Nico's Quest

Chapter 14

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Percy said as Nico continued to scream in pain. "I'm sorry, Nico, I know it hurts. Just hang on, okay? The worst is almost over . . ."

"Please stop!" Nico screamed, and tried to claw at Percy. He tried to grab his wrists and stop him from applying pressure because it felt like it was burning him alive. "Percy, stop! Please!"

"I'm sorry . . ."

"Stop! Gods! Stop!"

"Just hang on -"

"Someone help me! Bianca! Bianca, help me!" Nico was out of his mind with pain. Otherwise he would have never screamed for his dead sister, who he knew very well could do nothing for him. "Someone! Help!"

Percy looked like he was crying now too, but he didn't relent. He added another fistful of bandages to what he was using to apply pressure now, when what he was already using was eaten away by Nico's blood. "I'm sorry," he said again, his voice breaking.

"Anubis! Help me! Father!"

"What are you doing to him, you filthy sea-god scum?" screamed a familiar voice that cut right through to Nico's consciousness like it had a direct line. "Get away from him right now!"

Nico stopped screaming for a second, caught up in disbelief. "Mama?" he asked hoarsely to no one in particular.

Anger flashed across Percy's face, and he barely glanced at Zia. "I don't have time for your idiocies right now, Zia!" he shouted. "You stay back and let me treat him!"

Nico barely heard what Percy said, and didn't understand what he did hear. What was Percy talking about? Who was Zia? And how, how, how had his mother gotten into Brooklyn House? Was it because he was dying? Was she coming to get him?

"Mama?" he called out to her.

In his mind he heard a very sad voice. Nico... I'm sorry.

"What?" Nico didn't understand.

I'm going to have to take control. Otherwise Percy and Zia might come to blows.

"Huh?" Nico started to ask, but suddenly his mouth stopped working.

"Zia, stop," he heard himself say. "Percy is . . . doing . . . his best to help . . . me."

It took him several long moments to realize that it was Anubis who was in charge now, even though the god had told him what he was about to do in as many words. And it seemed like the god was having just as hard a time of talking through the pain as Nico was.

Suddenly Zia was right beside him, smoothing down his hair, her face so worried that it nearly broke Nico's heart. Doubly so when he realized how confused he'd been. Zia wasn't his mother. He wasn't her son. She might be looking at him with love and worry, but those feelings were fake.

Percy looked down at him with surprise, then understanding seemed to cross his face. He went back to tending Nico's wound, taking advantage of Anubis's control.

Zia, on the other hand, seemed to draw close to having a meltdown. "Don't die, Nico, okay?" she said, looking almost panicked. "You can't die. Just . . . just hold on."

Anubis must have felt too awkward to speak, so he merely inclined Nico's head slightly, in what could be considered a nod.

"Alyssa, I'm sorry, but could you go back up to the roof," said Percy. "If Zia and Nico are both down here, Julian and Walt will be in trouble if they attack again."

"Right. Sure." Alyssa looked very worried, but obeyed Percy's request, pausing only to touch Nico's hand for a second. "Be strong, Nico," she whispered. "Don't give up on us, you hear?"