The Coming of Nico di Angelo

Raiders of the Lost Cup

"I know. How do you feel?" Percy asked again.

"Tired. Hot. Hurt all over." Every breath stabbed at his rib cage.

Percy couldn't meet Nico's eye. "I didn't want to try any more nectar. I'm so sorry."

Nico furrowed his brow in confusion. "For what?"

"You saved my life, and Annabeth and I couldn't even protect you from Riddle's monsters. You got hurt Nico, bad. You've been out cold for three days now."

"Three days?!" Nico cried, but the effort hurt him, another stabbing pain made him grimace. He moved his hand to his stomach, and muttered "Oww."

"Yeah, don't do that," Percy instructed. "You cracked your ribs, it must've been from the di Inferi. They must've known you're the son of Hades; they wouldn't leave you alone."

"Di Inferi?" Nico managed. For the first time, he inspected the room beyond Percy's face. It was small, but somewhat ornate, with stained glass windows and a high ceiling. He saw wooden benches all around him, arranged in boxes and rows. "And where are we?"

"The church," Percy explained. "We crashed here, 'cause we were so beat up. Annabeth told the homeless orphans story, and he let us stay until you got well enough for us to move you. Wish it had been Piper doing the talking, she might've been able to get us more than wooden benches to sleep on."

So that's what this hard surface is.

"What did you mean di Inferi?" He knew of the di Inferi, they were Latin deities of the Underworld, outside of Pluto's control. He'd never met one, and he didn't want to.

"You didn't think Riddle would leave his horcrux undefended, did you?" Percy questioned. "There were dozens of them, and all sorts of curses surrounding the grave. We must've been fighting for hours, I don't know how we got out alive."

"And I was just lying there helpless?" Nico felt ashamed. His friends had been in danger, and he'd been out cold like some stupid damsel in distress.

"Hey!" Percy protested. "I'd be dead if it weren't for you! You weren't helpless, you got us the ring."

"Where's Annabeth?" Nico asked.

Percy pointed towards the door. "Trying to destroy the horcrux."

"She won't be able to," Nico said. "It's nearly impossible for a human to destroy a soul."

"Would you be able to do it?" Percy asked in a hopeful tone.

Nico shook his head. "Only my father, and I'm not calling him up every time we get a new horcrux. There are a few mortal ways to destroy one, like with certain poisons, curses, and blades. Our best bet is Dumbledore or Snape, they must know something about where to get that."

Percy shook his head at the ground, laughing in self-pity. "Figures we'd have even more to find."

"Yeah," Nico agreed. "But, if this were easy, the Kindly Ones could've taken care of it."

"Fair enough." Percy glanced back at Nico with a quizzical look. "What are we going to do about your ribs?"

Nico felt his stomach, and grimaced again. They were definitely cracked, if not broken. "Call Will, I guess. Do we know anyone else with medical knowledge?"

"No," Percy said. "But I hate calling him. The last time you guys talked was that boggart attack, and now this--" Percy gave him a light punch on the shoulder. "--he's going to think that you can't take care of yourself."

"Even more than he already does," Nico agreed. "Just send the Iris message. According to Grover, the other horcrux is in a vault in a wizarding bank called Gringotts. There's no way to get inside unless I shadow travel us there, and I can't do that with a broken rib. Dealing with Will teasing me will be less painful... a little less painful, anyway."