The next few days went by without a hitch (if you didn't count Percy and Leo narrowly avoiding death as a hitch). Will stayed in Nico's cabin for many but unspecified reasons, much to Nico's mild annoyance and Will's confusion. As a result, the siren was left with the quartermaster, who almost never took the initiative to talk - and that was when he was in his cabin. For most of the day, Nico would be at various parts of the Argo II, doing his quartermaster-ly business. His absence disappointed Will, who had nothing to do except read the notebook he'd rediscovered at the armory, and fiddle with the things in the cabin left within his reach. (There weren't many things.)

When Nico did return, however, Will always felt a strong surge of happiness. Which was to be expected, anyway - for someone who spent his time counting the number of books on Nico's shelf (173 on the bigger one, and 89 on the smaller one). Whether it was just looking at him read or watching his hair bob as he wrote, Nico's presence never failed to make Will's heart beat a little faster.

"What're you writing?" Will asked out of sheer curiosity (and boredom) one night.

Nico hummed, without looking up from his writing. "Why would I tell you?"

Will pouted. "What, I can't just ask a question?"

Nico chuckled and put down his pen, turning to face the siren. "How about you ask me a question, and I get to ask you one in return. How's that for a deal?" Will nodded enthusiastically. "Alright, then. Shoot away, Sunshine."

"Well, what are you writing?"

"I'm recording information I have about monsters and creatures."

"Why?"

Nico smirked. "My turn, Will." The siren pouted. "How's your family?"

"Well, there's my father, my mother, my brother Austin and my sister Kayla. We're the only family of sirens in the sea of Apollo," Will said, eyes turning distant and longing. "They're all really good at hunting, but I'm horrible at it. That's why they never let me go alone."

"And you shouldn't have," Nico snickered.

"Well, but I'm better at healing!" Will protested. "My turn! How's your family?"

"Dead."

"...oh," Will said. "...sorry."

Nico waved his hand dismissively, flipping open a fresh page of his book. "It's no matter; that was a long time ago. My turn. Does your family have any other abilities apart from hypnosis and vitakinesis?"

Will knit his eyebrows in thought. "Well, that I'm not sure. But I've been told by my father that we have especially strong hypnotizing and healing abilities, compared to other sirens."

Nico made a indistinct interested noise and scribbled some things down on the book.

Will briefly considered what question to ask next. "The white scales that Octavian grew last time...they were siren scales, weren't they?"

"Nice observation. Yeah, they are," Nico replied. "They belong to the leukai, meaning 'white', family of sirens at Aptera. Aptera's a part of quite a large cluster of water bodies. But they're not very close to the Seas of Apollo, if I remember correctly. Do you know anything about the leukai sirens?"

"No...I've never heard of them. What about them?"

Nico chuckled. "I wouldn't expect you to have heard of them. They're also a single family of sirens, but they were all killed by the Queen's army some time ago."

"Why would Gaea want to kill a bunch of sirens?" Will wondered aloud.

"The leukai sirens are one of the oldest families of sirens around. As such, they use ancient magic, which is very powerful," Nico explained. "The Queen wanted to get their powerful magic on her side, but the leukai sirens weren't very fond of picking sides. So she just killed the bunch of them."

"That sounds evil," Will commented.

"It is," Nico agreed. "The reason why the Stygian Iron sword is so powerful is because it was made with leukai magic. Usually, the sword would be with one of the leukai sirens, but somewhere along the way, it ended up with me," he finished vaguely.

"How?"

Nico smirked. "Now, Sunshine. I've already answered two of your questions without asking any of my own. Besides, it's getting late. You should sleep," he said, ruffling Will's hair.

Will straightened up in protest. "What? But there are so many questions I haven't asked! Just ask me another two more and we can continue!"

The quartermaster snickered. "Goodnight, Will." He turned back to his table and continued writing.

Will groaned. "I'm bored." Nico ignored him, giving him no choice but to (try to) turn in for the day. Listening to the scratching of pen on paper, he compelled himself to fall asleep.

The scratching noise abruptly stopped. Will lifted his head to face Nico, who was looking at him.

"Why don't you sing something for me, then?" Nico said. "Then we'll call it even and you can continue asking me another day."

"Only mother sirens sing for their children, Nico," Will teased. "But sure, I guess. Heck, I don't even know why you aren't affected by these."

Nico looked at him expectantly.

Will sighed. "Fine. I don't know too many songs, though." He picked the first one that came to mind.

Hath any loved you well, down there,

Summer or winter through?

Down there, have you found any fair

Laid in the grave with you?

's death's long kiss a richer kiss

Than mine was wont to be–

Or have you gone to some far bliss

And quite forgotten me?

Will paused, looking at Nico. The quartermaster was resting on the table.

What soft enamoring of sleep

Hath you in some soft way?

What charmed death holdeth you with deep

Strange lure by night and day?

A little space below the grass,

Our of the sun and shade;

But worlds away from me, alas,

Down there where you are laid.

By now, Nico was sound asleep, his head buried in his open book. The siren briefly wondered if all humans slept that way.

Soon, Will found himself drifting off to sleep as the dark blanket of the night swept over him.