Too Late

Chapter 15

~ Nico ~

He grabbed Will's shoulder to stop him but Will pushed him away. Nico stared at him, "Will."

The son of Apollo stopped, "What?"

"It wasn't what it looked like..."

"You think I don't know that? I'm not stupid Nico."

"Then why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you."

"Then why are you acting like this?"

"Because someone else has disappeared!"

All of Nico's thoughts flooded out of his head, "Who?"

"Felix, son of Eros."

"Felix?" Nico said, incredulous.

Will nodded, "Yes. He went in to try and find Esprit, he never came back out... It's been about twenty four hours and Sybil's starting to freak. That's why I was looking for Calynn, she knows how to calm her down."

"You were looking for Calynn?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Nico felt his spirits fall, Will hadn't been looking for him. "What can I do to help?"

"Help?"

"Yup."

"Why would you want to help me?"

"Because I love you, Solace, just because you're being an idiot and making bad choices doesn't change that."

Will stopped, "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"No, you weren't." The smile that Nico loved returned to Will's face, "Well that hasn't changed, has it?"

* * *

He followed Will into the woods, a stupid idea with some logic behind it. After he'd gotten Calynn and she'd been told what had happened, the daughter of Hypnos had suggested that they go in search of Felix and Esprit. In pairs so that if anything happened it would be less likely to happen. Connor and Sybil left in one direction. Cecil and Calynn in the other and Will and Nico had gone straight, which was ironic in it's own way.

The two of them had been searching for about two hours when they stumbled upon the son of Eros, he was walking in circles repeating himself, "The grove is burning, the trees are hurting, the world is changing one hero at a time."

The very same words that Nico had been told before by one of his least favorite goddesses.

Nico picked up the boy and Felix had started to scream, he looked over at Will.

The son of Apollo looked worried, "Burn marks..." he pointed at the ground, "We should get out of here."

"Agreed." Nico passed his sword to Will and tightened his grip on the thrashing demigod, "Let's get you somewhere safe."

As soon as they started to walk away they heard a twig snap behind them, they turned to find two thugs standing there. One squat and platinum blond, the other tall and redheaded. Both wore oversized hoodies and baggy pants. Serpentine tattoo designs covered their necks. They grinned at Nico and Will in such an abnormal way a chill went down his spine.

They had no weapons, only their hands, but that didn't make them look any nicer.

"Put down the boy." The one on the left demanded.

The other one nodded.

"Why?" Will demanded.

The one with the red hair grunted, "Because we said so."

Nico took a step closer to Will, "They're humans. Regular mortals."

Will blinked, "How is that..."

Nico shrugged and put Felix down, "Give me my sword, take Felix and run. I'll meet you at Zeus's fist. I swear."

"You'd better." Will grumbled, handing over the blade.

Nico waited for them to leave before approaching the thugs. "The two of you are confused, you don't understand what's going on. So I'll clear things up for you." He smiled while reaching out his senses, summoning from the depths of his soul. He heard the sound of the earth splitting and out crawled his skeleton chauffeur, "Jewls, could you take these two gentlemen back home?" The skeleton grinned and took a step forward. That was all it took.

All it took to send two grown men running.

"Once they get home, you may go." Nico said, dismissing his deadly friend. The zombie disappeared as Nico focused on where he wanted to go and stepped into the shadows

* * *

Nico looked down at the kid in his arms, "Hey Will."

"Yeah?" Will looked over.

"I think he's coming to."

They both stopped and Nico set the son of Eros on the ground. Felix lay in a ball for a few minutes then began to sit up, he looked around and registered his surroundings. "She's gone."

"What?" Will asked.

Felix's eyes grew wide, "Only a pile of ashes."

"Felix, what are you talking about?"

"They burned her."

Will looked up at Nico, "Esprit?" He asked. Nico nodded, he didn't want to believe it, but he did.

"She's gone." Felix murmured, then he burst into tears.

* * *

The three of them sat there, on Zeus's fist, for a while. Long enough that when they heard the leaves rustling they didn't have a reaction. Only to keep patting the son of Eros on his head and back and to tell him that he would be fine.

The first person to find them was Cecil, he ran up and started to talk to Will as Nico attempted to comfort the crying half blood. Next was Calynn, who, as soon as she saw Felix in tears, was by his side, holding him as if he were her own. Then it was Sybil and Connor, who both looked upset but Sybil looked as if she had been crying. She held her brother to her chest and hugged him fiercely, "I hate you so much Felix. Don't you dare do anything like that again."

Calynn came over to Nico and Will and hugged them both, "Thanks."

Will smiled, "Anytime."

Calynn looked at the both of them standing next to each other, "And I hope the two of you are over your stupid little spat, because in all honestly, you guys make a good couple."

Nico glared at her, "You take that back."

"What?"

"Good couple? Really?" Will asked.

"I think you meant great." Nico finished, "We're a great couple."

three chapter in one night?!? i'm living on the edge!!!!!!!!!!!!