Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Chapter 8: Percy Makes a Promise

I woke up quite suddenly. It was in the middle of the night and it was almost completely black outside. I felt wide awake but I didn't know what had made me wake up. I listened hard in case it had been a noise that had startled me and I heard voices outside. I listened harder and I recognized one of the voices as Bianca's and the other as Zoae's.

"Come, Bianca, we must discuss Phoebe." Zoae said.

I made a decision to follow them so I left the cabin. I followed them to the dining pavillion and hid behind a column to listen to their conversation.

"What happened to Phoebe, anyway." Bianca asked Zoae.

"The t-shirt that the Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin gave her was covered with centaur blood." Zoae said immediately.

"That's terrible." Bianca said and I couldn't help wondering where Travis and Connor had got the centaur blood from. I hoped that they didn't get it from Chiron.

"She will live," said Zoae "But she will be bed-riden for weeks with horrible hives. She cannot go on the quest. It is up to me and thee."

"Shouldn't we choose someone else?" Bianca asked.

"No." Zoae said firmly "I do not want Chiron to choose a camper as our fifth companion and I do not want to risk another Hunter. She would meet an end worse than Phoebe's."

"But we're supposed to have five." Bianca protested. An idea started to form in my head. If they only had four then I could go.

"The prophecy said that we will lose one." Zoae said.

"In the land without rain. That can't be here." Bianca replied.

"It might be." argued Zoae "Nothing can get past the borders without permision, not even weather. It could be a land without rain."

"Well maybe you should tell Thalia your dream." Bianca said, changing the subject. I suppose that she knew that she had lost and was a bit annoyed about it.

"No, it would not help." said Zoae.

"But if your suspicions are right about the General-was

"I have thy word not to talk about that." Zoae interupted her and then Bianca looked at the Big House.

"The lights of the Big House are on. Let's go."

They ran towards the Big House and Zoae paused. Bianca told her to hurry and she followed her to the Big House.

I took a deep breath. I was going to run after them but then Percy appeared right in front of me.

"You can't go." Percy said simply.

"Where did you come from?" I asked him amazed.

"I've been here all the time." He said.

"Look, Nico you can't go after them."

"Why not?" I said angrily, "Because I'm too young?"

"No," Percy said patiently, "Because they won't let you and yes because you're too young."

I realized something then. Percy had been planning to go soon and I decided to confront him.

"You're going, aren't you?" I asked.

"Well, yes. I have to go." I thought for a minute and then said, "I can go for me and protect my sister, you have too!"

"Nico," Percy protested, "She's got Zoae, Grover and Thalia..."

"Promise!" I insisted.

"This is a big thing to promise, Nico but I'll do my best. I promise that."

"Get going then!" I said "Good luck!"

I smiled and walked away from me. I knew that I shouldn't have made him promise but I wanted my sister to have the best protection possible. I knew that Percy could do it and I smiled. Bianca would be safe and if she was safe then I was happy.