‘Nico di Angelo, why don’t you tell me a story?’‌

Nico bristled at that. A story? Any old story? That seemed too easy after everything they’d been through.

After all the suffering.

He looked to Will briefly, and his boyfriend arched an eyebrow. He looked tired. Too tired. And his bandages …

Nico’s stomach roiled. The gauze strips were soaked through with blood again.

He turned back to Gorgyra. ‘A story about what?’ he asked.

The nymph examined Nico’s face, then Will’s. Was she going to pull soul threads out of them again?

Nico felt something brush his knuckles. He glanced down and saw that Will was trying to hold his hand. He opened his fingers and let Will slip his in between.

Nico’s heart sank. Will’s grip was very weak.

Nico had to do this. He had to finish what they had started. The whispers called out to him.

And then Gorgyra did, too.

‘Tell me about the two of you,’ she said.