Ch. 12 Percy sat on the bed next to Nico. The little demon had been vomiting all day. At the "special place" some camp counselors had been taking him to, they didn't give him any food. Nico sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Bubba?" he whispered. "Hey, bud," Percy said, smiling. "Can I go outside?" Nico asked. Percy hesitated. "No," he said, "it's the middle of the night." Nico whimpered. "But I left Stripy out there." Percy sighed. "Okay," he said, "but be quick." Nico nodded and went outside. 5 minutes passed, then 10, then 20, then 30. Percy stood and went outside. He looked around and called for the young demon. But Nico didn't come back. Percy went back in the cabin, grabbed his sword, and went into the forest. He looked around for a while, but still couldn't find Nico. Suddenly, he heard growling and screaming. He dashed out of the forest and saw Nico. But he had gone full demon.
Ch. 13 Percy stared at Nico in his demon form. A slender body, bone claws, and a spiky black tail that whipped back and forth. He had grown to at least 15 feet, which explained his torn clothing. His mouth became a huge, sharp-toothed smile with a long, thin tongue, and his eyes glowed violet. Demon Nico snarled and attacked. Some campers screamed. Others attacked back. Percy was too stunned to move or even speak. That is, until his brother was hurt. Demon Nico roared in pain, with an arrow in his shoulder. Percy ran out of the forest. "NICO!" he screamed. The campers went so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Demon Nico turned and the harsh light in his eyes softened. Percy approached with his hands up. "Hey, bud," he said softly, "it's okay. I'm here." Demon Nico shuffled over to Percy and sat in front of him. Percy smiled. "Let's get that arrow out." He grabbed the arrow and looked up at Demon Nico. "Ready?" he asked. Demon Nico nodded. Percy yanked the arrow out of his shoulder and almost regretted it. Half the camp covered their ears to block out Demon Nico's pained wail. "It's okay, Nico!" Percy half-shouted. Then he dropped his tone. "It's okay." Suddenly, Demon Nico began to shrink back into normal Nico. He collapsed into Percy's arms. "I'm so sorry, Bubba," he sobbed. Percy ran his fingers through Nico's hair. "Don't worry about it. Now let's get you to bed."
