Too Late

Chapter 40

~ Nico ~

Nico started at the ceiling, he couldn't sleep. His thoughts bounced back and forth. Then he sighed, got up, got dressed, grabbed his sword and stepped into the shadows.

He found himself at the foot of his father's thrown. Hades sat there, his black robes seemed to ripple, without moving. He gestured to the throne next to him, which was being polished by a ghostly spirit.
Nico nelt, "Father."

The lord of the underworld looked down at his son, "It's been a while." He said simply.

Nico nodded, the last time he had been face to face with his dad had been when they had shared what might have been a tender moment, except for the fact that Hades had been trying to fend off Pluto while maintaining a conversation with his son.

Suddenly Hades stood, with a look and wave of his hand the ghost cleaning the throne of persephone was dismissed. The king of the underworld stood before Nico, "Did that Will boy do something?" Hades demanded.

"W-what!?" Nico spluttered.

"That, son of Apollo. Will..." Hades scowled, as if trying to remember.

"Solace." Nico volunteered. "And no he didn't do anything."

"Good." Hades muttered.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, it'd just be a shame if I had to blast him in to bits because he broke my sons heart."

"Dad!"

Hades didn't smile, but his dark eyes twinkled in a way Nico had never seen before. "Well, what brings you here?" Hades said, "Surely you didn't just stop by just to say hello."

Nico was tempted to say yes, just to seek the look of surprise that would cross his father's face, but he stuck to the truth. "I'm looking for someone."

"Nico," Hades began. But Nico raised a hand to stop him, "I just want to know if they're dead."

"Who?"

"Shelby Lancaster. They would have died around the time of the titan war, most likely in the battle of the labyrinth."

Hades reached into his robes and pulled out a tablet, he unlocked it and then handed it to Nico.

"Soul search?" Nico asked sceptically, looking down at the tablet.

Hades sighed, "It wasn't my idea, believe me. But you can just put in the information and it'll narrow down the results for you."

Nico grinned, "Cool."

* * *

"Is there another time I could stop by, we still need to redecorate my room."

A ghost of a smile crossed Hades face, "I'll let you know when I pick up some monk skulls."

Nico laughed, the sound seemed to shock the underworld. This was the land of the dead, it was no place of joy or laughter.

* * *

"Calynn, can we talk?"

The girl turned, "Of course, what's up?"

"It's Will, he keeps having these dreams."

Calynn sat down outside her cabin and patted the ground next to her, "That sounds normal enough."

Nico sat down and faced her, "But they're all from his point of view like they're memories, but they aren't actually his. But he's seeing them all from the same persons perspective."

"Interesting." Calynn drummed her fingers in the dirt, "Do you know whose memories they are?"

"I think so, Shelby Lancaster."

The daughter of Hypnos nodded, "It could be that he hasn't made peace with their ghost. But you'd be better at helping him with that."

"It isn't that." Nico said softly, "I checked... Shelby isn't in the underworld."

Calynn raised an eyebrow, "They aren't?"

"Not that I know of."

i know it's been a while, but it hasn't been more than a week so i consider that a personal triumph