Chiron sighed. “Whatever the case, I’m not sure we need to have youbothleaving if it’s not for a quest.”
Nico gave him his best puppy-dog eyes. “But a fellow demigod has asked for our help. Surely you don’t want us ignoring her in her time of need?”
“A point for Mr. di Angelo,” drawled Mr. D. “Is our venerable activities director really telling the demigods under his purview to ignore the harried, desperate call of one of their own?”
“Whose side are you on?” Chiron grumbled.
Mr. D grinned. “My own. Of course.”
Chiron scratched his beard, muttering something about unhelpful wine deities. He considered Nico’s plaintive expression. “I suppose we could handle Noah, Ananya, and Oludare’s orientation for the next couple of days.”
“I’ll teach Noah how to ride Peleus,” Mr. D offered.
Will’s eyes went wide. “You canridethe dragon?”
“No!” Chiron said sharply. “You can’t!”
“Not with that attitude, Chiron,” said Mr. D. “That boy Noah nearly passed away from an Iris-message. He needs to be thrown into the deep end to get his demigod legs. It’ll be fun!”
Chiron decided to ignore him, which was often the wisest strategy when dealing with Mr. D.
“Nico and Will, you two have been working very hard,” Chiron conceded. “Perhaps a change of scenery would do you good. Just stay in contact, especially if you think you’ll need more time out west.”
Despite his misgivings, Nico felt a burst of excitement. “Thank you!”
“And I’ll expect hourly reports,” said Mr. D.
Nico froze. “Wait. Seriously?”
“Of course not.” The god laughed. “Can you imagine me caring that much? Besides, my network of minions will keep me updated if anything interesting happens.” He faced Chiron. “Now, about these riding lessons on our fire-breathing dragon. Where do you think we can source an asbestos saddle?”
As the two demigods headed out of the dining pavilion and toward the cabins, Will leaned close to Nico. “Does Mr. Dactuallyhave a network of minions?”
“To be honest,” Nico said, “nothing about him would surprise me anymore.”
Nico wasn’t big on packing. Usually, he just rushed off on an adventure and left the wholeWhat am I wearing tomorrow?question for later. But Will was quick to remind him how useful his supplies had been on their journey into Tartarus.
“Imagine if I hadn’t had my sun-therapy globe,” Will said, stuffing his backpack with an extra hoodie and some snacks. “Or my first aid kit.”
“We’re going to a camp for demigods,” Nico said. “They have food. They have medical supplies. We can even get you one of their purple shirts if you want.”
Will grinned. “I do look good in purple. Would the shirt sayMy Boyfriend Went to Camp Jupiter and All He Got Me Was This Lousy T-Shirt?”
Nico was only half listening. He paced around the Apollo cabin, wondering what it would be like when he saw Hazel. What would she think of the Cocoa Puffs? Had their father spoken to her recently? A million questions. He was also thinking about his friend Jason Grace, the former praetor of Camp Jupiter—another blond demigod who looked good in purple. Nico had loved him like a brother, and he was now gone forever. Maybe putting Will in a purple SPQR shirt wasn’t such a great idea. Nico wasn’t sure his heart could bear it.
Will sat on his bed and began to roll sock pairs into balls. “I know you’re restless. I imagine you want to leave right now, but tomorrow is better. Good night’s sleep and all that.”
Nico kept pacing.
“Hey,” Will said. “Lord of Darkness.”
Nico paused. “What?”
Will pushed aside his miniature mountain of socks. He tapped the bed next to him. “Sit.”
Irritation flared in Nico’s chest. Will was a little too good at cutting through Nico’s posturing, or his attempts to avoid the truth. He meant well, though. Nico took a deep breath and settled in beside his boyfriend.
“Sorry,” Nico said. “You’re right. I am a bit antsy.”
