Authors Note: Another long chapter...yay. Seriously though, I am trying to work on that, I just have a lot to write. The next one shouldn't be too long, but you never know, it might be. Oh well. But anywho, please review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson, but it would be cool if I did.
Chapter Seven:
Nico forced his eyes open and blinked in the darkness. He could tell it was way too early for him to be awake. He stared at the ceiling, confused for a moment as to where he was at. He tried to raise his arm to rub his eyes, but found it trapped. He looked over and saw Rachel curled up against him with his arm wrapped around her and her head resting against his chest. Nico stared at her face, focusing on the details. She was so close to him he could see every detail of her face. His eyes lingered on her lips and he remembered how soft they had felt against his.
Nico brushed hair away from her face and sighed. Last night was going to be a problem in the future. Nico hadn't planned to kiss her, but apparently he always had to do things that he shouldn't and that would most likely cause him some kind of pain. Now that he knew what it felt like to kiss Rachel, to feel her body underneath his, to hear her groan when he touched her, he would never get over her. Nico sighed again and continued to watch Rachel's sleeping face. She looked so peaceful in the dark room. Nico knew that if she woke up right now and found him staring at her while she was asleep she would probably hit him and call him a creep but he didn't really care. It was easier to just look at her and ignore everything around him than actually think about all of his emotional problems.
Nico shifted on the bed, getting a little more comfortable and trying to not disturb Rachel. Now that he was awake, her weight on his arm was uncomfortable. He wondered how some guys could stand their girlfriends sleeping on them like that for the entire night. Nico settled down in the bed and rubbed his face with his free hand.
Nico was surprised at himself. He felt at ease with Rachel at the moment, which usually was not the case with girls. Usually when they wanted to get all snuggly, Nico got really freaked out and uncomfortable for no apparent reason. Even he didn't know why he didn't like to be that close to a girl, even after they had slept together. He just didn't like the feeling of intimacy, but with Rachel he didn't mind it at all. In fact, he liked it. Nico liked being close to her and holding her body close to his.
Rachel muttered something in her sleep and one of her hands moved down and curled around his hip. Nico watched her eyes move under closed eyelids. It made him think of last night when he had first entered her room. She had been curled up in a tight ball with her blankets tossed around her. Even though Nico had told her he hadn't been watching her sleep, he had, just for a moment. She had looked so vulnerable and young, completely opposite from how she looked awake.
He had just been about to wake her up when she had taken him by surprise by practically jumping out of bed, gasping for breath. Nico frowned to himself. He hadn't asked her what she had been dreaming about last night. It had completely slipped his mind. Which was understandable, his forgetting about her nightmare, when Rachel came at him with a knife. But the dream must have been pretty bad for her to wake up like that.
Rachel moved again and smiled a little. Whatever she was dreaming about now, it was obviously completely opposite of last night's dream. Nico yawned and looked at Rachel's bedside table. It was eight in the morning. Nico leaned back against the pillows, absently twirling a lock of Rachel's hair around his finger. He was tired but he couldn't fall back asleep.
Nico knew it would be best if he snuck out of Rachel's room without her waking up and act like last night never happened. But that would probably hurt Rachel's feelings and didn't want to hurt her again, especially not the day after what just happened. And he wasn't quite ready to leave her. He was warm and comfortable and didn't want to sneak out of her room like some douchebag who didn't want to deal with his one night stand. He didn't want to act like he was ashamed to have been in Rachel's room in the first place.
At that thought, Nico no longer felt so relaxed. He wasn't ashamed at having spent the night in Rachel's room but he was ashamed about the circumstances that had caused him visit her the night before. Even though Rachel had forgiven him for what he had done, he hadn't and most likely wouldn't forgive himself, at least for a while. Nico didn't even understand how Rachel had forgiven him. What he said to her was cruel in every way and completely uncalled for. She hadn't done anything and he had insulted her with everything he had. He had wanted to hurt her for no good reason.
Nico still didn't understand why he had lashed out like that. Sure, he had been upset after being reminded of Bianca's death, but he didn't understand why he had chosen to yell at Rachel instead of sulk in silence like he usually did. Maybe it had been the way she said it, making it sound so nonchalant that had caused him to react the way he did. Usually when people brought it up, it was with hushed and careful tones, like they knew he would be upset and didn't want to set him off.
But it still didn't matter what exactly had pissed him off so much. It hadn't been Rachel's fault. She hadn't deliberately brought up his sister; she would never do that to him. Nico was the one who picked the fight that ended with Rachel crying in her room.
Nico closed his eyes and felt shame wash over him as Rachel's face right after he snarled at her swam into his mind's eye. He couldn't get it out of his head, the look of shock and hurt on her face with tears barely held back.
Rachel was right about him though. Nico held on to things for too long. Maybe that was part of his fatal flaw, but all he knew was that he couldn't let go of things, especially things that were painful to think about. Things that made him happy he remembered but he never dwelled on them the way he did with other things. He still hadn't gotten over Bianca's death, even after ten years. Nico knew he needed to stop doing that and get over the pain. It was unhealthy to dwell and would probably destroy him one day. He just didn't know how to let go.
Nico pushed the thoughts out of his mind. It was not the time to try and change his entire lifestyle and way of thinking about life. Reinventing himself could wait until after they rescued Tyche. And wallowing in self-pity could wait too.
Rachel stretched against him. Nico moved, giving her a little space and looking down at her. He watched her open her bright green eyes. Rachel blinked up at him in confusion before she remembered. Nico held his breath while he waited for her reaction to waking up with him leaning over her.
"Nice hair," she smiled up at him, her voice rough with sleep.
Nico smirked, relieved that she wasn't mad. He wasn't sure how she was going to feel about Nico spending the night in her room, even though she had been the one to invite him to stay with her. "You too, Dare," he said.
"The only reason my hair is messed up is because you can't seem to keep your hands out of it. Yours looks like a bird made its nest in there."
Nico pushed his fingers into her tangled curls and wrapped her hair around his hand, keeping Rachel's head still. She pushed at him, but she was laughing. Nico grinned at her and played with her bangs with his other hand, flipping the strands into her eyes to annoy her.
Rachel reached up and gently pressed a finger to his cheek. "Your dimples are adorable," she told him, smiling mischievously.
"Shut up, Dare," Nico said in a mock-annoyed tone, pulling away from her. Rachel laughed again and sat up. Her shirt was bunched up around her stomach, giving Nico a perfect view of her lacy underwear. Rachel blushed and smacked his arm when she noticed him staring. She pulled the blankets around her legs and fixed her shirt.
"Stop being a perv, Nico," she said, her cheeks still tinted red.
"I'm twenty years old. Being a perv is in the description."
"That's a terrible excuse and you know it."
Nico shrugged one shoulder. "I tried." He grinned at her, knowing she wasn't actually mad at him.
"And you failed. No more staring."
"If I'm not allowed to stare, can you put some pants on? Your legs are very distracting."
"If my legs are distracting, don't look at them," she said, but rolled out of bed anyway. Nico's eyes dropped to her ass where her shirt had ridden up again, exposing her hot pink underwear again.
"Didn't I tell you to stop staring?" Rachel demanded, not even turning around and pulling her shirt down to cover herself again.
"I wasn't!" Nico tried to make himself sound offended by the accusation.
Rachel looked at him over her shoulder and gave him a "sure you weren't" look. Nico watched her as she pulled on a pair of shorts that still couldn't be seen under her oversize shirt. They didn't really help him keep his eyes off of her.
Nico stood up and stretched. He figured it was probably time for him to leave. Rachel seemed to be thinking the same. "Get out. I want to take a shower."
"Can I join you?" Nico asked her, ginning playfully. He wanted to make her blush again. He loved it when she turned as red as her hair and it was pretty easy to get her to do that.
Rachel blushed furiously and pushed him out of the room. "I'm just trying to save water! Shows how much you care about the environment!" Nico called when she shut the door in his face. He heard something hit the door, probably a pillow, and Rachel's voice telling him to go away. Nico laughed out loud and walked into his room across from hers. He marveled at Rachel's ability to make him feel better even when he was in the worst of moods.
Nico heard a door slam somewhere in the house and immediately sobered. Diane. He would have to face her today. And she wouldn't be as forgiving as Rachel was. Not that Nico didn't deserve her anger; he knew he did.
Nico pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on the floor, deciding to prolong the inevitable as long as possible by taking a shower. He stripped down as he walking into the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind him. Nico set the shower on the highest temperature he could handle. Before he stepped in he caught sight of his face in the fogging mirror. His black eye was completely gone.
Nico walked downstairs, freshly showered and with wet hair dripping in his eyes. He descended slowly, not wanting to face Diane but knowing he would have to eventually. He couldn't hide in his room forever. He had already walked past Diane's floor and made sure she wasn't in her room. She was definitely downstairs, making breakfast if Nico's nose was right. He could smell bacon and eggs and wondered if facing Diane was worth the food.
Nico reached the bottom and hesitated. He had a feeling Diane would not take kindly to him showing up for breakfast like nothing had happened. And even less kindly to the fact that Rachel had already forgiven him.
If it had been any other person waiting for him, Nico would already have gone into the kitchen and gotten breakfast. But it was Diane who was waiting for him. Nico hadn't forgotten how easily she had kicked his ass when he first met her. And she hadn't actually been mad at him then.
Nico decided he had spent enough time acting like a coward and that it was time for him to grow some balls. He walked into the kitchen, preparing himself for Diane's wrath.
The second he entered the room, Diane turned around. She took one look at his black eye free face and scowled angrily. Before she could do or say anything, Nico raised his hands in a sign of surrender. "Before you hurt me, I apologized to her. And she did forgive me."
That only made Diane's scowl angrier. "She forgives too easily," she snapped.
"I agree. And I feel awful about what I said. And I do mean that."
"I don't care. She may have forgiven you, asshole, but I sure as hell haven't. If it weren't for this quest, I would have already kicked your sorry ass out of the fucking house."
Nico fought down the urge to say something stupid. It was not a good idea to mess with Diane when she already mad at him. He was surprised she hadn't done worse to him already – he had been expecting more than insults and a threat. "Alright, ok," he said. "Can you at least wait until we finish this quest for you maim me?"
"Fine, I'll wait. But only for my mom's sake," Diane shoved past him but paused. "One more thing." She turned toward him and before he could do anything, she punched him hard in the face. Nico fell back a little at the force. Diane was small but she was strong. When he straightened he watched as Diane walked out of the kitchen without a backward glance or another word.
Nico turned to the fridge and checked his appearance in the shiny metal. In the distorted refection, Nico could see a bruise already forming under his eye. He sighed. Diane was going to make sure he had a black eye no matter how many times she had to punch him to keep it there. Or maybe she had just wanted to punch him again. It was probably a little of both.
Nico looked away from the fridge and walked over to the stove where breakfast was waiting. Diane must have just made it, though Nico doubted she had planned for any to be for him. Nico pulled a plate out of the cabinet above him and loaded it with eggs, bacon, sausage and hash browns. His stomach growled just at the sight of the food. He hadn't had lunch or dinner the day before.
Nico sat down at the counter next to the stove. He didn't know where Diane went but she wasn't in the kitchen and Nico didn't want to make an appearance and have his other eye blackened. One was annoying enough.
Nico ate quietly for several minutes before Rachel appeared in the kitchen. She was wearing jeans with paint on the knees and hem and a shirt from some random museum in Brooklyn. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, a couple of damp strands stuck to her neck and cheeks. For a moment, all Nico could do was stare. She had done nothing remarkable with her appearance but Nico thought she had never looked more beautiful. Nico didn't know what it was, but she looked breathtaking.
As Nico stared at her, his mind wandered to last night. He thought about the way Rachel's skin felt under his fingers, the way she moved against him, how soft her lips were. Nico felt a sudden urge to go over to Rachel and wrap his arms around her waist, pull her close, and kiss her for a long time.
Nico shook himself and turned his gaze to his plate. He couldn't think like that. Nico and Rachel's relationship was staying strictly platonic; they had agreed on that last night. And Nico was going try and keep it that way, whether he wanted to or not. Thinking about last night was only going to make it harder for him to be around her and keep her at arm's length. He had already gone too far with her – he couldn't afford to tempt himself further.
Rachel hadn't noticed Nico's dilemma, or if she had, she was ignoring it. She sat down on the bar stool next to him. She looked at his plate, taking in the pile of food still on it. "Nico, if you keep eating like that you'll end up weighing like 300 pounds."
"No I won't. All this food turns into muscle," he tried to joke, not taking his eyes off of his plate.
"Maybe now it does, but it won't in ten years."
"We'll see about that. You know if we still talk in ten years."
Rachel looked at him strangely. "Why are you in such a bad mood? And what happened to your eye?"
Nico shrugged but didn't answer. He could tell her about Diane punching him, no problem but if he answered one question he would have to answer the other, which he just couldn't do. He couldn't tell Rachel about what he was feeling at the moment, mostly because he had no idea what exactly he was feeling.
Nico had just realized how exactly how he felt about staying in a strictly platonic relationship with Rachel. And it definitely wasn't a good feeling. He had just realized how much he wanted to be able to kiss Rachel whenever he wanted and spend time with her and not have to worry about going too far with her. Nico hadn't realized how much he wanted to be in an actual relationship with her until she walked into the kitchen and he actually thought about it.
What a great time to realize how he felt about her. Right in the middle of a conversation with the girl those feelings were centered around.
"Did Diane do that?" Rachel pressed when he didn't say anything.
"Yeah," Nico shrugged, trying to keep his mind focused on her words and not the emotions rolling through him.
"Stop acting like it's not a big deal," Rachel scolded him. She grabbed his chin and pulled his face towards her so that she could inspect the barely formed bruise up close. She was close enough to him that he could feel her breath on his mouth, making Nico shiver slightly. Nico's eyes dropped to Rachel's full lips. Without thinking he leaned forward and kissed her softly.
Rachel leaning into him, kissing him back just as softly. The hand that was holding Nico's chin moved down to his neck. Nico put on hand on her hip and cupped her cheek with the other, pulling her as close as he could with her sitting on the other stool. Rachel parted her lips slightly and sighed into his mouth. So much for friends only, Nico thought to himself.
Rachel pulled back a little. "Nico," she murmured, her lips brushing against his.
"Sorry," he whispered back. He shouldn't have kissed her, he knew that, and he should pull away but he didn't. All Nico wanted to do was pull her closer and keep her in his arms. But instead, he rested his forehead against hers and rubbed her cheek with his thumb.
"We can't keep doing this," Rachel told him quietly.
"I know," Nico sighed. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers again before pulling back anyway. "I just couldn't help it. Or that."
"You've said that before. I know I'm irresistible but…"
Nico chuckled. He reached over and pulled Rachel into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder. "That was the last time, I promise," Nico said.
"You said that before too."
"One kiss wasn't enough. But this time I swear, no more."
"I wish it didn't have to be like this," Rachel whispered against Nico's collarbone, so quietly Nico wasn't sure if he was meant to hear.
"I know. Me too," Nico told her. They sat in silence for a moment, Nico trailing a finger up and down Rachel's spine. She shivered against him and Nico ginned. Eventually, Rachel sighed and sat up. "This has to be the last time this happens."
Nico nodded. "I'll be good."
And Nico would try, even though it would be hard. He knew he was in too far to just get over it. He needed time to get over his feelings for Rachel; it wasn't just going to happen. But he could do his best to ignore them. He was good at not thinking about things that he didn't want to think about. He had been ever since Bianca died.
It was probably for the best that he and Rachel couldn't be together. Even if she wasn't the Oracle and there was nothing keeping them away from each other, it probably still would've ended badly. Whether it was because Nico was awful at serious relationships or the fact that almost everyone he got close to ended up getting hurt in some way, it would've ended badly. Something would've happened and Nico would have lost Rachel. He would have said something that she couldn't forgive or something even worse. That seemed to happen with all the girls he tried to have a relationship with, or at least a serious one. Between his mouth running at the worst times, monsters attacking him all the time, and his other personal issues, Nico could never keep a girlfriend. Rachel would've been no different.
Rachel smiled ruefully. "No you won't."
Nico laughed a little, despite the solemn atmosphere. "Ok, I'll do my best to be good," he amended.
"Better," Rachel said as she slid off of his lap and sat back down on her stool. She picked at her uneaten food before frowning at Nico. "My food's cold. It's your fault."
"It was worth it and you know it," Nico teased
Rachel rolled her eyes and started eating her cold breakfast. They both ate in silence, though it wasn't awkward. For a while the only sound was made when Rachel flicked Nico's hands when he tried to steal food off of her plate.
"Stop it, Nico!"
"What? You weren't going to eat it."
"Yes I was! Eat your own food, would you?"
"I already finished my breakfast."
"Then go get some more food. Food that isn't mine!"
"But this is easier." He reached over and plucked a piece of bacon off her plate despite her best efforts to bat his hands away. He stuffed it into his mouth and winked at her.
Rachel made an impatient noise and shoved her plate towards him. Nico grinned victoriously. "I'm going to go find Diane," she told him as she walked out of the kitchen.
Nico watched her go, chewing on her breakfast, thoughts swirling in his head and his good mood draining out of him. He wasn't happy about their decision to keep things the same between them, but neither was she. There was just nothing they could do. She was the Oracle. There was no way they could be together in any situation. Nico was already half-expecting Apollo to show up and castrate him or something.
Nico sighed and pushed away from the counter. He was so moody lately. One minute he was laughing with Rachel, the next he was depressing himself. When did he become so self-destructive? Or had he always been this way and was just now realizing it?
Nico shook his head and rinsed off his and Rachel's plates. The time for an emotional crisis was over. They needed to think about the quest now. He walked around the house until he found the girls in Rachel's room. They were sitting on her wide bed and talking seriously.
Rachel looked up when he walked in and shifted so that he could sit down. Diane glowered at him but said nothing. Nico sat on the bed with his legs stretched out in front of him. "So can I join the gossip circle, ladies?"
Diane rolled her eyes. "Could you not be a dumbass for like two minutes, please?"
"Nope."
"Just ignore him, Diane," Rachel told her. She turned to Nico. "We're trying to decide the best place to go look for Tyche. Diane told me she didn't see any monsters last night or this morning. Which is weird because lately they have been crawling all over this place."
"Maybe Chrysaor found out that telekhine talked and decided to not send any more monsters in case they let more information slip?"
"Doubt it," Diane muttered. "If he was that worried about us knowing his name he would send a bunch of his strongest to just kill us all."
Rachel considered that. "That's probably true. But I don't think he actually wants us dead."
"Why not?" Nico asked her.
"If he wanted us dead, we probably would be. I mean, think of how many monsters he's sent after us. If he wanted us dead, he would have tried harder to actually kill us. I think he's been testing us. Or just trying to mess with us. After all, it would have been obvious after the first couple days that we weren't going to go down so easily, but he didn't change his strategy."
Nico frowned. "Good point. I wonder what he's actually doing then."
"He needs Tyche's help with something."
Nico and Diane both looked at her. "How do you know that?" Diane asked.
Rachel blushed a little. "I had a dream about it last night. Well, a vision in the form of a dream."
"And you didn't tell us sooner?" Diane asked incredulously.
"I had other things on my mind. And it was just last night," Rachel muttered defensively.
"Whatever. What happened?"
"Well, it was weird. I was in some place and there was sand everywhere. I think it was underground. Anyway, I was running through the halls and I ended up in the gigantic room that was completely dark. I couldn't see anything and then I heard voices. I went and checked it out and I saw Chrysaor and an empousa. I couldn't see what he looked like exactly because he was wearing this huge gold mask, shaped like a gorgon's face. But then he made the empousa get "her" and the empousa dragged out a prisoner and he asked her for help. She didn't say anything and she was taken back to her cage. Then I went and found the cage she was in and saw him whipping her. I think the prisoner was your mom," Rachel finished quietly, absently rubbing her chest. Nico watched the action curiously. She had done that when she woke up last night too.
Diane looked pale. "You're sure it was my mom?"
"Pretty sure. She had black hair and blue eyes and she was bleeding ichor."
Diane nodded, looking determined but still pale. Nico could understand that. He would have been pretty freaked out if he found out his dad had been kidnapped and was being whipped. Nico was actually surprised that Diane wasn't more affected. "Well, we have to find her fast then."
"It could take a while for us to find her. We have no idea where she is."
"She's in the Gobi Desert," Nico said, suddenly remembering what his father had told him.
It was his turn to get stared at. Nico shifted uncomfortably under their heavy gazes as they took that in. "How do you know that?" Diane asked him quietly.
Nico looked down awkwardly. He probably could have said that better. "My dad told me. In a dream. He didn't say where exactly though. Just that she's in the Gobi Desert."
"When did he tell you that?" Diane asked him suspiciously.
Nico coughed and looked down. He meant to tell them both what his father had told him a while ago, but he kept getting distracted and eventually forgot. He wondered for a moment if he should lie and say last night, but he knew it would be useless. Diane would see right through him. "Before we left," he muttered.
Diane kicked Nico on the leg, hard. "Ow! Haven't you given me enough bruises today?" he exclaimed.
"You totally deserve getting beat up. How could you not tell us?" Rachel said.
Nico rubbed his shoulder, feeling guilty. "I meant to…I just kept getting other things on my mind."
Diane kicked him again. "That's a shit excuse, asshole. My mom's been getting whipped and this whole time you knew where she was!" she yelled at him.
"If I had known it was that bad, I would have told you the second I knew! And I don't know exactly where she is! All I know is she is in the Gobi Desert."
"You should've told us a week ago, Nico. We've been sitting here for a week wondering where the hell she could be and knowing the Gobi Desert would've helped a lot," Rachel told him, sounding disappointed, making Nico feel even guiltier than he already did. Her disappointment was a lot worse than Diane's anger.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry. I should have told you the second I knew, but I forgot. But we know now right?"
That seemed to appease Rachel a little but not Diane. She leaned forward and punched Nico again, this time on the mouth, causing his head to snap back. Nico shook his head and rubbed his neck. He really needed to learn how to dodge.
Nico could taste blood on his lip and guessed that it was split. "I deserve that I know, but you could you please stop hitting me?"
"I'll stop hitting you when you stop being an asshole," Diane growled at him.
Rachel sighed and pulled a square of ambrosia out of the drawer on her bedside table. Nico wondered why she had it in the first place. She couldn't eat the food of the gods. She was the Oracle, but she was still mortal.
Rachel handed it to Nico and he took a bite. The pain in his lip faded slowly while he ate the rest. Diane gave him a dirty look. "Is there anything else you want to tell us?"
"Nothing helpful, no."
"Good," Rachel said. "Well, at least now we know where to look. Wherever I was in my dream, it seemed to be underground so maybe one of the ruins in the desert? There are probably a lot out there."
"I'll go find a map or something," Diane said and stalked out of the room.
Rachel looked over at Nico after she left. "You really are pissing her off lately."
Nico lay down on her bed and closed his eyes. "I know. I don't mean to, but I just do."
"Don't worry about it too much. She isn't good at holding grudges for long."
Nico felt Rachel's hair tickle his face and opened his eyes. Rachel was leaning on one elbow next to him, her long hair falling over her shoulders. He brushed her hair from his face and she grinned down at him before leaning down and shaking all of her hair in his face. Nico shut his eyes and mouth tightly and waited until she was done having her fun. When she laughed he opened his eyes and gave her a reproachful look. He was about to say something, but Diane chose the moment to reappear.
"So I found some places that look like – what are you two doing?"
Rachel sat up. "Nothing, just annoying Nico."
"Oh, ok. There are like a lot of ruins in the desert, but not too many. Most of the well persevered ones are tourist traps though."
"Hmm," Rachel murmured. "Maybe he isn't in the ruins then."
"Maybe one of them is connected to something? Like maybe some ancient Greek location that moves with the gods? Like Olympus or the entrance to the Underworld," Nico suggested. "Chrysaor could be using that as a hideout or something. Just because the mortals go there doesn't mean he isn't hiding there."
"You think that one of the ruins in an entrance to something else?" Diane asked, making it sound like a stupid suggestion.
"He could be right. In my dream I saw Celestial Bronze doors and stuff."
Diane chewed on her lip for a moment. "Well, should we just pick a place and check it out?"
"That's all we can do. Pick a place and hope it's the right one," Nico said.
"Which one is the biggest or most well preserved?" Rachel asked.
Diane checked her laptop. "The Suoyang Ruins seem to be a pretty big deal. We can get a taxi to go there from either Dunhuang or Anxi. And it only costs 10 yuan."
Nico raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? We can just go to famous ruins for 10 yuan? And get a taxi there? And then go fight a monster and save a goddess. And all for 10 yuan. That's a good deal."
"Shut the fuck up, Nico. You aren't funny," Diane snapped at him. "We should go tomorrow. Dunhuang is about two days from here. We can take the train or fly. I think the train is better. You ok with that, asshole?"
"Sounds great," Nico said, rolling onto his stomach and pressing his face into Rachel's pillows. They smelled like her, like strawberries and roses. "Are we going to do monster watches tonight?"
"No. We all need rest if we end up finding Chrysaor tomorrow. We should be fine tonight," Rachel said.
"Awesome," Nico muttered, his voice muffled by the pillow.
Nico was sitting on the train next to Rachel with Diane on Rachel's other side. They were about an hour away from Dunhuang, which Nico was extremely happy about. They had been stuck on a train for a day and a half, with only about an hour respite between layovers. Because the train ride was so long they had gone ahead and booked beds in the "Soft Sleeper" compartment, meaning they basically shared a compartment with 4 beds in it. They were lucky Rachel had a lot of money to spend on this quest or they would have had to sleep in their hard plastic seats. Even more luckily, nobody occupied the fourth bed in their compartment so they had it all to themselves.
Nico still couldn't wait to get off this damn train. He hoped they would find Tyche today, if only so he wouldn't have to suffer through another train ride to go to a different set of ruins in the desert. He knew that was probably an awful reason for wanting to rescue Tyche, but he really did not like trains. He had suggested that they just shadow travel to the ruins, but Diane told him she was not going through that unless she had to. Rachel agreed with her.
Suddenly, Rachel leaned over and clamped her hand on his knee, keeping it still. Nico hadn't even noticed he was bouncing it."Stop it," she hissed at him.
"Does that annoy you?" he asked, bouncing his other leg.
Rachel scowled at him, unwilling to lean over him to grab his other leg. Nico laughed and stopped bouncing his legs.
"Nervous, Nico?" Diane asked, leaning forward in her seat so that he could see her.
"No. I just want to get out of this train."
"Whatever you say, Nico," she smirked leaning back again.
Nico rolled his eyes at the empty space where she had been. Rachel was right about her not really being mad at him anymore, but she was going out of her way to annoy him. But that was pretty normal for Diane, so he didn't mind that much.
When they finally got off the train and into a taxi, it was dusk. Nico was worried about that. He didn't like fighting during the night. It was unnecessary most of the time and just made it harder to fight, which made the whole thing more dangerous. But he didn't say anything. They didn't really have a choice at the moment.
They spent most of the taxi ride in silence, each of them filled with tense energy. They all knew that this could be the end of the quest. But somehow Nico didn't think it would be. He hoped they would find Tyche at the ruins, but the quest didn't feel like it had run its course yet. But maybe that was because they hadn't gotten to the ruins yet. He was sure that when they did find Tyche, there would be a hell of a lot to do before they actually got to go back to camp.
When they reached the ruins, Diane assured the taxi driver that they would find a way back and that he didn't need to wait. That was a lie of course, or at least a partial lie. They had no mortal way of getting back to the city. They could only get back to civilization by Nico's shadow traveling or if Tyche could do something. But they didn't want a mortal hanging around just in case.
They waited until the headlights of the taxi disappeared completely. It was pitch black outside the only light coming from the moon and stars when the clouds parted enough to let the light shine down.
"Nico," Rachel hissed, "Do you sense any monsters?" Nico nodded. There was definitely something in the ancient city, something strong. But he couldn't sense any godly presence. Nico didn't think much of that though. He had a harder time sensing gods and Tyche was a minor goddess after all.
They all pulled out their weapons and started toward the ruins. They walked silently, not speaking to each other and trying to see everything they could in the shadows of the ruins. There were footsteps in the dust from tourists and trash here and there, but nothing that would lead them to believe something sinister was hiding in the ruins. If Nico couldn't sense it, he would have thought this place was a bust.
They walked around the ancient city for what seemed like hours and saw nothing. Nico was distracted by the city, his focus less on the quest and more on the ruins. He could feel the spirits of the people who used to live here, pulling at him. It was a strange feeling, but not an altogether unfamiliar one. Spirits did that sometimes, when they sensed danger around him. He wasn't sure why, but they did. Nico figured that they were somehow tied to the places they died in and tried to protect visitors the best they could from the Underworld. Nico only felt their pull in places practically devoid of human inhabitation though.
"This place is seriously creepy," Diane muttered under her breath. Nico silently agreed. With the giant watchtower and huge walls surrounding the place, it had a distinctly haunted feel. Not that Nico was afraid of any ghosts, but the strange feeling of the ruined city made his skin crawl. The absence of human life or any kind of life at all was painfully obvious. No insects chirped or any birds moved. Nico, Rachel, Diane and whatever monsters hide in the shadows were the only living things in this place.
They kept walking, none of them relaxing even when they encountered nothing. The city itself was huge and there were many places a monster could be hiding, especially if the thing was moving around. Nico could tell it was close but he couldn't pinpoint its exact location. But he could sense that it was powerful. They were going to have their hands full with it for sure.
Nico was starting to wonder if his sense was off when they heard a strange sound. It was low and deep. They stopped and Nico tilted his head to the side, trying to figure out what it was.
Diane spoke first, her voice confused. "It sounds like a…person."
"That's what I was thinking. It sounds like a man talking," Rachel agreed quietly.
"Maybe it's a cyclopes imitating someone's voice," Diane said.
"No, it's definitely not a cyclopes. It's too powerful to be a cyclopes," Nico told her.
"Then what could it be?"
"Only one way to find out," Nico murmured.
"This is a bad idea," Rachel muttered but followed Nico.
They followed the sound of the voice. It sounded like a man crying out for help, but they knew better than to think that that was what it was. Certain monsters could imitate voices, like cyclopes or sirens. But whatever this was, it was a lot stronger than any cyclopes or siren. Nico had no idea what the thing was.
Nico froze when he heard a strange sound. Rachel and Diane did the same. It sounded like hoofs on stone, the same thing he heard when Chiron or a satyr walked on stone. The sound was drawing close to them. Nico tensed and gripped his sword tightly, one hand brushing his pocket where his ski mask was. They waited for the monster to come into view.
The sound of a man talking became louder and louder until it stopped with no warning. A second later the monster came into view. It was like nothing Nico had ever seen before. It had the body of a stag, complete with hooves, and a lion's neck and what looked like a mix between a human a lion head with two large antlers sticking out behind the lion like ears. Instead of teeth, the thing had two long jagged bones in its gums that protruded out of its black lips. The continuous bones in its mouth were the worst part about it, with parts broken off and sharp in some places completely smooth in others, like the thing only had two gigantic broken teeth. It was around the size of bear, with long strong looking legs and a thick neck.
"It's a Leucrocotta," Rachel gasped next to him.
"How the hell do you know that?" Nico asked without taking his eyes off the creature. It was just standing there, its head cocked to the left, like it was trying to decide whether or not to eat them.
"She is the Oracle, dumbass," Diane muttered.
Nico didn't answer because at that moment the Leucrocotta opened its mouth wide. It didn't move its jaw but words came out anyway."It has been a long time since I have eaten demigods. I will have to thank Chrysaor for the opportunity."
Nico was pretty sure his jaw was hanging open. The thing had just talked with his voice, his voice exactly. Which was probably the creepiest thing he had ever seen and heard.
The monster did nothing for a moment. Nobody moved.
"So…Chrysaor sent you here?" Rachel asked in a wavering voice. Nico wondered what the hell she was doing, talking to the freaky monster.
The Leucrocotta didn't seem to appreciate that. "I am sent nowhere by no one. I do as I please. But, Chrysaor did request that I come here and I did, by my own free will."
"Do - do you know why he wanted you to come here?" Rachel asked in a small voice.
"He said nothing of why except that there were demigods coming here that he wanted dead. I am happy to oblige him," the Leucrocotta grinned at her. Nico was getting seriously weirded out by hearing the monster say those things with his voice. "Now, enough talking. It is time for my dinner," the monster purred. Nico saw muscles roll in its body as it prepared to strike and he gripped his sword, ready for it to make its move.
The monster sprang at Diane, who jumped out of the way at the last second, dropping to the ground and rolling. The Leucrocotta was faster than expected. It turned around and snarled at her. It leaped again and Nico tried to get in close enough to stab it but it turned and would've taken his head off if Rachel hadn't tried to cut it in the flank and distracted it. The Leucrocotta twisted out of the way of their blades and faced them. It licked its lips with a cracked, pale yellow tongue. "I do like a meal that fights back," it chuckled.
It jumped again, this time aiming for Nico. He rolled out of the way and sliced at the Leucrocotta. His sword caught the side of the monsters face and opened a long slice. The Leucrocotta roared in pain, but otherwise nothing happened. Nico felt a sudden swooping sensation in his stomach. The monster should have vaporized the second his sword touched it. Why didn't it die? Was it somehow immune to Stygian Iron?
The Leucrocotta lunged again and Nico jumped out of the way, but not fast enough. Part of the jagged bone in its mouth caught him on the leg and ripped down his thigh. Nico cried out in pain, feeling the warmth spread down his leg. He fell down hard in the dirt. The Leucrocotta licked Nico's blood off of its teeth-like bone and made a rumbling noise in its chest. "Delicious," it murmured as it advanced on him.
A rock came out of nowhere and hit the Leucrocotta on its large antler. The Leucrocotta flinched and spun around to face Diane, who had thrown the stone at him. The Leucrocotta growled but didn't move, black blood pouring out of the gash on its disturbing face. Before the thing could turn around and eat Nico, he pulled on his now blood soaked ski mask and disappeared. The world around him turned darker and he looked down at himself. Nothing. He couldn't feel the pain in his leg so he stood up.
The Leucrocotta turned around and found that Nico wasn't there. It started to turn its head and instead found one of Rachel's swords coming at it. It roared at her and dodged the blow. Rachel jumped away as the monster snapped at her.
Nico snuck around the monster while Diane rushed to help Rachel. He willed his sword to appear and when it did, plunged it in the Leucrocotta's back. The monster screamed in pain and whirled around to find out who had attacked him. It moved too fast for Rachel and Diane to get at it. Nico tried to make the monster feel terror, but it didn't work. The Leucrocotta must be one of the strong monsters Nico's father had told him about. He made his sword and arm melt back into the shadows while the Leucrocotta searched for him.
Rachel tried to slice the Leucrocotta's throat while it was distracted but it turned to her before she could move. Nico watched in stunned horror as part of the monster's jaw closed over Rachel's torso. Her eyes bugged out and the blood rushed to her face and her mouth formed a shocked O as the jagged bone tore into her flesh. Nico heard Diane scream, but the sound was muffled by the blood pounding in his head. He ripped off his wet ski mask, ignoring the searing pain in his leg and ran toward the monster. The Leucrocotta dropped Rachel in surprise when it saw him. She fell to the ground in a heap, blood pooling around her at an alarming rate. Before the monster could move away, Nico brought his sword down at its neck in an arc, severing it from the body. Nico watched as the monster crumbled to dust until the only thing left of the Leucrocotta was a large antler on the ground.
Nico dropped on his knees next to Rachel. Her eyes were open and her chest was barely moving. She was looking at him, blood dripping out of the corner of her mouth. He looked down at her side, where a large bloody crescent was torn into her skin from her hip to just below her breast. She was lucky the monster hadn't taken a chunk out of her, but Nico didn't think she would survive this wound. And he couldn't do anything for her. He didn't have any healing powers and he couldn't give her any ambrosia or nectar. Diane kneeled next to Rachel's head, looking stunned.
Rachel body spasmed and Nico could see the pain and fear in her eyes. Nico reached forward and grabbed her hand, threading his fingers through her ice cold ones. He could feel the life leaving her body. Tears burned his eyes as she stared at him. He vaguely heard Diane let out a small sob.
Nico leaned forward and brushed hair out of Rachel's face. Her skin felt cold and clammy. Nico felt numb, like he wasn't even processing what was happening. But he knew what was going on. Rachel was dying and there was nothing he could do to help her.
Rachel eyes closed slowly and gave a tiny huff of breath. Her chest didn't move again. Nico could feel her spirit leave her body, like a faint buzzing went through his entire body. He felt hot tears drip down his face as he stared at her. He couldn't stop looking at her. Rachel looked like she could have been sleeping and he found himself waiting for her eyes to open, even though he knew they wouldn't. She was gone, he knew it. He bit down on his lip hard, trying to keep himself together.
Diane moved over to him and pressed her face into his shoulder, her whole body shaking with sobs. Nico wrapped an arm around her without letting go of Rachel's hand. He wasn't ready to let go yet, not ready to admit to himself that she was gone. To admit that was to admit that he would never see her smile again, or hear her laugh, or watch her roll her bright eyes at him, never hear her say his name again. Not the way she had before. He couldn't accept that she was gone and the only way he would ever be able to see her again was as a spirit, a pale imitation of who she really was. Her spirit would do all those things, it would smile and talk to him, but it wouldn't be the same. Something would always be missing. He had learned that when he talked to Bianca after she died. They were the same, but they weren't. And it only grew worse after time. After a while, Rachel would forget things, might not even remember who she was during life or who he was. She would become just like all the other spirits in the Underworld, vacant and sad. Nico bent his head down, finally looking away from her. Diane wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly. Nico could feel her tears soaking into the fabric of his shirt.
Suddenly, Rachel gasped. Nico looked up in surprise. Her body arched off the ground and slumped back down. Diane jumped and looked at her with the same disbelief that Nico was feeling. Rachel's eyes flew open, her usual bright green replaced with the eerie glow of the Spirit of Delphi. Nico stared at her in shock. He had assumed that when Rachel died, the Oracle moved on to somewhere else.
Nico felt Rachel's spirit slam back into her body and her pulse return. The Oracle's eyes met Nico's before closing again, this time in a way that seemed more natural than before. Diane leaned forward and pressed a hand to Rachel's chest while Nico sat frozen.
Rachel's chest moved up and down with even, short breaths. She was alive. Nico couldn't move. He just stared. He couldn't believe what just happened, even though he had watched it happen with his own eyes. Diane turned to him, her face a mask of relief and shock. "We should get back to the house. We can help her there," she said in a chocked voice.
Nico nodded dumbly. He let go of Diane and stood up, ignoring the pain in his leg. He bent down and pulled Rachel into his arms. She was light and he could feel her blood wetting his clothes. Diane walked over to where the Leucrocotta's antler lay and picked it up before wrapping her arm through Nico's. Nico breathed deeply and reached for the shadows.
They appeared in the living room of their house. Nico was about to set Rachel down on the couch but there was someone already sitting on it. A blond teenager wearing a wife beater and ripped jeans was sprawled out on the couch. When he saw them he stood up, his face tense and worried. "Give her to me," he said to Nico, gesturing urgently. "I can help her."
When Nico didn't move, he sighed. "I can help her. I can save her life. She'll die without me. She was lucky Delphi was even able to bring her back."
Diane stepped forward. "And just who the hell are you?" she asked, probably more savagely than she intended.
The blond teenager grinned at her, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "I'm Apollo. God of Medicine."