hint of gray. He had sea-green eyes and had a worn face, but looked like he smiled a lot. All in all he looked like one of those natural born sailors that loved the sea and everything in it. Also in the back of his eyes I could see that he also had a different side to him, almost like he could start a hurricane or tornado…

He walked over to us, "I assume you're the two youngsters that we're supposed to let onto our ship." He said I nodded and handed him our tickets, he took them into his pocket, "Welcome aboard, you can call me N." Nico looked at him like trying to decipher wither this was a mortal or a monster. I hoped it this person was really a mortal, and I wanted to keep seats secured on the ship so I replied nicely, "Hello N, I'm Reyna and this is Nico." N smirked like he already knew that.

He led us onto the ship and Nico said while N was talking with another ship mate. "Reyna, something's up with this guy. I don't think he's a mortal." I shrugged, "Well even if he isn't let's stay on his good side, I really want to get the statue across the Atlantic as fast as possible this seems like the only way." Nico sighed, "Fine but if you or I see anything fishy about him then I'm us finding a way off the boat." I nodded and N looked back at us, "Come on, I'll show you where you're going to stay for the boat ride." I nodded and N looked back at us, "Come on, I'll show you where you're going to stay for the boat ride."

Honestly I didn't really like riding on boats, maybe it was being Roman, or maybe it was the fact that I had to escape from boats full of angry pirates…Nico looked a little sea sick even though we haven't even left the harbor, I guess because that wasn't his father's domain. He was the most comfortable underground, or in dark places.

As soon as we were on the deck of the boat N leaned over the boat and yelled to the people down there loading the cargo to head up on deck. "We're about to head off, you your butts up here or wait until we get back!" he yelled, and that sure got the people to hurry up.

Then he turned back and said grinning, "I hope you guys don't get sick easily because I can see storms coming in the distance." I wasn't sure about two things.

All around us there was clear skies, without a cloud in sight.

I wasn't too sure he was talking about the sea.

He led us below deck and through a maze of hallways, which made me glad that I had a good memory. Then he opened door and showed us our room. It was very basic; it had two beds a sink and a toilet. All in one room. "If you need anything just find me or one of the other ship mates, until then you guys are going to have some quality time together." With that he strode down the hallway, I looked at the room again and I asked N, "Hey N? …" When I looked down the (long) hallway he was gone.

The ship silted to the left Nico sat on the bed looking at the floor intently, "I hate ships." He muttered, and I laughed, "Then why were you on the Argo II?" Nico looked up at me and frowned, "Because I know that was made by demigods." "Leo designed it." I knew that for a fact, anything with that complicated controls had to be made by a child of Vulcan, or Hephaestus…gods of Olympus this is confusing!

He laughed, "Touché my friend." That made me laugh, and I noticed he was seriously starting to get seasick. I recalled something that might help him with it. "If you can find some ginger, I heard that helps with seasickness." He looked at me gratefully, and stood up, "Thanks, now I'm going to look through their kitchen for some ginger." With that he walked away, occasionally stumbling because of the ship tilting.

I was getting bored really quickly in the room by myself, with NOTHING to do. The ship lurched again and I realized I needed some fresh air, and I only thought about Nico. This must be terrible for him, knowing everything I know about him. Though there was always a type of air around him giving me the feeling he wasn't telling me something else…

After a while of walking, getting lost, and walking some more I found my way to the deck. I found N looking over the railing, at the sea over fifty feet below him. I walked over to him to see what he was looking at, there was a beautiful creature swimming below him. It was rainbow colored, and it looked like a horse mixed with a fish. I hadn't seen anything like that at Camp Jupiter so I assumed it was a Greek creature. It also seemed to be trying to please N, it looked at him and flipped in the water.

Then I realized something else, N could see it, and almost reading my thoughts he said, "Yes I can see her." He was talking about the horse fish, and he continued. "They're beautiful creatures aren't they, hippocampi?" so that was the horse fish's name, a hippocampi. He breathed in the sea air happily, "I can never be happier than when I am at sea." He said and I became curious, "You aren't a mortal, are you?"

N smiled and replied, "No I'm not…" It hit me, "N…you mean you're Neptune?" he nodded smiled kindly, and he said lightly, "I don't get what you Romans are so afraid about, I mean the sea can be dangerous but dangerous is practically a done deal with your life." I shrugged, "Sometimes it's good not to take chances." Neptune laughed, "Well sometimes they're necessary, I mean I have to let the sea be free. It's a lot like a person; it can be calm and beautiful. It can be deadly and fatal, but it's always powerful. I hope when you get back to Camp Jupiter you upgrade my shrine and your navy, what you sent Percy on his trip on was just pitiful. The Argo II on the other hand, now that's a ship."

He said when he knew I was going to get back, that's a good sign. I smiled at Neptune, "I will, don't worry. After this a lot of things are going to change, you can be sure of that." "Oh I am." With that he walked away, but not before waving at the hippocampi, which made me smile. I turned around and nearly got a heart attack, Nico was leaning on the door. "Great gods of Olympus Nico! Stop doing that to me!"

The Son of Hades laughed, "Well I as coming to find you and thank you for suggesting the ginger and then I overheard that conversation Neptune." And he sighed, "Look Reyna I need to tell you something." I looked out over the railing at the hippocampi, "What is it Nico?" "Please don't judge me when I tell you." I nodded, "Of course." Nico walked over to the railing, "I used to like Percy."

A brick being thrown at me would've been less surprising than that. I mean this is Nico di Angelo, I didn't think he'd ever loved anyone except Hazel. And even that's surprising. "You did?" Nico held up his hands, "I said used to, and yes I did." I stepped closer to Nico and put my hand on his shoulder, "Nico we're friends, I don't care if you're gay or straight. Nothing's going to change that." His face had obvious gratitude, "Thanks Reyna, you're the first person I've told that to. Jason knows but I'll tell you about that another time."

His face was so sad right now I did something I haven't done in a long time, I hugged him. He seemed a little hesitant but then he relaxed. I think we both need this. He smiled and I said, "Say we've got a lot of time to kill, do you know how to play cards? I saw some in the cabin."

Once we were inside the cabin I found some cards, they were that old game Mythlomagic. Nico's eyes lit up, and I saw a note next to it. It said, Nico I know you like these, maybe you can teach the Roman something new. A grin spread across my face and I said, "I remember a little bit about this game, but can you refresh me?" Nico rolled his eyes, "That's like asking a fish if it can breathe in the water, of course I can teach you."

This was honestly the happiest I'd seen the Son of Hades, he taught me like he had just played it yesterday. For the next two hours we played against each other, and surprise, surprise, he won all of them.