Chapter 26.

When we walk back, Chantelle is wearing my locket and looks like me. I keep stealing glances at her. My eyes look even greener and the under circles are darker and larger. It's been a long day, but after Grace, Lexi and Liam have disappeared, I don't want to stop.

"We'll find Liam." She says.

"What?"

"You were biting your lips, it was obvious you were thinking about him."

"How do I keep forgetting that my own siblings and the seven, as they get called, have gone missing and I'm supposed to be looking for them? I've not had any training and I can't throw a it wasn't for the others I'd be killed a thousand times by now."

"Not trying to sound nasty, but the way Thalia describes your fighting, it sounds like the monsters aren't trying to kill you."

"Good job then."

"Katy, if they don't want to kill you then they want to use you. Two years ago they wanted to keep two of the seven alive long enough to awaken Gaia. If they're planning anything like that and we don't have Percy or Annabeth, I don't like our chances. Thalia is an amazing hunter and Nico, he's not letting any of them die. But we have two mortals, an untrained Demi god and I haven't fought any other monsters in years, so yeah."

"Great."

"But there has to be a reason that Chiron would let you on this quest. Leo and Piper went on a quest the day after they arrived at Camp Half Blood and they survived."

"We all had some sort of vision or something."

"What? About them trapped in that room?"

"Yeah."

"I had that too. I emailed Reyna and she told me that everyone in New Rome had the same dream."

"You mean that everyone had it?"

"As far as I know. But, why did only some at your camp get the dream?"

"I, don't know."

"Hey look, there the others are. Don't tell them anything I told you. I don't want them knowing. So, act natural."

"Hello friends, I am here." I give an exaggerated bow.

"Hey Katy, hey Ch- what the Hell?" Olivia blinks rapidly at us.

"Hi." Chantelle waves.

"Are you going to explain?" Thalia laughs.

"Nah." I joke.

"Ok. Anyways, the next train to Allens West is in a minute." Maisie says.

"Great." I groan

"You sound excited." Thalia laughs

"I hated that school. It was full of douche bags."

"So is every school." Thalia argues

"Yeah, but it's different there, I used to be ugly and annoying. I mean, I still am but not as much."

"Plus I guess being dyslexic and having ADHD doesn't help." Nico shrugs.

"Well, I've never really had any problems with reading or writing." I twist my hair.

"Well, plenty of half bloods don't. They're just a minority." Thalia says.

"Train, guys. Come on." Olivia calls just as the train stops.

"Let's hope we don't have to fight any more, I'm knackered." Maisie yawns.

"You woke up five hours ago." Chantelle laughs as we board. "Oh, Katy, here's your locket back." She clasps the chain together before handing me it back and I put it on.

Chantelle, Nico, Thalia and I sit at the table on the right and the twins sit on the left. No one else got on the train and there's only four mortals in the carriage. I struggle to keep my eyes open and I lay my head in my arms on the table. I don't stop myself from drifting off.

"Oi, sleepy head." It's Nico's voice and he nudges my elbow.

"Noooo." I moan and turn my head away from the elbow, towards the aisle.

"Katy, next stop and we're there." Chantelle whispers. "Should I use my charm speak to wake her up?"

"Go ahead, I'm curious," he replies.

"Katy, wake up." She whispers. My belly flips at her voice and I feel like I've just had twelve hours of sleep. "wow, you look like.," Nico grimaces.

"What? Like I just woke up?" I try to raise one eyebrow but I can't so I raise them both. "Well, yeah. I guess." Nico laughs. "It's getting dark."

"Holy Hades, I swear it was daylight when we got on." Chantelle looks out the window. "What time is it?" I mumble, still half asleep.

"Just past 9." Maisie says.

"I thought we got on this train at six." I say.

"We did." Thalia pinches her lips together and her eyes widen. "Grab your weapons." She hisses.

I grab my sword and just as I take it out I realise that I never picked it up after Medusa. I drop it and stumble away. "What's wrong?" Chantelle grabs an imperial sword dagger. "I'm sure I left that at the other train." I whisper.

"You did. I put that it the dumpster with the head because it's dangerous. But you weren't there." Thalia knits her eyebrows. I pick Backbiter up.

"Well, thanks for getting rid of my sword. And it's definitely the same sword, it feels the same." I bite my lip.

"Riptide, Percy's sword, would always return to his pocket if he lost it. And Pandora's jar would follow the owner if it was left alone. Maybe it's enchanted like that?" Nico suggests.

"I don't know, but maybe- what the?" I gasp as I see Chiron's Grace face in the window."

"Hey, Chiron." Thalia waves.

"Thalia, have you found any sign of the missing heroes?" His voice is much lower than I remember. "Actually, Liam, Grace and Lexi went missing in Newcastle. We think they're with the others. We found Chantelle and her sisters, we think that the 'siblings of mortal soil' was actually about them, not Katy, Liam and Grace." Thalia explains. Chiron nods slowly. "Two more half-bloods went missing last night." He says. "Who?" Thalia asks.

Chiron sighs deeply. "Rosie Klark from the Demeter cabin, and Will Solace, son of Apollo."

I turn to Nico to see an even paler than usual face and watery eyes. "When did you realise that he had gone? Was there any sign of him? Did he leave a note, did anybody see or hear anything?" Nico cries out. Chiron shakes his head and looks down.

"Both half bloods had vanished by this morning."

"But, it's nine in the night, why are we just leaning about this?" He cries out.

"Time zones, Nico. We spent the morning looking around to see if it's a trick. I'm sorry, but I fear that it's a similar case to the others that went with you,"

"Could it have been at the same time?" I ask. "It was about noon then for us when they disappeared, so it would have been early morning for you at New York, maybe this happened at the same time? If so, then the same thing must have happened to both groups."

"Well, we have no way of knowing for sure, but I fear that you're right. You must finish your quest quickly to limit the risk of anyone else going missing."