This Dark Night ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase¹

―xiii. naomi tries to reason with the unreasonable

NAOMI DIDN'T ACTUALLY THINK IT WOULD WORK. She'd only ever shadow-traveled into the Underworld after being invited by her mother. According to Nico, his shadow-travel had the same restrictions, and since he was a son of Hades, if either of them could break those rules, it should have been him.

But, for whatever reason, Naomi found herself in her mother's garden on her first try.

A few feet away, she saw Nico digging a hole in one of her mother's flowerbeds. Naomi fought a wince—Persephone wasn't going to be too happy about that.

"What are you doing?"

Nico jumped, a spew of Italian leaving his mouth as he turned, a goblet in his hand. "Porca puttana! Gods, don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Payback," Naomi said, remembering all the times he'd snuck up on her. "Now answer my question—what are you doing?"

"Nothing," he said.

Naomi raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

He huffed a sigh. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm... I'm summoning my mom."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Naomi asked.

"You've gotten a chance to talk to your dad," Nico said. "You're going to stop me from talking to my mom?"

Naomi fought a sigh. He had a point.

She drew Asphodel. "Fine," she said. "I'll keep watch."

Nico looked surprised. "You're... you're not going to stop me?"

This time, Naomi did sigh. "I know what it's like to want to know where you came from," she said quietly. "Who am I to stop you from trying to find out?"

Nico looked down. "Thanks," he said quietly. Then he cleared his throat, and began to pour the goblet of wine in his hand into the hole. He began to chant: "Let the dead taste again. Let them rise and take this offering. Maria di Angelo, show yourself!"

White smoke gathered. A human figure formed, but it wasn't Nico's mother. It was a girl with dark hair, olive skin, and the silvery clothes of a Hunter.

"Bianca," Nico said. "But—"

Don't summon our mother, Nico, she warned. She is the one spirit you are forbidden to see.

"Why?" he demanded. "What's our father hiding?"

Pain, Bianca said. Hatred. A curse that stretches back to the Great Prophecy.

"What do you mean?" Nico said. "I have to know!"

The knowledge will only hurt you. Remember what I said: holding grudges is a fatal flaw for children of Hades.

"I know that," Nico said. "But I'm not the same as I used to be, Bianca. Stop trying to protect me!"

Brother, you don't understand—

Nico swiped his hand through the mist, and Bianca's image dissipated.

"Maria di Angelo," he said again. "Speak to me!"

A different image formed. It was a scene rather than a single ghost. In the mist, Naomi saw Nico and Bianca as little children, playing in the lobby of an elegant hotel, chasing each other around marble columns.

A woman sat on a nearby sofa. She wore a black dress, gloves, and a black veiled hat like a star from an old 1940s movie. She had Bianca's smile and Nico's eyes.

On a chair next to her sat a large oily man in a black pinstripe suit—Hades. He was leaning toward the woman, using his hands as he talked, like he was agitated.