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‘What are you doing to me?’ Nyx said. ‘I am the goddess of night! You cannot hold me down.’

Epiales drifted over to their mother, their appendages spreading out from their body.

‘We know we can’t,’ the demon said. ‘But we can at least buy the demigods and the Titan some time.’

‘No-o-o!’ Nyx screamed, but the word came out sluggishly, as if her mouth was full of tar.

Epiales looked to Nico. ‘Thank you for helping us realize the truth, too.’

‘I will get you, Nico,’ slurred Nyx. ‘I will force you to choose.’

‘You misunderstood me, Nyx,’ said Nico, approaching her. ‘Youkeep saying I need to choose the darkness, butI already have. I’m not afraid of my past any more. And you helped me realize that. I can’t ever escape from what’s happened to me. But Icanlearn to live with it.’

Will was so proud he felt like he might erupt like a solar flare.

Nico shook his head at the goddess. ‘You want me to be controlled by my darkness, just like you thought you could control my … my …’

He groaned. Yeah, this word was going to be a problem.

‘My … cacodemons.’

Will sighed as he stepped up beside Nico. ‘The term doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue, does it?’

‘I think it’s cute,’ said Bob. ‘Like Small Bob.’

Who promptly meowed.

‘So this is how I fulfil the prophecy,’ Nico said to Nyx. ‘I’m tired of constantly trying to fight my own demons. And now you’ve given me my answer.’

He turned around, and the pack of cacodemons scurried up to Nico, waiting for their next command.

‘First of all,’ he said, kneeling, ‘I can’t keep calling youcacodemons. It’s the worst. And I would also feel very weird naming you after whatever memory you remind me of.’

The cacodemon with the antlers cooed at Nico, then lowered its head to the ground.

‘So, a little bit of renaming …’ he continued. ‘What if I called you … my Cocoa Puffs?’

‘Cocoa Puffs?’ said Bob.

‘They’re quite delicious,’ said Will, and he put his hand on Nico’s shoulder. ‘And it’s the perfect name for them.’

Nico reached down to the antlered Cocoa Puff, who jerked away at first. Finally, the demon stayed still and let Nico touch it.

It was … odd. Averyodd sensation. Soft, but without any substance. Like somehow Nico was pettingsmoke. And then images floated up in his conscious mind.

Jason Grace, dead. Leo, dead. Bianca, dead.

This one, the Cocoa Puff of grief, howled softly.

‘I have to leave something of equal value behind,’ said Nico. ‘And I think it’s time I left my demons behind. So, I’m not going to control you, Cocoa Puffs. I am not going to order you around. Nyx granted you life, and I’m giving it back to you. You get to make your own choices now.’

The Cocoa Puffs squeaked and growled as they looked at one another.

‘I know that’s scary,’ Nico continued. ‘The scariest thing in the world is that we have to make our own decisions. But you don’t deserve to live a life without that option, so … I’m setting you free.’

The Cocoa Puff with teeth and claws like needles approached next, and Nico scratched it behind the ears.

He stood across from Cupid, and his face burned with shame.