Missing

Deal

Reyna's POV

If someone had told me yesterday that today was going to be hell I probably wouldn't have believed them. I mean, things seemed pretty calm for a while but I guess nothing's supposed to ever stay that way. I'd had the same dream as before and I couldn't stop thinking about it. About what could happen and about all the possibilities headed our way.

It worried me not just for myself but for everyone else as well. It nearly kept me up the entire night and if it hadn't been for Thalia I probably wouldn't have fallen asleep. She'd realized after a short time that something was off and stayed up with me until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. Her stupid but effective solution was playing go fish until one of us won ten times.

It was boring at first but after a while I forgot my bad mood and soon Jason and Piper had joined in as did Nico who'd snuck his way in followed by Frank until everyone was playing the stupid card game until they got bored and left.

Waking up wasn't he bad part. No that was fine it was always kind of nice, at least now anyways, the only difficult part was trying not to wake Thalia.

No, the bad part came when the scouts returned during breakfast. We were all having fun laughing and goofing off when Nico shadow travelled back into human into existence with his group. They'd been making morning runs every day but so far according to them not much had changed.

Only this time something was definitely different. Cecil was unconscious in Will's arms looking like a pin cushion and Lou was extremely worried. The look was clear on her face. In an instant everything turned to complete chaos.

"Get him to the infirmary now." Chiron said his voice rising above the crowd of anxious campers. "Nico tell me what happened."

Nico panted bending over with his hands on his knees his legs were shaking. "I don't know."

"Yes you do. Think." Chiron said calmly.

"That's the thing I don't know!" Nico insisted talking in broken hard to understand sentences. "We were shadow traveling. Mid jump when I heard Cecil. Turned around last second. Not a good thing."

He dropped to his knees and Percy was there in an instant helping his slouched form stand. "Talk later. Besides, we can ask Lou. In the mean time you're coming with me."

Nico didn't have the energy to protest and Percy was in big brother mode so there was no use in arguing with him.

"We were just shadow traveling that's it we didn't even get to where we were going before something happened," Lou explained, but you could tell she really just wanted to make sure Cecil was okay.

"They predicted it." Annabeth said. "They knew you were coming. They're more prepared than I thought."

"How though? We picked a new location everyday. We were random nothing was specific let alone predictable." Lou said getting a little defensive.

"Unless they could sense you." Malcolm piped up. "I mean these are gods who obviously have control over emotions."

"Yeah but it's not like any of us were experiencing any high levels of love." Lou said sarcastically.

"Doesn't matter. If they've been acquainted with you before they can probably sense it easily." Malcolm said. "Any of you have a run in with them before?"

"No unless you count Nico but he's only had a run in with Cupid," Lou said with a shrug.

"Then that's your answer." Malcolm smiled proud of his detective abilities. "Cupid."

"Stupid Cupid," Thalia grumbled. "I hate that guy."

"Yeah we know," Jason joked trying to lighten the mood.