Solangelo 3

Part 39

NICO

She stays in the room for half an hour. The whole time I hear faint sounds. Enough to make me know what she's doing. I don't stop screaming for her to stop the entire time.
When she comes back out I pull against the chains, yelling at her.
'What did you do?!' I yell, 'I'll kill you. I'll kill you.'
'So you haven't change your mind yet?' She asks, casually.
'I don't know how to do what you want. I can't do it.' I yell, 'don't hurt them.'
'Not until you figure it out.' She says, moving back to the room.
'No! No, please. Please, I'll try. I'll try, okay!' I say, pleading with her. She stops, turns and opens a different door. She drags an unconscious Gracie out.
'Then try.' She says.
'Okay. Alright.' I say, trying to slow my breathing and focus. I speak beneath my breathe, 'Persephone. Please. Please help me. I know this is wrong. I shouldn't use your powers like this. But I can't...' my voice breaks slightly, 'I can't lose Will. I can't lose Percy. You need to help me, please.'
'Any time now.' Annabeth says.
'Please give her Gracie's body. Just now. I'll do all I can to take it back. Just for now. Please. Please.' I say, and there's silence for a moment. I look up, just as Annabeth slumps to the floor.
Gracie moves slightly. Her fingers twitch, her head moves to the side. She sits up. She looks at her hands, stretches them out before her.
'Gracie?' I ask, hopeful.
'Not quite.' She says, 'I am incredibly grateful to you. But we're not quite done yet. Just once more.'
'What?' I ask, 'but I....'
I stop talking when I see Gracie dragging an unconscious Willow into the room. And then their mother walks in. Healthy and at ease.
'What's going on?' I ask.
'Their mother was quite ill when we found them.' Will's mum explains, 'She was keeping it from her family, but she didn't have much time left. So I took over and prolonged her life a while by taking control.'
'So she hasn't been herself this whole time?' I ask, completely lost.
'That's right.' Gracie explains, 'we wanted to keep track of the girls, and we figured what better way than to become their mother?'
'I won't do it.' I say, 'you bastards.'
'You will though. You will, or we'll go back in that room where your friends are.' Gracie says, 'so what's the decision.'
I'm breathing so fast, unable to think. But unconsciously I pray to Persephone again. And before I know it, Will's mum is slumped on the floor beside Annabeth - who's starting to stir.
Gracie rushes to Willow's side and helps her up. They stand for a moment, marvelling at their new bodies.
'Thank you, Nico.' One of them says, just as Annabeth starts to pick herself up.
'We shouldn't let them follow us.' Gracie says quickly.
'We're not used to our bodies yet. She could beat us alone. We need to run.' Willow replies. They look back at me and before I can even process it, they've gone.
'Annabeth.' I call, 'wake up. Get up. Annabeth.'
'I'm fine.' She says, standing up slowly, 'Gods... What...? Oh Gods, Sorry. I'll untie you.'
'No. No go check on Will and Percy. They're in there, that room over there.' I say, gesturing to the room, 'go check they're okay.'
She rushes in and I'm in agony waiting for news for a couple moments. Then Will rushes out, battered, bruised and bleeding, but alive.
'Nico, Oh Gods.' He says, rushing over to me, cupping my face in his hands, but again I shake my head.
'Your mum. Your mum, she's over there. She was sick...she wasn't herself, they took over her, Will, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.' I keel over, aching with the pain of what I've just done and how it'll hurt Will. Because I know before he gets to her what's happened, 'I'm so sorry.'
He rushes over to his mum, and checks her pulse.
'She's not...she's not breathing.' He looks to me, 'Nico, she's not breathing. Why's she not...Nico, what happened. Bring her back. Nico. Nico, please.' He insists.
'I can't. I can't, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.' I say, closing my eyes and shaking my head. I desperately want to hold him, but I'm still tied up. So I watch as he does all he can to try to bring his mother back to life, despite both me and him knowing it's impossible.