"I guess a double date would be nice," Nico muttered. It wasn't like he really had a choice in the matter. Hazel kept threatening to do ungodly things to him if he backed out. Will wasn't giving him the option to either. At least one of his friends was attached to his hip that entire morning. He couldn't even go to the bathroom without Leo appearing right next to him and breaking every single rule of the bro code, and while Nico still doubted that those rules existed, he was willing to believe that someone would make them because of people like Leo.

"It is nice," Hazel stated. They were heading inside to the restaurant. Hazel stopped walking and looked at Nico. She almost seemed concerned about him, which was the last thing he needed. "How are you feeling about everything that happened?

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nico said. He tried to hurry forward, but a hand grabbed his upper arm. Nico was surprised at Hazel's strength, as an attempt to pull away wasn't successful. Nico walked forward, and Hazel followed behind him. She didn't let go of his arm, but she also didn't prod anymore.

As Nico made it inside the restaurant, a frown came to his face. It was completely empty, and he started to get terrible flashbacks of the town. There was no patrons in the restaurant. He didn't even see any servers or hosts. Nico spoke, "I don't like this."

"They just opened, and there is already a huge party in the back," Frank said. Nico jumped and turned towards the praetor. He didn't seen Frank walk past them, so he must have been waiting for them inside. "Nico, can we talk alone real quick?"

Nico blinked a few times and frowned. All he wanted to do was sit down, drink some soda, and eat enough food to fall into a small coma for a day or two. Instead, everyone was acting really weird. Will didn't really talk to Nico as they used Blackjack to get to the restaurant. As soon as they made it to the restaurant. Hazel had been glued to Nico's side. Now, Frank was wanting to talk in the closet. Was this how Nico would die?

"I guess," Nico began. He followed Frank away from the front door and towards what looked like to be a supply closet. Frank opened the door, and Nico slowly stepped inside. There was almost nothing in the closet, besides a shelf that held cleaning supplies. The lights of the closet were so bright that they practically blinded Nico.

"Why are we standing in a closet?" Nico asked. He looked at Frank and frowned. Frank had both hands in his pockets and seemed rather nervous. "Do not tell me you are going to ask me for permission to marry Hazel. I am not going through this again, Frank. What are you even thinking?"

"It's not that," Frank said. Nico stared at him and frowned. Why was everyone being so weird lately? Did they think that Nico would snap on them? He had been a little short tempered and stressed out lately, but that didn't mean that everyone should have to walk on eggshells around him.

"What is it then?" Nico asked. If Frank didn't give him a straight answer, Nico considered wrapping his hands around the praetor's throat and not letting go until he got one. Instead, he forced himself to count backwards from ten. "Frank, what are you trying to tell me?"

They both heard the closet door open. Nico glared and turned his head, ready to yell at whoever interrupted them. He met Reyna's eyes and stared. Reyna stared back at him, and a hand shoved her into the closet. Frank said something that sounded like an apology, and he hurried towards the door. Frank slammed the door shut, leaving Nico and Reyna trapped inside the closet.

"Hylla, What are you doing?" Reyna yelled. She slammed her fist into the door. "Frank, open this door Now!"

"You two need to talk out your problems," Hazel called. Was she standing by the closet too? "It's been a month now, and the two of you haven't said anything to each other."

"I will have both of your heads on a javelin," Reyna warned. "I will strip both of you back to the rank of probatio, if I even allow you to leave this restaurant alive. Open the door. Now."

"She's all talk," Hylla said from the other side of the door. Reyna slammed her fist into the door again. Then, she looked at Nico. They hadn't seen each other in a month now, and Nico wasn't sure how to feel. He thought about the dream almost everyday, and part of him regretted what he had said. The other part of him knew he just needed to stay the course.

"I am just going to shadow travel out of here," Nico warned. He looked around for a light switch, but he didn't see one. Nico cursed and looked around the entire closet. There was no light switch anywhere. Was this all planned? What kind of monster would do this?

"You won't be able to shadow travel without shadows," a voice warned. Nico frowned as he recognized Piper's voice. He heard Jason make a comment but couldn't make out what it was.

"How many of you are out there?" Nico demanded. It was quiet for a few moments. Nico glanced over at Reyna, but she wasn't looking at him. Her arms were crossed, and she was staring at the ground. "How many of you are outside this door?"

"All of us," Annabeth replied. Nico swore and took a step backwards. Reyna walked past him and grabbed the door handle. She tried to open the door, but it didn't budge. Then, Reyna placed one foot to the wall and started to pull. When nothing happened, she swore as well.

"Hylla is going to hold the door shut, and you two are going to talk," Percy said. Nico shook his head and turned his back to the door. "You two are best friends, and best friends have their fights. The two of you just need to talk things out and make up."

Nico glanced at Reyna. She was glaring at the door and still gripping the door handle. Reyna turned around, and Nico quickly looked away. He focused on the ground and tried to avoid looking at Reyna's face. Nico made a mental note to murder each and every one of his so called friends after he escaped the closet.

Reyna walked towards the opposite side of the room and sat against the wall. She brought her knees to her chest and buried her head on her knees. Nico frowned and studied Reyna. He expected her to try and talk to him, but now, it seemed like she didn't even want to see him. Nico felt the same way.

For the last month, Nico spent every single night thinking about that stupid dream. He wanted to know who sent him that dream. He wanted to know why Reyna would kill all of his friends and burn his home to the ground. Nico slowly sat against the wall and stared at Reyna. An awkward silence filled the room.

Nico felt this mixture of anger, confusion, and sadness. He was angry at Reyna for what she did in the dream, even if it was just a dream. He was confused about why Reyna would do those things. And, Nico couldn't get rid of the sadness in his chest as he thought about how he just ignored Reyna the past month.

At the time, it felt right. This was this fear and anger in his chest when he learned how close to death he was and how close he was to losing people that he considered family. Nico acted on an impulse, and he had one less friendship to show for it.

Part of Nico wanted to ask Reyna to explain herself. He wanted to know why she planned on killing them. Nico knew that their relationship was different a year ago, but he didn't think that justified a massacre on the Greeks. Nico needed to understand Reyna's train of thought.

The other part of Nico knew that it was too late. He had destroyed his friendship with Reyna by leaving and not having any contact with her. Reyna wouldn't want to speak with him. That same part of Nico also warned him that Reyna could turn on him at any time.

Now, his friends were getting involved. They had made this whole elaborate plan and forced Nico and Reyna into the same room. Nico was annoyed that his friends were interfering, but a small part of him was grateful. There was no way he would have been able to do this on his own.

"I'm sorry," Reyna said. Nico slowly looked at his former best friend. Reyna met his eyes. There was tears trickling out of her eyes, and she seemed like she was barely holding it together. "I am sorry for what you saw in your dream. I don't know what to tell you to make it better, Nico. It's been tearing me apart this last month."

"In that dream, you murdered my family. Why?" Nico asked. He took a deep breath to try and keep himself calm.

"Nico, someone sent you that dream. Do you think they sent it to warn you or to divide us?" Reyna asked. Her eyes were saying something that she wasn't voicing. Nico frowned. "Yes, I did debate whether I was going to attack the Greeks or work with them. In the end, I worked with you, and we delivered the statue. Isn't that what matters?"

"How can I trust you again?" Nico asked. Reyna looked away. "Annabeth put faith in you by sending you that message. You were going to break that faith when you attacked everyone. You turned your back on Camp Jupiter to put an end to the war. How do I know you won't end up turning your back on Camp Half-Blood someday?"

"I wanted to end the war and save as many lives as possible," Reyna interrupted. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. "I wanted to protect my people, Nico. Before we delivered the statue, Camp Jupiter was my family. Now, my family is Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood. I would do anything to protect the Greeks."

"I just can't get over the fact that you violated our trust," Nico said. Reyna smirked, but there was clearly no humor behind it. She shook her head. Reyna looked like she was barely holding it together. Then, she slammed her fist into the wall.

"The Greeks did the same fucking thing!" Reyna snapped. She stood and grabbed a box from a shelf. She flung it into the wall. "You act like I'm the bad guy here, but I was just reacting! We allowed a Greek warship into our camp, and you fired on my home! I don't care if Leo was possessed. The Greeks violated our trust!"

Nico opened his mouth to speak, but Reyna's glare stopped him. Reyna spoke, "Your actions allowed Octavian to whip the legion into a frenzy that wanted blood and vengeance. I had to take drastic measures. It was either disable the Greeks or help deliver the statue. In the end, I made the right decision to help you guys."

"You can keep being mad at me, or you can forgive me for something that I didn't even do. I did not attack anyone on the ship. We worked together and saved the world," Reyna continued. She took a deep breath and sat back down. Her jaw clenched, and her eyes moved to the ground.

Nico looked down at the ground. He spoke, "Why did you wait a week to look for Hazel?"

"I didn't know if she was actually missing," Reyna muttered. "We didn't have any communication from them, but I also know how spotty the area is. If I was wrong about Hazel being missing, I would have destroyed her career. A lot of other centurions think she only got her position because she was lucky enough to be Percy's friend. I'm just trying to protect her, Nico."

"By not helping her?" Nico asked. Reyna glared at him. She wiped her eyes and looked away again. Nico studied Reyna for a few moments. He knew her well enough to know that her emotions were bubbling out of control. Reyna was struggling to control them. "You were going to let her die."

"You said that you had a dream that Hazel was in trouble, and you came to Camp Jupiter. You didn't tell me she was in trouble though," Reyna said. Her eyes focused on Nico. "Did you actually have a dream that Hazel was in trouble, or did Arria tell you?"

Nico remained silent. Reyna spoke, "So, I'm the bad guy here, even though you knew Hazel was in danger? That doesn't really make sense to me."

"You knew she went on a mission, but you didn't tell me," Nico muttered. "You stopped yourself from telling me."

"Because you would go running off to help her, and it's not the Roman way, Nico. Hazel had a mission to lead, and there wasn't suppose to be outside interference," Reyna said. Her eyes moved towards the door.

"Someone led Hazel into a trap," Reyna whispered. Nico barely heard her, but he quickly looked up. Reyna stared into his eyes. "I questioned those mortals myself, and their story does not make sense. Someone set a trap at the city. They tried to kill my centurion. They sent you that dream. I have a very bad feeling in my gut about who did all of that."

"Who?" Nico asked quietly. Reyna looked at the door again. She closed her eyes. "Reyna, who did all of that? Who tried to kill Hazel?"

"The Inquisition," Reyna whispered. Nico stared at her. After a moment, he slowly stood and walked towards her. "Nerva is blackmailing me. She won't tell me what she wants, and she's toying with me."

"Is that why you broke up with Arria? Because of Nerva? You don't think they're working together, do you?" Nico asked. He kept his voice quiet, so no one else could hear. He was still angry, but his anger was starting to become directed towards Nerva, if Reyna was telling the truth.

"No," Reyna answered. She looked at him. "Nerva told me to break up with Arria and stop talking to her. Nerva told me to not tell anyone about this, or she would tell my secret to the Senate. She knows I killed my father."

"I didn't tell anyone," Nico said quickly. "I may have been beyond mad at you, but I would never tell anyone."

"I know," Reyna said. She wiped her eyes again. "I know you wouldn't. I don't think Arria told her, but I don't know how Nerva knows. Did she dig into my past? I don't know what to do Nico, and I'm scared. I haven't been able to tell anyone, and I know you're pissed at me. But, please. I need someone right now. I can't even tell Hylla."

Reyna buried her face in her knees and started to cry softly. Nico stared at Reyna. There was still that anger towards her about what she had done. What if it was all part of a plan to divide the two? Nico frowned and slowly rubbed Reyna's back.

Nico took a deep breath. They would discuss everything that had happened at the city and his dream, later. For now, he needed to comfort his best friend, and Reyna was his best friend. The last month and the dream couldn't erase that. Nico spoke, "I'm here, Reyna. I'm here for you."

Reyna nodded and slowly seemed to calm herself down. She took deep breaths and slowly looked up. Reyna wiped her eyes. Nico wrapped his arm around Reyna and pulled her close. She buried her face in his chest.

"We'll figure this out. I promise," Nico said. He rubbed Reyna's back for a few minutes. He could feel Reyna was trying to keep from crying, but he could also feel that his shirt was starting to become wet. "I'm sorry, Reyna. I shouldn't have just cut you off for the past month. I was trying to save myself from hurt, and I didn't think about you."

"I'm sorry for hurting you," Reyna cried. "I'm so sorry."

Nico looked down and tried to blink away tears. He rubbed Reyna's back and laid his head against hers. How had he allowed a stupid dream to turn him against his best friend? Nico spoke, "I'm sorry too, Reyna. We need to talk through this, but right now, we have to figure out what Nerva wants from you."

After a minute or two, Reyna pulled away and wiped her eyes. She stared at the ground and sniffled. Nico rubbed her back. Reyna spoke, "You can't tell anyone, Nico. You can't act like you know."

"I know," Nico said. "When is the last time you got a full night of sleep?"

"Before I sent Hazel to the city," Reyna answered. Nico looked at her. "I didn't make the decision lightly, Nico. I knew she could handle it though. I just didn't realize I was sending her into a trap."

"You couldn't have known," Nico said. He slowly stood and offered his hand to Reyna. After a moment, Reyna took the hand and was pulled to her feet. "We're stuck at a restaurant. We might as well get some food. Then, we can go back to your place and talk this out."

"I don't know if you should come back to Camp Jupiter with me. Nerva is there. She claims it is for the Inquisition, but she has been keeping an eye on me," Reyna muttered. She looked back at the door. "Is Arria here?"

"I don't know," Nico replied. Reyna let out a tired sigh and looked down. "We'll figure this out. I promise."

"I know. Thank you, Nico. I am sorry," Reyna said. She swallowed painfully and cleared her throat. Her voice was weaker than normal, and it broke Nico's heart. Why had he ignored Reyna for so long? They could have already been figuring out what Nerva wanted. Reyna knocked on the door. "We talked. Can you let us out?"

No one answered. Reyna glanced back at Nico. After a moment, she turned the door handle and pushed the door open. Nico glared at the door and walked out of the closet. He slowly looked around. Their friends were all sitting together at a table a respectable distance away. There was no way they could have heard what Nico and Reyna were talking about.

"We saved room for you two," Leo called. He waved towards them. Nico crossed his arms and studied his friends. They all had drinks and menus in front of them. Nico glanced at Reyna. After a moment, she shook her head and looked down.

"Guess we should join them," Reyna muttered. Her gaze moved back to Arria, who was sitting next to Hylla. It seemed like Hylla was questioning Arria about something, as there was a confused look on her face. "I didn't tell Hylla that we broke up."

"To be fair, you didn't tell Hylla that the two of you were dating either," Nico said. The smallest smile came to Reyna's face. "It's going to work out. I promise."

"I hope so," Reyna said. She looked down. Nico looked back at his friends. The seven of the prophecy, Will, Arria, and Hylla were all looking at them and clearly waiting for them to join. Nico knew they had great friends, but he was going to kick each and every one of their asses for their little stunt. "Nico, I don't know how to make it up to you."

"Reyna, stop. Calm down," Nico interrupted. He grabbed Reyna's arm gently. "Please just calm down. We can talk about this later, but I forgive you. I'm sorry that I shut you out. We'll have to work out our problems, but first, I just want things to go back to normal."

"So do I," Reyna whispered. Nico smiled at her and rubbed her back. Reyna managed a slight smile. The two walked towards the table and sat down. Their friends all greeted them. No one pried about what was said in the closet. Instead, Will and Leo both offered their opinions on what appetizer everyone should get. Annabeth was questioning Reyna about some kind of ambassador problem that went right over Nico's head.

Only half of Nico's attention was on the conversation though. He wanted to know exactly what happened at the city. Did the Inquisition actually set a trap for them. Why would they do that in the first place? How were they even going to get proof? Nico glanced at Reyna. His best friend kept shooting glances at Arria, but Arria wasn't meeting her eyes. Percy and Piper seemed to be having an animated conversation with Arria about their plans for capture the flag.

Nico looked down. If the Inquisition set that trap at the city, they showed Nico a dream that had nearly destroyed his relationship with Reyna. They put Hazel in danger. Nerva was now blackmailing Reyna. Nico closed his eyes. He was going to find out the truth about the Inquisition, and he was going to make them pay.