Death and Madness|| Nico di Angelo

I lie about killing a butterfly

When I opened my eyes, we stood in the shadows of Valencia Boulevard, looking up at gold letters etched in black marble: DOA RECORDING STUDIOS.

Underneath, stenciled on the glass doors: NO SOLICITORS. NO LOITERING. NO LIVING.

Nico dropped to the ground beside me, but at least this time I knew what to do. A bite of ambrosia later, he was back on his feet and cursing in a different language. 

"This isn't camp I'm guessing" I said. 

"No, it's the entrance to Underworld" At first I thought Nico was joking. But then he made his way in and I couldn't do anything except follow him. 

"Underworld- like Hades... your dad's kingdom?" I asked. 

"No, Underworld like the kingdom of flowers and Butterflies" Nico rolled his eyes. 

"Ugh, why do you have to be so difficult?" 

It was dark outside, but the lobby was brightly lit and full of people. Behind the security desk sat a tough-looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece.

"How am I the difficult one?" Nico argued. 

"You're the one just cassually walking into the Underworld." I pointed out. 

"I'm not forcing you to follow me Violet" He said. It was the first time he had said my name, because I hit him when he used my middle name as a taunt. "Just go to long island, try not to die while I chase the lead on my sister" 

We walked inside the DOA lobby.

Music played softly on hidden speakers. The carpet and walls were steel gray. Pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands. The furniture was black leather, and every seat was taken. There were people sitting on couches, people standing up, people staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. Nobody moved, or talked, or did much of anything. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see them all just fine, but if I focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking... transparent. I could see right through their bodies.

"How about we both go chase that lead and then you can drop me off at camp" 

"What" Nico turned to me. "That's a terrible idea"

"Then drop me off at camp then" I spread my arms. 

"I.. I can't" Nico sighed. "I've already used up too much energy. I probably won't be able to shadow travel for several days"

"What?" It was my turn to snap. "Some demigod you are, you can't even control your own abilities"

"Neither can you, and be glad we didn't end up in China"

"So are we going with my plan or not?" I asked.

"You idea is terrible and in no way is a plan." Nico said. "But fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

We would've gone on all night long except someone cleared their throat. We turned to the security guard. His desk was a raised podium, so we had to look up at him.

He was tall and elegant, with chocolate-coloured skin and bleached-blond hair shaved military style. He wore tortoiseshell shades and a silk Italian suit that matched his hair. A black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag.

"Mr. di Angelo" He greeted. It was clear that he knew Nico well, which meant Nico had regularly visited the underworld. 

"Charon" Nico said coldly. 

"And this is..." Charon asked looking at me. 

"Someone my father asked to see personally" Nico answered. 

"I see... what did you do, so terrible that Hades wants to see you personally?" 

"Um... I - uh" You know that feeling when your brain goes blank the second you see the test paper? That's how I felt. "I killed.... a....uh.."

Nico was prompting me to think of something, except he had no idea how hard it was. 

"I.. killed a ... butterfly" 

Nico was not impressed. 

"It was an important butterfly" I amended my statement, but Charon didn't believe it. Curse stupid Nico and his "kingdom of butterflies and flowers" statement. Now that was all I could think about.

Nico sighed. "Just let us through"

Charon stood up and gestured for us to follow him.

We pushed through the crowd of waiting spirits, who started grabbing at our clothes like the wind, their voices whispering things I couldnt make out. Charon shoved them out of the way, grumbling, "Freeloaders. "

He escorted us into the elevator, which was already crowded with souls of the dead, each one holding a green boarding pass. Charon grabbed two spirits who were trying to get on with us and pushed them back into the lobby.

"Right. Now, no one get any ideas while I'm gone," he announced to the waiting room. "And if anyone moves the dial off my easy-listening station again, I'll make sure you're here for another thousand years. Understand?"

He shut the doors. He put a key card into a slot in the elevator panel and we started to descend

For a few moments it was silent, then Charon began mumbling about butterfly killers and I hung my head in shame. 

"I don't want to be known as the butterfly killer" I whispered.

"I'll make sure Charon forgets about the Farfallina incident" I heard Nico chuckle. It was the fist time I heard him really laugh. Not a mocking laughter, but a genuine one. And I would've given anything to hear it again.

Nico had been through so much, and if I could help ease the pain in any way, I had to. Besides, who knows what would've happened if he hadn't shown up. Would we have met for the first time on the battle field?

Even though today had been a doozy, I was glad to have met Nico di Angelo.