The Angel of Death

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Minos laughed again, darkly. "We had such a good time together, little Deathling! I taught you how to use your powers, I gave you that sword! Do you think I would be so easily defeated by you, when I know exactly what you're going to do?"

"I killed you! How–"

"I was already dead, Nico! Your father cursed me with immortality, to sit behind a desk for the rest of eternity and judge whether or not a soul was boring enough to enter the Fields of Asphodel! You didn't kill me. You can't!" The mad glint had returned to Minos's eyes, and I swallowed, redoubling my struggles against the bony hands clutching my wrists and legs.

"What are you doing?" I gasped, trying to reach my sword. Minos growled and stepped on my hand, pinning it to the ground. "Why would you betray Hades like this?"

"Betray? I am not betraying him, I hate your father! He is nothing without his precious dead souls, and you are nothing without him! I am returning a favour, this is not betrayal."

"Who promised you this? You can't trust them, Minos. They are using you!"

"I know!" Minos chuckled. "That's the good part. They've promised me that there will be no underworld when they're done. Nothing to go back to, nothing to hold me here." Minos leaned his head back, closing his eyes and looking for all the world relieved at the prospect of no longer having to remain here, in any capacity. "I can be free, little Prince. That is what I was promised." He opened his eyes and peered down at me. "But I have to uphold my end of the bargain," he murmured to himself.

"What end of the bargain? What bargain?!" At this point, my only saving grace was that Minos didn't know about my wings. As soon as he found out, though, it would be over. I would have no more tricks up my sleeve, but I was praying that once the moment arose, I could get myself out of here. I didn't know where I would go, though. Back to the Wayne's? Camp wasn't an option.

But one thing at a time. Focus, Nico! Undead electrokinetic with an ulterior motive and suspicious doorway first, potential homelessness after!

"What bargain I made and with whom I made it is none of your concern, Princeling. You can't win this war. You've never faced an enemy like this, they're far beyond anything you and your pathetic little summer camp can stop. So let go." He pushed his foot harder into my hand, and I grunted as I felt bones grind against each other.

"You let fucking go!" I shouted, finally wrenching control of the skeleton hands away from him and shifting their iron grip from me to Minos's ankles. He yelped in shock, letting up on my hand. I snatched my sword and scrambled up, resting it against his throat. (He may be dead, but the Stygian iron could still trap his soul.)

He squirmed as more and more dead rose up from the cement, cracking the stone to grip his legs and arms, forcing him to kneel at my feet. "How?! I had you, I had you, you stupid brat!"

I grinned, covering the shaking I felt at the rush of unwelcome memories his presence brought. "You're wrong about that name, you keep calling me. I'm not a prince anymore, Minos. I am a king. The Ghost King. And you are just a ghost."

Minos began spitting Greek curses at me, but I was right- he was little more than a ghost, and his words didn't affect me. They might have, if he was powerful enough to put actual curses into the words he spewed, but he was weak. No, he was as strong as he'd been six years ago, I was just stronger now. And it brought me an unreal amount of satisfaction to drive Deathbringer through his throat and watch as his screams were absorbed by the metal as his body crumpled into dust.

The bones receded back into the ground, and I let out a shaky breath, lowering myself to the ground as well. That was the first soul I had ever taken with the blade. Sort of ironic, considering Minos was the one who gave it to me in the first place, who taught me how to use it, how to wield its power without succumbing to it myself. Funny that he was the one who ended up succumbing.