Chapter Three

All Acacia could do when she saw Nico again was gape. Jaw wide open and her eyes as big as saucers. She knew it wasn't a becoming look- there were probably flies going in and out of her mouth for all she knew- but it couldn't be helped. Especially with the sight in front of her.

She always knew that Nice was on the lanky side, and that being the son of Hades, he would sometimes put on a ghostly appearance…but this was beyond anything she had seen of him. He was sickly thin, looking like he hadn't eaten in months. His shaggy black hair was longer than she remembered and even more unkempt. The worst was his face. His eyes were so sunken in that he almost looked like a skeleton. And he was so pale he looked as if he could have seen a ghost- no pun intended.

"What…what happened to you?" she asked, fearfully. She placed her hand over her mouth in shock. "Nico…are you…?"

"It's a long story," he brushed her off. Unable to stand much longer, he fell right where he stood. "Shadow traveling took a lot more than I expected…"

Acacia hurried to his side and held his cold hand in hers. "Is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head 'no'. "I just wanted to see you." He then delved into his past adventure with the other half-bloods. He talked about how he had been kidnapped, about Percy and Annabeth being trapped in Tartarus, and his next dangerous journey was soon to embark on.

Acacia sat in stunned silence. It was a long story he told and she didn't once interrupt or let go of his hand. She didn't even know how to respond so she said, "It's like you never catch a break…"

Nico chuckled. "You'd know about that too. You're dead."

She rolled her eyes. "What a charmer. So, you're shadow traveling tomorrow? With this Reyna girl…I bet she's really pretty. Should I be jealous?"

"She's not exactly my type. Besides, we'll be on life or death journey to stop an impending civil war amongst the Greek and Roman demigods while simultaneously trying to stop Gaea from taking over the world. Trust me, there's nothing to be jealous of."

Acacia smiled warmly. "Well, I can't do much from here but I'll be supporting you all the way. And when you accomplish your mission I'll be here to celebrate with you. I promise."


Time was irrelevant in Elysium so Acacia had no idea how much time had passed after Nico left to finish his dangerous mission. Even though she had everything she could want at any time, she really missed her friend and wished he would show up already. She really wanted to know that he was okay.

Acacia was preparing herself for a dip in the pool when he showed up. Nico di Angelo, while still peaked and scrawny, looked happier than she had seen him...probably ever. It was odd seeing a sincere smile on his face but she was glad it was there. That meant things went well. And that she still had her friend.

She ran to him and engulfed him in a bear hug, disregarding the fact that he hated human contact. When his arms encircled her, Acacia's grin widened. "You've made it back!" she exclaimed in sing-songy voice. "And you're in one piece! I take it you and your friends saved the world from eternal destruction."

Nico nodded.

She didn't expect a smile to be so unnerving, but the way that Nico's grin never left his face seemed unnatural. Of course, the world wasn't ending, but there seemed to be more to the story. "Okay…so what's his name?"

Nico blinked. "What's who's name?"

Acacia rolled her eyes. "The name of the guy that has you all happy and giddy. You're usually doom and gloom but now something has obviously changed. Unless you've decided to admit your love for me."

"I do love you, but not like that," he responded.

She smirked. "I know. That was part of the joke. So, who is he?"

Nico shook his head. "It's not like that. He's just a friend." When Acacia made a face, indicating that she wanted more information from him, he sighed loudly before continuing on. "His name is Will Solace. He's a son of Apollo."

"Apollo?" Acacia grinned. "I'm seeing a pattern!"

"He's a great guy. He convinced me to stay at Camp Half-Blood."

"Good," she said. "It's where you belong. Amongst your friends and everything. And Will…"

It was Nico's time to roll his eyes but he didn't argue with her. Nico always felt alone and was burdened with the idea that he would never be accepted anywhere because of who he was. But after becoming friends with Acacia, and even Will, he realized that he could be accepted and find people that truly care for him. Then there was his sister Hazel who was there for him whenever he needed her. He had people around him that made life worth living and he was ready to live his life.