Shadows In Light

Chapter III

. . .

NICO

Nico cursed as the blast flew him backwards. Before the flames could get to him he brought the shadows around him and traveled. He landed on the ground who knows where with a curse and a very sore, possibly strained left ankle. He should have seen this coming. He should have just attacked Medea while she had her back turned. He'd been hanging around Percy, that noble idiot, too long and had hesitated about attacking the woman with her back turned. It had given her enough time to use some potions to blow up the building they were in, while Circe got them away with some spell. Nico was damn lucky he was fast with his shadows or that blast would have sent him straight to his dad. Still cursing Nico forced himself to his feet trying to figure out where he landed. He hadn't had a clear place in mind when he Shadow Traveled, which meant he could be anywhere from still in England to somewhere on the other side of the planet.

He was in a shadowy forest in the middle of a very old, worn road. The second he focused he realized there was a familiar chill and strength in his slightly singed body. Something he normally felt near death or the Underworld. This place, this forest, though was definitely not the underworld. Looking around he spotted an eerie flickering green light in the distance. Nico had a bad feeling, and when he had bad feeling it was generally a good idea to get far, far way.

Nico began to pull the shadows to him, but they wouldn't come. He tried again and then again, before he accepted that he couldn't Shadow Travel. That was bad. He wasn't exhausted enough to not be able to, which meant one thing. Something, someone, was preventing him. Blocking his powers. Nico forced away the sudden flash he had of his prison with Gaea. No, it wasn't her, this place felt familiar, too much like his dad's place to be the personification of Earth's doing. He didn't really have a choice then. He'd have to go to the light.

He flinched remembering a movie Percy had shown him. He really hoped he had not just jinxed himself and that he didn't die. Limping slightly he made his way down the road the hair on the back of his neck standing up. There was something wrong about this place, something unnatural. Then he placed it. There was absolute silence, except for his walking. No animals. No wind. No nothing. Nico grimaced and sent a prayer to his father as he stepped foreword into the torch light.

It revealed a crossroads, the path Nico was on splitting three different ways. There was a road sign, but the words were so worn Nico couldn't make out which way went where. Under the sign was a throne. A throne of bones, with garnet stones inlaid in it. Sitting on the throne was a beautiful teenager, who looked no older than Annabeth. She had dark auburn hair cut in a bob. Her bright emerald green eyes speckled gold had a feline tilt to them as she examined Nico with interest. On her head she had a diadem of white, that Nico instantly realized was made of bone, in the middle of the diadem was a perfectly round garnet that made Nico think of the new moon. She was also wearing a short flapper dress and no shoes her legs throne over one side of the throne as she reclined back on the other. Nico recognized her from a few times he'd seen her with Persephone. She'd been in her crone form then and Nico had never formally meet her, but he did not want to get turned into a flower again. Or worse. Nico went instantly to one knee.

"Lady Hecate," he murmured respectfully, dipping his head slightly at the Goddess of Magic.

Hecate grinned, looking amused and pleased. "Oh, Hestia was right, you are a polite little boy aren't you?" she cooed.

Nico ignored the little boy comment and the baby voice, though it made him cringe on the inside. He hoped she would tell him why he was here quickly, so he could leave. Nico did not like being around people who could and would turn him into different types of flowers. Especially when that person was friends with his stepmother, who was definitely not fond of him, even if she didn't hate him as much anymore. Almost dying to protect someone from a giant was apparently an effective why of improving relations with said person. Especially if it lead to your kidnapping and being held prisoner for weeks it seemed.

"I have summoned you Son of Hades, because I require the assistance of a demigod with particular skills." Hecate told him, becoming formal.

"What do you need Lady Hecate?" Nico questioned, quietly, causing the goddess's eyes to gleam with approval.

"I'm sending you to another world."

Nico stared waiting for the punchline. He hadn't realized Hecate was fond of jokes. This would make this last longer. When she didn't say anything Nico gaped incredulously, but then remembered this was a goddess and tried his best to look politely inquiring.

"Another world?" he prodded gently when she didn't immediately say anything.

"Yes, there are many worlds and this one is very much like our own Son of Hades. It's a world I'm particularly fond of and one I've blessed. Many of my children go there to study magic and may even chose to stay among those I've blessed and settle down." Hecate explained delicate, making Nico's head whirl. Different worlds? He had enough to deal with. Hadn't finding out the Greek gods were real, fighting in two wars, and losing all his family, been enough craziness for one lifetime?

"One of my descendents has performed a task of great consequence for me and as I reward I am, or rather you are, going to save his life." Hecate said.

"But I thought the gods couldn't interfere with the fates of mortals?" Nico asked. He had a bad feeling this was going to be a lot more complicated than a rescue mission.

"Normally, but this world has little influence by the other gods and the fates do not trouble with it. The 'fates' of this world are a magic much weaker than mine, so I can interfere when I deem it necessary." She paused and a smile Nico didn't like grew on Hecate's face. "Even time is not so unchangeable to me."

Nico really hoped she didn't mean what he think she meant.

"Take this Nico and when you retrieve the boy hold it and say Grimmauld Place. Take care of him and do not be seen until I have arrived. Don't move until the elf is gone. It is essential that no one else sees you." Hecate ordered offering a necklace with three crescents, each facing away from each other. Nico took it and reluctantly put it on. Hecate smiled, seeming to sense his dislike of jewelry, and with a snap of her fingers Nico wasn't at the shadowy crossroads anymore, he was in the ocean.

. . .

As a Son of Hades Nico two worst nightmares had long been drowning and flying in an air plane. And here he was in the ocean somewhere. At first he panicked and took in a mouthful of sea. Coughing it up he spotted a slit in the cliff face and swam to it with his feeble splashing as quickly as possible, pleading desperately in his head with his uncle, begging the Sea God not to kill him. When he pulled himself onto the land in the dark tunnel, he had to fight back tears of relief at not being dead. That had been the most terrifying handful of seconds of his life. He didn't know how Percy could enjoy swimming, much less the sea. Nico was coughing and gasping as he emptied the water he swallowed from his system, his throat burning horrible. There was no doubt that Hecate was indeed a sadist, Nico though viciously and was surprised by the lack of warning thunder.

Nico shook his head and made himself focus. The sooner he found the boy and escaped the sooner he could get away from the sea. The walls were slimy and glimmered in the dim light. Nico only had a second to register there shouldn't be light when he heard a voice.

"Who's there?" a male voice called out. Nico didn't answer instantly concealing himself in the shadows. The boy came foreword and Nico realized the light was coming from the stick he held aloft. Nico didn't bother answering and looked the boy over. He was slender, but a good foot taller than Nico, he had black hair, slightly wavy to his shoulders and dark grey eyes, which were wide and very much afraid. He was too pale to be healthy and looked like he wanted to bolt, but was refusing to let himself. He was handsome too.

"Homenum revelio," he whispered and Nico felt something brush against the shadows, searching, he swatted it away impatient to see what the boy was doing. The boy frowned, but relaxed a little. The boy turned away from Nico and began walking into the cave.

"Come along Kreacher." the boy ordered softly and shuffling beside the boy made Nico realize they weren't alone. It was a very old, very odd looking, something. Nico realized this must be the elf that Hecate had mentioned. Nico watched from the shadows as the boy cut himself and easily slipped on the boat to follow them. Bellow the boat he could sense soulless, but not lifeless bodies. They weren't right. They shouldn't exist. Nico fought back a shiver, and quietly whispered in Greek sending them to his father and hoping he'd know what to do with them. Nico watched silently as the elf fed the boy the potion, making the boy scream "Mother!" and for someone named "Serious". It wasn't until the boy was almost completely in the water that the elf left after switching the lockets. Nico's heart had jumped when he'd seen it, he could feel the small fluttering soul and knew it was even more unnatural than the soulless bodies, but he couldn't do anything about it now.

Nico released the shadows and darted foreword before the boy could drown himself in his desperation. Pulling him out Nico noted he looked even worse than before. His eyes had taken on a feverish look and he stared and Nico unfocused. The boy whimpered.

"Water," he begged in a way that made Nico flinch recognizing a desperation he heard from the sufferers of the Fields of Punishment.

"Soon," Nico assured him making him quiet a little.

Nico quickly used Hecate blasted magical necklace and there was a tug somewhere in his navel and they were suddenly in a very dark and dusty house. Nico could smell the decay and wrinkled his nose against it. Hecate wanted them here?

"Water." the boy whimpered again and Nico sighed. Right now he had to take care of him, Nico could think of Hecate's weird preferences for meeting places later. He felt something shift in the dark behind him more than he heard it. With a small twist of his ring his Stygian blade was in hand. The thing leaped and Nico turned pinning the smaller body to the ground and holding his sword to it's throat. The thing cursed in its high pitched voice and a light flickered on. It was the elf. Before Nico could explain the elf spotted the boy behind him and went limp.

"M-Master R-Regulus," the elf, Kreacher Nico thought, stuttered and turned to stare at Nico stunned.

"I found your master and saved him. He needs help though. We need to settle him somewhere and get some water." Nico explained in his best Son of Hades and Ghost King voice. Kreacher nodded his large eyes tearing up and helped Nico take Regulus to the only mildly clean room Nico had seen since he entered the house. By the time they'd settled the boy into the bed Kreacher was sobbing for joy all over Nico's aviator jacket.

A groan from Regulus made Nico turn to him, his grey eyes focused on Nico and Kreacher. A weak smile appeared on his pale face at the sight of the elf.

"Kreacher," he croaked weakly. The elf gave a loud soulful wail that made Nico flinch at the accompanying increase of tears. Regulus turned to Nico and his smile twitched a little wider.

"Thank you," Regulus said before falling into unconsciousness, leaving Nico with a hysterical, clingy elf. Hecate was official his least favorite goddess. Ever.