Percy POV

"Hello Perseus," the primordial greeted me, her tone of voice and facial expression giving nothing away, Nyx would make an excellent poker player I couldn't help but think to myself. I could feel the immense power rolling off the woman in waves and it was making me tongue-tied with nervousness like a high schooler turning up at his prom dates house so Nyx spoke again. "I take it this isn't about the photograph you 'forgot' to take last time?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile out of one side of her mouth.

If that was her attempt at breaking the ice it didn't really work, I was still petrified and now even more unsure as to how to behave in front of the goddess.

"Uhm no, sorry about last time," I apologized sheepishly feeling stupid, obviously if she'd held it against me then she wouldn't be here.

"I must apologize for my attitude also," Nyx said surprising me greatly, I'd never have expected a primordial to apologize especially to a lowly demi-god like me. "I don't 'get out much' as you mortals put it and I hadn't expected to have two mortals stumble onto my doorstep."

"I have to admit that it was one of the scariest encounters of my life," I admitted honestly.

"Only one of them?" she raised her eyebrow again. "Is having night herself threaten to kill you not scary enough for you?"

"Up there with when I met your brother and he threatened the same thing a couple hours later, yeah."

"Must've been quite the day," Nyx chuckled and I started to feel myself relax a little around the goddess. "While this has been entertaining I assume that you didn't request me here just to reminisce about your time in the pit," she said, pointing the conversation towards it's reason.

If I'd thought that asking Thanatos for a favour was scaring it was nothing to asking a favour of a primordial. I took a deep breath and swallowed before answering.

"I need a favour," I managed to get out.

"Oh, and what might this favour be?" Nyx inquired looking intrigued at the prospect.

"Tartarus has possessed a friend, I heard that it could only be reversed by another primordial," I explained.

"I see," Nyx had regained her poker face making me nervous as to how she'd respond to my request. "Well your information is correct, only a primordial can override another's will. However what do I get out of it?"

I had been dreading Nyx asking that question, I had nothing to bargain with so I took a gamble.

"I'd really piss off Tartarus and what sibling doesn't love annoying another sibling," I said hoping that it was enough for Nyx. Surprisingly Nyx didn't immediately reject my idea and seemed to actually consider it.

"Hmm, well that could be nice, I'm afraid that's not enough," she told me. I felt my hopes die down as I had no plan B. Evidently Nyx saw my emotions reflected in my face. "I can see you are desperate so I'll give you a one time deal, I'll do this for you in return for a favour."

"What sort of favour?" I asked cautiously, unsure why a primordial would need a favour from me.

"I don't know," Nyx smiled, "That's the fun in it. However I expect you to come when I call, no excuses." I nodded in understanding. I knew this was a gamble, I could be selling my soul away yet I still couldn't think of why she'd ever need to call the favour in. I took a deep breath and wondered if I was about to make one of the worst decisions of my life.

"Ok, I'll do it," I told her. Nyx's smile grew larger. I didn't swear on the Styx as I knew that if I broke my promise Nyx would make me wish for Styx's punishment instead.

"Perfect. Where's this friend of yours?" she asked me.

"In the hunter's camp, this way," I said beginning to lead the way towards camp.

It was pitch black and I repeatedly stumbled over roots, cursing as I almost fell. I could hear Nyx chuckle each time as she obviously was able to see perfectly. She moved through the forest with much more ease and grace than somebody in heels and an evening dress should be able to, even if she could see where she was going. Eventually we entered the hunter's camp, the girls were all in bed so Nyx and I didn't run into anybody as we walked past the numerous tents.

Artemis POV

Diana and I watched in silent fury as Percy stopped pacing and seemed to talk with the unknown woman. I still couldn't believe that he was sneaking away to meet a beautiful woman, I was planning on having a strong word with him about it. Percy and the gorgeous woman stopped talking and began walking towards my camp. I could see Percy trip over a number of roots in the dark and the mysterious woman laugh at his clumsiness, the woman seemed to have no problem navigating the dark woods despite her impractical shoes and dress. I watched as the pair of them entered camp and began weaving their way through the silver tents towards their destination.

I was surprised when instead of leading his companion to his tent Percy started directing her towards my tent. There was no way that I was allowing Percy to bring his 'friend' to my tent to do gods knows what, so I flashed myself inside my tent and waited for them just behind the door, readying myself to give Percy more than a couple choice words.

Sure enough, a couple seconds later the door to my tent was unzipped and I was face to face with Perc- no Perseus, with this behaviour he'd lost the right to be called Percy. I could see the color drain out of his face as he looked me in the eyes.

"Art- Artemis…" He stuttered out. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be riding the moon chariot?" he asked me with a hint of fear in his voice.

"I was, that is until I noticed you sneaking your little friend into my tent! What the Hades do you think you are doing?!" I half-yelled at him, not wanting to wake the girls sleeping nearby.

"Little friend!" Percy's companion said outraged. "I take it you don't know who I am," she said stepping inside my tent, much to my displeasure.

"No she doesn't," Percy said trying to pacify the woman, he seemed almost scared of her in her annoyance with me. "Please excuse her."

"And I don't care who you are, I want to know why you were sneaking into my tent!" I repeated, pretending I didn't care who Percy was sneaking away to meet.

"We came to see Zoe," Percy answered me to my surprise, I was expecting him to say they were going to make out or something.

"Zoe?" I asked surprised, looking back at my possessed friend who was sitting chained at the foot of my bed watching the drama silently. While she hadn't made a noise I could tell that she was also surprised to hear that Percy and the woman were here to see her. "Why do you want to see Zoe?" I asked.

"To help, that is if you want it," the woman said.

"Help? How can you two help?" I asked them. I was confused as Percy knew what Athena told me and that only a primordial would be able to help.

"Artemis, I'd like to introduce you to Lady Nyx," Percy said gesturing to the woman and all of a sudden I realized why he seemed so apprehensive around her.

"My apologizes Lady Nyx, I didn't realize who you were. Any help would be greatly appreciated," I told her apologetically. I don't know how Percy got Nyx to agree to help -when I heard of their last interaction it sounded like she wanted him dead- but I damn sure was going to let him know how much of a dangerous idea it was.

Nyx just waved my apology off and walked over towards Zoe.

"I take it this is your friend?" she asked as she looked at Zoe's swirling black eyes.

"Yes," Percy answered her. As Nyx neared her, Zoe tried to scoot herself across the floor away from her. Nyx just snapped her fingers and Zoe slumped over asleep. Nyx crouched down (quite a feat in her tight-fitting dress) and touched Zoe's temples and began muttering something to herself, Percy and I stood still in the doorway, watching.

"Oh brother you did a sloppy job here," I heard Nyx say under her breath as she worked away on Zoe. Neither Percy nor I spoke as we watched for a couple minutes as Nyx remained crouched over Zoe. Eventually she stood from Zoe's slumped over form and turned to us.

"She'll be asleep for a while but when she wakes she'll be herself although that might be a little different to what you remember," Nyx explained to Percy and I.

"Thank you, Lady Nyx," I told her genuinely from the bottom of my heart, Percy echoed my thanks. On the inside I was over the moon (no pun intended) that I was getting Zoe back.

"I'll remember our deal," she said to Percy. "I'll make sure to call." She said before the shadows reached out and wrapped around her, when they retracted Nyx was gone. I turned to Percy.

"What deal is she on about and what does she mean by she'll call?" I asked him, Percy rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Uhm nothing," he told me without looking me in the eyes. "Forget about it."

"Perseus," I said with an edge to my voice. "What did she mean?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the man who still wouldn't meet my gaze.

"I kinda made a deal with her in return for her help," he told me sheepishly, I got worried about what Percy could've traded in return for the primordial's help.

"What kind of deal?" I asked him, nervous for the answer.

"I kind of promised her I'd do her a favour," Percy told me nervously.

"You what!" I felt myself starting to blow up at him. "Do you have any idea what you could've signed yourself up for?"

"I figured what can a demi-god do that a primordial can't/won't," Percy 'explained' to me.

"I have a feeling that you won't want to find out the answer to that," I told him, scared on his behalf. "Do you have any idea what a stupid deal signing yourself away to a primordial is?" I didn't feel like Percy fully grasped how bad this could be for him.

"Whatever it's done now," Percy said trying to end the conversation.

"Why would you do something like that?" I asked him.

"To get Zoe back," he replied as if it were obvious.

"Not that I'm ungrateful but why would you care? You only knew her for a couple days before her death and now you've made a deal with a primordial to get her back." While they parted on good terms I still couldn't understand why he'd risk contacting a primordial and making a deal with them just to get Zoe back.

Percy muttered something to himself that sounded like,

"Fuck it."

He then muttered something else.

"What did you say?" I asked him.

"Because I like you," he said timidly.

AN/: Another chapter done, we'll have Zoe back soon. Please let me know what you think.
Love you guys! xxx