Home.

(4.5) Percy

Thalia got a gut feeling we weren't even looking in the right direction. Simply put, Harry was no longer in New York. In fact, he wasn't even on the same continent. I would've raced to Europe where he must've gone—in hindsight it made a lot of sense, and I should've guessed it sooner—but Blackjack couldn't handle the trip no matter what he said. Thalia was called back to the hunt, so I sent Blackjack back to camp and returned home.

I now knew where to search—give or take some countries—but the problem was how to get there. Traveling by boat would take too long even if I pushed with all my powers. I couldn't fly or else Zeus would blast me to ashes. But what else could I do?

I would've called Annabeth again, but it was really late at night here, so she would just about be heading to bed in California. She had promised the summer with her Dad. Plus, Bobby and Mathew had warmed up to her and she wanted to build a better relationship. They were good kids. Smart too from what I've been told. Maybe they would've known what to do.

Feeling dejected, I convinced myself to try again in the morning. Some sleep might help clear my head. I didn't want to stop looking, but it would do no good to tire because of lack of sleep tomorrow.

Mom was still awake and fretting when I got back, but Paul and I convinced her to sleep. I took my own advice and went into my bedroom to do the same.

On my dresser I eyed a small photo album Harry had gifted me last year for my birthday. One of the first pictures was him laughing hysterically at the prank I pulled, cheeks turning red in embarrassment and glee. He used to be just this little kid with glasses in a twin-sized bed down the hall from me. Now he was a young man with responsibility no one his age should be given. Granted, he still slept in a twin-sized bed. And wore glasses. And he wasn't that tall. Anyway...

I worried for his future. A happy childhood was halfway ruined for him because of the Dursleys. But his future was open if the irresponsible adults didn't mess it up for him. He should get to do whatever it was he wanted to do. Follow his passions and dreams. But there's little on my part save support him over the summers to make those happen. Our lives are our own to write. That's one of the hardest things people learn to accept. Others may influence the story, maybe make editorial suggestions, but in the end, only the person whose life is being written can publish the pages.

My pages are stained with gold dust. Its words lined with names of people taken by Thanatos that I desperately don't want to forget. But there are also memories of me and my mom in the middle of the night dancing around the kitchen to old 80s hits in the light blue refrigerator light.

Harry's pages have only been revealed to me in the past few summers, but I'm just grateful to be a character in the story of a brave, young man that learned despite the hatred of the world to love and be loved in return. Even though I'm scared for his future, I know the friends he told me about and the surrogate family he has in Europe will prevent his pages from turning into crumpled-up pieces of paper.

Physically and mentally exhausted, I set the album down and finally got ready for bed, immediately asleep once my head hit the pillow. But that night, I got an odd demigod dream. And I had never been more thankful for them.

"-rcy? Percy? Can you hear me?"

The faint voice got stronger as if coming towards me. It made no sense because my surroundings were pitch black, and I didn't feel connected to any corporal body.

I tried projecting my thoughts into the empty space and was mildly surprised when I heard my own voice echoing in the darkness.

"Nico?"

"Hey, Percy. I heard from Thalia you're looking for your English cousin."

"Yeah, Harry's gone missing. Wait, did you find him?" I was trying to look around for my usually brooding demigod cousin but still couldn't see a thing.

"I think so. I accidentally landed in England while shadow traveling to China—I wanted good food, don't ask—and ended up near some place named after otters or something," I could imagine him talking with his hands trying to explain this. "A weird house that definitely should've fallen over was the closest building. I saw someone who looked like Harry through the window. As I was trying to get a closer look, a red-headed man popped out of nowhere and knocked on the door. He was talking with someone on the other side for a minute before being let in."

I mentally groaned. The house sounded like the Burrow and the redhead nearly confirmed my suspicion. I was going to lose it if Harry went to visit his friends without telling anyone first.

"Neeks-"

"Don't call me that."

"-can you get me there?"

I took the beat of silence as him thinking. I wanted to tell him to hurry up because I could feel myself starting to gain consciousness. At the last second his answer came through.

"Tomorrow. Don't tell Will."

I woke up with a start. Relief filled my veins enough to overpower the annoyance I had. Knowing he was safe and with people he trusted was the first thing I cared about. I'd prank him as payback later for making us all worry.

After eating a quick breakfast and telling Mom and Paul what was up, I walked outside the apartment building to wait. Thankfully it wasn't too long before a skinny kid in all black tumbled out of a shadow.

"Nico!" I exclaimed before rushing over to check if he was alright.

He moaned in slight pain from scraping up his hands as he fell. We got a few weird looks from passersby. I imagined they saw Nico fall out of the trash can or something.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he brushed me off.

I gave him a look before handing him a tiny piece of ambrosia. He smiled sheepishly at me as he accepted the food.

"Thanks. Are you ready?"

"No way are we traveling right after you did a jump," I answered. "I won't tell Will because he'd have my ass too, but I'm not going to put your health on the line."

"But what about Harry?"

I sighed. "From what you told me, he's at a friend's. And I'm going there to make sure it's him and that he's ok more than anything. That and yell at him for having Mom and Paul worried sick about the sudden disappearance. And he didn't even contact us after!"

Nico had this wide-eyed expression as he didn't make eye contact. He blew out some air before raising his eyebrows at me.

"Remind me not to run away again," the son of Hades muttered under his breath.

I shot him a glare. "Don't even think about it."

Nico held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. "I wasn't. I promise."

"Good. Mom has breakfast going. Why don't you come in and rest for a bit?"

Knowing I wouldn't budge, he nodded and walked next to me back into a place he too was welcome to call home. Once fully rested and had no chances of fading into a puddle of shadows, we departed for England. Harry Potter, here we come.