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‘Darth Vader.’

Will and Kayla groaned, but Austin looked like Nico had just given him a Ferrari as a birthday present.

‘Dude!’ Austin screamed. ‘That is the best answer!’

‘It is theworstanswer!’ said Kayla. ‘Why would you choose Vader when Kylo Ren isright there?’

‘Iwas hoping for a deep cut,’ Will mused. ‘Maybe someone like General Grievous or Dryden Vos.’

‘Hold on,’ said Nico. ‘I just finished watching all those moviesyesterday. I can barely remember what happened in the prequels at this point.’ He paused. ‘Were those all actual characters in Star Wars, or are you joking?’

‘Don’t distract from your truth, Nico,’ said Kayla. ‘Darth Vader?You’d go on a date withDarth Vader?’ She crunched on her lollipop. ‘I’ve lost all joy, Nico. All of it.’

‘Welcome to my world,’ Nico joked. He caught Will grimacing – a brief flicker of one, but he still caught it.

‘This is a safe space,’ said Austin. ‘No judgement allowed for our answers, remember?’

‘I take it back,’ said Kayla. ‘It’s an all-judgement space.’

‘You’re very quiet, Will,’ said Nico. ‘Especially asthenumber one Star Wars fan in the group.’

‘I’m considering all the reasons why you’d give that answer,’ he said. ‘You might be onto something.’

‘He’s powerful,’ said Nico.

‘And decisive,’ added Will. ‘He’d always know exactly where to go for your date. No arguing about that.’

‘Does he take off his helmet to eat?’ said Kayla.

Nico laid his hand over his heart. ‘Imagine Darth Vader removing his helmet over dinner and then staring longingly into your eyes over the table. Nowthatis romance.’

Will laughed hard, then flashed that brilliant smile of his.

Why, oh why, did it feel like such a victory to make Will laugh? For a long time, Nico had assumed he himself did not have a heart. He was the son of Hades, after all. Love didn’t find people like him. But then came … Will. Will, who could melt Nico’s iciness with a smile. Anyone could have guessed which god was Will’s father – he radiated energy and light. Sometimesliterally, as they had learned in the troglodytes’ caverns earlier that year. Will was Apollo’s son, through and through.

Maybe that whole saying about opposites attracting was true, because Nico didn’t know a single person who was more his opposite. Despite that, they were coming up on a year. A yeartogether. Nico had an actual boyfriend.

He still wasn’t sure he believed it was real.

The four demigods continued their walk through Camp Half-Blood. There was no fire burning in the amphitheatre. Maybe, since it was starting to cool down on Long Island, Nico and Will would light one tonight. No campers were rushing off to the armoury or the forge; no one was visiting the Cave of the Oracle. The cabinswere empty (aside from Hades’s and Apollo’s), and that was the clearest sign summer was over.

Nico didn’t want to admit it out loud, but he was going to miss … well, pretty much all the campers, even though it was at times exhausting to be one of their counsellors. He especially didn’t want to say goodbye to Kayla and Austin.

As they passed through the strawberry fields, Nico sensed Kayla’s and Austin’s tension growing. They’d had to make a difficult decision about their travel arrangements earlier that day, and as the four of them climbed Half-Blood Hill, Kayla and Austin slowed.

‘I’m thinking that maybe we should have chosen differently,’ said Kayla.

‘You sure we’ll be fine, Nico?’ asked Austin.

‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘I mean … no one has everdiedor anything.’

‘That’s not nearly as comforting as you think it is!’ said Kayla.

‘You’ll be okay,’ said Will, and he put his hand on Austin’s shoulder. ‘I’ve heard it’s chaotic, maybe a bit nauseating, but you’ll make it home safely.’

They reached the summit of the hill, where the Golden Fleece glittered on the lowest branch of the pine tree. Below, Farm Road 3.141 curved around the base of the hill, defining the outer border of camp. On the gravel shoulder, next to a pile of boxes and duffle bags, stood Chiron, the Camp Half-Blood activities director, his equine lower half gleaming white in the afternoon light.

‘There you are!’ the centaur called out. ‘Come along, then.’