Kaie sat up slowly, freezing when she realized where she was. Yes she was still in the ratty motel but more specifically, she was in the same bed as Nico in jeans and a bra. As if it couldn't get worse her head was resting on his chest and he had an arm wrapped around her.
Her movement must have woken him because a moment later she heard a soft "Well damn," and Nico's arm moved away from her.
Kaie rolled to the other side of the bed and sat up. The dull pain in her shoulder spiked as the muscles shifted with the movement.
"You okay?" Nico asked after she let out a hiss of pain. The worry in his voice gave her strength and she sat up on the side of the bed, and nodded.
Nico quickly removed the old gauze and replaced it. The wound had finally clotted sometime in the night so there was no fresh blood. Neither spoke as he worked.
"I'm gonna get a quick shower then we can go." Nico brushed past her with a pile of cloths in his hands, avoiding eye contact.
Kaie was glad. Ignoring attraction was easier than dealing with it. Especially now. Especially when it was her own. She began to move when she heard the water turn on. Wincing in pain as she slid on a fresh t-shirt.
The gunshot wound was in the worse possible place. She could barely move her left arm without hitting a wall of pain so hard it was a struggle not to black out. Rummaging through the supplies Nico had bought last night she quickly ate three protein bars, more to get the calories in her body than out of hunger, and sighed in relief when she found a packaged up sling.
Nico stepped out of the shower and changed quickly. Trying to focus on anything but the woman in the room outside. He slid his silver skull ring onto his thumb and walked out, surprised to see Kaie sitting on the edge of one of the beds. Her left arm was in the sling he had bought as a precaution last night.
Her face was back to its stony professional composure. "Bad news."
He could tell from the way she held herself that she could barely move her left arm. The sling was as much a way of keeping it from being in the way in a fight as it was to protect the arm.
"You're not gonna be able to ride by yourself." He told her the facts she already knew.
"We ditch my bike here and dump some stuff so there's less baggage. I ride behind you." Nico nodded, accepting her plan. It was simple enough.
"But there' another problem." She continued and Nico's brows knit together in confusion.
"I'm a double handed fighter."
"Crap." Nico let out a breath as he realized what she meant. Every fight he had seen her in so far it was the same deadly twin knives working in tandem. Loosing use of one arm took away half of her ability and made her much more vulnerable.
"We can figure that out later." He pushed the thought to the back of his mind.
"We're gonna get attacked again sooner or later." Kaie reminded him as they left the motel room.
"Lets just hope its later." Nico straddled his bike, trying to ignore the twinge in his chest as Kaie climbed on behind him and pulled her helmet on. She wrapped her good arm tightly around his waist and let her left arm stay pinned between them in the sling.
"You got the aura?" Her voice came through the speakers in his helmet as the bike's engine roared to life.
"Yup." They raced away from the motel. It was easy now for Nico to pick through the strands of energy that surrounded them, finding the one from the roadhouse and just following it. It was as clear and easy to him as following Kaie on her bike had been the day before.
They drove for the entire day. Nico following the giant's aura and Kaie following the pull of the deathgate. Neither were surprised that they two signals ran parallel. Leading to somewhere in the Southwest. By nightfall, they had narrowed it down to an area on the Arizona, New Mexico border that was a massive national preserve. Barely populated and a rare destination for tourists. They would stop for the night and reach the area late the next day if everything went according to plan.
Kaie couldn't stop herself from recognizing that the area was perfect for assembling an army unnoticed. She kept her dark thoughts to herself as they rode. They would know the extend of the deathgate's influence soon enough. She should be able to sense the approximate number of monsters once they were in range. Though she didn't exactly know what that range was.
Instead, she focused on how to destroy the gate and who could be responsible for its creation. She knew in her gut that the deathgate was somehow connected to the last Titan war. Somehow a from of retribution.
The next day, the sun was beginning its descent in the sky when they stopped at the entrance to the The Apache National Forest that branched off the interstate.
The hair on the back of Nico's back was raised. It wasn't the ''someone's watching you'' feeling but it told him monsters were close. Real close.
"C'mon." Kaie pulled him off the motorcycle. Barely giving him time to turn it off. Moving quickly, they rolled it into the tree line and left it there with their helmets.
"It can't be more than a few miles." Kaie's voice came from behind a tree. "We can scout before night falls and figure out how to go from there."
Nico nodded and went through his bags while Kaie seemed to do the same. Weapons, protein bars, bandages, and flashlights were the priorities. They left almost everything else a few feet from the motorcycle.
"Ladies first." Kaie gestured at the woods with her good hand and grinned cheekily at Nico before shrugging on darker jacket. Apache National Park was a massive area of scraggly trees and thick brush covering small rolling hills. With dark clothing, they should be able to scout without being seen. Key word: should.
Nico rolled his eyes at her humor and jerked his head towards the south and Kaie nodded. They both could feel the energy coming from that direction. They walked for almost two hours and the sun was beginning to set when Nico saw it happened.
One minute Kaie was moving as quietly as a Hunter through the woods, the next minute she was on the ground curled in the fetal position and holding her head, screaming.
He immediately covered her mouth to muffle the sound. If there were monsters in these woods, and his instincts told him there were, they would be attracted to any strange sound. Nico did the only thing he could. He held her until the sobs seemed to subside.
After a moment Kaie straight up inhumanly fast. She seemed dazed and unaware of her surroundings.
"Kaie?" No response.
"You okay?" Recognition seemed to dawn in her eyes after his second try to get her attention. The normal dark gray of her eyes was streaked with crimson and blood ran down her face in tear streaks. It was like what had happened days before when she had felt creatures pulled through the deathgate but amplified.
"No." Kaie's cold voice reinforced Nico's trepidation.
"How many." He asked softly.
"Hundreds." There was no emotion in her face as she stared into the distance. "Hundreds of monsters. I couldn't block my mind in time to stop the backlash."
"How far?" Nico kept his voice soft but strong, trying to give her something to hold onto.
"Mile and half to the edge of the group. The gate itself is about a mile after that."
"Are they moving?"
She shook her head.
"They're just waiting. An army of unkillable monsters."
Nico knew he had to do something and took a chance. He crouched in front of her, pulling her face close to his, forcing her to focus on him. His dark brown eyes met her own and he saw fear. Raw fear.
"I can't fight that many." Her voice was barely a whisper and her eyes unfocused. "Hey." Nico tried to pulled her back but she jerked away.
"Hey!" His voice came out as a hiss as he forced her to look at him again. "You don't have to." "It's my job." Kaie's voice was still empty of all emotion. "It's why I'm alive."
"Your not alone. Listen to me. There are dozens of demigods who would be here in an instant to help you if you asked. This isn't a standard case. The gods can't barred from acting here right? Who ever created the deathgate wants a fight? They'll get one. Olympus will always fight."
Something changed in Kaie's gaze, the fear was still there but it was retreating as calculating thoughts overwhelmed it.
"Don't forget you're stuck with me too." Nico reminded her before giving her a small smile.
"For how long?" Something changed in Kaie's gaze as she spoke. Nico couldn't tell what it was but it was new and unexpected. "For as long as you want." Nico told her slowly.
Her reaction was quick. Her lips crashing down on his in a kiss as he responded in kind. They finally broke apart for air after several minutes.
"Good thing I'm not tired of you yet." Kaie stood with a sly smile. All traces of fear gone or hidden.
"We split up. I go to Olympus and you to Camp Halfblood. I think you're right,"
"Aren't I always?" Nico interrupted with a smirk.
Kaie glared but the glare had a heat to it that distracted Nico horribly.
"If I can bend a certain rule..." Kaie broke off, caught up in plans now. It reminded Nico if Annabeth.
"You'll meet me at Camp?" Nico caught Kaie's hand as she began to turn. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow then nodded.
She pulled his head down to hers for another kiss before breaking away.
"Get the strongest demigods ready. Not all the camp. The strongest and oldest, anyone else would simply be cannon fodder. Think strike team rather than army." She stopped, watching him for a moment then smiled.
Her form began to dissolve at the edges and Nico realized she was beginning to teleport. He let go of her hand.
"You're stuck with me too." Her voice echoed as she disappeared in the blink of an eye. Nico stood alone in the forest for a moment before gathering the energy necessary for shadow traveling and disappeared also.
A moment later, he was standing in the center of the dining hall. It was full of eating demigods who all fell silent at the sight of the son of Hades.
"Did you manage loose her?" Mr. D's scornful voice came from the head table. Nico turned to look at the god.
"She's on Olympus. You need to be there." Normally speaking to Mr. D in such a commanding tone would result in a new dolphin for the Atlantic Ocean but this time he paled slightly to the shock of those who noticed. He nodded once and stood. A key card appeared in his hand and he disappeared in a shower of golden light.
Silence fell again to be broke a moment later by Percy who stood from his place alone at the Poseidon table. "What's going on?"
"Assemble the cabin leaders in the Big House." Nico told him before turning to the Ares table. He easily found Clarisse who had half risen when he appeared. "Get patrols going on the borders now."
Chances were none of the deathgate monsters were nearby but taking chances wasn't an option. Clarisse nodded and began giving orders to other Ares campers. Chaos erupted as other demigods began to panic, asking questions.
"Quiet!" Percy tried to reign them in as he moved to stand by his younger cousin but failed. Nico waited a moment then used his ability to begin opening a crevice in the floor of the dining hall.
He didn't have to actually open it. The shaking caused the demigods to drop back into their seats and look around.
"Quiet." His voice was harsh in the confused silence as all eyes fell on him again. "Everyone goes to their cabins. Now. Ares' get the borders secure. Cabin leaders, Big House ten minutes." He walked out and noise began again as the entire camp began to disperse.
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So? Tell me guys what you think! All reviews help, the more specific the better. And thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Next Chapter: Kaie and the Olympians have a little chat.