Demons, Demigods and Hunters (Percy Jackson/Supernatural)

Chapter 12

Anna

Anna drummed her fingers nervously on the steering wheel. Nico had gone with her to steal the book on raising the dead with the abomination of a ritual. They'd burned it as an offering to Hades. If the Winchesters had seen her make that offering, speaking quiet words in Ancient Greek, they would have shot her on principle.

To hunters, demigods are just another thing to kill. Anna could never let herself forget that, no matter how much she cared about her friends; they could never know about her. Especially Dean with his black and white worldview. Even if being around him made her wish she could... Anna shook her head, clearing away the dangerous thoughts.

But they didn't see them, and she and Nico are in her car, Nico refusing to look at or speak to her. He hadn't said one word to her since he'd gotten into her car at the graveyard. Instead she drove in silence, heading towards her safe house.

Anna's chest tightened painfully. She knew he was going to be angry, and she knew that what she had done would hurt him. But it had been the right strategy. It still was. She was closer than ever to finding the fire demon; or Azazel, as she learned his name was. She wanted to tell the boys, but names held power. And it wasn't time yet. But she was close. But knowing that victory was close didn't make the pain of Nico's anger any easier.

Anna still wasn't sure what she could do about the veil. She still didn't know what in Hades it was. But as soon as this gods forsaken quest/adventure/mission was over, she was going to copy her younger sister. Screw getting an education in the real world. Anna is going to retire to New Rome and never leave the safety of Terminus's borders until she dies.

She glanced uneasily over at Nico. His arms were crossed and he radiated darkness, shadows wrapping around him tightly as though he was wavering between shadow traveling away and staying. Anna turned off the highway and pulled up a long dirt road. The tires crunched and churned over the gravel drive and finally she pulled up to a small farmhouse. She got out of the truck and waited for Nico to follow her before she went inside.

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Her walls were heavily protected against uninvited guests, swirls in the paint's texture the only hint that the pale blue and silver walls were warded. The front door and all the outer walls were reinforced with iron that was threaded with other enchanted metals. The house was demigod safe. Even for Big Three kids, modifications Anna had made as soon as Nico became her family, and later on the protection was for Percy too.

Anna went straight to the kitchen, setting out food she had bought last week when she first moved in that particular safe house. Nico accepted the plate of food she silently shoved in front of him as he studied the house.

"So this is where you've been hiding all this time?" Nico asked. Anna flinched at the detached tone in his voice. Nico was one of the very few people she trusted, on the very short list of people she had shared any of her past with. One of only three people on the list of people outside her own blood, she'd ever really let herself love. But she'd kept her secrets. And her secrets may have whited out one of the few people she had ever let herself rely on.

"Only one of many." She answered him quietly, allowing Nico to see her shame. His mouth tightened with displeasure.

"I felt you die." Nico said. Anna nodded.

"I did. For a about a minute I was dead. Much like a drowning victim might be dead for a few minutes before coming back to life." Nico gave her a short nod. He stood up and stiffly walked over to her. Anna stayed perfectly still.

"Don't you EVER do that again." Nico buried his face into her shoulder as he hugged her tight. Anna was so surprised it took her a few seconds to hug him back.

*"Sono così dispiaciuto fratellino. Mi dispiace molto." Anna murmured to him, stroking his hair. Nico let out a choked sob and tightened his grip on her. Her heart broke a little in that moment. Nico had lost enough, and what had she done to him? She'd left him. She'd left him alone. Again.

After a few minutes Nico took a deep breath and pulled away. His face was arranged into the blank mask she'd seen him pull on so many others. A mask he hadn't needed yet when she'd first met him. It was the first time he'd used it on her. Anna had a sick feeling it wouldn't be the last. Anna noticed muscles subtly tensing in his shoulder and side. She flinched but otherwise stayed still as his fist flew into her face. Anna's head snapped back from the blow, blood dripping from her, now, split lip. She hung her head. Nico marched to the other side of the table and slumped back down.

"Why?" Anna studied the table, carefully avoiding looking at Nico.

"I can't tell you." She whispered. Without looking she knew Nico was fixing her with one of his infamous glares.

"Why?" He didn't raise his voice. He didn't make it go cold or hard. He wasn't even pleading. It was much worse. It was robotic, monotone. He sounded like he didn't even care. Anna flinched.

*"It's not safe. Fratellino, questo è pericoloso. Le persone stanno morendo Potrei morire. Ti voglio al sicuro Voglio proteggere tutti. E ... nessuno sospetta una donna morta." She finished quietly, speaking in perfect Italian, begging him to understand. She loved him, more than anything. Nico had fought enough, lost enough, hurt enough. Anna needed him to understand, and then for him to go home and forget he saw her alive. Nico stood up, the chair legs quietly squeaking on the hardwood floors she had so carefully restored.

"I deserved to know." The English was a slap to the face. Nico has refused her, choosing his robotic English over their fluid Italian banter. Anna refused to allow herself the release of crying. She deserved this cold rejection, the pain tearing away at what was left of her frozen heart. She'd ruined one of the best things to have ever happened to her, but at least Nico was safe.

This pain was worth it. Wasn't it?

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Translation:

*I'm so sorry little brother. I'm so very sorry.
**Little brother, this is dangerous. People are dying. I could die. I want you safe. I want to protect everybody. And... nobody suspects a dead woman.

(Italian)