The Librarian

The screams were unfortunately on my part, as for the cracking, something rather large decided to crack through the deck frame that I had just spent hours nailing together. The something rather large grinned up at us, tongue lolling from her mouth.

Nico laughed and started down the ladder, reaching up to scratch his giant dog between the ears, "What are you doing here, buddy?"

She let out a woof that made my hands clench tighter as I descended the ladder, still recovering from the earlier fright. When I reached the bottom of the ladder, I found Nico knelt down beside Mrs O'Leary, removing something from her collar.

"What is it?" I asked and he turned around to show me a piece of paper, rolled into a cylinder.

"I'm not quite sure," he answered, frowning over the note as he unrolled it. It was painted with a spindly and looped font that read;

Nico,

I understand that you have come into some important information recently and I think that we need to talk. I do not know where you have been - you were hidden to me - nor what you have learned but I am sure that it is vital.
I expect you at my palace within the next day.

Your father,
Hades

I frowned at Nico, "Are you going to go, then?"

He grinned and squeezed my hand, "We're going to go." He kissed me swiftly and pulled me after him, "Come on!"

I climbed behind him onto the hellhound and together we ventured into the shadows.

Notes