Chapter 9

Adriana's P.O.V

I didn't get much sleep last night but wearing something other than a dress was nice, Nico even gave me more blankets and pillows. Unfortunately I had to get dressed again into my coral lace dress, at the moment I would give anything to have my old camp t-shirt and jeans back.

I yawned and sat up, it was noon, for a second I was confused and disoriented, then I remembered yesterday. Nico was so much fun yesterday, I didn't know he could play guitar?! Campers typically avoided Nico, Olivia said before meeting Nico she thought he was a demon spawn. One who was sent to kill, she hated it when he was at camp. But now she excepts him, and wants others to as well, if only they saw the side that I did...

"Knock knock"! Nico stepped through the brick wall, he had a very small smile tugging at his lips.

"So today I think instead of touring around and piggy backing we should get some weapons for our escape tomorrow" He explained, I sighed loudly and walked over.

"Whatever you say Neeks" I grinned widely, ever since Olivia declared my nickname was Addy, everyone used it. Not that I minded...

"Neeks?" he asked uncomfortably, I laughed.

"Yup thats your new nickname" I declared.

"So what did you do all morning"? Nico asked trying to change the subject. I shrugged, "sleep in for once laze around and braid my hair" I listed a few, careful not to mention obsessing over you!

"You don't normally sleep in"? He asked surprised, I shrugged, I felt like my shoulder did it on their own when I was around Nico. It was easier to do actions then to speak, I always got tongue-tied or ended up blushing.

"Ya, I like to watch the sunrise, then go back and rest till nine in the morning" I stated, it was true, the sunrise was my favourite part of the day. "What about you"?

"I slept" He said simply. I rolled my eyes and mumbled something about 'typical teenage boys'.

Nico led us through the palace, he walked silently like a cat and I bumbled around, trying to follow in his foot steps.

"Slow down"! I hissed, Nico stopped and looked back. Today he wore his favourite black jeans and a dark grey shirt with a skull in the middle, it seemed very stereotypical of a son of Hades. But I never mentioned it.

Nico did slow down but he found the room only seconds later.

"This is wear my father keeps prisoners weapons, I think you should find a bow and arrows and maybe a dagger" Nico suggested. I nodded and started to search the cluttered room. Weapons were everywhere: on the workbenches, on the floor, hanging from the ceiling rafters. Now that I think about it, this must have been the oldest room in the palace, it wasn't redone like the rest.

I'd been looking for a bow the entire time. When I found one, I tested it out but none seemed to work for me.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a black weapon, I spun around and ran over to the tool bench. It was a cross-bow. It was sleek, black, metal and beside it was a bag, probably carrying in the arrows. I picked up the cross-bow and pulled the string and arrow spring back. I grabbed the bag and looked inside, it was empty? But when I reached in to double check I felt ammunition, I looked inside again but it was still empty. I pulled out the arrows, this must be a magically blessed ammunition bag. You couldn't spill, lose or drop the arrows but it was always full.

I shot the wall twice and decided this was going to be my weapon, it wasn't a bow and arrow but it was close enough. And it felt right.

I picked up a dagger before heading over to Nico who was looking for a specific set of daggers.

"I found a dagger and something" I said, Nico turned around and stood up, I kinda liked it when he was kneeling. Less intimidating for sure.

"A cross bow? Suits you... I've never seen it here before" Nico trailed off and inspected my weapon.

"Ya i think it was the only one, what are you looking for? I thought you have your stygion iron sword"? I asked.

"Yup, I always have him on me but a couple weeks ago I brought a set of two stygion iron twin daggers but my father took then away. Claimed I have too many weapons... But they were really cool" Nico proclaimed like a child. I put my dagger into it's sheath which sat around my hip and put my cross-bow over my shoulder.

"HERE"! Nico said loudly, he pulled out two twin black daggers, both looked dangerous and tempting.

Nico looked at me and frowned, his eyes wandered down to my dagger.

"What"? I asked, he shook his head. "It's really nothing. It just reminded me of Annabeth" He said.

I pouted, why was Nico thinking of Annabeth? I looked nothing like her! I wish Nico would just like me! Gods, I was never good enough for anyone. It completely ruined my mood of happiness and discovery.

"I had a dream last night... Well it wasn't really a dream more like something that was happening at camp half blood. Like an Iris message" Nico said quietly, I sat criss cross on the ground and Nico followed suit, but he sat with his elbows on his raised knees.

"Go on" I urged.

"Annabeth, Percy, Leo, Olivia, Clarisse and the Stoll brothers were gathered in Poseidon's cabin. I think Annabeth organized the whole thing, she seemed to be telling everyone something, Percy didn't seem to know what was going on either." Nico elaborated.

"Well what was Annabeth ranting about this time" I joked.

Nico shot me a serious look and I dropped the smiling act. "She was saying how Persephone always wanted revenge on Hades, so she sent you after me. You kidnapped me and brought me some where Persephone could talk to me. And if Annabeth is talking, remember she is persistent and smart, people trust her, and they believed it too".

"Why would she do that? She knows how hard it is to catch a shadow traveling son of Hades, you're not gullible either! You wouldn't have even trusted me at the time. Why did she say something that is so... wrong"?

"Actually Leo knows how hard it is to catch me...

"Anyway, you could tell Annabeth even knew it was far fetched but the thing is: her and Percy are like family to me. I just came back and claimed I wouldn't be leaving for a while, when you and I disappeared she didn't want to blame me." Nico sighed heavily.

I grabbed his hand, "I understand, we can convince Annabeth when we get back tomor-" Nico's eyes went wide and he slapped a hand over my mouth.

"Some ones coming" he whispered, he looked around the room panicked, "quick in the closet over there".

Nico's P.O.V

It felt great to get that dream off my chest, I would have felt horrible if we went to camp tomorrow and everybody suddenly hated Adriana and she didn't know why. I couldn't even imagine the crushed expression she would have.

We scrambled into the small closet and pulled the doors shut, there were little vent slits at the top like a school locker.

Suddenly our breathing sounded like Mrs. O'Leary's bark, loud and obnoxious. Adriana stood in front of me and I was tall enough to look out the vent slits.

She went on her toes to look out, it almost made me laugh how she had to go on her toes, I guess she felt my chest laughing because she hit my arm and shot me a look.

The foot steps got louder until they were in the room, my heart was beating out of my chest, I felt like it was going to touch Adriana's back.

I gasped as my father stepped into the room followed by Alecto the fury. Hades looked tired from the long day of judging the judges but he had enough energy to fuel the fire in his eyes.

"Where is the girl"! Hades snapped angrily, I hated seeing him angry, as much as I hated to admit it. I was scared of my own father.

Alecto shuffled nervously and scratched her head, the sound of claws on leather made me and Adriana cringe.

"You said to keep Persephone away, but not your boy" Alecto defended herself, her voice was scratchy and old.

Hades huffed and breathed out heavily, suddenly he hit Alecto and she went flying across the confiscated weaponry room. She crashed into a bench of weapons and groaned in pain, Adriana jumped and covered her mouth. She couldn't see that well but even just being able to hear clarified the situation.

"You idiot! Nico shouldn't be around that girl, they shouldn't be friends at all. They aren't meant to be in any kind of relationship besides hate" Hades bellowed. The door to the room seemed to be sound proof and his voice echoed in the cluttered room, it was so powerful it freaked me out.

I quickly wrapped my arms around Adriana, like a hug from behind. She was so scared she was shaking, I was used to my dad but other people weren't. The man radiated fear and death to a whole new level, so when he was angry it was enough to scare a fury.

I pulled Adriana in closer to my body and she seemed to calm down slightly, but the situation was still a problem. Would father sense our presence or would he storm out of the room when he was done with Alecto?

"You are such a useless monster, I should have gotten Megaera to watch the girl, if I say something or someone is a prisoner... THAT MEANS THEY STAY LOCKED IN A CELL"! Hades spat in a loud voice. I think Zeus would be scared too.

Alecto nodded vigorously and the look of fear swirling in her dead eyes.

"Yes, i'm sorry Lord Hades. I can get one of my sisters to watch the girl" Alecto said, she sounded desperate to get away from the angered man.

I watched as my dad seemed to be evaluating the situation.

"The girl and my son are gone, there is no need to be guarding the cell anymore" dad snapped, he took a breath and continued. "Tomorrow i'm not even in the underworld, if you let them escape you and your sisters will be punished. I want soldiers, hell hounds, monsters and you three furies patrolling my domain for them. I don't want them dead either, you can maim them but I want them relatively safe and locked up when I return from Olympus tomorrow night" Hades explained. As he spoke Alecto nodded quickly and acted as if they were rules written in stone. Dad looked at Alecto one last time.

"Make sure they don't escape" he hissed before storming out of the room.

Alecto stood in shock for a little but quickly flew off to start assembling guards, soldiers, monsters and going finding her sisters.

Adriana fidgeted in my arms, "can we get out now? Its hot in here" she said quietly. I retracted my arms from her waist.

I didn't realize how much I enjoyed the close proximity with her until she opened the closet and walked out. I ran a hand through my hair and groaned, Adriana was too busy inspecting her cross-bow to notice the bulge in my jeans. I guess that was a good thing though. That would call for even more embarrassing events to follow, I quickly jammed my hands in my pockets and hunched over slightly.

"We can't exactly go back to our rooms tonight, so are we sleeping here"? Adriana asked, she shot another arrow into the wall and smiled as she hit the clock in the dead center.

"Umm I guess" I replied.

"You don't sound sure? Are you ok?" She asked, she turned around and faced me, she didn't seem to see the problem but I just quickly shook my head.

"Nope your right, we should stay here..." She smiled and continued to shot her cross-bow, I wondered if she was going to run out of ammunition?

I apologize for last chapters boring-ness, this chapter and ESPECIALLY next chapter will be awesome.

thanks for reading, please review, fav and follow!

(Note: Next chapter will be in third person again)