AN: Hey all! Sorry I took so long updating. So here's a long one! BTW, be sure to check out my one-shot called Nico's Adventures in Shaving. R&R
Crazy Love
I still can't believe I feel this way. I'm in love with a girl who caused the death of my favorite brother. And after two years of not seeing her, I still can't get her out of my mind. There is no way I can tell my brothers and sisters. They would try to turn me into a Labrador retriever, or a piglet. It's not a pleasant experience, I assure you. I can't tell anyone in my cohort either, even one of my centurions. Most of them weren't around when the incident happened. So the only person I could safely talk to would be one of the Praetors, Nico, or Hazel, or Jason (I look up to the pontifex more than I like to admit). Hazel and Nico . . . I don't think it would be the best idea to tell them they had a sister that probably died, but I'm still crushing on her. Jason is always out and about these days. And Praetor Zhang wasn't here with us then . . . so, Reyna. No way. I'm not that desperate. Yet.
This girl I like . . . she's been branded a murderer. She's supposed to be dead. But I know differently. Yes, there were exactly twelve corpses. One senator, ten legionnaires, and her. But somehow, somehow I know she is still alive. Her name is Phoenyx Rubidoux, daughter of Pluto. Er, Hades. Yeah. The same one the police have been looking for, even three years after she burned down a school. The pyromaniac. The terrorist.
I was the only person here at Camp Jupiter to see through the anger in Phoenyx's eyes, and stare into the vast ocean of fear, and anguish. When I found her, my intentions weren't to take her by force to New Rome . . . but my comrades wouldn't listen. So I went with it. And now, I regret that decision. It seems like every time I close my eyes, I see that desperate, pleading look. Somebody, please! Stop!
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Rough wood scratched against my skin as I turned the unfinished staff in my hands. Because I am a son of Trivia, I usually work with the Vulcan kids to craft magical items. Things were going slowly, so I had decided to start on a project of my own. The staff was crafted of high-quality olive wood that I hadn't gotten around to sanding just quite yet, along with other spells of protection and elemental defense. I rummaged through a cupboard in the forge, and found a sheet of sandpaper. Vigorously rubbing the staff down with a square, my thoughts drifted back to the first time I met Phoenyx.
I swept my eyes across the afternoon horizon, just enjoying the sun on my skin. I don't mind guard duty at the bridge. It gives me a chance to get out and think. Sometimes even try out a new spell or two. My partner, Felix, was the only thing I didn't like about standing guard. The legacy of Apollo annoys the living god out of me. Always singing some ridiculous song about hermit crabs finding love with a starfish. And his voice isn't even good, at all. Seriously. It makes it ten times worse that I'm related to him, because my father is the great-grandson of Apollo. And the son of Hercules. And a legacy of Venus. And going way back, Bacchus. And more Venus. And even farther back, Neptune.
For once, Felix wasn't singing about hermit crabs. His eyes were trained on a dark figure in the distance, steadily running in our direction. I frowned. The person wasn't wearing any battle armor, but was carrying a wicked black sword.
"Felix?" I said nervously, shifting the pilum in my hand and readying my shield. "You seeing what I'm seeing?"
"Yeah," he replied, his eyes widening. The girl, I could see as she drew closer, looked like she was ready for a fight.
"Go get some someone out here. Quick." Felix dashed off. I readied my spear and yelled loudly. "Halt!" She didn't stop. Shadows started to collect at my feet, and the ground rumbled. I yelped as the earth split around me, and three skeletons crawled from the ground. "Amittere pedes!" Oddly enough, instead of their feet falling off before they could even stand, the spell caused the skeletons to slip back into the gape in the ground. I remembered what my father had said about children of Trivia: Trivia was a friend of Pluto, and he granted her power over the dead. To a degree, but still. This is your secret weapon. I felt an unfamiliar surge of power through my body, as if the if it were just recognizing its potential.
A shout erupted from behind me, and four more legionnaires came running on the scene(I didn't count Felix; he went to fetch Reyna). Larry, a centurion, took command.
"Junge!" he ordered. "Close ranks!" We fell into position, as three columns, two in each, except for the farthest left. "Ciringite frontem!" Hold position!
The daughter of Pluto attacked incredibly fast. Almost inhumanly so. Our ranks stumbled as she hit the shields, and I stumbled to draw my sword. A loud roar sounded from her as she slashed and hacked with her sword, and one she had picked up after knocking Larry unconscious. The intruder's eyes flashed purple while she swung her blades wildly at me, and at the same time blocking from behind. The purple eyes triggered something in my mind, and realization dawned on me. She was insane. I blocked a blow with my shield and cast a binding spell.
"Inhibeo!" I cried, and immediately, the girl's arms flew to her sides, forcing her to drop her swords. Wordless yells came from her as she struggled. Her will power was strong. I couldn't hold the spell for much longer. My comrades recovered and scurried to their feet. "Quickly!" I gasped. "Can't- hold- much-" I felt a few familiar presences coming towards us. A wave of strength flowed through me as one of my siblings approached, helping out with the spell. One of the legionnaires hit the girl on the head, and her eyes rolled back into her head. They carried her across the bridge, where the praetors, Jason and Reyna were waiting. I released the spell, and my knees buckled. A thin face belonging to Aaron, my brother, smiled at me as he helped me stand.
"Need a little help?" he asked gently.
I laughed and nodded. "Larry's in bad shape. Let's get him to the sickbay, unless you want to waste more magic on healing him. I feel okay now." Aaron helped me to my feet, and together we took our centurion to the infirmary.
After taking Larry to the infirmary, I put on a fresh change of clothes. I say fresh, but many other people would disapprove of my choice in threads. Despite how long my linage is, it is a poor one. Well, not necessarily poor, but almost everyone has more of a love for the outdoors than for people, so I tend to wear less neat clothes. Unless you call going around barefoot, with beat up cargo shorts, a torn flannel shirt, and a red bandana around my head 'tidy'. The only thing I wear that could be described as 'tidy' would be my Camp Jupiter tee shirt. It's not that I can't dress nice, it's just I don't want to. It's harder to do magic when you are uncomfortable. Besides, I think the calluses on the bottoms of my feet are enchanted.
Anyway, an hour later, I was summoned to a meeting with the praetors in the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus with Felix. Two legacies of Mercury were waiting to escort us to the garden at the exit of the barracks. They led us down the cobblestone road up to Temple Hill. The Imperial Gold shrine to Jupiter glittered in the light of dusk. Reyna and Jason both were sitting with their chairs facing the statue of the king of gods, looking concerned. Octavian, the augur, stood on Jason's right side, looking bloodthirsty. He'd always had a strong dislike for me. The feeling was reciprocated. The son of Jupiter spoke first.
"Hale. Felix. Thank you for being prompt. Now," he sighed. "About that incident. Tell me exactly what happened." Felix opened his mouth, and mentally rolled my eyes. This could take forever.
He basically retold the story in ten times as many words as I would have, and he hadn't even been there for half of it. Jason promptly dismissed him after he started singing about crustaceans, and milling about the temple aimlessly. I thanked the gods. Man, did Felix get on my every single nerve.
Octavian insisted we read the Auguries, to see what kind of omen this was. His already paper-white face paled even farther when he stared into the plush-toy stuffing.
"It's - this is - a bad sign. A very bad sign." I'd never actually seen the Augur genuinely worried. Reyna narrowed her eyes.
"What kind of bad sign?" she inquired. Octavian looked up from the strewn around cotton.
"One of death. Of twelve deaths, to be precise."
Jason shifted uncomfortably. "Can you tell who's?" The Augur scowled at the stuffed animal again.
"No . . . only that an important person will die. And a legacy of a long lineage will lose a close friend."
Reyna rubbed her temples in an impatient gesture. "And you . . ." she searched for my name. "Delgado person . . . Hale. . .?" I nodded. I was used to people calling me Zachery Delgado, my father. Or just Delgado. "Tell us your part." I took a deep breath, and stared at the sky.
"Like Felix said, we were standing guard. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for the first three hours of the shift, until it hit five o'clock. Then, the intruder appeared on the horizon, running toward the both of us with her sword drawn. It seemed to me to be an aggressive action, and I sent Felix to bring help. The intruder was about two hundred feet away, when three skeletons emerged from the earth, and I dispelled them." Octavian made a disgusted noise and muttered, 'Underworld spawn.' Reyna shot a look at him, and Jason's brow knit.
"How did you do that?" he asked.
"Trivia has power over the dead too," Reyna reminded him. Understanding covered his face, and he motioned for me to go on.
"So, the skeletons disappeared, and then Larry and a few others came as backup. The intruder charged, and even slammed into our shield wall. Somehow during the brief contact with our shields, she managed to knock Larry out. I noticed how reckless she was: it wasn't normal. At all. Her eyes were purple, and something in my gut told me she's insane. It's the blood of Bacchus in me. Once I-"
"Aha! I knew I saw some kind of madness in the entrails," Octavian exclaimed triumphantly. Reyna gave him another would you shut the heck up? look. I cleared my throat.
"As I was saying, once I restrained her with a spell, I had a hard time holding it up. The girl's will power is very strong. I don't know if it was the madness that made her so resistant, but whatever the case, it was unusual."
Octavian shook his head. "I knew it was a terrible omen, I knew it," he told us. Both the praetors' concern deepened. Jason fingered his magic denarius that turned into either a sword or spear when he flipped it. I fiddled with my bandana.
"This can't be good," Reyna concluded at last. "Neil?"
"Yes, Praetor?" responded one of the escorts.
"Tell everyone who was there at the incident that this must not be spoken of. Not with comrades, no one." She looked at me. "Hale, who would you say are the best fortifying magicians?"
"Aaron Grayson, Silas Lance, Grant Vincent, and Brenda McGarrick," I replied. "Aaron is the best, but he gets bored easily."
Jason nodded. "And Erik, find these four and fill them in too."
"Yes, Praetors," chorused the two, and their footsteps echoed on the marble floor as they exited the temple.
"Delgado," Reyna addressed me again, "would you speak with the prisoner? To see what you can learn?" I nodded. "Thank you," she sighed. "But be careful. Bring some enchanted items for protection."
"Yes, Praetor. Anything else?" I asked. Both Jason and Reyna shook their heads.
"Ah, just one thing," started Octavian, just as I had turned around to leave. "Don't wear such shabby clothes," he said disgustedly. "You look like some kind of homeless hillbilly." I smiled pleasantly, even though inside, I wanted to turn him into a parakeet.
"That's the idea, Augur." I saluted, and headed to the mess hall's basement. I could hear Jason and Reyna snickering as I left. Lares passed by me(and sometimes through me) as I descended the stairs to the prison. The musty, underground-y smell would have bothered most people, but I was used to the scent of mildew. The staircase opened up to a room roughly fifty by thirty feet, width to sides. Parts of the room were sectioned off with enchanted steel bars, forming cells.
At the end of the room was a lone cell with a solid, Imperial Gold door, enclosed with dull green cinder blocks. Inside the cinder blocks were probably steel or Gold reinforcement bars. The bricks glowed faintly, and they were covered with ancient Greek runes and symbols(for some reason, Greek runes have to be used in magic. Nobody knows why). In front of the Gold door sat one of my brothers, Kael(this causes a lot of confusion, since I'm Hale and he's Kael. So I usually get called Delgado).His chair was tipped backward against the magic door casually. His baggy clothes looked kind of funny on him, because he's so scrawny. That's one of the things that sets me apart from my half-siblings: I'm not at all scrawny. In fact, the opposite is true. I'm rugged. Un-brainy looking. Dare I say, really buff. Not Mike Kahale buff, but not too far off, either. My dark hair and green eyes, plus the tattoo of a torch and a key on my right arm, are the only things that identify me as Trivia-spawn. It makes things even more confusing, because I am a legacy of five other gods, too. I've been told I have the Hercules buffness, the Venus charm and looks(I really have no clue why people say that. I'd say I'm pretty average. But girls are always staring at me whenever I work out, so . . .), the Apollo way with music and words(but I absolutely stink at archery), nothing really with Bacchus, except for the fact that I can tell if someone is drunk/insane or not, and absolutely zilch with Neptune. I don't think having a knack for knowing who's water bottle is who's really counts. In my opinion, I look like your average Filipino hick, except for my green eyes.
Kael nodded at me. "What's up, Delgado?"
"I'm here to see the prisoner," I stated. My brother palmed his staff nervously.
"Like, go in there?"
"Yeah. Don't worry. I've got my bad-arse protection amulet," I assured Kael. His thin face still looked worried. "I'll be fine. I can charmspeak, remember? Venus is my grandmother, and my-"
Kael laughed. "Okay, I get it. No need to lecture me on you linage." He sighed. "Well, good luck. You know the procedure. You go in at your own risk, and once you're in, I can't help you. You're on your own. And no weapons that don't have Grade A security passwords." I nodded.
"Thanks." Kael chanted a few lines, and the door opened. He handed me a key, and slowly, I walked inside. I faced a small cell, barred off with enchanted Imperial Gold. On the opposite wall was a bench, with the daughter of Pluto sitting on it. Her body was slumped forward, with her chin on her chest, and her arms shackled behind her. It reminded me of a crucifixion, and I was glad we didn't do those anymore. For once, I got a good look at the girl. Her dark brown hair was braided down the center, Katniss Everdeen style. Two small wisps of blond hair framed her head like a circlet. She was obviously underfed, and her black clothes were torn in numerous areas. I fished the key out of my pocket, and unlocked the gate to the inner cell. The girl didn't stir. I lifted her head from her chest carefully, so her neck wouldn't be sore when she woke up. Her face was pale and peaceful as she slept, and despite the cuts and grime on her it, she looked angelic. I reached into another pocket, pulling out a healing amulet and placed my hand on her shoulder.
"Iniurias in pelle sanentur," I chanted. 'Skin injuries healed.' The thing with magic is that you have to be specific, otherwise you could spend way too much power, and even kill yourself trying to heal somebody's every single health problem. I felt the magic leave me, and the cuts and bruises shrunk, and disappeared. The only mark left on her face(besides dirt) was a small scar on her lower lip, that I hardly noticed. It half reminded me of Jason's scar on his lip, but his was on the top. I figured it was time to wake her up and talk to her. I summoned more power and spoke a waking spell. "Concitata mens."
The girl's eyes snapped open, and she stifled a shout, shrinking away from me. Her face was a mask of confusion and fear, like a wild animal that woke up in a cage, her breathing was shallow.
"Where am I?" she gasped. "Why am I here?"
"You're safe," I soothed, subtly adding a little charmspeak in for good measure. "I'm not going to hurt you. You can relax." Her body un-stiffened slightly, testifying to her strong, but still human willpower. The haunted look was still there. "You're at Camp Jupiter," I informed her, still using a calming tone. "You, uh, attacked our watch guards earlier." She looked disappointed and anxious.
"I did?" I nodded. She sighed. Probably would have facepalmed if she had a free hand.
"Who are you?" I asked with charmspeak.
The girl bristled guardedly. "Is it any of your business?"
I shrugged. "I guess I'll introduce myself first. I'm Hale Delgado, son of Trivia." She regarded me analytically, seeing if I could be trusted.
"Would you stop charmspeaking me?" she demanded.
I laughed. "Okay. I'll stop. Go on, if you want to. I promise I won't make you."
She breathed in relief. "Thanks. I'm Phoenyx Rubidoux, daughter of Hade- er, Pluto." I dropped my eyes.
"Just so you know, people here aren't exactly fond of the god of wealth," I warned her, fingering a piece of PVC pipe I found on the ground.
"Nobody ever is," Phoenyx muttered. I met her dark eyed gaze. I couldn't tell the color of her eyes. They were like a blend of dark amber, grey and a touch of green, which was hard to name. All traces of the purple I saw in them earlier was gone.
"Are you aware that you're insane?" I inquired, searching out with my Cray 'Z Meter, but only finding a dormant blob of purple in her mind.
Phoenyx looked away again. "Yeah. It was a curse. I don't ever remember what happens during my fits, but I've been almost every type of insane you can think of. Except kleptomaniacal." I gave her a funny look. She laughed softly and cleared her throat. "So, Hale, Delgado, son of Trivia, why are you here, talking to me? To get information?"
"No. I - I don't - well, yes, I was instructed to talk to you, but not to torture you or anything. And I, uh, kinda just wanted to talk to you."
"I don't see why you'd want to do that. I'm not the kind of person people 'just want to talk' to. I'm usually avoided." Phoenyx's eyes were a picture of brokenness. Something in me felt like it was slowly melting, like ice cream on a mild day.
"I disagree," I said flatly. The daughter of Pluto looked guilty.
"You wouldn't think that if you knew me." She shook her head bitterly. I looked her straight in the eyes.
"Why not let me decide that?" I asked.
Over the next few days, I had some major changes made to Phoenyx's living arrangements. She was given fresh clothes, and allowed frequent bathroom trips and a shower once a day. I made sure she was also comfortable in her cell, with good food and a nicer bed. After a few heated discussions, I even convinced Jason and Reyna it was safe to take her shackles off. Everybody who came in some kind of contact with Phoenyx had to keep absolutely silent about what the commotion and we all had to take an oath. Especially the Senate. You would not believe what blabber mouths they are.
I pulled off my flannel button down and Camp Jupiter tee shirt, and stuffed them into my knapsack. The rain was pelting the roof of the Second Cohort barracks like hammers thudding into grass, and this was my favorite type of weather. I like to experience it as much as possible (with the exception of walking around in my birthday suit. Or a Speedo. Neither is becoming), so going shirtless was the way to go for me. Luckily, being un topped was a-okay for guys. My guitar was standing in its case, propped up on my bunk. Slinging it on my back, I made a mental checklist. I inhaled the smell of water falling from the sky and walked out into it. The sight of everyone else in windbreakers, rain boots, and holding umbrellas made me laugh. I guess the tropical blood doesn't run in everybody's veins, but it sure does run in mine. I whistled a tune and walked cheerfully into the dining room, when a few centurions were playing a board game, and a couple from New Rome was talking in hushed voices. I nodded to Larry, who still had a nasty lump on his head the size of a golf ball.
"Centurion," I greeted him. He nodded back.
"Hey, Delgado." He tossed a card onto the game board, and the other centurions groaned. Brenda McGarrick, one of my sisters, was climbing up the stairs when I reached them. She smiled at me.
" 'sup, Hale?" she asked.
I shrugged. "You know."
Brenda laughed. "Yeah, I do. Have fun with your girlfriend." She laughed again and walked away, leaving me to stand there awkwardly, blushing.
"She's not my girlfriend," I muttered, and descended the staircase. Thankfully, some of the Ceres kids had set up vases with fragrant flowers to cover the musty smell in the basement. Grant Vincent, another brother, was lounging in a chair reading an issue of Mistified Journal magazine, for legacies of Trivia. His greasy black hair kept falling in his eyes, and he repeatedly would blow it away with a puff of breath. I waved at him, but got no response. I sighed. He was deaf, and I stink a sign language. Walking closer, he started when he finally realized I was there.
"Hi, Grant. I need the door open, and the key," I said loudly, making sure to enunciate. Thankfully, he can read lips incredibly well.
"Hi, Delgado. Just a second," came the slurred reply. He whispered the password to the Imperial Gold door, and it swung open. Grant handed me the key, and I stepped inside, the door closing behind me. My eyes adjusted, and I saw Phoenyx studying a scroll and muttering in Latin about horny toads. I smiled.
"Hey, Phoenyx."
She looked up and returned the smile. "Hale. How you doing?" she asked. I felt self-conscious her eyes drifted to my bare chest.
"Bare- I mean good," I replied, hoping she wouldn't put two and two together, and realize four was the way I felt about her. Phoenyx looked solemnly at me.
"You know, you only have the right to bare arms. Not the left." It took me a second, but I got it. I grinned, all traces of awkwardness gone. Now I remembered why I like her: she willingly put herself in awkward situations to make others feel less awkward.
"So, if I kill a bear," I chuckled, "I'd get to keep its right arm. And my own arms, but only the right one can by bare." Phoenyx laughed. I fished my Camp Jupiter tee shirt out of my knapsack and pulled it on. Phoenyx nodded to my guitar.
"You play?" she asked. I nodded, and unzipped the gig bag to bring it out. I sat down next to Phoenyx and plucked a mellow chord progression. Her eyes followed my fingers intently, both fingerpicking and fretting hands alternately. She kept rhythm with her foot tapping against the stone floor in perfect time, and her head bobbed slightly. With a quiet strum, I ended the sequence on a minor chord. Phoenyx looked like she was itching to try.
"You wanna play?" I offered, holding the guitar out to her.
"Thanks," she replied eagerly, and took the instrument from my hands. She frowned slightly, and looked around. "Do you have a capo?" I nodded, and pulled one from the gig bag's pocket. Phoenyx placed the clamp on the second fret and slipped a pick out from the strings on the head of the guitar. The songs started on a minor chord, and shifted to a series of major frettings. The strumming pattern and progression seemed vaguely familiar, maybe from something I might have heard on the radio. Slowly, as the song reached the end, Phoenyx's strumming became quieter, until the music faded out. She shrugged. "That's about my best."
"It's great," I insisted. She raised an eyebrow.
"Not compared to you." It was my turn to shrug, as she handed the guitar back to me.
"I've got the blood of Apollo in me."
Phoenyx laughed. "That would explain why you're so good, but I think it's more than that. Play some more." I took a deep breath and racked my brain for a song. I launched into a melody, a mixture of picking and strumming, while singing along with it.
When the days are cold
And the cards all fold
And the saints we see
Are all made of gold
When your dreams all fail
And the ones we hail
Are the worst of all
And the blood's run stale
I wanna hide the truth I was almost sure that Phoenyx was harmonizing along with it, singing softly.
I wanna shelter you
But with the beast inside
There's nowhere we can hide
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
At the curtain's call
It's the last of all
When the lights fade out
All the sinners crawl
So they dug your grave
And the masquerade
Will come calling out
At the mess you made
Don't wanna let you down
But I am hell bound
Though this is all for you
Don't wanna hide the truth
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
They say it's what you make
I say it's up to fate
It's woven in my soul
I need to let you go
Your eyes, they shine so bright
I wanna save that light
I can't escape this now
Unless you show me how
Here, tears started to slowly roll down Phoenyx's cheeks.
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
She looked at me, her deep eyes full of grief and anguish. That melted ice cream feeling covered me again.
"Hale," she said quietly, and laughed a little, "You've been reading my mind."
"I didn't know, I - I promise -" I said quickly, hoping I hadn't ruined anything. Phoenyx laughed hoarsely again. Carefully, she took the guitar out of my hands and zipped it into the case. She sat down next to me again, on the edge of the bed and looked me in the eyes.
"Son of Trivia, legacy of Hercules, Venus, Apollo, Bacchus, and Neptune, can you keep a secret?"
Hours later, Phoenyx sat with me, shaking as she wept into my shoulder while telling about her brother's death.
"It was supposed to be a harmless prank. To create a small explosion in the toilet when the principle flushed. That was all Nyk and I wanted to do." She struggled to hold herself together. "Somehow, the toilet cleaner reacted to the ingredients the wrong way, and instead of shattering the tank, that whole side of the plumbing system exploded and the building burst into Greek fire. At the same time, it triggered a fit of madness, and - and- Hale, it was-" Phoenyx broke down into sobs again. I slipped my hand into hers and wrapped my other arm around her protectively.
"You don't have to go on if you don't want to," I reminded her. She was silent for a few minutes before sitting up to face me. As she continued, I started to picture what Phoenyx told me in my mind.
The school building was covered in hungry green flames, consuming the walls and everything in them like a vacuum. The ceiling was crumbling, and parts of it crashed to the ground in front of students and teachers alike who surged toward the nearest exit. A maniacal cackle sounded from a nearby hall, over the blaring of fire bells and shouting occupants. Phoenyx raced at an inhuman speed down the hall toward the trapped crowd of frightened mortals. Her eyes shone a bright purple, and a guttural sound escaped her throat as she summoned the dead and sent them at the civilians before screaming triumphantly and running away. An incredibly tall figure dressed in black took enormous strides toward her, coughing repeatedly.
"Phoenyx!" Nykolas rasped, lengthening his steps to catch up to her. She only responded with a bellow of crazed laughter. The tall figure sped up, overtaking her in a split second, and he hit her over the head with a flashlight. Phoenyx crumpled to the ground. The son of Pluto lifted her into his arms and carried her outside of the inflamed building, and darted back into it. His cough was getting harsher and harsher as he advanced into the maze of Green fiery walls, looking side to side. Panicked screams were sounding from behind a closed door, and the lanky teenager dashed toward it and slammed into it. The door didn't budge. He pulled a flip knife from his pocket and opened it. The blade expanded to a four and a half foot long sword, forged of Stygian Iron. With an overhand blow, he struck the lock, and the door flew open. Hordes of wailing children and teachers rushed the door, and knocked the boy over. He stood up and continued his search.
The scene drifted back to Phoenyx, lying on the sidewalk, unconscious. Nykolas, covered in soot, cuts and burns stumbled outside the building, his chest heaving. He collapsed on the ground, his hands barely stopping his face from slamming into concrete. A loud retching noise broke from his mouth, leaving a pile of ash on the ground. He dropped into it, unable to move. Phoenyx bolted awake, gasping. Her frightened and unfocused eyes met Nykolas' limp form, and a strangled cry escaped her.
"Nyk!" she rolled him onto his stomach. His gaze was glassy and distant.
I'm dying, he said dazedly, through the empathy link. I see Mercury coming to take me.
No, Phoenyx pleaded. Nykolas, you can't die! Nyk sent a wave of emotion over the link. Sadness.
Looks like I don't have a choice, Phyx. A pause, then panic. Phoenyx, quickly! Break the link! Remember? If I die, you die too!
I want to die. I can't live without you. I don't want to, she replied, cradling his head in her lap.
Phoenyx, please! Nyk implored. A wordless struggle of minds, until Phoenyx relented. She broke down in sobs and started to let go of her side of the link. Phoenyx described it as losing a part of your awareness. You feel isolated. Nykolas' eyes opened slightly.
"I'll talk to dad," he whispered hoarsely. "Worst comes to worst . . ." a raspy hack interrupted him. "Meet me in Elysium." Phoenyx felt his soul drift away from his body, and Mercury appeared standing next to him, looking solemn.
"I'm sorry, Phoenyx. I truly am. I wish things could have been different . . . but the Fates decide. Not Mercury, god of messengers." Nyk's ghost smiled wanly, and fare-welled with a final salute before journeying to the Underworld for the last time.
The image in my mind faded, and I was left here with Phoenyx Rubidoux, daughter of Pluto, possibly the demigod with the hardest life ever known on this earth. Even after the death of her brother, Phoenyx still had many hardships in her life, past and present. Growing up in the Underworld was by no means easy, and Pluto had pushed her to the limits with training. Phoenyx said he hated her after she destroyed the Rubidoux family, and chopped off half of Nyk's leg(which was replaced by a steel prosthetic that functioned like a real limb). And he was Pluto's favorite.
After Nyk died, Phoenyx was forced onto the streets by the FBI and police force searching for a pyromaniac, which led to more 'acts of terrorism', or plain and simple accidents. Not only was she chased by the country and monsters, the Hunters of Diana were after her, too. Most of the gods disliked her, and want her dead. And now here she was, capture. Imprisoned by her very kind. Crying on my shoulder. I'd always known I'd had an easy life, but this made my worst nightmares seem docile.
"Well, Hale Delgado, son of Trivia," Phoenyx said at last. "Now that you know me, am I the type of person you 'just want to talk' with?" I glanced away and back at her.
"No. I'd rather do much more than just talk with you." She moved closer to me, an unbelieving smile on her lips. My arm wrapped around her shoulders, and she leaned against my chest. Then something happened that I never would have dreamed could. At the same time, both our heads came together and our lips met.
Now that I look back on it, that was a strange place for a first kiss. In a prison cell. But that didn't make it any less magical, or memorable. Now, two years later, I remember it just as fresh in my mind.
Phoenyx and I sat there in each other's arms for another five minutes, until we kissed again. The ice cream on a hot day feeling was overwhelming. In a good way. I was melting from the inside out, and loving every second of it. It was dark outside by the time I left the basement and headed upstairs for dinner. I sat next to Aaron at the Second Cohort's table, but didn't say much. He noticed me picking at my salad and staring off into space. My half brother set down his fork and put his thin hand on my arm.
"Hale," he said, looking me straight in the face, "What's wrong?" A wistful smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.
"Nothing," I replied cheerfully, and took a swig of horchata, a delicious Mexican drink that is my all-time favorite beverage. Aaron shrugged, but didn't look convinced.
"Say what you will." He took a bite of salad and continued talking. "I discovered the spell for making fire dance," he announced.
I grinned unbelievingly. "Really? That's great! So what is it?" I asked enthusiastically. Aaron had been looking for this spell for weeks, just for fun at first, but eventually the impossibility of finding it made him want to know it even more. You can use simple sentences in Latin for magic, but more intricate and elemental magic requires very specific wording. And with this type of magic, get one word wrong or mispronounce in a spell, and you could kill yourself. The best case scenario is you get knocked out.
"Ignis,saltantad voluntatem meam," Aaron said excitedly. I face palmed.
"Really? 'Fire, dance at my will'? It was that simple?"
He laughed. "I know, right? We were looking for something complicated, and I didn't even think of it." I shook my head in disbelief. We ate in silence again, until Aaron had guard duty. He shook his protection amulets to make sure each one was there, and he descended into the basement.
AN: I don't own the song. It's by Imagine Dragons, called Demons.