Out of Nowhere

Chapter 8

I stand, again, sweating in training with Percy. Dang he's tough.

"Again." He instructs after pulling his sword away from my neck for the millionth time. I begrudgingly start the stabbing and slicing again, but my heart isn't in it. My mind drifts to Nico.

The day after my first lesson with him he had gone to talk with Valca. He had waved from a distance and sunk into the shadows. Two weeks had gone by with no contact from Nico, and no trouble from monsters or anything else. I had trained every day, beat everyone. Except Percy. I really want to beat him, but am pulled out of my thoughts by his sword at my neck once again.

"Ames! Pay attention! You want to beat me, don't you? I'm not letting you go anywhere until I'm confident that you're ready to face monsters. Think about Nico! Think about Hades! Zeus! What have they done for you? Nothing! I-" he's cut off by my sword clanging against his. He was trying to make me mad, and I let him. I'm going to beat him this time.

The real fight begins. I've fought with him every day for two weeks. I've got his style memorized, but me, the newbie, is still unpredictable. This thought puts a grin on my face.

Word spreads around camp quickly that Poseidon's kids are in a heated spar. Soon the whole camp is gathered around to watch. All I can focus on is Percy's next move.

I'm basically predicting his every move and he soon seems to realize that. My body gravitates to my element, so soon we're fighting on the dock. My grin spreads, water strengthening me, but I know it does the same for Percy, but he hasn't been swimming his whole life.

"Percy." I say, barely out of breath.

"Yeah?" He replies, perhaps a little more worn, but still blocking me well.

"I'm the best swordsman now." His eyes widen in realization, not knowing what will come next, but fully fearing it. In a split second, he's on his back on the dock in the setting sun, my gleaming bronze sword at his neck.

The crowd that had gathered stands in stunned silence for a second, but then erupts into cheers.

"Nice job, swordsman." I whip around to find Nico calmly standing on the dock.

"Oh my gods." I exclaim. I wrap him in a hug, sword still in my hand. "Can't breath." He gasps. In regular circumstances I would laugh, but I remember that I'm supposed to be mad. A whole new emotion takes over.

I slap him, hard, across his pale, handsome face. It leaves a red hand print, and his face in a grimace. "Don't you ever leave for TWO WEEKS WITH NO CONTACT, NO EXPLINATION, NO NOTHING. YOU JUST LEFT ME HERE WONDERING WHAT IN THE WORLD YOU WERE DOING. YOU COULD HAVE DIED I WOULD NEVER HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO SAY-" I stop myself, shocked at what I almost yelled in front of the whole camp.

"What?" He whispers, flinching back, afraid I'll slap him again.

Come on Ames, just say it. No. Yes. Never.

I'm in love with Nico di Angelo.

I stomp my foot in frustration causing the water to hit the docks a little harder. "Aphrodite, get out of my head!" I mumble.

I grab Nico's arm and pull him into the water. He panics at first, but I form an air bubble around us. We settle at the bottom of the lake and I sigh.

All the fish swim away because of Nico, but I don't care like I usually would. "I'm sorry. I should have explained why I left. I should have-" I cut him off.

"It's ok." I pause, deciding what to say. "After you left, I didn't know what to do, so I just trained. I didn't want to talk to Valca because I might get mad at her. I barely talked to anyone, you can ask Annabeth. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with myself. I think I just found out though." I pause as he start to realize what I mean.

His eyes widen, "Ames. It's-" I sigh, preparing for rejection. "I know. Aphrodite is just messing with me. You're a son of Hades, I get it." I say, ready to pop the bubble.

I feel his cold fingers on my chin, turning my face toward him. I stare into his dark eyes, falling in love all over again with the boy I was trying to distance myself from.

"Aphrodite isn't messing with you. I feel the same way." He says, letting out a sigh after. We both grin.

I tackle him in a bear hug. "I knew I could trust you, Nico di Angelo." I whisper into his chest.

"I knew I could rely on you, Amelia King." He replies through my hair.