We Are The Archangels

Chapter XV - Nero

‘I know,’ I sighed. ‘I’ve been there before.’

‘And so help me,’ he continued, throwing his hands up in the air exasperatedly. ‘If you die, so help me, I will invade Hades’ realm, hunt down your spirit and kill you again.’

I cracked what I hoped was passable as an amused smile and not a painful grimace, ‘Got it. No dying allowed.’

We both stood and he grabbed my forearm, perhaps a little tighter than was necessary.

‘Please be careful,’ he pleaded.

I wasn’t brave enough to look him in the eye as I said softly, ‘I’m not coming back, Fabian.’

‘No, he you are coming back,’ he demanded. ‘You’re going to find this cure with Midnight and the Athena girl, and you are going to come back with it, and you will be fine again.’

I sighed, ‘I’m not going to make it out. I can feel this, this poison running through me, and it’s getting stronger every second. I’m only doing this for the others, before everyone is ill.’

I reached inside my cloak and felt around for the concealed pocket. My fumbling fingers grasped the envelop I’d placed their earlier. The edges were rough and dry in my icy hands. I stared at it a moment before handing it to Fabian who traced his thumb over the names I’d printed neatly on the front; Midnight, Arrow, Aeras and Destiny.

He gave me a wary look, ‘Nero-’

‘Think of it as a precaution,’ I interrupted. ‘If I don’t come back.’

‘You are coming back,’ he said firmly, leaving no room for debate.

I tried to keep a clear head, ‘Fabian, promise me you’ll keep that and give it to them if I don’t make it. And promise me that you won’t read it. Swear it, Fabian!’

My brother took a shocked step back as my voice rose to a shout. I didn’t mean to startle him, but I had to get the message across.

‘I swear it,’ Fabian stuttered eventually. ‘I swear it on the river Styx.’

My shoulders relaxed as thunder boomed overhead. The deal was struck; the promise was made.

‘Good,’ I sighed, tugging up my hood a little irritably. I sent one final glance my brothers way, “I’ll, see you later.’

I pulled the material the rest of the way over my face, hiding it in shadows. Then I turned away, regret clenched tightly around my heart, and left the Sorrow boy - my brother - staring after me, leaving behind the trees, the camp, and my family. Permanently.

Finding Midnight wasn’t difficult. It’s hard to miss a soaring black-winged figure with a screaming girl clutched in their grasp.

I followed below, my wings pulled in tight against my back to shield me from the cold and observation. A cool wind swept through, sifting my hair beneath my hood and chilling me to the bone. I drew in tighter to no avail.

Leaves whipped at my cloak and wings as I raced as fast as I could through the forest out passed camp boundaries. Stumbling over logs and low branches, I was travelling a lot slower than I should’ve been. The cold bit at the skin beneath my armour and cloak.

Above, Midnight continued to haul Annabeth across the sky. I didn’t know where they were headed. There weren’t any entrances to Tartarus around here as far as I knew.

It wasn’t long before they came down in a field less than a mile away from Camp Olympia. The field might’ve once been a farm, but it was clear it had been abandoned a long time. A rusted, faded red tractor was broken down on the far side, shaded by a lone oak tree.