Breaking the Gods

chapter 14

"First question," said Nico. "What is melanin?"

Landin looked at him oddly. "A pigment."

"Excuse me?" asked Nico. He glanced at Jason to see what Jason made of this.

Jason punched Landin in the stomach. "May I remind you, Landin, that you're now a prisoner of war. You will answer our questions or suffer the consequences."

Landin doubled over. "I did answer your question!"

"You called me a pig!" said Nico indignantly.

"I said pigment! It's a chemical that causes coloration!"

"Oh. Well why didn't you say so?" asked Nico.

"You would have saved yourself a punch in the stomach," added Jason.

Landin glowered at them. "It seems you really weren't completely truthful with me, Mr. di Angelo."

"Detective," corrected Nico.

"What?" Landin seemed confused.

"Detective di Angelo," said Nico. "I've decided that I want to be a detective when I grow up. Seems like your school did give me a bit of life guidance after all, but don't think that will get you a pass. You have to answer for what you've done here."

"Most definitely," agreed Jason. "Next question: what were you hoping to accomplish? Why have you been torturing demigods and driving them mad?"

"I wasn't trying to torture them," said Landin. "I was trying to free them."

"Then why are they in cells?" demanded Nico.

"An unfortunate side effect of the procedure we've been developing to free all demigods from our fate," said Landin.

"What fate are you trying to save us from?" asked Jason angrily.

"The fate of forever being a slave to your godly parent's will!" said Landin. "The fate of being a pawn in their big game, to be broken, or cast aside the moment you're no longer interesting or useful enough, and knowing that when they're done with you, you'll have helped them move the world one step closer to its destruction at their hands. Because the games they play are cruel and senseless. Take a look at the world, boys! You think it just got that way because of the senselessness of humans? No! It's the gods' fault!

"Every war since the dawn of Greek civilization was ultimately their fault! Every civil war fought since then has been because they sprouted new personalities and allowed themselves to be known by different names, and gave birth to demigods who were uniquely Roman rather than Greek, then set their two groups of children to fighting with one another over every petty slight or grudge imaginable!"

"Wait, what?" Jason looked shocked. "What do you mean . . . two groups of demigods? Is that really true?"

"It is," admitted Nico. This wasn't how he would have preferred to let Jason know, but trying to hide it anymore was too risky with Landin blabbing his big fat mouth.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you the truth earlier, Jason."

Jason looked surprised, but also a little bit like something he'd suspected had just been confirmed. "You're Greek?"

Nico nodded. "I'm the son of Hades. Not Pluto."

Jason stared at him, then finally nodded. For a second he looked a little bit scared, then started to ask. "At your camp is there anyone . . . I mean, I assume you guys have your own camp . . . but is there anyone there named -"

"Thalia Grace?"

"You know her?" Jason's voice cracked.

"Yes. And I swear to you, after we got this mess with these idiots sorted out, I was going to tell you and her both," said Nico. "I swear it on the Styx."