Page 5 of The Court of the Dead (The Nico di Angelo Adventures #2)

“O h, absolutely not.”

The next morning, Nico and Will stood outside the Big House, watching the camp’s white Delphi Strawberry Service van pull up.

Nico crossed his arms over his chest. He frowned at Chiron, who was playing cards with Mr. D on the front porch.

“I know you don’t like me shadow-traveling so far,” Nico said, “but riding across the country with him would take way too long!”

Argus, the many-eyed giant who was the camp’s head of security, parked in front of them. He hopped out just in time to hear Nico’s complaint.

“No offense, Argus,” Will hastened to add, “your company is wonderful, but driving from here to California would take like a week.”

Argus’s shoulders slumped. He blinked his large blue eyes—the ones all over his head, the ones on his forearms, the ones on his shins between his safari shorts and his tennis shoes.

Nico wished the giant would say something—just to confirm the rumor that he had an eye on his tongue—but as usual, Argus stayed silent. He glumly held up an index finger.

“It would only take one day,” Chiron translated. “The van is quite speedy, and Argus was looking forward to the adventure. Besides, Nico, you’re correct. I worry when you shadow-travel such long distances. One of these days, you may enter the shadow world and not be able to get back.”

The centaur looked at Will for support.

Will winced. “Usually, I’d be on your side, Chiron. But this time, Nico has a point. The sooner we get to Camp Jupiter, the sooner we can help.”

“Also, I’ve come prepared!” Nico reached into the pockets of his bomber jacket. He pulled out a bag of homemade granola bars—gifts from Juniper—and a turkey-and-cheese sandwich that he’d pilfered from the kitchen. “If I start feeling faint, I’ll eat!”

“Plus, we’ll have the Cocoa Puffs,” added Will. “They’ll watch out for Nico.”

Right on cue, the ragtag army of cacodemons bounced out from their hiding place under the porch. They swarmed Nico’s feet, yipping with excitement.

“Ah, but you haven’t shadow-traveled with them yet, have you?” Mr. D gave Nico a sinister smile. “How do you know they won’t slow you down? Or cause you to spontaneously combust mid-flight?”

“Dionysus…” Chiron chided.

Mr. D gave him an innocent look, like Who, me? “I’m just saying it could happen.”

The wine god took a sip from a golden Capri Sun juice pouch. Nico didn’t even know Capri Sun came in gold pouches. Maybe they had a marketing deal with the makers of divine nectar.

“Well, if I combust, I combust,” Nico said. “I can think of worse ways to go.”

Mr. D laughed. “That’s the spirit!”

“It is most definitely not the spirit,” Chiron grumbled. “Let’s not jinx their trip before it begins.”

“Oh, grow up, Chi,” said Mr. D. “Live a little! Let the demigods make mistakes!”

“Hmph,” said Chiron. He looked at Argus. “Thank you, my friend, but it appears we will not need your chauffeur services today after all. You can continue with your normal strawberry-delivery schedule.”

Argus didn’t seem to like that idea, judging from the thirty or forty stink-eyes he gave Nico, but the giant nodded, got back in the van, and drove away.

“Well!” Mr. D. tossed the Capri Sun over his shoulder. “I do hope your trip to that wretched Camp Jupiter goes well, boys. Keep me updated. And as for you, little demons…” He leaned forward to study the Cocoa Puffs, who retreated behind Nico with a nervous chorus of Eep! Eep! Eep!

“Live your best life,” Mr. D told the cacodemons. “Follow your hearts. Sow chaos and discord. Bye, now!” He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a burst of glitter.

“He’s never going to change, is he?” asked Will.

Chiron threw his playing cards on the table. “I doubt it. He always disappears just as I’m about to win.”

Nico smirked. “I kind of hope he stays the way he is. It’s entertaining.” He faced Will. “You ready to go?”

Will grabbed the straps of his canvas backpack. “Ready as ever!”

“Please do be careful,” said Chiron. “I am not supposed to pick favorites among my charges, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit I have grown very fond of you two.”

Nico felt heat rise in his cheeks. “Thanks. I promise we’ll do our best.”

The activities director waved farewell. “And say hello to all our friends there for me!”

Nico waved back, and then led Will down the path toward the woods. The Cocoa Puffs followed, bumping into one another in a race to be closest to Nico.

At the edge of the forest, where the trunk of an old oak tree blocked the morning sun, they found a nice patch of darkness—perfect for stepping into the shadow world.

“Stay close, Puffs,” he said.

Grief grabbed one of his bootlaces. The rest of the Puffs formed a chain behind like they were ready to line-dance to “Old Town Road” all the way to Tartarus.

Will took a deep breath. “I’ll never get used to this.”

But for Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, returning to the darkness came as easily as thought.

He wrapped his arms around Will. Then he pictured their destination: the western entrance of Caldecott Tunnel, high in the Oakland Hills, where traffic whizzed back and forth day and night on Highway 24.

Between the tunnel’s two main bores, unnoticed by mortals, stood a set of metal doors, always guarded by Roman sentries… .

Nico and Will fell into shadow. The sensation was like flying blind at light speed through a sleet storm—not exactly the most pleasant thing.

He worried about Will, who had never shadow-traveled this far before.

Nico could feel the Cocoa Puffs dragging at his bootlace, as if they’d become heavier in the shadow world.

He really hoped they didn’t pull the boot off mid-journey.

Otherwise, he’d arrive in California with one shoe and no demons.

The experience was over almost as soon as it began.

Nico tumbled to his knees in a stand of sagebrush.

His head spun. He was dimly aware of Will crawling to one side, retching up his breakfast. The protein bar Nico had eaten earlier was also threatening to come up.

The Cocoa Puffs were the only ones who seemed okay.

They hopped around in the weeds, yipping excitedly, like Again! Again!

“Will?” Nico called.

“I’m good.” More retching. “You?”

Nico got to his feet slowly, fighting off the wooziness. “Yeah. We made it.”

In fact, Nico couldn’t have gotten them any closer.

They’d appeared in the median of Highway 24, in a stretch of weeds and wildflowers right at the base of the tunnel.

Just outside the guardrails, cars whizzed by in both directions.

To the west, foothills sloped into the flatlands of the East Bay.

Beyond that, a blanket of fog covered the bay, pierced only by the towers of bridges, and beyond that in the distance, the San Francisco skyline.

The air was cool and damp, scented with the pungent tang of eucalyptus trees.

Will stood, wiping his mouth. His forehead was beaded with sweat. “Wow. That view.”

“Yeah,” Nico agreed. “But look behind you.”

Will turned. At the top of the slope, just as Nico remembered, metal double doors were fixed in the side of the hill between the concrete art deco facades of the tunnel’s entrances.

The doors opened, and two Roman sentries came marching toward them.

Each wore full legionnaire armor: golden breastplate, plumed helmet, red cloak, with a shield and spear in either hand and a sheathed gladius at their belt.

Just your average heavily armed teenagers, strolling down the middle of a highway.

That was quick , Nico thought. He wondered how the sentries had learned of their arrival. Camp Jupiter must have upgraded their surveillance system since his last visit.

The sentries saluted in unison, thumping their spears against their shields.

“Welcome, Nico di Angelo!” called the guy on the left. He had light brown skin and curly black hair overflowing the edges of his helmet. “I am Yazan. This is Savannah. We’re here to escort you and the son of Apollo into Camp Jupiter.”

“Wow, so formal ,” said Will, and then he promptly pitched forward into Savannah’s arms. She was half his size, but somehow she managed to steady Will without impaling him with her spear.

“Oof,” Will said, finding his legs again. “Sorry. Haven’t shadow-traveled in a while.”

“Y-yes,” Savannah said, blushing furiously. “Of course.”

She had a freckled face and coppery-red hair braided down to her waist. When she glanced at Nico’s feet, her bright green eyes widened. “What are those?”

Nico followed her gaze.

Oh, right!

The Cocoa Puffs peered up at the girl. One of them—Defiance—rolled forward and inflated itself, growing spikes like a puffer fish. The message seemed to be You got a spear? Big deal. Check me out.

Yazan stepped back hastily. “Are those monsters ?”

Nico frowned. He didn’t like it when that word was applied to the Puffs. “Not monsters. Cacodemons. They’re with me.”

Yazan seemed to think about this. His instructions had probably not included escorting an army of demonic dust bunnies into camp.

“Very well,” he decided.

Savannah scowled. “Yazan, we can’t allow even more —”

“They are our guests ,” Yazan said, cutting her off. “Please, Nico di Angelo, follow us.”

Nico wondered what Savannah had been about to say—even more what? —but he didn’t have time to ask.

The sentries led Nico and Will up the path and through the metal doors, which slammed shut behind them. Magical torches guttered to life, filling the tunnel with an eerie purple light. The corridor sloped downward into the hillside.

Will shivered. His breath smoked in the cold air. “This is the entrance to Camp Jupiter?”

“Yep,” said Yazan.

“But…is the whole camp underground?” Will sounded worried—which was fair, considering that the last tunnel they’d been through had led to Tartarus.

Yazan chuckled. “No, no. Once we’re through the tunnel…Well, you’ll see.”

“Okay,” Will said warily. “Cool.”