Hey guys I'm back again! =) Here it is.

Aria

I regretted my words, just speaking about death before what we were about to do was enough to send shivers up my spine. We did our summons after dark, at a twenty-foot-long pit in front of the septic tank. The tank was bright yellow, with a smiley face and red words painted on the side: HAPPY FLUSH DISPOSAL CO. It didn't quite go with the mood of summoning the dead.

The moon was full. Silver clouds drifted across the sky.

"Minos should be here by now," Nico said, frowning. "It's full dark."

I shivered, "I hate that guy."

"Maybe he got lost," Percy said hopefully.

Nico poured root beer and tossed barbecue into the pit, then began chanting in Ancient Greek. Immediately the bugs in the woods stopped chirping. I was suddenly very cold, like I'd just opened a portal into Antarctica and was wearing a bathing suit. I was extremely close to freezing and my head was splitting. The weird thing was, no one else seemed to be feeling the same way.

"Make him stop," Tyson whispered to Percy.

I nodded, totally agreeing with him. If this kept up the others would have a half melted Aria-sickle on their hands. Then the night air felt cold and menacing and suddenly the feeling vanished. But before I could say anything, the first spirits appeared. Sulfurous mist seeped out of the ground. Shadows thickened into human forms. One blue shade drifted to the edge of the pit and knelt to drink.

"Stop him!" Nico said, momentarily breaking his chant. "Only Bianca may drink!"

Percy drew Riptide. The ghosts retreated with a collective hiss at the sight of his celestial bronze blade. But it was too late to stop the first spirit. He had already solidified into the shape of a bearded man in white robes. A circlet of gold wreathed his head, and even in death his eyes were alive with malice.

"Minos!" Nico said. "What are you doing?"

"My apologies, master," the ghost said, though he didn't sound very sorry. "The sacrifice smelled so good, I couldn't resist." He examined his own hands and smiled. "It is good to see myself again. Almost in solid form—"

"You are disrupting the ritual!" Nico protested. "Get—"

The spirits of the dead began shimmering dangerously bright, and Nico had to take up the chant again to keep them at bay.

"Yes, quite right, master," Minos said with amusement. "You keep chanting. I've only come to protect you from these liars who would deceive you."

He turned to me as if I were some kind of cockroach. "Percy Jackson…my, my. The sons of Poseidon haven't improved over the centuries, have they?"

I grabbed Percy's shaking hand even though I wanted to punch him myself, but I figured my fist would go right through his face. "We're looking for Bianca di Angelo," Percy said. "Get lost."

The ghost chuckled. "I understand you once killed my Minotaur with your bare hands. But worse things await you in the maze. Do you really believe Daedalus will help you?"

The other spirits stirred in agitation. Annabeth drew her knife and helped Percy keep them away from the pit. Grover got so nervous he clung to Tyson's shoulder. I drew one of my knives and helped them keep the spirits at bay.

"Daedalus cares nothing for you, half-bloods," Minos warned. "You can't trust him. He is old beyond counting, and crafty. He is bitter from the guilt of murder and is cursed by the gods."

"The guilt of murder?" Percy asked. "Who did he kill?"

"Do not change the subject!" the ghost growled. "You are hindering Nico. You try to persuade him to give up on his goal. I would make him a lord!"

"Shut up, Minos!" I growled.

Minos smirked. "Then there is the misfit, the one who doesn't belong in either world she is from."

Percy blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Heroes haven't gotten rid of that blissful ignorance have they? Well, Mr. Jackson your friend-"

"Finish that sentence," I warned. "And I'll personally make your afterlife a living (deathing?) misery."

"Why should I be scared about that?" Minos asked. "You're about as intimidating as a poodle wearing a plastic crown just-"

"Enough, Minos," Nico commanded.

The ghost sneered. "Master, these are your enemies. You must not listen to them! Let me protect you. I will turn their minds to madness, as I did the others."

"The others?" Annabeth gasped. "You mean Chris Rodriguez? That was you?"

"The maze is my property," the ghost said, "not Daedalus's! Those who intrude deserve madness."

"Be gone, Minos!" Nico demanded. "I want to see my sister!"

The ghost bit back his rage. "As you wish, master. But I warn you. You cannot trust these heroes."

With that, he faded into mist.

Other spirits rushed forward, but Annabet, Percy and I kept them back.

"Bianca, appear!" Nico intoned. He started chanting faster, and the spirits shifted restlessly.

"Any time now," Grover muttered in a singsong voice.

Then a silvery light flickered in the trees—a spirit that seemed brighter and stronger than the others. It came closer, and something told me to let it pass. It knelt to drink at the pit. When it arose, it was the ghostly form of a young girl with a small smile, a green cap set sideways on her thick hair, dark eyes and olive skin like her brother. She wore jeans and a silvery jacket, the outfit of a Hunter of Artemis. A bow was slung over her shoulder. She smiled faintly, and her whole form flickered.

Nico's chanting faltered. Percy lowered his sword and Annabeth dropped her knife. I cautiously sheathed my weapon and withdrew. The other spirits started to crowd forward, but Bianca raised her arms and they retreated into the woods.

"Hello, Percy," she said.

"Bianca," Percy said. "I'm so sorry

"You have nothing to apologize for, Percy. I made my own choice. I don't regret it."

"Bianca!" Nico stumbled forward like he was just coming out of a daze.

She turned toward her brother. Her expression was sad, as if she'd been dreading this moment. "Hello, Nico. You've gotten so tall."

"Why didn't you answer me sooner?" he cried. "I've been trying for months!"

"I was hoping you would give up."

"Give up?" He sounded heartbroken. "How can you say that? I'm trying to save you!"

"You can't, Nico. Don't do this. Percy is right."

"No! He let you die! He's not your friend."

My eyes flicked back and forth between the siblings. Bianca stretched out a hand as if to touch her brother's face, but she was made of mist. Her hand evaporated as it got close to living skin.

"You must listen to me," she said. "Holding a grudge is dangerous for a child of Hades. It is our fatal flaw. You have to forgive. You have to promise me this."

"I can't. Never."

"Percy has been worried about you, Nico. He can help. I let him see what you were up to, hoping he would find you."

"So it was you," Percy said. "You sent those Iris-messages."

Bianca nodded.

"Why are you helping him and not me?" Nico screamed. "It's not fair!"

"You are close to the truth now," Bianca told him. "It's not Percy you're mad at, Nico. It's me."

"No."

"You're mad because I left you to become a Hunter of Artemis. You're mad because I died and left you alone. I'm sorry for that, Nico. I truly am. But you must overcome the anger. And stop blaming Percy for my choices. It will be your doom."

"She's right," Annabeth broke in. "Kronos is rising, Nico. He'll twist anyone he can to his cause."

"I don't care about Kronos," Nico said. "I just want my sister back."

"You can't have that, Nico," Bianca told him gently.

"I'm the son of Hades! I can." I could see the pain in his eyes, that's why the boy seemed so distraught, he'd lost his sister.

"Don't try," she said. "If you love me, don't…"

Her voice trailed off. Spirits had started to gather around us again, and they seemed agitated. Their shadows shifted. Their voices whispered,

Danger!

"Tartarus stirs," Bianca said. "Your power draws the attention of Kronos. The dead must return to the Underworld. It is not safe for us to remain."

"Wait," Nico said. "Please—"

"Good-bye, Nico," Bianca said. "I love you. Remember what I said."

Her form shivered and the ghosts disappeared, leaving us alone with a pit and a cold full moon. Nico collapsed onto his knees and started to cry. His tears fell onto his black jeans. To this day I don't know why I did, but I knelt gently down next to Nico and wrapped my arms around him, letting his tears flow down my shoulder.

Boom Done Chapter Over! I did this unfairly, I promise in the next chapter there will be more details. But until next time, Farewell. ;)