Iris Evans

Chapter 31: Orpheus

Nico jumped back before moving forward cautiously. He uncomfortably clutched the dagger in front of him. The entrance was dark and the ending of the tunnel couldn't be seen. The walls were cracked and made of brick, but even Nico could tell they were ancient. He wrinkled his nose before backing away, his hand grazing against the delta symbol once more, closing the entrance.

"Iris." The red head whipped around to see Nico at the doorway. "Can we talk?" He asked. The girl nodded before drying her hands.

"Yeah sure." She said and gestures towards the couch before them. Iris moved her waves out of her face before sitting in front of Nico. "What is it?" Nico fiddled with his fingers for a moment. The hesitation apparent across his strong features. He sat there as the words ran across his mind, moments at a time. "You're overthinking it," Iris frowned. "Just come out with it, can't be that bad." She mumbled.

"Is there," Nico paused as his flickered from Iris's face. "A story about bringing back someone from the dead."

"Okay so it is that bad." She said sitting up. "You want to bring Bianca back from the dead." Nico tenses before standing up and stumbling foreword towards Iris' beanbag.

He kneels towards her before cradling her hands in his own cold ones. "Please," He croaked, his eyes filling with tears once more. "Humour me for a second, yeah?" Iris pouts as she stares down at him.

"Yeah," she whispers, ignoring the look of desperation on his face. "Orpheus and Eurydice. Ever see Hadestown on Broadway, or do I need to explain it?" She asked.

"Tell me."

Iris looked away from Nico's face, even if he peered up at her with his brown eyes, pulling her in deeper. "I," she paused hesitantly, "Orpheus loved Eurydice so much when she died he tried to pull her out of the underworld by making a deal with Hades. Hades denied him only until Persephone, the Goddess of Spring persuaded him to help him. Hades said that if Orpheus can bring her to the surface, he would release he soul from the underworld. But the condition was that he couldn't look back at her, saying if their love was so strong he would trust her," Iris looked back at Nico he only dragged his thumb down the back of her hands. "He failed, and Eurydice was pulled back into the Underworld." The girl stood up and pulled Nico with her. "Please," she begged quietly, "don't do what I think you're going to do."

"How'd he get there," Nico questioned, pulling the girl closer when she tried to escape. "Just answer my question and I swear I'll drop this conversation." The boy smiled softly as he let go of the the girl.

"But I know you won't!" Iris cried, "I'm not dumb you know, I know what you're thinking and this will only hurt you more then it would heal you!" Iris grabbed onto his thin shoulders.

"Then come with me!" He said, "You know what I'm going to do, be my voice of reason!" Nico pulled Iris in for a hug as she stood there limply. "I just want to talk to her one last time. The last time we parted I...I said some things that I regret, and she doesn't deserve this, she deserves to grow into someone who didn't have to sacrifice everything for a child at her age." Nico squeezed her torso tighter and leaned his forehead onto the girl's shoulders.

A beat of silence passed in the cabin. From the windows the sun was starting to set, giving off a peaceful golden glow in the living room. Nico felt the girl's shoulders relax as she pushed him back carefully. He looked at her pensively, his eyes wide as he watched her open her mouth. "Orpheus was a musician," She said, "Son of Apollo and the Muse Calliope, he played the lyre and sang at an entrance and it opened. This is the version I know." Iris frowned. "Can we stop talking about this now." She mumbled.

Nico looked at her face, watching the lines form across her forehead. "Okay." He pulled away from her, becoming cold once more. Iris looked away for a moment before turning her body.

"Let's eat, I made some food, I'll start a fire out back." She turned away from him and motioned loosely towards the kitchen. Nico watched as she drifted off to the tiled floor silently. He sighed as he sat back down on the couch.

Iris sat on the couch as the night had already set. She stayed awake in the dark as the rustling in the loft had yet to stop. The lantern light had given off the shadows as Nico moved around, his hands moving rapidly as he packed his bag.

Pulling her blanket closer to her body she got up and walked over to the base of the ladder once the light had flickered. Nico climbed down quickly and turned to face her. "You ready?" He asked intensely.

Iris bit her lip before nodding. "Of course." She clutched the folded blanket closer to her before Nico handed over the brown messenger bag.

"Ambroisa, nectar, water, coins and a couple of credit cards, bobby pins, our wands and summer homework, change of clothes, and other necessities. Right?" Iris nodded.

"You're learning quickly. You have that dagger I gave you right?" Nico pulled at the hilt of the weapon strapped to his thigh to show her. Iris gave a sigh of relief as she fingered her necklace. 

"Thank you for doing this with me." His pale face gave a week smile. "You're my best friend." Iris matched his weak smile with one of her own before pulling back and punching him in the shoulder.

"That was awkward." She said, twirling the necklace in her fingers. "But same." She nodded. They stared in each other before eyeing the door in front of them. "Let's do this." Iris gulped.