Epilogue

Time: Two weeks later

Place: Woods of Camp Half-Blood

Point of view: Nico di Angelo

Stuff that's happened: The world was saved, most people lived, and the destruction was kept to a minimum. I'm not going through the final battle, I don't even want to imagine it till Blood of Olympus comes out.

Nico walked into the forest, stalking furtively into the shadows. He pulled the cat statuette from his pocket, examining the finely etched lines and sculpted features. Made of colored glass in the shape of a red tabby, the varied shades swirled together in an almost hypnotic pattern, a promise of acceptance, of peace, of a new start.

He was only supposed to smash it, she had said. He would be drawn to the order and become one of them. Like his mother. He could feel so clearly the life he would have. He would stay fourteen forever, learn to be as powerful as Scorpio, and learn to be as agile, quick, and catlike as the Liberites.

He could see it, in his mind's eye. He would leave his sister, he would have to, but he could watch her. She had friends, wasn't so antisocial, and people accepted her. He could find someone to be.

He raised the statuette, ready to smash it into a rock, when he felt a familiar life force behind him, on the other side of the clearing. He mentally sighed. He had guessed that Jason would be keeping tabs on him in case he really did try to leave like he had said he would after Croatia.

He spun to face the son of Jupiter, swiftly concealing the figurine in his pocket.

"You don't have to leave," Jason said quietly. He mentally rolled his eyes; of course he had to leave, it was what his mother had wanted for him and it was a chance at a better life. But there was absolutely no chance he was explaining that to Jason Grace.

He assessed the situation at hand. Ever since he'd been a cat, it was like he had kept some of the attributes, the details which jumped out at him, the things he noticed about other people, and the relaxed, slightly more placid way he thought. His immediate instinct was to snap at Jason, to just leave before this could turn into some forced counseling session, but the feline part of him mentally took a step back to inspect that idea, which fell apart. Yes, he wanted to leave without Jason interfering, but he didn't want to provoke him into thinking he would do something rash, like suicide, for instance, which would cause him to interfere.

"Jason, I need to leave." Nico raised his hands in front of him in a calming gesture. "Just tell Hazel that I love her and I promise to see her someday."

"Tell her yourself." Jason folded his arms. "If she means anything to you, you should say good-bye in person."

Nico sighed visibly. "I can't do that, and you know it. I require solitude, and I can't really deny her."

Jason's eyes narrowed. "You seem different," he noted. "What happened?"

He was far too perceptive.

"Being a cat affected me," he said neutrally.

Unfortunately for him, Jason was nothing if not intelligent, and as realization dawned in his eyes, Nico cursed inwardly.

"You're going to go to the RuleBreakers." Jason's voice was soft, almost disbelieving.

"Does it matter to you?" Nico snapped. "Is it any of your business?"

"How will you get to them?" Jason asked.

"I have the means." Nico spun on his heel and stalked away, hoping that the foolish demigod wouldn't follow him.

Thankfully, Jason didn't.

He pulled the statue back out and hit it against a rock. Nothing happened. He glared at it. He tried again, hitting it with a little more force. Again nothing. He smashed it at the rock with all of his strength. It didn't shatter, but it released a red-orange tabby swirl of light which enveloped him.

He could feel it drawing on his own power, a decidedly disconcerting sensation, and it turned from red tabby to silver tabby, black and silver swirls guiding his shadow travel which didn't tap from his energy but from the energy of the statue.

The cloud dissipated from around him and he blinked, in the middle of another, different forest. The statue had turned a shimmering white and released a plume of white energy which coiled through the trees, presumably to alert her.

He didn't wait long.

After about five minutes, he heard an odd whisper of wind through the trees, followed by an excited shriek.

Two shapes darted out of the trees. Winged. They were two of the Winged that he had seen when they had attacked Lilac's base, the ones that had stayed together. One of them was Miriam, the one who had gotten shot by the arrow. The other was in a white underdress with a yellow overdress embroidered with orange and red flowers. She had wings in beautiful shades of orange, red, and yellow, and long red-orange hair and warm amber eyes. Her hair was braided into a crown and woven with flowers in the same colors.

Both dipped their heads to him, and he returned the gesture.

The brightly clad one spoke first. "I am Zariah, daughter of Hades, and this is my sister Miriam, daughter of Pluto."

"I'm Nico di Angelo, son of Hades. I seek to join your order," he said.

"Come, then." Miriam spoke, her voice soft and delicate, fragile almost. "Libby sent us."

He followed the two as they silently wove their way through the trees, on foot this time. When the magnificent white temple came into view, a figure standing on the roof jumped down and approached them.

"Nico di Angelo, son of Mryori and Hades," Libby said. "Welcome to a new beginning."

So here's the end of RuleBreakers. I aready have the first chapter of Belonging, the sequel, written, and I am actually planning three more books now. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed or otherwise supported this story. Belonging will be posted soon.