Death and Madness|| Nico di Angelo

Vines and panic attacks

Annabeth, Percy, Grover and Tyson weren't anxious about travelling at night, so everyone crashed in house. 

I don't know where Nico slept, but Annabeth and I picked a random room, both of us too scared to sleep alone that night. 

I dreamed I was with Luke, walking through a dark palace on top of a mountain. Green fires burned in braziers along the walls. The floor was polished black marble. A cold wind blew down the hallway, and above us through the open ceiling, the sky swirled with gray storm clouds.

Luke was dressed for battle. He wore camouflage pants, a white T-shirt, and a bronze breastplate, but his sword wasn't at his side—only and empty scabbard. We walked into a large courtyard where dozens of warriors and dracaenae were preparing for war. When they saw him, the demigods rose to attention. They beat their swords against their shields.

"Issss it time, my lord?" a dracaena asked.

"Soon," Luke promised. "Continue your work."

"My lord," a voice said behind him. A woman was smiling at him. She wore a blue dres, and looked wickedly beautiful. Her eyes flickered—sometimes dark brown, sometimes pure red. Her hair was braided down her back and seemed to catch the light of the torches, as if it were anxious to turn into pure flame.

"You have a visitor," she told Luke. She stepped aside, and even Luke seemed stunned by what he saw.

A monster towered above him. Her snakes hissed around her legs. Animal heads growled at her waist. Her swords were drawn, shimmering with poison, and with her bat wings extended, she took up the entire corridor.

"You." Luke's voice sounded a little shaky. "I told you to stay on Alcatraz."

Her eyelids blinked sideways like a reptile's. She spoke in that weird rumbling language, but I understood, somewhere in the back of my mind: I come to serve. Give me revenge.

"You're a jailor," Luke said. "Your job—"

I will have them dead. No one escapes me

Luke hesitated. A line of sweat trickled down the side of his face. "Very well," he said. "You will go with us. You may carry Ariadne's string. It is a position of great honor."

The monster hissed at the stars. She sheathed her swords and turned, pounding down the hallway on her enormous dragon legs.

"We should have left that one in Tartarus," Luke mumbled. "She is too chaotic. Too powerful."

The girl laughed softly. "You should not fear power, Luke. Use it!"

"The sooner we leave, the better, Kelli" Luke said. "I want this over with."

"Aww," The girl- Kelli sympathised, running a finger down his arm. "You find it unpleasant to destroy your old camp?

"I didn't say that."

"You're not having second thoughts about your own, ah, special part?"

Luke's face turned stony. "I know my duty."

"That is good," Kelli said. "Is our strike force sufficient, do you think? Or will I need to call Mother Hecate for help?"

"We have more than enough," Luke said grimly. "The deal is almost complete. All I need now is to negotiate safe passage through the arena."

"Mmm," Kelli said. "That should be interesting. I would hate to see your handsome head on a spike if you fail."

"I will not fail. And you, demon, don't you have other matters to attend to?"

"Oh, yes." Kelli smiled. "I am bringing despair to your eavesdropping enemies. I am doing that right now."

She turned her eyes directly on me, exposed her talons, and ripped through my dream.

I woke in the dark, my hands clutching my throat.

"Violet?" Annabeth called from beside me. "Are you okay?"

I steadied my breathing. I wasn't sure how to answer. This definitely wasn't the Luke I knew. 

"What—what time is it?" I croaked.

"Three in the morning, but I just couldn't sleep" 

"Does the fear ever go away?" I asked. "Or do you still feel scared on every quest?"

"I'd like to sound tough and say no I never get scared, but the fear is always there." Annabeth sighed. "It always feels like every quest could be our last"

I suddenly didn't want to talk more about that topic so I cleared my throat and changed the subject. "So you and Percy, how long has that been going on?"

Annabeth yelped. "Oh Gods no, we're just friends"

"Sure" I chuckled, my mind drifted back to Luke and the monsters. 

Oh gods, I had been so close to going on his side. I definitely would not have met Annabeth or Nico if I had taken Luke's hand in my living room. 

This was a full scale war, and I wanted no part in it. But I'm a half blood, of course I would have to pick a side. 

My eyes prickled when I thought about meeting Luke on a battle field. What was this Kronos doing to him? My vision got blurred by tears and suddenly the room was threatening me. 

I had nowhere to go where I was safe, this war was going to be the end of me. i was sure of that. I could just about imagine Luke's sword passing through me and the image of his blue eyes would be the last thing I would see...

My heart started beating faster, I could feel that this was another panic attack, but I couldn't stop it. Vines began to grow out of the floor boards and the walls. Beside me Annabeth yelled in panic, but these vines weren't threatening her. Instead they were focused on me. 

My throat closed up. 

My vision blurred.

There was a thundering of footsteps and three figures appeared in the doorway, although only one made his way toward me. I was full on sobbing by now. It was too much. I couldn't take it anymore. 

I couldn't think straight.

Nico hesitantly wrapped his arms around me. When I didn't object, he placed my head on his chest. I could hear the steady rhythm of his heart. It was calming in a way, but the vines still hadn't stopped growing. They were making their way  towards me, but Annabeth and Percy kept cutting them. 

Nico shsushed and lowered himself so he was sitting on the bed too. 

"Hey, Vi" he whispered. "I'm here"

"Nothing's going to happen to you"

"Luke's not here" I don't know how he knew I was thinking of Luke, but I was glad he was already so in tune with my thoughts. 

He kept repeating these phrases about how I was alright and nothing was going to happen to me until I calmed down. 

My eyes were dry, and I felt exhausted. But the vines had stopped growing and I really started to believe that everything was going to be okay. 

Nico ushered the others out of the room and stayed by my side until I fell asleep.