Death's Reason

Chapter 27

(Percy- )

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Nico di Angelo wasn't just the son of Hades anymore, or Bianca's little brother. Not for Percy, at least. Not anymore.

Having lived with him in a previous life completely changed their relationship.

He didn't have a lot of memories, not nearly enough, but what Annabeth had told him filled in enough gaps. He felt connected to Nico like he felt connected to Annabeth, different but the same, like their souls shared similar fates but love wasn't the cause.

So no, he wasn't going to let him die like that, no matter what he had done, no matter how he had betrayed them. But he didn't think of it as betrayal. Nico was from the future, after all. He no doubt had his reasons for not telling the camps about each other.

But the rest of the seven didn't know this.

After he told them about his dream, Hazel moved a hand to her mouth with a little gasp of sadness. "Oh gods, the seeds..."

"You know what they are?" Annabeth asked.

Hazel nodded. "They're from my step mother's garden."

"Your step... oh," Percy said. "You mean Persephone."

"The seeds are a last-resort food," Hazel said. Percy could tell she was nervous, because all the silverware on the table was starting to move toward her. It reminded him of how the nearest plants to Nico would die when he got like that. "Only children of Hades can eat them. Nico always kept some in case he got stuck somewhere. But if he's really imprisoned—"

"So this happened the first time," Percy breathed. "Good."

Percy didn't realize what he said until Annabeth elbowed him in the ribs. The shock of pain got his mind working, and then his heart dropped to his stomach. "I mean, he must have thought he could potentially be captured..."

Jason looked at Annabeth. "What did he mean? Has Nico been captured before?"

Annabeth looked like she was trying to swallow a lemon while remaining pissed at whoever gave it to her. "Yeah, he's been captured before. But it has nothing to do with this. He's still going to die if we don't rescue him. That's how the giants are luring us."

"How long can Nico hold out?" Frank asked.

"One seed a day," Hazel said miserably. "That's if he puts himself in a death trance."

"A death trance?" Annabeth scowled. "That doesn't sound fun."

"It keeps him from consuming all his air," Hazel said. "Like hibernation, or a coma. One seed can sustain him one day, barely."

"And he has like five seeds left," Percy said. "That's five days, including today. The giants must have planned it that way, so we'd have to arrive by July first. Assuming Nico is hidden somewhere in Rome—"

"That's not much time," Piper summed up. She put her hand on Hazel's shoulder. "We'll find him. At least we know what the lines of the prophecy mean now. 'Twins snuff out the angel's breath, who holds the key to endless death.' Your brother's last name: di Angelo. Angelo is Italian for 'angel.'"

"Oh, gods," Hazel muttered. "Nico..."

"He knows what he's doing, Hazel," Percy assured her. "Remember what I said? He's gotten into trouble like this before. We'll rescue him. We have to. The prophecy says he holds the key to endless death."

"That's right," Piper said encouragingly. "Hazel, your brother went searching for the Doors of Death in the Underworld, right? He must've found them."