he had slept next to me and a towel was on my forehead as if I had fever. I probably did, I wasn't so sure. Maybe it was a reaction from the wound.

I looked at the wound I gave myself, to my surprise, it was almost healed just like Piper said it should be? Could Piper possibly charmspeak my organs to heal faster? That's impossible. Was it? She did put the earth back to sleep.

I mentally shuddered, Piper wasn't someone I wanted to anger.

The sun was still high up in the sky, I checked my phone to see that it was only past twelve.

I look back at Nico and sit beside him, shoving his stray hair away from his face. His hair was ridiculously soft, but he had to cut it sometime. If he didn't like, I'd gladly tie his hair away from his face.

The entire time the eidolon was inside my body, I could see what was happening. I initially thought that when you get possessed by eidolons, we weren't supposed to remember anything. Everything was supposed to be a light dream. It's what they taught me back at Camp.

I could see every move I made, and the cuts I inflicted on Nico. He did smack me with the hilt of his sword and trapped me between his earth again so I guess it was a fair game. Nico was so adamant about getting the eidolon out of me, but he wouldn't even dare try to cut my skin with his sword.

"Friends," I muttered brushing my hand through Nico's hair, as I remembered Nico's pained face when the eidolon told him I wanted him to like like me.

I knew deep down inside I wanted him to. I had a part of me that wished he felt the same too. But I could never cross a line I was never supposed to cross. The line beyond me, was no longer mine and if I crossed it, I would risk our friendship.

If Nico needed a friend, I'll be that friend. Even if it was all I'll ever be to him.

After thirty minutes, Nico eventually woke up and we started planning our infiltration plan.

"I think it's best if you shadow travel us both to my house. I'm guessing that's where whoever is keeping her, but I think they already know we're here. The moment we stepped in my home- in this ghost town," I swallowed thickly, "They already knew we were here,"

"We don't know our enemy, we shouldn't act too rashly," Nico reminded

"Um, who could possibly kidnap gods and goddesses?" I asked, sitting crisscrossed.

Nico took a bite from a granola bar Hazel packed for us, "Giants. Gods and goddesses stronger than them. Titans,"

I nodded, "We can assume one of those are our enemy. Or two. Or maybe even three. But I doubt it, this person has a grudge on my mother. I'm guessing it's just one,"

"Grudge," Nico echoed

"Anything entered your head?" I queried, flattening out the small map of the town I found inside the cupboard.

"I can't seem to remember anyone who held a grudge against Hecate. She helped us. She helped Hazel, she taught her how to control the mist" Nico noted

I hummed but before I could explain to him how far my house was, he snapped his fingers.

"Second Olympian War!" Nico said, jumping from his seat causing me to almost shriek out loud.

"The what war now?" I asked, I was absent during the past two great wars. It was a bummer, because I couldn't see all the cool action but I guess I was lucky too. For sure, I'd be the first one to die because I'd give up on fighting for being too lazy.

"During The Second Olympian War, I forgot- ugh! But Hecate was one of the minor goddesses who barely got any recognition. She sided with the Titans, maybe one of them held a grudge against her for changing her allegiance to us," Nico explained

"But I thought you guys obliterated the Titans?"

Nico nodded, pausing for a while, "That's true. We should have. They were stuck in Tartarus too during the Second Giant War because Gaea preferred her giants offspring over her titan offspring. But only a titan is possible of doing such. If it was just some grouchy person who wanted her to repent for changing sides, I don't think they'd be much of a match against the goddess of magic,"

"But it can't be Kronos. His consciousness is still gone, it would take a few hundred years for him to gain consciousness again," Nico added

"If it was Kronos against the two of us, I can kiss my life goodbye. See you in the Underworld Nico," I joked

Nico rolled his eyes, "Either way, this titan shouldn't even be at maximum power. I can feel its power from here, it's not massive, but still strong,"

"How do we even destroy a titan?" I groaned, pressing my face to my knees.

"I can do it, my sword will be enough to send the titan back to Tartarus" Nico said

"Cool. Do we also assume he has some goonies around? I mean, it would be pretty stupid if he was only alone," I say, stretching my legs.

Nico nods, "Yeah. I need you to distract them for me,"

My mind immediately wandered to whatever will happen to us. I was afraid I was gonna die. The prophecy said something about my relative. Oh for fuck's sake I already forgot what the prophecy even said. I was also afraid Nico might get hurt. He was only here because of me.

Nico must've noticed my discomfort at the thought of facing my mother after all we've been through because he held my lower arms firmly and looked at me.

"We'll be fine," He reassured, giving me a smile.

Nico was so beautiful. His smiles were rarer than the rarest gemstone on earth. Not the smile he gives you when he's like ready to fight, not the smile that taunts his enemy, not the smile that makes me feel annoyed because it's a smirk not a smile.

It was a rare smile. The most genuine smile Nico could ever give. The one that made my heart race and made me inwardly swoon. The smile was so soft you'd feel like you're in the sky with the cotton candy clouds and it's sunset, the sky was all lilac and pink.

"Can I just...hug you?" I blurted out, my head still in the clouds.

Nico's eyes widened. And I started taking it back.

"I'm just kidding! I-it was just a thought and I-"

Nico laughed before pulling me towards him and giving me the warmest embrace I could ever get. For someone who tended to have a body temperature like Nico, which was cold by the way, I found it ironic to think his hug was warm.

"Hey Nico, if I don't make it—"

"If you say 'If I don't make it back alive' one more time I swear I'm gonna sack you in the face," Nico interrupted, his grip on me tightening.

I snickered, "Okay, never mind. I wouldn't want the ghost king to sack me in the face,"

"Thank you," I tell him, burying my face on his neck.

A deep chuckle vibrated from him to me, "For?"

"For being here with me," I mumbled

"Well, I have gotten accustomed to you," Nico teased nonchalantly as I pulled back with a fake look of surprise on my face.

"Oh you lie," I say with a fake British accent.

Nico laughs and grabs my wrist, "Come on drama queen, let's go save your mother,"

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