Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Trials of Apollo, Heroes of Olympus, The Vampire Diaries, and The Originals do NOT belong to me.
English is not my native language, so I apologize for the mistakes I might have.
I know I took too long to continue this story, but I honestly had no time whatsoever to write, like, at all. These last two semesters of college were very hard, but I thoroughly apologize for taking so long. Thank you to everyone that commented and sent me DM telling me how much you loved this story, that means a lot to me.
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Chapter 19
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The daughter of Poseidon thought, whilst she was sitting in the Salvatore's dinning table, that she should've known it wouldn't be a normal dinner. As usual, the green-eyed demigoddess felt stuck in the bad comedy that was her life, but this time, there were no deities making her feel that way- this time, it was the fact that there were two vampires, two half-bloods, and two mortals attempting to coexist with one another in a "normal" situation.
The joke wasn't lost on Nico.
He continuously shared secretive smiles with her throughout the course of the evening, and he seemed more at ease than she thought he would be.
Nico seemed to like Damon and Stefan (or, as he had secretly called them, Dracula and Edward Cullen) and the feeling appeared to be mutual.
Truth be told, Nico had taken into consideration all that Percy told him about Damon and Stefan, manipulating their interactions in ways that were meant to make them like him. He needed the vampires to like him, to underestimate him, if he wanted to be able to stay and help his cousin. He was to remain in Mystic Falls for longer than other demigods who visited the daughter of Poseidon and having enemies around town would only make matters more complicated than they already were.
Percy easily recognized his plan but made no attempts to stop him.
Manipulating monsters was something demigods did daily, and, also, she couldn't bring herself to stop him when she wanted the Salvatore brothers to like the son of Hades.
It was easier that way- if they liked him, they wouldn't attempt to harm him or to make him leave town. It was the best thing, even if she felt a little embarrassed for manipulating her friends.
Nico glanced at them, finding those creatures interesting, and, in turn, the vampires discretely observed him throughout the whole time, curious about the young boy that seemed more threatening than someone of his age should.
Stefan and Damon had grown used to Percy's aura and the power that was often felt coming from her, but the one that they sensed on the boy was different- it felt deadly, in some ways; and definitely stronger than the one they'd felt coming from Annabeth.
Emma remained partially polite towards him, but was unusually quiet throughout most of their conversations, focusing on them rather than on being part of the conversation, something that was unusual for her.
Nevertheless, the blue-eyed vampire and the green-eyed demigoddess (the only two that knew Emma more than the others) simply thought that she was being shy and didn't think much of it.
Alaric, on the other hand, disguised his curiosity by politely making small conversation with the son of Hades. He imagined, knowing that Percy was a demigoddess, that the young boy that accompanied her was also one. There were about a million questions he had on his mind, but he hadn't had time to ask them to her- and truth be told, he wasn't sure she would answer them.
"So, Nico," Stefan smiled politely, "How do you like Mystic Falls so far?"
The son of Hades smirked, "It's a little dead, but I like it so far."
Percy tried to hide a smile at his words, the joke getting lost on the two vampires sitting across from them, for none knew that he was aware of their condition as undead beings.
Damon observed him- that much the other demigoddess noticed and stored away for further questioning later- as though he attempted to discover something crucial about the son of Hades. He forced a polite smile into his face, having nothing against the young boy, but wanting to know if his assumptions were correct. "Where are you from?"
Nico leaned back, and decided to answer truthfully, not seeing the need to lie. "I'm originally from Italy, but I lived for a while in Washington, moving afterwards to Las Vegas, and now I reside in Long Island."
Emma had been distractedly staring at her nails, but upon hearing that, she looked up and tilted her head to the side.
Niklaus thought there was only one demigod in town, but hearing the young boy mention how much he moved around, and then saying he lived in Long Island- where it was rumored the demigod's safe heaven was located at- he realized the boy accompanying the daughter of Poseidon was another demigod.
Two half-bloods in Mystic Falls.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry, what did you say your last name was?" Emma asked innocently. If he was friends with the Heroine of Olympus, there was a high chance that it was another powerful demigod, perhaps even one from the Second Prophecy.
Something about the question bothered the son of Hades, but he couldn't quite pinpoint the reason. He narrowed his eyes, but forced a polite smile into his face as he turned to look at the petite girl his cousin had befriended. "di Angelo."
Nico di Angelo.
Niklaus' interest peaked. The Ghost King.
He glanced at the green-eyed girl to his right, then back to the dark-haired boy to his left. It couldn't be a coincidence, he thought, that there were two half-bloods, offsprings of the three primordial Olympian gods, in town right when he planned to break his curse.
Emma gritted her teeth. Bloody Elijah.
He knew that the daughter of Poseidon was familiar with his brother, a fact that made him believe that there was some sort of alliance between them. Feeling paranoid, Niklaus jumped to the conclusion that the reason for another demigod to be in town was that his brother had contacted them to help him destroy him.
From the corner of her eyes, the daughter of Poseidon saw Emma's reaction, but couldn't understand the reason for her sudden mood change. She didn't know for sure what was going on with her mortal friend, but she told herself to keep an eye on her, just in case it was something else, something far more dangerous than her previous assumptions were.
Their eyes met, and the demigoddess didn't hesitate to give her a smile, her sea-green eyes sparkling briefly.
Niklaus' anger slowly dissipated.
Percy's smile reminded him of his own daughter, and his guilt for possessing her came back.
Collecting his thoughts, he forced himself to remember that it was only an assumption. He didn't know the reason Elijah had to contact Percy, for all he knew, his brother could've merely contacted her out of curiosity.
After all- Niklaus thought while attempting to imitate one of Emma's characteristic smiles- his family had developed an interest in half-bloods after Kol grew obsessed with them.
Percy could've sworn there was a malicious gleam in Emma's eyes, one that startled her, but it was gone as soon as she perceived it. There's something very strange going on. The demigoddess glanced towards the blue-eyed vampire, to see if he had noticed the same thing.
But Damon remained focused on the son of Hades. "Tell me, just how old are you?"
He could've sworn he had seen Nico before, in a L.A Hotel, but that had been in the forties, so either he was a mere descendant of the boy he had met there (though Damon doubted it, because their smell was the same, so it couldn't be a descendant, it was him) or he was immortal.
Stefan glanced up from his conversation with Alaric. "Brother, take it easy with the questions, this is starting to feel like an interview."
Nico wasn't bothered with the questions- he wanted to know what the vampire searched for, what he could want to know from him enough to interview him in such a direct way.
"I'm fourteen years old," He shared a small look with his cousin, a smirk forming on his face, "I don't know why that question always makes me smile."
Alaric made a sound of surprise, "You're younger than I thought. You look almost Percy's age."
Percy chuckled, pushing aside how unnerved she felt. "Yes, well, Ric. He's only fourteen, but sometimes it feels like he's eighty."
Nico snorted, sharing another secretive look with her.
Damon frowned. The boy he met at the Hotel would probably be eighty-ninety years old. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to that young boy- there was something about the secretive looks he shared with Percy throughout the dinner, as though they knew something the others didn't.
"You know," Emma's sweet voice made everyone's attention focus on her. "It's not really fair how everything you say seems to be some sort of inside joke between you two."
"Princess is right," Damon pointed at Emma, to accentuate that he agreed with her words, to then shake a finger in the demigoddess' direction. "You're making us feel excluded."
Emma's eyes gleamed with annoyance at the nickname. Niklaus wanted to tear that insolent vampire's head off; how dare he use that pathetic nickname with his daughter? Before he could mask his annoyance any further, a text message from one of his witches interrupted his trail of thought.
We have a problem. The coffins are gone.
Within a second, a million different emotions seemed to cross her young features, though rage seemed to predominate.
Nico and Percy shared a look. Emma was Niklaus' daughter, they remembered, which meant that she was probably one of the first people that would find out the other Originals had been awakened.
"Is everything okay, Emma?" Alaric asked kindly, worried about his student.
She blinked, as though remembering where she was, and she forced a peaceful look upon her face. A plastic smile covered her lips, and she stood while saying a tense, "I have to leave, my presence is needed somewhere else."
Damon stood, disappointed. "Do you want me to drive you home, sweetheart?"
"Are you sure everything's all right?" Stefan added, giving her a concerned glance.
Emma nodded, ignoring the blue-eyed vampire's offer, and left without another word, her eyes glaring daggers at everything they settled on, though there seemed to be a great deal of preoccupation on her gaze. At the main door, she turned and gave the daughter of Poseidon one last cold, calculating look, one that sent shivers down her spine, then turned around and left.
Percy shared a look with Nico, who had noticed the look.
"Do you think she knows we-" She started, in a whisper.
Nico shook his head. "No, but I think I know what's going on."
Alaric stood from the table. "Well, I should be heading out too. I promised Jenna we would watch one of her series together tonight and-"
"Just go get laid," Damon smirked at him, laughing once the mortal man blushed and glared at him. Stefan chuckled quietly. "Go an extra round for Percy, she hasn't fucked in how many months, again? The poor thing-"
The demigoddess groaned, rolling her eyes, "Oh, fuck you, Damon."
Alaric and Stefan laughed, already used to their interactions, but Nico tilted his head to the side as he observed them, curious about how easy-going she seemed to be around the vampires. She really trusted them.
Damon winked at her, "Wouldn't you like that?"
Once Mystic Falls' History teacher was gone, they moved to the living room, sitting by the fireplace. It felt better, to be just the four of them, more comfortable even. At first, Nico remained by Percy's side, not knowing how to behave, but after seeing how at ease she seemed around the vampires, he relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed the night.
"So, now that we're alone," Nico started, smirking slightly as he moved to sit in a couch close to the fireplace, enjoying the warmth coming from it. "I know you two are vampires."
Stefan and Damon looked at their friend, who shook her head. "There was no need to tell him. You guys have a particular smell for our kind."
"A good one?" Stefan joked.
Nico and Percy laughed. "Not quite, but that's fine. We'll survive."
"And you don't mind?" Stefan questioned the demigod. "What we are?"
He shrugged. "Not really, I'm actually very curious about your kind, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"
Damon hesitated. He wanted to ask, Are you immortal? But he didn't know how to approach the subject without making his friend think that he was snooping around, searching for ways to discover what she was. It was the least he needed, for which he decided to drop the subject- he could ask her any other time. For now, he wanted to enjoy her company.
Stefan engaged Nico in a friendly conversation, and Percy moved to sit in Damon's favorite couch, snorting when he directed her an annoyed glance for her actions. The blue-eyed vampire sat on the floor, resting his head on her legs. She started to play with his hair, running her fingers through it and occasionally caressing his shoulders.
"And thus, the big bad vampire is tamed," Stefan joked, briefly looking at them.
Damon gave him the middle-finger, making his brother laugh. Nico smirked at them, then turned back to the conversation he was having with the vampire, who was actually more interesting than the son of Hades imagined.
"We have to talk-" The green-eyed demigoddess started, quietly.
Damon had said at the same time, "Was it me, or was Emma behaving really weird today?"
She frowned, biting her lower lip in contemplation. "She was."
"I think she was uncomfortable," He continued, not giving it much importance. "You know she can be a little shy sometimes-"
"Yes," Percy said quietly, not wholeheartedly convinced. "It must be that."
...
For the first time in a thousand years, all the Originals were awake.
After having fed, the second oldest vampire had taken his siblings to the hotel room where he was staying, and attempted to help them understand how many time had passed since the last time they were conscious, as well as to all that had been going on with their brother.
"Let me get this straight," Kol sneered, pacing through the room as calmly as he could, though his eyes portrayed all the rage he had been hoarding inside since being daggered. "Our dearest brother is in town, attempting to break his curse, and you don't even know where he is?"
Elijah pursed his lips. "My main focus, brother, was to find all of you-"
"And yet, the details remain scarce," Finn crossed his arms over his chest, eyes flaring dangerously. Out of everyone, he had been asleep the most, meaning that he knew nothing about anything anymore. The world had drastically changed since the last time he was conscious, and thus, ever since waking up, he was only certain about one thing: He needed to punish his brother for having kept him asleep for so long.
"Yes," Rebekah stood from her chair, furiously gesturing as she talked. "Elaborate, Elijah. How exactly did you find us if, as you claim, our brother made you believe he had buried us at sea?"
"Nik is many things, but he's not an idiot," Kol added, stopping his movements and turning to glance at his older brother. "To keep us hidden for so many years, he must have had several powerful witches aiding him, making sure we could never be traced. Knowing him, even if you managed to find us, he probably made the witches spell the place so that no other vampire, werewolf, or witch could trespass."
The others considered his words, quietly recognizing that their brother had a point, while Elijah remained impassive, watching as his siblings reached their own conclusions.
"But yet," Finn muttered, not particularly enthusiastic, "You found us."
"Correction, dear brother," The youngest brother sneered once more, "Elijah here was only capable of approaching once the witches were taken care of. But, first, someone had to find us and take care of the witches."
Rebekah scoffed disdainfully, grimacing as she remembered the carnage that she found once she woke up. The floors were full of more than three dozen witches, all of them having been killed in cruel, inhuman ways that startled her. Some appeared to have drowned on their own blood, others had their hearts ripped out from the inside out, and others were completely devoid of any body fluid.
"And," The beautiful blonde woman added, "The way they were killed is not particularly your style, Elijah. It was too bloody to have been you, and too meticulous to have been done by another vampire or another witch."
Elijah moved a hand, impatient. "Brother, there's no need to prolong this. I am not Niklaus, as all of you are perfectly aware, so I will answer any doubt you have as truthfully as I can. I have nothing to hide."
Finn scoffed, muttering under his breath a, "Perhaps you are not Niklaus, but you have always been by his side."
Rebekah narrowed her eyes, "So have we, brother-"
"There is no we, sister," Kol taunted, moving around her and eventually allowing himself to settle down in a chair close to the oldest of them. He had never really enjoyed Finn's company, but when it came to how their family was divided, both were always the outcasts. "It has always been the three of you, Niklaus, Elijah, and Rebekah. Always and Forever."
"Enough," Elijah snapped, losing his patience. "Kol, we apologize if you felt excluded-"
He laughed. "Excluded? Oh no, Elijah. How could we ever? It's not like Nik always kept you two awake while he constantly betrayed both Finn and I, forcing us to sleep."
"Making us lose precious time," Finn added, distractedly.
For once, the youngest brother stole a glance at the oldest one, and smirked. He hadn't expected his brother to agree with him, but it was a pleasant surprise. Perhaps, he thought distractedly, he wasn't as alone as he imagined. Of course, Finn wasn't someone he thoroughly liked or even someone that he could stand, but he was his brother. An alliance between them could, perhaps, be beneficial for both parts.
"You know he did it to protect us from father," Rebekah started, annoyed.
"Brother, you were constantly a threat to us with your games, if we put you to sleep, it was to protect-"
Finn laughed. "Such attempts to validate what Niklaus did to us only proves that you two have always been on his side. We are merely, as you would say, a burden for the grandiose trio."
Elijah lost his patience. "Believe what you may want, but you two are perfectly aware that we love and care as deeply for you as we do for Niklaus. His actions, however, are not to be tolerated anymore. Once we find him, we will put an end to his tyrannical-"
"When you say "put an end" you clearly don't mean-" Rebekah hesitated, worried.
"Punish him for his actions, of course," Kol mocked, before Elijah could answer. "He could never even attempt to kill our brother. Punish him, however, he has already done and won't hesitate to do so again, right, brother?"
Elijah did not answer his question. He sighed tiredly. It was as complicated as he has imagined it would be, but even when his younger brother annoyed him, he felt happy to have them all awake for once.
"You had a question, Kol," He tilted his head to the side, "About the kids that woke you up, I believe you hinted at it while reminding us that I couldn't have found you alone, and that the witches were killed in...different ways, all of them unusual and unique. So, stop changing the conversation and ask ahead."
Kol narrowed his eyes, a great variety of thoughts crossing his mind.
Rebekah, on the other hand, did not hesitate to voice her thoughts. "How exactly did they find us? They weren't vampires and certainly not werewolves, the smell would've been insufferable if they were. And when Kol attacked, they broke his neck- they didn't use magic, which means they aren't witches."
"Good job, sister," Finn said sarcastically, bored of their conversation already, "Using your brain for once, I see."
Kol ignored his siblings, focusing on Elijah, who had not taken his eyes off him. The youngest brother licked his lips, briefly remembering the incredibly alluring smell that had come from the girl. He attempted to collect his thoughts. "She wasn't frightened."
Elijah raised one eyebrow. "Pardon me?"
"The girl-" Kol attempted not to smirk, remembering her vibrant sea-green eyes and creamy skin, too tempting and beautiful to be easily forgotten. "She wasn't scared of us, not even when we surrounded them. Almost like she- and the other boy- knew that they could take us down."
Rebekah scoffed. "As if."
Kol, however, had a different thought in mind. Adrenaline filled his veins, excitement coursing through his whole body at the realization that, at last, he had found two more demigods. He attempted to visualize them, to remember if there had been something in the place (or in them) that could allow him to know which deity they descended from, but there was nothing. He had been ravenous, annoyed, and extremely hungry upon waking up, his senses being clouded by the urgent need to feed, so he hadn't concentrated much on them. It was his mistake; one he would not make again.
Elijah tensed, recognizing the dangerous gleam on Kol's eyes.
"That's not a question, brother. That's a statement."
A smirk started to pull at his lips. "It is only an innocent observation, brother. I have no questions."
He had, in fact, several inquiries, the main one being how the hell had Elijah found two demigods and managed to make them aid him, but the presence of their siblings in the room stopped him. His oldest brother seemed to have some sort of alliance with those two half-bloods, something that could be beneficial to Kol if he played the right cards. But, as usual, no one could know his real intention, his plans, for they would all eventually turn on him.
No. The demigods were his alone, Kol thought possessively. His siblings couldn't know.
Elijah did not believe him. "We'll talk about it later, brother. For now, let's drop the subject."
He worried, for he knew that his brother had reached the conclusion that Percy and Nico were half-bloods, and he had promised the green-eyed girl that he would protect her, that he wouldn't allow his family to be a problem for her. But, he thought, who could ever stop Kol from getting what he wanted?
...
"Come on, Jackson," The son of Hades smirked, taunting the young woman in front of him, whom was currently sweating and breathing heavily while he remained almost unbothered. "Is that all you got?"
The daughter of Poseidon laughed breathlessly as she lunged in his direction again, only to meet complete darkness as the younger boy melted into the shadows and away from her reach.
Nico reappeared in front of her, shoving her away so the raven-haired girl fell backwards into the ground with a small sound of displeasure. "You should know better, Percy. There's darkness in every sea."
The daughter of Poseidon wondered briefly if Nico used that phrase as a metaphor referring to the fact that their powers could be united as one through a fight, or if he meant that every ocean had a deep part, where there was no sun-light whatsoever, creatures were bigger and scarier, and no mortal could stand the pressure of the water. After a moment, she realized that both worked as metaphors for her current troubles.
"You're right," Percy conceded, agreeing with whichever perspective he wanted to see it from.
"We work better together," Nico added, realizing briefly that said statement was one he would've never thought of expressing to her ever before. He could almost hear Reyna's proud voice telling him there was nothing wrong with expressing himself and being open to others. It made a fond look cross his eyes, one that he pushed back to concentrate on her cousin. "But I need you to trust me, Percy. You cannot hold back like this- if I'm going to help you come to terms and grow comfortable with your new life (specially your new abilities), I need you to trust me and let yourself go."
That request annoyed the green-eyed demigoddess more than she would've imagined.
Giving him a sour look, not hiding how irritated she felt, she said: "Do you want me to fill your lungs with your own internal liquids?" When he only raised his eyebrows, as though contemplating her words, she continued, "Do you want me to make you choke and pass out from lack of oxygen? Or, perhaps, do you want me to turn your own blood against you and stop your heart."
A little annoyed with the look she gave him, he directed her one of his cold glances, and replied: "Yes, that's exactly what I want you to do."
Percy was speechless for a moment, not knowing if he was being sarcastic. "Nico-"
He crossed his hands over his chest, interrupting her, "I know that was supposed to be a threat, but I have to admit, that sounds pretty cool."
Percy couldn't help but breathlessly laugh, completely incredulous about his easy-going reaction to her frightening abilities.
She couldn't shake the fact that her immortal brother had condemned those powers as something that children of Poseidon failed to control, but then there was Nico di Angelo, who was convinced that they were something she could control.
Their dynamics when fighting were better when combined together, that much no demigod could ever deny. Several times, back when Gaea was still a problem, the daughter of Poseidon had joined powers with the son of Zeus to battle upcoming armies- the moment both exhilarating and exhausting beyond measure- but only once had she done the same with the son of Hades.
It was because that particular demigod, as young as he was, had inherited an incredible amount of power from his father, and most people (Chiron included) feared what he could do when joined with other demigods that also held the power of destruction on their fingertips.
That didn't stop Nico di Angelo from constantly testing his limits. He believed that it was essential for a demigod to know what they, as children of Olympian deities, were capable of.
That same curiosity was what made him be feared among ghosts from the very beginning- when he first left Camp, he had just found out that he was the son of Hades, not knowing anything about his powers and abilities, and yet, testing his limits was how he found the things he was capable of doing and how he rose to be the Ghost King.
Nico could see that Percy, though having gone through several traumatic experiences, hadn't allowed herself to explore her limits beyond what Chiron had taught her in Camp.
"You need to trust yourself," Nico said quietly. "I know it's scary, believe me, I've been there. But you fearing your newest abilities is exactly what makes you be consumed by them instead of the other way around."
Percy wanted to admit that he had a point, one that she had overlooked for many months. However, she found that she couldn't bring herself to say those words, specially when she recalled the way that her immortal brother had deemed her powers a threat and an imminent downfall.
All the children of Poseidon seemed to experience what she was going through, in one way or another, and none seemed to have managed to control it. She couldn't stop thinking that if her siblings, which had all been powerful heroes and heroines far greater than she could ever be, hadn't been able control it, what was to say that she, a mere demigoddess, could?
"Don't underestimate yourself, Seaweed Brain," Nico tilted his head to the side as he watched her.
The green-eyed demigoddess looked at him, surprised that he had known what was going through her mind.
He continued after a small pause, "You're not like them. You can do this. You never asked for these powers to be granted to you, and that's the main difference between the other children of Poseidon and you."
Percy considered his words, remembering that Triton had said something similar. "It's just that it feels so...consuming."
Nico gave her a soft, gentle look. It made Percy believe that he had experienced the same doubts before. There was no other explanation for his sudden gentleness towards her. He was more reserved with his affections and thoughts, and he had never attempted to comfort her without retorting to sarcasm and snark.
"It only feels that way because you don't allow yourself to unleash your full potential often. The sea doesn't like to be restrained, does it? That's something that you told me once, and the sea is a crucial part of you. By trying to contain your new abilities, you're restraining yourself, so when those powers manage to be unleashed, they consume everything and everyone on its path- including yourself-, pretty much like a tsunami would."
Percy couldn't help but smile a little. "Are you trying to make me understand that I've been an idiot by using my domain as an example?"
Nico smirked, though he didn't seem particularly amused. "Isn't that what Annabeth does when you're being dumb? She did mention that the easiest way to make you understand something was to use the sea as an example." He paused for a moment, then continued, "But you do understand, don't you?"
The daughter of Poseidon nodded quietly.
It had taken her too long to understand, perhaps for her own fear, but Nico had always been right. The best way to control her powers was to practice, it was how she had learnt to control herself through the years she stayed at Camp, it was what had made her into the person that she was, and it was what would allow her to regain some sense of normality in her life.
"My sibling's downfall was caused by their inability to control their own powers," She looked down at her sword, to then look back towards her young cousin. "Which is why I need to learn to trust myself and to control my own powers before they control me."
Nico raised an eyebrow, "And before Triton decides to take matters into his own hands."
Percy grimaced, annoyance crossing her eyes. "That, too."
"So, recapitulating, we have-" The son of Hades crossed his arms over his chest as he mentioned all that they had to deal with. "Niklaus wanting to become a full hybrid, and the other Originals being now awake, all with are possible threats for mortals around town."
"And to us," Percy reminded him, grimacing. "We woke them up. You saw how that vampire reacted to our smell, he wanted to drink my blood. You know how vampires get when they cannot drink whoever they want."
Nico nodded. "There is also the fact that we have to concentrate on training you to accept and control your powers in a healthy way so that one: you don't harm yourself or others, and that two: your immortal brother doesn't kill you for your instability. On top of all, we have to continue crafting lies so your parents don't suspect anything is wrong."
"I still feel bad lying, but I cannot explain everything to them. Not yet, at least."
"Then, there is the issue with the Salvatore brothers being your neighbors and therefore, very capable of discovering at any time that you are a demigoddess."
Percy hesitated. "I'm actually not worried about that. I-I think I trust them. It is the doppelgänger whom I don't trust nor want to know more than she has to know about me."
Truth was, she had been considering telling Damon more about herself, but she hasn't had the time to, nor had she found enough bravery to do so. She knew that the truth would, eventually, reach Elena once the blue-eyed vampire knew, and she wanted to avoid that for as long as possible.
"And- oh, of course- there is also the warning your brother gave you about one of your friends bringing danger into town, which, let's face it, it's probably referring to your friend Emma and her relationship with the Originals," Nico smiled sarcastically, stress crossing his features. "Did I miss something?"
Percy swallowed, her voice coming out very thin. "I think you mentioned it all."
"About that," The son of Hades narrowed his eyes, "I have a theory about Emma. You should invite her over to the house tomorrow- not inside, though, do not invite her in- but to the grounds. I want to see if my assumptions are correct."
Percy was confused. "You think she's a vampire?"
That was impossible, the Salvatore brothers would've noticed. She would've noticed- vampires had a particular smell to them, one she couldn't ever ignore for how awful it was. Emma, however, smelt like an Original would (not awful at all, but alluring and intoxicating) something that made the green-eyed demigoddess believe that she had been spending time with her adoptive father.
"I don't think she is a vampire," A somber look crossed Nico's young face, "I think she's being possessed by one."
Percy's heart stopped.
It was absurd, vampires couldn't possess mortals, it wasn't part of their powers.
However, the more she thought about it, she remembered that the son of Hades was often right on his assumptions, and that, therefore, she couldn't brush his theory aside.
Emma had behaved like a different person, that much she couldn't deny, but did it mean that Niklaus had possessed his own daughter- that she had been hanging out with the immortal hybrid instead of with her mortal friend?
At last, she found her voice, "What makes you think that?"
Nico hesitated, then said in a gentle voice, "When I looked at Emma, I could only feel death. There was no life coming from her, none whatsoever. I thought, at first, that being around Damon and Stefan was clouding my senses, but then Alaric arrived and-" He paused, giving his friend a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Percy, but that wasn't Emma. Whoever was with us tonight was an undead being."
"I-I see."
Nico looked up towards the night sky, scowling. "We should head back now, before your parents wake up and notice we aren't at the house. But, tomorrow, we can start planning how to deal with each problem respectively."
"Are you-" Percy hesitated. "Are you sure you're okay with being here with me?"
"I'm the son of Hades," Nico reminded her quietly, "This town is full of undead beings. I almost feel at home here."
Despite the situation, Percy smiled softly. "I'm glad you feel that way, because I won't let you leave that easily. I like having you around again." Most of all, she liked that she wasn't alone anymore. She finally had someone.
Nico smiled despite himself. Truth be told, he had already started to miss the annoying blond-haired boy from the Apollo Cabin that patiently waited for him back at Camp Half-Blood. "I like having you around, too, Seaweed Brain."
The two demigods went inside the house, feeling, deep on their bones, that the following day would be extremely challenging for them.