Nico's Return

Fear and Punishment

Reyna's P.O.V.

I whip my head around to the source of the voice among the chaos. My gaze finally lands on Lord Hades himself. My eyes narrow, in fear and suspicion. Nearly everyone has realized that we have a god among us and has stopped.

Nico takes this opportunity to grab the nearest person and stab them with his dagger. I scream, tears rushing from my eyes as Addy's body hits the floor. I hear Thalia and Hazel cry out too as I continue to stare at the little body lying dead on the floor. I fall down too and start to crawl over to her little body. I gently set her head in my lap and strike her pretty blonde hair. Her gray eyes still open in fear, a single tear still in her eyes. 

 Lord Hades walks toward Nico and stops in front of him. Nico's smug grin drops from his face, he looks nervous and begins shifting uncomfortably on his feet. He tries not to meet Hades' eyes. 

"Look at me," Hades demands. 

Nico lifts his head, new determination in his eyes. They stare at each other for a while, then, the unthinkable happens. 

Hades P.O.V. 

I stare at the person in front of me, contempt dancing in my eyes. I reach up to touch his face, while the other hand reaches for Nico's Stygian Iron sword I have concealed behind me. I bring it out and quickly thrust it into his chest, twisting for good measure.

"You are not my son. You can not fool me Achlys," I whisper. 

I pull the sword from the chest of the goddess of misery, the mist concealing her true form disappears leaving a weak body, crumbling into dust and returning to Tartarus. I quickly walk over to Adeline and gently pry her from Reyna's arms. I still feel a life force within her, weak, but there. I look at Reyna and nod, trying to convey that she will be okay. I carry Addy into the shadows, soon appearing in my throne room once again. I set Addy down on the table after pushing everything off it. 

"Get the pomegranate seeds Persephone!" I call out urgently.

I quickly hear the pounding of feet and see Persephone burst through the doors with a pomegranate, I quickly grab it and rip it open. I hope the seeds will work on Adeline, I have blessed her.  I coax one into her throat and soon I feel her breathing begin again. I sigh with relief, and gently push the hair from her face. I hear another set of feet coming and look up to see my son rush in. He looks at Adeline in horror, and rushes to her. 

"Addy, oh my gods, what happened," he asks.

"Achlys," I say grimly. 

His face turns dark at my words, but he nods, understanding. He picks up Addy and carries her into the room we have prepared for her. He sets her down on the bed carefully. I watch his pull up a chair and sit, watching over the unconscious child. 

Nico's P.O.V.

I have been sitting and watching Addy for hours, hoping she wakes up soon. I see her eyes flutter open, and I grin. I grab her hand and she turns to me. A look of pure fear crosses her face and she pulls away and begins screaming for Reyna. I call for my father, and he rushes in and sees Addy wailing. 

"I don't know what to do, she seems so scared of me," I tell him.

He walks over to Addy and mutters calming words to her and she quiets down, but pulls away from me farther. I take a step toward and she starts to cry again. I leave her room and wait for my father to leave. When he steps out, I glare at him.

"What happened?" I question angrily. 

"You killed her," he states simply.

"That's impossible!" I shout.

"Well, Achlys killed her. Tried to at least, but Achlys was using the mist to appear as you to conceal her in their ranks while she was preparing to kill everyone, and I mean everyone, in camp. She was trying to trick them all, she killed Zoe, and pretended that it was necessary to save everyone else but she just wanted everyone to lower their guard further. She was going to murder everyone," he states.

"What?" I mumble, "I-I have to go."

I run away from my farther, away from the castle. I begin wandering the fields of punishment. I am walking for what seems like hours, until a familiar voice calls out to me. I turn around and see a man suspended by chains over what looks like a piece of the sun itself. Above him, a rock is slowly lowering onto him, pushing him into the ball of fire. 

"Hello Nico," says Will Solace.