The Chloe Chronicles: The Lost Goddess

Nico never thought someone could be so cruel, then again, the world was a cruel place, and Nico learned that the hard way. Nico noticed at the campfire how upset Chloe was when she learned that Andrew as a son of Athena hated her. The hurt had spread across her face like a tsunami when he wouldn't look at her. Nico knew he had to do something before Andrew hurt her more, he was so irresponsible! He ushered Chloe quickly away from the crowd and slowed down once they reached the edge of the cabins.
"You'll like the Poseidon cabin." Nico said quietly. "It's..blue."
Chloe's eyes stared up at him and he looked down quickly. Her eyes shined with tears, and Nico couldn't stand it. Chloe's eyes looked so innocent and curious, his were the exact opposite.
"Have you ever been inside?" Chloe asked. Nico saw her small frame shiver in cold breeze and he reached his hand up behind her. He was reluctant to bring her to him, he didn't want to scare her away. His skin was as cold as the Styx, according to Percy.
He touched her shoulder gently and nodded slowly. "A couple times. I haven't stayed in there for long though..sometimes people get uncomfortable with my presence."
Chloe leaned into his touch, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked. An overwhelming sweet smell got his attention and he wondered what it could be. Nico brought himself to sniff her hair, and then he pulled back quickly. She smelled like strawberries, but still had a musky ocean scent.
Gods, she smells like Percy.
Nico bit his lip and stopped at the door to the Poseidon cabin. "Here it is." He choked out.
You have to control your feelings..you have to control your feelings..you have to control your feelings. Be a man.
Chloe walked in slowly, taking in her new surroundings and Nico sighed. The cabin was quiet, the only sound was water trickling from a fountain. The blue green walls had a wave pattern with some pictures hanging up in the back of the room. A table with maps of the ocean lay sprawled out, and a telescope poking it's head out the corner. A fish tank was set up by the back door, on top of a book shelf. Nico had never seen many books here in the Poseidon cabin, besides comic books.
Chloe walked around the room, careful not to bump into anything and Nico glanced at her arms. The bruises were healing, but the burn mark had disappeared. Her right hand unconsciously brushed the left arm, touching where the angry marks had been placed. Nico had never noticed how skinny she was; Chloe was thin! He didn't know if she was skinnier than he was; she seemed bony and frail.
Chloe moved over to a couch Percy had placed in the living room, and ran her hands over the soft blue fabric.
"This is..so cool." Chloe said.
Nico grinned, then quickly looked down at the floor. Chloe reminded him of how he was when he first came here. He was innocent, now he was hated, dirty, and shunned.
"Annabeth helped Percy redecorate the cabin a couple summers ago. She has a thing for design." Nico said. He tried a conversation, but he knew she would get tired of talking to him.
Chloe looked up at the ceiling, looking around at the fish who swam around as if it were a real aquarium. Nico started to mess with his skull ring as his mind wandered. It was no surprise Percy never noticed a detail to the cabin like that. He was so oblivious to everything.
"It looks amazing. What does your cabin look like?"
Nico glanced up from his hand at Chloe, who stood in front of him, her gaze locked on his face. Her skin was a light color, but not pale like his. Pieces of her hair hung in front of her eyes and Nico swallowed again.
Control your feelings....control your feelings..control your feelings...control your feelings...
Nico shrugged. "It's uh...kind of dark. I don't really think you would like going in there. It's..haunted."
Chloe smiled. "I don't mind the dark. Besides, if you are there with me, then what's the problem?"
Nico shifted around on his feet. He had never really met someone who would want to venture into his cabin. "I just-"
Chloe interrupted him by pressing a hand to his cheek, the warmth of her skin spreading across his face. Nico pulled back quickly and stumbled, falling back onto the couch.
Chloe giggled, and held out her hand. "Are you okay?"
Nico nodded and sat up, her expression resembled one of Percy's without one flaw. He brushed his hand behind his head. Was he beginning to have feelings for her? No, Nico couldn't. He didn't know her, he wasn't going to fall for another Percy.
"Curfew doesn't uh..start..for a while..." Nico said, trying to change the subject when his eyes moved over to Chloe's arms. Some of the bruises showed through the fabric of her shirt and he felt himself reach and grab one of her arms.
Chloe gasped and he pulled away. Nico silently cursed. He should have been more careful, some of her skin was exposed.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the floor, refusing to connect his eyes with hers.
"Nico..?"
"Sorry..I shouldn't have done that." He muttered.
"Do what? I only gasped because I'm still sore on my arm."
Nico continued to look at the floor stubbornly.
"Nico.."
"Chloe..I'm sorry..I didn't know you were sore."
"Nico.."
"I just can't touch people."
"Nico.."
"Chloe, what is it!" Nico yelled, his anger getting the best of him. Then he realized Chloe wasn't looking at him, she was looking out the window. He saw something shine in the dark, but what could it be? He moved closer to get a better look and that was when a monstrous figure jumped through the window and tackled him.
Nico's eyes widened when a massive set of jaws tried to bite his face off and rolled to the side, getting out of the position he stood back up, his vision a little dizzy when he saw the monster stalking Chloe.
It looked like a dog, but it was much larger. The monster was a large but smaller than a hellhound, and it had reddish fur. It's teeth were replaced with fangs and it's eyes were black pits. It's claws were long, and they had traces of blood on them.
Chloe had stood up on the couch, telling the monster to sit, but none of it helped. The dog snapped at her and she yelped. Nico drew his sword.
He swung the blade, slicing skin from the dog's shoulder and it cried out in pain. The beast turned to him and lunged. Nico ducked out of the way as the monster crashed into the tables with maps, the legs breaking from the weight. The monster looked back over towards where Chloe used to stand and it growled. Nico was confused. He had just attacked the dog, why did it care about Chloe?
The monstrous dog looked around the room for Chloe when Nico felt a hand on his shoulder.
"What do we do?!" Chloe whispered frantically in his ear.
"This is abnormal." Nico said, "The only monsters here are monsters Chiron uses to challenge us, and they are only in the woods! Stay behind me, we need to figure out how it got here."
The dog turned and snapped at them, it's mouth foaming with poison, causing the wooded floor to sizzle.
Nico tried to remember any kind of monstrous dog from any Greek myths. He wished Annabeth was here, she would know what it was.
"Chloe, do you remember any Greek myths about a dog of some kind?"
Chloe looked at the floor for a moment. "Um...only one. It was about a dog that would always catch it's prey, it was used for hunting demigods. I think it was called a lailaps."
The monster growled at Nico and charged again, Nico swiping more skin from it's face.
Nico yelped as the dog tackled him. He stabbed it in the stomach with his sword, twisting the cold metal.
"Nico!" Chloe squealed and the monster turned to dust, leaving Nico on the floor, with cuts on his arm.
"Ugh gods, it scratched me."
Chloe knelt in front of him and held up his arm, which felt numb.
"I think I know what to do..." She said.
"Chloe..we need to go to the infirmary." Nico croaked. Chloe brushed back his hair and shushed him gently.
"Can you stand up?" She asked. Nico nodded and used his other arm, to steady himself.
"Chloe, I need to go to the infirmary."
Chloe brought him to her chest and held his arm under the fountain of water that ran in the cabin. Nico grimaced, the water beat against his skin, and blood began pouring out.
Chloe put her hand on the wound and the water rushed over it, healing Nico's cut.
She brought his arm out of the water, and dried his skin with her shirt.
Nico sat up trying to feel relieved that his arm no longer looked like slices of meat. He tried to keep his head up, but he couln't, he was so dizzy! A wave of nausea overcame him and he collapsed against the corner of the fountain, passing out from exhaustion.

Notes

Hi readers!
Thanks so much for sticking with me, I know this might get a little boring.....
Anyway, I just wanted to add a quick little note about the lateness of my update.....I have had a lot of crap to do! I have been with little children all day long and have been busy editing and writing this story! Let me know what you think in the comments below!
-RunningGodling