-AUTHOR'S NOTE. It's not been so long this time I guess, but these past few months have been particularly hectic so I can't promise more regular updates I'm afraid. Anyway, brief glance into Will's point of view for once… Exciting!

-Will POV-

Kayla doubles over laughing, her hand clamped firmly over her mouth to try to stifle her laughter.

"Ol…Oliver!" she choked out,

I'm trying not to laugh myself so all I can do is nod. Really, it's not his fault. His past hasn't leant itself to understanding modern trends and he can't be expiated to be up-to-date on everything. But still…

I say as such to Kayla and she manages to stop laughing and instead looks plaintive.

"There's so much he's probably missed out on… Now I feel bad for laughing. Poor kid. He's been through so much know?" Kayla's frowning.

"Yeah… he admitted to me earlier about the jar with the giants and how he still has nightmares about it." The thing is, I don't mind telling Kayla this sort of thing because I know that it will go no further, she'll keep it to herself. We always go to each other for advice and I know I can trust her not to tell anyone else. I'm unsure how to help Nico at this point and could do with her tips.

"He uh… he also told me- and I'm not sure he meant to, kinda slipped out y'know? But he said that he ended up in Tartarus for a bit."

Kayla flinches at that revelation. It's no secret that Percy and Annabeth went, but they had each other and still barely survived and Nico? Nico went all on his own. Kayla seems to share my thought process as she's shaking her head.

"How?" Kayla seems unable to form a proper sentence and I'm not sure if she means how he survived or how he got there in the first place.

"I don't know," and I really don't.

"But, but Percy and Annabeth… they only just… just him?"

"I think so… yeah,"

She shakes her head mutely, "I think I'll need a minute to process then I'll try to help."

Classic Kayla.

"Fab. I should probably get back to him; see if he's okay and all that." I'll give her some time, like she asked, and anyway I should be checking on Nico.

My flip flops slap satisfyingly against the floor as I walk. I cautiously push open the door, not wanting to wake him if he's asleep again. The first thing I see is the empty bed and then the empty room. I take a deep breath. It's probably not what I think. He's not stupid enough to leave the infirmary now… is he? No. No definitely not.

But after a brief search turns up empty, I'm forced to admit that he's left. I turn my search to the rest of the camp and involve Kayla and David. But neither of my siblings find him either and no-one has seen him. That leaves only one option. He must have shadow travelled. Deep breaths Will. Oooh I'm gonna kill him when he gets back.

-Nico POV-

I materialise in the centre of my father throne room feeling dizzy and sick. I give myself a moment and the nausea fades. My father sits in his throne a scroll of paper in one hand the other resting on the arm of the chair. He's raising an eyebrow at me. Well, best get straight to business.

"The escaped ghost girl you set me after, she… did… something to me. I passed out. She's not a normal ghost is she?"

"No." My father pauses long enough for the scroll in his hand to vanish. "A banshee. Her scream can cause severe feelings of despair and melancholy to the point of loss of consciousness."

I swallow. Why the hell didn't he mention this before? I'll have to wear a pair of ear plugs to fight her and bring her back which will leave me vulnerable, damn. I guess I could always have Stefan watch my back, but he might just vanish if he sees anything rather than actually warning or helping me. Looks like I'm on my own for now. Anyway I need to get back, hopefully before Will notices I'm gone and saves the banshee the trouble of killing me.

I nod once at my father and gather the shadows around myself, willing myself back to camp. I feel the shift and open my eyes. Bright lights, antiseptic smells and soft sheets fill my senses. Movement I the corner of the room attracts y attention and I turn to look. Will sits in his chair glaring at me. Swiftly, he stands and crosses the room to my side. He says nothing to me as he tips my head to the left and then the right, shines a light in my eyes and takes my pulse, then he hums softly and leans back.

"I assume you have a very good reason for shadowing travelling away and then back, which goes directly against my very explicit orders?" Wills clearly furious.

"I needed to-" I begin but Will cuts me off.

"No, No, No, you needed to stay here. You needed to rest because you needed to heal!"

I wince at my phrasing and try again, "There's this ghost, at least I thought she was a ghost, and she screamed at me and I-"

Will cuts my rush of words off again, "A ghost screamed at you so you had to what? Get revenge? Go and scream back?"

"No, she's dangerous; I'm supposed to return her to the underworld."

Will sighs, "How urgent is it?"

"Very."

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"Yes, if you stay in bed for the rest of today then tomorrow, you and I will go and see this ghost of yours. Deal?" Will offer,

"Fine, deal. But you have to be careful. Oh yeah, and we'll need ear plugs."

"Ear plugs?" Will questions,

"Yeah, it's uh, her scream is kinda, well I mean you don't want to hear it."

Will nods seriously. I think that went well. Or at least much better than I had expected. Tomorrow we'll take on the ghost and Will will have my back, I just need to say in bed for the rest of today. Easy.

-AUTHOR'S NOTE. Less of Stefan this chapter but some Will makes up for it? Let me know if more Will POV is something you'd be interested in. I enjoyed this chapter greatly even after spending 3hrs researching ghosts to see if there was a better match than a banshee then returning to banshees anyway… send help please…
Loving you always,
–kitty xxx