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‘I would pass away,’ said Nico. ‘Right on the spot.’

Will laughed at that, which felt like a small victory to Nico. ‘We just moved cars at the next stop. And that was when Mom taught me about subway surfing.’

‘Wow. I didn’t get to travel to New York until the Battle of Manhattan.’

Will grimaced. ‘Not a great introduction to the city. Did you know that years before that, my mom and I were actually in Manhattan when my satyr found me and brought me to Camp Half-Blood? Monsters attacked me downtown.’

‘No!’ said Nico.

‘Remind me to tell you that story someday.’

The way he said it, Nico got the message that he wasn’t quite ready to share the details.

‘Sometimes I forget you’ve been all over this continent,’ said Nico. ‘I mean, I’ve been a lot of places, too, but mostly since coming to Camp Half-Blood. Do you ever miss travelling?’

‘Occasionally,’ said Will. ‘But I think it was more that I liked being with my mom. She has such an adventurous spirit. It’s hard not to feel the same way when you’re around her and she wants to go see the world’s biggest ball of twine or something.’

Nico tried to imagine the world’s biggest ball of twine. He found the concept vaguely terrifying.

He glanced a few rows up at the woman and her kid, who now sat in her mother’s lap. He leaned against Will’s shoulder. ‘Did you ever want like … like a normal childhood?’

He could feel Will fidget. ‘I don’t think so,’ said Will after a moment of silence. ‘Maybe sometimes I wanted the things I saw other kids experience. But I also got to travel all the time! My mom is basically like my best friend, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.’

Nico considered that. Some days, he struggled just to picture his mother’s face. He remembered her voice in his nightmares:Vita mia.

‘Do you ever think about what life would be like if you weren’t a demigod?’ he asked.

Will jerked away from him. ‘What? Why would you say that, Nico?’

‘It’s just a question.’

‘No, I don’t ever think about that.’ Will gazed into the distance. ‘I think about all the wonderful experiences I’ve had because of who I am. I’ve been able to help people – to save theirlives, Nico! – and I’ve protected the world from imminent danger.’

Then he gave Nico one of his soul-warming smiles. ‘I can heal people. I can glow in the dark. And … well, I metyou.’

‘Oh,gods, groaned Nico. ‘No cheesiness! It’s too early in the day, Will!’

Will snuggled up to him. ‘But it’s true. I’m very thankful we’re in each other’s lives.’

‘You cheated with that answer,’ said Nico, ‘but I’ll allow it.’

Will planted a kiss on Nico’s temple. ‘My grumpy ball of darkness.’

‘The world’slargestgrumpy ball of darkness, thank you very much.’

They spent the rest of the train ride in silence. At some point, Will began to doze. Nico watched the world go by outside. At Woodside, the last stop before Manhattan, the mother and daughter got off. The young girl skipped alongside her mother on the platform, and her carefreeness made Nico’s heart sink.

Will was right. There was so much about being a demigod that Nico would never want to give up, and he certainly didn’t want to evenimaginea world without Will. But there was more to whatthey’d been born to than just abilities, demigod friends and ridiculous adventures.

The images from Nico’s dream last night swirled around in his mind. There were … darker aspects. Loneliness. Pain. Isolation. And all those things made up who Nico was. Did Will not see that? Or did he only focus on the positive things about being a demigod, the things full of light and promise, the things hewantedto see?

Sometimes Nico wasn’t sure. Did that make him a bad boyfriend? He had nothing to judge this against because he’d never got as close to anyone as he had with Will. How did other couples do this? Did Annabeth and Percy ever doubt each other?

At the thought of his friends, Nico realized that there was a possible solution tosomeof his anxiety over this trip, and maybe Will’s, too. Who else knew more about Tartarus?

When the train finally pulled into Penn Station, Will was quick to rouse. He yawned. ‘Didn’t expect to fall asleep. Where to now?’

‘A little last-minute detour,’ said Nico, shaking off the nerves that had crept over him. ‘Humour me, and I promise it will be worth it.’