Chapter Text
Apollo made his now-customary entrance: arriving with horrible news and passing out immediately afterwards. Nico had stalked off after hearing confirmation of Jason’s demise, so Will had to enlist the help of Meg, the Demeter girl, in moving his father’s unconscious body to cabin seven. He felt bad about that, considering Meg was also in pretty rough shape, but she told him she was “used to dragging Lester’s sorry butt everywhere.” Will decided not to question that.
Once Apollo was resting comfortably on the bed that had once been Michael’s, Will had Meg sit down on the bunk beside it so he could heal her cuts and bruises. It was weird, chanting hymns to Apollo when he was lying knocked out right next to him, but it still seemed to work. Will steadily moved from one wound to the next, until even the most minor scratches were gone from her skin.
When he was done, he sat back. “Thank you,” he told her. “For taking care of my dad.”
Meg grunted and nodded like keeping Apollo alive for six months was no big deal. She swung her legs back and forth. “You’re lucky. I can tell he really loves you.”
Up until recently, Will would’ve seriously doubted that statement to the point of taking it as a cruel joke. But the way Apollo had broken down when Will greeted him with a hug him just now, sobbing as he clung tight to his back…that kind of emotion was hard to fake. He nodded. “Yeah. I think he does, too.”
“Not everyone gets that from their dad,” Meg said. Will looked up at her, but her gaze was averted. She frowned and scratched her nose. “I thought I did, but I didn’t. Lester didn’t either.” She met Will’s eyes. “I mean it. You should be grateful.”
Will had never considered that. He doubted that Zeus — who was technically his grandfather, he supposed — was ever Dad of the Year, even to his godly children. If nothing else, the punishment he was putting Apollo through right now was far beyond a healthy level of parental discipline. Suddenly he wondered how Apollo wasn’t a worse father when his own model of fatherhood was…that.
But then, Zeus’s father was Kronos. For all his failings, at least he never ate his kids to stop them from surpassing him. To him, Apollo’s punishment must’ve seemed merciful.
None of them were perfect — or even good — parents. But Will could understand trying just to be better than the generation that came before. Maybe that was a start.
His train of thought was interrupted by the cabin door opening, and Austin leading a handful of new arrivals inside. Will blinked at the fresh faces of three young kids. He’d been so preoccupied with Apollo’s return that he had completely forgotten that today was the official first day of the summer program at Camp Half-Blood. He silently thanked the gods that Austin remembered.
“This is our cabin,” Austin said, gesturing to the interior. The kids marveled at the golden splendor. “And over there is Will, our head counselor, and…oh! And Apollo himself! He made it!”
The kids gasped and rushed forward, gathering around Will’s knees where he sat. They looked up at him with sparkling eyes. One of them reached out and touched his face, saying, “Whoa…are you really a god?”
Will grimaced, feeling his ears get hot. “Oh. Oh, I see what’s happened here. Oh, no.”
Austin politely stifled his laughter. Meg was not as courteous, bursting out in a loud cackle, snorting and wheezing until she was red in the face.
The kid who’d spoken got flustered. “What? What did I say?”
Austin put a hand on her shoulder. “No, Gracie. This is Will, our half-brother.” He pointed at Apollo’s unconscious, battered form. “That’s Apollo.”
They all looked and regarded their father. The three new campers visibly deflated. Gracie frowned and said, “Is this some kind of hazing prank?”
“Don’t judge him too harshly,” Will said kindly. “Our dad, he’s…not at his best right now.”
“No, no,” Meg said, still overflowing with giggles. “He totally deserves that.”
☀️
Circumstances had to be pretty dreadful for Will to feel anything less than ecstatic at the prospect of spending an entire day alone with his boyfriend. It had been ages since he and Nico had spent quality time together, and yet instead of doing something fun or even remotely romantic, they were trudging through a remote forest in the middle of Nowhere, Georgia, poking at decomposing tree stumps in attempts to unearth a five-lined skink for the troglodytes.
On top of the muggy heat and the unpleasant task, Nico was in a foul mood, which pretty much shot down any possibility that they could somehow turn this unfortunate outing into a date of some kind. He stomped ahead of Will, poking-stick in hand, radiating so much ominous rancor that the birds and bugs became silent wherever they passed.
Will had already apologized for not telling him the full prophecy three times, and each time Nico had said it was fine and he wasn’t mad about it. The third time, he’d also added that if Will said sorry again he actually would get annoyed with him, so Will tried to just let it go. But the fact remained that Nico was clearly agitated about something, and Will had no idea what else it could be.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Will had a suspicion on what was behind his bad mood. Nico didn’t like hearing it, but the troglodytes had this effect on him. It wasn’t that Will wanted to discourage his boyfriend from going out and making friends, even if those friends were…unconventional, but every time Nico visited them, he came back stressed and cranky. And he seemed to have no regard for how incredibly dangerous they were, waving off Will’s worries like he was just nagging him.
Will really wished Nico would stop seeing them. They were a bad influence on his already-tenuous mental state, and a strain on their relationship.
Will couldn’t help wondering how much more strain their relationship could take. He wanted this to work more than anything, but lately he sort of felt like that feeling wasn’t mutual.
“Are you keeping an eye out back there?” Nico called over his shoulder. “I took you with me because you said you would help.”
Will suddenly felt his heart become weak and fragile like a baby bird pushed from the nest. He stopped walking and held his arms over himself.
Oh. Of course. He couldn’t believe it took him this long to put it together.
Nico brought him here to break up with him.
That was why he was so moody, why he was acting distant and wouldn’t walk beside him. That was why he had been keeping Will at arm’s length recently, closing himself off every time Will voiced his affection. They were out in the middle of nowhere, a perfectly private place where Nico could be honest with him and Will could cry his heart out without scaring the other campers. He hitched a breath and put his hand over his mouth, crushed by the realization.
“Hello? Earth to Will Solace?” Nico asked. He looked back, saw Will’s face, then turned around and went to him. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
Will shook his head, then sat down on a rock, leaning his forehead on his hand.
Nico stood rooted in place. “Well then, what’s the matter?”
“I’m such an idiot,” Will muttered, not looking up.
Nico hesitated, then carefully crouched in front of him. “Will, you’re freaking me out. What’s going on? Why are you so mopey?”
Will raised his eyes to Nico’s face. He looked genuinely confused, his eyebrows pinched together. Will bit his lips, then said, “Are we…are we breaking up?”
“What?” Nico snapped, eyes widening in alarm. “No! Do you — do you want to break up?”
“No,” Will said quietly. “I really, really don’t.”
“Then we’re not,” Nico said, an ounce of tension relieving from his posture. “Did I say something that made you think I wanted to?”
Will shook his head weakly. “Nothing specific. Just a feeling I’ve been getting.” He sighed. “I know you’ve been struggling ever since…and — and I understand, really. But after being pushed away for the hundredth time, it’s getting harder and harder to ignore the message that…that you don’t want to be around me anymore.”
Nico held his gaze for a heartbeat, then stood up and wrapped his arms around him, holding Will’s head to his chest. Will let out an emotional sound and held him back. Nico shifted to straddle his lap so they could be closer, squeezing him tighter. Will could hear the heartbeat beside his ear, the comforting rhythm complementing the gentle strokes of Nico’s fingers against his hair.
“I’m sorry,” Nico whispered. “I know I’m not easy to be with.”
Will pulled back so he could hold Nico’s face in his hands and meet his eyes. “Don’t say that. Being with you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done. But if this is too hard for you, then I want you to tell me. I care about you too much to selfishly keep you by my side if that’s not where you want to be.”
“That’s not it, Will, I swear,” Nico said. “Even if I sometimes feel like I should let you go for your own good, it’s not like I want to. I want to be with you because you make me feel like I’m not such a hopeless loser. You make me laugh when I thought I’d forgotten how. Gods, Will, sometimes you even manage to make me like myself.” He bit his cheek to stop his smile from spreading. “I know this sounds corny, but I think dating you might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Super corny,” Will agreed, though the words made him feel fluttery.
Nico smirked. “So I can’t tell you how much I don’t want to break up.” He paused, and the playful expression disappeared from his face. “…But being close with people is also hard for me. Ever since my sister died, it’s become this whole issue.” He squeezed his eyes shut and added in a small voice, “And losing Jason just made it worse.”
“I know,” Will said gently, passing his thumb over Nico’s cheek.
Nico pressed his forehead against Will’s and closed his eyes. “I’m sorry that I’ve been pushing you away. I don’t do it because I’m sick of you. It’s because I…” He sighed, his breath gently curling against Will’s face. “When you first told me you loved me, my immediate instinct was to run. But not because I didn’t feel the same way…it was because in that instant, I knew that I did.” His voice dropped to a low whisper. “I love you, and that scares me.”
Will gasped and tried to pull back so he could look at him, but Nico’s hands on the back of his neck gently held him where he was. His heart was no longer a fallen bird — it had grown wings. He felt so weightless he couldn’t remember why he was even anxious in the first place.
Nico took a deep breath. “Nothing good happens to the people I love, Will. And I don’t want anything bad to ever happen to you, especially not because of me, so…that was why I never said it back.”
“Are you under the impression that saying it will cause some ominous doom to befall me? Like it’s a curse or something?” Will asked.
Nico pulled a face. “Well, maybe not cause it, but…Look, I just really don’t want to lose you. I can’t go through that again.”
Will breathed a quiet laugh. “Dummy.” He leaned up and kissed the tip of his nose. “I’d rather face hardship knowing that you love me than live a long and easy life without you.”
Nico blushed, but raised an eyebrow. “That’s a crappy exchange. You know that, right?”
“I don’t care.” Will pressed his lips to Nico’s. “That’s how much you mean to me.”
Nico put a hand to Will’s face, his big eyes shining with emotion. He huffed a sound that was between a laugh and a sob, then shook his head. “Gods, I love you. I love you so much, you complete idiot.”
Will couldn’t stop himself from beaming at those words. Literally, when he reached his hand to stroke Nico’s hair, he saw his skin shining so bright it was clearly visible even in the midday Georgia sun. He stretched his neck up and kissed Nico again, long and deep. “I love you, too,” he whispered when they parted. “But I want you to promise me something.”
Nico blinked at him. “What is it?”
“Don’t run away from me anymore. Emotionally or literally,” Will said. “If you’re with me, then you have to be with me. Talk to me when you’re scared. Tell me how you feel, how you really feel. I don’t want to have to guess anymore.”
Nico bit his lip. “…That’s a big promise.”
“Please, Nico. I need you to try.”
“It’ll be hard,” Nico said, wringing his hands. “I’ll mess up a lot.”
Will reached out and took his hand, halting his anxious motions. “I’m not asking you to change overnight. I’m not naive, I know it would take time. Just…work on it. For me. Please.”
Nico took a slow breath out. “Will you…will you help me?”
Will stroked his face. “Of course, Sunshine. All you have to do is ask.”
“Alright, then.” Nico gave him a shaky nod. “I promise.”
Will reached up and pulled him into a kiss. Nico chased after his lips, clutching him close, making it last.
“I love you,” Will breathed when they parted.
Nico smiled brilliantly at him. “I love you, too.” He smooched the top of Will’s head, then abruptly clambered off of his lap. “Now can we please track down this stupid lizard before Nero sets our home on fire?”
Will laughed and stood up, brushing off his shorts. “Lead the way, Ghost King.”
☀️
Rachel Elizabeth Dare’s family home was the least homey structure Will had ever seen. It looked more like an unfortunate cross between a modern art museum and a parking structure than any sort of place of residence. The giant trailer full of weird livestock in the front yard did nothing to detract from this impression, either.
After catching up and explaining the quest to Rachel, she breathed a tired chuckle. “Hearing a prophecy again is…a strange relief. I know I hadn’t been the Oracle for that long before I lost my sight, but I guess I’d really come to rely on knowing those glimpses of the future.”
“Joni Mitchell was right,” Apollo said in a somber tone. “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.”
Nico picked at Rachel’s rug. “I could definitely live with way fewer prophecies.”
Rachel considered this. “I guess I’ve never been in one before. Kind of feels like a whole different beast.”
“Count yourself lucky,” Nico grumbled. “This is my third.”
Rachel stared at him for a second, squinting like she was trying to remember something. “…’You shall rise or fall…by the ghost king’s hand….’ That came from Delphi, right?”
Nico nodded. “When I decided to help Percy in the Labyrinth.”
“What was the second one? I don’t think I remember it.”
“Hazel told it to me. It came from Ella,” Nico said. “‘Twins snuff out the angel’s breath, who holds the key to endless death.’”
“The jar,” Will guessed. “The giants.”
Nico nodded. “‘Angel’ being a reference to my last name, I guess.”
Will smirked. “Or to your delightful personality.”
Nico elbowed him. “And now this.” He sat back on his hands and sighed. “I can never make plans too far in advance, because who knows when the next prophecy will come crashing into my life?”
Apollo nodded in understanding. “That was why Will kept it from you.”
Will glared at him for bringing that up. “Dad!”
“Well, wasn’t it?” asked Nico.
With all eyes on him, Will crumbled. “…I mean, yeah. You’ve had enough to worry about lately. The last thing I want is for you to feel like you’re not in control of your own journey.”
Nico’s eyes softened and he leaned in to kiss Will’s cheek. “That’s sweet. But you’d better not keep this kind of information from me again.”
Will’s ears warmed. He wanted to revert to a single-celled organism rather than feel this flustered, especially in front of his father. Amoebas didn’t have parents to impress. “Yeah, don’t worry, you’ve made that plenty clear,” he mumbled.
“And besides,” Rachel said. “Prophecies don’t control you. They just reveal hints of ultimate outcomes — how you get there is up to you.”
Apollo grinned from ear to ear. “That’s my Pythia.”
☀️
Impulse shadow travel always stressed Will’s sensibilities as both a healer and Nico’s boyfriend, but thankfully he seemed perfectly restored after his rejuvenating Kit-Kat. Now Will was stressed for a different reason, trying to keep his cool as the five of them descended to practically the center of the earth to convene with some of the most unpleasant creatures ever.
After about forty five minutes of walking, the New York sewer system gave way to a much older and, blessedly, far less smelly system of tunnels. They had two flashlights that provided just barely enough light to avoid tripping over uneven ground, and they had Nico, who had walked this path enough times before to warn them when it got tricky.
Apollo lagged behind. He had by far the worst physical stamina, complaining that his feet were sore about every ten seconds. For a little while, the whole group waited up for him, but Meg’s patience quickly ran out. “Meh, don’t worry about him,” she decided the third time Apollo requested a breather. “He just loves to complain, it’s how he copes. Let’s keep going.”
Nico shrugged and kept up with her. “Fine by me.”
Will and Rachel stayed back with Apollo. It was against Will’s medical code to abandon a weakened ally, no matter how whiny he was. Apollo crossed his arms and pouted at Meg and Nico’s retreating backs. “You know, I’m accustomed to this from Meg by now.” He looked at Will. “But what did I do to make your boyfriend hate me?”
Will laughed. “He doesn’t hate you. Nico’s just permanently cranky.”
“You get used to it,” Rachel added.
“I find it endearing,” Will said. “He’s so cute, but so sharp. Like a grumpy cat.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “Of course you would say that.”
Apollo started walking again, shrugging. “Well, I suppose that’s reassuring. I would really rather not end up on that boy’s bad side. If he’s anything like his father, it would be basically impossible to strike my name from his eternal blacklist.”
“You have a bad track record with the Lord of the Underworld?” Rachel asked.
“It was never easy to please dear old Uncle Hades. He’s even less forgiving than Zeus, and that’s saying a lot,” Apollo said. “Every single winter solstice, even after all these millennia, he still gets on my case about mouthing off to his stick-in-the-mud lieutenant one time. Now there’s a real grouch, let me tell you.”
Will snorted. “You tried to sass Thanatos?”
“Not like the guy’s not used to it,” Apollo grumbled. “I’d say I hope you never have to meet him, but…well, I hope you don’t have to meet him any time soon.”
Will sighed. “As long as the trogs don’t arrange it for us.”
Rachel eyed him. “You’re really that worried? If it came down to a fight, you think the troglodytes could beat us?” She hesitated, then corrected, “Well, beat Meg and Nico?”
Will worried his lip. “I — I don’t know. It’s not a fight I would want to bet on.”
They walked in tense silence for a minute, absorbing those odds. Then, Apollo clapped his hands. “Well, that’s a pleasant thought. Really makes me ecstatic to spend the last hours of my four thousand-year lifespan in these horrible tunnels.”
“Would’ve liked to see my mom one more time,” Will said, half-joking. He was trying to lighten the mood, but he wasn’t as good with morbid humor as Nico was. Neither Rachel nor Apollo even smirked, and the silence got that much heavier. Will kicked a loose stone, sending it tumbling into the darkness of the caverns.
Rachel ran ahead to join the others, probably picking up on the incoming talk of parents thanks to her gift of foresight. Will couldn’t blame her for not wanting to participate in that particular topic.
At length, Apollo said, “How is she?”
Will raised his eyebrows. “My mom?”
“Yes,” Apollo said. “Did she…ever marry?”
Will shook his head. “Nah. I don’t think she really believes in marriage.”
“Well, did she ever see anyone?”
“Come on, Dad. She’s my mother, she doesn’t talk to me about that sort of thing. But she’s happy, I think. I’ve never heard her complain about our lives.” Will looked aside at him. “Why are you asking?”
“Just curious,” Apollo said. “She’s a good woman. I…I regret never checking in on her while you were growing up.”
“We managed.” Will turned his gaze back to the dark length of tunnel ahead. “Not like we ever counted on your support while you were off being a god somewhere.”
Apollo paused. “Right. Of course.”
Will softened, his defensiveness evaporating at Apollo’s profoundly uncharacteristic meekness. He breathed in and offered a smile. “But, hey. I’m grateful I’ve gotten to spend time with you now. I know a lot of half-bloods would kill to be walking to their probable dooms alongside their divine parent.”
Apollo scoffed halfheartedly. “I’m not feeling particularly divine at the moment.”
Will put a hand on his shoulder. “Y’know, I was going to say it would’ve been nice for you to visit my mom before we had to go on this quest. But that…that would’ve been weird, wouldn’t it?”
“Oh, Styx, please no,” Apollo said, hunching his posture. “I would rather kiss a gorgon than allow any of my past lovers to witness me in this pathetic mortal form.”
“I didn’t get the chance to call my mom and tell her about what happened to you,” Will said. He put his hand to his chin and thought for a minute. “I honestly have no idea how she’d take that news. How do you react to hearing that the immortal father of your child suddenly became just a regular sixteen-year-old?”
Apollo shuddered. “Will, my dear, dear son. I am begging you to talk about something else.”
Will laughed, loud and strong, the sound bouncing from the round walls like a bell. It was the kind of cleansing laughter he needed after so many days of stress and looming terror. For a fleeting moment, their dooms didn’t seem quite so probable.
☀️
So maybe the collapsed caverns and stampede of indestructible cows hadn’t been part of the plan, but somehow the trogs had managed to infiltrate the base of Nero’s tower. Screech-bling had taken one look at the vats and deemed that his people could certainly disable them, but it would take them some time. Rachel had volunteered to stay and help them, sending Will and Nico on ahead to track down Apollo and Meg.
Halfway up the tower, Will halted as suddenly as if he’d stepped in a puddle of super glue. He picked up a ringing in his ears that he recognized immediately. The sound had been burned into his memory during the agonizing minutes he’d spent leaning over Lee’s dying body as he tried to save him during the Battle of the Labyrinth. At the time he hadn’t known what it was, but over the years, after all the patients he’d lost, the meaning had become clear.
Nico looked back at him, bouncing impatiently. “What are you doing? We don’t have time to stand ar—”
“Stop. Do you feel that?” Will interrupted.
Nico narrowed his eyes, tilting his head like he was trying to listen for a faint sound. “Feel what?”
“Someone’s close to death nearby.” Will looked at him, setting his jaw. “Can’t you sense it? They need help.”
Nico straightened like he picked up on what Will was saying. “We can’t afford to get sidetracked,” he told him. “We have to save your stupid dad, remember? We don’t have much time before Nero obliterates him.”
Will clenched his fists. “I know, but…I’m a healer. That’s who I am. I can’t just ignore someone in need.”
“Will, Apollo needs us right now,” Nico argued.
“What if it is Apollo?”
Nico stared at him, a clear mental battle taking place behind his eyes. After a second, his shoulders slumped and he sighed. “You’re such a pain in the ass, you know that?”
Will grinned at him, then took his hand and ran off. “Come on, this way!”
Together, they steadily climbed the tower, avoiding enemies where they could. Nico’s sword kept their path clear, warding off attackers and cutting down those immune to its foreboding aura. Will followed the ringing sound in his head until they arrived at a mostly-deserted corridor — a handful of Germani guards stood outside one door halfway down the hall, and Will knew that was the room they were searching for.
Nico caught his eye for confirmation, then ran ahead and dispatched the guards in a matter of seconds. Will caught up and unlocked the door, stepping into an ornately decorated parlor with a single person lying motionless on a plush couch.
It wasn’t Apollo. Will’s patient was a huge, rough-looking barbarian woman whose thick, tattoo-covered arms ended abruptly in two bloody stumps. She was dying of blood loss, bleeding out after having both of her hands crudely amputated.
“Di immortales,” Nico muttered under his breath.
Will could not help but agree. He rushed to her side and checked her vitals, breathing a sigh of relief when he gathered that she could still be saved. He put a hand on her forehead and said, “Can you hear me? My name is Will Solace. I’d like to heal you, if I can.”
The woman grunted, face contorting in pain, but she cracked opened her eyes. “Apollo’s son,” she groaned.
Will blinked. “That’s right. Have you seen him?”
She nodded weakly. “Went to turn himself in. Imprisoned with me. I helped him escape so he could find Meg.”
“You’re Luguselwa,” Nico said, standing behind Will.
“Yes,” she said. She fixed Will with an intense look. “You’re wasting your time with me. Go help him. Help her.”
Will shook his head. “I can heal you. We will help them together.”
Luguselwa grimaced. “No time.”
Nico put a hand on Will’s shoulder. “She’s right, Will. Even with your skills, healing these injuries won’t be a quick fix.”
“So I just leave her to die?” Will demanded. “She’s on our side! She saved my dad! I have to do something for her.”
“What if you can’t?” Nico said. “Her sacrifice would be for nothing if we don’t reach Apollo and Meg in time.”
Will held his gaze, heart racing. “Then you go. I’ll stay here and heal Luguselwa.”
Nico’s expression darkened. “No. I’m not leaving you.”
“You have to,” Will said. He stood up and took Nico’s face in his hands. “I’m needed here, Sunshine. I can’t fight anyway. My dad needs you.”
Nico bit his lip, searching his eyes. He said nothing, but his face reflected a heart that was torn in half. Finally, he closed his eyes and said to Luguselwa, “…You keep him safe. If I find out you let him get hurt, I —“
”Nico. I’ll be fine,” Will assured him. “I promise.”
Luguselwa nodded. “I will protect the son of Apollo.”
Nico breathed deep, then held Will’s head close to touch their foreheads together. Quietly, he murmured, ”Mio caro, non temere. Ci rivedremo. Questa non è l’ultima volta.”
Before Will could figure out how to respond to that, Nico released him and dashed back out to the hall, sword drawn. Will stared after him for a moment, then shook his head and knelt back down beside his patient, slinging his backpack off to withdraw his medical supplies.
As he pulled on latex gloves, Luguselwa said, “That boy…he is Italian?”
Will glanced at her. “Yeah,” he said. “Did you understand what he said?”
She nodded. “You don’t work for a Roman emperor for several millennia without spending a few lifetimes in Italy.”
He hesitated. “Can you…tell me what it means?”
Luguselwa gave him a strange, unreadable look. “He told you not to be afraid. That this isn’t the last time you’ll see each other.’”
“Oh,” Will whispered, his heart tripping over itself. He swallowed his anxiety, breathed out a shaky breath, then sat up. “Alright, then. Let’s remove these bandages.”
☀️
Once Luguselwa was stable, she and Will set off to search for the others. The first person they ran into was Rachel, who had been accompanying the trogs on the lower floors of the tower. She stopped them and told them that she found the fasces of Nero, and they had to destroy it if Apollo was going to stand a chance against him. Will understood the height of the stakes, but still…it was hard to take Rachel’s words seriously while she was wearing a propeller hat at the insistence of the troglodytes.
Luguselwa did not even hesitate when the fasces’s guardian demanded her immortal lifespan in exchange for the power to defeat Nero. As they made their way to the penthouse, Will couldn’t stop gaping at her like she was a celebrity. He thought of Apollo and how desperate he’d been to regain his godhood, and of Nero’s quest for deathless power. Both of them were going to cataclysmic lengths to wrest immortality from the hands of the other, and Luguselwa hadn’t blinked when she sacrificed her own.
As they climbed the stairwell, Luguselwa side-eyed him. “I get that you’re a medic and all, but you’ve gotta stop staring at me like I’ll drop dead any minute.”
Will shook his head and tore his eyes away. “Sorry. It’s just…I’ve never heard of someone willingly choosing to give up eternal youth. But it seemed like an easy decision for you.”
Luguselwa kept her gaze forward. “Some things are worth dying for, kid.” She looked at him. “I think your father finally understands that.”
Will couldn’t tell if he wanted her to be right or not.
☀️
The door to Nero’s unofficial throne room was wide open when Will, Rachel, and Luguselwa arrived at the top floor of the tower. For a second, the three of them just stood there in shock at the scene before them. If the room wasn’t full of Germani and demigods locked in battle together, it would’ve looked like a twelve-hour rager, complete with smashed windows, disco music, and toppled-over potted plants.
Will caught sight of Apollo first, stationed closer to the door so he could fire arrows at Nero, who was at the far end of the room on the dais, fumbling with some kind of remote control. Will relaxed slightly at the sight of him still standing and fighting. But before he could call out to him, Apollo shouted “Nico!”
Will followed his gaze to a gang of huge Germani, and a second later he saw Nico break away from them and race toward Nero. Will’s body grew warm at the sight of him, the blood in his veins sparking like a live wire. He watched as Nico swung his sword at the emperor, only to be violently disarmed. When Nico went for him again, he was met with a powerful blow that sent him crashing backward, his head colliding with a pillar with a sickening crack.
Will’s heart stopped beating. Nero was saying something, people were screaming, but he couldn’t hear them. A fire pulsed just below his skin, intensifying with each second that Nico didn’t move until Will’s whole body felt like the molten core of an imploding star.
Nico couldn’t die here. Not after everything he’d been through, not after how bitterly he’d striven to survive and hold onto hope that life would get better. Not after all of his hard-won smiles, his earnest promises, all of the deep-rooted love inside him that had struggled and fought to see the light of day. He wasn’t going to lose his life to some fascist asshole who only knew how to make things burn.
Two of Nero’s henchmen grabbed each of Nico’s arms and started dragging his limp body toward the dais. The emperor looked at him and smiled.
That smile was the detonation of the tremendous explosion building inside of Will. He screamed so loud he felt it like a battering ram inside his skull, and every head in the room turned to look at him. He stepped forward and saw the room’s brilliant light move with him — it was harsh and blinding, to call it “glowing” would be like calling a tornado a strong breeze.
“No one hits my boyfriend!” he shouted. “And no one kills my dad!”
Nero shrieked some order. Will was vaguely aware of Rachel and Luguselwa at his back, but he was looking directly at Nico. When he approached the two Germani that had hauled him to the dais, he wanted to incinerate them, but instead he yelled, “Out of my way!”
He must have been convincing, because they stepped aside immediately. Will ran to Nico where he’d collapsed on the floor and touched his face with shaking hands. He sobbed when he felt a heartbeat, but there was plenty of other damage that needed his attention. He had to get him out of here. He stood, pulling Nico upright and slinging his arm across his shoulders, and made his way back toward the entrance. He dared his enemies to intervene with a merciless gaze, but they stayed back.
The fight was far from over, but he would worry about that later. In the hall around the door, Will pulled together a makeshift bed out of cushions and pillows from nearby seating. He laid Nico down on it and tried not to cry at the thought of what had almost just happened.
Nico cracked his eyes open. “Will…”
Will clutched his hand and held it to his lips. “I’m here.”
Nico turned his head to look at him and smirked thinly. “My hero. That was amazing.”
Will chuckled halfheartedly, reaching out to stroke his face. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.”
“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
“I’m safe,” Will confirmed. “I’m going to heal you now, alright? You’ve got some head trauma that needs immediate attention.”
Nico hummed his affirmation. “Hey, Will?”
“Yes?” Will asked as he took out his supplies.
“When we get home I’m going to kiss you for ten hours straight.”
Will snorted. “Okay, Romeo. Let’s address the head trauma first.”
Voices continued to shout on the other side of the door, but Will couldn’t be distracted from his task. He laid his hands over Nico’s injury and prayed until the bleeding stopped and he felt Nico’s consciousness stabilize. When he was sure Nico was out of danger and it was safe to move him, Will helped him sit up so he could take slow sips of nectar.
He brushed the loose strands of black hair out of his eyes. “So…”
Nico handed the canteen of nectar back to him. “So what?”
Will raised his eyebrows. “What was the Italian you said to me before you ran off earlier?”
Nico coughed, looking away as his face reddened. “…Nothing. Just something Bianca once told me.”
Will remembered Luguselwa’s translation and felt his heart ache. He smiled gently at his blushing boyfriend. “That’s it, I’m learning Italian. Then you’ll have no more languages to hide in.”
Nico frowned at him. “I’ll just learn something else. Frank can teach me Mandarin.”
“Not if I learn it first,” Will said. “I’ll learn every language just to annoy you.”
Nico rolled his eyes. “Like you’d have to try that hard to annoy me.”
Will laughed and kissed his cheek. “I love you, too, Sunshine. Come on, let’s go see if my dad needs help.”
☀️
Will had not seen his father since he fell into the chasm of Chaos two weeks ago. The only reason he wasn’t already on step three of the grieving process was that Thalia Grace had stopped by Camp Half-Blood to deliver a message the day after Nero’s plans to burn New York City had been thwarted.
“My Lady Artemis sends her regards and her gratitude for assisting her little brother,” she’d said.
“‘Little?’” Kayla had grumbled.
Thalia had ignored her and continued. “She also wanted me to let you know that he’s back on Olympus. He beat Python.”
The entire camp had burst into cheers, and Will had felt a massive burden lift from his shoulders so swiftly he felt lightheaded. Rachel looked like she was ready to cry from relief now that she didn’t have to fight a giant serpent for control over Delphi.
“Why didn’t he come tell us himself?” Will had asked Thalia.
“He’d probably like to, but apparently he’s passed out cold,” she’d replied. “I’m sure he’ll wake up soon.”
Will had breathed a soft chuckle. “That sounds like him.”
Now, Will was resting alone in cabin thirteen, curled up under the blankets of Nico’s bed after spending all morning checking on his patients in the infirmary. He always preferred napping here, since his own cabin was too noisy and bright in the middle of the day, even if that was where he was supposed to be. He’d managed to get in a half-hour snooze before Nico walked in and busted him.
He approached the bedside. “I believe you’re in my spot.”
“I was here first,” Will mumbled without opening his eyes.
Nico sighed dramatically and kicked off his boots. “Alright, move over, you parasite.”
Will grinned in triumph, opening the blankets so Nico could get in next to him. The second he was horizontal, Will pinned his shoulders to the mattress and loomed over him mischievously.
Nico raised an eyebrow. “What is this, some kind of trap?”
Will leaned close to his ear. “Well, someone promised me ten hours of kisses after I saved his life and still hasn’t delivered.”
Nico smiled. “I hope that was me.”
Will scoffed, then pretended to consider, holding a hand to his chin. “Hmm…let me think…I get these kinds of offers all the time, you know, so maybe it was someone else —“
Nico cut him off by gripping his shirt and pulling him down on top of him. “Come on, then, Solace. I’d better get started.”
Will felt a shiver shoot through him at that tone of voice, then obligingly brought their lips together.
Later (though not as much later as promised), Will laid back with Nico’s head resting on his chest. He had lost his shirt at some point, and Nico was gently tracing the circle of the sun tattooed on his chest with his fingertip. It was a nice sensation, a soothing rhythm to complement the boneless contentment stilling his limbs.
Will was halfway back asleep when Nico said his name. He opened his eyes and looked at the boy in his arms. “Hmm?”
The point of Nico’s finger stilled. He hesitated like he really didn’t want to say what was on his mind.
Will woke up a little more. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
He could feel the tension in Nico’s frame. He took a breath. “I have to leave Camp Half-Blood again.”
Will reflexively sat up, dislodging his boyfriend and staring down at him. “What?”
Nico put his hands over his eyes. “Don’t freak out, I’m not planning to run away. It’s just…you know those voices I’ve been hearing?”
“The ones you said were coming from the Underworld?”
“Tartarus, actually. Yeah.” He peeked at Will through his fingers. “I think I know who’s calling me, and I have to go back down there to help.”
“Nico, you can’t be serious,” Will said, shaking his head slowly. “Seeing Tartarus almost broke you. Now you want to go back?”
“I don’t want to,” Nico said. “It’s the last place in the cosmos I ever want to visit. But I can’t ignore someone who needs my help.” He took Will’s hand. “You taught me that.”
Oh, that demon. Using his own principles against him so he couldn’t protest. “Well, if you have to go, then I’m going with you,” he decided.
Nico groaned. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that.”
“Complain about it if you must, but I’m not letting you go back there alone. I’m not letting you do anything alone, ever again.”
“Will, you don’t know what you’re saying,” Nico said. “I’m talking about Tartarus. The most unpleasant, dangerous, evil place that exists. It’s not a casual trip we’d be there and back from.”
“I can think of three half-bloods off the top of my head who made it there and back recently,” Will argued. “You’re not going to change my mind, Nico.”
“I’m a child of the Underworld, I have ways to survive down there. Percy and Annabeth had been on a million dangerous quests before, so they had experience to rely on.” He shook his head. “I don’t say this to be mean, but you’re not prepared to go up against that threat.”
“Then don’t go,” Will said. “Let someone else figure out what’s going on. You don’t have to take on every quest that presents itself.”
“No one else can do it. I’m the only child of Hades, the only person who can help.”
Will crossed his arms. “Nico, you’re either going with me or not at all.”
“Gods, you are such a stubborn ass.” Nico said, scowling. “Do I really have to say it, Will? If you go to Tartarus, you’ll die. I can’t allow that.”
Will reached out and cupped his cheek. “And if you go by yourself, you could die, too,” he said gently. “Percy and Annabeth survived because they had each other. You were alone back when you fell into that place, but you have me now. Don’t push me away.”
Nico hesitated, holding his gaze, then sighed and leaned into Will’s touch. “…I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Will said, pressing his lips to his forehead. “And that means we do things together.”
Nico looked up at him, but before he could say anything, a raucous wave of voices reached them from outside. Something exciting was happening, and they didn’t have to wonder what it was for very long. Will heard his siblings chanting, “Lester! Lester! Lester!” like giddy cheerleaders, and met Nico’s eyes with a gasp.
Nico smiled and handed him his shirt. “Come on. The prodigal son returns.”
“The prodigal dad,” Will corrected, pulling his shirt over his head.
With a hand on his jaw, Nico guided him into a kiss. “And we’ll go to greet him together.”