It had took pretty much the whole night to get to Venice, when they reached Venice that Leo, Jason, Piper and Gleeson had stayed behind on the Agro II while, Emily, Nico, Frank and Hazel had went into Venice itself. Emily was weary of the monsters that were there, Emily had never seen this creatures before. Even in seventy years worth of hunting, one of the creatures had find something in between the stones and than it pulled up a plant and started eating it of which made Emily grateful that they didn't eat flesh or demigods. It seem that the others felt the same way as well, or for the most part at any rate.

"Well, they're plant-eaters. That's good news." Emily had noticed that slipped her hand into Frank's hand, as Emily looked at their hands that she suddenly wish that Leo was there.

"Unless they supplement their diet with demigods. Let's hope not."

"There." Emily and the other two had followed Nico onto a smaller street that Emily didn't know what the name of it was. Of which meant that they had left the canal behind and in front of them was a small plaza with five story buildings. The area was deserted of which Emily had wondered why it was deserted, not only that but Emily was getting a bad feeling about this. Not only that but a dozen of those shaggy cow creatures were sniffing around at the base of an old stone well.

"A lot of cows in one place."

"Yeah, but look. Past that archway." It didn't take long for Emily to see what Nico was talking about, for at the far end of the plaza that there was a stone archway. It was carved with lions and it led into a narrower street that the other street had been. Just behind that arch was tow hours and one of them was painted black and it as the only black build that Emily had seen.

"La Casa Nera."

"I don't like that plaza. It feels … cold."

"You're right, Hazel. This neighbourhood is filled with lemures."

"Lemurs? I'm guessing you don't mean the furry little guys from Madagascar?"

"Angry ghosts, Lemures go back to Roman times. They hang around a lot of Italian cities, but I've never felt so many in one place. My mom told me … She used to tell me stories about the ghosts of Venice."

"Nico, your mom was Italian? She was from Venice?"

"She met Hades here, back in the 1930s. As World War Two got closer, she fled to the U.S. with my sister and me. I mean … Bianca, my other sister. I don't remember much about Italy, but I can still speak the language." Emily figured that Frank must felt slightly uncomfortable that he was standing with three demigods from the past and to were pulled out of time. Emily had be in time as it moved for seventy years. So she wasn't quite out of time as the others. Emily had leaned to Frank and whispered in his ear.

"I bet that it is weird to be standing in one of the oldest cities out there with here demigods that were not born in this time but were born before World War II had started." Emily had moved away and notice that Frank had raised an eyebrow when Emily had said that. It was clear that Frank still didn't think of her living in the same time period as Nico and Hazel, apparently Hazel had at least heard her as well, for Hazel smiled and haut shook her head knowingly.

"Must've been hard on your mom, I guess we'll do anything for someone we love."

"Yeah, I guess we will."

"So, the lemures … How do we avoid them?" It seem that Frank had decided to drop the subject of Nico's past.

"I'm already on it, I'm sending out the message that they should stay away and ignore us. Hopefully that's enough. Otherwise … things could get messy."

"Let's get going." So the four of them had started across the piazza, halfway across the piazza that everything had went wrong. It was not Nico's fault for it had nothing to do with they ghosts that were there in the piazza. For Hazel had stumbled on a loose piece of cobblestone and Frank had caught her before Hazel and fell. Than six or seven of the creatures had turned to look at them, Emily had noticed that there was glowing green eyes under the mane of one of the creatures.

"Nice cows. Guys, I'm thinking we should back out of here slowly."

"I'm such a klutz. Sorry."

"It's not your fault. Look at your feet." Emily had glanced down and she nearly took a sharp intake of breath. For under their shoes that the paving stones were moving, spiky plant tendrils were pushing from he cracks. Emily tried to control the plants and she succeed somewhat for they slowed down, apparently there was some sort of magic to the plants. Not only that but Emily was tired and weak form using her powers for half of the night last night with he storm spirits, Emily had step back as well as Nico. The tendrils had got thicker as they moved towards them.

"These roots seem to like demigods." Emily had took her hair clip from her hair as hazel's hand drifted to her sword hilt.

"And the cow creatures like the roots." The entire herd was now looking at their direction of which Emily didn't like.

"Don't meet their eyes. I'll distract them. You three back up slowly towards that black house." The creatures were tensed and were ready to attack. "Never mind, run!" Emily, Nico and Hazel bolted for the side street. Emily had a feeling that Frank was going to turn into an animal, Emily heard three of those cows to follow Emily, Frank and Hazel. She also judged that three of the cows were chasing them because of Frank yelling.

"No! Me! I'm the rhino!" Emily had turned her hair clip into her sword, Nico and milt had managed to kill the three creatures or cows or whatever they were. However one of them had blast a grew gas in Hazel's face before Emily and Nico could react fast enough. After they killed the three cows that Nico had started yelling Frank's name.

"Frank! Frank!" Frank and just turned back to human form and he glanced behind him to see Emily and Nico holding their swords. Nico had gestured at Frank to hurry, hand he had looked behind them to see Hazel propped against the wall. Emily knew that Frank would be worried when he saw Hazel, Frank had ran towards them and grabbed Hazel's shoulders. But Hazel's head had slumber against her chest.

"She got a blast of green gas right in the face, I – I wasn't fast enough."

We need to get her back to the ship." Emily had looked back at the herd just beyond the archway, they were bellowing.

"We'll never make it on foot. Frank, turn into a giant eagle. Don't worry about me. Get her back to the Argo II!" When Emily was sure at Frank was about ready to try from the looks of it that a voice behind them had spoke and they sound around as the voice spoke.

"Your friends can't help you. They don't know the cure." Standing on the here should of the black house was a young man, he was over twenty but under twenty five. He was wearing jeans and a denim shirt, the man had curly black hair and a friendly Emily, but there was something off about is man. But Emily was sure of one thing, at this man was not a man, but a god, most likely a moony god but a god none he less,

"Can you cure her?"

"Of course. But you'd better hurry inside. I think you've angered every katobleps in Venice." The four of them had barely made it inside when the cow things had bellowed and slammed into the door. Their host had threw the bolts just before the cow things hit the door of the black house, Emily could see the shudder on the door when the cows hit the door.

"Oh, they can't get in. You're safe now!"

"Safe? Hazel is dying!" The man had frowned when Frank had said that.

"Yes, yes. Bring her this way." Frank had picked up Hazel and they followed the man further into the building. Nico had offered to help as well as Emily, but Frank refused their help to carry Hazel. Hazel didn't look too good at the moment, it was clear that something about the breath of the cows that caused harm. Emily couldn't believe this house, for the front room was a greenhouse of some kind, there was tables with plant trays under the lights, the air smelled of a fertilizer solution, Emily may not have been to Italy before but emily was sure that not all people that live in this city grew their plants inside. The back room looked like a garage, college form and a computer lab. On the left wall was servers and laptops, what Emily found odd was the pictures of plough end fields and tractors. On the right wall was a single bed with a messy desk and an open wardrobe filled with denim clothing. The back wall was a garage door and there was a red and gold chariot, there was a spotted python wrapped around the rim of the left wheel.

"Set your friend here." Frank had placed Hazel on the bed and he did everything he could make Hazel comfortable while Emily and Nico stayed to one side.

"What were those cow things? What did they do to her?"

"Katoblepones. Singular: katobleps. In English, it means down-looker. Called that because –"

"They're always looking down. Right. I remember reading about them."

"Now you remember?"

"I, uh … used to play this stupid card game when I was younger. Mythomagic. The katobleps was one of the monster cards." Emily rolled her eyes, she remembered Nico playing that game when she had first meet him four years ago now of which seem impossible now that Emily had thought about it.

"I played Mythomagic. I never saw that card."

"It was in the Africanus Extreme expansion deck."

"Oh."

"Are you two done, ah, geeking out, as they say?"

"Right, sorry. Anyway, katoblepones have poison breath and a poison gaze. I thought they only lived in Africa."

"That's their native land. They were accidentally imported to Venice hundreds of years ago. You've heard of Saint Mark?"

"Saints? They're not part of Greek mythology."

"No, but Saint Mark is the patron saint of this city. He died in Egypt, oh, a long time ago. When the Venetians became powerful … well, the relics of saints were a big tourist attraction back in the Middle Ages. The Venetians decided to steal Saint Mark's remains and bring them to their big church of San Marco. They smuggled out his body in a barrel of pickled pig parts."

"That's … disgusting."

"Yes, the point is you can't do something like that and not have consequences. The Venetians unintentionally smuggled something else out of Egypt – the katoblepones. They came here aboard that ship and have been breeding like rats ever since. They love the magical poison roots that grow here – swampy, foul-smelling plants that creep up from the canals. It makes their breath even more poisonous! Usually the monsters ignore mortals, but demigods … especially demigods who get in their way –"

"Got it. Can you cure her?"

"Possibly."

"Possibly?"

"Nico, please tell me she's doing that death-trance thing, like you did in the bronze jar."

"I don't know if Hazel can do that. Her dad is technically Pluto, not Hades, so –"

"Hades! So that's what I smell. Children of the Underworld? If I'd known that, I would never have let you in!"

"Hazel's a good person. You promised you would help her!"

"I did not promise."

"She's my sister, I don't know who you are, but if you can cure her you have to, or so help me by the River Styx –"

"Oh, blah, blah, blah!" When the man did that, that Nico was changed into a plant and at once Emily had realized of who this man was. "There, children of Hades can't order me around! You should talk less and listen more. Now at least you have ..."before Triptolemus could finished that Emily had used the hair clip to changed into her sword and put it against his throat and pushed him against the wall. Emily was glaring at him with an angry look a look that looked the same look as her mother's when her mother had got angry.

"Unless if you want me to tell my mother of what you are doing that you should change Nico back and cure Hazel."

"Who are you? Are you a child of Hades?" Emily had lit herself up in fire when Triptolemus had said that and the poppy for the hilt had started to grow around him and he tried to push the poppy back but he was unable to do so half dope to Emily but it was mainly because the poppy was connected to her half sister and her mother.

"Are you insulting me and my mother? For I can promise you this, that my mother would consider that an insult. I am Elizabeth Rogers, Lieutenant America, daughter of Demeter, champion of Hestia, owner of εποχή ερωμένη and Lieutenant of Artemis. I am also the protector of the roman state and the home because Hestia had declared me as such. I am also know as Emily Blackthrone." As Emily spoke that Triptolemus had looked at the sword and gulped when he realized that he knew the sword as Emily spoke that she prayed to her mother for help of some kind. "So turn Nico back and cure Hazel."

"Elizabeth don't you remember what Hades did to your half sister?" Emily would have responded but a female voice behind Emily had spoke.

"She does." Emily turned around as her mother entered the room.