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She extended her hand to show him a Mythomagic figurine on her palm. Zeus. ‘His lightning bolts do six hundred damage,’ Bianca said. ‘He was one of your favourites.’

‘You loved that game,’ said Maria, her dark eyes sparkling beneath the veil. ‘Half the time it was impossible to pull your attention away from it, especially when we moved to the United States.’

Nico rose slowly, then looked from Maria to Bianca and back.

‘You can’t be here,’ he said. ‘It’s not allowed. You both … You both moved on.’

Maria nodded. ‘We did, Nico. I am sorry I was never able to come back to see you before this. It is a regret I had, but … where I went, Ihadto let go.’

‘Where youwent?’ Nico raised an eyebrow at Bianca. ‘How is she here, then? How areyouhere? Aren’t you in Elysium?’

‘I am,’ said Bianca. ‘But the two of us … We were granted one last visit with you.’

‘What?’ said Nico. ‘Granted bywhom?’

Maria ignored that question. She stood, and the sight of her was like a crashing wave that swept Nico away. He choked out a sob, then covered his mouth.

Tears spilled from Maria’s eyes. ‘We are not truly here,’ she said.‘Think of us … like an essence. Like the smallest drop of who we once were.’

‘We are still ourselves,’ Bianca added, and she crossed over the room to stand next to her mother.Nico’s mother. ‘But this cannot last long. It is just for you.’

‘Just for me?’ Nico wiped away his tears. ‘Why?’

Maria and Bianca did not answer. Instead, they both cast a glance over Nico’s shoulder and smiled.

The temperature dropped, and Nico sensed another presence in the room.

He didn’t want to turn around. It was Nyx, wasn’t it? Or Epiales, or some other nightmare demon or god. They’d found a way into his mind, to torment him more, or …

‘Turn around, Nico,’ said Bianca. ‘This is not what you think it is.’

He gulped loudly.

But what if it was?

‘You have to let go of that fear,’ his mother said. ‘Fear is not always a bad thing, but sometimes it can hold you back.’

She stepped forward and placed a ghostly hand on his cheek. ‘Turn around,’ she said.

He swallowed his terror and turned.

Hades stood behind him, dressed in a black pinstripe suit. He was holding a wide-brim hat in both hands, rotating it nervously. Despite the fact that he was metres taller than everyone else in the room, he seemed …

Like an embarrassed child.

But wasn’t Nico the one in trouble? For defying his father’s wishes? For entering Tartarus even though it was forbidden?

‘Father,’ said Nico. ‘What is this?’

At first, Hades did not speak. His glittering dark eyes jumped from Nico to the floor, then to Maria.

‘Go ahead, Hades,’ prompted Maria.

‘This is my doing,’ Hades finally said. ‘This dream.’

‘Wait,’ said Nico. ‘If this is really you –’

‘It is, my son,’ said Hades, cutting him off. ‘If you don’t believe, I can prove it to you –’