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So Nico held his breath and leaped.

Nico’s plan had been to quickly jump to the other bank, but once his legs were submerged in the Acheron, the current grasped him and sent intrusive thoughts into his mind.

Nico remembered every monster and demon he’d ever killed. He remembered the dead he had raised. He remembered all the people he’d been unable to save.

Jason. Bianca.

His mother.

‘Come on!’ yelled Amphithemis, his hand extended. ‘What’s taking you so long? I’m losing the scent!’

Nico trudged his way through the River of Pain, then reached for Amphithemis’s hand. The centaur pulled it back at the last second, so Nico ended up pitching forward and flopping onto the opposite bank.

‘The child,’ Amphithemis said. ‘The child. Where is the child?’

‘We’ll find him,’ said Nico, gasping and rolling over onto his back. ‘Just let me catch my breath first.’

Amphithemis danced around him, hopping from one hoof to another. ‘Who are you? Do you know where the child is?’

Nico scowled at him. ‘I already told you my name.’

‘Where did you come from?’ The centaur dropped to all fours and approached Nico, then sniffed his now-wet jeans. ‘You were in the river. River washed away the scent.’

Nico’s eyes widened. ‘What? No!’ He quickly removed his bomber and held it out to Amphithemis. ‘Smell this. Will’s scent is definitely still on it.’

‘Who is Will?’

Nico scoffed. ‘My boyfriend, remember?’

The centaur tentatively sniffed one of the sleeves. ‘Oh, yes. Yes, I smell them. Children. The children are near.’

And then he bolted away from Nico.

‘Hey, wait up!’ Nico called out, pushing himself up and slipping on his jacket. He was a little woozy at first, but he soon found his footing and chased after Amphithemis.

The centaur was running wildly, his nose in the air, sniffing every which way. Why would Nico’s boyfriend have come this direction?Oh, Will, he thought.What ridiculous idea did you get in your head?

Then:What ridiculous idea did this placeputin your head?

Amphithemis darted helter-skelter, sniffing every rock and bone they passed. He muttered to himself the whole time, and Nico couldn’t make out what he was saying. He seemed … determined.This mission Zeus had given him was clearly his sole purpose in life. It wasn’t like Zeus handed out assignments regularly, so it had to be important to find this child.

‘Here, here,’ said Amphithemis loudly, and he came to a grouping of stones, each of them pitch-black like volcanic rock. ‘The child was here.’

Nico panted as he walked up to him. ‘Will was here?’

‘The children. The children were here.’

Nico wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for. Orat, for that matter. Where had these stones come from? Unlike where Nico had been when he’d woken up, there was nothing else here on this flat plain. Nico twisted around and peered back at the river. He could still see the boat on the other side, and off to his right was a set of hills.

He thought he saw movement there. Was he imagining it? Maybe Tartarus was playing tricks on his mind already.

He gazed back at the volcanic rocks, and this time, he wassurehe saw something move.

And it looked like a mouth snapping shut.

Nico froze and focused on the spot. ‘Shhh,’ he said to Amphithemis. ‘I think something is here.’

There was a soft rustling sound, and out of the corner of his eye, he spied something dart past. Nico was only quick enough to catch a pack of shadows moving together into the distance.