Sign of the Times

Chapter 9

Will pulled Nico into the living room while Sally put the kids to bed and Poseidon made coffee. Food was eaten and put away, the table was cleared off, Nico was still bleeding. Will wiped that swollen lip again and felt more anger fill his stomach.

"Don't lie," he ordered. "Remember what we agreed on? No lying."

"I won't lie."

"Your father did this to you?" he asked. "That bitch ass did this to you?"

Nico's eyes widened, his lips twitching and his arms crossing. "William Solace. Cursing."

"Protecting my boyfriend," Will corrected.

"No, no," Nico shook his head. "You aren't getting yourself hurt. You're not doing anything to him."

"So it was your father-"

"Of course it was my father! He's the one damn person in this city that hates my guts! He hates all his children except for Bianca! Why do you think I fucking raise Hazel?"

Will's heart dropped into his stomach and melted in that pool of anger. "I'm killing him."

"No, you're not."

"You can't stop me."

"Try me."

"Nico, why are you defending him?" Will asked. "Look what he's done to you! To Hazel! He should be in jail, in prison, away from you and away from that little girl!"

"He doesn't hurt Hazel, Will!" Nico yelled. "He'd never lay a finger on her! He only hurts me!"

"Why?" Will stressed. "Why does he hate you so much?"

"I killed my mother!"

He remembered that big, empty house, that woman's portrait, the writing beneath it. How cold the whole place was.

"What do you mean, you killed your mother? You were tiny when she died."

"She died saving me," Nico choked. "I killed her."

"Nico-"

"That man wanted me. He wanted to kidnap me. She...she tried to save me, why wouldn't she? She was my mother. But she tried to save me and she got killed for it. That's my fault, Will. That's my fault. I got her killed and my father will never forget it."

"What man?" Will asked. "What happened? Fuck, this is supposed to be a small town. No...no kidnappings, no murders."

Nico gave him a look that didn't help his case. "All places have bad people, Will. They're everywhere."

"Don't change the subject."

"I'm not changing the subject, I'm just saying-"

"Is arguing in the living room the smartest idea?" Percy asked as he entered the room, three mugs of coffee balanced in his hands. His dark hair was swept aside and messy, wind-blown still from the ride home, and his green eyes still longed for the lake. Will was sure that boy would be happy to live in that green water.

Percy had them each take a cup before he collapsed on the couch, his feet propping themselves up on the table and his hair getting in his face. "I know I don't have anything to do with...you two, whatever you have going on, but I know enough to say arguing isn't going to help either of you."

Nico couldn't look in those green eyes and that made the situation all the more worse for Will.

"Percy, all you do is talk about shit that doesn't matter," Nico whispered. "Why are you trying to talk about this?"