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‘This isn’t very comforting,’ Will said. ‘Epiales said their mother hadten thousandkids?’

‘It is a lot,’ Nico said. ‘There’s actually a funny word for what they are.’

‘I’m ready,’ said Will. ‘Give it to me.’

‘Cacodemons.’

He shook his head. ‘Yeah, I wasn’t ready for that.’

‘Cacodemons aren’tallbad,’ Nico continued. ‘If we had time, I’d introduce you to Charon, who works for my father. Technically, all hellhounds are Nyx’s children, too, so that would make Mrs O’Leary one. And I met Akhlys in a dream once.’

‘Sweet Apollo! That had to be a terrible nightmare.’

Nico grimaced. ‘Actually, she said she couldn’t do anything to me because I was already so full of sorrow.’

Will frowned at that. ‘So … thousands and thousands of cacodemons. I barely beat back Epiales with all the power I had. And we’re not even in Tartarus yet! If we have to wade through armies of Nyx’s children …’

‘We may have to face some of them,’ Nico admitted. ‘Or maybe we’ll find some like Nemesis who want to help us.’

Will raised his eyebrows. ‘None of this explains why Nyx is so interested in Bob … or in luring you to Tartarus.’

‘Or threatening the troglodytes’ new neighbourhood!’ said Howl-Smith, eliciting a fresh round of screeches, clicks and growls from the other council members.

Nico thought about that horrible garden of darkness in Tartarus … that mansion made from insects. The idea of Nyxinterfering with the trogs’ newfound happiness broke his heart … and made him angry.

‘Nyx is … obsessive,’ he said. ‘I faced her only briefly, and she was downrightoffendedby who I was.’

‘Right,’ said Will. ‘That whole bit about escaping who you are.’

‘She’s a primordial goddess of night and darkness. There’s nothing she despises more than someone who leaves their darkness behind. She doesn’t like beings who reject the form they were “destined” for.’

Will hit his forehead with his palm. ‘Oh, I get it now.Bob.Bob, who is aformer Titan.’

Nico nodded. ‘A former Titan whose memories were washed away in the Lethe and who nowchoosesto be someone different.’

‘So he’s basically like … evil catnip for Nyx.’

Nico wanted to laugh at that – technically, Will was spot on – but a terrible feeling came back to him. The third line of the prophecy ran through his mind:There leave something of equal value behind.

If Nyx despised all that was light …

‘Nico?’ Will put his hand on Nico’s shoulder.

Nico shook his head. ‘Sorry. It’s still a lot to think about.’

It was a small white lie, one amid a very real truth, but Nico couldn’t vocalize his worst fear. If he broke down in tears again, he was afraid he might never be able to put himself back together.

‘So you think Mr D was right?’ asked Will. ‘The dreams, Bob’s cries for help … it’s all a trap to lure you back to Tartarus?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Nico. ‘Though … if she wants me to reach Tartarus, why would she send Epiales to attack us?’

Will brooded, which couldn’t have been easy while wearing a foam cheese-wedge hat. ‘Some sort of test?’

Screech-Bling clicked at Will. ‘Explain, son of Apollo. Trogs do not like tests. Especially essay questions.’

The other council members hissed in agreement.

‘Well, think of it this way,’ Will said. ‘Nyx believes that everyone is destined to beonething. Nico, like Bob, has defied that. Epiales was trying to prove that Nico couldn’t escape his nightmares …’ He turned to Nico. ‘That you couldn’t evenmakeit to Tartarus before giving in to your darkness.’