Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
123
123
“We missed you at dinner,” I said. “You could’ve sat with me.”
“No.”
“Nico, you can’t miss every meal. If you don’t want to stay with Hermes, maybe they can
make an exception and put you in the Big House. They’ve got plenty of rooms.”
“I’m not staying, Percy.”
“But…you can’t just leave. It’s too dangerous out there for a lone half-blood. You need to
train.”
“I train with the dead,” he said flatly. “This camp isn’t for me. There’s a reason they didn’t put
a cabin to Hades here, Percy. He’s not welcome, any more than he is on Olympus. I don’t belong. I
have to go.”
I wanted to argue, but part of me knew he was right. I didn’t like it, but Nico would have to
find his own, dark way. I remembered in Pan’s cave, how the wild god had addressed each one of
us individually…except Nico.”
“When will you go?” I asked.
“Right away. I’ve got tons of questions. Like who was my mother? Who paid for Bianca and
me to go to school? Who was that lawyer guy who got us out of the Lotus Hotel? I know nothing
about my past. I need to find out.”
“Makes sense,” I admitted. “But I hope we don’t have to be enemies.”
He lowered his gaze. “I’m sorry I was a brat. I should’ve listened to you about Bianca.”
“By the way…” I fished something out of my pocket. “Tyson found this while we were
cleaning the cabin. Thought you might want it.” I held out a lead figurine of Hades—the little
Mythomagic statue Nico had abandoned when he fled camp last winter.
Nico hesitated. “I don’t play that game anymore. It’s for kids.”
“It’s got four thousand attack power,” I coaxed.
“Five thous