Disclaimer: I do not own any works credited to Rick Riordan. I am not even a male. I, sadly, own nothing. Except my ideas for this fic, I suppose.


We all sat in the living room. Rain stretched out on the couch, Adam sat in a chair, Cypress in the other, and I sat on the floor, leaning on the chair that Cypress was on. I was seated between his legs, and he was playing with my hair.

"So what are we all going to do?" Rain asked.

"Join patrols. Train. Be ready to fight. There's no way there will be no attempts to attack camp." Cypress said.

"I don't think I'd be of much help on a patrol. I'm not very good with my sword yet." Rain said.

I'll help on patrols. I said.

"Nikita, that's the worst possible idea. The whole reason we're preparing for war is to protect you." Cypress said.

I don't care. I'm not going to sit around. I'm going to help. I'm not letting anyone get hurt or potentially killed for something I can help with. Besides, patrols stay inside the borders. I said.

"All it takes is one monster, Nikita." Cypress said.

And all it takes for anyone else to die is one monster, Cypress. I'm helping, and that's the end of the story. I said. He was quiet.

"So, what are we all going to right now, at the moment?" Rain asked, a bit loudly.

I have no idea. I said.

"Rain, bring your camera over here." Cypress said. Rain stood and pulled one of those old cameras that printed photos after you took them from her pocket. She walked over and handed it to Cypress. "Sit forward for a moment, Niki."

Why? I asked, sitting forward. Rain laughed.

"He did your hair. It's really pretty, too. Cypress, where did you learn to do hair like that?" Rain asked as Cypress took a picture. When it came out of the camera, he reached around to hand it to me.

"My little sister has really long hair. Well, she's not actually much younger than I am, but she can't do her own hair very well. So she made me learn to do it. Clovis is always asleep, pretty much, and Aron's going to college in New Rome." Cypress said. I studied the photo.

My hair had two small braids that started on the sides and merged together at the middle to continue down, and there was a larger French braid below that.

"You should bring your sister over here. I want to meet her. Some of mine are airheads, especially Drew, or so I thought at first until she told me about hating another of our sisters for dying and leaving her. But most of them are nice." Rain said, taking the camera back from Cypress.

"Fine. But none of you can come to my cabin with me. It's even more dangerous than the Ares cabin." He said. He swung his legs over the arm of the chair and got off that way, so I wouldn't have to move.

"How is your cabin dangerous?" Adam asked.

"At least with the Ares cabin you can learn where the traps and everything are. But if you go to my cabin, and you're not a child of Hypnos, you'll fall asleep." Cypress said. Adam gave him a questioning glance. "You fall asleep and you might never wake up."

You brought me there. I signed.

"You never sleep. You were fine." Cypress said.

"Well, go get her. I want to meet your sister. For me and Adam, we have a ton of siblings. But you have one sister, and I want to meet her." Rain urged. She practically pushed him out the door, and he left, laughing. Rain returned to the couch. I put the photo in my jacket pocket.

"What time is it?" Adam asked. I looked at my tattoo.

It's just about ten. You guys will have to go back to your cabins soon for lights out. I said.

"Or we could stay and sleep over in your cabin with you. It's probably best for us to protect you anyways, after all, there is someone trying to kidnap you." Rain said.

I'm fine with that. We've got a couch and two chairs. And the loft. You've already made yourselves at home, anyhow. I replied, and Rain laughed.

Cypress soon came back with his sister. When Rain saw her, she jumped up from her place on the couch. "Lily?" Rain asked.

"Rain? Is that really you?" Cypress's sister asked. Rain went over and hugged her.

"Lily, you know Rain?" Cypress asked her.

"She was my best friend before you and Adam." Rain said. "We grew up together for a few years. And then my parents left me in the town, and I never saw her again. How were things after they left me?"

"They acted like they'd never had a child. Refused to mention you, acted as though you never existed. Soon they moved away. I guess your mother didn't want you because you weren't actually her child. I was claimed a little while after. Sometimes I still visit. No one knows what happened to you." Lily explained.

"A woman adopted me pretty soon after. She died a couple years ago. Left me her house, where I was living with Adam. Found out Adam and I were demigods when monsters attacked Cypress and Nikita, who were visiting his mother." Rain said.

Lights out is in twenty minutes, so if you're staying here, you might want to go get changed. I announced, looking down at my wrist. But then again, don't listen to me, because I didn't exactly follow lights out. This is my third night at camp, and for the first two I slept on the beach.

"Alright, well, Lily, I'll catch up with you tomorrow. I'm staying the night here. I don't know about Cypress or Adam." Rain said. She walked out with Lily, to catch up a little more as they went back to their cabins.

You boys are welcome to stay the night if you'd like. I said.

"I've got some pajamas left in the backpack." Cypress said. I picked it up from where it had been tossed on the floor and took my book and my clothes from inside. The remaining clothes and drachmae were Cypress's. I went into my bedroom so I could change.

I set the book on the nightstand. I changed into the pajamas Rain had given me, and threw all the dirty clothes in a pile in the corner. I put my jacket on the hook on the back of the door. The bottle, my wallet, and the pocket knife were still inside, as well as the photo of my hair. I put my weapons belt on the hook on the side of the dresser.

Then I went back into the living room and sat on a chair. Adam was already changed, he had gone into the bathroom with his and Rain's backpack. Cypress had also gotten changed in the time I had spent in my bedroom. Rain soon got back, changed into pajamas and carrying her weapons.

Alright, who's sleeping where? I asked.

"I'm taking the couch." Adam said.

"I'll take a chair, and Cypress can have the other chair." Rain said. "Good plan. Now, I'm actually tired, so I'm going to go to sleep. Do you have any extra blankets?"

Yeah. Right side of the bed. One drawer is empty, the other's got blankets. I told her. I followed her into the bedroom, and showed her. She grabbed three blankets, one for each of them.

Night. I said as she left my bedroom.

"Night." She replied.

I went to my bed and layed down. I pulled a blanket over myself, not wanting to go under the comforter, instead opting to lay on top of it. I turned on the lamp, which wasn't too bright, but bright enough to read by. I picked up my book.

As I flipped through the pages, looking for something random to read, something fell out. I picked it up. It was a photograph, just like the one from Rain's camera. Except instead of my hair, it was of me and Cypress, both asleep on the chair at Rain's house. In the photo, I had my head on Cypress's chest. Our legs were tangled together, and he had an arm over me. We were both smiling in our sleep. I turned the photo over, and there was writing on the back.

You two are so cute together. It's so obvious that you two like each other, but the both of you are so oblivious.

- Rain

I tucked the photo into the pocket of my jacket, with the other photo, the one of my hair. I thought about what Rain had written. Did Cypress really like me? Did I even like him like that? I mean, he was my first friend. But did I really like him? I didn't know, and I decided to stop trying to think about it.


I read for a while. It was one a.m. when I decided to get up and take a shower. I went into the bathroom and found a towel in the little closet I hadn't noticed before. I placed the towel on the bar by the shower, then started the shower.

I took a little bit of a long shower, only getting out when the water started to turn cold. I wrung out my hair as much as I could and stepped out of the shower. I wrapped my towel around myself, tucking it into the top so I didn't have to hold it up. I went over to the sink and wiped off part of the mirror, and frowned.

My eyes were flashing different colors. Lightening black with golden flecks for stars to a weird, pulsating green light and back again. It kind of looked odd, as it was only the iris of my eyes that matched the sky.

I was so busy watching the ways my eyes flashed between colors that I didn't hear as someone came in the bathroom. "Sorry! I didn't realize you were in here, Niki." Cypress said hurriedly. I didn't pay him any attention. I was trying to figure out the source of the green light. "Niki?"

Get your weapons. Wake Adam and Rain. Something's happening outside. I signed quickly in the mirror. I turned to him, and he saw the way my eyes were flashing between colors. He went back into the main part of the cabin. I went into my room and was quick to throw on a tank top, T-shirt, skinny jeans, and my jacket. I quickly slipped on my boots and strapped my weapons belt on. Then I went into the living room, where everyone else was changed and ready. We went outside together.

The sky outside was indeed flashing between it's natural color and a pulsating green light. The light was coming from past the border. We rushed toward the border of the camp. We met up with the current patrol team, which Annabeth was leading as they ran towards that part of the border.

"What's going on?" Rain asked her as we ran.

"We have no idea." She replied.

When we got to where the light was coming from, there was nothing there except for a small box that was emitting the light.

"What do you think it's supposed to do?" Cypress asked.

"Break the border?" Annabeth guessed.

Shouldn't the fleece hold the border? I asked. Annabeth's eyes widened.

"The fleece. No one's guarding it." She said slowly.

We'll go. Stay here. This might or might not be a diversion. Guard here with your patrol. I said. Then I turned and ran.


Apparently I ran much faster than Cypress, Rain, or Adam, because I made it there long before them. There was no one there, but I drew my swords and kept my guard up.

A minute after I got there, a dracaena showed up. She hissed at me, but didn't attempt to pass through the border. She just stood there. Another minute and I realized why. The flashing light went blindingly bright for moment, then stopped completely. A moment after that, the dracanae slithered right past the border, like there was nothing there.

She tried to attack me with her sword, but I easily blocked it. We battled for a few minutes before more monsters showed up. My friends handy showed up, so I guessed they were caught up with other monsters.

I found myself hard pressed to defend myself when more monsters showed up, but my friends showed up soon. We fought for two hours, at least, and managed to hold our own.

"Annabeth needs to send some people over here. I don't know how much longer four people can hold up against this many monsters." Cypress said as we alternately struck at a hellhound. I sheathed my sword.

Don't worry. We can do this. None of us are going anywhere. I signed quickly before again drawing my sword and turning to another monster and stabbing it in the back.

Then something hit me in the back of the head. The last thing I heard was Cypress's scream, and the last thing I saw before falling unconscious was the look of pure horror on his face as I was taken away.


I woke in a bed in a room devoid of anything except said bed. The room was lit only through an open window with red light, and the air itself felt as though it was trying to kill me. I didn't need any reassurance to know that I was in Tartarus. I'd read my book a million times over, and I had all but memorized it word for word.

I stood from the bed, and realized that I still had everything on me. My weapons were all there. I went to the door of the room, and tried opening it. It was locked. There was a keyhole on this side, and likely a little knob on the other side. I could try and pick the lock later.

I went to the window and looked out. It was a long drop, it looked like I was at least four stories up. I wasn't likely going to be getting out that way. I went back to the door and knelt down. I held out my hand, and concentrated. In my hand appeared a hair pin made of light, which I then used to pick the lock. As soon as I heard the lock click, I found I felt dizzy. I knew that soon I wouldn't be able to breathe, and pulled out the bottle from my jacket. I was quick to take a sip before the effects of using my powers could go any farther.

I stood back up, the lock pick gone, and put the dagger from my boot into my sleeve, easily accessible. I quietly opened the door. All those years of making absolutely no noise were really helpful, now. I stepped outside the room.

I was in a long hallway, full of doors. There was no one in sight. I was quiet as I walked down the hall. I was going to go ahead and guess that none of the side doors would aid me in my exit. I went to the door at the end of the hall.

I opened the door, and there stood a man. I stepped back quickly as he laughed at me. "Is my little fiancée trying to escape?" He asked me. I kept stepping back. "You won't be able to get out, you know."

I stopped moving back when I realized he was not going to move toward me. He was tall, with black irises and black hair. He had a lot of muscles, and looked like he could crush a car. I knew this wasn't his usual physical form, and I had no idea why he decided to look this.

"You wonder why I look like this?" He asked. He took a step forward, and I took three back. "My usual physical form, you'd be more scared than you are now. The Percy boy dropped his sword in fear when he saw me. And I hear he just doesn't do that. The only reason he and that Annabeth girl got away was because I was too preoccupied with myself. And Iapetus and Damasen tried to fight me off. Their attempt was pitiful. I could have destroyed those two demigods had I really wanted to, but they were nothing to me. Not really. After all, I need the child of a primordial to rise, not some demigods."

After he said that, I made a stupid mistake. I insulted him. Are you sure you're just not as powerful as you claim to be? I asked him. He was in front of me in the blink of an eye, and he grabbed my shoulders.

"You'll not speak to me that way. This is your warning. If it happens again, you'll regret it. And so will your camp. They're still fighting hard to protect their borders." He warned. Then he was back in the doorway. "Soon, we are married. I'd rest if I were you. You'll need it, especially when I rise. Without rest, you might not live through it."

What? I asked.

"You've been out a little while, dear. The Winter Solstice is in three days." He said. The door closed and he was gone.


Well, way to treat your bride-to-be, jerk.

So, what is up, my peeps? Quick notice: I've got a nine day trip to Maine coming up, effective the thirteenth, and I don't know what day we're coming back, exactly. So, for that time, I will most likely be unable to update, seeing as I'm getting used to my new phone still (got it last night, actually, but it's hard to get used to an iPhone when I've used android for the past five years), and I can't exactly bring my laptop with me. I do write from my phone, most times, and edit on my laptop, and while you can post from the phone, I just don't know how well I'll be able to keep up, though I'll try my best and post all missing chapters as soon as possible. Anyway, just wanted to let you know all that. *snaps and does thumbs up*

Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!