I sat at the Hades table staring at Nico’s back as he walked to get ready for Capture the Flag. He makes no sense but maybe that’s why I’m so attracted to him. It might also be the fact that I feel I used to be like him. If I can overcome it, he can too.

“You are really bad at hiding your feelings. Even the Hypnos kids can tell you like him. And they’re asleep!” I snap out of my daze at the sound of Percy’s voice.

“Can I not fantasize without you showing up to tease?”

“No, you - wait. What are you fantasizing about?” Percy suddenly becomes serious and nervous. Poor Percy.

“I can’t tell you dear brother.” I sing and skip away patting his head.

“Sky!” He runs after me but I take a short-cut he doesn’t know about. I’m evil and I love it. I could still hear Percy crying out for an explanation.

When I got to the cabin Percy had already left. I quickly put my armor on and left for the game. It was Athena, Hermes, Hephaestus, Hades, and Poseidon against Ares, Apollo, Demeter, Dionysus, and Zeus (Jupiter since it’s Jason). I was going to be on defence with Percy, Leo, and Nico.

“Finally! I was worried you forgot.” Annabeth shouted and told me where to go. I run to meet up with the others and avoid Annabeth’s cold stare. I think I made her mad.

“What do you think about?” Percy and Leo ask at the same time.

“You told Leo!” I scream at Percy and he shrugged.

“And Nico.” Leo piped in and I paled then flushed a bright pink.

"Please tell me you didn’t say about who.” I whispered and Percy shook his head.

“Answer!” Percy says after I don’t reply.

“No. I don’t have to tell you what goes on in my mind. It’d be too confusing anyway.” Before he can reply, the conch horn blows and the game starts.

Percy and Leo are to the right of Nico and I by a few yards. Percy said that we should have a partner and put me with Nico. I hate him. I completely and totally hate him. He’s trying to get killed by his sister and I’m three seconds away from obliging. I’m not kidding.

The area was silent for a few minutes until there was a twig snap. We all got ready for a battle and waited for any reason to attack. Four Ares kids jump out and I noticed them to be Clarisse, her brother Derek, and her two twin sisters Alex and Sami. They sneared and advanced. The twins came at Nico and I while the others went to the other two.

“Clarisse,” Percy said.

"Prissy,” she sneared back.

Within seconds, we were fighting. I had Sami, Nico had Alex, Percy had Clarisse, and Leo had Derek. Leo had bent  Derek’s sword and was now throwing balls of fire at him. Nico was doing a pretty good job with Alex, they were going sword on dagger and Nico was seconds away from unarming her. Percy was going at it with Clarisse sword on electric spear and was trying not to get electrocuted. Smart boy. They were all doing well. I, on the other hand, was not. Sami had disarmed me and I couldn’t use arrows - we were too close. She was backing me up and I couldn’t do anything.

Nico had his sword pointed at Alex’s neck, Leo trapped Derek in a ring of fire, and Percy broke Clarisse’s spear in two and she was cursing in Greek. Something about how that was the third time he broke her spear? I don’t know. Anyway, here I was, completely defenseless, and no one could help me without getting into another fight.

I kept backing up until I my foot dipped into something wet. Water. I stopped and looked down at the small puddle at my feet. I concentrated and felt a small tug in my gut and the next thing I know, the water wrapped around Sami and froze. Everyone was staring at me but I didn’t care.

“Dead,” I whispered. “Dead, dead, dead!”

“Whatever.” Sami said and struggled against the ice.

I saw a red blur go by and then the clacking of metal. I think Annabeth got the flag. Sure enough, five minutes later when Percy, Leo and I were working on getting Sami out of her prison, the conch horn blew and cheering started from our side of the woods. We had won.

Annabeth ran towards us smiling and started blabbing on about the win when she saw the ice covered Ares’ kid. She stopped mid-sentence and stared at Sami. It took her a second to take the sight in and then she looked at me then Percy. She kept looking between us and then spoke.

“Which one of you did it and how do you get her out?”

“Sky!” Percy shouted instantly and Annabeth looked at me.

“I did it but I have no clue how to undo it. That’s why Leo and Percy are helping me.”

“It helped us win so as long as you release her, I’m fine with it.” Then, she walked away and started to talk with her brother Malcolm.

“She took that well. Now, help me.” I said and we started working on Sami who, stupidly, started to tease and make fun of us. After ten minutes of it, I finally stopped the boys and stood up.

“If you don’t shut up, I’m leaving you like this. Got it? Good.” She didn’t say anything else after, she just glared at me.

“Good.” I’m probably going to have to face her tomorrow but I don’t care.

After getting Sami out of her prison, Leo offered to walk me to my cabin but I told him he should get his sleep. I wasn’t going to my cabin anyway. I was going to the Hades cabin then the beach. I changed into a tank top and my pajama shorts and walked to the Hades cabin. It was hot outside and I just wanted to ask him one little question.

So, I walked to Nico’s cabin and took a deep breath. Only one shot to do this. I knocked on the door and waited. Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes. Is he not there? I was brought from my thoughts when the door swung open to reveal Nico in a plain black Tee-shirt and black sweat pants with messy hair… Well, messier than usual. He looked me over and then came out of his sleepy haze.

“What are you doing here?”

“Why do you always ask that?”

“Sorry, would you like me to invite you in for tea and a movie?” His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“That’d be lovely. When will that be ready?” He scowled at me and I smiled sweetly at him.

“Seriously, why are you here? I was actually trying to sleep.”

“Why do you act this way towards me? You’re not exactly kind to anyone else but you're especially rude to me. Why?” He looked at me for a second.

“Because you remind me too much of Percy and the past.”

“Why is that bad?”

“Why do you care?”

“Because.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s as much of one as you’ll get.” My voice was soft and quiet while his was hard and slightly raised.

“Then I don’t have an answer to your question.”

“I wasn’t expecting one in the first place.”

“Then why ask?” He had a point. Why did I ask?

“I don’t know. I guess I thought that you might let me in.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Then make it simple.”

“I can’t. Not without hurting someone else or myself.”

“Sometimes being in pain is the only way to stop it.”

“Stop.”

“Stop what?”

“Sky.”

“Nico.” My voice was raising and Nico was getting agitated.

“Stop this.”

“I can’t stop something I don’t know I’m doing.” The ground was shaking.

“Then leave.”

“Make me.” It came out as a whisper and I don’t know why I said it.

“What was that?” The shaking was becoming stronger and I don’t know why but I stepped closer to him.

“I said,” I stopped and took a breath watching as the ground shook more and more by the second. I was making Nico mad and it was causing this.

I took another deep breath and looked him in the eye. His brown orbs were filled with anger, hatred, and something else. Something that I didn’t think would be in the Ghost King’s eyes. Regret.

“Make me.” What’s the harm?

If only I knew.