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‘Hold on,’ said Will. ‘Would someone explain to me why this a big deal?’

‘Yes, Nico.’ Menoetes’s voice dripped with mock sweetness. ‘Why don’tyouexplain it?’

Nico dug his fingernails into his palm. ‘My stepmother’s garden … There’s no place like it in existence. It’s beautiful. And, if I’m being honest, it’s one of my favourite spots.’

‘I’m not hearing the problem,’ Will said. ‘If you know it so well, why can’t we just visit and ask Persephone not to tell her husband?’

‘Because she’s not going to let me take anything from her garden!No oneis allowed to do that. It’s full of some of the rarest plants ever. There are bushes of diamonds, Will. Trees with flowering rubies. And I’m pretty sure she’ll know themomentwe take something, which means she’ll tell Hades immediately after that. Then we’re toast.’

‘You don’t have many options,’ said Menoetes. ‘You can take thechance andmaybenot get caught. Or you can refuse to help me, and youwillget caught.’

‘Why?’ said Nico. ‘Why are you always asking things of others? Do you have a collection of stuff people have retrieved for you?’

‘No!’ said Menoetes, and this time, his offence didn’t seem fake. ‘No, it’s for … Well, I like to share.’

‘Share?’ said Will. ‘With whom?’

‘With my boyfriend!’ he blurted out. ‘Fine, I said it. Are you happy now?’

Nico and Will looked at each other, shocked.

‘Oh, so you have a problem with a male demon being in a relationship with a male giant?’ Menoetes scraped the ground with his human foot, like he was going to charge them.

‘What?’ said Nico. ‘No! It’s just –’

‘I expected better of you, I guess,’ said Menoetes. ‘It seems so –’

‘Menoetes, calm down,’ Nico interrupted. ‘I’mgay.’

‘And I’m bisexual.’ Will pointed to Nico. ‘He’sliterallymy boyfriend.’

‘Oh,’ said Menoetes. ‘Well … sorry. I get a little defensive sometimes.’

‘That’s okay,’ said Will. ‘But back up the Boyfriend Train a second. You said … agiant?’

‘Yes,’ said Menoetes proudly, puffing up his chest. ‘Although he’s not agiantgiant, mind you. He’s more my size. His name is Geryon, and we’ve been going steady for a while now.’

Nico immediately started coughing so hard that Will pounded his palm on Nico’s back.

‘GERYON?!’ Nico demanded. ‘Black hair? Tiny little moustache? Three bodies?’

‘That’s him,’ said Menoetes dreamily. ‘You know him?’

‘He tied me and my friends up! He tried to kill Percy Jackson!’

‘That was his old life!’ claimed Menoetes. ‘Ever since the Doors of Death were closed … well, he’s beendifferent.’

‘Differenthow?’ demanded Nico. ‘Because he was awful! He helped Kronos. All he cared about was money!’

‘And now hedoesn’t,’ said Menoetes. ‘Which is why I want to give him something nice. He doesn’t have anything any more. He lost his ranch business. He started re-evaluating his life, and I’m so proud of his growth! If I can get him just one pretty thing … Well, gift-giving is my love language,’ he said bashfully. ‘But I never have a chance tofindgifts. I’m always working here.’

Will nodded. ‘That … actually sounds really sweet.’

‘Sweet?’ Nico scoffed. ‘You didn’t meet Geryon. You don’t know what he’s like.’

‘Waslike,’ said Menoetes. ‘Was. Because now you don’t know what heislike.’

Nico was left speechless.