โDam it,โ said Nico.
Small Bob glowed brightly enough that Nico could see his skeletal outline. Nico watched as the cat elongated, then grew in height, until there was a full-size, snarling, illuminated sabre-toothed tiger next toโ
him.
Well, thatโs the coolest thing Iโve ever seen, he thought.
Nico glanced back at the first woolly mammothโgoat monster, which was making quick work of the remaining cynocephali. They didnโt have much time before the odds would be โฆ
He grimaced. It didnโt seem accurate to say two-to-three, given that the โtwoโ were enormous monsters Nico had never seen before.
He had to focus, despite the fact that his inner voice was screaming at him. Heโd sensed the dead beneath the ground and foolishly raised them, unaware that the bones werenโt bodies but attached to โฆ those things?
What even were these creatures? What monster collected the dead and fashioned their bones into weapons? A part of him wanted to take back everything heโd just said to Will about the Underworld not being evil. Because these things seemed pretty evil to him.
โWhat do we do?โ asked Will. โI donโt have any weapons.โ โMaybe you can Care Bear-stare them?โ Nico suggested. โThem? Nico, what are these things?โ
โI have no idea! Iโve never seen them before!โ
Will hesitated. โIโm not sure I should use my abilities just yet.โ The monster took another thundering step towards the demigods,
crushing the mangrove roots beneath it. โHow โbout now, then?!โ said Nico.
โWhat about Nyx? What if I only have enough power for a single shot?โ Nico glared at him. โWhat? Why would you say that?โ
โIโm exhausted,โ said Will. โI donโt know what I have in me!โ
The first shaggy monster roared, and both boys watched as it opened its mouth โ revealing a truly unfair number of teeth โ and chomped down on the head of the final cynocephalus.
โWell, that was awful,โ said Will.
Small Bob growled next to Nico, and he reached down to pet his head. โKitty, I donโt know what strategies you have, but Iโm willing to try
anything.โ
The sabre-toothed tiger licked Nicoโs hand, and it was strangely very much like being licked by a house cat, just rougher.
Small Bob crouched as the monster examined them. The woolly mammothโgoat thing lowered its head just like Small Bob had, and the two creatures locked eyes.
Come on, Nico thought. You can do this, Small Bob.
The monster made the first move, charging the tiger. Nico grabbed Will and yanked him out of the way.
It was just in time for Small Bob to leap up, rather than to the side. He landed on the creatureโs neck, under the ridge of bones, and bit down on a fleshy spot. The creature cried out in pain, and Nico knew this was his only chance. He sprang forward, his sword ready, and jammed its point into the monsterโs leg with a quick and deep jab, then ripped it free. The monster immediately stumbled, falling on its bleeding knee, which was when Nico heard the impossible.
โLeave Carl alone!โ
Nico spun around to find that the other shaggy creature had stepped back over the Acheron.
And had spoken.
โThatโs unfair!โ the monster said. โHeโs going to get a head start!โ
Carl whimpered. (The monsterโs name is Carl? Nico thought.) โDonโt worry about me, Bartholomew! Iโll still beat you this time!โ
โYouโre cheating, bro!โ Bartholomew yelled back. โYouโre just jealous my collection is better!โ
โWhat in Hadesโs name is going on?โ said Nico, lowering his sword. โYou two can talk?โ
Bartholomew scoffed. โThatโs a fine question to ask after you just stabbed my bro in the knee!โ
Small Bob hopped down off the monsterโs back and slunk over to Nico, his maw soaked with blood. Moments later, he turned back into a calico. A very confused calico.
โNico, I know Tartarus is a bizarre place,โ said Will, โbut please tell me Iโm not hallucinating.โ
โYouโre not hallucinating,โ he said. โAre they talking?โ
Carl panted on the ground. โI am right here,โ he said. โYou donโt have to talk about me like Iโve already died, dude.โ
Bartholomew plodded over to his friend. โBut youโre about to,โ he whined. โDid you plan this? Is this a set-up, bro?โ
โOh, so you think I somehow found this guy and brought him to Tartarus so he could resurrect us?โ Carl laughed weakly. โEven you know thatโs
absurd, bro.โ
โCould someone please explain to us whatโs happening?โ Nico cried. โWhat are you two?โ
Bartholomew lowered himself to sit next to Carl. โWe are aeternae!โ he said. โSurely youโve heard of us.โ
Nico shook his head, but Will was nodding.
โAlexander the Great wrote about you!โ said Will excitedly. โYou killed a bunch of his men over in India.โ
Carl grunted. โGods, he was so annoying.โ
โAlways said he never lost a battle,โ added Bartholomew. โAnd yet we
easily destroyed, like, half his army without them killing a single one of us.โ โI guess we donโt count,โ whined the other aeterna.
Bartholomew snuggled closer. โYou count to me, bro.โ โBro,โ said Carl. โThatโs โฆ Thatโs so nice of you to say.โ
โAm I drunk?โ said Will. โIโm drunk. Menoetes put wine in the nectar, I know it.โ
Nico ignored Will. โIโm โฆ Iโm still lost. Why are you mad at Carl for dying?โ Then he turned to Carl. โAnd why do you seem to want to die?โ
โOh, bro, itโs so cool!โ said Carl. โWhen we die, thatโs when we collect bones for our defences. Iโm gonna get so many more bones than
Bartholomew, dude!โ
โOnly because youโre getting a head start!โ screamed Bartholomew. โNow I gotta go find a battle that will end in my death, dude. Those dog-headed monsters were, like, way too easy, man!โ
At the exact same time, both Carl and Bartholomew turned their heads to Nico, then looked down at his glowing Stygian iron sword.
โBro,โ said Carl.
โBro,โ said Bartholomew.
โOh, no,โ said Nico. โNo, no, no. Donโt even think of it.โ
โItโll be so easy!โ said Bartholomew. He then fully lay down and
stretched out his neck. โJust make it real quick, and then it will be a fair race.โ
โIโll still beat you, dude,โ said Carl.
โAs if. Iโm gonna find so many bones that my bones will have bones!โ โOh, yeah?โ Carl coughed, and blood trickled from his mouth. โMy bones
wonโt just have bones, but while youโre asleep theyโre gonna steal your bones.โ
โBro, Iโd like to see you try!โ
Willโs jaw was practically on the mossy ground. โI think I may never recover from this.โ
โIโm not going to kill you, Bartholomew,โ said Nico. โI just thought you were going to kill us. Thatโs the only reason we attacked Carl.โ
โBro, itโs almost time,โ said Carl. โIโll see you on the other side!โ
โNot fair!โ cried Bartholomew, and he raised his head, glaring at Nico. โCome on, dude, just kill me!โ
Nico dropped his sword, his face twisted in bewilderment. โThis is too much,โ he said. โI canโt willingly kill someone like that!โ
โWhy not? You basically killed Carl. Whatโs one more?โ Will tugged on Nicoโs bomber jacket. โLetโs just go, Nico.โ
At that, Bartholomew fully rose and roared at both of them. And once again Nico really hated how many teeth were in his mouth.
โYou donโt have a choice!โ the aeterna bellowed. โIf you donโt kill me, Iโll eat you both!โ
Which is the exact moment when Nico realized that Small Bob was no longer around. He looked down, then around him, and then he was too late.
Small Bob โ now back to sabre-toothed-tiger form โ leaped from behind and clawed his way up Bartholomewโs body. The aeterna roared, but mostly because he was surprised.
There was nothing Nico could do as Small Bob ripped out the monsterโs throat.
He fell to the ground alongside his friend. โBro,โ Carl groaned. โYou did it.โ
โJust for you, bro,โ said Bartholomew. โYouโre the coolest, dude.โ
โNo, you are.โ
Moments later, there was silence. Small Bob trotted over to Nico, looking quite pleased with himself. He shrank until he was back to a calico cat, then rubbed his blood-covered face on Nicoโs boots.
The bodies of the two aeternae sank into the earth of Tartarus. The last thing Nico saw of Carl was a lone, bony hand, disappearing into the dirt, its thumb raised in approval.
โLetโs never tell anyone about this,โ said Will. โOh, most definitely not,โ said Nico.
โMeow.โ
Small Bob began walking towards the swamp, stopping halfway there to turn back and mewl at Nico and Will.
โI think he wants us to follow him,โ said Nico evenly.
โI think Iโm dreaming,โ said Will. โDid Epiales just give us a fever dream?โ
Nico didnโt answer. The two of them slowly followed Small Bob into the swamp, leaving Gorgyraโs boat behind.
The blisters on their skin had begun to heal, but Nico picked at one of them as they trudged through the muddy undergrowth. Even with no sun in the
sky above, the swamp felt just as muggy as a summer afternoon in
Manhattan, when all the heat got trapped in between the buildings and
cooked the people down below. Sweat poured down Nicoโs face constantly, running into his eyes and stinging them.
It was clear Will wasnโt doing much better. His skin had fewer blisters on it, but it had returned to its previous waxy sheen. Nico had to slow his pace so Will could keep up, and even then Nico wasnโt sure how much longer Will was going to last.
The swamp was dense, dark and oppressive. The greenish haze was gone, but high in the mangrove trees there was a yellowish mist that smelled of
sulphur. The water below was a deep brown colour, and all sorts of slimy creatures slithered away from them.
Small Bob kept a much faster pace, darting so far ahead that Nico often lost track of the cat until they managed to stumble upon him, and then heโd bound away again. Nico knew he should be more vigilant about what
awaited them in the swamp, but exhaustion was beginning to numb his
senses, too. He heard things rustling nearby, yet he didnโt look. It felt like something was close behind them, but he couldnโt bring himself to turn back. He moved forward, one pained step at a time, because if he stopped, if he hesitated, he would simply cease moving entirely.
They walked for hours. Nico soon had to grasp Willโs hand and tug him along. They stepped over gnarled roots and trudged through thick mud that threatened to hold them in place. The swamp hummed with a terrible
energy. Was it the creatures who hid in the darkness? Or was it a sign that they were trampling through a living thing, an organ or another part of
Tartarus that was just as alive as everything else?
โI wish Small Bob could talk,โ said Will, breaking the long silence. โSo he could tell us how much further we have to go.โ
โYouโre doing well,โ said Nico. โEvery step we take brings us closer to Bob.โ
โHow come those boneheaded weirdos could talk but not Small Bob?โ Will said, continuing as if Nico hadnโt spoken. โLike, whereโs the justice in that?โ
Nico chuckled. โYeah, that does seem pretty unfair.โ
Will started to say something, but he snapped his mouth shut. โWhat is it?โ asked Nico.
He squeezed Nicoโs hand weakly. โI love you, Nico,โ he said, and his voice shook on Nicoโs name.
Tears sprang to Nicoโs eyes. He could hear the pain in Willโs voice. โI love you, too.โ
โI donโt mean to get sappy in the middle of the most cursed swamp in the whole universe.โ
โYou totally do.โ
Will nodded. โI one hundred percent do,โ he said. โI have to.โ Nico tugged him forward again. โWhy?โ
Will hesitated, then said, โBecause I can feel it all slipping away.โ Nico froze, and Willโs boots sloshed in the wet mud. โWhat?โ
โI donโt know how else to describe it,โ he said, his lips moving slowly. โItโs like โฆ like who I am, and what Iโve done โฆ itโs hard to remember.โ
Nico could feel his own exhaustion pulling at his bones, beckoning him to remain still, to drop to the ground.
But he couldnโt give in to it. Not after all this. Not with Will in this state. โCome on,โ said Nico. โWe have to keep going.โ
Small Bob meowed from the twisted roots of a nearby mangrove, and Nico guided Will in that direction.
โI canโt say Iโm going through what you are,โ Nico said. โBut think about what Percy and Annabeth told us. We have to keep reminding each other of our lives before. Thatโs how weโre going to survive this, Will.โ
โBefore?โ Will groaned. โI canโt grab on to any one thing. Itโs all a soup in my mind.โ
โThen let me remind you,โ said Nico. โOr we can talk about the stories we shared with Gorgyra.โ
โGorgyra.โ Will said her name sleepily. โHer dress was weird.โ โIt was,โ said Nico, smiling.
โIt was full of voices.โ
โDonโt think about those. Think about what we told each other.โ โThey said I belonged with them,โ said Will. โThat I was lonely, even
with you.โ
Nicoโs heart sank. โWhat?โ
โNot all the time, Nico,โ said Will, shooting him a sad look. โJust sometimes. When Iโm not sure if youโve let me in.โ
Nico didnโt slow down, even though he wanted to, even though he needed to know what Will meant. But โฆ he already knew, didnโt he? As much as this trip had revealed some of Willโs uncomfortable thoughts about the Underworld and the darkness in Nico, it had also revealed that Nico often shut Will out. Of his past, of his feelings, of the things that scared him.
โThis relationship stuff is hard,โ said Nico softly.
Will nodded. โYeah, it is,โ he said. โI didnโt know you had to, like โฆ always work on things. But you do, donโt you? Every part of it โฆ is a choice.โ
Small Bob leaped across the path they were on and jumped over a downed mangrove. Nico helped Will over it first, then hopped up onto the trunk. On the other side, Will had his arms out to help Nico down.
โWill, youโre exhausted. Donโt worry about me.โ
โI got you,โ said Will. โJust like youโve had me this whole quest.โ
Nico eased himself into Willโs arms, and soon they were both locked in a tight embrace.
โIs it okay if I tell you Iโm scared?โ Will said into Nicoโs shoulder. โOf course.โ
โBecause Iโm scared of whatโs coming.โ Nico pulled away. โOf Nyx?โ
โMaybe a little,โ he said. โBut more โฆ more the prophecy. And what youโll have to leave behind.โ
Willโs upper lip quivered, and Nico stilled it with a kiss.
โItโs not going to be you,โ he said, โand itโs not going to be me.โ โYou promise?โ
Nico hesitated for only a second, then blurted out, โI swear on the Styx.โ Willโs eyes went wide. โNico, why did you say that?โ
โBecause I meant it!โ
โBut what if that is how you have to save Bob? Now you canโt!โ
Nico shook his head, then pulled Will along once more, desperate to get past this awkward moment. โWeโll figure it out when we get to that point.โ
He could tell Will had more to say, but his boyfriend fell back into silence.
So Nico filled it as they walked. He started with the stories theyโd told Gorgyra, even recounting Willโs own past to him. His companion didnโt
speak the entire time, but Nico knew that Will needed this more than he did.
He reminded Will about the infirmary. The trading of trinkets.
That first kiss.
Nico then shared parts of his childhood heโd never talked about before โgood parts. He spoke of Bianca, his Mythomagic set, the Lotus Hotel.
Nico described as much brightness as possible. He imagined himself as a sun that shone on Will and cast him in warmth. He had to, because shadows swallowed them on all sides, gnarled roots threatened to trip them up, and thorny vines hung menacingly from the branches.
They walked.
Finally, Nico couldnโt keep talking any more. His throat was dry, and his tongue was sticking to the roof of his mouth. He so desperately wanted all this to be over.
But the swamp kept going on and on and on. The only sound Nico heard aside from their footsteps was Willโs laboured breathing.
It was getting worse.
When Nico was certain that he was actually going to collapse before Will did, Small Bob started yowling repeatedly.
Nicoโs eyelids were drooping again and again, as if they weighed half a ton. His vision was beginning to blur at the edges, too. Sleep threatened to take over his body, but he couldnโt stop here. Everything was dark and wet and muddy, and Nico had no idea where he was. What if Small Bob got too far ahead? What if they had doubled back the way they had come?
So when Small Bobโs cries reached Nicoโs ears, he let go of Willโs hand, then began to lightly slap his own cheeks. โStay awake, Nico,โ he said. โStay awake.โ
โIs that Small Bob?โ said Will. โOr is there some sort of cat monster calling out to us, announcing that weโre about to be its next meal?โ
Nico walked towards the sound of Small Bob and found him perched on an enormous root. The calico looked up at Nico and purred loudly.
โWhat is it?โ he asked. โWhat did you find?โ Small Bob turned his head to the side.
The trees were sparser in that direction. Beyond them, there were no more mangrove roots and no more yellow mist.
โWill โฆโ Nico said, practically vibrating. โWill, I think weโre here.โ Small Bob bounded forward, and Nico chased him, dragging a stumbling
Will behind him. The trees parted, and Nico gasped as they burst into the clearing.
To his right was an enormous oak. It leaned so far to the left that Nico wasnโt sure why it hadnโt completely fallen over. He noticed it grew not from the ground but out of a frighteningly large drakon skull.
But there, in the direction the tree pointed, was a hut. It had a strange dome made of green leather and โฆ were those bones? Maybe. The dark
entryway was on the side facing where theyโd exited the swamp, and Nico
almost slipped on the mossy rocks as he scrambled towards it. Two large femurs were situated on either side of the door, their top ends stained black.
โDamasen!โ Nico called out. โDamasen, we are friends! Are you here?โ
He heard Will say something behind him, but Nico didnโt stop. He needed this. They needed this. After so much pain and suffering, they had to have this win.
Nico skidded to a stop in front of the hut. He tore free his sword, holding it aloft so it would illuminate the darkness, and stepped inside โฆ
His heart dropped to his feet.
Will shuffled up next to him. โWhere is he?โ he said. โWhere is Damasen?โ
Nico wanted to cry.
โThe hut is empty,โ he said. โHeโs gone.โ