Percy Jackson's Twin Sister

Sword of Hades: 4

We walked fir what felt like an eternity. Three more petals withered off the carnation. The flower pointed towards a range of jagged grey hills.

"Nice day for a stroll," says Thalia, "The hunters are probably feasting in some forest glade right now."

"I was suppose to be home right now," I say, "And have a good Christmas."

"Mom is probably pacing right now wondering when we'll come home," Percy says.

I nod in agreement. Nico doesn't share what he was suppose to doing, which if I had to guess though it was moping in some graveyard.

"So who is this Melinoe?" I ask trying to take my mind off of home.

"Long story," Nico says, "Long, very scary story."

I was about to ask more when Thalia crouches down, "weapons!"

I draw Tidal Wave. Percy and Nico drew their swords and Thalia knocks her bow. We all stand back to back .

"What is it?" Percy asks.

Her eyes widen. A dozen daimones materialized around us. They were part human and part bat. They were pug nosed and fury, with fangs and bulging eyes.

"Keres," Nico says.

"What?" Asks my brother.

"Battle field spirits. They feed on violent death," says Nico.

"Oh wonderful," Thalia says.

"Get back!" Orders Nico, "I'm the child of Hades. I command you!"

The Keres hiss, "Soon hades will be defeated," one of the snarl, "our new master will gives us full range."

Nick blinked, "New master?"

The lead daimon lunges at Nico. He was so surprised it might have slashed Nico to bits if Thalia hadn't shot it in the face and it disintegrated.

The rest charge. Thalia drops her bows and draws her knives. I slice a daimon that lunged at Thalia. I slice through four or five of them but more keep coming.

"Iapetus shall crush you!" One shouted.

"Who?" My brother asks before killing her with his sword.

I guess he didn't want to know the answer.

We keep fighting. I see one slice my brother in the shoulder. I slice the few around him and check the scar while Thalia and Nico finish off the lot.

"Hold still, you'll be fine," I say. My voice wavers. I looking at his shoulder.

He was still in his school uniform so the daimon had no problem cutting into him.

Nico leans down and touches the wound. My brother yelps in pain.

"Nectar," Nico says, "I'm pouring nectar on it."

Nico uncorks the bottle and trickles it across Percy's shoulder. Percy leans on my side. He had passed out. Thalia force feeds him some ambrosia.

I bandage his shoulder to stop the bleeding. A few minutes later his eyes flutter open.

"The Keres?" He asks dazed.

"Gone for now," Nico says.

"You had me worried for a second, perc," I say hugging him but avoiding his bad shoulder.

Nico comes next to us. Only five petals clung to the flower.

"The Keres will be back," Nico says, "That wound... the Keres are spirits of disease and pestilence as well as violence. We can slow down the infection , but eventually you'll need serious healing. Like god healing. Otherwise..."

He didn't finish that thought.

"I'll be fine," Percy says trying to stand up.

He immediately sits back down.

"Slow," I say, "You need to rest before you can move."

"There's no time, Pheebs," Percy says, "one of the daimon mentioned Iapetus. That's a titan right?"

Thalia nods, "The brother if Kronos and father of atlas. He was known as the titan of the west. His name means the piercer because.... I guess it obvious. He was cast into Tartarus along with his brothers. He's suppose to still be down there."

"But if the sword can unlock death?"Percy asks.

"Then maybe," Nico says, "it can also summon the damned out of Tartarus. We can't let them try."

"We still don't know who them is," I say.

"Probably Ethan Nakamura. And he's trying to recruit some if hades minions to Kronos's side," Percy says.

"It will t be hard. Underworld spirits are restless," says Nico, " my dad tries to rein them in and keep balance but if Kronos appoints one of his brothers to be the lord of the underworld then the underworld will get a lot worse. Keres and melinoe will like that. "

"You still haven't told us who melinoe is," I say.

Nico chews his lip, "She the goddess of ghosts. She's one of my fathers servants. She oversees the restless dead that walk the earth. Every night she rises from the h set works to terrify mortals."

"She has her own path up to the underworld," Percy asks.

Nico nodded, "I doubt it is blocked off. Normally no one would go in her cave but if the demigod could strike a deal with her-"

"He could get back to the world," says Thalia, "and bring the sword to Kronos."

"Who would use it to raise his brothers from Tartarus and we'd be in big trouble," I say.

Percy struggles to his feet. I stand up. He wobbles a little and almost falls over but I catch him. Him leans onto my shoulder and j help him stand.

"Percy," Thalia says, "you're in no condition."

"I have to be," says Percy, "Give me the potted plant. We have to find that cave."