scared? | a nico di angelo fanfic

chapter 33: kronos

The dirt tunnels turned to stone. They wound around and split off and tried to confuse them, but Rachel had no trouble guiding them. They told her they needed to get back to New York and she hardly even paused when the tunnels offered her a choice.

Like damn, such a flex?

Rachel and Annabeth had actually started up a conversation as they walked. Since Rachel was evasive about her background, they started talking about something Hoa knew that Annie loved; architecture. As it turned out, Rachel knew some things from studying art, talking about different facades on New York buildings, so the boys, seemingly uninterested, hung back with Hoa in an uncomfortable silence.

"Thanks for coming after us," Percy finally said.

Nico looked away. "It was all Hoa."

"That's a lie," Hoa said. "He was concerned."

Nico's eyes narrowed—not angrily, but maybe more surreptitiously. "I owed you for the ranch, plus for holding Hoa off in her bloodlust. Plus... I wanted to see Daedalus for myself. In a way, Minos was right. Daedalus should die. Nobody should be able to avoid death for that long. It's not natural."

"That's what you were after all along," Percy said. "Trading Daedalus's spul for your sister's."

Hoa averted her eyes from them as she zoned out from their conversation. Hoa was going to die.

But would Nico care about her enough to revive her? If Daedalus's soul was to be traded, who would Nico pick? Bianca, or Hoa?

She stopped walking for a second, but Nico's eyes flickered to her as he casually grabbed her hand and squeezed it. His conversation with Percy was done and now he was ahead of the two of them.

"Flower," he said, tugging her along. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she muttered.

He gripped her other hand, tugging her slightly closer. His chocolate orbs stared as hers, the look in his eyes tellijg her that he didn't believe her.

"Just know that I'm here for you if you wanna talk about it, okay?"

"Olay," Hoa said, leaning into him slightly.

He visibly panicked, not expecting this whole they were supposed to be moving. "Hey, do you need a break? Want some water? Uh—"

"Everyone stopped already, they're waiting for us. No rush," Hoa muttered.

Nico looked back, and sure enough, the three others were staring at them. They waited patiently as Nico tried to help Hoa.

"Annabeth, do you have water? Hoa's getting tired."

"Uh—I think I do. Hold on."

"It's fine, were in no rush," Percy said as his girlfriend looked for something that Hoa could drink.

Rachel stared down at the dark tunnel. In the dim flashlight beam, her face looked like one pf Nico's specters.

"Is that the way?" Annabeth asked.

"No," Rachel said nervously. "Not at all."

"Why are we stopping, then?" Percy asied.

"Listen," Nico said, clutching Hoa tighter. Hoa had frozen at the sight of tunnel. It didn't seem welcoming and it reminded of her that dream.

The dream of death.

"Eucalyptus trees," Percy said. "Like in California."

Like the quest Biaca died on.

"There's something evil down that tunnel," Rachel said. "Something very powerful."

"And the smell of death," Nico added.