I didn't even know I had fallen asleep until I awoke blinking darkness from my eyes to reveal only more darkness. I was surrounded by insanely soft blankets. My guess was I had fallen asleep at the dinner table and Leo and Cally had somehow moved me into their spare room.

An alarm clock flashed the time at me in a luminous red from its corner of the room; 3:43 AM.

I sighed and collapsed back against the mattress, staring up at the shadow-ridden ceiling. I needed to meet whoever had sent that note, I knew that. I knew that there was no other way I could find out what had happened to Nico. But how could I go against my word to my friends and go to the meeting without insurance of my own safety?

Simple, my brain told me, just get up and walk out the door. They won't know where you went. Why should you feel guilty about wanting to find the man you love? After all, it's only lying.

I shook the thought from my head. I couldn't leave without betraying the people who had been nothing but kind to me. But then again, every second I spent internally debating, Nico may have been getting closer to death, and even that possibility scared me.

I rolled out from under the covers and slipped my feet into my shoes, padding quietly out the room and out the apartment, letting the door click shut behind me without leaving behind so much as a note.

---

I stood in the cool shadows of the Empire State Building sipping at my midday coffee, waiting for whoever had sent the note to show her face.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone cleared their throat behind me.

I spun around to see a taller lady a little older than me standing in the whistling breeze in nothing but a green sundress, hugging herself for warmth. Her copper hair was partially hidden by a headscarf the same mint green as her dress and her face was just one large pair of sunglasses.

"You are Kimmi?" She asked in a voice that had a peculiar lilting accent I couldn't quite place.

"I am." I locked my eyes on the general area I supposed her eyes to be. "Who are you?"

Her jaw set. "I will tell you all I can about your boyfriend Nico if you don't ask that question again. My name is irrelevant, understood?"

I tried to shrug and nod at the same time but in all honesty it probably looked like I was trying to scratch my ear with my shoulder. "As long as all my questions are answered."

"I will tell you all I can." She repeated. "I'm afraid Nico di Angelo has been kidnapped by an enemy of Hades."

"Who?"

"I cannot say her name, it is not safe. But she is sometimes called the White Poplar."

I nodded. "Where is he?"

"So keen to follow him to your doom?" She asked snidly.

"It'll be your doom if you don't tell me." I snapped.

She sighed. "Speigel Grove. But if you wish to find him then following after him is not they way to do it!"

"Then what is?!?"

She shook her head. "I don't know." She looked around with a paranoid, darting gaze. "I can answer one more question."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

She raised an eyebrow above her glasses as if to ask seriously? That's your question? "My enemy's enemy is my friend." She gave me a slight smile and pressed a scrap of paper into my hands before turning and melting into the crowd.

I frowned and unfolded the note;

Kimmi,
White Poplar.
Speigel Grove.
Don't trust anyone.
-M

I tucked the note into my jacket pocket and wandered through the packed streets, the mere trace of a smell floated through the air.


Mint.

Notes

Sosososososo sorry that I haven't been able to update for ages but I've had assignments and essays and a huge national tournament (WHICH MY TEAM WON A FEW HOURS AGO WHICH MADE ME INSANELY HAPPY) so yes, sorry for the really bad time management on my part but I should have some more free time now to write, I have one essay and a HUGE economics assignment left but then I'm done! :)

Please let us know what you thought!

-Phoebe :)