She ducked as a blurry shape, like a chicken with fur, whizzed across the surface of the Iris-message, crashing somewhere behind her. From the sound, Nico guessed whatever it was had knocked over a suit of armor.
Nico’s protective instinct flared up again. “What was that?”
Hazel reappeared in the glowing sphere, her hair blown sideways. “It’s fine. I’m fine. I’ll explain everything when you get here, I promise. Thank you!”
The Iris-message flickered out.
Nico frowned at Will. “That was weird, right?”
Will scratched his ear. “I mean…weirdis kind of our specialty. I’m just excited to see the Roman camp!”
Nico wished he could feel as confident. His mind wandered back to his time at Camp Jupiter, where he was considered a son of Pluto. The Roman demigods respected him well enough. Nevertheless, they still considered him an outsider, a visitor—not part of their legion. If his sister Hazel, their top-ranking leader, was facing something she couldn’t handle alone, Nico wasn’t sure how much help he could be.
And yet…he had to try. He was responsible for bringing Hazel to Camp Jupiter in the first place. He remembered finding her in the Fields of Asphodel—a ghostly wisp of a spirit, drifting among the black poplar trees along with millions of others.
Unlike most souls in Asphodel, Hazel’s consciousness had been intact. She’d sought him out, grasped his hand, and filled his mind with her life’s story, the injustice of her death, and her intense longing to return to the world of the living. Nico saw this as a second chance—a way to save a newfound sibling, a fellow child of the Underworld, the way he hadn’t been able to save his sister Bianca.
Nico had brought Hazel back from the dead, straight into the war with Gaea. Sometimes he wondered if he’d done her any favors. At the very least, Hazel now deserved all the support he could give her.
“Nico?” Will squeezed his shoulder. “You okay? You left me there for a moment.”
Nico glanced down. He expected to see Sadness or Guilt tugging at his shoelaces, but none of his Cocoa Puffs were nearby. Nico’s mind was churning out the dark feelings all on its own.
Focus, Nico told himself.This has to be what Mr. D means about staying present.
He offered Will a weak smile. “Sorry. I just wish I knew what was going on over there.”
“I know.” Will leaned over and kissed his cheek. He didn’t ask what Nico was feeling. He didn’t need to. Nico appreciated that his boyfriend knew him so well.
“The good news,” Will continued, “is that we get todosomething about it. Let’s go talk to Mr. D and Chiron.”
By the time they’d crossed the pavilion to where the two directors were seated, it was clear to Nico that they already knew what the demigods were about to ask. Chiron was tugging pensively at his beard. Mr. D wore a huge grin on his face, like he’d just thought of a new kind of animal he could turn his enemies into.
“You demigods never fail to entertain me.” The god raised his goblet of grape juice. “Always something dramatic happening!”
Nico frowned. “Wait,” he said. “Was Hazel winking atyou? Were you eavesdropping?!”
Mr. D slurped his juice so loudly it made Nico cringe. “My boy, everyone in the pavilion overheard that Iris-message. Besides, I still have decades left in this prison. I think I am allowed the diversion of eavesdropping on my campers.”
Chiron rolled his eyes. “That’s actually quite problematic, Mr. D.”
“Oh, pish. If that girl Hazel hadn’t wanted me to overhear, she shouldn’t have appeared in a giant glowing bubble while I was having dinner.”
“Anyway,” Will interrupted, “it saves us an explanation. We won’t be gone long. Just a day or two. That’s cool with you, right?”
Chiron didn’t look convinced. The old centaur was in “human mode” today, his stallion lower half hidden in a magical wheelchair so he appeared to be a distinguished-looking teacher with graying hair and a rumpled tweed suit. Honestly, though, Nico found this look even more daunting than Chiron in full equestrian mode, maybe because he’d had some very strict teachers when he was a kid in Italy.
“What about our three new campers?” Chiron said. “They’re in need of your guidance.”
“We can fill them in some more this evening!” Will offered. “Then we’ll leave tomorrow.”
Nico nodded. “Plus, they might benefit more from talking to two adults….”
Mr. D looked to either side, as if trying to find the “adults” to whom Nico was referring. “I’m sorry. Are you telling me to work more, Nico di Angelo?”
Nico couldn’t help but laugh. “Have you ever worked a day in your life, Mr. D?”
“That’s an egregious insult.” The camp director winked at him. “Despite the possible truth in that question.”
