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…
Not only did Nico get to go to the rehearsal dinner, he also got to go to the wedding. The Burkes picked him up along with Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, two grandparent-like characters whose talk of how things were before World War II made Nico feel less like a freak for being alive during World War II. But, even as he spoke with them, he couldn’t shake the feeling that several of the people he was introduced to had names that seemed to come out of books. On top of that, Nico sensed that these people knew he was keeping a secret from them, just like Nico knew that they were keeping a secret from him. Though he was curious as to what they were hiding, he didn’t push the subject out of fear that he would have to reveal his secret in return, and he wanted these kind people to like him for who he was, not fear him because of whose son he was or his powers, much less put their lives in danger. The only thing that Nico wanted to hide, but was not succeeding at, was his elation at being practically adopted into this group of lovely people and to be able to attend something besides a funeral. No matter how hard he tried, he just kept proving Mr. Cooper right that he was a lonely little boy starving for a family and friends.
Lucy, Leslie, and Jesse Aarons provided adequate friendship as the trio practically dragged him everywhere in exploration of the church and later the grounds of the reception hall. And while Nico did enjoy the exploring, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, and not just by a fellow whose eyes looked like he had seen centuries of pain and joy. But with that bow tie of his and his side-swept bangs, it only made him look crazy. There was something else, something that always seemed to follow them wherever they went, something that seemed to be close but always stayed well out of sight, something sinister. Nico would get the group moving whenever he thought that something was getting closer, only keeping them one step ahead of the impending danger. Nico didn’t feel safe until they had gotten back into the reception hall, where the crazy man was waiting.
“Nice job you did back there, though you could have told them you were being followed,” he muttered to Nico as he walked past.
Nico glanced up at him, alarmed and somewhat angry. “We’re celebrating a wedding here, there’s no need to dampen the mood,” he growled.
“That we are, that we are. Very well, carry on, Nico di Angelo, right? Means conqueror of angels in Italian, if I remember correctly. What is it with Italy these days?”
Nico stared after him as he walked away, thinking he had gone stark mad.
Lucy’s voice broke him out of his stupor. “Are you alright, Nico?” she asked, looking a little worried.
“That guy’s raving mad; how can you put up with him?”
Lucy laughed. “Well, considering he’s the doctor who saved our lives several times, I think it’s safe to say that we owe it to him.”
Nico glanced at the doctor, still unsure if the man could be trusted, but said no more on the matter as Lucy dragged him out to the dance floor. The rest of the party went smoothly—no more feelings of impending doom, no more crazy talk from the doctor whose name Nico never got. Soon, it was time to leave and let the newlyweds get ready for their honeymoon. Nico had a hard time relaxing until the Burkes left him back at the cemetery, where they had picked him up. Even then, he still felt like something was wrong, but at least his new friends were out of harm’s way. If he could keep the danger focused on him, he could keep them safe. Now all he had to do was to find the source of the danger and eliminate it before it harmed any of them. But he couldn’t think more on it as he felt his eyelids begin to droop, the excitement of the day wearing on him.
Then his eyes snapped open; something was definitely watching him. He scanned the cemetery, but didn’t see anyone or anything. He tried to shake the feeling of dread that threatened to tighten his chest, but all he could do was glance at the gravestones that he passed. None of the names registered any familiarity, except for Abigail Cooper, and for the first time in his life, Nico di Angelo, the Ghost King, wanted to get as far away from the cemetery as possible. He checked the area again before shadow-traveling back to camp, not able to shake the horrible feeling until he was in his cabin.
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