The Boy of Shadows and Sin

Chapter 1

Nico took one last look around cabin 13 in irritation. No matter how long he stayed there—if he was staying—he would have never been able to get over the interior design of the place. The Greek Fire on the walls threw strange, coloured shadows on the walls and across the coffin-shapes beds. Yes, he designed and helped build the cabin itself, but left the interior to someone else—Malcom, from the Athena cabin. If he ever came back, he'd give that kid a good smack upside the head with his Stygian Iron sword, no matter how much older "that kid" was.

Besides, he was much older than Malcom, technically. About 60 years older, give or take. Much older than most demigods lived. Bianca hadn't been lucky enough to survive this long.

Nico's lip curled with disgust. What would his sister have thought of this place, if she didn't join Artemis in the hunt? She would have laughed, he knew, and made the place look better. Maybe she would have gone down to the camp store and bought some fabric, and replaced the drapes with something more colourful. Put up posters of Bob Marley and hang her green cap on the bedpost, and maybe start reading one of those classics. When they left Westover Hall, she had been reading Dracula, he could recall.

I love reading, she had told him once. I can get away from here when I'm reading. I can be standing in Romania, or training in Avalon with Vivienne, or with Mr. Darcy and not have to worry about Dr. Thorn storming in and bouncing quarters off the bedsheets.

Isn't it hard, though? Nico had asked her, and she laughed.

Yes, she had told him, but it's OK, because I love it. He had never been able to understand how a 900 page novel could hold her attention when it took her six months to read it.

Nico shook his head and fiddled with the skull ring on his hand, trying to clear away the deep sorrow that always came with thinking about his sister. There was no use in thinking about what might have been. It never could be.

The door slammed open with a bang and he jumped. In less than a second his sword was in his hand and he was facing the door.

Fortunately and unfortunately, it was only Will Solace, not a monster to kill. Unfortunate, because Nico was in the perfect mood to beat the living daylights out of something right now; fortunate because...well, he couldn't really think of anything fortunate about the situation. However, his stomach did a complex series of back handsprings and somersaults when he saw Will's face. The other boy's tanned features were twisted with pure, unadulterated rage that didn't quite match his surfer-dude persona.

"What in Tartarus is going on here?" Will demanded. "You're leaving? Three months means absolutely nothing to you?! Zip. Zero. Nada?"

"Yep." Ignoring the feeling of his heart climbing up into his throat, Nico pushed past the son of Apollo and stormed out into the night.

"I cannot believe you!" the other boy exclaimed, and Nico spun around.

"Really, Will? What is it you can't believe? Please, explain to me that," he growled.

Will took a step back, surprised, and Nico took the opportunity and ran with it, dashing into the woods. He could hear footsteps behind him, and he ran towards Zeus' Fist. Just as he hit the shadows, a hand landed on his shoulder, and then he disappeared into the dark.

When Nico opened his eyes, he was standing on a deserted beach. Deserted except for one person.

He jerked his shoulder away from Will's hand. It was strange, to be touched. He felt almost like the skin there would bruise, turn a deep plum, because it had been so long since he had any kind of human contact.

Will met his glare with one of his own, filled with the fire of the sun. Nico wouldn't have doubted it if someone told him he had holes burned into his aviator jacket from Will's stare.

"I fail to see your goal in following me here," Nico stated cooly. "You succeeded in getting yourself hundreds of miles from Camp with no way to get back." He turned around and started to walk back, but his legs felt like jelly and he stumbled and swerved. No, he thought, I am the son of Hades. I have travelled around the world. I have been through Tartarus. I will not be brought down by a single shadow jump. Unfortunately, his legs didn't get the memo, nor did the rest of his body.

Will was there, and he managed to catch Nico before he hit the ground. He looked into the boy's sea-blue eyes.

"What did I tell you, Death Breath?" Will scolded gently. "None of this undead dark magic."

"You told me that three months ago," Nico grumbled, and tried to get to his feet. He managed to stay standing, but had to rely on Will for support.

"Yes, well apparently three months wasn't enough. What have you been doing?"

"Resting. Doctor's orders, wasn't it?" Nico muttered rather bitterly in an attempt to cover up the lie.

Will raised a sharp eyebrow. "That's a load of Agean manure. You've been training, haven't you." It wasn't a question, it was a fact, and one that Nico couldn't deny. "You have! What have you been doing?"

Nico felt a bit light-headed, and he didn't think it was just from the shadow travel. "Yeah," he growled, pulling away, "because I knew I would be leaving."

Will looked like Nico had stabbed him. "You...How long were you planning this for?!"

The son of Hades was almost glad for what happened next, because it saved him from answering. "Get down!" he shouted.

Will didn't move. "That's not a valid answer," he insisted.

"No, I mean get down!" Nico tacked Will into the sand just in time to avoid a volley of spikes flying through the air. He stood up and unsheathed his sword, standing in front of the medic. Will might have been a protective guy, but he was no use on the battlefield.

A deep, throaty chuckle surrounded them, coming from the rainforest at the edge of the beach. "You've grown stronger since I saw you last, Son of Hades," a gravelly voice boomed.

A grey beast emerged from the trees.

"You decided you want to die again?" Nico laughed, putting on a show of bravado he wasn't feeling in his weak state. "I suppose I should consider it a compliment you decided that I'm now a worth opponent, Dr. Thorn."