THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH Percy Jackson ... - No one's invited.

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The cowherd shrugged. “Maybe he was just saying that to fool you.”
“What about the Titans?” I asked. “Did you Iris-message them about Nico yet?”
“Nope.Geryon was waiting until after the barbecue. They don’t know about him.”
Nico as glaring at me.I wasn’t sure what to do about him. I doubted he would agree to come with us.
On the other hand, I couldn’t just let him roam around on his own.
“You could stay here until we’re done with our quest,” I told him. “It would be safe.”
“Safe?”Nico said. “What do you care if I’m safe? You got my sister killed!”
“Nico,” Annabeth said, “that wasn’t Percy’s fault. And Geryon wasn’t lying about Kronos wanting to
capture you. If he knew who you were, he’d do anything to get you on his side.”
“I’m not on anyone’s side. And I’m not afraid.”
“You should be,” Annabeth said. “Your sister wouldn’t want—”
“If you cared for my sister, you’d help me bring her back!”
“A soul for a soul?”I said.
“Yes!”
“But if you didn’t want my soul—”
“I’m not explaining anything to you!” He blinked tears out of his eyes. “And Iwill bring her back.”
“Bianca wouldn’t want to be brought back,” I said. “Not like that.”
“You didn’t know her!” he shouted. “How do you know what she’d want?”
I stared at the flames in the barbecue pit. I thought about the line in Annabeth’s prophecy:You shall rise
or fall by the ghost king’s hand . That had to be Minos, and Ihad to convince Nico not to listen to him.
“Let’s ask Bianca.”
The sky seemed to grow darker all of a sudden.
“I’ve tried,” Nico said miserably. “She won’t answer.”
“Try again. I’ve got a feeling she’ll answer with me here.”
“Why would she?”
“Because she’s been sending me Iris-messages,” I said, suddenly sure of it. “She’s been trying to warn
me what you’re up to, so I can protect you.”
Nico shook his head. “That’s impossible.”