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‘Nico di Angelo, why don’t you tell me a story?’

Nico bristled at that. A story?Anyold story? That seemed too easy after everything they’d been through.

After all the suffering.

He looked to Will briefly, and his boyfriend arched an eyebrow. He looked tired.Tootired. And his bandages …

Nico’s stomach rolled. The gauze strips were soaked through with blood again.

He turned back to Gorgyra. ‘A story aboutwhat?’ he asked.

The nymph examined Nico’s face, then Will’s. Was she going to pull soul threads out of them again?

Nico felt something brush his knuckles. He glanced down and saw that Will was trying to hold his hand. He opened his fingers and let Will slip his in between.

Nico’s heart sank. Will’s grip wasveryweak.

Nico had to do this. Hehadto finish what they had started.

The whispers called out to him.

And then Gorgyra did, too.

‘Tell me about the two ofyou,’ she said.

Nico faced the worst decision of his life, and he was certain he was going to mess it up.

‘I can’t do this,’ he said to Will Solace, the stunningly beautiful son of Apollo, who stood across from him. But it was Austin Lake – one of Will’s half-siblings – Nico chose to focus on. He was pacing behind Will, which only made Nico more nervous.

‘Stop moving, Austin,’ said Nico. ‘I can’t concentrate.’

‘Sorry, dude,’ said Austin. ‘This is just so stressful.’

‘You gotta choose,’ Will said to Nico. ‘Those are the rules.’

Nico frowned. ‘I’m the son of Hades. I don’t live by most rules.’

‘But youdidagree to these,’ said Kayla Knowles, another child of Apollo. She twirled a cherry lollipop in her mouth. ‘Are you a demigod without honour, Nico di Angelo?’

Austin kept pacing. ‘To be fair, I don’t think this task requires anyactualhonour.’

‘Quiet!’ said Nico, running his hands through his hair. What if he made the wrong choice? Would Will be disappointed in him?

But studying Will’s face, Nico saw only anticipation. The goodkind. Will was ready for whatever Nico would say, and no matter how this ended, Will would still think just as highly of him.

What did I ever do to deserve him? Nico wondered. He asked himself that question a lot.

‘Okay, I’ve made my decision,’ said Nico.

‘I might explode,’ said Austin.

‘The world might end,’ said Kayla, now holding the lollipop at her side, her eyes bright with anxiety. ‘Like,actuallyend this time.’

‘So,’ said Nico, ‘if I had to choose …’

‘Yes?’ prompted Will. ‘You would choose …?’

Nico took a deep breath.