Percy's POV

After I heard what the monster had to say, I fell to the ground next to a convolving Alec. Her body shook and her eyes were getting a red tint to them.

"Alec!" Thalia shouted as she dropped down by her side. She snatched Alec from my arms and cradled her gently.

I stared at Thalia in a daze. She was shaking Alec and crying. "Alec, baby, please stop."

Annabeth leaned down by her side. She glanced at Alec's arm and I saw her eyes widen in horror. "Percy, I think you need to see this."

I leaned over and looked. Alec's wound was black under the bandage. It was like it was filled with a poison that was taking over her body. "That came from Ashley?"

"Now that I think about it, did you see the bite-mark on Ashley's shoulder?" Max said absentmindedly.

"No, I didn't!" I snapped. "Why don't you enlighten us about Ashley's appearance some more? I mean, it's not like my sister is fucking dying over here or anything important!"

"Hey, don't yell at her!" Nox lashed back. "It's her instinct to observe all our surroundings!"

"Guys, I think—." Thalia started to say.

I shot to my feet and got right in Nox's face—rage was making me blind to everything else. "Don't tell me who I can and cannot fucking yell at! At this moment I'm allowed to do whatever the fuck I want!"

"Percy, look—!" Annabeth said.

Nox glared at me. "You need to watch what you say! Take your family issues somewhere else and don't take them out on us!"

"Nox, Percy, shut the fuck up both of you!" Alec shouted. That caught both of our attentions. Alec stood up and Nox and I reached out to stop her from swaying but she jerked back. "Don't fucking touch me! I'm fine now and I'm so glad to know that you guys were oh, so worried when I wasn't! It really shows you who your REAL friends are!"

At that Alec glared—was it just me or was something off about it?—and she stormed away from us. "Wait, Alec, what the hell happened?" I called walking fast to catch up with her. The others waited behind, syncing that this was one of those sibling things.

"Oh, what? My 'almost death' moment?" Alec asked. "Did you just now decide that you care?"

"Alec, you know I care." I grabbed her arm and tried to force her to stop but she was suddenly very strong so I just continued to walk at her pace. "What do you mean 'almost death'?"

Now Alec stopped. She didn't look at me though; she just stared at the ground and took a shaky breath. "I saw it, Percy."

"What?" I asked softly. "What did you see?"

"The Underworld." She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "I was going to go to a very bad place, Percy; I could feel that I was. I'm not a good person, Percy, and I always knew that, but I didn't think I would end up there." She eyes were glassy like she wasn't here right now; it was like she was back in the Underworld.

I brought her into a fierce hug. "You are a wonderful person, Alec. I know you are."

"How?" Alec barely whispered. "How do you know?"

"Who is keeping a secret for Annabeth when they don't really even like her?" I noticed the shocked look in Alec's eyes. "Oh, yeah, and I'm gonna pry that one out of you soon. You are also the girl who would steal Nico some Mythomagic cards from the store—even if it was just so he would feel like an idiot. You also saved Thalia's life, you wouldn't kill Ashley even though there was something evil inside her, you saved Annabeth, and you forgave Dad after what he did to you enough to even open his gift."

Alec was crying but she was smiling now. "You knew I stole the cards?"

I laughed. "Out of everything I said that is what you comment about?"

Alec and I laughed together and then came back to where the others were waiting.

Thalia slammed into Alec as we reached the clearing and hugged her hard. "Don't you EVER scare me like that again!"

Alec smiled and hugged her back. "Don't worry, babe, I'm not that easy to kill."

Thalia tried to hide her smile. "That's not funny. You shouldn't joke about that shit."

"If I'm not funny, why are you trying not to smile?" Alec pointed out.

Thalia rolled her eyes and shot Alec a mean look. Everyone welcomed Alec back to reality but I was still shaking. That had been so fucking close.

Annabeth held my hand. "That was so fucking close."

I smiled tightly. "My thoughts exactly."

Alec's POV

Later on drenched my arm in that blue shit and it burned like no other. My wound was still black and looked as if it was filled with poison.

I gathered everyone around the little camp site we had made after he was done. They were getting ready to go to sleep, but I had other plans. "Alright, everyone listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth!" They seriously listened to every word that left my mouth, they had been doing that ever since my near death—no! I can't think about that right now! "I say that some of us should go to the store and get flashlights. Then we should search the tunnels for the monster."

"Alec, we've had a long night, we need rest." Percy started to argue.

"But the little fuck hiding away underground is also tired and therefore we should hunt him now!" I snapped. "We can catch it off his guard and kill the bastard."

"We don't even know if we are supposed to kill the beast." Thalia said.

"I don't care!" I yelled. They just didn't seem to realize that I was not going to give up on this. "No one—no fucking one—threatens my life and gets to live after!"

"Don't make this personal." Max told me.

I glared at her. "I'm getting a fucking flashlight and I'm going to hunt down that son of a bitch and if you don't want to come fine. That is not going to stop me!"

"Alec, please, do not go down there again." Thalia looked terrified. "You're not acting like yourself."

"Well, my usual self doesn't get death threats by a monster to scared to even show his face." I told her. I saw the way she looked at me—like I was someone she had never met before now—and I was surprised how much it didn't bother me.

"I'm not going with you." Max said. I shot her an evil look and she hesitated, then she swallowed and continued. "When you make things personal, it always ends in disaster."

"Is that so?" I asked sarcastically. "I think you are forgetting that when the French invaded the English, they won."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Percy asked.

"They won because the English murdered Lady Clair and her brother—the general for the people that took part in the invasion—was filled with the blind hatred he needed to win the war." Annabeth explained.

"He won because he made it personal." I concluded.

"I still will not go with you, Alec." Max said. She looked away from my eyes when she said it.

Rachel stood up from her spot by a tree and spoke for the first time all night. "I'm not going either."

Percy came up to me and held my shoulders. "Alec, just go to sleep get some rest and we will take on the beast later."

I stared at him; out of everyone in the group I thought he would be the most on my side. "So you won't go either. Is that what you're saying?"

"If I go, Annabeth will go." Percy looked back at Annabeth lovingly. "And I just can't allow that. So, please, just stay."

"If you want to stay fine." I said as if it was no big deal. "I have to go down there, Percy."

Nox came over from where he and Max had been standing. "I will not go with you, and Nico won't either."

"Hey!" Nico snapped. "You don't make my choices for me! I want to go hunt down the monster and I think Alec has a point that this is probably our best chance at catching up to him and getting even."

Nox stared at Nico—everyone did—he was the last person I thought would be on my side. "What do you have to get even for?" Nox asked.

Nico looked down. "You wouldn't understand."

Thalia stood up and began to walk away. "Where are you going?" I called after her.

"To the store." She didn't even look back when she spoke. "We are going to need them in the tunnels."

Annabeth got up and ran to go catch up with her. "I'll be back in a little while." She called to Percy.

I laughed slightly then looked around.

Rachel looked worried . . . but she was only looking at Nico. Does she realize that she is four years older than him? Well, Thalia is . . . twenty-four? Gods, how is it that I don't know how old my own girlfriend is? That makes me look very shitty.

Everyone sat down and waited for Thalia and Annabeth to come back. The fire started to get low and I noticed that we were out of wood. Rachel noticed it to. She stood up and brushed dirt off her butt. "I'm going to go get some more wood."

"Do you need help?" I couldn't help but smile when Nico asked.

Rachel beamed at him and it took all I had not to laugh. "If you don't mind."

Nico stood and smiled at her—I just noticed how white his teeth were. "I don't."

They walked off and as soon as they were out of hearing range, I laughed.

Nico's POV

Rachel is older than you, I told myself. It didn't make a difference though, she was still hella fine. She was picking up branches and sticks that had fallen off the trees and onto the ground and I was breaking some off of the trees.

"Could you not do that?" Rachel asked.

"What? Get wood?" I asked confused.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Stop breaking the branches off the trees. It hurts them."

"How would you know?"

"I just do." Rachel said, holding her head up like she was someone important.

Gods, Rachel was hot but her ego was just to fucking big. "Ya know, just because you're the Oracle doesn't mean everyone believes in the 'I know everything' bull shit you're throwing out all the time."

Rachel turned on me, her eyes were shooting sparks. "Don't you dare say shit like that to me! I am the Oracle! The first one in decades! You have no right!"

"I'm a child of a Big Three God!" I snapped back.

"Well, there have been a lot of them popping up over the years so I guess that's not as important as you think it is!"

My mouth dropped and I took a step away from her. "What the fuck was that?"

Rachel's eyes got wide as soon as she realized what she said. I assumed she would begin apologizing to the Gods, but instead she began apologizing to me. "Nico, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it, I was just mad. I'm really sorry."

I couldn't keep a smile off my face—maybe she didn't have as big of an ego as I thought. "It's okay, Rachel. I didn't mean the stuff about you either. I don't even know why I said it."

Rachel smiled. We were about the same size despite my being younger than her by four years. Rachel looked into my eyes and did the very last thing I thought, but yet always secretly hoped, she would do: She kissed me.

I jumped at first, not knowing if this was real or if I was just imagining it. I kissed her back and she put her arms around my neck, letting the branches she had been picking up fall to the ground. I put my arms around her waist and held her close.

Rachel was a really good kisser. She seemed to know what she was doing despite the fact that she was to remain pure in order to host the spirit of Delphi. That thought made me pull away.

Rachel looked at me confused. "What?"

"Well, you're . . . I mean, we can't . . . you're the Oracle." I stumbled.

"The only rule to being the Oracle is I can't sleep with anyone." Rachel said pointedly. "That doesn't mean any guy who touches me gets zapped."

I glanced at the rising sun nervously. "Let's not chance that."

Rachel rolled her eyes and looked very annoyed. "You are a fucking pussy." She snatched up the sticks and walked away before I could respond.

I sighed. "Fucking teenage hormones."

Alec's POV

I watched as Rachel and Nico came back. I noticed the way Rachel showed up before Nico and how annoyed she seemed to be with him. I stood up and went to help Nico with the fire.

"Didn't go the way you wanted it?" I whispered.

Nico glanced at me. "What are you talking about?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You and her are all googlely eyes at each other and then you go off alone together, but nothing happens? Don't give me that bull shit Nico."

"Why would I tell you about my personal life anyways?" Nico asked.

"Oh, so you do have a personal life? Can I ask who this life involves? It takes two to tango, Nico."

Nico couldn't help but laugh. "You don't get it."

"Nico, I am not like you." I pointed out. "I don't run off and tell other people someone else's secrets just because I'm a dick."

Nico smiled sheepishly. "I am sorry about that."

"I'm sure." I rolled my eyes.

Nico grabbed my shoulder—near my wound—and I looked into his eyes for the first time in, like, ever. They were serious and intense and surprisingly gorgeous. "I mean it. I do apologize for the way I acted. I hope you can forgive me for that someday."

We stared at each other for a minute. I finally swallowed nervously and cleared my throat. "Thanks for apologizing. It's a first."

Nico laughed and let go of my arm. "Are you okay?"

I glanced at him before we stood up. "What do you mean?"

"You look really pale." Nico pulled me over to the side for a minute and looked to make sure no one was listening. "Earlier, I saw you die. I could feel your life force and it was completely gone."

I knew the blood had drained from my face and I stared at Nico. I had told Percy I could see the Underworld but I never told him that I was actually there. I was just about to the gate when I came back.

"Please, don't tell anyone." I glance at Nox nervously. "Do you think he knows?"

"No." Nico answered immediately. "We have talked about it before. Nox can do all the same things as me but for some reason I can since people's life force. I'm sure you and Percy have differences. Oh, and I won't say anything, but I just think you should know—you're not in the greatest shape. Your life force is still . . . well; I have to focus to find it."

I blinked. "That low, huh?" Nico nodded. "But I feel fine."

Nico shrugged. "I don't know why that is. I only have to search for a force when its owner is about to pass. I don't know what your deal is." He eyed me momentarily. "You must really be a freak."

We laughed. "I think I am." I said while we were laughing. "Who else would laugh in the face of death?"

Nico snorted. "Oh, I don't know . . . Me?"

"Ahh bull!" I said and slapped his shoulder. "You wouldn't cry?"

"Nope." Nico said and he popped the "p".

"Well, then that is just sad."

"What is?"

"You can laugh death in the face but when it comes to Rachel . . . you can't even seal the deal."

Nico looked as if he really hadn't seen that one coming. "Now you just hang on a second, I can seal a deal. And I'm not scared of Rachel."

I looked at him seriously. "When have you ever sealed the deal?"

Nico looked at me and waved me closer. I leaned over and he whispered to me. "It was seven months ago."

"Oh, yeah? With who?" I quizzed.

"I can't tell you that." Nico explained. "It was a onetime thing and it won't happen with her again."

I frowned. "Were you that bad?"

Nico punched me in the shoulder. "No. We were drunk and it happened and she wanted to again but I was only fourteen so I said I didn't and it all came out wrong instead of the nice way I had planned and so she won't talk to me."

"Uh-huh." I teased.

"Whatever. When was the last time you got laid?" Nico turned it around on me.

I thought back a while. "Three weeks ago?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "I meant by a guy."

"Oh, um, I . . . well, I've never . . ."

Nico stared at me in shock. "You've never had sex with a guy?"

"Shut up!" I snapped. "I've never been a fan of men and . . . the idea of part of a man inside me . . ." I shivered in distaste.

Nico laughed. "You're innocent."

"I am not!" I said annoyed now. "I bet I've seen more girls naked than you."

"I bet I have more messing around wounds than you."

"Not a chance."

Nico pulled down the collar of his shirt and showed me and scar. "Her name was Nikki. We were fooling around in the back seat of a friend's car and, well, let's just say she bites really hard."

I smiled and shook my head. "I got that beat." I pulled up my pant leg and showed him the several scars on my knee. "I was going down on Missy Kim in her brother's car. She was like sitting sideways on the seat and I was outside of the car, ya know? Well, she starts to get off and knocks the car into neutral. It starts rolling down the hill dragging me with it."

Nico and I laughed. Then Nico lifted his shirt and I shut up. His stomach was fucking insanely sculpted. He had great muscles and it was just fucking insane. He pointed to a scar from—I don't know what it is called but it was really close to his dick area—to a few inches below his belly button. "I was at my Aunt's in France and this girl, Jennifer, and I were fooling around. She stuck her hand down my pants and we're getting really into it, right? My dad shows up out of nowhere, scares the shit out of both of us, she pulls her hand out really fast, and her nails cut me really deep."

I started laughing. I turned around and lifted my hair so that he could see my neck. There were scars all around my neck. "Push down on the side." He lifted his hand and placed it on the place where I told him. "Do you feel that knot?" I turned around so I could see him nod. I waved him closer and whispered it to him. "Max and I were screwing around. She kept grabbing my neck. She kept digging her nails into my neck and shit, but she never hurt me. But then her mom walked in. Max dug her nails into me and her mom pulled me off of her by my hair, which is what caused the knot."

Nico was doubled over in laughter. "That is awesome!" Nico sat up and patted me on the back. "You win. I don't think I have anything that would top that."

I threw my hands up and cheered. "I win!" Nico and I started laughing hard now.

"What is so funny?" Thalia asked.

"Nothing." Nico and I said in unison.