By Amanda Pizzolatto (alias Aurora Mandeville)

Word Count: 31845

Rating: PG for scary situations

Summary: Nico Di Angelo, son of Hades, is used to being alone, until one day a girl with auburn hair waltzes into his life…

It was mid-morning by the time Nico found Victor Getz’s office, where Victor, Riccio, and Mosca were found, chatting.

“Oh, good, you didn’t do anything to him,” panted Nico.

“Oh, so you were on my side,” Victor said. “Would have liked to have had you here, but, as you can see, or as Mrs. Hartlieb so eloquently put it, things have resolved themselves.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Victor called the Hartliebs, and they told us that Bo was with them,” explained Mosca.

“Prop just left to go find them.”

“By the way,” asked Victor, “where were you, my young ally?”

“I went to Scipio’s; if the police had been at the Stellar, they would have seen his father about the whole affair.”

“Eh, smart kid. So, while you were gone finding the truth, your friends came here to terrorize me behind your back.”

“Apparently.” Nico glared at Riccio and Mosca, making the two of them find their shoes interesting. He turned back to Victor. “Oh, can you check the money?”

“He already did, it’s nothing but funny money.”

Nico glanced at Riccio, a question on his tongue.

“In other words, Nico, it’s all fake,” explained Victor, rising from his chair. “Well, now that everyone is in the know about what’s going on, I suggest we go back to the Stellar, gather your things, and go to Ida’s. She should have some extra room to house you since, as you can tell from my humble abode, I have no room for you.”

“What should we do with the funny money?”

A mischievous smile grew on Nico’s face. “We’ll hide it at the Stellar until we need it.”

“Until we need it? What would we need it for?”

“An idea I’ve got. I’d have to run it by Scip first, but it’s going to be nice.”

“Alright, whatever, as long as I’m in on it,” replied Riccio as he grabbed the bag.

Nico smirked as he followed him and Mosca out. “Oh, don’t worry, you’re definitely on my list of people I want helping me with this.”

“Good, cuz I can’t wait to see how one of your plans works out,” grinned Riccio.

Victor locked his apartment door before following the boys back to the Stellar. About an hour later the group was at Ida’s house, carrying a couple of bags and a trunk full of the children’s belongings. Victor’s knock was quickly answered by the housekeeper.

“What do you want?”

“We’re here to see Ida Spavento,” replied Victor as he let the boys go in first.

“Wait, don’t I know you?”

“Yes, you do, and we’re staying this time,” quipped Riccio as he helped Mosca carry the trunk into the house.

Just then, Ida came to the door, taking one of the parcels that Nico was carrying.

“Victor, what’s going on?” she asked.

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

Once they got the luggage set down, Riccio and Mosca began telling Ida everything that had happened since they parted ways the night before.

“And to make things even worse, the Conte gave us fake money.”

Ida’s mouth dropped open. “No.”

“These kids are in enough trouble as it is, Ida. You really haven’t helped.”

Ida sighed. “Well, I guess I’m the one in trouble now.”

“Well, I’m sure they’ll figure something out. Darn it, Ida, what were you thinking, taking these kids with you on one of your crazy adventures?”

“And what would you have done? Locked them all up in the orphanage again?”

“Talking of which, Nico thinks that they took Hornet and Lucy to the Merciful Sisters. Does anybody know Hornet’s real name?”

On a hunch, Nico rose from his seat and went to one of the luggage parcels, opening it to reveal dozens of books. He didn’t let anyone know, but on the inside, he was sucking his breath as he glanced at the title of the first book he grabbed, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. He quickly opened it to the title page, and there was Lucy’s signature on the inside of the cover, along with another name.

At that moment, both girls were getting adjusted to the orphanage, trying to figure out a way to get back to the Stellar. The next thing they knew, they were washing dishes. Both were startled when a nun came in and said a name.

“Katarina?”

“How does she know your name?” whispered Lucy as the two looked up from drying dishes.

“Ah-ha, so that is your name. Come with me. You too, Lucy, you both have visitors.”

“Who?”

“Katarina’s godmother and your family apparently hired a detective to find you, Lucy.” The girls glanced at each other before following the sister out to the front. When they walked out, they had no choice but to grin; Ida and Victor were waiting for them. Hornet rushed into Ida’s arms, while Lucy had to hide her excitement in already knowing the hired detective. With some help, Ida had come up with some false papers for the nuns, but having known Ida for so long, they didn’t take a good look and let Ida take Hornet without question. Within a few minutes, the four were out of the orphanage and on their way back to Ida’s, the boys filling in the girls on everything they had missed as soon as the four walked into the house. While Ida began getting things ready, Riccio set out to get Prop. When the two returned, dinner was on the table, and there were beds set up in the attic, more comfortable than the ones they had back at the Stellar. At the dinner table, stories were swapped for the hundredth time that day. Nico told of his visit to Scipio, leaving out the shadow-travel bit, of course, while Mosca and Riccio told of their visit to Victor. Then Prop told of Bo’s antics with the Hartliebs, and the girls finished with the details of their capture.

“Barbarossa!”

Prop groaned. “We shouldn’t have taken Bo with us to see him!”

Hornet sighed. “I know, but it’s too late to worry about that now. What’s done is done, all we can worry about now is getting Bo away from your aunt and uncle.”

She glanced at Nico, and he understand what that look meant—they would be hoping that he could use his powers to get the boys away long enough for the Hartliebs to leave before bringing them back.

“Well, I think it’s time for everyone to get to bed.” Ida said. “We’ve all had a long day, and from what I’m gathering from the stories we’ve just heard, you boys have not had much sleep.” As if on cue, Nico’s eyelids began to droop. Ida smiled. “Case in point; I want you in bed before you fall over and start drooling all over my floors. Go on, goodnight!”

The boys slowly rose, and with some help from each other, got upstairs where they quickly changed into pajamas and collapsed on their beds. The next thing Nico knew, he was being shaken awake. His eyelids slowly peeled open, and an all-too-familiar mask was peering at him.

“Scipio?”

Scipio put a finger to his mouth, then moved over to where Prop lay, and gently shook him awake. “Come on, hurry up and change.”

The two quickly did as he asked, an idea of where they were going growing in Nico’s mind. While they were tying their shoes, Scipio walked to the door and opened it, letting Lucy in. Nico opened his mouth to protest, but Scipio silenced him with a shake of his head before motioning them to a shadow.

Nico sighed. “Where do you want to go?”

“The port.”

Nico nodded, made sure they were all holding on to him tightly, and went through. They came out through a shadow just below a bridge, the lights casting a silent glow on two boats before disappearing into the water below.

“How did you know we were at Ida’s?” asked Prop as he followed Scipio to one of the boats, Lucy and Nico not far behind.

“How quickly you forget how I can go through this city, tracking whom I please. They took Bo away from you because you’re not grown-up like them. There’s only one thing for it, Prop, we have to go back to the island and take the ride of our lives.”

Prop glanced at Lucy and Nico, “So why are they coming?”

“Aliens,” replied Scipio as he boarded the boat. Prop glanced between him, Nico, and Lucy. “Get in, we’ll explain on the way.”

Nico scoffed, “I think you have more explaining to do than the rest of us.” Scipio merely smiled as he motioned them to join him. Prop jumped into the seat besides Scipio while Lucy and Nico climbed into the back seat. Scipio started the boat, and the explanations came as they journeyed to Isla Secreta.

<-Previous  Next->