The Boy in the Shadows

Shelter From the Storm

Nico knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Of course it would, because the Fates seemed to have it out for him. It was as if they were trying to test how much misery a demigod could handle. It started out small.He woke up with a slight headache, but he wrote it off as just dehydration or something. That problem was solved very quickly, because it promptly started pouring. Nico sighed. He took shelter underneath a gazebo in Central Park. He normally tried to avoid Central Park because of all the people and monsters who liked to hang around there, but with the rain he figured it was a safe bet. He was wrong.

He wasn't there for even fifteen minutes before the empousa showed up. She looked like a normal teenage girl at first. She had black hair pulled back in a ponytail and, despite the cold weather, she wore black leggings and a green tank top. She stared at her phone while walking,snapping a piece of bubble gum. Nico wasn't sure who she was trying to fool. He was the only one there.

The thought of having to fight a monster right now made him want to cry. His headache had escalated to a splitting migraine. He was so congested he could barely breathe. He hovered his hand over his Stygian Iron sword and stared at the empousa. Maybe if he intimidated her enough, she would go away and let him suffer in peace. It didn't work. The empousa kept walking until she was about ten feet away from him.

"Hello, Nico di Angelo."

Her voice was sickly sweet. She never looked up from her phone, but Nico felt she could somehow see him anyway.

"I've heard great things about you, son of Hades." Nico clutched his blade.

"Things like what?" he spat. The empousa snapped her gum.

"I know you are very powerful. I know you would be a great asset to Kronos. And I know that you are in no condition to fight."

Nico gripped his sword so hard the handle imprinted on his palm. He knew she was right, but there was no way he was joining Luke.

"I'll fight you if I need to." He meant it to sound threatening, but the empousa obviously wasn't perturbed, because she advanced until she was right in front of him. She looked up from her phone for the first time and Nico saw her eyes. They were green like the ocean.

"Come join me. We can have lots of fun together." She reached out and touched his arm. Nico jerked back his arm and raised his blade.

"Don't touch me. I'm not going anywhere with you." The empousa raised an eyebrow, as if she was expecting something different to happen. Nico ran through an empousa's power set from Myth-o-magic in his mind. They could manipulate the Mist, they could charmspeak, they could drain emotions, and.......oh. They could make men fall in love with them to control them. She couldn't get him to fall in love with her. She would know. She knew. Oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods she knew.

Nico's head pounded with this added information. The empousa licked her lips.

"If you don't join us, maybe you'll make a nice snack." Then she lunged. Nico fell backwards. The Mist wavered around her and he saw her true form. Her black hair morphed into flames dancing across her scalp. Underneath her leggings was a metal leg and a donkey hoof. Her eyes blazed red and her it girl fingernails turned into claws. Nico staggered to his feet and drew his sword. His vision swam and his head felt like it was going to explode. He knew he couldn't hold her off for long, but he had to try. She ran at him, slicing with her claws. He ducked out of the way and pushed her with the flat edge of his sword, but she managed to get him near the top of his forehead. Blood trickled down his face and stained his vision red. She shoved him hard and he staggered back, barely catching himself from falling off the gazebo. The empousa bared her teeth.