Hey guys, First off let me explain why I'm so late on the update. so my computer completely crashed and I lost all of my memory on my Microsoft word on Saturday night. I had to send it to the shop to get repaired and I didn't get it back until Wednesday. so I had to get on here once I got my computer came back and download all of the chapters that I had already posted back on my computer, but since I hadn't posted this chapter I had to start all over again and it took me longer than I though. Anyways I've decided that the universe just doesn't want me to have deadlines to meet so I'm going back to updating when I can. Here you go, hope you enjoy. :P

(Part sixteen: Nico)

Nico glared at the attacker. Her long auburn hair flowed around her shoulders and her glowing sliver eyes were cold and hard.

"Artemis, why are you here?" Nico asked trying to keep the venom in his voice to a minimum.

Artemis glared at him but also did something that Nico wasn't expecting; she lowered her silver knife from Rose's neck. "You should watch your tone boy, otherwise I might add one more deer to New York's population." Artemis said in a cold harsh voice. She sheathed her knife and let Rose stand up out of the chair. Just as Rose had her footing, she whirled around and pulled her sword off of her necklace.

"Nico we have to find Percy and get out of here." Rose said raising her sword at Artemis. The goddess stared at Rose with a blank expression.

"If you are worried about me trying to kill you then let me reassure you that I come under the white flag of truce. I am only a messenger."

"I don't believe you." Rose said almost spitting the words out at Artemis.

Nico put his hand on Rose's arm and made her lower her sword. "Rose calm down for a sec. She isn't going to hurt us."

"How can you be sure?" Rose asked still keeping her gaze on the goddess.

"Because she would have already done it." he said calmly.

They stood there for a few moments with only the sounds of the hospital around them. Rose lowered her sword but kept her grip tight on the hilt.

"Well now that we are all on the same page I think we can get down to business." Artemis said sitting down in the chair by the bed. "As you know my father and uncle wish to see you dead, but my brother, aunt, and I do not share these views."

Rose had a small look of surprise on her face as the news was delivered, but it was quickly shaken away and her hard stare came back. "Is that all you came to say?" she asked harshly.

Artemis's gaze darkened. "You should learn to be more polite when talking to your superiors; especially if they have information that could save you a lot of trouble in the next few days."

Rose refrained from saying anything but her mouth was pinched into a thin line and her eyebrows were scrunched together.

"As I was saying I do not wish for your life to end… yet. My Brother has seen your future and is convinced that you will soon have a major role to play in the preservation of earth."

"What do you mean by that?" Rose interrupt the goddess yet again.

Artemis gave her one final glare before continuing. "That is something that I cannot reveal; the Fates have forbidden it. All I can say to you is this; your brother does not have Thanatos with him. You must stop this quest and leave before it is too late." And with that lovely advice the goddess whisked away in a flash of silver light.

Rose was silent for a few moments just staring at the place where Artemis had stood. "He doesn't have my father?" Rose said questioning the words as she said them aloud.

Nico put a hand on Roses' shoulder and lightly tried to shake her out of her dreamlike state.

"Rose we need to find Percy." He said calmly. Rose nodded her head slowly and allowed Nico to lead her out of the room without another word.

They found Percy at the front desk talking to the young nurse behind the counter. As they approached Percy smiled at the young lady and came over to them with a large grin on his face.

"Good news guys, we don't have to pay the hospital anything for the extra treatment. I sweet talked the water nymph over there and got everything covered. I just hope my dad doesn't mind, I sent the bill to his palace, 500 drachmas might put him in a bad mood."

Suddenly the ground started shaking slightly and the smell of the ocean wafted through the air. Percy cringed as a cup filled with pens spilled off the front desk and onto the floor.

"Guess he got the message." Percy said as the shaking stopped.

"Percy we really need to talk." Nico said leading him to chair in the waiting room. Rose was still in a dreamlike state and staring at the floor muttering to herself.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked as he saw the expression on Nico's face.

"Well… Artemis showed up and gave us a message. Zack doesn't have Thanatos." He said hoping that Percy wouldn't blow up in his face.

Percy stared at him for a moment expressionless and then smiled. "Great, that means we can go back to camp." He said standing out of his chair.

"No we can't." Rose said in a hushed voice. She was still staring at the floor and her arms were folded across her chest. "Even if Zack doesn't have Thanatos we still have to go after him."

"Why? He isn't a threat to us anymore. We can just go home and forget about him." Percy said beginning to walk towards the exit.

"Percy you don't get it. Zack will always be threat. No matter where he is or who he has with him he will always be out here trying to destroy everything and everyone. He's too dangerous for us not to go after him."

Rose sighed and unfolded her arms. "Look I know the only reason that you two came on this quest was to find Thanatos and I know you both just want to forget about this but I need your help. I realize now that I can't take on Zack alone and you are the strongest demigods I have ever met. He has to be stopped and we're the only ones who can do it." She stood there looking at both of them. "Please."

Percy sighed and rubbed his temples with his thumbs. "Why am I always in these types of situations?" he asked with a groan. He looked back at Rose. "Fine I'll go, but Annabeth is going to be so mad at me. You have to at least let me Iris message her and tell her what's been going on."

Rose smiled at him. "Go ahead; and tell her I said hi."

Percy nodded and raced off towards the restrooms.

As soon as Percy was out of sight she turned back to Nico. "What about you?"

He sat there or a moment looking at her as the warning from Hestia started to play over in his mind.

"Satin's souls would destroy the world within a day if given the opportunity. You are the only person who can prevent this from happening, you cannot let Satin's soul awaken from inside Rose."

His stomach turned at even thought of Rose doing something so horrible. He pondered what the safest course of action would be, going back to camp or pursuing Zack. If they went back to camp then Zack would be free to do whatever he wanted, but pursuing him meat that there was a greater chance that Rose could be taken away by Moros or killed. Nico didn't like either option but Rose's eyes had a determined gleam in them and he knew that even if he said no then she would still go after him along with Percy.

"I'll go." He stood up and pulled her into a tight embrace, though his shoulder and ribs screamed in protest at the sudden movement. "Just promise me you won't do anything stupid, okay?" he whispered in her ear.

Rose smiled into his neck. "I promise."

Those to words comforted him slightly but his head was still spinning with questions from the dreams he had. What was Moros trying to accomplish? What had really happened to Cole that night? Did Rose really have an unstoppable power locked away inside of her soul?

So many things still needed to be answered but he knew that he would have to wait for all of them.

They stood there in the waiting room hugging each other until Percy came back from the restroom. "Well Annabeth wasn't exactly thrilled that we were going to be away for longer but she'll make it. Oh and she says hi by the way." Rose unhooked herself from Nico grip and smiled.

"Well now that that's settled should we be going?"

She slipped her hand into Nico's. "Yep." Nico said tightening his grip slightly.

The three of them walked out of the Hospital doors and into the cool night air. "So which way now?" Percy asked.

"Well this Hospital is 30 miles southwest of that…hotel…so we should probably just keep going the same direction until we reach Tennessee."

Percy nodded and they started off. Nico looked up at the sky again and saw that the constellation of the Huntress was still in the sky over their heads. He knew now that it wasn't a coincidence that the constellation seemed to follow them. He sent a silent prayed up to Artemis and kept walking hand in hand with Rose as they continued on the quest that would change their lives forever.

So yep that's it so far, I'm sorry I didn't do it when I said I would but as I explained earlier I couldn't. Anyways you know the drill Read and Review, love y'all. :P