but he wouldn't do anything to harm me right? Can we overlook the fact that we tried to kill each other a couple of days ago?

Wondering why Nico gave it to me, I don't know but I slipped it on my finger. The skull glowed for a moment and died back down. And suddenly two servants rushed in and I instinctively hid my hand so they wouldn't see.

They started working on my hair, combing, pushing and pulling, rashly wiped my face with baby wipes and applied so many things, changed my clothes and as if in a flash, I was staring at myself who wasn't really myself.

I looked like I could pass for Aphrodite's daughter, er, maybe?

I was now wearing a purple sundress, and my face was lightly applied with make up. My once dead straight hair was curled into princess curls.

"Wow," I whispered, reaching out to touch the mirror to make sure it wasn't an illusion.

I hear a small laughter behind me, "That's no trick dear,"

I look back to see the woman who was beaming at me.

"I- uh, thank you. May I see Nico now?" I ask gently, and she tilts her head as if she didn't know what I was saying.

"But your treatment isn't over yet, you have to see the poolside and dunk yourself in jacuzzi, I assure you it's calming not to mention our facilities all have a discount right now because you are a very special person Eretria,"

I stood up, the chair clattering behind me. "Who are you?" I ask, my voice lacing with venom.

Nobody knew my real name. No one except Gavin. He stopped calling me that since I was eight. I guess Hecate knew as well, she was my mother after all.

"Manager of this hotel, but that doesn't matter, let's take you to-" She reached out but I slapped her hand away.

"Where's Nico?" I raised my voice, and patted my hip for my sword but I had forgotten that they took my knife and my sword. My backpack and sword was nearby, but my keychain and sword were not to be seen.

My sudden change in mood irritated the lady, "Now, if you would only calm down-" I ran past her servants and reached for my sword and pointed the weapon at her.

"Tell me!"

She sighed, "We do not know any Nicos here, you came alone remember?" She sweetly asked.

"But let's not fret about that, I actually recently lost a pair of sisters who were really great help to me. Those two helped me manage this place, but someone just tore this place apart to shreds, you know?" She softly said, her eyes calling me out.

"So, I'd like to offer you a great job! You'll get better benefits here than Camp Half Blood, not only will I make sure that you live a luxurious life, but I'll teach you magic myself. How does that sound?" She added, putting emphasis on her words.

I was urged to nod, slowly listening to her but my ring finger suddenly tightened and I shook my head, snapping out of the trance, "I came with Nico di Angelo, bring him back to me," I demanded.

She only shrugged, "I thought you wanted to meet Kimberly,"

I paused, "Nico first," I wasn't even sure if Kim was here. At least the ring was proof that Nico did come with me.

"You're stubborn, just like mother" She grumbled, a blue mist starting to form around her.

I gasped, I was such an idiot. I looked at the mirror, and I noticed how bad we looked alike. My siblings told me that too often, except the green eyes, I looked like a replica of her, only a tad bit younger.

"Circe," I whisper

The lady smiled, "I used to adore our mother but ever since she got her place in that Greek camp, she's gotten all soft. She wasn't like that, mother was ruthless and strong. But now she's nothing,"

"How can you say that?" I ask, pain evident in my voice. We both circled each other, as her magic flowed out. I kept my distance away from her, my grip on the sword tightening.

Now I understood everything. The reason why I thought these people were mortals, Circe's magic was so strong it made Nico and I think everything seemed normal but still a bit sketchy. I finally understood why Nico was easy to talk to, she's been using her magic.

Circe rolled her eyes, "Oh please, you don't stand a chance against me. You're a mere demigod, whose power by the way, has depleted to a 0.1 percent"

"Thanks for the reminder sister, but no thanks," I tell her quickly as I stepped in to stab her but she quickly evaded my attack and was about to send me to my death by firing an energy blast but I made it to the door and slammed the door shut.

The door exploded, and I could hear Circe screaming in annoyance.

I ran through the hallways, wondering how I could ever find Nico in such a huge building.

"I'll find you Eretria!" She boomed, and suddenly all of her not mortal servants started charging at me. I fled, running and running and hid under the counter of the entrance desk.

I reached for something, I had to find something on the front desk. I could only feel telephones and I suddenly felt something cold. I pulled it, and almost screamed in surprise to see that it was a bone.

"Oh, that's mine," A hushed voice said and ducked to see me. It was a decaying lady.

I reluctantly gave her back the bone, and she smiled. "Lord Nico sent me for you, you can trust me," She said

I shuddered, "Are you sure?"

"That ring your hiding, it let me know where you were. Lord Nico sent me before his consciousness slipped," She said

I panicked, "Do you know where he is? Is he alive?"

Undead lady shook her head, "I do not, the ring would alert us where to find him but apparently, it is with you. He prioritized you over himself,"

I blushed, and slapped myself for blushing. Not the time, I thought.

"Nico's an idiot," I muttered before we slowly got out under the desk.

"There they are!"

"My lady, follow me!" The undead lady called out and I ran after her, while we were being chased by dozens of I don't even know what they were. If Circe could do that, I wish I could do so as well.

We were able to enter the closing elevator as quickly as possible if it were not for the undead lady who pulled me in.

I panted, "Thank you,"

When I looked around, there were about three of those human looking things Circe created with her magic inside the elevator. They paused and quickly took out their walkie-talkies.

But I had reacted quicker them, I swung my sword and fought back, making sure to stab them to the point that they have disintegrated into dust.

Ella would have been proud. Nico, uh, not so sure.

"My lady, I cannot track Lord Nico, but I retrieved this from the front desk, I hope this will help," She said, handing me a tablet. At first I thought it was one of those papyrus, ancient blocks but when I held it, it was an ipad.

"Thank you, may I know your name?" I asked as I browsed through the files of the gadget. I was lucky enough that Circe never placed a password, she probably didn't think I'd fall for her trick.

When I didn't receive an answer, I looked at her and she looked glum, "I'm sorry my lady, unfortunately I cannot answer your question, for I have forgotten my memories, including my own name,"

I gave her a look of pity, "That's horrible,"

She looked down, "It is the way of the Underworld, I must have sinned greatly when I was alive"

I didn't argue. I remember back in Camp Half Blood, they taught us how the Underworld worked, somehow. It wasn't very detailed because the Underworld was a huge place and was always busy, but the way it worked, I could at least respect that.

I turned my attention back to the files and thank Zeus I actually found something useful, it was a blueprint of the entire hotel. Circe had been stupid enough to leave this hanging.

"Hotel rooms start at.... the third floor," I instantly smashed the button and the elevator flew upward.

When we got out, it was oddly quiet but I told the undead lady to stay quiet and alert as much as possible. Then we split up, searching every room for Nico.

The hotel rooms were apparently not a lot, I guess Circe thought her business wasn't gonna boom when she was here in the sea of monsters, but she was totally right. The hotel rooms stopped at the sixth floor.

The undead lady decided we would regroup back at the elevator if we didn't find him, and sad to say when I ran towards the elevator, she was also running back, which meant none of us found him on this floor.

Suddenly, she started waving her hands around, her face panicked

"My lady, look out-"

When I turned, I thought my reflexes would be able to take it but I was too slow and Circe was already smiling at me before hitting me with a frying pan, and I was consumed by darkness.