Page 33 of The Court of the Dead (The Nico di Angelo Adventures #2)

He found Hazel and Frank outside the mess hall. Hazel obviously had slept, showered, and changed into fresh clothes. Frank obviously had not.

“Hey, how’d you sleep?” Hazel asked.

“Eh,” Nico said. “So-so.”

“I’m about to get a few hours myself,” said Frank.

“Everything good overnight?”

He nodded. “All the remaining mythics are safe and accounted for. They’ve temporarily moved into the Fifth Cohort’s barracks for extra security, at Lavinia’s invitation.”

“Good idea,” Nico said. “If anyone tries to infiltrate that barracks, they’ll be subjected to a lethal amount of square dancing.”

Hazel snorted. “True enough. Look, I just grabbed a breakfast burrito to go. I’d suggest you do the same. We should head out soon. We don’t know how long it will take for Laverna to recover from last night, or when she’s going to realize her ID card is missing.”

Nico’s heart skipped a beat. “I hadn’t thought of that. Let me go see if Will is up yet.”

Hazel raised a peace sign. “Meet at the Decumanian Gate in fifteen?”

“We’ll be there!”

After grabbing a bag o’ breakfast burritos, Nico dashed back to the barracks. His mind was still trying to pull him in a million directions—his guilt about past failures, his fear of the future and all its unknowns—but he quietly reminded himself to stay still , right here in this moment.

He might not be very good at it, but he was learning.

Will was awake. He’d already dressed and prepared his backpack. Now he was filling his cargo shorts’ pockets with every conceivable kind of emergency supply. When Nico arrived, the Cocoa Puffs were bouncing around Will’s feet, excited and eager, like they all wanted a ride in his pouches.

The sight filled Nico with mixed emotions.

On one hand, he loved how the Puffs were becoming part of their lives.

He felt certain they were trying to help—heightening his awareness, giving him better access to his feelings.

Grief had even bitten a goddess in the leg, which was definitely a bold new stage in the mourning process.

On the other hand, he worried about how the Puffs were changing, and how they might be changing him.

He didn’t understand it, which made him feel vulnerable.

Nico had heard the expression wearing your heart on your sleeve .

Taking the Puffs into an unknown hostile environment would be like going into battle with his entire soul exposed.

He didn’t want to risk it, even if the Puffs provided a boost to his demigod observational powers.

“Hey, Puffs.” Nico knelt in front of them. “Listen…I’m going to ask Frank to look in on you later today, but I’m afraid that you’ll need to stay here while we go into town.”

The cacodemons immediately went into temper-tantrum mode—whining, growling, and throwing their bodies against one another. Loneliness gave him the sad Cyclopean puppy-dog eye, which nearly broke Nico’s heart.

“I know, I know,” he said. “But we have no idea what we’re going to encounter out there. I want to make sure you’re safe. I promise we won’t be gone long.”

Defiance puffed up his spines, leaped onto the bed, and sat facing the wall. All the other Puffs followed his example, making a line of pouting demonic puffballs with their backs turned on Nico.

Will joined Nico at his side and frowned. “Are your emotions on strike?”

“I think so,” Nico said. “Down with Nico, I guess.”

Will hefted his backpack over his shoulder. “I’m Team Nico,” he said to the Puffs. “Sorry. But I think you should all stay.”

Another chorus of disapproval rang out, and Nico’s heart broke further.

Before Nico could crumble and relent, Will gestured for Nico to follow him.

The two of them left the guest barracks.

Nico wondered if this was what it felt like when a parent dropped their kid off at kindergarten for the first time.

He sensed he was doing the right thing, but he also felt like each one of those pouting cacodemons had stuck a tiny knife into his heart.

Will squeezed his shoulder. “They’ll be okay. And hey, I hope you’re not going to be upset with me, but I was thinking we probably shouldn’t shadow-travel into the city. Better to just take the BART train.”

“Totally agree,” Nico said.

“Wait, really?”

“We have to be prepared for whatever we find at the courthouse. I don’t want to arrive there exhausted.”

“Huh,” said Will. “That was easier than I thought it was going to be.”

“Come on, I’m not that reckless. Just promise me you won’t tell Hazel that poop-on-the-subway story.”

Will threw his hands in the air. “But it’s a classic! Everyone who takes public transportation has a story like that!”

“I think you wildly overestimate how much poop people encounter on a daily basis, Will.”

His boyfriend rolled his eyes. “Whatever. You love my stories.”

As they walked to the camp’s western gate, munching their breakfast burritos, Nico sensed Will sizing him up. “You look like you got some actual rest, at least. Is the Underworld freezing over?”

“Some parts of it actually are freezing over, Sun Boy.”

“Oh? I wouldn’t know. My boyfriend only takes me to the most romantic destination spots.”

Nico laughed. “I love it when Sassy Solace shows up.”

Hazel was waiting for them at the gate, pacing back and forth like she was deep in thought.

“The Mist,” she said.

“What about it?” Nico asked.

“I think I’m going to have to use it to hide us when we get there.”

Will tilted his head. “All three of us? For the entire time?”

“I think I can do it,” she said. “Last night…It’s hard to explain, but I think I had kind of a breakthrough—I learned an easier way to manipulate the Mist. I want to try, anyway.”

Nico remembered just a few days ago, when making some illusionary traffic barriers had almost made Hazel pass out.

“Uhhh…okay,” he said. “Do you think we’ll need it?”

“The court is a very public space,” she explained. “Right in the middle of downtown San Francisco. Plus, we don’t know what we’re walking into. I’d prefer more disguise to less disguise.”

“Good point,” said Will. “Well, I’m down for a little Mist adventure. Can you make Nico look like Sweeney Todd? Maybe give him a handlebar mustache? I’d love to see that.”

“Or you could make Will look like a service dog,” Nico suggested. “I’m thinking a golden retriever.”

Hazel crossed her arms. “I could just leave you two here. Maybe pop over to New Rome and ask Percy and Annabeth if they want to join me instead.”

Nico groaned. “Please leave that boy alone .”

Will laughed. “Can you imagine ? I think he would stab you with that pen-sword of his.”

“Bold of you to assume Annabeth wouldn’t stab her first,” said Nico.

Hazel sighed. “Well then, I suppose I’m stuck with you. We should get going.” She hesitated. “You know…I’m actually nervous.”

“Me, too,” admitted Will.

Nico zipped up his bomber jacket. “Now I feel better about being nervous as well. Let’s go find our friends.”