Things were fine until the demons showed up.
We'd been walking long enough for the moon to rise and light the forest with her full face. I tilted my head back to bask in the moonlight, which wasn't the best idea, since I ran headlong into a tree. I stepped back, grimacing and rubbing my head.
"You alright?" Nico asked, reaching over and touching the sore spot. I blushed at his touch, but couldn't seem to make myself move away. He paused and stared at my face. Just stared. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what he was thinking. But then I didn't have to; he leaned over and planted a gentle, hesitant kiss on my mouth.
And there you go, my inner voice laughed. I told–
If you say 'I told you so,' I'll hurt you, I warned myself, as awkward as it was. My inner voice laughed again, but said no more.
Nico pulled back slightly, but I still felt like his lips were on mine. I almost wanted to lean forward and kiss him again, but a nagging thought kept me back.
"I take it you still won't tell me why you let me?" he whispered, his voice dusky. I swallowed my retort in favor of something else that bothered me, that incessant idea pestering me non-stop.
"...I'm just a substitute, aren't I?" I asked him. He jerked back further, drawing his hand away and tucking both behind his back.
"What are you talking about?" he scowled. I looked away so that he wouldn't see the hurt; I must have guessed right.
"I'm just a substitute because I look like him," I rephrased. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his scowl deepen. At the same time, my internal monster compass pinged.
Incoming, my inner voice said.
No duh, I scoffed and whirled to face the oncoming monster, just as Nico started to say something.
"That– What are you doing?"
"SHH!" I hushed him. I could imagine him frowning, probably in anger, but I didn't turn to look. I drew my sword as quietly as I could, scanning the trees. It still took me by surprise.
The creature looked like someone had stuck bits of human and bits of lobster into a blender and then breathed life into it. The head was human, but with two giant red antennae sticking out of it, and tiny mandibles clicking where the mouth should have been. Instead of hands, it had massive lobster claws, and it had at least four legs, but they swished past each other so quickly I couldn't tell if there were four or eight. To finish it off, a huge, flat, segmented red tail, like those of a lobster or a shrimp, flicked back and forth behind it as it raced toward us.
"My God..." I whispered.
"What the hell is that?" Nico asked, his voice breaking. I glanced at him and saw that he was terrified.
"If you don't know," I said, fear sending a cold shiver up my spine, "then I don't want to." The creature scurried forward, stopping and hissing when it saw me.
"What are you doing here, Heka?" it snapped in an irritated, slithery voice. I caught a hint of fear, like that of a prey talking to a predator, about to plead for its life.
"I'm not Heckle, or whoever," I rejoined. "My name's Erasmus."
"I don't care what your name is, puny human," the creature scoffed, not at all afraid of me. "I want to know why HE is here."
"Nico?" What would a lobster-man want with a son of Hades?
"Not the boy, you fool!" the creature returned. "I care not what any of you are called. Let m-" I cut it off, pissed that it was calling me names.
"Well, you're about to," I threatened. "I want you to remember me, monster, because I'm going to be the one that send you back to the world of the dead!"
"HA!" the creature snorted, snapping its claws. "The Duat can't hold us demons for long!" I blinked. This thing was a demon? I had imagined little red guys with goatees, horns, tails and pitchforks. It certainly had the red part down, but otherwise...
"What is the Duat?" Nico asked cautiously. I could still hear how scared he was, but he managed to mask it fairly well.
"Tsk! You are a son of Hades," the demon pointed out. "Different gods, different worlds. You could never understand."
"Then explain it to me," I demanded. "If you thought I was Beka, or whatever–"
"Heka!" the demon corrected, irritated.
"–Heka, then I must be a part of that... world." The demon considered that. It hissed in frustration after a moment.
"You are a bridge," it said. "You do not belong in either world. You are abnormal." Its eyes flashed menacingly, and I gripped my blade tightly.
"I'm a bridge?" I wondered aloud, ignoring the 'abnormal' part, even though it stung deep.
"You should not exist!" the demon roared, shooting forward. Surprised, I lifted my sword a moment too late; the demon's claw stabbed my side, and I strangle my shout of pain.
"Erasmus!" I winced at the fear in Nico's voice. I couldn't let him get hurt; gritting my teeth, I lunged at the demon as it backed away for another attack. It squeaked in surprise, but managed to block my blade with a raised claw. I whipped out my club and bashed against the demon's side. It made a keening sound that hurt my ears, but I clenched my jaw tighter and threw myself against the demon, shoving it to the ground with a crunch.
You just broke its tail, my inner voice commented appreciatively as the demon screamed.
Shut up unless you're going to help, I told myself, not realizing at that moment that I was having a conversation with the voice.
The demon, enraged, threw me over its head. I landed on my back, the air shoved from my lungs. I rolled over, gasping for breath, and tried to stand when the demon did. It glowered at me, as though deciding how it wanted to destroy me.
"Hey, lobster-man!" Nico called. The demon whirled, and I felt my stomach sink to my feet while my heart leapt to my throat. The creature scuttled toward him with terrifying speed.
NO! I screamed in my mind. I still had no air in my lungs or I would have had a déjà vu moment of the evening empousa attack.
Allow me, my inner voice said. Suddenly, the creature slowed down to a frozen position. Nico, reaching for his sword, also froze. Hurry, my inner voice urged. I've given you swiftness, but it won't last for more than a few moments. Unquestioningly, I rose and dashed over. Already, the creature was beginning to move again, slowly, like it was trying to run through Jell-O, but gaining speed. I caught up just as it reached full speed, and I swung my sword, slicing at its ugly face. It roared in aggravation as it saw me appear in front of it, and then sank into a pile of sand as my blade cut through its head.
I stood there for a few seconds, panting, while Nico stared at me in awe.
"I really hope there are no more of those things," I managed. His gaze turned to the pile of sand that was already sinking into the ground.
"Different gods, different worlds," he repeated. "What did it mean by that?"
"Could it be like Greek and Roman different?" I asked. He shook his head, frowning now.
"No. Greek and Roman are two different eras, but their gods are essentially the same. The demon was meaning a different culture entirely. 'Heka' isn't any of the gods I know, so he or she isn't Greek or Roman."
"I still don't get this Heka thing..." I muttered.
"I'm not sure I do either," Nico admitted, shrugging. "But I do get one thing; we can't tell Reyna or Coach Hedge about this until we get some answers, understand?"
"Yes, sir," I said, giving him a sloppy salute. He rolled his eyes and turned to go back they way we'd come. When he stopped short, his eyes widening, I felt my throat clog; my internal monster compass was pinging like crazy in the direction he was facing.
Oh, please no... I thought. But when I turned, I was facing half a dozen or so creatures that had the same blended-up look the lobster demon had. I groaned inwardly. How was I going to live through the night?
"I guess we've got a long night ahead of us," Nico murmured, drawing his sword. The demons hissed when they saw it, but didn't retreat. The black blade again seemed to draw all the light and warmth from the air around it.
"What is that, exactly?" I asked, distracting myself before death distracted me.
"Stygian iron," Nico replied. "Made specially from the Styx." I didn't want to know how. "Not as good as Celestial Bronze, or Imperial Gold, but it still sends them to the underworld." More terms to remember.
I drew my own, average steel, sword and hefted my club, suddenly feeling light-headed. Why was I so weak?
You got stabbed in the side by the first demon, remember? my inner voice noted. Oh yeah. So I was terribly injured, and I had to fight half a dozen demons who could do at least as much damage as I already had. Wonderful.
The first two demons skipped diplomacy and lunged forward. Nico and I ducked, slashing off their arms, and then whirled, swapping places to stab the other's demon. They wailed as they disintegrated into sand and shadow. We faced the remaining four. They conferred a moment and then one stepped forward. This one looked like a chicken crossed with a human; it had a disfigured face that appeared to be rotting away, with all the muscles showing through the peeling skin, but with beady black eyes that longed to pierce my soul. The body was grossly bloated, and it had spindly chicken legs.
"Heka," the demon greeted. "I wish to speak with you." It glared at me. "Without the mortal interfering."
Don't listen to him, my inner voice snorted. I began to wonder if it was really my voice.
"THERE!" someone shouted above us. Before either Nico or I could react, two kids—a guy about my age, and a girl a year or two younger—dropped out of nowhere to face the demon horde.
"Found you, Face of Horror!" the guy yelled. In one hand, he held a curved sword that looked familiar, and in the other, he had a boomerang thing, which I knew instantly was not a boomerang, though I wasn't sure what it was.
"Carter Kane," the demon hissed. Its face twisted in hatred, and I could easily imagine how it came by the name 'Face of Horror.'
"You know," the girl said, shifting the bag on her shoulder, "I was kind of hoping you wouldn't come back for another decade or so..." She trailed off, her English accent diminishing slightly.
"But since you're here," Carter added, "it looks like I get the splendid privilege of killing you a second time."
"Yeah, neither of us is very happy with how you helped the Serpent... What was it, two years ago now?" The girl held out her hand and a staff materialized into it. I gawked, as I'm sure Nico did.
"Chaos would have risen," Face of Horror spat, "if you kids had not interfered! When he had another chance, you meddled yet again!"
"...Pretty much," Carter agreed. He lifted the sword and slashed at the demon. It scrambled back, toppling into its companions and taking all of them to the ground.
"Ha-di!" the girl cried, pointing her staff at the demons. Blue symbols popped into existence, glowing, in front of the demons, who trampled over each other to get away, but a moment later the symbols exploded. At least, it seemed that way; the nearest trees bent away, shuddering and groaning, and a small crater formed beneath the demons, dropping them into it. One of the demons dissipated into sand with a screech, powdering its comrades as they tried to untangle themselves.
"Sadie," Carter complained. "I was going to hit him."
"You were taking too long!" Sadie retorted. She noticed us as Carter leapt into the crater, and she turned while the demons scattered in terror. I hardly noticed the demons; the kids had been familiar, and now I knew why: they were the boy and girl from my dream the night before. Sadie had shining spun-gold hair with a red streak on one side and soft blue-green eyes that inspected me sharply. But despite knowing vaguely who they were, I was still much too shocked to say anything; thankfully, Nico took over.
"Who are you?" he asked. Sadie raised an eyebrow.
"Just a magician," she said, obviously expecting us not to believe or understand her. I blinked.
She is the great Sadie Kane, my inner voice explained. Former host of Isis, daughter of Julius Kane, host of Osiris, and sister of Carter Kane, former host of Horus.
So many hosts... I thought.
"Isis..." I said aloud. Sadie's gaze snapped to me, fierce.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "If you know me, you must be a magician; what Nome are you from?"
"I don't... I mean, I'm not..." I stopped and began again. "I'm Erasmus Porter, son of Hecate, and this is Nico di Angelo, son of Hades."
"Hecate? Hades?" She was confused. "I know about Heka, but not Hecate." There was that name again... Who was Heka?
"Hecate is a Greek goddess," Carter said, scrambling up out of the crater. The demons were gone, probably dead. He shook sand from his clothes. "Just like Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon." There was sand in his short black hair, and on his dark, chocolate skin, but I didn't bother telling him. He looked up at me and his warm brown eyes widened. "PERCY!"
"Hey, keep up, brother," Sadie said, slapping him upside the head. Even though they didn't look at all alike, I could tell they were siblings. "This guy's name is Erasmus, not Percy."
"D-did you mean Percy Jackson?" Nico asked, a bit of color draining from his features. Carter shrugged, absentmindedly rubbing his head where Sadie hit him.
"Yeah, I guess," he said. "Son of Poseidon, looks like him." He gestured at me, trailing off. "I guess he couldn't be Percy, or he would have called me as soon as the demons appeared..."
"Oh that's right!" Sadie exclaimed. "Percy was the guy you gave the call spell!"
"If he ever needed my help, he just had to say my name," Carter nodded. "So if you're not Percy, who are you, exactly?" I thought for a moment about how to answer him. Everyone waited, wanting to hear my reply.
"I'm... different," I said slowly. "I'm a Christian, yet I have a Greek godly parent. I also, apparently, have some affiliation with..." Remembering Carter's sword, I searched through my memories to recall what culture he and the demons were from. "With Egyptian gods."
"Wow," Carter whistled. "You are different."
"No need to make him feel worse!" Nico snapped, seeming agitated. I glanced at him, surprised that he was defending me.
"He's almost as bad as Anubis and Walt," Sadie whispered to her brother. I figured she meant Nico, because she was staring at him.
"At least he isn't a jackal-headed god," Carter retorted.
"No, but he's not following the path of Ra, either," Sadie came back. Carter rolled his eyes. I held back a laugh at their display of sibling love.
"Whose path do you follow?" Carter asked me. I shrugged.
"No clue." The siblings exchanged glances and I watched an entire conversation flicker between them in a matter of moments. I knew what they said, but I didn't register it.
"If you don't know whose path you follow..." Sadie began.
"...then how do you know you have... affiliation with Egyptian gods?" Carter finished.
Nico snorted. "Well, two demons—creatures I've never seen before—attacked us because they thought he was this Heka person."
"Him? Heka?" Sadie said, trying not to giggle. "Sorry, but I've met Heka, and he looks way younger!"
"Hey, Sadie," Carter said, turning to look at her. "Try to remember, these are gods we're talking about. Your boyfriend is five thousand years old, for crying out loud!" Sadie started to protest, but Carter had already turned back to face me. "When part of Horus stayed in my body, lots of gods and demons thought I was Horus. Did the demons speak like they were talking to someone else?"
"Yeah," I said, nodding. "They kept calling me Heka, and asking what I was doing here, like I didn't belong in this area."
"Well, if you follow Heka," Sadie pointed out, "then you aren't supposed to be here; you should be in Brooklyn, or at least heading for it. Being on the Manhattan side of the river, unless you're heading for a different Nome..." She shrugged, not entirely pleased. I exchanged confused glances with Nico.
"What's so different about Brooklyn from Manhattan?" he asked, frowning. Sadie pursed her lips, like she was trying to decide just how much to say.
"Different gods, different worlds," she answered finally. Nico gave her a bland look.
"Yeah, the lobster-guy said that too, but what does it mean?"
"It means that they shouldn't be mingling," I said softly, a sinking feeling in my gut. Carter nodded his agreement.
"Greek gods and Egyptian gods don't get along any more than fire gets along with water," he said. "That's why Nico's never heard of us; our cultures have been kept separate because the moment they collide..." He made an explosion sound, miming it with his hands. Then he looked at me, apologetic guilt in his grimace. "Sorry." I shrugged, downcast.
"It's... it's fine," I said. "I guess I'm meant to be torn in three directions at once... The demon called me a bridge, but like you said, fire and water don't mix... I'm just a freak of nature..."
Nico has got to figure out a new way to get my attention without scaring me to death; he slapped me again. Carter and Sadie both gasped, and the former took a step forward, raising his sword. Nico ignored them both, making Carter hesitate.
"I thought I told you not to say that!" he hissed. I blushed slightly, touching my reddening cheek, and nodded, keeping my eyes on the ground as he continued. "I said it once, and I'll say it again; YOU ARE NOT A FREAK. If anyone here is, it's me, not you." I nodded again, but didn't say anything.
"You just... He..." Sadie's mouth was opening and closing like a fish, with only a few occasional words actually forming.
"Why did he just...?" Carter managed to ask an almost full question, unlike his sister.
"It happens a lot," I said, feeling a bit lightheaded. I glanced at Nico, wondering if it was because of his slap, but he wasn't looking at me; his back was turned and his arms crossed, fuming.
It's not his fault, my inner voice said. It's that wound. How do you keep forgetting it? I snarled at my inner self.
Just shut up... I said. The voice seemed intent on annoying me, however.
You need to fix up that wound, or you'll topple soon, it said. As if to prove its point, I staggered, my head suddenly feeling the size and weight of a helium balloon.
"Whoa, there!" Carter said, dropping his sword and dashing forward to catch me. I'm glad he did, or I would have fallen on my face. Nico turned, and his eyes widened when they scanned my body. I glanced down to see a huge, gaping red hole in my side. But I didn't think about the pain; in fact, I didn't even register it, nor did I realize it was a wound, for a moment. No, I saw it and the first thing I thought was, Why am I covered in ketchup?
Nico instantly began digging in his pocket, bringing out the flask of nectar. His hands trembled as he uncapped it while Sadie and Carter helped me lie down. He poured a few drops onto my wound, and I hissed as it stung deep. My back arched, and I grabbed Carter's wrist in a death grip, making him wince. Nico knelt and put the flask to my lips, but I turned away. I couldn't let him waste more of the healing fluid on me than absolutely necessary.
"It's not working quickly enough," he muttered in aggravation.
"Sadie, did you put that healing potion from Jaz in the Duat?" Carter asked, trying to pry my fingers from his wrist.
"The one she gave us this morning, yeah," she answered, standing and focusing on the air in front of her. She reached forward but nothing happened. She reached again, but still nothing happened.
"Oh for goodness sake!" she muttered. She tacked on another word that sounded foreign, likely Egyptian, likely a curse. She focused again, and when she reached forward a third time, her hand disappeared in a shimmer, shocking me. I forgot for a moment about the stinging, watching her draw out a small bottle from the shimmering air. She knelt again and uncorked the bottle. Nico was staring at her, trying to decide what, exactly, she'd just done.
She leaned over to pour the potion into my mouth, but at that moment, the pain returned and I growled with enough intensity to make her stop. I gritted my teeth against the needles pricking the flesh of my side. The pain subsided momentarily and she silently offered the potion again. I opened my mouth in response and she quickly poured the gulps-worth down my throat.
I regretted it almost instantly.
A cry of agony worked its way up my throat as heat blazed in my side. It felt like the nectar, but ten times more intense, and at least that much sharper.
Thank goodness Carter had gotten his hand free; I would have crushed it. As it was, my fingers dug deep gouges in the ground that made Carter's eyes widen.
"Hold on, Erasmus," Nico said. He took my nearer hand and gripped it. "It's healing. Just hold on." I felt like I was breaking his fingers, holding on as tight as I was.
"I... swear..." I spat between my teeth, "I... will hunt down... every demon... and kill it... with my bare hands..."
"I think that's the first violent thing I've heard you say," Nico chuckled. Then he winced as I squeezed, a new wave of pain washing over my torso.
But then it was gone. All the pain, all the heat, everything, just... gone. I relaxed, hesitantly, thinking that any moment the pain would return. Wary, I kept my grip on Nico's hand as I slowly pushed myself upright, testing.
"It's completely healed..." Sadie said, astonished. "I... I didn't think anything could heal a wound like that completely!"
"Maybe because he's part of both cultures, the mix of the healing potion and the nectar worked more quickly?" The note of perplexed amazement in Carter's suggestion brought a smile to my face. It immediately vanished when I looked down; I inspected the giant hole in my shirt, frowning. It was my only shirt, and now it was torn beyond use. What would I use now? I couldn't very well go shirtless!
"Um, Erasmus...?" Nico said. I looked up to see him blushing, but his hair hung in his face, so I knew the Kane siblings wouldn't see it. "Could I have my hand back?" I looked down to see that I was gripping his hand rather tightly, and I let go quickly. He sat back and took it in his free hand, rubbing it to restart circulation.
Sadie stood and focused, reaching forward with the empty bottle. Nothing happened and she scowled. She tried again, frustration mounting, and Carter stood to take it from her.
"I got it," he said gently. She still glared at him, though I could tell her anger was more directed at herself than her brother.
"I worked so hard to get it out of the Duat, and I can't even put it back in," she grumbled, dropping into a crouch and crossing her arms. I could tell she wanted to be recognized for an obvious achievement, so I reached over and took her hand.
"Thank you for helping," I said, smiling. "It means a lot to me." She met my gaze, staring for a moment; I don't think she actually expected praise. Then she blushed, looking away.
"Oh, um, y-you're welcome," she stammered. Carter rolled his eyes.
"...falls for any guy that gives her attention..." he muttered. Sadie recovered and stood to punch his arm, hard. Carter winced, but had a resigned look, like this happened a lot.
"I do not!" She crossed her arms again as he rubbed his shoulder.
"If it helps," Nico said, rolling back into a crouch, "he has that effect on everyone." I glanced askew at him, but he was careful with his expression, so I gleaned nothing from his face. His eyes, however, flicked my way before shunting to the side in embarrassment.
"See?" Sadie said, jumping on the straw, "It's not just me!"
"Sure, whatever Sadie," Carter said, rolling his eyes. He held out his hand to me, giving me a crooked smile. "I'm willing to bet you have questions, Erasmus. Would you like to come with Sadie and me to the Brooklyn House? Amos could probably answer most of them better than we could. And we could train you a bit for the next time you run into some demons." I took his hand and let him help me up, and then I turned and helped Nico up, though he needed no assistance; it gave me a moment to think.
I could get answers to all these questions leaping about in my head. But I'd be leaving Nico. I could learn why I was a part of three entirely different cultures. But I would be absconding the only place that felt like home anymore. The orphanage never had.
I would say go with the Kanes, my inner voice said. But the decision is yours. I realized something in that moment; it was never MY inner voice... It was someone else.
...Heka? I asked carefully.
Yes, Erasmus, my inner voice—Heka's voice said. I didn't want to overburden you too soon; otherwise I would have explained myself much earlier. I sat down hard.
"Erasmus?" I wasn't sure who said it, but all three of my companions were standing over me, looking at me with worry.
"I... It's so much to process," I said, running my hands through my hair. Nico leaned over and touched my shoulder lightly.
"If you need a moment..." He left the statement unfinished, obviously not pleased with the idea.
"I just..." I looked up at the Kanes. "Could we have a minute, please?" Sadie hesitated, but Carter nodded, grabbed his sister's arm, and left, dragging her along and ignoring her protests. As soon as they were out of ear-shot, Nico crouched and whispered.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly.
"I'm so lost..." I answered, rubbing at my face. "First, I'm just an average kid. A Christian orphan. Then a monster puts me on the run, and I find out I'm part of a world of demigods that I didn't know existed, and I'm the son of a Greek goddess. Now, I'm also the host of an Egyptian god. I'm a walking time bomb, and I don't understand any of it. How did I even qualify to host a god?"
You have the blood of pharaohs, Heka answered.
"I didn't ask you," I snorted. I hadn't realized I spoke aloud until Nico frowned. "Sorry, the voice in my head..." I sighed. "And now I guess I'm going insane..."
"...I don't think you're insane," Nico said eventually. "I think you've been thrown into something that should have been explained to you long ago. But then, the gods have never been very fair." His lips curled like he tasted something sour. "I would know."
"Well, I'm here, nothing's been explained, and I have a lot to learn..."
In a short time, Heka added.
Not helping! I snapped. This time I made sure I didn't talk aloud.
"...As much as I hate saying it," Nico said after a moment, "you should go with the Kanes. They can help you more than Coach, Reyna and I can. Only Chiron, at Camp Half Blood, could help you as much as they can, but until we have this spat with Camp Jupiter settled, he'll be indisposed keeping peace." I nodded. Though I didn't know this Chiron person—a familiar name, but I couldn't place it—I understood that they would be busy getting the statue to Camp Half Blood and making peace between the two camps. I would be better off at the 'Brooklyn House,' whatever that was, until I learned more about... everything, really.
Then I registered what he'd said first. As much as I hate to say it... He didn't want me to go. Did that mean...?
No, I told myself, making sure not to be talking to Heka. Those feelings are wrong, and you shouldn't have them. This time, when I responded, I knew it was MY response.
Even if they're wrong, you still have them, I answered myself. For a moment, I argued back and forth with myself, until Heka broke in.
Are you just going to sit here and let this moment pass you by, he interrupted, or are you actually going to do something? Knowing he had a point, I made a split second decision. Reaching out, I grabbed Nico by the neck and pulled him down.
I don't know who was more surprised by my action: me, Nico, or Carter, who walked up at that moment. He stopped short when he saw my lips meet Nico's, and the son of Hades shoved away from me, standing and blushing redder than I'd ever seen anyone blush. He stepped back, covering his mouth with one hand, and groaned when he saw Carter staring.
"Um... you, er..." the Kane boy stuttered. "Did you just...?"
"It's not important," I said, feeling my cheeks heat. "Did you need something?"
"Uh, I just... I came to ask if you were coming with us..." he managed, gesturing behind him. I glanced at Nico, then nodded to Carter.
"I'll be there in a moment," I said, standing. Carter nodded to show he'd heard and disappeared the direction he came. I turned to Nico, who didn't look up, and said, "I will come back, you know."
"...I know," he said, so softly I could barely hear him. Wow; he didn't snap at me. That was a surprise. I stepped up to him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.
"I will, I promise," I said. "Just promise me..."
"...what? What do you want me to promise?" he asked. His voice was carefully clear of emotion, and he didn't respond to my hug. I let go and stepped back, discouraged. There were so many things I wanted to say; Promise me you won't forget me. Promise me you'll look for my return. Promise me you'll return my feelings for you. But I couldn't say any of them. Whether or not I wanted to.
"Promise me you'll take care of Coach Hedge and Reyna," I said. He nodded slowly, as though it was something he already understood.
"I promise I will take care of Coach Hedge and Reyna," he said. "As well as I can, anyway. I swear it on the River Styx."
"The River Styx?" I wondered aloud, trying to remember why the name was so familiar, beyond him mentioning it earlier.
"A river in the underworld," he said, a hint of a smile on his lips. "To break an oath sworn on the Styx is to die a horrible death." That's why; it was the most well known river in the underworld.
"Ah, that's right," I said, imagining a gory death, possibly by harpies. Eyck. "Ok, I should go." I turned to go where Carter had gone, but Nico's hand on my arm stopped me. I glanced back, and he kissed me.
"Since you're only part Greek," he said when we broke, "I didn't expect an oath, but I did want some proof of your promise." He grinned a bit at my expression. "Come on, I'll walk with you." He took my hand and tugged me in the direction the Kanes had vanished. He didn't let go until we came in sight of the siblings, and then we both stared in awe.
Standing next to the siblings, pawing the ground and pulling on its halter, was a massive gryphon. It had a typical falcon-headed lion form, but instead of eagle wings, it had two enormous hummingbird-like wings that beat so quickly, they looked like helicopter blades. Behind it was a fair-sized boat, attached by ropes. The gryphon shook its head and shrieked. I covered my ears, duly impressed.
"Erasmus," Carter said. "Say hi to Freak."
"Freak?" I could barely keep myself from laughing.
"Yeah, he says 'freak' a lot, so that's what I started calling him..." Carter shrugged. "Let's go." He hopped into the boat and helped his sister climb in. Then he held out his hand for mine. I turned to Nico and held out my hand.
"I'm glad I met you, Nico," I said as he took my hand.
"Same here, Erasmus." We shook hands and then I allowed Carter to pull me into the boat. He went to the front and took up the reins, urging Freak to take off. The gryphon screeched in joy and launched into the air. I stood at the edge, gripping the railing, as I watched Nico shrink into the distance. I saw him wave and returned it, wondering if I would ever see him again.