Suspected Terrorists

《40》

Nico

Despite the warmth, I shivered and pulled my jacket closer to me. I wasn't cold exactly, but a strange feeling had overcome my body. Like a ghost was dragging its fingers along my spine. I shivered again.

Will frowned. "You okay?"

I nodded, not bothering to explain my weird feeling. Will gave me the look. The one he got when I was playing off my exhaustion. I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm fine," I insisted.

"I know when you're lying to me Deathbreath," he chided. "What's got you shivering like we're not in 80 degree weather?"

I would've just lied again, but this was Will. The stubborn Apollo kid who cared about my health for some reason. He eyed me with his bright blues. "I just have a weird feeling," I answered.

"What do you-?" He stopped when I began to suddenly gag on thin air. I felt like someone had squeezed on my stomach, sending burning acid up my throat. My skin turned cold and my blood seemed to freeze in my veins.

That's when the stabbing started.

Imaginary, icy daggers of death were suddenly being stabbed into my body, everywhere all at once. My body expelled my lunch from my stomach and projected it onto Will. My body quivered and shook with pain as the seemingly endless deaths racked through me, leaving no visible trace.

I must've blacked out at some point because the next I knew, I was in the infirmary. I sat up, groaning and ran my fingers through hair to move it from my eyes.

"Nico!" A voice cried in relief. I glanced at Will who was sat beside me. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Tired but I'll be okay," I answered. Will smiled, as if that news had calmed him. I didn't know if I could be calm though, even if Will's gorgeous face was facing me. "What happened?  There was so much...death...i-it was horrible."

Will opened his mouth to answer but was inturrupted by a voice from the shadows. "He destroyed New Rome." The voice was so broken and dark that I almost didn't recognise it, at least not until she stepped into view.

"Hazel?"

"Tartarus. He blew up New Rome and everyone in it," she continued.

I couldn't bring myself to speak. I vaguely felt Will place a comforting hand on my shoulder.

Hazel looked at me with her fierce golden eyes, burning with hate and anger in a very un-Hazel-like way. Her cheeks were stained with tear tracks and her hands were curled into tightly clenched fists. "Is he dead Nico?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper, like she didn't want to ask.

"Who?" I questioned, wondering what lost soul could bring out so much hatred from my sister.

"Frank."

I tensed. My mind seemed to work through the statement like I was a pre-schooler.

Frank.

Hazel's boyfriend.

Nice, gentle guy.

Cares about her loads.

Praetor of Rome.

One of the Seven.

Dead?

"Hazel...I'm so sor-"

"Is he dead?" She inturrupted.

I looked away from her. "I-I don't know. There was so much at once...I-I don't..."

"Can you sense him?" She pleaded.

I glanced up at my sister's mournful face. I had to try. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the soul of Frank Zhang. Searching through every demigod I knew.

I opened my eyes and glanced sideways at my own boyfriend. He must've seen the look of failure in my eyes because his hand slipped from my shoulder to clasp mine.

I turned back to Hazel's pleading stare. I tried to speak but my voice wouldn't work. I shook my head sadly.

"NO!" She shouted. "YOU HAVE TO TRY AGAIN!" Her eyes flooded with tears and her shouts became irrational screams. Her arms flailed about wildly. "MAYBE YOU'RE TOO FAR AWAY! MAYBE YOU MISSED HIM! YOU HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING!"

Suddenly, Piper ran in and wrapped her arms around Hazel and forcing her arms down. "It's okay, it's okay," Piper repeated over and over again, stroking Hazel's hair.

Hazel's body racked with sobs. "No," she whispered. "It's not- He can't- He-he promised. He can't-" Hazel's protests faded and she buried her head into Piper's shoulder.

I shook myself from my shock and slight fright and jumped out of my bed. I gently pulled Piper away and hugged Hazel myself. She slowly sank to her knees and I went with her. Her tears stained my shirt and I felt her stunted breaths against my shoulder.

I hated human contact. But my sister meant everything to me. And everything, meant being there for her as she cried. And she cried for a long time.

《<>》

(ToT)

I'm not crying, you're crying!

I thought these would make it better. But I think I made it worse...

Sorry for the short chapter guys, but I just thought that this would be a better place to leave it than where I'd originally planned. Next chapter will definitely be a lot longer. :-)

And sorry for any tears shed in this chapter and any previous chapters.

...And future chapters...

See you next week!

~Gingerbreadhalfblood