Where The Lonely Belong

SPEAKING THE DEVIL

Nico was sitting on the lowest branch of an oak that was the nearest tree to Percy's cabin. He touched a feather looking crystal on his chest. The difference between this one and the one he gave to Percy, was that his charm was mixed with Stygian Iron so it looked like the night sky brightened with hundreds of milky stars. It glowed slightly in the moonlight that was ripping through oaken leaves.
'I'll be the guardian of your dreams' Nico reminded himself his own words and he shook his head. What is wrong with me? he thought and run his fingers through dark mess on his head. I'm so pathetic, it's not going to change anything. He doesn't love me, he snorted, we're not even friends he was just about to climb higher and go to sleep when the door to Poseidon's cabin opened and he heard a quiet hiss.

'Nico? Are you there?'

Nico sighed and dissolved into shadow, not feeling ready to deal with Percy yet.
Percy walked out closing the door after himself. He had bare feet, but he didn't mind. Ground was surprisingly warm and dry. He made a cycle around the Camp, but Nico was nowhere to be found 'For the love of Hades' he mumbled and sat on the stone and fixed his eyes on mirror of the lake.

'Oh Percy, I thought that you know that I have no love for you - to feel anything you need a heart and as far as I'm concerned I don't have one' the voice appeard out of nowhere. Percy looked around to find Hades standing behind him with unreadable expression.

'What are you doing here?' He frowned.

'You forgot to add "Sir", but let's leave the etiquette and talk about the important stuff, shall we?' the god raised his eyebrow

'And that is?'

'My son'

Percy frowned once again 'What about him?'

'Well apart from that he's in love with you? Not much. He acted differently today, after he came back from Camp Jupiter where I send him.'

'What do you mean, by differently?'

'Well, he was smiling what is really unusual, confusing and a little bit... "creepy" as you'd say. Also he spend over three hours on carving that thing you have on your neck'

Percy clenched his hand on the necklace instinctively.

'You have no idea how valuable that crystal is' Hades continued 'And how hard it is to create it - you can't do it by using craftsmanship. You need magic. A lot of it. Nico was drowned out of power after he finished, yet he decided to pay you a visit'

Percy was shocked to hear how much effort Nico put into creating this for him. He didn't know what to say and it seemed that Hades wasn't done yet.

'My point is - he really cares about you and I'm afraid it'll destroy him in the end. So I want to warn you - hurt my son and you'll end up in the darkest and deepest part of Tartarus. Are we clear?'

'For someone without a heart you seem to care a lot about Nico' Percy smiled with sympathy 'I swear on the River Styx that I won't hurt your son'

Hades sighed 'Good enough I guess. Break your promise and I'll break your bones before sending you to my kingdom' and then he vanished.

Percy slowly let go of the necklace and as he stared at the delicately wrinkled water a plan started to blossom inside of his seaweed brain.