"Good idea. You're idea, you might as well get us there. You're going to learn on the job today." Nico said. "Think of the one place that you want to go, and run directly into a shadow, such as a wall or a tree. Oh, and you need to have full faith, or you'll just look like some idiot running into a wall.

"I can't do that!" I protested. But Nico put out his hand, and I took it. As if to say, I know you can, I know that you can do it. I held my breath, and thought of the junk yard, there was a blurry photo of it in the journal. Large statues, over grown weeds, chariots, broken armor, basically an awesomer version of any junkyard, but with magical quality. I ran toward the corner of the building, keeping my eyes closed, but then freaked as his hand loosened on mine. I had a sinking feeling I'd just hit the wall, and my concentration broke. Too soon I was thrown back into the dark and confusing shadow world, my grip instantly tightened on Nico. He was letting me do all the work, not helping me hold on. There was another hard stop, and I dropped to my knees, waiting to puke. I felt weak, like the darkness wasn't my friend, and sucked all the energy from my body. Darkness was my enemy, not my alley.

"It's always hardest your first time. Plus, bringing me along with you, I'm surprised you're not knocked out or loosing me. However I'm not surprised that you have failed as well." Nico said, "Now, you brought use here. Why are we here?" I looked around, it was painful to move my neck, but I could see an old cemetery. Probably from the 1800, and mostly abandoned. I'd never been here before, nowhere I'd ever seen or wanted.

"I don't know. I don't know why or where we are." I said, I hadn't realized I was breathing hard, but it steadied it in a few breathes. I made myself stand up, and stood face to face with Nico, feeling dizzy black splotches covered part of his eye and frowning mouth.

"Haley, you do." Nico said, his voice had no emotion, how could he stand that still and have that boring of a voice being related to me. "Where are we? Why the Hades were you thinking of a graveyard, we needed a junkyard, not a graveyard." I shrugged, shaking my head. "Well, we're you thinking of a dead person you know, or are related too in any close way?" I shook my head again, slower, having to think through a head to the answer. "Then why are we here? There is a reason, and somewhere in that head of yours you know why."

"I do not know." I said, firmly, not letting him over power me. "Stop asking me questions we both know what I can't answer." I was starting to lose my temper, which someone had told me has happened with children of Hades throughout the years. He opened his mouth to speak again, after a few seconds of dead silence.

"Who or what were you thinking of?" Nico crossed his arms across his chest; he was just as stubborn as me. "This isn't something that I can take lightly." He raised his dark eyebrows. Something about the glare alone was as threatening as even Zeus himself. Maybe it was fear of his power that made me think that. His eyes were dark, not the tint of it, but just secretive and more or less uninviting. There was still a glint of mercy and kindness and I knew that, and had seen it before. It was calming in a way, and made me want to submit to him, but I knew I didn't want him to have his way.

"Nico shut up, please." I faced him directly now, standing up straighter. My energy came back and ran a warm feeling through my veins. "This isn't a big deal," I said with a confident voice. "I don't know why you are presenting so much. Can you please just leave me alone? Then stop asking me stupid questions that nobody cares about. I can't answer then and you know it, that's why you're asking." I began to walk away, I needed minute.

"Yes, the whole worlds against you." Nico said, his expression not changing. Then he went to take a step forward, but his foot was caught on something, and his attention turned to himself. I screamed looking it too. Nico went down the skeleton hand around him. "Haley, what the Hades did you-" Nico started, but I was already half way out of the cemetery, running. Freaking out, and wishing that I could run from myself. "Come back!" I heard behind me, in a demanding loud voice. It was too late to turn back and I was already in full sprint mode. I ran out of the black, gated entrance. Two weeping angles seemed to guard the sides, and I knew it couldn't be true, but I could feel their eyes digging into my back. I wasn't paying attention and hi something hard. I had the wind knocked out of me, and every bone in my seemed to shake.

"Whoa girl." A soothing voice said, arms were around me before I even looked to see who it was. It was warm, and familiar. So, without thinking, I let it happen. "You're okay." I stepped back to see who it was there. Lucian. I went back into his arms, feeling safe. He held me, as the world seemed to dissolve as my stress and fear crumpled. His fingers played with my hair, and tugged playfully, I smiled. He rubbed my back, then snapped my bra strap making me yelp and giggle. "What's wrong? What happened?" I could hear Nico behind me, he stopped quickly, sneakers squealing on the ground. "Nico." His voice changed to a growl. "What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything!" She's the one that exploded and summoned the dead." I squeezed my eyes harder, thinking of the creepiness of it, shivering when up my spine. I got all my strength and turned so I was facing Nico, he was prying the fingers off his ankle. "He's really cramped on there. Hey, do you want the ring?" Nico took the ring off the hand, and the hand dissolved into dust. The ring was silver, and had a large green emerald on it.

"No." I mumbled, holding the hand of Lucian, he had him arm around me. Nico shrugged and put the ring in his pocket. I finally blurted out quickly. "How'd I do that? I didn't mean to." I had no more anger, just confusing.

"You wished for it." I opened my mouth to argue, but I never got the chance. "Even if you didn't know you were wishing for it, that's what happened." Nico said, and then directed his attention to Lucian. "What are you doing here?" Both of them glared, jaws set, and fists clenched. The air was tense, and tasted bitter.

"That's a good question." Lucian said. "I could ask you the same." I stood between them, half scared and now becoming angry at both of them. They just looked at each other, eyes locked, waiting for each other's answers. "Why are you here? Why are you here with Haley?"

"She brought me here." Nico finally grumbled the truth. "I was teaching her shadow traveling, and we showed up here. So, I don't know why I am doing here. Now, you're turn, what are you doing here?" Lucian didn't answer, but nodded. Nico scowled and looked like he was going to throw a punch any second. Lucian clearly had a weapon somewhere with his hand out slightly and fingers twitching.

"Would you two boys please calm down?" I said. "I really don't want you two fighting. Not now, not here. Now, LuLu, if you can take me out to eat, I'm hungry." Lucian smiled, with a nod, "Thank you. Nico come on we can talk about the question over lunch. Is there a subway around here?" Nico scowled, and shoved his hands in his pockets. Lucian put his hand in my back pocket and we walked down the street. Nico stalked behind us, and pulled his hood up. It was completely unnecessary, but I did want to question him. "Why are you here? Where are we anyway?"

"We're still on Long Island, don't worry, you haven't gone far. I'm visiting my half-brother, well I was going to, but I ran into and Nico." Lucian said. "But, I'd rather be with you." Lucian kissed my cheek. Nico made a puking noise behind us. "Real mature." We were soon at Subway, and sitting down with foot longs in front of us, taking off about half an inch off of all of them for the gods.

"Nico and I are on a quest." I said. "To find something. We were trying to get to the junkyard of the gods. We're looking for three different things. Two small. One huge and I don't really know how could get lost really, well it was kidnaped. And-" Lucian took my hand and squeezed it, telling me that I was rambling.

"You can stop giving out what we are doing constantly. It's not like he's coming with us. You hear me? He's staying here, and should be at camp anyway. We shouldn't even be here anyways." Nico said. I didn't know how to explain what I wanted to say, so I responded by sitting in Lucian's lap.

"I want to stay with him. So, if he can't come with us, I'll stay here." I said firmly. I knew that I wasn't thinking. "At least just for tonight. I'm tired, and want to have a good night's sleep. You know, so I can kick any monster butt if I need too."

"I'm staying in a hotel." Lucian said, "Both of you are welcome to spend the night if you like." I smiled at Nico, with pleading eyes. He gave a slight nod, starting to learn that with some arguments you just can't win. "Good, once we're done, we can go."

"Thank you. Nico I love you now. You're my favorite half-brother, even though that's not saying much." We finished eating, and hailed a cab to a small hotel, we headed up to this room. "How long are you staying here." I asked looking around for a suitcase, only seeing a gray messenger bag.

"Just a few more days," Lucian said. "There's a shop in the lobby we can get swimming suits and go swimming if you like. I'll buy, and there's a pretty pink, sparkly speedo for you Nico."

"No. We're going to work on the quest." Nico said. "Lucian, go buy her flowers or something. Roses are always the most romantic." Lucian sighed, but took his wallet and left. "You don't like him, you love him. Love is a dangerous thing."

"No, he's a really good friend that's extremely playful. I don't love him." I said. I could feel my face getting read and my heart began the pump faster. "It's not what you think." Why am I getting so nervous? "I'm really not looking for love." I backed up into the wall closing my eyes. I screamed as I was back into a dark, cold, stomach turning place. What was I thinking?