Chapter 37: Intimacy requires courage because risk is inescapable.


Nico didn't know which way was up or down. All he knew was the wind whipping across his face and the feel of Miles' withered flesh against his own cold skin. The whispering of the disquiet dead breathed steadily in Nico's ears–

Come with us. Join us. Be us.

"Fight it, Nico!" Miles' young voice cried out into the air. "You're not one of them, but you will be if you don't fight it!"

Nico struggled to draw in breath. But his lungs refused to cooperate.

The son of Hades heard Miles' fearful yell and then the trio were falling. It was a short fall– perhaps only five feet off the ground. But the force of colliding with the ground forced Nico to breathe in a startled gasp.

The children lay in a tangled heap of limbs. Celia's eyes were closed again and her breath came in shallow gasps. Blood trickled from each nostril of Miles' nose, striking a stark contrast against his pale skin which, despite returning to normal, held a tinge of gray.

Nico groaned. "Where are we?"

"I don't know. Close to Union Station? I had to stop– you were dying." Miles' weary voice held a tone of accusation.

"I know," Nico sighed. "I'm sorry." With effort, Nico turned his head. He made out a baseball diamond across the street. Victory Field. Where he and Leo had seen that first hydra. Their first patrol.

Panic crept up his throat, threatening to choke him with fear for the other demigod's safety. Nico quashed it down– One thing at a time. One thing at a time.

Nico felt tiny pricks of cold against his face and realized it had begun to snow. He blinked in surprise.

"Celia?"

No answer.

"Miles? How are you holding up?" Nico licked his lips and, fighting to get the words out, asked, "Can you check Celia? Is she okay?"

Nico waited and eventually was rewarded with the muffled sounds of Miles moving. He pushed down even more worry for the siblings as Miles gave a soft groan of pain. "Talk to me, Miles. What's going on?"

"Just dizzy," the boy mumbled. "Celia… she's hurt. There's blood in her ears."

Nico felt his chest tighten. Leo. Celia. Miles. He couldn't help any of them. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to breathe in and out, counting.

Breathe in, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four.

"Miles? Do you think you can walk?"

He heard a muffled reply and had to ask, "What?" before the boy spoke loud enough for him to hear.

"Don't think so. Everything's all swimmy." The words were slurred as Miles spoke.

"Alright, Miles. That's okay. Okay? Are you listening?" Nico waited and Miles hummed in the affirmative. "Here's what we're going to do. I don't have it in me to get all of us to safety. Okay?"

Nico paused to catch his breath. Why was it so hard to talk? Just talk?

"I'm going to get you somewhere where people can help you. And you have to let them know where we are? Okay? Can you do that?"

Another 'mmm' of affirmation.

"Tell them Nico and Celia need help at Victory Field. They'll know where we are. Okay, Miles? What are you going to tell them?"

Silence. Nico closed his eyes, exhaustion pulling heavily at the edge of his consciousness.

"Miles? I need you to answer me, buddy."

More slurred words. "Help. Victory Field."

"Yeah. Good." Nico wrapped his fingers more tightly around his bident. Please. Please help me do this. "Alright, Miles. It's just going to be a bit cool, and then you'll be safe, okay?"

Nico forced his eyes open again and turned until he could focus on the son of Melinoe. The sky was dark, but there was enough light from the streetlights above him to cast the faintest shadows. As he pushed through the darkness and connected it to the little shadow that fell above the kitchen sink in the Waystation, he felt his energy draining further and further. The tax for the action was too much. And there was nothing for it.

Hopefully, Leo can forgive me for dying to save someone he loves.

A small voice in the back of his head that sounded very much like Bianca's said, "But he loves you too. Don't think he wants to trade one for another, piccolino."

Nico ignored the voice and called out hoarsely to Miles. "Go to the shadow, Miles. Now."

Miles did as he was told. One moment he was there and the next gone. Nico dropped the connection, feeling a cold that had nothing to do with the weather grasping for him.

All was silent.

"You'll be okay, Celia." The little girl did not respond, and Nico had expected nothing else. He could feel his sight tunneling, rings of black beginning to take hold as the snow continued to fall. He was surprised to hear another voice speak out from beyond his vision.

"I told Zagreus there was much in store for you." The voice 'tsked' in a mockery of concern. "But did he listen? Do any of us ever listen?"

Nico craned his neck, trying to see– trying to will his body to move. Just move. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"My, my, my. A little worse for wear to be making such demands. I would think that a son of Hades would have better manners. But," the voice paused, malicious delight apparent in its tones. "Then again, I did say I know your brother, and I think we can agree he is not always the most polite. Do not even get me started on that hag Melinoe."

Nico struggled to move, but his limbs felt like they were weighted with lead.

"Oh, dear. None of that now, little Nico. Be still. We would not want you getting in a worse spot than you already are."

Footsteps sounded and Nico watched as a figure stepped into the dim light. A man looked down on him with cruel eyes and a mocking mouth set behind a partial mask that covered his forehead to just below his nose. A pale, slender hand grasped the wooden stick that held the false face aloft. Sickly grey and off-cream leather made up the rings that surrounded the eyes. In truth, it looked as though the mask had been woven from skin.

"Who–?" Nico coughed as his throat tightened, refusing to let any other words pass his lips.

The man gave a sarcastic bow. "Momus, at your service. God of Mockery and Blame. God of True Knowledge While the Other Gods Remain in the Dark, I guess you could say."

Swallowing heavily, Nico asked, "Why are you here? Did Zeu–" Nico cut himself off abruptly and changed his question. "Were you sent here? To finish us off?"

A delighted laugh fell from Momus' thin lips. "Finish you off? Why, of course not."

The god knelt next to Nico, barely glancing at the unconscious girl beside the demigod. "Though, I was sent. In a way, I suppose. Do you want to know by whom?"

When Nico remained silent, the god reached forward and poked Nico roughly in the shoulder. The son of Hades groaned in pain. "I asked if you wanted to know. It is rude to be silent when asked a question!"

Nico breathed in shakily and said, "Yes."

Another sharp jab. "Yes, what?" Glee was evident in the god's voice as Nico tried to hide his pain.

"Yes, Lord Momus."

The god grinned and lowered his mask. Violet eyes sunken deep into his face danced with maniacal mirth. A prominent bump in his nose arched up from the middle before dropping into a hook. His skin was puffy and too tight around the eyes and cracked like porcelain. And through those cracks shone a brilliant purple light, sparking and writhing under the sheath of his flesh.

"Someone who wishes to speak with you. Someone whom you have been ignoring." Momus' mouth split into a wide grin. "They grow impatient. And I thought, why not hasten this along? Why not just bring them what they so desire?"

The god raised a hand and reached forward until it rested above Nico's right arm. Purple energy sparked, bridging the distance between the demigod and the god. A confusing sense of relief washed over Nico as he stared at the pulsing energy.

Momus spoke, his voice earnest. "Come with me, son of Hades. We can end it. Do you not see that?" The god's tongue darted out to wet his puffy lips before continuing. "I followed you and your brother. I saw you go to Hypnos' aid. And when you and Zagreus departed, I followed my brother into Tartarus. But I did not join his journey to our mother's House of Night."

Momus' eyes lit up with wonder and delight. "I heard them. Calling to me. And it was the most– the most wonderful—" The god stopped talking, overcome with a mad joy. He took a deep breath and stared at Nico. "Make the choice, little demigod. Come with me. It is inevitable. You have heard the whispers, and you will fall. Why not now?"

Nico watched the purple energy dance between them and felt a yearning. Momus is right. I'm going to fall anyway. Why not now? It would be so much easier– to end. To just go to sleep in the protection of that beautiful purple light. To–

Nico jerked his arm away from Momus and strained to move away from the god. He rolled onto his front, his arms struggling to push himself into an upright position. The god lashed out, twinning his fingers into Nico's hair and pulling the demigod's head back until his neck screamed in pain.

"If you will not come willingly, then I will make you," Momus hissed.

Bright headlights broke over Nico and Momus, blue and red emergency lights pulsing in the night and throwing shadows about wildly. There was a squeal of breaks, and then a door opened and slammed shut.

"You should really be thinking twice about manhandling him like that dude." Leo's voice sent a wave of relief crashing through Nico. A sob caught in his throat hearing how alive the son of Hephaestus sounded.

Momus blinked at the new arrival before his eyes became furious slits. "It is not yet your time, Leonidas. It should never be your time. All will fall to ash and—" But whatever the god had been about to say was cut short as Leo heaved a dramatic sigh.

"Cierra la boca, hombrecito. What is it with you gods? Don't you get tired of hearing yourselves talk? Or being super melodramatic and ominous? I mean, do you guys have the Grammys or something? Are you trying for "Most Foreboding Speech of the Year" or "Best Supporting God?'" Leo shook his head sadly. "It's pathetic, man. Give it up already."

Momus thrust Nico away from him and the demigod yelped in pain as his face collided with the blacktop of the street. The god stood and stalked toward Leo, but the boy shouted, "Now, Grace!"

A clatter of metal from behind the ambulance pulled the attention of both Nico and Momus. Nothing happened until—

There.

Golden spiders skittered across the blacktop, rushing the god. The first spiders reached Momus, their metallic legs whipping outward and lassoing the god's legs. Their companions climbed him like a tree, securing his limbs against his body.

The god hissed, "What is—"

Again, he was interrupted. An elephant trumpeted from down the street. The whole group– spiders and all– turned to gaze down the road. Nico looked up from the ground, blood oozing from a scrape on his forehead. Momus twisted awkwardly, straining against the golden arachnid restraints. Leo squinted down the street, a grin on his face. Grace peered from around the back of the ambulance. The only person who didn't look was Celia lying on the ground.

Olivia trumpeted again, a small figure– seemingly refreshed from what could only be a good dose of ambrosia– waving from atop the pachyderm. Lit sat behind the boy and walking on either side of the elephant was Leo and Nico's small ragtag family.

Miles.

Momus staggered and glared at Leo. "Wretch."

The god turned his attention back to the son of Hades. "You would have been wise to come with me, Nico di Angelo."

No one, later, could recall what happened. One moment, Momus stood before them, wrapped in gold wire and filament. The next moment, the god was gone. And in the very next, Leo ran to Nico, crashing to his knees beside the son of Hades. Gingerly, he wedged his fingers under Nico and helped the other demigod into a sitting position before wrapping an arm around Nico's shoulders. The other demigod leaned heavily into Leo, not noticing the boy flinching as his shoulder dug into Leo's damaged ribs.

"Hey there, Ghost Boy. We really gotta stop meeting like this." Leo chuckled, but his fingers shook as he wiped his hand across Nico's forehead to halt the trickle of blood from the broken skin.

Nico smiled weakly and shut his eyes. "Sorry. Didn't mean to leave you. Didn't want to."

"Do you think you can move?" Leo looked up at the approaching group. "Or even stand?"

"M'ybe."

"You gotta stay with me, Ghost Boy. Okay?" Leo raised his eyes to the night sky and, with a somewhat joking edge to his voice, called out, "Hey, Apollo! Old buddy, old pal! Care to help some friends out? For old times' sake?"

Nico stirred in his arms, suddenly restless. "Celia–"

Leo jerked his head around and saw the girl lying motionless on the ground, blood coloring her ears. He yelled out, "Grace! We need you over here!"

A worn-looking daughter of Lachesis hobbled and limped slowly toward the pair from the ambulance, grimacing in pain. Leo watched as the girl approached before switching his gaze back to Celia just in time to see the daughter of Melinoe dissolve into a brilliant golden mist. He whipped his head around as he heard Lit's startled cry. There was nothing but golden light where Miles had been sitting atop Olivia.

Nico's eyes were wide open with panic. "Leo! I don't—"

Golden mist stole over the son of Hades. Leo thrust his hand into Nico's without caring what was occurring. His fingers interlaced with Nico's, and the world became awash in gold.


"Intimacy requires courage because risk is inescapable." ~Rollo May