So I ended up taking a few parts from the old version of this chapter and splicing them together to make the first half of the chapter. Mainly the important parts that helped build a basis for what is going on in the coven or explanations of magic. And plot points, of course. So one of my favorite urban legends from the south here in the United States has always been the significance of the crossroads. Especially involving Blues music. People selling their souls for the ability to play and write good music. So that played a lot into this chapter.

Chapter 12: Sell Your Soul, Down at the Crossroads

Almost a week later, Jason found himself walking down the families' road with Nico, Percy, and Annabeth after school Friday afternoon. Although, honestly, the week had been a blur to him. It had gotten to the point where Ms. Stheno had gotten irritated with him for not paying attention a single day that week. But how did anyone expect him to pay attention to the older woman, when Nico's lips were looking so appealing?

Not that they had kissed since the previous weekend.

Annabeth had made him a list of each driveway and who it belonged to. The first house on the left belonged to Clarisse and Frank's family, and across the road from them was Beckendorf and Leo's house. Next was Dionysus and Demeter's houses. Annabeth's house came after that, which had a large field across the road from it. Next was the house Jason knew to belong to Luke's family, and across from it was Artemis' home. A little down the road was Silena and Piper's house, and then across from it was Rachel's house.

"Hera adopted her when she was a baby," Nico whispered to him as they walked past the old gate with peacock feathers for iron bars. Nico slipped his hands into his pockets. "She can be nice, but also very bitter. Her last husband cheated on her."

Annabeth let out a sigh. "It would have been nice, seeing the changing of leadership in a house. But since Hera is no longer married, she remains the Head of House. The last time we got to see the change in house leadership..." Her eyes drifted over to Nico, who frowned and kicked at a rock.

Jason looked at Nico questioningly, but the boy was staring at his feet.

They continued on with their tour down the road, clearly wanting to avoid the subject. "Here's Apollo's house," Annabeth said, motioning to a gate with a sun and harp in the center of the gate.

They came to the end of the road a little after that. There were still three gates left, which made Jason do a quick recount in his head to make sure he got the numbers right. He still came up with one extra.

He knew the one on the right was Nico's house and the one on the left belonged to Percy. Their gates were different than the others, though. The one on the left was made of larimar, while the one on the right was obsidian. Their gates seemed taller as well. But there was still the matter of the gate at the very end of the road.

The others didn't even seem to want to take Jason near it, and Nico tried to grab him as the blue-eyed boy moved closer to inspect it. There were no symbols on it like the other gates, and it creaked as the wind blew it gently. Vines and moss had overtaken the metal gate, growing wildly all around the iron fence. The woods felt thicker around the gate, and he even got the feeling that something might be watching him. Jason shivered and took a step back from the large gate.

A gust of wind picked up around them and blew some of the leaves that covered the road around the families' homes. He glanced over his shoulder at the other three, motioning towards the large gate. "What's this one?"

"Nothing," Percy quickly said.

Annabeth rolled her eyes at the green-eyed boy and walked up to the gate. She gave a shrug before turning around to face Jason. "Just an old house we don't use anymore. It was the first one that our families built when we came here. We needed a place to live, so we made one for all of us to live in. It's sort of why we stuck with the large house theme, so we didn't outdo each other."

Nico's expression was blank when Jason glanced over at the boy. He blinked dully at the blonde as she gripped one of the metal bars of the gate. Jason's lips tilted down. "So, you have thirteen houses, one of which is vacant?" He shook his head. "I kind of want to hate all of you," the boy chuckled. "You have an empty mansion just going to waste."

They ended up in the large field across the road from Annabeth's house. The grass wasn't really maintained, so most of it came above their heads whenever they sat down. Percy wanted to show Jason something cool, and was doing his best impression of a sad baby seal to get Nico to do it with him.

Nico was reluctant to do whatever it was at first, but Percy kept begging him. "You'll think this is cool," the green-eyed boy told Jason.

"Boys," Annabeth mumbled with the roll of her eyes.

Nico finally rolled his eyes and held his hand out. Grinning wildly, Percy propped himself up on his elbow and held his own hand out until it was only an inch apart from Nico's. A faint red glow emanated between their two palms, and eventually a bright, blood red line appeared in the center of both of their palms.

Nico held his hand out for Jason to witness red marks appear around the red line. They looked like runes. Nico flexed his hand, and eventually the markings went away.

Jason's brow furrowed. "What was that?"

Percy grinned. "Nico and I are blood brothers. It means we've sworn an oath to protect each other."

Nico let out a sigh and rolled his sleeves down to cover his hand. "I never asked you to do it."

Percy gave a shrug before turning back to Jason. "A few of us are bonded. It just means that we'll do whatever we have to in order to ensure our partner's safety."

Jason gave a nod. "Is that why you two are close?" He asked, motioning between the two.

Percy grinned and slung an arm around Nico. "Nah, this guy was already my best buddy before then. We were practically raised together as babies." He smiled at Jason. "I just wanted him to feel safe after..." His smile faltered and the tan boy glanced down at Nico. "Well, after everything that happened."

Oh, Jason thought. It was unspoken, but Jason understood. After Nico's mother died.

"I think Luke was a little hurt that Nico didn't pick him," Annabeth mused, picking at some grass.

Nico pulled his legs under his chin and frowned. "And he knows why I didn't let him do that. It probably would have killed him."

Annabeth cleared her throat and caught Jason's eye. "To bond, witches and warlocks have to be on a similar degree of power. There is a hierarchy. Luke is a strong warlock, but-"

"That's enough!" Nico snapped. The grass around the boy had wilted and died.

Jason glanced at Nico, though the boy seemed caught up in his own thoughts. He still wanted to know their story, but Jason wasn't sure now was the best time to ask about it. There was no telling how Nico would even react.

For a little while after that, Percy described to Jason how the process worked. It sounded very painful, as it involved cutting their palms and smearing the blood to act as the runes that appeared whenever they wanted to see their bond. Percy confessed that it feels like the body was on fire, but Nico just claimed that Percy was a big baby.

There was something to that which Annabeth seemed to want to comment about, but she didn't. Jason watched her as she frowned down at the grass. Maybe Percy wasn't exaggerating that it hurt for him? But he was just as strong as Nico, right? That was why they bonded. Right?

All too soon for Jason's liking, Annabeth announced that they had to leave. Jason asked if they wanted to do anything later, but Percy said that they had to go to a special sort of lesson tonight. Nico rolled his eyes at that. "It's just something Firsts have to do every so often," he mumbled to Jason.

Jason gave a nod, slipping his hands into his pockets. He chewed on his lip as Percy and Annabeth started to head back to the road. "It's okay," said the blue-eyed boy. He gave a lopsided smile. "Any chance I could see you later tonight?"

Nico glanced over his shoulder briefly. "I... don't know." The pale boy frowned, causing Jason's heart to drop. "I'm still not sure this is the best idea."

"Please?"

Nico bit down on his lip. "I'll talk to you later, Jason," Nico whispered before turning around and began to walk away.

"I still have those dreams."

The brown-eyed boy turned and quirked an eyebrow at him, but did not look that surprised. "It's nothing to worry about." He shrugged. "They probably just need to run their course. Nothing I can do about them if they were put there."

"Nothing?"

Nico gave a shrug. "I mean, if the haunting wasn't the cause of it, then they were put there separately. It's possible that Medea did both, though I fail to see why she would." He shook his head. "She got irritated at me when I accused her of sending a spirit after you. She claimed that she had better things to do than haunt someone like you, but I still wouldn't put it past her."

Jason frowned. "But why would she want me to have the dreams?"

"I don't know," Nico said softly. He looked at his feet, crossing his arms. "I mean..." His brow furrowed. "No, that wouldn't make sense. Or maybe it does." Jason quirked a brow. Nico no longer seemed to be talking to him. "He never sealed her away after that."

"Nico?"

The boy looked up, like he had entirely forgotten Jason was still standing there. "Sorry. It's nothing. Maybe she just wants to freak you out."

Jason slowly nodded and sighed. He reached out for Nico when the boy went to leave again. Nico gave him an odd look. Jason smiled before brushing some of Nico's hair out of his face. "Why do I feel so drawn to you?" He whispered.

Nico reached up to touch the hand that lingered against his cheek. "Mortals have been known to experience a state of euphoria around our kind." The boy did not seem to want to look Jason in the eye. "That's one of the lessons we have to learn. Mortals find us appealing... and sex with us is supposed to be nearly addictive."

Jason grinned, but Nico put his hands to Jason's face. Jason pouted.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Don't get any ideas."

Jason rubbed his neck. "What about other witches and warlocks?"

Nico eyed him funny for a brief moment. "Nothing unique, though some rituals can be so intense that they require sex with one another, but those are extremely rare." He crossed his arms, looking up at Jason with a sigh.

Jason gave a slow nod. "I do get this weird feeling around some of you, especially you. But I also think some of Silena's family has tried to do something to my head."

Nico's lips tilted up in a smirk. "That's a little different. Drew has... a unique set of powers. Aphrodite, Mitchell and Piper do as well, though they are more controlled with their powers." He frowned and slowly let one of his hands slide down Jason's arm. "Drew doesn't regard mortals as anything important, and she will often have them do her bidding. It's not really potent on us, not that she'd try it on us. But mortals have a very hard time resisting her requests."

"It didn't really mess with me," Jason admitted.

"I know," Nico muttered, seeming annoyed. "Believe me, I know. Silena pointed it out to me." He let out a breath. "Nobody seemed to influence you, except for when I tried."

"You said that all of you possess some degree of each unique type of magic." Jason reached up and touched Nico's chest. "Is that why I feel so drawn to you? Everything about you is intoxicating to me. I just want to be near you all the time."

Nico leaned into Jason's touch when the hand brushed against his cheek. "No," he whispered. "It's not the same. I haven't quite figured it out yet, but I feel it, too." The brown-eyed boy shook his head with a sad look. "I feel tethered to you. I don't even need the breath of life anymore, not with you around so much nowadays. You might have noticed the changes in my body temperatures. There's more about me that I haven't told you, but I'll try to simplify this. Cold is bad, warm is good." He slowly traced his fingertips across Jason's palm. "I'll let you know when I have something concrete."

Irritation seemed to boil up within him. It wasn't really fair that Nico was keeping this from him. He was just as much involved in whatever this was as Nico. So why couldn't Nico just try to help him understand? "Why can't you just give me a theory?" Jason said, a little angrier than he had intended.

Nico narrowed his eyes and pushed Jason's hand away. "You act like I hide everything from you. I've tried to accommodate you after you found out about us." The forest seemed to darken around the them, even though it was the middle of the day. "I tried to help you the best I could, so you wouldn't freak out. I think I've been very open with you."

"I'm sorry," Jason quickly said, reaching out and taking Nico's hand. "Okay? Just... calm down. I shouldn't have snapped."

Nico slowly pulled away, but kept his hand intertwined with Jason's. "There's a lot of reasons I'm hesitant to date you, Jason. At first, it was mostly to do with the differences between us. I'm a warlock and you're a mortal."

"And?"

Nico's lips tilted down. He shook his head. "I don't think we should talk about that just yet." He let out a sigh and looked into the woods. "That part's too complicated, and I'm still trying to figure out the best time and best way to tell you."

Jason gave Nico a lopsided smile. "I'm sure it's not that big of a deal."

Nico didn't seem to agree. The boy's dark gaze drifted back over to him. "Eventually, though, it became about you only living here temporarily. I figured you'd just leave at the end of the year, and then I'd never see you again. I thought you'd just go back to California and maybe meet someone else." He slowly pulled his hand away from Jason. "I don't really want to be just a passing phase."

He wanted to tell Nico that wasn't true. Jason didn't see Nico as a passing phase. He wanted to be with Nico, and the longer he stayed here, the stronger that feeling became. When he was with Nico, Jason felt like he was finally at home. He felt like he was where he was meant to be. And there were times where Jason started to realize that he liked Nico more than anyone before. Lee had been the longest and had probably been the strongest Jason had been able to feel towards someone, but that one dream guy kept getting in the way. Lee was fun and they got along very well, but there was just something different about Nico. Perhaps this was what it felt like on Nico's end with Jason.

He didn't think about this dream guy with Nico. In truth, he felt kind of whole around Nico, like he often did when that ghostly boy entered his dreams. If it wasn't just a dream, Jason might begin to wonder. Maybe he should, now that he knew about magic. But what were the chances that someone across the country had found his way into Jason's dreams. And why?

As Nico began to leave again, Jason blurted out, "What's the deal with your dog?"

That made Nico laugh, and it was like music to Jason's ears. "Oh. He's a familiar."

Jason frowned and glanced down at the boy. "I thought that was just cats."

"No." Nico shook his head. "There are several animals associated with witchcraft. Each of them can classify as a familiar. But Cerberus is special. He's a hellhound."

"A what?" Jason's eyes widened. Didn't hellhounds drag people to hell? Hence the name.

Nico rolled his eyes and sat back down in the grass, Jason doing the same. "He's very obedient, calm down."

"What is it, though? I've heard the legends about them, but I don't know how much is made up."

"Oh." Nico blinked, pulling up a flower from the ground. "A hellhound can shift between our world and the afterlife. They can act as guides for spirits to the afterlife, or they can drag an unwilling spirit back to their domain. We keep Cerberus around to keep spirits in line."

Jason's fingers itched to reach out and touch Nico. "He seems to listen pretty well."

"Because he can listen," Nico mumbled. "He completely understands what we say. Why do you think I shut the door last weekend when he was laying in the hallway? I didn't need him reporting to my father, I already have enough problems keeping things private in that house."

"Wait." Jason made the timeout symbol. "You said he can tell your father things?"

Jason felt sick when Nico nodded. "Yeah? Anyone connected to death can understand him." He grinned at the pale look on the taller boy's face. "If it helps, he can also change his size and form. You've only seen him in his disguise."

Jason let out a silent groan. "He gets bigger?" He asked meekly. He had to clear his throat to keep from squeaking. "Like what are we talking?"

"Um, well," Nico chuckled. "His teeth can get longer, he is about the size of me, and his eyes will glow red." He patted Jason's arm. "Oh, and he can shadow travel like I can. Except think bigger, like anywhere on the planet."

Suddenly, Jason didn't feel so well. He made a mental note to never hurt Nico, because he feared that Hades would send that dog to rip out Jason's soul and drag it back to the terrifying father, who would probably torture Jason for the rest of the man's days.

Nico let out a heavy sigh, which brought Jason back to the event at hand. "I suppose I should just tell you about the house as well, while we're at it." He crossed his legs and began running the palm of his hand over the blades of grass. "So, the reason I told you not to say anything in the house was because we sort of have a lot of spirits that reside there."

Jason sat up, his brow furrowed. "Like... permanently?"

Nico slowly nodded. "I didn't really want them reporting anything to my father." He chewed on his lip as he watched Jason. "And, well, there's some in the basement that I hope you never have to encounter."

"Why do you keep them in the house?" Jason hissed.

Nico pursed his lips, causing Jason to regret his tone. "It wasn't my choosing. It's just a long story, something that happened a very long time ago. Um, like around the Civil War."

Jason moved closer to the boy, pulling Nico back against the blue-eyed boy's chest. "Can they hurt people?"

Nico was quiet. Jason looked down to find the boy chewing on his lip. "They can't physically touch normal people, and that includes witches and warlocks." Something about the way Nico said that didn't sit right with Jason. "But they can, you know, knock things over and hurt people that way. My father keeps the bad ones sealed in the basement, though."

The two sprang apart when someone cleared their throat.

Percy and Annabeth were standing a distance away. The blonde was tapping her foot, while Percy looked rather amused. Nico's face was red as he shot to his feet. "I'm so sorry! We started talking, and I got distracted."

Jason smiled. "Sorry for getting you in trouble."

Percy waved it off. "It's cool. We understand that you need alone time." He winked at Nico, who gave him a shove. "But we probably should get going."

"Before the adults raise questions," Annabeth added.

Jason shook his head as he walked back to his car. That had been interesting. Their world was fascinating, to say the least. A little scary, but fascinating. Who knew how scary it actually was, though. Perhaps he would find out, if Jason continued down this road.

Monday was not a good day. Not for Jason anyways. With everything that had happened, even over this past weekend, he had forgotten to study for a test that Ms. Hestia was giving them. The blond felt rather sick as he pulled his English book from his locker. How could he have forgotten? He was supposed to be a straight A student, and now he was probably going to fail this test.

Why couldn't it just be canceled? That would be great, but no. Instead, Jason was going to struggle and probably do horrible. He had not paid attention in any of his classes last week, since all he could think about was the fact that magic was real and that he had kissed Nico. The latter one felt slightly more important to him, but that was just Jason's opinion.

"You ready?" Came Eros' voice, startling Jason. The brunet chuckled when Jason turned around. "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"I'm fine. Sort of." The blond shut his locker. "Honestly, I didn't even get a chance to study."

"You did seem rather out of it last week."

Jason took in a deep breath as they headed for their class. "Had a lot on my mind." The blond gazed at Eros. "How are you?"

Eros licked his lips and held his books closer to his chest. "Thanks again for giving me a ride home. I probably would have drowned in that rain Saturday."

Jason chuckled and waved the guy off. "It was no trouble at all, really." He blew out a breath. "I just really wish that we didn't have to take this test today. If I could just have another day to study, I would be totally fine."

It seemed like luck was on Jason's side today. When they entered the room, Ms. Hestia was blowing her nose and massaging her head. She turned her chair around and began writing on the board as Jason sat down. The blond's eyes widened as he read what she wrote.

Test canceled. Talk among yourselves. Quietly!

"It seems like you got your wish after all," Eros leaned across the aisle to whisper to Jason. He got up and moved to sit in the desk beside Jason, which surprised even Rachel, who sat behind him. Not that the boy talked to her, but it was just surprising. "So... you're bisexual?"

Jason snorted. "That's a pretty blunt way of asking." He nodded. "I am. I like Nico di Angelo, actually."

"I kind of figured that out," Eros whispered. "You stare at him a lot at lunch. Even when you were sitting with us." He let out a sigh. "You can still talk to me, you know, even if the others are shunning you."

"Your friends are not the brightest," Reyna spoke up. Eros blinked at her in surprise. The girl just shrugged. "What? It's true."

"Uh..." Eros finally glanced between the two girls behind him and Jason. Right, Jason thought to himself, Eros wasn't supposed to associate with them because of his father. "You are right."

"You don't-" Jason began, but Eros held a hand up.

"It's fine." He turned in his seat to face Reyna. "I don't hate you, just saying. I mean... Some weird things happen, and sometimes you guys seem to be connected to those events. Even so, I don't hate you. And I don't think you worship the devil."

Rachel eyed the boy sadly as she drew in her notebook. "You know, there is a number that you can call, if you're having problems."

"Rachel," Reyna hissed. The red haired girl just shrugged.

Eros blinked at Rachel. "How did you...? Is it that obvious?" He let out a sigh. "I am fine. I know that my father's drinking is kind of infamous around town, but everything is fine."

Rachel's brow furrowed. She looked like she wanted to say more, but chose not to. Jason really had to wonder what was going on in that head of hers. Knowing what he did now, there was no telling what she knew. She knew the future, at least that was what he had been told. Maybe that explained her initial reaction to seeing Jason. Not completely, but it was something to go on. But why did she seem relieved to see Jason when he first moved here?

When class let out, Hestia stopped them all from leaving to let them know that the test would be tomorrow, and to make sure that they are all extra prepared. Jason was just happy that he would have another night to study. Unfortunately, he had track after this, so he wouldn't have study hall. He would just get to studying as soon as he got home.

"How do you stand wearing clothes like that?" Reyna asked Eros as they left the classroom. "You always look like you're about to go to church."

Eros blinked down at his attire. He had on a finely pressed button up shirt and some khaki pants on. It was pretty much his standard attire. The guy always dressed nice, but even Jason could not stand wearing nice clothes like that for very long. He hated award ceremonies because of that very reason.

"It's just what I have always worn," Eros shrugged. The boy shouldered his backpack and fell into line to walk with the other three. "I do wear shorts in the summer."

"At least he doesn't tuck his shirts in," Rachel pointed out.

"You look fine, Eros," Jason chuckled, nudging the brunet.

Eros flashed a smile at them. "I-"

"Eros!"

The brunet paled at the sound of Khione's voice. The girl stood in front of them, Kelli and Dylan at her side. Reyna looked like she wanted to hit all of them. She'd probably win.

"What the hell are you doing with those two?" Khione sneered. "Jason is already a lost cause, don't throw yourself in with these heathens." She narrowed her gaze. "Do I need to have my mother call your father?"

"No!" Eros cried out in panic. "I mean, no." He took in a breath. "I just... Our test got canceled, and I..."

Khione shook her head. "Stop being so nice to everyone. It really is not needed on the likes of them. Save it for those that actually believe in God."

"Why don't you mind your own business?" Reyna snapped.

"It's fine," Eros whispered as he stepped over to stand between Kelli and Dylan. He gave a small smile to Jason. "Bye, Jason."

The blond let out a sigh as the four of them walked away. "Eros is too good for them." Reyna nodded in agreement. Jason crossed his arms, still staring after the group. "I really don't like Khione."

"Join the club," Reyna muttered. "She thinks she is queen, and just tries her best to run the school."

"At least she will be gone after this year," Rachel reminded them. "The younger ones won't have to deal with her or her friends. There will still be plenty of other assholes, yes, but their queen will be gone." She gave a big smile to the other two. "Besides, she'll be out of this town. At least she hopes so. And, if that is the case..."

"That is good," Reyna breathed out. Her brow furrowed. "Still not sure if it'll make a difference. She is a bitch, whether we are around or not."

"True."

"What are you two talking about?" Jason asked.

"Nothing," Rachel replied, narrowing her eyes at the blond to tell him to shut up. Reyna did not know that Jason knew yet, so they could not have this conversation in front of her."

Later that night, Jason found himself in another moment from the past. Kronos walked up the stairs of the house that now belonged to Nico. His clothes were heavily tattered, Jason noted, as he pushed open the door. Kronos instantly frowned.

There was a lot of things broken in the house, ranging from pictures to plates. It even looked like some of the curtains had caught fire. He stepped over a broken potted plant and made his way towards the sound of glass breaking.

Tartarus had just sat down in a chair when Kronos stepped into the dining room. The boy's brown eyes flickered up with a dark look. Something was different about Tartarus now, though. His eyes were darker, his skin paler. Dark bruises trailed down his right arm. His face was dirty and his hair was cut shorter than he had kept it back in Salem.

He sighed at the sight of Kronos. "I was beginning to wonder if you were even still alive."

Kronos frowned as a woman swept some broken shards of glass from the floor in the kitchen. "What happened?"

"What do you think happened?" Tartarus sat back in his chair, slumping down. "You weren't here, things got destroyed. You should just be lucky your mother let us drive them off." His eyes seemed hollow somehow as he stared up at Kronos.

It was then that Kronos took notice of blood dripping onto the table. He shot forward and grabbed Tartarus's hand, which was clutching a piece of glass. Tartarus let out a disturbing chuckle as Kronos took the piece of glass from him. Silver liquid dripped off the end of the shard, dissolving into the table.

Kronos's eyes flared with anger. "How did this happen? I thought you were going to take care of it?" Hissing, the boy's eyes began to turn gold. "You know there isn't a second that I can give you."

Kronos looked around as ghostly hands attempted to claw their way out of the walls of the dining room. His brow furrowed as he turned back to the brown-eyed boy at the table. "Maybe you should have thought about that before you left all of us," Tartarus hissed.

"I wanted to help!"

"You helped the very people that came here and burned most of the land! You helped the people that tried to rape Venus!" The boy's eyes dissolved into dark voids. "You weren't here when-" Tartarus hesitated, clenching his fists. "When we needed you."

"I didn't know they would do what they did!" Kronos yelled back. He smashed the shard of the vial against the ground. "So, what, you smashed it to get back at me?"

"No," Tartarus whispered. He turned away, though the hands had yet to stop their attempts of getting out of the walls. "It was Circe."

Kronos narrowed his eyes. "Circe died back in Salem."

A pure rage covered Tartarus's face as he whirled around to face Kronos. "I know! Don't think I've forgotten!" To Kronos's surprise, Tartarus punched him square in the jaw. "It was your fault she died. It all started because you broke your oath, it was all doomed from there." He let out a cold laugh as Kronos massaged his jaw. "We doomed our own coven, and now we all just have to live with this curse."

Kronos frowned and reached out, gripping Tartarus by the chin. He peered at the boy's face, though the boy struggled to pull away. "What happened to you, Taratarus?"

Tartarus knocked the hand away. He was silent, his eyes hidden behind his black bangs. A manic grin crept onto the boy's pale lips. "I did it," he whispered.

Kronos's brow furrowed. "What have you done?"

Still grinning, Tartarus looked up, revealing the dark glint in his eyes. "What no one ever could. I achieved the impossible while you were gone, Kronos." He motioned around the house, seemingly in a better mood. "I proved your mother right. I was more powerful than my father, and now his soul rots for eternity."

"Tartarus," Kronos hissed, glancing towards the kitchen. "What happened to the vial? You said Circe broke it. How?"

The other boy was silent, swaying slightly. His smile slowly melted away until a light frown marred his face. Kronos took a step forward.

Kronos was shaking now, fury in his eyes. "How could you bring her back?" He growled. His eyes blazed their golden color. "You brought her back, and she repaid you by breaking the thing I asked you to protect!" He shook his head at the dark look that he found in Tartarus's eyes. "What happened to you, Tartarus?" He asked more softly. "What happened to my best friend? What happened to the happy boy from Salem?"

The shadows on the floor beside Tartarus began to swirl and rise from the wood. Red eyes appeared in the darkness and Tartarus reached out to touch the shadows. Kronos frowned as the shadows took form and a large dog now sat beside Tartarus. The boy's pale hand rested on its head, still staring blankly at Kronos.

The boy's brown orbs dissolved into blackness, blood red irises appearing within them. Tartarus flicked his hand upward, causing shadows to ensnare Kronos. They slowly pulled him down into the floor, while Tartarus just stood there and watched. The boy's next words caused Kronos's eyes to widen.

"He's dead."

Jason shot up when he felt like he was being suffocated from the darkness. But the second he came to, Jason was shoved up against a stone wall. Flinching, Jason glanced around him. He was in the cemetery. But the worst part was who was in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" Medea yelled in his face.

"I don't know," Jason answered honestly. That didn't seem to help him any.

The girl did not loosen her grip on Jason's shirt. But something caught his eye. Glancing down, Jason caught sight of a red shimmer in the girl's sleeve. It took his groggy mind a few moments to realize what it was.

His brow furrowed. "Why do you have Nico's necklace?"

Medea shoved him away, glaring angrily at him. "Don't try to change the subject. You're the one intruding here." She crossed her arms, making sure that the necklace was out of sight. "You need to leave."

Jason didn't say anything else. He let her lead him towards the gate, though he kept glancing down at her sleeve. He knew that was Nico's necklace, but what would she want with it? And why was she out in the cemetery in the middle of the night with it?

As they neared the gate, Jason stopped when he caught sight of movement from the corner of his eye. Turning his head, Jason barely saw a shadowy figure drift out from behind the mausoleum. His face paled as it jumped straight over the fence. Medea shoved his back as the figure disappeared into the woods and Jason lost sight of it. Something was definitely not right here.

It was half past two by the time he got home. The strangest part? Nico's car was parked on the curb. The boy was leaning against his car, frowning as Jason walked towards him.

"What are you doing here?" Jason hissed. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Nico frowned at him. "You're one to talk. Where have you been?" He shook his head with a sigh. "Your front door is unlocked, by the way."

"I was sleep walking," Jason muttered. He rubbed the back of his head as he led Nico inside the house. "I had another dream."

"I am rather curious as to why you are dreaming about my ancestor." Nico sat down on the couch. "I've had plenty of dreams about him myself. I probably know every day in his life by now, or at least the interesting days. My point is that it is strange because not even my father has dreams about Tartarus." Nico narrowed his gaze as Jason retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge. "I just... I don't like to think about the possibilities. I'm just going to assume Medea did something. How? I don't know."

"Speaking of," Jason interrupted. "Do you have your amulet on you?"

Nico reached for his chest, but already knew it was not there. "I couldn't find it when I left the house. I figured one of the spirits moved it to mess with me."

"Medea had it."

"And how would you know that?"

Jason took in a breath and explained everything. The room dropped a few degrees when Jason mentioned the mysterious figure.

"What is she up to," Nico whispered, standing to his feet. He shook his head. "I don't know what to do. Maybe I should take this to the coven?" He shut his eyes in frustration. "But that could lead them to finding out that you know, and then who knows what they might do."

"So..."

"I'll just... Give me some time to think." He took in a deep breath. "Anyways, that is not why I am here. Although, it might be connected, if I'm right. And I hope I am not."

"What is it?"

Nico licked his lips. "Do you trust me?"

"What?" Jason chuckled. Nico looked incredibly serious. "Of course."

Nico gave a nod. "Then come with me."

"Where are we going?" Jason asked as Nico held out his hand. "It's almost three."

"I know," was the only reply before Nico and Jason dissolved into darkness.

When they emerged, they were standing in the middle of a crossroads. Jason was not sure where they were, but they seemed to be outside of town. It was deathly silent, not even the wind blew. Nico was already busy at work drawing symbols in the middle of the road. In the center of the crossroads, to be precise.

"What are you doing?" Jason asked.

Nico stood up and took a breath. "I need answers. The coven doesn't know, nobody does. I couldn't control that ghost, and only someone powerful could put a rune like that on a ghost to make it not obey me. I need answers." He held up a hand. "Just... promise me that you won't tell anyone about this? I know what I'm doing. I am prepared for what I am doing."

"Nico..." Jason did not like the sound of Nico's voice. He sounded... He almost sounded frightened. What were they doing out here in the middle of the night? Why this spot? "I trust you."

Nico nodded and went back to drawing. After he was done, he put some objects around four small circles that outlined the giant red circle that Nico had drawn. "They can give me answers. And it will be bound inside of this circle. I think that whoever branded that ghost might have something to do with the strange things that have been going on lately. Someone has been trying to break into the mausoleum, Medea might be helping them, and pastors are dying. This is dark magic, and I have to find answers."

Jason's blood ran a little cold as he stared down at the red circle. "Nico... what are you summoning? I'm assuming this is to summon something."

Again, Nico nodded. "It's a nephilim." He paused and turned to Jason with a deep breath. "I need you to know what we are dealing with. You wanted to know more about our world, that's why you went to those mortals, so I'm trying to show you this. But this is not a game. This is dangerous, and I don't think it's possible for you to imagine just how dangerous. I need you to know what a nephilim is if I am going to bring one here to our world."

"What do you mean 'to our world'?"

Nico pulled out a knife and held it tightly in his hand. "There is a veil, between our world and that of the dead. And, well, they can act as guides, for starters. You may know them as grim reapers, or angels of death. You may also know them as angels or demons. They are chaotic neutral in reality. They'd smite you just as likely as they might heal you." The boy frowned down at the summoning circle. "A nephilim is also what urban legends call a crossroads demon. They make deals with mortals, witches, and warlocks. Usually for the person's soul, or something valuable to them. Try not to refer to them as any of those things, though.

"They hate being refereed to as that stuff. And the last thing you want to do is anger a nephilim. Bound or not, it will find a way to make you suffer for insulting it. They are the servants to the gods. Especially Hecate, the Triple Goddess," Nico continued. "You remember in the Bible, how God wiped out places like Sodom and Gomorrah?" Jason nodded. "I don't know how legit the Bible or the Christian god is, but the destruction of those cities is for real. And these things are what did it. Why? Because they felt like it. They are feared by all in the magical world, even our High Coven. We only deal with them if we have to."

Jason gulped. He took a moment before he spoke, not wanting his voice to give away how scared he now was. "Are you sure you want to do this? These guys don't sound that nice."

Nico sighed and conjured a fireball in his hand. "Not really, but we are running out of options." With that, the boy threw the fire into the circle, where it spread. The fire shot into the air with a hiss, combining and swirling high into the sky. Hands clawed from the base of the fire, many voices screamed from within. Fiery wings spread out from the column of fire. Jason took Nico's hand, which the brown-eyed squeezed back.

The fire vanished and they were left with an empty circle. Jason's brow furrowed as he took a step forward. Was that it? "There isn't anything here."

A branch snapped behind them, causing the two to jump and turn around. The roads were silent. The wind had finally started to blow, causing the grass to sway lightly. But there was nothing. Jason felt relief wash over him. This thing... it did not sound pleasant. He was even more glad now to find out it had not been one of these nephilim haunting his house.

The two turned back around and jumped

Mrs. Dodds was standing in front of them, a stern look on her face. "What are you two children doing out here in the middle of a road? And in the middle of the night no less." The woman shook her head. "Wait until I have a word or two with your parents, or Ms. Mellie, in your case, Jason." She frowned at Nico. "We don't need you corrupting this poor boy more than you already have."

Jason shook his head, smiling a little. He took a step forward. "It's okay, Mrs. Dodds, we were just-"

Nico squeezed his hand, gripping it tight to prevent Jason from going further. "Do not go in that circle," he hissed.

Chuckling, Jason let go of Nico's hand. "It's just Mrs. Dodds, Nico." The woman continued to scowl.

Nico's eyes turned black and he gripped the dagger tighter. "That is not Mrs. Dodds."

"Oh but it is." A sly grin spread across the woman's lips as she took her wide brimmed hat off and took a bow. Her brown irises seemed to catch fire, burning away like paper and leaving behind a goldish yellow. Her pupils were dilated, giving her eyes an almost wolfish quality to them. "You rang?" She stood up straight and held the hem of her dress out, admiring it. "You know, this woman's taste in clothing is deplorable."

"T-that's a nephilim?" Jason stuttered. Nico gave a single nod. Gulping, Jason took a step back.

"Oh now, Jason, don't be like that," Mrs. Dodds—or the nephilim rather—pouted. "You two summoned me here. I imagine the need is quite dire." Her eyes flickered over to Nico. "Am I right?" The boy did not respond. "Don'tcha want to make a deal with little ole me?"

"I need to know who is behind all the trouble in this town," Nico ground out.

"Oh. That's an easy one." The nephilim frowned at the hat in its hand. With the snap of its fingers, the hat combusted in flames. "I'm doing her a favor, really." Nico did not look amused. "Oh come on now, she is a nightmare. Isn't this just amusing? I chose the body for that very reason, her being a bitch and all." The nephilim grinned widely. "As I was saying, you are the cause of your problems." Still grinning, it pointed at Nico's chest. "You know. It was their fault."

Nico ground his teeth together. "Just tell me who is killing these pastors? Who is intruding on our sanctuary?"

"Oh. That." The nephilim gave a sigh and twirled. "You know, I don't know how any of you really stand this. Being in bodies like this, I mean." It narrowed its eyes. "I remember when I didn't even have to worry about having my own form, but someone-" A red flame shot out of the ground and wrapped around the nephilim's neck. The thing hissed and black wings shot out of Mrs. Dodd's back. "Okay!" The fire retreated to the ground and Mrs. Dodds straightened herself. "What did you want to know again?"

Nico opened his mouth.

"Right, right." The nephilim patted its hair. It was so strange to Jason, watching this thing control Mrs. Dodd's body. Would she even remember this? "Unfortunately, you know the deal. If you want my help, make me an offer." With the flip of its wrist, a scroll rolled out from its hand, the end of it hitting the ground. "And sign on the dotted line, of course."

"This was a bad idea," Jason voiced. "I'm not going to let you offer anything to it." He frowned at the nephilim. "Especially not your soul."

"Which one?" The nephilim scoffed. Jason stared in confusion at Nico, who shook his head. "You know, I see why she doesn't want the High Coven to find out about you. Your very being breaks so many of their laws." A wicked grin spread across its lips. "I know what she's planning. I could tell you... for a price."

"What is it talking about, Nico?" Jason inquired.

"Nothing," Nico replied, locking his gaze with the nephilim. He held out his hand and a bottle of wine appeared in it. "Here. I'm sure this would help with a little information."

The nephilim flicked its wrist again and the scroll rolled up, vanishing in smoke. It took the bottle from Nico and popped the cork out before tilting the bottle back and downing most of it. "Now I remember why we like your family so much. You know to bring the good shit." It tossed the empty bottle over its shoulder with a smirk. "I'll tell you what," it began, its eyes glancing over at Jason, "I will give you a clue, and you can follow that. Free of charge."

"What's the catch?"

Scoffing, the nephilim folded its arms. "No catch. Personally, I find it all amusing." The nephilim began pacing the circle with a narrowed gaze. "Jason has seen it, the one you're looking for. Several times." It chuckled at the annoyed look on Nico's face. "You have no sense of humor." Sighing, it shook its head. "Go to New Orleans. You know who to talk to, I'm sure. But..." Extending a hand, the nephilim motioned to Jason. "You'll need to take this one with you. Trust me, it'll be worth it. See? I can be nice." Its eyes gleamed, like a cat about to pounce. "No need for such binding things."

"I'm sure," Nico muttered. He lifted the dagger and held it against his palm. "If that's all, I think our business is done."

"You'll be back," the thing mused, turning its back to them. "They always come back."

"I'll pass," Jason said.

The thing grinned at him, like it knew something. It sent shivers down Jason's spine. The nephilim held out its hand again, now holding another scroll. "Not even to get this?"

Jason frowned. "What is it?"

He reached for it, but the nephilim pulled it away. The nephilim wagged a finger with a grin. "Not so easy. For this, you'll have to make me a deal. And I know you'll want to make one." It reached out beyond the circle. Red electricity sparked around Mrs. Dodds hands, but it did not seem to bother the nephilim. It touched Jason in the center of the chest. "I'll see you soon, Jason."

Nico slid the dagger across his palm and stabbed the blood-coated dagger into the circle. The wind swirled around Mrs. Dodds, who grinned as she stared Jason right in the eye. Black wings shot out of her back and enveloped her. Jason blinked and then she was gone.

Nico stared at the summoning circle with a dark look. He did not move when Jason touched him. "You okay?"

The boy finally looked up. "Yeah," he whispered. "It's just the first time I've actually seen one in person. I don't like them at all." Jason chuckled at that. "I think we should head home."

"And you're sure everything is good?" Jason rubbed his chin as he looked at the circle. "It won't come back here, will it?"

"Not unless someone summons it." The dagger vanished from Nico's hand. "Sending it back and sealing it from coming back to our plane isn't difficult. For mortals, there is no worry. They make their deal and the nephilim leaves. Witches and warlocks don't have it so easy. It just requires some of our blood. Any witch or warlock present during the summon has to use their blood, actually." He let out a breath. "So it's fine." A smile crossed Nico's lips. "Nothing is going to get you tonight."

Jason nodded with a smile. "You could sleep over, just to be sure," he grinned.

"I'm sure that's-" Nico froze, his eyes glazing over. He shuddered and turned to his left. Without saying anything to Jason, Nico began to walk.

"Um..." Jason jogged after the boy. "Nico? What's going on?"

"Something's wrong. I think... I think someone is in trouble." He took off running. "We have to hurry before it's too late."

They ran for a good five minutes before Nico ran off of the road and slid down a ditch. There were some headlights coming at them in the distance, so Jason wasted no time. He followed after Nico, nearly falling into the water of a stream that ran through this part of the area. Nico did not stop, though. He kept moving, pushing branches out of the way and not even caring that his legs were wet.

"Something..." Nico trailed off, coming to a stop. Jason glanced at the boy, who looked perplexed. "It's not waning anymore. I don't understand." He trudged through the water, which was actually rather cold. "Careful not to disturb a gator."

Jason froze in the water. "You're joking... right?" Nico did not answer him. It was probably a bit strange, the fact that he was more afraid of an alligator killing him, rather than the magical boy in front of him. "Nico," the blond hissed.

The brown-eyed boy waved at him to quiet him down. "They are not common, be quiet. They are around these parts, though." The boy took a breath before he continued forward. "It's up here."

Nico held his hand up to the sky and the clouds parted, revealing the full moon. Light shown down upon them to reveal the area. The area was sloped and at the base of the land was where the stream ran through the woods. At first, Jason did not see anything, until Nico rolled something over.

Or someone, rather.

Eros lay motionless in the water, his skin drained of its healthy color. Nico vanished into the night with the brunet, reappearing on bank of the stream. Instead of checking for a pulse the normal way, Nico just said, "He's barely hanging on. Help me."

Jason waded over to them, kneeling beside Eros. "Can't you just... make him not be dying?"

Nico ignored that comment and opened the boy's mouth. Jason expected him to give him CPR, but the raven hair boy pinched his fingers together over Eros's mouth and slowly pulled backwards. Water trailed out of Eros' mouth like a snake. With the fling of his hand, Nico sent the water back into the stream.

Reaching into his pocket, Jason pulled out his phone. "Who should I call?"

Nico let out a breath of exasperation as he thought over his options. "Try Luke, he's probably still awake. Or he will wake up. He's a light sleeper."

Jason nodded and hit Luke's number. After ringing several times, the blond picked up. "Hello?" Came Luke's groggy voice. "Jason? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Yeah... about that," Jason began. "Nico and I were wondering if you could come here?"

"What?" Luke groaned. He let out a sigh. "I don't want to watch you two have sex."

"We are not doing that!" Jason felt his cheeks flush.

"Tell him to bring his car," Nico said.

"What's going on? Nico sounds a little frantic."

Jason rubbed the back of his head. He looked down at Eros, who was still unconscious. "We need help. Eros is-"

There was a loud crack and the leaves blew all throughout the woods. In the next instant, Luke was standing beside them, hanging up his phone. "What happened?" The older blond demanded.

"We just found him like this," Nico admitted.

Luke frowned at his friend as he knelt down beside Eros. "And what were you two doing out here at this hour?" Nico did not meet the guy's gaze. "Nico." Luke sounded rather irritated, like he suspected what had happened.

"We can talk about it later." Nico motioned to the brunet. "We should help him right now."

Out of nowhere, Luke pulled a blanket over Eros and wrapped the guy up in it. "Will hasn't moved in yet, has he?" Luke looked up as Nico shook his head. "Dammit. Apollo is in New Orleans." He frowned at the raven haired boy. "If you were doing what I think you were doing, it would have been nice to still have-"

"No," Nico snapped. "I will not make a deal like this."

"The coven allowed it to happen years ago," Luke countered. Wait, what had happened? "What was he even doing out here?"

Nico waved a hand over Eros' body. "You should ask him yourself. I think he's waking up."

Sure enough, Eros began to stir. He groaned as he cracked his eyes open. "What... happened?" He hoarsely asked. "I feel strange." He glanced at the three standing over him. "What are you doing here? You... I..." With another groan, Eros reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He paused as he sat up, staring down at himself. "Where am I?"

"In the woods," Nico simply stated.

Luke smiled and helped the brunet up, putting an arm around Eros and rubbing the boy's arms through the blanket. "We can take you home."

"Home." Eros seemed to zone out for a second. He shuddered after a moment before nodding. "Home would be great. I'm tired, I think."

When they got back on the road, they found Luke's car waiting for them. Luke let Nico drive, while he sat in the back with Eros. Jason glanced at Eros every so often as they drove, wanting to make sure his friend was okay. Eros did not really talk. He sat there, rubbing his hands together. Probably trying to get warm.

Jason gave them directions to Eros' house. Nico kept glancing at Eros in the rear view mirror, which did not go unnoticed by Jason. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah... I think so," Nico whispered. The brown-eyed boy's brow furrowed. "I don't know. He was drowning, I felt his life fading away, but he's fine." He let out a breath. "I just... Why was he out there in the woods at this time of night?"

"I can ask him tomorrow."

Nico gave a nod. "Yeah." He glanced at Jason. "You okay? It's been a long night."

Jason shot Nico a smile. "I'm fine." He extended his hand across the armrest. "School is going to suck, though."

After eyeing it for a moment, Nico took Jason's hand in his. Jason smiled and squeezed the pale hand. Chewing on his lip, the blond glanced back at Eros, who looked up when he noticed Jason staring. Eros just stared so blankly at Jason. What had happened out there? Maybe Nico was right to question it.

When they arrived at the house, Jason had to do something he knew might not go over well. At least not with Luke. He helped the other blond get Eros out of the car and then put a hand on Luke's chest. "I think it might be best if I take him to the door. It probably wouldn't go over that well if his father answered the door."

Luke narrowed his gaze. "But..." He sighed as he looked down at Eros, who was still clutching the blanket.

The guy looked so pitiful. He was still soaked and looked pale. The boy caught Jason's eye, but did not say anything. Luke gave a nod and let go of Eros. Jason smiled with a nod, placing a hand on Eros' shoulder. The blond glanced at Nico, who was still in the car, watching them quietly.

Jason led Eros across the yard, passing under the little archway that he had noticed yesterday. On top of it was a small cross that spun in the wind. Eros stared at it as they walked under the arch. Jason knocked on the door and turned to Eros, who was eyeing the lawn gnome that was by the steps.

"Who in the world is knocking on our door at this hour?" Came a woman's voice from the other side. The door swung open and a middle aged woman stuck her head out, tying her robe. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of her son, soaking wet and bundled up in a blanket. "Eros! What happened?"

There was bump in the house, followed by some cursing. A muscular man stuck his head out, rubbing his knee. "Eros?" He stared at his son, like he wasn't sure the boy was actually there. "You... should be in bed."

The boy in question wasn't even looking at them. Instead, he was looking back the way they came. The parents took notice of this and frowned at the car. "Who are they?" The mother asked.

"Not important," Jason supplied. "We just found him in some water, thought we would bring him home."

The father reached out and touched Eros' arm. The boy did not even seem to notice. "Was he... okay?"

"We managed to wake him up."

Without saying anything, Eros brushed past his parents and walked inside. He turned to Jason. "Thanks for bringing me home." He smiled for the first time that night, which was a huge relief to the blond. "I'm going to bed now."

His parents stared questioningly after their son as he disappeared deeper into the house. The father stood there, stunned, while the mother turned back to Jason and cleared her throat. "Thank you for bringing him home, Jason." She offered a weak smile. "I'll see if I can get him to explain why he was out in those woods in the morning."

There was a crash from somewhere in the house and the father went to check. The woman smiled again and Jason waved. "It was no trouble at all."

He took in a breath as the door was closed. He did wonder what the crash was, but Jason just figured he could ask about that tomorrow as well. It already felt like it was going to be a long day. And he had that test. Jason let out a groan. At least he had gotten a little studying in before everything had happened, but he was barely going to get any sleep. Maybe he could just take a nap when-

Jason froze in his tracks as he was about to pass back under the arch.

Dangling in his face, swaying back and forth, was the cross. He frowned and stepped around it, staring at it curiously. What happened? Maybe Luke or Nico broke it? Nico did not really like Christianity, so maybe?

Jason got back in the car and buckled up. "Everything good?" Luke asked.

"Yeah," Jason nodded. Nico stared at him curiously. "They didn't even know he was out of his room, or that's how it sounded."

Nico just stared at the house. "It just feels odd."

Jason pointed to the dangling cross. "Did either of you do that while I was talking to the parents?"

Both of them shook his head. "Must haven't been paying attention," Luke admitted.

"Probably too busy staring elsewhere." Luke smacked Nico in the arm for that comment. Nico grinned and cranked the car. "Just saying."

Jason looked out his window. He felt chills for some reason while staring at the upside down cross. It was just an object, though. He didn't believe in the significance of a cross being upside down, but it still bothered him. As they drove away, the cross fell to the ground.

So, what did you guys think? In this story, a nephilim is basically any form of being that cultures have come up with involving death, angels, demons, etc. Psychopomp is a more accurate term for them realistically, but I didn't think that name sounded that ominous. If you want to know why Nico fears them, they are essentially one peg below his gods.

The next few chapters should be really good. Since the flow has worked out this way, chapter 13 will still be pretty much what it was in the old version. I will tweak a few things that need fixing, and I will add a small scene for the arc I added. And I think New Orleans will still be set for chapter 15. I'm expecting that chapter to be very good. It will explore more into voodoo, for any that find that interesting. You'll meet someone pretty important, so I hope all of you have been paying attention to what Nico might have said about someone lately. I know, not easy, but it's there.

So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you are excited for what is to come.