Lost

32

After arguing with Will for what seemed like hours, he finally allowed me ten minutes with Nico after he'd force fed him ambrosia.

Nico sat in a bed in the infirmary, an untouched glass of nectar on the nightstand next to him.

"Nico?" I asked as I sat down on the visitor's chair.

"I know what you're going to ask me," Nico replied weakly. "No, Annabeth didn't escape with me. I barely even saw her."

Then Nico explained what had happened to him. Arachne had taken him one night when he'd gone off to get something out of camp from the nearby connivence store.

She'd imprisoned him and questioned him for information on the whereabouts of the Athena Parthenos. She was terrified of it being used against her and angry she had been outsmarted by a daughter of Athena.

She'd even been mad at him, Reyna, and Coach Hedge for their involvement and she was picking them off one by one.

Arachne had nearly killed him, but he managed to escape death as Reyna, who was near him, managed to give him some of her strength once in a while.

He had tried to escape with Reyna, but she'd been caught when they had made a run for it, and he had no clue where she was except that she and Annabeth were both still alive.

He also said that he had Iris called me, but had been caught and forced to say go back to Rome, which was a hoax the whole time.

"You mean—you mean there was nothing in Rome?" I whispered, my head throbbing.

Nico weakly shook his head. "Nothing at all. She heard Leo was going through the Sea of Monsters and planted her ship there and lied about Rome to throw you off, and then made me say that to throw you off even further once you'd returned."

My eyes widened. "Wait, where is she located then?"

"New York," Nico replied. "She's working from
some abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. And even worst, she plans to come here."

"Why?" I asked.

"She knows the Athena Parthenos is here. Reyna accidentally let it slip, that's why she's been able to give me her strength, Arachne didn't have to torture her for information," he said.

Before I could ask more Will burst in and demanded I leave as I was 'stressing Nico out.' Nico only smiled at Will.

"We'll talk more tomorrow," Nico assured me. "And we'll find her, don't worry."