Chapter 11: Nico

Apollo answered my call within thirty seconds. He took one look at Kenzie and his expression turned very grim indeed. He bent down and felt her skull. When he was done, his expression had not changed in the slightest. In fact, he looked even more forbidding. He sat back and shook his head. "I can heal her," he said.

"That's great!" I said, hoping with all my heart that there wasn't a string attached.

"But if I heal her," he said. My heart plummeted. Why was there always a 'but'? "She poses a great danger to Lord Zeus," he went on. Well of course she does. "And by threatening Zeus, she threatens all."

Great, I thought. Just great. "Can you do it though?" I asked. "Please." He couldn't just say no. Dear gods, I couldn't lose her.

Apollo sighed. "You're love for the daemon child is touching, son of Hades. Yet if I heal her, I shall fear the ending result."

"If you don't heal her," Nimn growled, "then not only will you regret it if she dies, but tyranny will continue to reign Olympus."

"Zeus may have faults," Apollo said, "but is he deserving of death? Do you really thing that the other gods will support you?"

"I don't intend to replace Zeus," she snapped.

"Then what do you intend to do?" Apollo replied angrily.

Nimn bristled angrily. "I intend to put things to rights," she replied.

"You mean liberating yourself and coming out of exile," he said shrewdly.

"If you had been condemned to Tartarus and had every memory of your existence erased, you'd want change too." Her voice held barely controlled anger.

"Perhaps, but I don't think I'd go this far. Trying to kill a god is wrong."

"I never said that we were going to kill him," she protested.

"You don't have to say it," he said wearily.

"Okay, so what if that is out eventual goal?" she demanded.

"It means that the world will be in utter chaos due to the fall of its major diety."

I didn't hear their quarreling. All I could think about was Kenzie. I literally could see her life force fading. I knew we didn't have much time. It flickered and almost died. "Will you two shut up!" I yelled. I couldn't hold the sob back from my voice. I glared at Apollo. "Please," I whispered.

A dry wind whistled along the road, throwing up dust. The moon cast eerie shadows on the ground and moonbeams fell across my love's face. It was painfully ironic. All we had wanted today was to spend time together, and instead a terrible prophecy seemed about to be fulfilled. I stoked her face gently, each beat of my heart coming painfully.

Pity awoke in Apollo's eyes. "Son of Hades, I may regret this act for the rest of my days. But I could never bring myself to defy love." So saying, he laid his hand upon her dead white brow. At first, nothing seemed to happen. The energy flooding out of her body was so bright and fast, it reminded me of a river in bright sunlight. Then it stopped. So slowly that I almost missed it, the rush of energy stopped. Then it reversed. The tide turned and her eyes flew open.

Lapis eyes looked into mine. "Nico?"

"Oh my gods." I just about crushed the breath out of her with the hug I gave her. We held each other tightly, then I became conscious of the two gods with us. I pushed her back, then pulled her gently to her feet. We embraced again.

Apollo looked faintly amused. Nimn smiled and drew her knifes again. The sun god looked at them uneasily. "Just be careful," he said with resignation. Then he flashed out.

Kenzie and I let go of each other. We settled for holding hands instead. "So now what?" I asked.

In answer, Kenzie pointed down the road. Standing in the middle of it, master bolt drawn, was Zeus.