Leila's POV

Leila strolled around camp, amused at the terrified expressions of the demigods.

She managed to freak out a son of Ares by happening to glance in his direction, which she considered to be her biggest highlight of the day.

But...then came the burning of the shrouds.

Leila saw Percy's grief stricken face in the crowd, and she knew that it wasn't the right time to go and talk to him.

Nor was it the right time to show herself in front of everybody.

Unsure of where to go, she drifted into the woods and traced her fingers along the bark of the trees, as she plunged deeper and deeper into the forest.

Darkness didn't scare her now. Nothing really did - not after everything that had happened.

Leila leaned against the trunk of a pine and sighed quietly.

"It's hard to be an outsider, isn't it?" said a familiar voice.

"Hey, Nico." Leila said moodily.

"Join you?" he asked.

Leila shrugged. "I guess."

Nico looked at her carefully. "They don't blame you for what happened."

"Who?"

"Lee Fletcher. Castor. Everyone who died in the battle. They didn't think that you could've stopped the invasion from happening."

"How do you know?" Leila accused.

"I talked to their ghosts."

She raised her eyebrows. "That's really creepy."

Nico smiled slightly. "Just wanted to let you know."

They sat on the forest floor for a while in silence, content in each other's company, when Nico suddenly said, "Can you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Leila said drowsily.

"The air's changing. Someone's coming." he said nervously.

"Who?" Leila said, fingering her knife.

Nico scowled. "Gods, I hate it when he comes. Run!"

"After you tell me who's coming!"

"I can't!"

"Tell me!"

Nico froze, and he began to dissolve into the shadows. "He wants to deliver a message. Don't trust him, Leila!"

Leila grabbed Nico's hand, but he disappeared, and she was left with a handful of air.

The shadows began to gather closer together, forming the figure of a tall boy next to her.

"Nico?" Leila said.

The shadows parted, revealing someone who was certainly not the son of Hades.

It was a scowling teenager - maybe 16 years old. He was really good looking, with warm brown eyes, pale skin, and messy black hair. He was wearing a leather jacket, black jeans, and a gold chain, sort of the way Nico dressed.

"You're not Nico." Leila said stupidly. Her hand slipped into her pocket.

"Not Nico." the guy confirmed. "And don't even bother taking out a weapon. I could disarm you within seconds."

"I doubt it." she countered, trying to look confident. But as she said it, she thought, This guy's dangerous. Her skin began to itch in his presence.

"You Greeks have very strange burial rites." the guy said airily. "That's the only reason why I'm able to appear here, I suppose - because of the funerals which are happening as we speak."

"Uh..."

The guy glowered at her some more, and said, as if he could read her mind, "Don't think for a second that you're not dangerous, Brooke. You are, arguably, more risky to have around than I am, and that's saying something."

"How do you know my name?" she asked, starting to feel a little bit alarmed.

The guy's nose wrinkled. "I don't usually talk to Greeks. Different gods, different forms, you know? But what you have done recently..."

"Hang on, different gods? Who are you, exactly?"

The guy winced. "Names have power. But I suppose you can call me...Anubis."

Leila furrowed her eyebrows. "You're Egyptian. And you kind of look like...I mean...do you control death?"

"Funerals." Anubis corrected. "You're smarter than you look, Leila Brooke."

"What's an Egyptian doing in Greek territory?" Leila said, a dangerous tone creeping into her voice. She immediately shifted into a fighting stance.

Anubis raised his arms in surrender. "I've never come to visit demigods before. It's strictly against the Ancient Laws. But I need to talk to you...about how you came back from the dead."

"Why? Some of the Olympians already know, so why should -"

"I come with a message from Osiris, my master." Anubis interrupted her. "He says...he says that if you try anything funny again, if you try to cheat death the way you did recently, your fate lies with the House of Life."

"My death has nothing to do with your silly House of Life!" Leila said sharply. She had no idea where the resentment was coming from - the tension in the air between them was tangible.

Anubis' eyes flashed in anger. "Don't underestimate the House of Life. And we would have left you alone, but you're a daughter of Poseidon. Things are different with you."

Leila pinched the bridge of her nose. "People keep saying that to me. Why am I treated so differently?"

Anubis' mouth twisted into a frown. "The whole mess started with Cleopatra. She was a daughter of Poseidon, but she was also hosting an Egyptian goddess, which made things very complicated..."

"Hosting an Egyptian goddess?"

"It's a long story." Anubis waved off her question. "The point is that every single daughter of Poseidon who has ever lived has complicated the process of death due to their special abilities with water, which raises issues with both your god of death and ours."

"There aren't any Egyptian gods." Leila said stubbornly. "It's not possible."

Anubis' hand began to glow. "Would you like to test that?" he asked quietly.

"There just can't be both Greek gods and Egyptian gods controlling the same planet!" Leila said, waving her hands. "How is it possible that Hades and Osiris are gods of death at the same time?"

Anubis' shoulders slumped and his hand stopped glowing. "I can't explain everything. My time is up with you. My very presence here is causing chaos. I'll leave you - for now. The Kanes need me."

The name faintly stirred one of her memories. "I've heard that before - Kane. Where have I heard that?"

Anubis scoffed. "I doubt that you have. Magicians and demigods barely make any contact -"

"Carter Kane!" Leila blurted out, which she probably shouldn't have done. Blame her ADHD.

Anubis' eyes darkened. "I don't know how you know Carter. But I swear, that if you harm one hair on his or his sister's head, you'll have to answer to me. Got it?"

"Why the Hades would I be stupid enough to fight a bunch of Egyptians?" Leila demanded. "And I met him for around two seconds. He doesn't even know my name."

Anubis exhaled in relief. "Thank Ra for that. We're in enough trouble as it is." He added, "One last thing, daughter of Poseidon."

"Only one?" Leila said innocently.

"There will come a time in which the Greeks will need the Egyptians." Anubis continued, ignoring her. "And it will happen within your lifetime. When that time comes, remember our meeting. And remember to trust the Kanes."

Leila didn't know how to respond.

Anubis allowed himself a small smile. "Nico di Angelo doesn't like me. I could have vaporized him, but he's my link from the Egyptian world to the Greek world. Don't worry, though - I won't bother you anymore. Unless you pull your little stunt again."

"Jeez, I get it!" Leila yelled. "Can you go away now?"

Anubis closed his eyes, and for a moment, Leila could have sworn he turned into a wolf - a jackal, maybe. As he melted into the darkness, Nico emerged out of the same spot, coughing and choking.

"Are you okay?" Leila said, concerned.

"I - hate - him!" Nico said, between his coughs. "So - annoying..."

"Definitely." she agreed. "Do you mind explaining this Egyptian thing to me, though?"

Nico's expression darkened. "Forget it."

"What?"

"I'm serious. Forget you ever had this conversation. Don't. Tell. Anyone." he said, frowning at her.

"I wasn't going to." she said, frowning back. "But was what he said true?"

"About the Greeks and Egyptians needing each other? I have no idea. He's notorious for lying." Nico said angrily.

"You're making that up!" Leila chuckled. "And I think someone's jealous."

"What!? I am not jealous of that no-good, annoying, dirty rotten -"

"He may be annoying and no-good, but he's really handsome." Leila said, wiggling her eyebrows, just to get on Nico's nerves.

"Do not tell me that you're falling for an Egyptian." Nico said grumpily.

She laughed and punched his arm. "Take a joke, di Angelo. And what's that thing you just did with the shadows?"

"Shadow travelling." Nico said, clearly relieved that they were changing the subject.

"So...you can go anywhere in the world? As long as there's a shadow?" she said, impressed.

"Well, yeah. But I'm not very good at it." Nico said bashfully.

"Is that how you met Percy? Through one of your shadow travelling adventures?"

Nico looked down, and said delicately, "No. He and a satyr found us - I mean, me in a school in Maine, and took me to Camp Half-Blood. I don't usually stay here, though. I come and go from time to time."

That sounded like a pretty sad life, and she could tell that Nico wasn't telling her the whole story.

"There's something you're not telling me. You and Percy...I feel like...you don't like each other very much. What did he do to you?"

"I'm not ready to tell you." Nico said in a tight voice. "And I think a god wants to see you."

"Oh, great. Where is he from this time? Spain? Norway?"

Nico stared at her. "No. He's the camp director. Be nice, or be killed."

He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and began to walk away, leaving Leila alone in the forest. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and whipped around.

"There goes a very troubled young man." said the owner of the hand. He was a pudgy dude in a suit, and his breath smelled like wine. He surveyed Leila with an amused expression on his face. "I'm Mr. D., the camp director. Being the brat you are, you've caused quite a bit of trouble. We have a lot to talk about."

***A/N: WOOHOO! SCHOOL'S OUT! Which means that I can write more!

Did you like the Anubis/Leila conversation? Let me know by reviewing!

Also: Do you want me to write the conversation between Mr. D and Leila? Or do you want me to skip to Percy/Annabeth's POV?

The more feedback I have, the faster I can decide which POV to write. Please, please, please review, it means the world to me.