Isabella, Tartarus survivor

What the heck are Einherji??

Chapter 32

They appeared atop a tall tree. Nico clung to the branch next to Isabella, looking around to check if they'd been spotted. Everyone carried on walking by, so he assumed they hadn't been, and began to climb down, gracefully swinging from branch to branch. "Come on, Is. I'll catch you if you fall!" He grinned cheekily at his twin and she stuck her tongue in in reply, lowering herself down.

"We're looking for a Magnus, right?" Nico asked. Issy nodded. "Alright. You know what he looks like?" Issy pulled out a picture Annabeth had given her and showed it to Nico.

"He looks like this." She told him. Nico nodded.

"Let's go find us a Magnus, then."

The twins wandered the park for half an hour until they stumbled across two teenagers, looking as though they were in deep conversation. One of them, a boy wearing a beanie, had his hands wrapped around a necklace he was wearing. The other, a girl, Isabella thought, although she could have been wrong, had her hand on the boys knee in a comforting gesture. Isabella turned to Nico, pretending to start a friendly chat. "What?" Nico asked, suddenly alert and fearing danger.

"Just pretend to talk to me," Isabella said, "I want to listen to what they're saying." Nico exhaled, a slight laugh, and shook his head.

"Okay." Isabella tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, and began gesturing slightly with her arms, faking an appearance of talking.

"Nah, Annabeth knows what she's doing. It'll be fine."

"You know who her parent is?" The girl asked.

"Annabeth wouldn't say. Said it was complicated. We'll find out eventually."

"It'll all be fine Magnus. Although, if she doesn't hurry up and show her face soon, we might as well leave without her." Isabella nodded at Nico, and sheepishly approached the bench.

"Magnus?" She asked. The boy looked up.

"Isabella!" He said, standing with a grin on his face and sticking out his hand. Isabella hesitantly shook it.

"Who's this?" The girl asked, pointing at Nico.

"I could say the same about you." Nico retorted.

"Hey." Isabella interrupted. "Uh, I hope it's alright, but I brought my brother, Nico, with me. He's not staying for the quest, he just didn't want me to come here alone." Magnus shook Nico's hand.

"I'm Alex." The green haired girl kept her hands firmly by her side, and Isabella felt like the girl was probably quite hostile. She felt something else as well, something she couldn't quite place, but filled her with an overwhelming sense of familiarity. Nico was firing questions at Magnus and Alex, but Isabella's mind was elsewhere. There was something off about these two. What was it?

"Where will you be taking her?" Nico asked in a threatening tone.

"Um, wherever we need to go, really." Magnus had a weird look on his face.

"And you'll look after her?"
"I'll try my best."

"Not good enough. My sister has been through too much. If you don't bring her home safe, there will be consequences." Suddenly, Isabella grabbed Nico's arm and pulled him away.

"Di immortales Is, what?" Nico asked as he stumbled backwards.

"Nico, they're dead."

"What? No they're-" Nico's brow furrowed as he used his power, checking their life forces. Their non- existent life forces.

"Father of Zeus, how did I not realise that sooner?" Nico was shocked at himself. He was always on guard. How did he miss something as important as this? Grabbing his sister's hand, Nico shadow travelled them behind the two dead people and held a sword to Magnus's back. He stood very close so that no one could see what he was doing. Magnus held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. Isabella had her dagger held to Alex's neck. The girl kicked Isabella in the knee, but she stood firm and kept her balance.