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Nico swore.

‘Stay still!’ Amphithemis ordered.

Nico decided to do just that. Why am I trying to fight him? he thought. He can’t even touch me!

He lowered his sword until the tip of it touched the ground. ‘I don’t have the child,’ said Nico. ‘There isn’t one any more. Amphithemis, just think for a moment. You’re in Tartarus. Only one type of person ends up here.’

The centaur actually appeared to consider this for a few seconds before he shook his head angrily. ‘I won’t be fooled by your tricks, demigod,’ he spat. ‘If the dead are the only ones here, then why areyoustanding before me, using your magic so I cannot strike you?’

‘Damn,’ said Nico. ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’

Amphithemis raised his arm to bring it down on Nico’s head.

The demigod didn’t even wince. He knew what was going to happen – Amphithemis’s hand would pass through him, and they’d be back at square one.

So he didn’t brace himself before Amphithemis raked his nails over Nico’s face.

Nico cried out and stumbled back. His hand flew to his cheek, which was wet with blood.

Amphithemis looked just as shocked as Nico. But he soon closed his mouth and squinted at him. ‘Who are you?’ he asked. ‘Do you know where Dionysus is?’

Nico slowly stuck his hand in his jeans pocket, ran his bloody fingers over the coin’s embossing.I don’t know where you are, Will, he thought,but I’m going to find you.

Amphithemis hunched over and held up his hands in an offensive posture. ‘Don’t move,’ he said. ‘I don’t know who you are, but I know you have the child.’

The centaur launched himself towards Nico.

And Nico turned and started sprinting. He gripped the coin tightly as he headed for the ridge in the distance. Amphithemis screamed as he chased him, and Nico knew he wouldn’t be able to outrun a centaur. It was only a matter of time before he got caught.

He had no plan. He had a sword that was useless, Will was missing, and they weren’t any closer to finding Bob or Nyx.

On the ridge, there was a bright flash, and Nico saw numerous dark shapes converging on a single point.

‘Will,’ he breathed.

Ithadto be him.

He only managed a few more steps before Amphithemis tackled him from behind.

Will heard a splatter from behind the rock.

He nearly jumped in fright. Next there was a sickening tearingsound, then a pained cry. Had the cynocephali found another victim first? Were they eating each other? He fleetingly wondered if this had bought him some time, and he suddenly knew he couldn’t just sit there and wait for them to attack first.

He was a demigod! The son of Apollo! And his boyfriend needed himnow.

There was another grouping of stones a few metres away, so Will pressed his hands and feet into the ground and sprang forward, racing to the rocks and diving behind them. He was overjoyed to see his backpack sitting there, and he quickly pulled out his hoodie and put it on. Then he hoisted the pack onto his shoulders. Another bright flash illuminated his surroundings, so Will poked his head above the rock.

He could not believe what he saw.

An entire pack of cynocephali were fighting a large, translucent, glowingcat. The feline hissed and growled at one of the dog-headed monsters, then swiped an enormous paw at it, drawing blood. The big cat leaped onto the cynocephalus and tore at its neck, then jumped out of the way as another member of the pack tried to attack. The cynocephalus on the ground jerked around a bit, and then its body dissolved.

The cat turned in Will’s direction, and he was able to see its fierce front fangs, which hung down below its bottom jaw, red with the blood of cynocephali. It had a spotted pattern over its coat, making it look a whole lot like a –

Wait.

Like a sabre-toothed tiger.

‘Small Bob?’ Will said, rising.