Visions of Eternity

Chapter Six

Percy's POV

I yanked my arm from Jason's grip, glaring at him as I ran to Nico's side, dropping to my knees and holding his hand tightly in mine.

"Percy," he moaned again, his face paling.

"Shh, stop talking." I soothed, brushing his hair out of his face and placing a soft kiss on his forehead. "It'll pass soon, just wait it out. You'll heal."

His hand gripped mine as Jason came up beside us. He kneeled down by Nico's side hesitantly, and I could see the guilt on his face.

"What did you lace that dagger with?" I asked. Nico wasn't healing normally.

"Salt." Jason said quietly, looking over Nico's face.

I gritted my teeth and looked back to Nico. Another moan of pain passed his lips as he arched his back, my hand almost being crushed by his iron grip.

"Nico, relax, it's okay." I tried as best I could to get him to loosen up and let the healing process take over. He wasn't having any of it.

"Tell Bianca I loved her." He groaned as he threw his head back and gasped, locking his jaw and flexing his knuckles, temporarily giving me some relief. "And Hazel. And Thanatos. And Mom and Dad-"

I nodded softly. "Okay, but you can tell them yourself. You're not gonna die. It's just...just a little bit of salt. You'll be fine."

"How can you do that?" Jason interjected.

I looked over to him with confusion. He looked back at me with the same look.

"Do what?" I asked.

"Talk to him like that, when you know what he is. What you're risking."

I shrugged. "He's not bad, Jason. How many times do I have to say it? He's a good person. Well, demon. Actually- no, just...whatever. He's good. And he's my friend."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes, turning back to Nico, only to see his head lolling to the side and more blood trickling out of the side of his mouth.

I began to panic. "Nico?"

No response.

I shook his shoulder slightly and rested my head on his chest. He still had a faint heartbeat. Why was it faint? Why wasn't he healing? He's immortal!

"Jason, what was on that dagger?" I asked in a panicky tone.

"Just salt!" Jason replied, his eyebrows scrunching together as he scanned over the dagger again. "Yeah, definitely just salt."

"Then why isn't he healing?" I demanded, holding his head in my hands. "Nico, wake up!"

"Calm down, Perseus." Jason put his hand on my shoulder. "He...He probably just- okay, no, take his shirt off."

"Why the heck would I- what?" I asked in confusion. Take his shirt off? To do- oh. Right.

I complied and pulled Nico upwards, into a sitting position, sliding his jacket off with shaking hands and pulling his shirt up and over his head.

Jason's jaw went slack. "Where's...where's the...?"

"Horns? Red skin? Devil's Tail? He doesn't have them. None of them do, apparently. They're like us." I defended, suddenly feeling very protective over the race I was raised to hate. Talk about character development.

Jason nodded slowly, regaining his composure. "Right, right."

I ran my hands along Nico's back, feeling around for where Jason slashed. I felt my fingers touch something warm and sticky; blood. For one fleeting moment, I debated on using the healing powers that came with being an angel. But then I decided against it, as maybe his body would reject it because he's a demon.

I bunched up Nico's shirt and held it to the wound. Jason's face looked ashen. Good, so it should.

"Is he going to be okay?" Jason asked in a small voice.

I didn't look up as I responded, too focused on keeping Nico awake. "Of course. He can't die. He's immortal. He can't just...he can't-"

"Get away from my brother, you fuckers!" A girl's voice demanded, getting louder as she seemingly came closer. I didn't recognise her voice at all. Did she just appear out of thin air or something? This beach is deserted! I don't even think the humans have found it on the map yet!

An angry looking girl with long, dark hair and olive skin stormed up to us. I gulped nervously. This had to be Bianca? There's no way she's mortal, she looks exactly like a female version of Nico. So was she a demon? Because from my angle, it looked like she held the fires of hell itself inside her eyes.

"Who the fuck are- Oh, no way." The girl gasped, covering her mouth. "Are you Percy?"

"Uh, yeah." I answered wearily. "I'm guessing you're Bianca?"

"That's right." Bianca said softly as she knelt beside Nico's head, stroking his hair gently. "What happened to him?"

"He was.." I looked over to Jason to see him looking stricken, as if he was going to pass out at any minute. I took pity. "Uh, we were attacked. I didn't recognise any of them. He was stabbed, uh, and I think it had salt laced along the blade. You guys don't like salt, right?"

"Right. And you got out without a scratch?" Bianca raised an eyebrow as she looked over to Jason with narrowed eyes.

"He pushed me behind him before I could interfere." I replied softly.

Bianca nodded, albeit a little suspiciously, and pushed Nico further into my arms. She placed her hand over mine, where his wound was. My palms tingled. She began reciting some kind of incantation, and I decided I liked her. She was gentle, melodic even.

Bianca whistled as she rocked back onto her heels. "Damn, whoever got him got him good. Hit him right in the spine."

I cringed inwardly. "Will he be okay?"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, 'course he will. He's a big boy."

Nico began to stir in my arms. I prayed he didn't know what happened. His eyes began to open slowly, staring up into mine with so much vulnerability it was shocking.

"Percy?" He tried to speak, but a dribble of blood leaked from his mouth and he was coughing again.

Bianca snickered. "Big boy that still drools."

"I'm here," I said gently, smiling at Bianca's remark.

"Are you okay?" Nico winced slightly and arched his back. I moved my arms to around his shoulder blades, cradling him carefully.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied smoothly. "It's you I'm worried about. Are you okay?"

"Just...I'm okay...I just gotta...uh," He passed out, his head falling onto my chest and his eyes fluttering shut.

I looked over to Bianca helplessly. She simply shrugged and smiled.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I whisper yelled. "I can't exactly take him home and fix him up there-"

"Relax," Bianca chuckled, dusting the sand from out of her lap. "I'll take him back, you wouldn't want him when he wakes up anyway. Bed head, angry muttering, five hundred cups of the stuff that those humans like, coffee, is it?"

I nodded slowly. "He's the tallest one here beside Jason. Will you be able to carry him?"

"Sure, I'll shadow travel us and drain him. Knock him out a few extra hours."

"Okay," I smiled lightly, feeling slightly unwilling to let go of Nico just yet, "it was nice meeting you."

"Oh, you too." Bianca smiled back in a way that told me she knew something I didn't.