Kaya took a step toward me and I mirrored by taking one back. I pulled my barrette from my hair and snapped open my sword, holding the blade between me and the weird snake-lady. Her black eyes were blank and she almost looked like she was in a trance. The snake wrapping itself around her waist scared me more because it looked like it wanted to kill me.
“Why are you doing this for her?”
“Mnemosyne is going to help me remember. I have to do this if I want my memories back.”
“Remember what?” I couldn't imagine wanting to remember something so much that I'd willingly murder someone. What could be that important?
“The one I love.” For the first time I saw real emotion in her. Even the snake slithered up to her shoulder and flicked its tongue against her cheek.
“Why would you want to do that? For all you know, he broke your heart.”
Okay, so maybe I was projecting some of my own feelings but if it was up to me, I'd happily forget how much Nico hurt me.
“For all you know,” she snapped back, “he still loves me and he misses me. But what do you know, princess? I'll bet you've never had to deal with anything like this.”
My grip loosened on my sword. “Yeah, I have, but for me the memories are haunting.”
The black in her eyes became like a black hole, sucking everything into their depths. “At least you have the memories. You have something to fall back on. I just know that someone important is missing from my life. I'll do anything to get that back, even if the memories are painful.”
I was thinking about what she'd said so I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have. I was too busy feeling sorry for her. Well I sure as hell wasn't going to make that mistake again after what she did next. While I was standing there trying to think of a way to help her- without dying- the snake snapped at me. I made a very unheroic squealing noise and swung at it, smacking it with the flat of my sword. I tried to get a good hit but I felt bad for the girl. I didn't really want to hurt her but I didn't know what else to do.
That creepy snake struck at me, its curved, venomous fangs scraping against my knuckles. I blocked its bite but I could still feel the liquid fire spreading through my veins from the scratch. In a matter of seconds, my knees buckled and I fell to the ground. My entire right arm was numb and I couldn't even hold my sword. It clattered against the kitchen tiles but my vision was so blurry already that I could barely make out the icy-shape against the white floor.
“I truly do apologize,” the girl said. Her voice sounded thick, muffled; I'd had conversations with Percy under water that weren't this garbled. “But you of all people should understand that I need my memories back. There's just a blank hole where he should be. Don't fight it, Naida. Just let go.”
I was really tempted to just do what she said. At least then the pain coursing though my body would end, and I wouldn't have to worry about any broken hearts anymore. Of course death by monster was one of the hazards of being a demigod, almost expected, but I was scared about what would happen to me after. Eternity was an awfully long time to think about all of my regrets.
“What the hell is going on in here?” someone familiar yelled. That voice was authoritative, it belonged to a leader, a warrior.
“Pan's pipes!”
“Oh gods, Naida. Grover, some Nectar, quick! Naida, relax. Everything's going to be alright.”
Long, slender fingers combed my red bangs away from my forehead and a strong arm lifted my head and shoulders. I could see a humanoid shape hovering over me and pale colors like yellow and beige registered in my brain. Something warm trickled into my mouth and down my throat. It tasted like warm milk, like when my mom used to make it for me so that I could fall asleep. The taste ignited every happy memory I had of my childhood, always mom and me.
My head was clearing up a little and I could see the bronze glow of a sword dance in and out of my vision. Something brown and furry was moving around like a kick boxer, landing some good hits on the snake and girl that kept striking back. I saw the brown thing grab what looked like the frying pan on the stove and swing it at the hissing reptile. It made a banging noise that had my ears ringing so I closed my eyes to relax my senses.
“Okay, that's enough. You don't want too much or you'll burn up.”
I peeled my eyes open but everything was just too bright. My head was pounding and the fire in my veins burned hotter for a second. For one agonizing instant, I thought I was dying. Then it stopped and all I saw was blackness.
I groaned and my eyes slowly fluttered open. I was on my back on the cold kitchen floor looking up at Annabeth, Percy, Grover, and my mother. They all looked worried and Mom had tears streaming down her cheeks leaving brown tracks. “How long was I out?”
“Only a minute,” Annabeth answered.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Damn, I felt like that snake pumped a crap-load of poison in me.”
“You're lucky you're such a good sword-fighter. If that thing would've actually bitten you, we might've been too late.”
Mom made a choking sound in the back of her throat. Sometimes I think Percy forgets that he knew what it was like to be near death and have a mom freak out over you.
I sat up and squeezed my eyes tight against a wave of pain and dizziness. I waited until it passed before I spoke again. “What happened here?”
“Aw, man, you should've seen the G-Man,” Percy said excitedly. “He was all over the place keeping that girl busy while I fought the snake. Then the snake tried to get him and he whacked it with a pan. I sliced at the thing but she disappeared before I could finish her and her pet off.”
As weird as it was, I was glad that Kaya had gotten away from Percy. My brother had more than a few monster kills under his belt. “What is an Erinyes, anyway?”
“A punisher,” Annabeth answered, of course. “Mostly they deal with murderers and traitors in the Underworld. They're a lot like Furies.”
“Well I've had just about enough of Furies and Erinyes and anything else from the Underworld. I just want to go to my room and collapse on my bed.”
“Sorry, Naida, can't do that,” Grover said.
I shot him my meanest look. I must've been really pissed because Grover gulped. Yeah, he's usually pretty chicken, but Grover knew me longer than almost everyone, and he knew I was more bark than bite. Even from the ground I was making my demigod protector nearly wet himself even after taking on a monster.
“Why?”
He held up his hands defensively. “I'm just the messager. All I know is that Rachel will be at Camp soon and I have to get you there as fast as I can.”
I swore in Greek under my breath. Even though my mom didn't know the language, I'm pretty sure she knew exactly what I said because she glowered at me. “Fine. I'll give you guys tonight. How are we getting to Camp?”
Percy opened the big kitchen window and climbed out onto the fire escape. I followed after him and saw the pure black Pegasus waiting patiently. The horse spread his wings when he saw us and pawed at the landing outside the window. “Hey boss. And Naida! Long time, no see. How come you haven't come by to visit me lately? And you know Aspos won't stop bugging me about you.”
I giggled a little. Blackjack was a loudmouth- at least he was if you could understand horse, which Percy and I could. I think he just liked it that someone could understand him. “Aspos bugging you has nothing to do with me. She likes you. And you're going to be nice to her.”
Blackjack dipped his head and whinnied. “Yes, ma'am.”
The four of us climbed on his strong back. I squeezed Annabeth's waist tightly, I wasn't a big fan of heights, and then we took off. “Next stop, Camp Half-Blood!” the Pegasus announced over the wind.

Notes

big thanks to tmcar1 and Thalia grace