Chapter Eight

The next day Percy left a note for his mother, took his backpack and traveled to Camp Half-Blood. The campers were excited to see him, hugging him, patting him on the back. They asked him a slew of questions as to why he hadn't come around more often. Percy gave a half-shrug and gave excuses that he was busy. It was all a lie. If he told them that he had escaped the Underworld once more then he would get a bigger reputation than the one he had and the gods may strike him down for hubris.

He deeply inhaled the strawberry scent of the camp. He thought of games of Capture the Flag, of fighting in the arena and meeting Thalia, and standing up to Clarisse by flooding the toilets. The Camp with its controlled weather, its hijinks never failed to lift his spirits. But there was a missing piece, the boy who cracked open a platform, releasing skeletons from the earth to attack him.

Near the volleyball courts stood the centaur Chiron, his arms crossed over his wide chest. Percy approached him with a false smile.

"Percy, it's been a while."

Percy nodded to his old mentor. "I was thinking I could help out in the arena today and take Blackjack to New Rome tomorrow."

Chiron observed him. "What is bothering you?"

If he couldn't trust Chiron then the whole camp was doomed. He told him the bare bones of the story, how Nico had tried to help him, how they figured someone was after him, and how he made a deal with the Goddess of the Underworld.

Chiron listened, nodding and running his hand over his goatee. "That was a bold action," he said after Percy finished.

"I know."

"If I may inquire, is the reason for your moving to New Rome is to be near Ms. Levesque?"

That was a talent of Chiron: Seeing through things. Percy suspected that after you live for a few thousand years, it was bound to happen. He was frequently surprised how Chiron never tired of teaching them and surprised that he voiced his thoughts at all. It wasn't often that he spoke what he was thinking. Due to the nature of knowing the prophecies made, he had to keep a lot of secrets from the camp.

"Yes, sir," he answered.

"Because you suspect that he will be there to visit his sister?"

"He will – sooner or later."

Silence fell as they reached the Big House. Chiron clomped up the steps before turning to him. "I'll make you a deal, Percy. If you stay for three days training the new kids, then I will allow you to take Blackjack. Three full days, understand?"

It was the cheapest option, it's not like he had the money for a flight across the country, and there was no way to track Nico down when he could travel much faster than Percy. Blackjack was his only option.

"It's a deal," he said.

"Fantastic. You can start now." His tail swayed as he made his way into the Big House.

Percy didn't look into the Poseidon Cabin, he opened the door and threw his backpack in and then went straight to the arena. There were kids who must have been in their pre-teens were fighting with swords too large for their size. Two black-haired children were there their weapons clashing clumsily, each strike sending them several steps back. Percy stood back and watched for a good ten minutes when the boy called quits, rubbing his sore shoulder.

The girl giggled. "Can't take anymore, brother?"

Percy jumped up on the platform. "That's enough. I'm your instructor for the next few days."

"Who are you," the bold little girl asked with a sneer plastered to her otherwise pretty face.

"Percy Jackson."

The boy's head shot up. "You're the Percy Jackson? Wow. I've heard all about you!"

Percy quietly looked him over feeling like Ares had punched him in the stomach. The boy with his wild hair and wide quizzical eyes looked much like Nico when he was that age. He almost expected the kid to take out a thick deck of Mythomagic cards, rattling off about point systems. It almost changed his mind, to go back to the empty apartment and forget finding Nico, but at the same time, remembering that innocence made him want to try. He flipped his sword, pumping himself up.

"Let's get to work."

"I can't," the boy groaned. "I'm sore."

He knelt closer to the boy's level. "What's your name?"

"Rick."

"Okay, Rick, you'll have to push yourself while you're here. Monsters are not going to call for a break. Come on, give me your best shot." He stood, tapping his chest with the flat of his sword.

Rick lifted his weapon and half-way through his arch he let go of the hilt. The sword skidded off the platform into the grass. The crowd watching (most of them his age) roared with laughter and Rick looked to be on the verge of tears.

"Hey! That was a good try." Percy retrieved the weapon, handing it out to him. "Try again. This time, don't let go, tighten your grip."

Rick beamed at him, much in that starstruck way that Nico once had. Percy put that to the side, readying himself for what happened to be another flying sword arcing its way over Percy's head.

"Again," he said, going back to get the weapon.

The day ended quickly for Percy. He skipped dinner and the nightly songs around the campfire. Instead of participating in the things that he normally would've enjoyed, he went to the lake. He laid back in the tall grass, his feet soaking in the water. The stars above shined more brightly at the camp than it did in the city. They were countless, sprinkled like glitter over a child's drawing.

"Percy." Annabeth's head came into view before she lied beside him, her legs up away from the water. "Where's Nico?"

"He left." There was that hallow feeling, stretching itself open like a yawn threatening to swallow him. He tried not to let that show.

"You told me," she said. "Where is he?"

"Last I checked, Italy."

"Italy? He was born there, right?"

"Yes."

She touched the back of his hand, her piercing eyes boring into his, making him uncomfortable. "Percy, what's wrong?"

"I made a promise I shouldn't have."

"Oh, tell me you didn't break his heart?"

Genuinely, he smiled at her, only slightly annoyed at the protectiveness she had over the son of the dead, but most of all, he appreciated it. More people should have cared for Nico the way that they did.

"Seaweed brain, tell me you didn't..."

His smile faded. "I didn't mean to. It... Sorry. I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay..." She looked around, but there was nothing to see but the distant naiads at the edge of the water grooming their long hair. "Do you want company?"

He turned his palm up, enjoying the heat of her next to him, the way her fingers slid between his. It was familiar and comforting. "Yeah," he said, "stay."

Percy didn't know where the time passed, but he woke to Annabeth sleeping beside him. She looked like a goddess, the way her hair covered portions of her face, the even rising of her chest. He almost hated to wake her, but her wrath would be worse if she woke to find him staring.

"Annabeth," he whispered, prodding her shoulder.

She opened her eyes, taking in the lake and the risen moon, realizing how long they may have been lying there. The naiads were gone. "Oh." She struggled to her feet, Percy lending an arm that she didn't take.

They said nothing more to each other and parted ways, barely conscious. Percy stopped on his way, rubbing his eyes. When he opened them it was an onslaught of green flickering. He was standing in front of an obsidian cabin, the cabin for the Hades' children. In the case for Hades, it was for Nico.

Percy shouldn't have gone in. There were rules about going into a cabin (besides Hermes) that wasn't yours. But he simply didn't care. Nothing worse could happen - not in the camp.

Green light illuminated the inside, playing tricks with shadows giving an eerie sense that the occupant wasn't alone. It was a warm night, the days growing close to summer, but the obsidian stone dropped the temperature drastically. Percy was shivering, his teeth chattering. He had one foot out the door when he saw something peaking out of a pillow. Percy slid out a photo.

The picture had been taken after the last war. Nico and Reyna and many of other campers had come to help with defeating Gaia. The chosen seven plus Nico escaped the festivities that day to be together. They were standing in front of a white Greek building, the sun making it shine brilliantly. In front from left to right was Jason, Leo, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Annabeth, Percy and Nico. It was a sudden photo and no one chose any particular place to stand. They all gathered together, except Nico who chose to stand away from Percy, but Percy hadn't been deterred that day, his hand reaching over to grasp Nico's shoulder.

Percy ran his finger down the edge of the photo. He hadn't known that Nico had a copy since he hadn't wanted to be in it. Seeing it there, the look on Nico's face, Percy wondered how he could have been so dumb as to not have seen it before. There it was, glaringly obvious how Nico felt from the beginning, and he was right about Percy's selfishness. He was too wrapped up in Annabeth and the quest to have ever paid attention to him.

It wasn't the shattered glass of his eyes, nor was it the skin and bones that he was. It was the frown set in, one that reached into his guts and swirled them around. Percy couldn't have imagined how hard it was for him and Percy hadn't made it any easier. Guilt were stones in his stomach, his heart feeling like lead.

Folding the picture in half, Percy stuck it in his pocket, and shut the door with a final click. Instantly, he could breathe, the heavy weight of the darkness in that cabin had lifted, but not the guilt.

Tall Hellenic pillars beside the doors reminiscent of his father's underwater palace. Inside, the basin of water created blue-white ripples over the ceiling and walls, as peaceful as it always had been. It appeared untouched; Tyson had apparently not been there or he had done a bang-up-job of cleaning it. Then again, maybe he had. Percy was sure he hadn't left it so clean. He expected to be hit with the scent of must, but it smelled like... Lemons. Yeah, Tyson had definitely been there.

He stared at the basin of water in the corner, being tempted of trying once more to send Nico an Iris message, but Chiron was keeping him from Camp Jupiter for a reason. Perhaps they both needed space even if it was the last thing that Percy wanted. He had enough space from Nico through their years, now he wanted to make up for lost time. They had just found each other, losing him was unbearable.

Trusting Chiron, he laid in his bed, finding sleep hard to catch.