How Did I Fall for Nico di Angelo

CHAPTER 17: JOSH

She's gone.

Kidnapped.

Most likely dead.

Nico was muttering things to himself, saying that he could've done something to save her. Yet we all knew that we couldn't. As the prophecy said, she had to give something up. The Fates are cruel, using her as a sacrifice. For what, though?

"Why did we even come here?" Thetis asked as if she was reading my mind. "Did we just come here for Amber to be taken?! I mean, what the hell?!"

"Watch the language," Nico said. "You're only twelve." I was stunned. How could he be so calm?! He just watched his girlfriend get carried away.

"Just get us out of here," I muttered, my voice cracking. "I don't want to be here." Nico nodded. Thetis and I grabbed his arms and closed our eyes, preparing for the cold feeling of shadow travel. When Nico shadow traveled, you could feel the darkness settle over you like a blanket. And you could hear the voices of the dead speak. Not to mention it felt like your face was peeling off.

When we opened our eyes, we were in a place I was unfamiliar with. We were in a room, I can't even say room because it was so huge. There were large marble columns holding up the enormous roof. In front of us were twelve thrones, each seating-were those the gods?!

Each throne seemed to match each of the gods' personalities. Poseidon's throne was an enlarged fisherman's chair, fit with a tackle box, a fishing rod, and you could just smell the sea from across the room. Looking at Poseidon, he seemed slightly depressed. Probably because of his daughter.

"I did not choose to come here," Nico muttered. "Why are we here?" The gods just looked at us. Some with disgusted faces (*cough* Ares *cough*) and most with sympathetic looks.

"You wanted to know why you were drawn to Tartarus for your quest, didn't you?" asked Zeus, or should I say, my father. Nico narrowed his eyes but nodded.

"The girl, the daughter of Poseidon, was chosen to be a sacrifice to Nyx and Akhlys," Ares answered. "The two minor goddesses wanted war against us Olympians. She was chosen to be given to them as a peace offering, a way to stop a war from happening."

Nico looked pissed. He had clenched fists and he was looking at the ground, his hair shielding his eyes. Eyes that were probably holding in pain and anger. You could see the shadows all around the room bending towards him. He radiated anger.

"Just bring us back to Camp Half-Blood," Nico said. The gods gave us one more sympathetic look. Zeus snapped his fingers and in the next instant, we were at the campfire at camp.

Percy rushed up to us with a grin a mile wide. When he scanned all of our grim faces, his smile melted away. It was replaced by a concerned look.

"Where's Amber?" he asked in a worried tone. We all stayed silent. He looked directly at Nico. "Nico, where is my sister?!" Nico looked up with tear filled eyes and shook his head. Percy just stared at him, as did the rest of the campers in the amphitheater. No one spoke for what seemed like forever.

"We're gonna need a shrine," Nico spoke up. "For a daughter of Poseidon." Everybody was in shock. A few people from the crowd began the sob. Percy had walked off to his cabin, followed by Annabeth who was trying to comfort him. Everyone else just went off to their own cabins, turning in for the night. The campfire glowed a deep blueish green mixed with black.

Nico stalked off towards his cabin, followed by Thetis who was marveling at everything she saw. I almost forgot she hasn't been here.

Almost.

I went off to my cabin as well, randomly twirling a dagger in my fingers. I was deep in thought. Would Amber end up in Elysium? She should, she apparently saved countless lives just by beings sacrificed unknowingly.