Nico di Angelo; Angel of Chaos

Awake/Epilogue

Shadow's POV

Reyna looked like she was going to pass out from shock.

Then suddenly Nico's hand was yanked off her shoulder as he elapsed into another fit of coughing.

He grimaced, wiped his mouth with his arm, and sighed.

His sleeve was stained with blood.

Reyna seemed to snap out of her daze. She stood, walked over to his dresser, and opened the top drawer. She pulled out something silver.

It was a flask.

I was fumbling for the pitcher of nectar on the bedside table, but she shook her head and unscrewed the flask before handing it to Nico, who drank it down without hesitation.

"It's unicorn draught. Works better that nectar to help expel shadows and darkness from him." She muttered.

Nico's coughing had stopped as soon as he drank down the flask.

"And, seeing as I just came back from the brink of death, I have plenty of shadows. Stupid things are like fleas. Cling to you like crazy." He said, irritated.

Siren broke the tension in the room.

"And how did you know he kept that flask in his drawer, eh Reyna?" Siren asked, wiggling his eyebrows with a mischievous grin.

Oh, the mind of a fourteen year old boy.

Reyna's eyes flashed dangerously, and Siren's eyes glazed over.

"I am sorry. What I said was inappropriate." Siren droned monotonously.

Reyna nodded.

"Good boy."

Siren's eyes unglazed.

Reyna looked around with a raised eyebrow.

"Anyone else want to comment? No? That's good."

It was then that Nico seemed to notice the empty coffee cups covering every flat surface, Reyna's bloodshot eyes and shaking hands, and he frowned.

"Why are there coffee cups everywhere?" He asked.

_______________________________________

One month later...

Nico's POV

All of the Angels and I were seated around the Ping-Pong table.

Two children with matching brown hair and elfish features were having a Cheez-Wiz war. Somebody kept calling them, 'The Stolls Reincarnate'. I assumed they were the head councilers for the Hermes Cabin.

Chiron cleared his throat, and the two Cheez-Wiz covered boys stopped fighting.

"We are here to discus the prophecy." He said pointedly, and the room fell silent.

"I believe it has been fulfilled." I interjected, my fingers twined with Reyna's.

"Son of Death, Daughter of Rome," Reyna recited.

"That's us." I said quietly.

"Reluctantly shall they return home," Reyna continued.

"Check." I added.

"A promise kept, with a final breath," Reyna said quietly.

"I think I know what that means. I promised Sunny I wouldn't let her die. And I did save her, from death. And technically I did die, even if it was just for a minute, when my heart stopped back on Utopia. So I kept my promise, with my final breath." I said quietly.

"And cheated again is inevitable death." Reyna said.

I grinned.

"Been there, done that." I said softly.

Slap!

I yelped and fell backwards out of my chair and landed in a very undignified heap of cloth and feathers.

There was a bright red handprint on my cheek from where Reyna had slapped me.

"What was that for?" I asked. A black feather drifted down to land on my nose. I blew it away with an irritated puff.

"That was for joking about dying. Keep doing it and I'll throw you out of my window from my room on Utopia." Reyna threatened.

"Reyna, I can fly." I countered.

"...with your wings tied to your back. And I'll tie lead weights to your feet."

I gulped.

"Dying isn't something to joke about. Got it." I said softly.

Everyone laughed. But Reyna was deadly serious.

"Hey, come with me for a minute." I said, standing up. I pulled Reyna up with me, and we walked out unnoticed.

It was nighttime at Camp Half-Blood. The stars shone brightly, and the October air was cool and crisp.

"Where are we going?" She asked me.

"You'll see." I responded.

"You know I hate it when your mysterious." Reyna muttered.

"Oh, I know. Its your stubborn Roman-ness showing itself." I responded before spreading my wings and flying upwards, half dragging Reyna with me until she spread her wings and flew after me.

I landed on the roof of the tallest cabin there was, the Zeus Cabin. The marble roof was cool and flat, and I stood on the edge. Reyna landed next to me.

She looked downright stunning in the moonlight.

I grabbed her hands and pulled her to where we were standing just inches apart.

"Look, Reyna. I know my almost dying scared you. More than scared, even. Terrified. I know because one upon a time, our roles were reversed, and you had died on me. And I also know that a promise is a scary thing to give as a demigod. Our lives are normally fast and short, and we burn bright but fast. Demigods lives are dangerous. Ours, as Chaos' angels, are even more so. And I can't promise you that someday, and I don't know when, I won't die, because I will. But I can do the next best thing. I swear on the River Styx that for as long as I live, however long that may be, I'll love you. And when I die, I'll wait for you in Elysium." I said, and thunder rumbled in the distance as my oath was sealed.

Reyna looked like she might cry. Then she smiled.

"Chaos, you are so sappy sometimes." She said quietly.

Then she kissed me.

Her arms wrapped around my neck, and mine around her waist. But the marble roof of the Zeus cabin is really slippery at night. We slipped, and fell off the side of the roof.

Non-winged people would have died. Thankfully we were not previously mentioned non-winged people.

Our wings beat quietly, and we didn't even bother breaking apart.

Instead, when somebody finally noticed our absence, they found us outside, hovering near the roof of the Zeus cabin, kissing like the world was ending.