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Nico melted into darkness.
He awoke in a rush, his hand clutched to his chest. His face was damp with sweat. A phantom pain throbbed in his sternum, so sharp that it took a while for his breathing to return to normal. He forced himself to endure it all quietly, since he didn’t want to interrupt Will’s snoozing next to him.
The nap cove was completely empty – just piles of bedrolls and blankets where the young trogs had been sleeping before. As carefully as he could, Nico rose and moved to the entrance so he could feel the cool air that moved through the entire underground system. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves.
He knew that demigod dreams were always worse in the Underworld, but Nyx had reached out from Tartarus andactuallyhurt him. Would her powers increase as they got closer?
He looked back at Will, still sleeping peacefully. At least, he hoped Will was free from nightmares.
Nico resolved right then not to share his newest dream with Will. His boyfriend was a natural caretaker – which was why he was such a great healer – but, in this case, what could Will do to helphim? Maybe it was time for Nico to help Will for a change. So Nico stood by the entrance, bathed in the dim light from the torches outside, and watched Will sleep. When he finally crawled back into his own bedroll, he remained wide awake.
He refused to let Nyx get to him that easily.
‘It was all ’cause of Leo, wasn’t it?’ Will said.
Nico’s mouth dropped open. ‘Wow, youknew?’
Will brought a small piece of ambrosia to his lips and chewed on it. Even that much effort seemed to pain him. ‘Not at the time,’ he said after swallowing. ‘But I know itnow.’
Nico turned to Gorgyra. ‘Leo is our friend, but there was a time when we all thought he’d died.’
‘But he had not?’ she asked, confused.
Nico shook his head. ‘We were so sure … We saw it happen. He literally exploded in midair.’
‘It’s complicated,’ said Will. ‘It involved a magical cure and an automaton dragon.’
Gorgyra smiled. ‘Such wonderful tales you both weave. Continue.’
‘Well, Nico can sense when someone is dead,’ explained Will.
‘Child of Hades,’ Nico added.
‘Of course,’ said Gorgyra.
Will took a sip of nectar. ‘So, Nico had definitely felt Leo die –’
‘But I also had this strange sense he wasn’t completely gone.’ Nico frowned. ‘Then, a few days after Leo “died”, I got this magical scroll from him telling us he’d actually survived. He’d come up withthis whole plan for cheating death, but he hadn’t shared it with any of us ahead of time, which made mefurious. I was so angry about him keeping me in the dark that I couldn’t think about anything else.’
Nico looked directly in Will’s blue eyes. ‘Until you, that is.’
‘I remember,’ said Will.
‘One night after dinner,’ Nico continued, ‘Will took me into the forest outside camp. Just marched me out there with no explanation. I thought he was angry with me. And an angry Will is a scary Will.’
Will laughed weakly. ‘It wasn’t anger. I was just determined.’
Gorgyra sat forward. ‘Determined to do what?’
Will’s eyes went glassy again. ‘Once we were in the middle of the forest, I told Nico to start screaming.’
‘Screaming?’ Gorgyra’s face twisted in confusion. ‘Whatever for?’
‘To let the anger out,’ said Nico. ‘I didn’t want to do it at first, not until he turned to the forest and screamed at a tree.’
‘It was a very big tree,’ said Will. ‘I was sure it could take it.’
‘You scared that poor dryad half to death.’
