Death and Madness|| Nico di Angelo

Back into the maze

The next morning we walked down to the cattle guard and said our good-byes.

"Nico, you could come with us," Percy blurted out. But I knew his answer even before Nico opened his mouth. 

He shook his head. I don't think he slept after helping through my panic attack which made me feel guilty. His eyes were red and his face chalky. He was wrapped in a black robe that must've belonged to Geryon, because it was three sizes too big even for a grown man.

"I need time to think."I could tell that he was still trying to figure his feelings out. He must have felt angry that Bianca appeared for Percy and not for him.

"Nico," Annabeth said. "Bianca just wants you to be okay."

She put her hand on his shoulder, but he pulled away. 

"You should go with them Vi" He told me. "They'll head to camp after their quest.. that's what you wanted right? to go to camp?"

"Yep, but you bet you ass I'm coming back for you" I gave him a thin smile. 

"Language" He said fighting a smile. Before he could move though, I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around him. 

He froze, unsure of how to proceed but eventually wrapped his arms around me too. "Don't die"

Before I could answer though, he trudged up the road toward the ranch house. Maybe it was my imagination, but the morning mist seemed to cling to him as he walked.

"I'm worried about him," Annabeth told Percy. "If he starts talking to Minos's ghost again—"

"He'll be all right," Eurytion promised. The cowherd had cleaned up nicely. He was wearing new jeans and a clean Western shirt and he'd even trimmed his beard. He'd put on Geryon's boots. "The boy can stay here and gather his thoughts as long as he wants. He'll be safe, I promise, and you too miss"

He said the last part looking at me. But I shook my head, I really wanted to go to camp. And it wasn't as if I would never see Nico again. 

"I'm going with them... that's if they'll have me" I looked at Annabeth sheepishly. The memory of my panic attack still vivid. 

Annabeth smiled kindly, "Of course"

"What about you?" Percy asked Eurytion.

Eurytion scratched Orthus behind one chin, then the other. "Things are going to be run a little different on this ranch from now on. No more sacred cattle meat. I'm thinking about soybean patties. And I'm going to befriend those flesh-eating horses. Might just sign up for the next rodeo."

The idea made me shudder. "Well, good luck."

"Yep." Eurytion spit into the grass. "I reckon you'll be looking for Daedalus's workshop now?"

Annabeth's eyes lit up. "Can you help us?"

Eurytion studied the cattle guard, and I got the feeling the subject of Daedalus's workshop made him uncomfortable. "Don't know where it is. But Hephaestus probably would."

"That's what Hera said," Annabeth agreed. "But how do we find Hephaestus?"

Eurytion pulled something from under the collar of his shirt. It was a necklace—a smooth silver disk on a silver chain. The disk had a depression on the middle, like a thumbprint. He handed it to Annabeth.

"Hephaestus comes here from time to time," Eurytion said. "Studies the animals and such so he can make bronze automaton copies. Last time, I— uh—did him a favor. A little trick he wanted to play on my dad, Ares, and Aphrodite. He gave me that chain in gratitude. Said if I ever needed to find him, the disk would lead me to his forges. But only once."

"And you're giving it to me?" Annabeth asked.

Eurytion blushed. "I don't need to see the forges, miss. Got enough to do here. Just press the button and you'll be on your way."

Annabeth pressed the button and the disk sprang to life. It grew eight metallic legs. Annabeth shrieked and dropped it, much to Eurytion's confusion.

"Spider!" she screamed.

"She's, um, a little scared of spiders," Grover explained. "That old grudge between Athena and Arachne."

"Oh." Eurytion looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry, miss."

The spider scrambled to the cattle guard and disappeared between the bars.

"Hurry," I said. "That thing's not going to wait for us."

Annabeth wasn't anxious to follow, but we didn't have much choice. We said our good-byes to Eurytion, Tyson pulled the cattle guard off the hole, and we dropped back into the maze.