Escape from camp half blood

Chapter12

The first thing Nico noticed as they returned to the pavilion was that Maya wasn't at the Hermes table. The second thing was that Sadie wasn't there either.

A cold, sinking feeling grew in his stomach and he broke away from Percy, Thalia, and Annabeth, who were walking briskly, but with no real urgency, and sprinted across the distance. "Where are they?" he demanded.

All the Hermes campers looked at him strangely. Some cringed away. Carter caught on quickly that something was wrong and stood up. "Sadie just went back to the cabin with Piper and what's-her-name, the little girl."

"Merda!" Nico shouted the first curse that came into his mind and spun back around. He nearly collided with Percy who'd picked up his pace after seeing something was wrong, then shoved his way between Thalia and Annabeth and took off at a dead run.

Logically, he knew, it wasn't likely that Maya would try anything. Not while there were two people there. Whichever one she didn't kill first would be on guard, or would be a witness to the crime. But he knew that logic and psychopaths didn't always go hand in hand, and he'd learned not to ignore his gut when it was telling him something was wrong.

"Hey, Nico!" Percy shouted but Nico didn't stop or slow down to see what he wanted, and then he heard the sound of footsteps right behind him. Whether it was Percy, Thalia, or both of them and Annabeth and Carter as well, he couldn't tell and didn't really care. Because his sense of urgency was nearly choking him now, telling him that he was going to be too late. Someone else was going to get hurt and if that someone else was Sadie . . .

Faster, faster . . . Anubis, help me! Nico screamed into his own mind.

The god, who'd retreated to the back of his mind after Nico had finished his revelation about who the killer was, snapped into awareness again. Nico? What's wrong?

Nico sent him a condensed stream of information centered around his fear for Sadie's safety. Help me! Help her! Do something!

He felt a similar wave of panic flow from Anubis, but then the god shoved it aside and began to channel more of his essence and strength into his host.

It was risky. Both Nico and Anubis knew that they were playing with fire. Neither knew who might be capable of sensing Egyptian magic, and whether or not they were close enough to feel it, or if they'd recognize it even if they did. But it was a necessary risk. It was for Sadie.

At that moment Nico couldn't think of anything worse than her suddenly not being around anymore. Over the past month and a half, Sadie and Carter had become very important to him. In a world where most people shunned him on principal, he had his work cut out trying to find a place where he fit in. Sadie and Carter had carved out a place in their lives specifically for him. They gave him a place to call home, and treated him like more than a comrade in arms, or a friend. They, along with Percy, were the closest thing Nico had to family. And even though they hadn't known each other very long, they'd been through quite a bit together. Nico and Sadie had especially been through a lot together. Sadie was the one who'd saved his life when Aziza had captured and nearly killed him. She'd taken care of him when he was too weak and too hurt to take care of himself. He couldn't let anything happen to her now. He'd do whatever it took to keep her safe, and was glad Anubis felt the same way.

With power flooding his veins, Nico was able to move at a speed he'd previously have thought impossible. It wasn't as fast as shadow traveling, which he couldn't do during the day, or in the middle of camp, but it was probably the next best thing. The world sort of blurred around him and it felt more like he was flying than running, his feet barely skimming the ground.

He felt his own consciousness being shoved aside and for once didn't fight as Anubis took control of his body. If it meant saving Sadie then he'd let Anubis be in charge for a freaking week if he wanted.