The Child of Hecate

Chapter One༊*·˚

༻♡༺

NICO

"No!" Kayla yelled, throwing her cards down. "This game is so ridiculous! What did you say it was called, Austin?" Her brother snickered and pointed at the box. "Monopoly." My boyfriend laughed and leaned back on his hands behind him. The setting sun poured in from the open windows of Apollo cabin, casting an orange ray of light into the room. I was used to spending all my time with Will and his siblings. I found it kinda silly I'd been scared to talk to them.

"Well this monocle freak needs to stop staring at me judgingly and you need to stop taking my property!" Austin groaned and stood up. "That's how you play the stupid game! Nico, Will, if you'll exuse me, I need to scream into my pillow outside." He grabbed a pillow on his bed and marched out the door. It was hard to keep a straight face while watching a dude run outside with an angry pout holding his musical notes pillow. Will and I began cleaning off the board while Kayla complained Austin had cheated and wanted her in jail.

Just then, Chiron came walking up to the door, lowering his head so we could see each other cause, you know, having a horse body and all. "Hello, children. Two questions: 1) why did your brother run away screaming into his musical notes pillow?" Kayla stood and ploped right back down on her bed. "Beacuse he can't stand it when someone calls him out." Our camp activities director gave me and Will a quizzical look.
Will waved it off. "Don't ask." Chrion nodded slowly, then turned his attention to me. "Second, my I see you for a moment in the Big House?"

Normally, I'd drag Will along with me, but Chiron strictly asked for me and said I'll be back in a minute. Will gave me hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled as I was led out of the cabin by the centuar. I did my best to walk beside him because I did not want to get kicked by his hindquarters, but he was moving with so much purpose it was hard not to fall behind. We reached the Big House where he walked into his office and asked me to shut the door behind him. I don't think I've never been in this room before.

Chrion gestured me to sit and compacted his lower half into his wheelchair. Honestly, I still didn't understand that, but I can summon dead people. Physics isn't the most messed up thing about my life. I sat in one of the cushioned oak chairs and waited for the centuar to speak. He rummaged through his desk drawers for so long, I started to picking at my nails as my heart drummed against my ribcage. Was I in trouble?
It's not possible, a part of me thought, you haven't done anything wrong! But the more rational part of me was like, of course you did something. You're whole life is one big mistake, how could you not make another? Before I could decide whether to sit or make a break for it, Chiron pulled out a paper folder, gently placed it on the table, and smiled at me.

"You're in no trouble, Mr. di Angelo," he said, "I'm just hear to ask you a few things." I should've felt relieved, but it sort of annoyed me that he could practically read my thoughts. I nodded. "Ask away." Chiron smiled and pushed the file toward me. I saw the name on the little tab on the side and gave him a quizzical look. "Kairos Ashwood? Who's that-"
"I was hoping to ask you that, Nico." The centuar looked a little defeated, but he kept his expression kind. "She is a child of Hecate. She's gone missing and nobody has been able to remember her, much less have a lead on her whereabouts."

I didn't like this already. The last time something like this happened, I had lost Percy for six months only to find him across the country without any memory. Except this time, the amnesia seemed to be with the peers than the person missing. I couldn't figure which would be worse.