The Blood of Olympus

Chapter Eight: Nico

Chapter Eight

Nico's POV

Nico thought his heart was going to explode.

Coach Hedge had been sent off to scout ahead, and Nico was crouched next to Reyna's motionless form. Remembering the darkness, Nico shivered.

"What's that?" Reyna frowned, staring at the horizon.

Nico groaned as he moved into a sitting position, propping himself up against the statue. "What?" He asked drowsily. Their recent shadow-travel hadn't been kind to him, and he felt like he'd been given a bucket of sleeping pills, and then a herd of elephants had trampled him. In other words, he felt like crap.

"There." Reyna pointed. Coach Hedge raised his head from grazing.

"Can we kill it?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "You can't kill shadows." Wobbly, he struggled to stand, using the statue as support. Then he scowled. "Wait...."

"What?" Reyna asked nervously.

"Those aren't shadows..." Nico muttered.

"So..." Coach Hedge added. "Can't we just kill it then?"

Nico's face paled. He'd seen this before. In Tartarus. It was....it was.....

"It's the Spirit of Night," Nico told them. "We need to get out of here! Now!"

The Night was approaching at a very rapid speed, and was getting bigger and closer.

"I-I can shadow-travel you out of here," Nico said. "Grab onto the statue."

Reyna scowled. "What about you?"

Nico looked at her. "I can't shadow-travel us all."

Coach Hedge looked shocked. "What?! Kid, you're not sacrificing yourself for this."

"What other choice do we have?!" Nico snapped.

Reyna paced. "When Night hits, we can hide behind the statue. That would take the worst of it."

"That's a good idea," Coach Hedge said. "But I'm sure that throwing the club at it-"

Reyna glared at him, at he shrunk back. "Okay, okay, Ms. Praetor. Let's get behind that statue."

Night was so close, Nico could feel it trying to pull him in, trying to tear him apart.

Coach reached behind the statue first. "Hurry!" He had to shout to be heard over the wind.

"Nico, c'mon!" Reyna urged. Nico was stumbling along as fast as he could, which, after the last shadow-travel, wasn't faster than Night. It churned up the ground at his heels, and Nico knew it was the end.

And then Reyna leapt from behind the statue and grabbed his arm, shoving him behind it.

But Reyna hadn't been fast enough to save herself.

The rain had stopped, and Nico was about to give up hope, when Reyna stirred. She blinked her eyes open. "N-Nico?"

"Reyna!" Nico cried. "Reyna, you're alright!"

She gave him a small smile. "Course I am. Not gonna be killed by the dark."

"Night," Nico corrected. "There's a difference."

Reyna smirked.

Coach Hedge trotted up to them. "Hey, she's alive!"

"Why are you so surprised?" Reyna tried to sit up, but fell back with a gasp. "Ohhhh...."