𝒊𝒗. 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔

𝒙.

"The others?" Annabeth gasped. "You mean Chris Rodriguez? That was you?" 

"The maze is my property," the ghost said, "not Daedalus's! Those who intrude deserve madness." 

"Be gone, Minos!" Nico demanded. "I want to see my sister!" 

The ghost bit back his rage. "As you wish, master. But I warn you. You cannot trust these heroes." 

With that, he faded into mist. 

Other spirits rushed forward, but Annabeth and Noelle kept them back. 

"Bianca, appear!" Nico intoned. He started chanting faster, and the spirits shifted restlessly. 

"Any time now," Grover muttered.

Then a silvery light flickered in the trees—a spirit that seemed brighter and stronger than the others. It came closer, and something told Noelle to let it pass. It knelt to drink at the pit. When it arose, it was the ghostly form of Bianca di Angelo. 

Nico's chanting faltered. Noelle lowered her knife. The other spirits started to crowd forward, but Bianca raised her arms and they retreated into the woods. 

"Hello, Noelle," she said. 

She looked the same as she had in life: a green cap set sideways on her thick black hair, dark eyes and olive skin like her brother. She wore jeans and a silvery jacket, the outfit of a Hunter of Artemis. A bow was slung over her shoulder. She smiled faintly, and her whole form flickered. 

"Bianca," Noelle said. Her voice was thick, but she still smiled. She'd felt upset about her death for along time, but seeing her in front of her eyes was five times as bad, like her death was fresh and new. Noelle remembered searching through the wreckage of the giant bronze warrior Bianca had sacrificed her life to defeat, and not finding any sign of her. It was when a small part of Noelle silently vowed she would do anything to protect Nico.

"I'm so sorry," she said. 

"You have nothing to apologize for, Noelle. I made my own choice. I don't regret it. Besides, you've done well by Nico." 

"Bianca!" Nico stumbled forward like he was just coming out of a daze. 

She turned toward her brother. Her expression was sad, as if she'd been dreading this moment. "Hello, Nico. You've gotten so tall." 

"Why didn't you answer me sooner?" he cried. "I've been trying for months!" 

"I was hoping you would give up." 

"Give up?" He sounded heartbroken. "How can you say that? I'm trying to save you!" 

"You can't, Nico. Don't do this. Noelle is right." 

"No! She let you die! She's not your friend," Nico finally blamed Noelle, but a part of him knew he wasn't being honest with himself. 

Bianca stretched out a hand as if to touch her brother's face, but she was made of mist. Her hand evaporated as it got close to living skin. 

"You must listen to me," she said. "Holding grudges is dangerous for a child of Hades. It is our fatal flaw. You have to forgive. You have to promise me this." 

"I can't. Never." 

"Noelle has been worried about you, Nico. She can help. She has helped. I let her see what you were up to, hoping she would find you." 

"So it was you," Noelle said. "You sent those Iris-messages." 

Bianca nodded. 

"Why are you helping them and not me?" Nico screamed. "It's not fair!"