Solangelo 3

Part 38

NICO

I feel a light tapping against my shin. My head is thumping, but I hear my name faintly.
'Shut up.' I say, leaning away, 'let me sleep.'
'Nico. Wake up.' I hear again. I force my eyes open and turn to Percy, who's tied up against the wall opposite me. Will is propped up next to him, still out cold.
'What...is...is he okay? Is he breathing?!' I ask, suddenly remembering where I am.
'He's fine. He's okay, I checked.' He reassures me.
'Where's Annabeth?' I ask. I check myself over, tied at the ankles and arms behind back.
'She's still not in control. She came in a while back, but I pretended to still be asleep.' He says, 'I think they're waiting for you to wake up.'
'I...I think they were talking about Persephone...I don't remember. I passed out pretty soon after. She told Will though. We need to wake him up.'
'I've tried everything.' He says.
'Okay...' I say, 'maybe-'
Before I can finish, the door opens and Annabeth walks in. We don't have time to act asleep.
'Let her go.' Percy tells, resisting against his chains as soon as he sees her, 'Annabeth. Come on, wisegirl, take control, I know you can.'
'I've been waiting for you to wake up.' She says to me, completely ignoring Percy. She takeshold of my ankles and starts dragging me out the room.
'Let me go.' I yell.
'Stop! Don't hurt him! Nico!' Percy tells as I try to resist. We emerge in a large white, clinical looking room. She props me up against the wall, and stands back, looking at me.
'You don't even know.' She says, which is clearly the most annoying thing to be told.
'Know what?' I ask, knowing I need to play along with everything she wants to make sure Will and everyone else gets out safe.
'Persephone's link to you.' She says, 'it's what I didn't even know I was waiting for.'
'I don't know what you're talking about.' I say, frustrated. My head is still thumping, and it's hard to stay on top of what she's saying.
'From my understanding - and correct me if I'm wrong - but you and your father had a minor fall out.' She says. I stay silent, 'that's what I thought.'
'So what?' I ask.
'So. Persephone seems to have taken a liking to you. So much so, that it's gotten to the stage that you've gained powers from her as you did from your father.' She explains as she crouches down in front of me, raising the edge of her sword blade to lift up my chin.
'I don't have any...any powers from her.' I say, but even as I do, I think back to the flowers that would emerge around me at times. Little things.
'You're so blind.' She says, cutting my ear slightly, 'she's the thing that connects the two worlds. Living and dead. Light and dark. She's the link. How else do you think you were able to see what I was planning before I'd done it? It's because of her.'
'I didn't...I didn't do that. That wasn't me, I don't know how that happened.' I say quickly.
'Well, you better figure out how you do it, and figure out quick.' She says, 'I need you to get me into one of your beau's sisters, and boy do I have a lot of hostages to use up if you don't.'
'I don't know how to do it.' I insist, beginning to panic as she heads into the back room, 'don't hurt them. Don't hurt them, I don't know how, I swear.'