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It wasshrinking. No longer did the stone wall tower over them. As the Cocoa Puffs got closer, Nico’s heart raced as quickly as they did.
‘What should we do?’ said Will. ‘They can’t reach us, can they?’
The current picked up speed, so the cacodemons practically rolled down the last bit of the decline to keep up. They snarled and yapped and appeared to be shoving each other aside in an effort to …
Oh.
Oh.
‘Bob, stop the boat.’
The Titan looked down at Nico. ‘What?’
‘Use your broom or whatever,’ he said. ‘Please!’
‘Nico, what are you doing?’ cried Will. ‘They’re going to get us!’
‘Please, Bob!’ Nico shouted.
Bob raised an eyebrow. Then he lifted his broom, spun it around so the bristles pointed up, and jammed it into the water. The boat swerved to a stop.
Nico turned back to Will. ‘They’re not trying to fight us,’ he said. ‘They’re trying toescape.’
Sure enough, as soon as the cacodemons caught up to them, they began to throw themselves aboard. The boat rocked back and forth as they did so, but Bob kept it steady with his broom. When the last Cocoa Puff leaped in, Nico nodded to Bob, who yanked the broom handle free.
The cacodemons cowered in the bow, shrinking away from Will. They grouped together so closely that they looked like a single blob of darkness with multiple eyes and mouths. Small Bob hissed at the Cocoa Puffs from Bob’s shoulders.
‘Well,’ said Will, moving to sit next to Nico. ‘Now what?’
‘They’re free to go where they want,’ said Nico. ‘That was the whole point of me letting them go. It’s just … well, I didn’t think they’d want to come withus.’
Will smiled. ‘Well, if they’re going to be sticking around, then I want you to know that I accept them.’
‘Thanks,’ said Nico. ‘I mean, I don’t know that they’reactuallysticking around. Maybe they just want an express ticket out of Tartarus.’
‘Fair,’ said Will. ‘I still like the idea of you having a perpetual band of little demons following you around, though.’
‘Don’t you dare call it cute.’
‘Nico and the Cocoa Puffs.’
‘Don’t do that, either.’
‘Sounds like a great power-pop band.’
‘I swear, Will …’
‘Catch them opening for Paramore this winter.’
Nico gently slugged Will’s arm. ‘Glad to see you’re back to being your annoying self.’
Will held out his hand, and Nico took it. ‘Glad to see you didn’t give yourself over to Nyx.’
‘In a way, I feel sorry for her,’ said Nico. ‘She’s stuck. All she knows is pain. And I get the appeal of constantly holding on to the darkness.’
‘Nico, you don’t have to explain her actions away.’
‘I’m not. I just think … well, it was her way of being in control. She was born of Chaos –literally. Her parents are Chaos and Tartarus. Her whole existence is darkness and suffering and death.’ He swallowed his own grief as his eyes blurred with tears. ‘I think I relate to that a little too much.’
