"I don't have much time, Skylar, but I will try to explain everything to the best of my ability. After the gods sent you back to your mother I visited you that night when your mother was asleep. You were a gorgeous young baby and you could warm the heart of any one. I couldn't help but smile at you. I put my hand over you and gave you the power to manipulate the darkness and night to your advantage, to manipulate black lightning, and to night travel."

"What does that mean?" I asked Night.

"You can envelope yourself in darkness so you're invisible you can summon black lightning which is much more dangerous than regular lightning, it can completely obliterate its target if you want it to. Then, there's night traveling, you can travel anywhere you'd like just by thinking about it."

"So, like shadow traveling."

"No. You can only use it at night or in complete darkness, not just shadows. These powers are only for emergencies so don't use them casually. I gave you these powers because you can be strong."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked and she seemed regretful for a second."

"I swear I don't want to do any harm, at first I did but now that I know the Fates are pulling you into this I want to end it. Other gods and goddesses of Tartarus are controlling this and I can't stop them anymore. They kidnapped your friend and have done everything since you first saw that hellhound at your school. You weren't supposed to know that you were a demigod until you were fourteen. I want to protect you now. You mean so much to me, I needed to warn you."

"Why did you start this master plan anyway?"

"I wanted revenge on all the demigods that disowned my children and the gods for putting me in Tartarus. Also... For taking you away from me."

"What?"

"After I blessed you, I asked the gods to let me visit you. They denied it and sent me back." Tears had gathered in her eyes and I want to leave, this is so confusing.

"I'm sorry but this is too confusing right now." Night nods and says one more thing.

"Fight well and remember that I am on your side. Also, that boy with you? Trust him with your life. I've seen many good sons of Hades over the past millennial."

With that, I was pulled from the dream.

I shot up in my sleeping bag with a gasp and my breathing was heavy. As I calmed down I saw Nico stir and wake up, his eyes were half shut so I guess I woke him and not a nightmare. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked at me quizzically.

"Nightmare?" he simply said and I nodded. "Tell me about it. It might help in the quest." So, I explained my dream leaving out the parts about him because those were both about our two possible futures and I didn't feel like freaking him out.

Nico listened intently, nodding along and widening his eyes when he became surprised. He looked confused when I started saying Night was good and everything. I finished it all not forgetting anything that I wanted to say.

"That's... Interesting." Nico finally said after a few seconds. I nodded.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Now, we get ready to destroy other gods of Tartarus and try not to get killed."

"With the help of Night." I remind.

"This just gets better and better." He shakes his head and chuckles sarcastically.

I lean against my bag and sit there for a while. Nico laid back down to get some sleep. At first I tried that but it didn't really work. So, I stayed up and thought for a little while. Nico started to stir and then I realized he'd never actually fallen asleep.

He turned over and sighed. I looked at the son of Hades wanting nothing more than to curl up in a ball at his side but I bit my tongue. Nico looked back at me and his obsidian eyes met my blue ones. He just stared into my eyes for a second before he sat up slowly. I began to bite my lip because of the awkwardness I was feeling and his eyes suddenly glowed red. Startled, I bite my lip harder than suspected and I release my now slightly swollen lip.

Before I can understand what's happening or even do anything, Nico had shot up and was in front of me. My breath hitched and my heart skipped a beat. His eyes glowed brighter.

"My effect on you is amusing." He smirked at me.

"What are you talking about?" My voice was just above a whisper.

"The way your heart skipped a beat and your breathing stopped for a second. How your eyes seem to freeze when I look into yours. Even how you bite your lip when I look at you for more than a few seconds. Or when my eyes glow red and you bite down a little too hard and you make your bottom lip cherry red and swollen. It's... Amusing." He was whispering but that only made things worse.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

I didn't have time to register what happened. Nico's lips landed on mine roughly and he pulled me onto his lap. I wrapped my legs around his torso and tangled my fingers in his over grown black hair. One of his hands laid loosely on my hip while the other held in place just below my jaw. Nico sucked on my bottom lip, which was still tender, and I gasped in surprise. He plunged his tongue into my mouth and explored every inch of it. The hand on my hip snaked around my lower back and his grip tightened. Nico pulled me closer to him, closing the gap that had originally separated us.

The Ghost King pulled away to catch his breath and then kissed his way down my neck. He quickly found my sweet spot and sucked lightly - most likely leaving a mark. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. I sighed and Nico took the opportunity to latch his lips back onto mine. He licked my bottom lip asking for entrance but this time I denied. Nico groaned slightly and then bit down, hard. Our tongues fought for dominance and once again he explored my mouth.

Nico's hand had slipped from below my jaw and know he held my hips down with both hands. The kiss slowed down and we pulled apart slightly only to continue to give each other small kisses until our heads were finally apart. We were both panting slightly and Nico had a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Get some sleep. You'll need it." Nico crawled back over to his sleeping bag then turned to me, "Sweet dreams, Princess." Though Nico's eyes didn't have the red glow to them, they had a certain glint that told me he had won some sort of battle and I have a feeling a small part of it had to do with Percy's anger about me hanging out with a certain son of Hades.

I laid down in my sleeping bag and looked up at nothingness. I just kissed the son of Hades. Okay then.

***

When I woke up, the sun was shining through a small opening in the front of the tent. I looked to where Nico slept and saw an empty space so I assume he was already up. I blinked the sleep from my eyes and threw my hair op in a messy bun. Getting up and crawling toward the opening, I let myself out of the tent.

In front of me was Nico di Angelo making breakfast... Shirtless. I think he's doing this on purpose. He turned around and looked at me with his signature smirk. Nico rose his arms above his head and stretched. A blush formed on my cheeks as I notice I was caught checking Nico out by Nico. I clear my throat and walk out.

"Good morning," I say stiffly.

"Mornin'," Nico replies breezily. That little...

"So, what's for breakfast?" I try to make simple conversation.

"Just some oatmeal." I nodded and looked him over now that I wasn't just staring at his back.

Nico had a toned chest with tanned skin that looked to have paled over long periods in the darkness. His arms were muscular but not too muscular. He'd probably gotten that after his years of sword fighting and Capture the Flag. I noticed a fading scar on the side of his hip. The scar went in a slight curve and trailed down and disappeared into the waistband of his pants. It was at least a foot long and very thin.

"Where'd you get that scar?" I asked suddenly. Nico looked up and frowned noticing what I was indicating.

"On another quest. I was with the Seven after the war and got into some trouble with some venti - storm spirits. Jason was able to control them but one was particularly tough and stubborn. Percy came to help but his grip slipped on the hilt of his sword and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Piper fed me some ambrosia but it was pretty deep so the scar stayed." I pursed my lips and nodded.

"Well, how's breakfast coming?" I asked trying to change the subject.

I haven't know Percy for that long but I do know his grip doesn't just slip. There's something Nico isn't telling me about that scar. Something he isn't comfortable with. I just need to find out what it is and why he isn't comfortable with it. It can't be that bad, right? Then again, it's so bad that Nico doesn't want to talk about it. But Nico doesn't talk much anyway. I'm over thinking things.