JADE’S POV
I wake up Kelly close to dawn, three more hours until we got there, and ask her to take the shift. We make a little small talk before she leaves to go to the bathroom real quick and I fall asleep against the window. Nico’s chest was much more comfortable, it was almost like my head was perfectly cradled there, and it was the first time in a long time that I slept without nightmares. He had made me feel safe, even though I had been unconscious.
Kelly wakes us up as we arrive, and we get off the bus, making sure to thank the bus driver, say goodbye to the old ladies, and go over to a gas staion to freshen up a bit. After we change into a fresh set of clothes, we make our way towards the San Francisco Museum of Fine Art.
The building was beautiful, even though it was smack dab in the middle of the busy downtown life. It was a looming, ancient roman inspired architecture that I knew Annabeth would faint over. A beautiful grand gazebo floated on a still pond, vines climbing up the edges and hiding everything in a lush green jungle. Besides the gazebo was the main museum, inspired by ancient Greek architecture, the tall colosseums and open villa brought an aura of inspiration and awe. Time almost seemd to slow down as we walked in, and we were transformed into a different era the second we stepped in the ancient Greece section.
It was an open room, with large windows letting in natural sunlight, but the vines that creepedpast the windows created shadows in the room that looked like dangerous snakes waiting to pounce. Three long glass cases crawled the long way through the room, perpendicular to the door. In front of the walls statues stoodby themselves or on a pedestal, watching us silently.
You ever get the feeling statues were watching, and you were surrounded by stuff so old you couldn’t even wrap your head around, but you feel if you look at it long enough you’ll absorb all the history and knowledge of the people that made it.
We walk slowly, silently, the three of us side by side. There were a handful of people in the room, one mother with her tow sons, an old couple, a young couple, and a group of four young female friends giggling as they pointed at a statue of my father. I began to get angry, but held myself back as they moved along and studied a painting of Athena.
“Which one is Hecate?” I ask nico, as the two of us move slowly along the statues, Kelly had veered towards the glass cases where the necklaces where, besides a small statue of her mother.
“This one right here” he says, stopping in front of one. I read the plaque, goddess Hecat, magic and crossroads. “They didn’t know the mist existed” he answers the question in my head.
“Did it exist, I mean, they knew about all the monsters and everything, so they saw it, did it used to exist?” I ask, he looks at me as if hed never thought of it before. Before he could open his mouth, I feel a strange tugging sensation on the back of my head, I turn to see directly on the other side of the room was the statue of my father.
“I’ll be right back, you don’t need me for this right?” I ask, but don’t wait for his answer, instead walk towards the other side of the room, my combat boots making soft sharp sounds against the tile. I’m guessing Nico began the summoning because the air got thiker aorund me, or maybe that was because I was walking towards my father, who I yelled at the last and only time I had ever seen him.
“Hey dad” I say awkwardly, then imagined how weird it must be to talk to a marble statue. But his eyes were so deep, and his beard was so well crafted I couldn’t help but be convined he was actually here standing in front of me. The statue was identical to him and I wondered if whoever carved it had actually seen him, and then I felt bad for him, because one wrong move and my dad would have smitted him, just like I would have, because I inherited that part of him.
He doesn’t say anything back, which I guess I wasn’t that surprised about, but I was still a little disspaointed. I knew he would be here, but I didn’t think he was going to answer me. “Just so you know, I’m… sorry you know, for yelling at you” It was hard to get the words out, I didn’t’ apologize often. Nothing happned for a long time, until I think I saw a flick of the mouth, almost as if the statue had smiled at me, but I wasn’t sure because that’s when Nico put a hand on my shoulder, startling me.
“Sorry” he mutters, holding his hand back.
“It’s fine” I mutter, nervously putting my hair behind my ear, I needed to get out of here, I was starting to feel claustrophobic.
“She didn’t answer, not to surprised, no reason she should, but still. It’s not that important I guess, but it would-“
His speech was cut off when an ungodly screech made us both cover our ears. We turn and see a small statue jump on the floor, what looked like a lion/goat/snake that breathed out a small puft of fire. It was no bigger then a foot, and could easily be squashed. I was about to take out krypton, ready to deal with it myself before it started changing, growing, growling, until in fornt of me stood a monster as big as a school bus, taking up almost half the room.
“Kelly get these people out of here!” I yell at her over their screams. I wasn’t sure what they were seeing, but since the mist was so off, and they were clearly terrified, it couldn’t be anything good.
“Go around the back” Nico tells me, rolling in front of it and waving his hands, grabbing it’s attention. I wait for the chimera, deducted from my training, to focus on him, and roll behind the marble spuffs until I was safely behind it. I could barely see Nico jumping to and from, barely missing the fire, or barely getting knicked by the teeth.
I grip krypton hard and run full speed forward, jumping as high as I could, and landing on its back. I hold tight to its goat fur as it begins to roar and shake, trying knock me off. I slowly army crawl to the back of its lion mane, getting my sword ready to crack down between its spine, a hit that would kill it instantly.
I smash down as hard as I can, but all that happens is an ear splitting spring, and a force so hard that knocks me on my back on the floor. I knocked my head hard against the tile, and moan loudly. I reach my hand and hold back my tears as a sharp pain rushes through my skull. I bring my hand forward so I could see it, and barely distinguish my hand since it’s covered in a deep dark red. My vision began to swim, and I was so dizzy as I felt around for my dagger, keeping an eye on the thing. It had turned to me, an I swear to gods it was smiling as it extended it’s claws, about ready to cut me in ribbons.
I grabbed my sword right before its paw came down, but before I could hurt it, something had jumped in its way and swatted it instead of me. The chimera and I both turn our heads as we watehd the object hit the wall with a loud thump and fall on the hard, almost every bone proably broken.
I couldn’t help the scream that came out of my mouth as I realize it was Kelly, who had jumped in front of me to save my life. The scream brought the Chimera’s attention back to me. I scramble backwards, trying to keep my sobs in. I look around for Nico frantically, but I don’t find him anywhere. I hit my head against a hard metal object. I look up and almost cry in relief to see it’s a water fountain.
I gather all my remaining energy and slam my hand against the water fountain. It took a second before the ground beneath me began to shake, and then it exploded, hitting the chimera right in its open mouth with a force of water so strong it could have knocked the skin of a person.
The chimera gags and roars, swiping at the water, but it kept growing at my will, the floor beginning to flood. I grab krypton and wobbly get to my feet. The chimera was too distracted to see me approach, but as soon as I got to close, it snarled and bite at me, barely missing me as I side step rather slowly. I shake my head and feel the water around my feet refresh me, give me some energy, and swing my dagger at the chimera’s eye. It screams, a horrible sound that almost deafend me, and took a step back, oozing golden blood.
It screams again, even though I hadn’t touched it, and stumbled to the side. For a moment I almost thought it was one of the marbles statues that came to life, but then I saw the jet black hair, and felt a huge weight lift of my shoulders as I see Nico slash his slick black sword across the chimeras nose.
I hurry over to his side, and help him hack and slash, not inflicting any mortal wounds, but enough to make it bleed and suffer, until we had it backed into a corner. I would jab and Nico would punt, neither of us ever getting into the others way, both of us helping each other in the most perfect synchronozation. Finally it roared once more, and I stuck krypton into the roof of its mouth, digging it deep enough that it probably hit the brain.
It exploded into a cloud of golden dust, and krypton fell to the floor with a clang. I didn’t bother to pick it up. The water sucked up into the feet beneath me. I don’t do anything for a moment. My heart was racing so fast I thought it would jump out of my chest. And the adrenaline built up in my veins kept me from feeling any pain. I could begin to feel the slight stinging in the back of my head that came from the open wound, but I don’t pay attention. I couldn’t afford to pay attention.
Then without any thought or explantion, I wrap my arms around Nico’s neck hard, making sure he wouldn’t float away. He doesn’t tense this time, probably the first time that’s ever happened, instead he wrapped his hands around me as desperately as I had him. I feel him exhale and relax, resting his chin on the top of my head, and then digging his face in my hair. His heart was beating hard against my chest, matching my pace perfectly, our breathing pacing together.
We hold on to each other for a while, and I let the few tears I allowed myself to have roll onto his shoulder. His arms were strong around me, and even though he must have been exhausted, he held me so hard I felt as if he were ready to kill anything else that tried to come at me.
After a while we let go off each other, not being able to look each other in the eye as we walk towards Kelly. I didn’t hope, I knew it was bad. But I still felt myself shudder as I see her pale face slack at my feet, a small drop of blood on the corner of her mouth.
Nico bends down and wipes the blood of, then gently places his mouth on hers, one last kiss of death from the prince of death himself, and she shimmers a little before dissapearing before our eyes. “She’s in Elysium now, no judgement for her, she died nobely, and she deserves it,” he says softly, not specifically to me, maybe to his faher, but I believed him. She died saving me. I would be the one Nico was kissing if it wasn’t for her. The thought made me shudder.
I roll over and sit up agasint the wall, checking the ruins around me. Krypton had reapperead in my knife belt. The room wasn’t wet, which was good, but it was a complete mess. Every single thing but a pot had been broken. I looked around for the statue of Hecate, but there was not a trace, not even the podium, or the plaque, which was strange. I crane my neck to look at the statue of my father. His arms had been whacked off in the fight, but his eyes were still in tact and as deep as ever.
The little statue of the chimera was no where in sight either.
We sit in silence for a while before someone spoke. “I’m sorry about Kelly, she was brave” we both jump back and hit our heads aagsint the wall. The dull stinging in the back of my head was getting more intense, and swallowing my vision.
“Lady Athena” Nico says, getting to his feet slowly, I follow his lead and bow to her. she was beautiful, with thick brown hair and gray stormy eyes, just like Annabeth’s. The thought of Annabeth throws a pit in my stomach, thinking of how sick and near to death she must be. I wonder if Athena knew her daughter was dying, or if she had better things to worry about. Anger flares in me, and I tense, Nico looks at me and shoots me a warning glance. If I didn’t want to die right now, I might want to show a little respect is along the lines of what he was trying to tell me.
“I expect no formalities after the horror you two have just experienced, I am just here to warn you,” she says. We don’t respond so she continues, “I’m sorry to say my dear children that it will unfortuantly get harder, especially if you are to make the decision to face it alone. I am here to advise you than when given the choice, allow them to accompany you” she says, staring at nico, as if he will be the one getting in the way, “You may also want to pay a visit to your father, he has many asnwers to your questions” she turns to me. “And you my dear child, prepare yourself.” Is all she says before vanishing.
I stare at the spot where she had been dumbfounded, it was going to get worse! Worse then we had already been through! And who the held does she think she is? She can’t just show up whenever she wants to tell us that its only going to worse after our friend just died. She has no right. This just wasn’t fair. We hear voices coming up the stairs, and both of us forget about Athena paying s a visit and scramble out the museum, grabbing our stuff and running far.
We rush down the stairs, ducking our heads low as we walk quickly past the police officers. At first they don’t notice anything but hen one of them speals out, and then they start yelling at us. Nico grabs my hand and we both start sprintgin as fast as we can away fromt ehm. It’s not hard to lose them at all after that since we’re half god, and trained to fight and run since before we could walk, and they’re just mortals.

Notes

Hey guys, this was a really long chapter so I cut it in two, the second half will be up shortly. Enjoy, and please comment, subscribe and vote!