When Nico opened his eyes, he was surprised that he wasn't dead. The last thing he really remembered was being stabbed in the side. He was pretty sure a pink sword had been involved, but everything was kind of fuzzy. Nico blinked a few times and slowly looked around the room.

He was laying in the infirmary, and there was two other people in the room with him. Reyna was in a bed next to him and seemed to be asleep. There was a few notebooks in her hand, but they were starting to fall to the ground. Arria picked up the notebooks and stuffed them into a backpack.

Arria sat back in the chair next to Reyna and stared at the notebook in her lap. Why was Arria there? Nico tried to move, and a groan escaped. Arria glanced at him and smirked. She spoke, "Good morning, son of Pluto. How are you feeling?"

"Did I get stabbed by a pink sword?" Nico asked. Arria nodded and moved her eyes to the corner of the room. Nico followed her gaze and saw the pink sword laying on the nearby table. It still had some of Nico's blood on it. "Oh. That's great. Is Reyna okay?"

"She'll heal," Arria answered. She closed the notebook and sighed tiredly. "She's been worried about you, even after they brought you here. The sword injury will keep you out of commission for a few days, and it sounds like you won't be able to participate in the last chariot race."

"Our chariot wouldn't be built in time anyway," Nico said. He sighed and was glad that he wasn't feeling any pain in his stomach. "Everyone else has all of these cool gadgets. We just had a simple chariot. I just wish Will still had a chance to win."

"You don't have any siblings that could feel in?" Arria asked. Nico glanced at her and looked away. He tried to answer, but then, he remembered the words of Querella: Nico had caused Bianca's death, and it was only a matter of time until he caused Reyna's. Nico looked down at the ground. "I see. My apologies."

"It's okay," Nico said. He looked at Arria. His eyes studied the demigod across from him. Despite the fact that Arria was dating his best friend and had been for a few weeks now, he knew nothing about her. Would it be awkward to just ask Arria about herself? "So, what are all of those notebooks?"

"It is all of my research on monsters. A few members of the Inquisition were attacked. They were scouting near a river and looking for a monster. They all remember screams, but after that, their memory is blank. One was found drowning in the river. Another had a deep scratches all over their back, like claws tore through their armor. The third throat's was torn open, and they barely survived. No one remembers anything," Arria explained.

Nico nodded slightly. He wondered if Bellona had ordered Arria to help or if the Inquisition had requested the help. Nico frowned. The description of what happened didn't really make any monster stand out, and there was a lot of creatures that could cause that kind of damage.

"Do they know who was screaming?" Nico asked. It was possible that the scream belonged to another victim of the monster or even the monster itself. He glanced at the door. Annabeth was probably less than a hundred feet away, and she could probably help them figure out what the monster was.

"No," Arria answered. Her eyes focused on the wall in front of her. Then, her eyes moved towards Nico. "The leader of the Inquisition was part of those that were attacked. It makes me think that it was planned. Someone gave them the location of this clearing and then set a monster after them. Even if I'm right, it doesn't narrow it down anymore. Their enemies are abundant."

"Is it because they threaten so many people?" Nico asked. It was meant to be a mix between a joke and a serious question, but the look that Arria gave Nico made him wish that he had kept his big mouth shut. "You heard about what the said to Reyna, right? I didn't realize you were a member."

"I'm not a member of the Inquisition. Well, I'm not a true one. It takes many years to become one, and I don't think Bellona would spare me for that long. I'm a Fidicia. It's a honorary title that was bestowed upon me by the lead Inquisitor," Arria explained. Nico nodded and debated whether to voice his next question or not. Would Arria be upset about him prying?

"How did you earn the title?" Nico asked. Arria didn't answer. Instead, she leaned back and studied Nico. It took Nico a moment to realize that Arria was debating whether to trust him or not. He had seen that look in Reyna's eyes before, but the difference now was that he didn't know how to get Arria's trust.

Nico knew he needed to change the subject. He cleared his throat and spoke, "Annabeth might be able to help you with finding out what monster it was. She's kind of a genius but don't tell her I said that. I might be able to help too, but I'm rusty with my knowledge on stuff like that."

"Thank you for the help, son of Pluto," Arria said. The smirk came back to her face, and she slowly stood. Nico smiled slightly. They both heard the door open, and Nico turned his head. He stared at Piper and Annabeth. They had Drew between them and were practically dragging her into the infirmary.

Arria held the door open for them and watched them carry Drew in. The two demigods laid Drew on a bed. Drew seemed to be unconscious and was muttering in her sleep. The language she was speaking was not English and definitely not Ancient Greek.

"What happened?" Nico asked. He tried to sit up, and Annabeth gave him a look. Nico held up his hands and settled back in the bed. Piper slowly sat down by Drew and took deep breaths. Her face was extremely pale, and she looked terrified.

"Drew just passed out," Piper answered. She looked down. "Drew's been acting really weird. It started whenever Clarisse punched her in the face. I don't know how to describe it, but she hasn't been herself."

"I'll get Will. You need to stay here with Drew and relax," Annabeth ordered. She grabbed Piper's arm and pulled her towards an unoccupied bed. Piper slowly nodded and looked around the room. Annabeth left a moment later.

"She's speaking Scottish Gaelic," Arria noted. She walked towards Drew and placed a hand to her forehead. "And, she's burning up. Has she gone anywhere recently or been in contact with anything strange?"

"I don't know," Piper whispered. She buried her face into her hands. Arria slowly looked in between Piper and Nico. Her gaze finally focused on Drew. "First, I've had all these strange dreams. Then, there was this screaming."

Arria's eyes flickered up. She walked towards Reyna's side and gently shook her shoulder. Reyna's eyes snapped open, and she slowly looked around in confusion. Arria moved closer to her and whispered in her ear.

Nico watched the two of them and frowned. He was pretty much still trapped to the bed, so all he could do was stare at the two of them. The look of confusion in Reyna's eyes was turning to concern. She slowly sat up and placed a hand to her ribs.

"What are you two doing?" Nico asked. He slowly sat up again, and all he felt was terrible pain in from his stab wound. Reyna slowly scooted towards the edge of the bed and slowly got to her feet. Her teeth gritted, and it looked like she was ready to curse in pain.

Arria walked towards Drew and then glanced at Reyna. After a moment, Reyna nodded and was handed a dagger. Arria grabbed Drew's arm and pinned her to the bed. Reyna slowly cut into Drew's arm.

As blood trickled out of Drew's arm, Nico stared. What were they doing? Nico tried to stand, but the pain forced him to groan and collapse back onto the bed. Reyna stepped away from Drew and spoke, "Nico, don't move. Trust me."

"I do trust you," Nico said. He allowed himself to relax and slowly looked to his side. Piper had her head in her hands and didn't seem to notice what was going on. Arria watched some of the blood trickle onto the dagger, and she lifted it towards the light.

Reyna cursed softly and slowly sat back on the bed. She placed her hand to her side and cursed again. Arria lowered the dagger and spoke, "It's not her. That can't be possible. How is she speaking the language?"

"I don't know," Reyna whispered. She shook her head and laid back on the bed. A groan escaped. Nico looked at Reyna in concern. He didn't know what had happened to her, but he was concerned. "How do you feel, Nico?"

"I'm okay. What about you?" Nico asked. Reyna gave him a small thumbs up. Nico smiled. He knew Reyna would never admit how she really felt. "So, why are you two cutting into Drew?"

"Her blood would be tinted green, but she spoke in the language," Arria muttered. Nico slowly looked back at Arria. Was this connected to the monster that had attacked the Inquisition? Did it have to do anything to do with what Aphrodite had told them? "Praetor, would a touch do it?"

Reyna's eyes were closed, and it almost looked like she was on the verge of falling asleep. As soon as Arria said the words, Reyna's eyes snapped open. She looked at Arria and nodded. Arria ran out of the room.

"What is going on?" Nico asked. He stared at the door and then slowly looked at Reyna. His best friend was slowly getting out of bed again, and the look of pain was still on her face. Despite the pain that it caused Nico, he slowly moved towards the edge of the bed and got into half of a sitting position. Part of him was also off of the bed, but it was progress towards making it to his feet.

"Have you ever heard of a Banshee?" Reyna asked. She sighed painfully and made her way towards Nico. Together, they were able to help Nico to his feet. Nico bit back a cry of pain and was sat down properly on the bed.

Nico tried to ignore the pain and focus on the question. Banshees were a monster, but he was pretty sure it was a creature that symbolized mourning. Was it really a monster then? Nico spoke, "I know a little. Did it attack the Inquisition?"

"I don't know," Reyna answered. She slowly made her way towards the nearest wall and leaned against it. Her eyes closed. "Banshees are mostly a creature that will scream, to warn of impending doom. Like all monsters, they've been twisted and made into something worse. They mark a victim and drive them to the brink of insanity, and if their target doesn't end the misery themselves, the Banshee will do it."

"So, the Banshee is trying to drive Drew insane?" Nico asked. He glanced at Drew, who was sweating profusely. "Why would Piper be having the dreams though? Why is she hearing the screaming?"

Reyna shook her head and closed her eyes. She took a pained breath and placed a hand to her face. After another pained breath, Reyna spoke, "If someone is speaking Scottish Gaelic, it's a pretty sure sign that a Banshee has marked or even possessed them, but if Drew was possessed, her blood would be tinted green. We think it may have jumped to Annabeth or another siblings that was nearby."

"So, Piper could actually be the target and not Drew" Nico asked. Reyna nodded slightly. Nico moved slightly and groaned at the pain that it shot through him. Piper still had her head in her hands, and it was like she wasn't even hearing a word they were saying. "That must be why Aphrodite said that Piper wasn't leaving the camp."

"Piper, why didn't you tell anyone?" Reyna asked. She slowly pushed herself off of the wall and walked towards Piper. "We're your friends, and we would help you, even if you didn't want it. What are you dreams about, Piper?"

Piper whispered something, but it was too quiet for Nico to understand. He did see how Reyna tensed, and her eyes moved towards the nearest weapon, which was the pink sword that was a few feet away. Reyna lunged for it, and Piper slammed Reyna into the wall.

Nico blinked and suddenly found himself pinned to the wall. He blinked a few times to process what was happening. Piper had moved faster than even a demigod could. Reyna had collapsed to the ground and was curled up in pain. Both hands were pressed to her side.

A forearm was pressed against Nico's throat, and he really wasn't able to breath. He felt like his wound had reopened. Piper glared at him with hateful eyes and used her forearm to lift Nico off of the ground. When had she become that strong?

"Piper, what are you doing?" Nico wheezed. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Reyna was using the bed to get to her knees. Piper followed his glance and smiled. She spoke in the language again, and Nico could only stare at her. He really didn't understand what Piper was saying, but it really couldn't be good.

Piper moved her forearm from Nico's neck, and he almost collapsed to her knees. Piper was kind enough to grab a hold of his shirt, and she threw him right into Reyna. Thankfully, Reyna took the brunt of the fall, as the two of them slammed into the wall.

Nico groaned and slowly placed a hand to his side. His wound had definitely been reopened. He placed both hands to his stomach and groan softly. A glance around showed that Piper was gone, and the door had been torn right off its hinges.

"Hey Reyna," Nico began. A small groan escaped from his best friend. It was followed by a noise that sounded like it was trying to be a word. "Did you know that we just got our butts kicked by a daughter of Aphrodite? I can't let you live this down."

"Shut up," Reyna muttered. She managed to untangle herself from Nico. Reyna manged to sit up and lean against the bed. Her left hand moved to her right shoulder, and a small cursed escaped. "I hate children of Aphrodite. Did you see where she went?"

"No," Nico answered. Reyna nodded and laid her head back. The two of them stayed there in silence. It wasn't until they heard someone run in that they both looked up. Annabeth stared at them and looked exasperated. Nico waved slightly. He stared at the blood that covered his hands.

"What happened?" Annabeth asked. Nico blinked a few times and finally gave a shrug. Arria appeared at his side and placed a towel to his stomach. "Where did Piper go?"

"Banshee," Reyna answered. Nico watched the way that Arria's eyes flickered up towards Reyna. Arria placed Nico's hands to the towel and slowly stood. She pulled Reyna to her feet and helped her sit down in a bed. "She just left."

"She attacked the two of you first," Arria muttered. She gently grabbed Reyna's face and spoke in Latin. Reyna nodded slightly, and Arria glanced at them. "We must find the daughter of Venus. She's a loose cannon. Has anyone in this camp been in contact with a Banshee or anything odd?"

"Hold up," Annabeth said. She raised a hand. "What are you talking about a Banshee? They aren't even monsters, if they do exist. Something else has to be going on with Piper."

"Daughter of Minerva, you don't understand what is going on," Arria said. She looked at Reyna and spoke in Latin again. Annabeth's eyes narrowed into a glare, and she focused that glare into Arria's back. Reyna shook her head slightly and laid back in the bed. "It will be easiest to kill the daughter of Venus. A ceremonial dagger will be needed to cut out her heart."

"Cut out her heart," Annabeth demanded. Nico looked down at his wound. Would the two demigods finish arguing before he bled out? Reyna wasn't in any shape to help him, and Annabeth seemed really offended by Arria's words. Arria hadn't even looked back at Nico.

"Hey guys," Nico interrupted. Annabeth moved her glare to Nico, but she knelt by him and focused on his stomach. Arria knelt by them and held out bandages. "So, why do you want to cut Piper's heart out?"

"Banshees can use old magic to bring a dead heart back," Arria answered. Annabeth shot her another look. "It will be easiest to kill the daughter of Venus and end the threat quickly. Otherwise, the Banshee must be expelled from her mind, and that will take a lot of work."

"We better get started then," Annabeth said. She stood and turned on Arria. It took a moment for Arria to stand and meet her gaze. "I remember what you did when I was possessed. I remember how close you were to killing me, before Bellona's order stopped you. You are not going to lay a hand on Piper, understood? I don't care how they do it where you're from."

"Annabeth, this isn't helping," Reyna interrupted. Nico nodded his agreement. It didn't feel like he was bleeding anymore, but it felt like he had lost of blood between being stabbed and having his wound reopened. The last thing he wanted to hear was an argument."You should get Will, and I'll get Chiron. We're going to need some help for this one, but we really need to keep it quiet. Okay?"

"Yeah," Annabeth said. She had some Ambrosia to Nico and then made her way to the door. Arria looked at Nico and then left the room without another word. Reyna sighed and laid back on the bed again. "Reyna, why does she have those marks on her arm?"

"Annabeth, leave it," Reyna said. Nico looked up at them. Marks? The only thing he recalled on Arria's arm was a tattoo with a lot of designs on it. Was the mark hiding in the designs? "I don't know a lot about Arria's past, but I know enough to leave it be. Don't bring it up to her."

"I won't," Annabeth muttered. She crossed her arms. "Between the three of us though, I won't trust Arria to help us with Piper. A murder like that can't walk free. If you're marked like that, it means you were found in a trial to be guilty, and it looked like that was a mark for killing family. Who could do that and even live with themselves?"

Nico didn't miss the way that Reyna tensed, and he knew that Annabeth didn't either. Nico spoke, "This is not going to help Piper, guys. Piper was moving faster than a normal demigod. We have to figure out how to stop this Banshee, and something tells me that Arria knows how to do it. You''ll have to play nice, Annabeth."

"I'll get her and Chiron," Reyna muttered. She slowly stood from the bed, and Annabeth shot her a look. Reyna shot one back, placed a hand to her side, and slowly left the room. Nico was helped back onto the bed. He wasn't going to be much help in his current state.

"How do you recognize those marks?" Nico asked. There was no way that Annabeth knew how her words had upset Reyna, and he would keep his mouth quiet on that. It did seem like Arria was more than willing to get her hands dirty though. Was that why Bellona had her as an agent, and how dirty were Arria's hands?

Annabeth took a deep breath and looked at Nico. She spoke, "In Ancient Greece, most crimes resulted in either death, payment, or a type of exile for the defendant, after they were found guilty. Something the history books won't tell you is that demigods were treated differently. Those that were found guilty of murder were only marked and exiled. If a worse punishment was given, the accusers feared the gods would strike them down. The mark on Arria's arm matches the exact mark of someone who murdered their family, and she has it hidden well."

Nico nodded slightly. He trusted Reyna with his life, and since she trusted Arria, he did as well. Arria was pretty mysterious, but she wouldn't try to kill any of his friends, right? Nico sighed and laid his head back. All he wanted to do was be better and help with the Banshee problem. Something told him that he was in for a very long day.