Fate Withstands

Chapter 15

Nico stepped out of Olympus as soon as the meeting was over, not having had time to appreciate the land of the living this time around. He looked at the sun, tried to feel what once gave him heat. He followed the cracks in the buildings, saw where each of his skeletons came out to help.

The sun looked the same as it did in Italy, and the clouds that passed could have had twins decades ago.

He was still distracted by the sun and the clouds when he ran into Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Literally.

He hadn't seen the girl before, but she didn't kill him on sight despite his appearance. Instead, she stepped back and eyed him wearily. "You fought for Percy?"

She had red hair tied back in a ponytail, freckles on her pale face, paint splattered on her clothes. Even though the war had ended, she still had a spark of desperation in her eyes.

Nico nodded. "Yes, I did..."

"I'm Rachel, Rachel Elizabeth Dare." she had her hand on a pegusas's mane. "Tell Percy I'll have Blackjack back soon. I'm going to camp."

Nico frowned, his hand itching for his sword. "Why?" He paused, feeling her life source. "You're human. You won't be able to get into camp."

She shook her head. "You're wrong. Everyone has been so wrong. I know what I'm fated to do. The oracle."

Nico thought back to the time he had visited camp, the mummy in the attic of the Big House. Then there was the memory he had seen of his father cursing the oracle, claiming that no one would be able to take it over.

"You'll die," he stated. "It's a suicide mission."

Rachel mounted Blackjack despite his words of warning. "I've got to go."

"Rachel, do you really not value your life?" he reached out, tried to grab her before it was too late. But she flew away on Blackjack, flew away to what he thought would be ultimate demise.

Without a second thought, he ran to find Percy. Maybe his old friend would know what to do.

A life. It was for a life. He fought through his exhaustion, fought through his aching bones and the way they cracked and groaned. Running for where he last saw Percy, he could only hope that he would get there on time.

Nico found Percy at the bottom of the Empire State, with Annabeth, Grover, and his family. As soon as they made eye contact, Percy's face fell. "What's wrong?"

Nico came to a stop beside them, his heavy breathing almost masking his words. "It's Rachel. I just ran into her down on 32nd Street."

Annabeth frowned. "What's she done this time?"

"It's where she's gone," Nico said. "I told her she would die if she tried, but she insisted. She just took Blackjack and-"

"She took my pegasus?" Percy demanded.

Nico nodded. "She's heading to Half-Blood Hill. She said she had to get to camp."

Percy and Annabeth looked at each before running off, leaving Nico no choice but to follow. He was alive. If he could save a life with that privilege, he wouldn't hesitate.

"She'll never get through the defenses," Annabeth said. "Peleus will eat her."

"We've got to hurry." Percy glanced at Nico. "I don't suppose you could conjure up some skeleton horses."

Nico was having trouble breathing. If he had an actual mortal, human body, he probably would have passed out by now. "So tired . . . couldn't summon a dog bone."