Stories to be Rewritten: Elisabeth's Stories :Book 1 Lavenders and Pomegranates

Chapter 30

It had been a week now. Percy kept delaying Nico's trip to the Underworld, trying to buy the demigods on their Quest time to get what they would need. Finnaly though, Nico won and left to the Underworld in a fit of depression and anger. He had gone without his child for too long, and everything was falling down around him. He now knew the pain that Demeter felt when her daughter was taken from her. He would have search the world for a year as well if not for knowing where she was. 

Getting there wouldn't be the problem though. 

It would be facing his father.

Nico entered into the Kingdom of the Dead as easily as any other place, dressed in a semi-formal way that made him look like he was applying for a job than checking on his daughter. How else would you want to look while meeting death himself? Certainly not like a scrub, that's for sure. He may have gotten away with it as a kid, but as a adult Hades would be more insulted than amused. That, and he didn't want Persephone giving him fashion tips on what leather with what or what shade of black is best with his skin tone. 

He found Hades and Henry talking in the study that had been lit in an eerie glow, the green fires in the fire place seemingly burning brighter when Nico entered the room. "Father, I-"

"Nico!" Hades bellowed, a seemingly out of place smile slipping from his lips as he saw his true son. "What are you doing here?" 

"I could ask him the same question." Nico said, looking at Henry with somewhat of a cold stare. Henry nodded and began to leave, trying not to get close to Nico, but failed when Nico grabbed him by his robs. "Where's my daughter Henry?" Nico growled. 

Henry said nothing, not even looking Nico in the eyes, and it was then that Nico noticed how much the kid had changed. He wasn't smiling care free or having a cheery aura like he used to, he was dark and emotionless. His physical appearance, though befitting of his new... change, was more out of place than Hades' smile. It wasn't even that that got Nico curious, it was that Henry wasn't looking him in the eye. That always meant something happened. 

"What did you do, Henry." 

"Skoteimí Fōriá" Henry winced at the name, Hades tone burning with acid as he kept his glaring gaze on Nico. "leave us be for now. We will continue our studies later." 

"As you wish, Father." Henry said as he bowed respectfully and hurried out of the room. Nico stood there a moment soaking in what he had just heard. 

"Did you just call Henry 'Dark Fire' in Greek?" Hades growled as a response as he sat in a chair, gesturing for Nico to take a seat. 

"This does not concern you, Nico di Angelo." Hades hissed, his eyes glaring black. But the demigod of Hades was unmoved by this attempt to make him uncomfortable. 

"It does when you have my daughter, father." Hades raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow as he leaned back into his seat. 

"And who would that be? Because, last I checked,Thálassa Omorfiá was-"

"Sea Beauty?" Nico interrupted looking a little more annoyed by this. "I'm talking about Elisabeth, you old-"

"Remember," Hades warned. "This is my kingdom, son." He spat the last word like it was a horrible curse, his black eyes swimming with anger. "And as for 'Elisabeth', she is not to leave here." 

"That is impossible." Nico growled, standing. "Me and Percy raised h-" Hades cut him off with a hand. 

"But," Hades growled, his eyes full of anger. "who crafted her?" 

Nico was stunned. "What do you mean?" Hades stood, taller still than his mortal son by only a few inches, a smug sneer on his face. 

"You never thought for a moment that Elisabeth was a normal demigod of Aphrodite, did you?" Hades barked out a laugh, more terrifying than the cry of Pan himself. "Oh, how I wish Bianca had staid alive! She would have known by now!"