Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Let’s get this over with,” Nico looked into the blue eyes of the boy in front of him, meeting them with the unblinking stare that usually kept people from approaching him more than once. “No, I’m not blind. No, I don’t have a concussion. Yes, I was born like this. And no, I can’t see the future or the past or anything besides what’s right in front of me. Which, at the moment, is less than pleasant.”

The grin the boy had been aiming at Nico since tapping him on the shoulder slowly dropped, but he didn’t otherwise react to the prepared spiel. Nico was impressed. Most people would have turned tail and run by now, if they even stuck around long enough to hear the monologue after seeing Nico’s eyes — which were a dark, reflective black from corner to corner, no whites, pupils or irises to be seen. 

“Um, I was just going to ask if this seat is taken.”

Nico tried to hide his surprise, not only that this boy was acting entirely unphased by Nico's appearance, but also that he seemed to be asking to sit next to him. That was not usually how these interactions played out. In fact, Nico wasn’t sure if this had ever happened before.  

“Uh, no. No, it’s not,” Nico said, after a beat too long. 

“Great. Thanks,” the boy replied, with a raised eyebrow and a frown. Ah, there it was. The disgusted look Nico was used to. He waited for the boy to sit or to change his mind, but instead he just looked into Nico’s eyes for a moment longer before leaning over and picking the chair up. Nico tried not to be disappointed as he watched the boy carry the chair over to the other side of the room, where he realized two other students had been watching the interaction from the end of a full row of seats. 

He watched the back of the blue-eyed boy’s head, which was covered in bouncing blonde curls, as he set the chair down next to the girl on the end and leaned over to whisper to her and the boy sitting next to her, both of whom immediately looked over their shoulders again to not-so-subtly stare at Nico. He would have stared back, to see if they were any more squeamish than their friend, but his attention was called to the front of the room by a large bearded man wearing a purple leopard print suit who stood and loudly cleared his throat. 

“New students! If I could have your attention please,” the room quieted down as everyone turned to look at the man, who was tapping his foot impatiently. “Welcome to Schist University. I am your headmaster, Dr. Dionysis. I hope you never need me. The people seated behind me are obviously the faculty, please come to them with any questions or concerns, because I probably don’t care.” 

Nico scanned the professors, recognizing a few who had attended some of his father's campaign events last year, including a centaur who Nico remembered had approached his dad on a few different occasions to try and talk to him about some policy he was concerned about. The centaur, whose name Nico couldn’t remember, stood behind the rest of the professors. He appeared to be the only non-human who taught at the school.

A thin, pale man — who Nico didn’t recognize — was also standing, but he was in front of the rest of the faculty, immediately to the right of Dionysis. This man also had a beard, but unlike Dionysis’ — which was dark, curly and looked like it hadn’t been brushed in a couple hundred years — his was gray, short, and pointed like a spear blade. Nico met the man’s silver eyes, which he realized with a start were staring directly at him. 

“We also have several older students who have volunteered to get you orientated,” the headmaster continued, gesturing to the student mentors seated in the front row. “So, please feel free to bother them, and not me. Thank you.”

Dionysis sat down and pulled a glass of something clear that Nico suspected was not water out of seemingly nowhere, closing his eyes and already tuning out the room around him as he took a sip. The pale man did not sit, instead turning to walk slowly around the periphery of the room as the students all got out of their seats. Although the man clearly wasn’t looking at him anymore, Nico couldn’t shake the feeling that the stranger was watching him. 

He tried to push his paranoia aside as he made his way toward the front of the room, where the student mentors had spread themselves out, each holding a sign that indicated which freshmen they’d be in charge of for orientation. Nico waved at his sister, Bianca, who he was disappointed to see would be leading the students with last names starting with P through S. She smiled back at him, and used her chin to point towards a tall blonde girl holding a sign that said A through D . Nico smiled in gratitude then headed in the blonde girl’s direction, ducking his head as he pushed his way through the crowd. 

“Hi there! My name’s— oh,” the girl had started talking as Nico approached, but she cut herself off when he looked up and met her eyes. She was only caught off guard briefly, it seemed, because a moment later she was smiling at him again and gesturing for him to join the rest of the group that had gathered around her. “Sorry, my name’s Annabeth. You must be Nico. Your Bianca’s brother, right? She mentioned you were starting this year.”

“What gave me away?” Nico crossed his arms as he looked at the girl, silently challenging her to say something about his eyes. He knew he looked quite a bit like his sister, but people seldom pointed it out and he doubted that’s what Annabeth had noticed about him. The folks back home in Styx could hardly be bothered to look away from Nico's eyes or Bianca’s wheelchair long enough to notice they had the same nose and cheekbones, and Nico didn't think here would be any different. Bianca had probably warned her friends about Nico, so everyone at school could recognize him just like everyone at home did, as the boy with those eyes .

The girl met his stare with a raised eyebrow.

“I have a list, di Angelo, and you’re the last one here.”

Nico blinked. He opened his mouth to reply — whether to apologize or snark back, he wasn’t sure yet — but stopped when he heard a familiar voice being raised on the other side of the room. 

“Seriously, stop it! You’re not helping. Let go of me!”

Nico whipped around. It took him a moment to spot Bianca in the crowd, but eventually his eyes landed on the green beanie she was wearing, which matched the fake vines she’d used to decorate the handles of her wheelchair. The vines were meant to deter people from grabbing the chair without her permission, but they evidently weren’t working. Someone tall and blonde was pushing her toward the exit of the room, with the rest of her tour group following behind.

“Don’t even worry about it,” her assailant was saying, completely ignoring Bianca’s cries of protest. “Just let me know where we’re going and I can definitely help get you around. You know, I’m planning to study healing magic while I’m here. Maybe in a few years—”

Nico stopped listening as he felt a familiar cold sensation racing through his veins, and he knew the temperature in the room had dropped. His vision darkened as the air around him responded to his sudden anger. The lights in the domed ceiling above him flickered, and the shadows surrounding him lengthened to cover the floor. He reached through the darkness and wrapped his hand around the hilt of a sword that was hanging from the wall in a corner he shouldn’t have been able to reach from where he was standing.

He stepped into the shadows, and then he was staring again into bright blue eyes. 

“Don’t touch her.”

Chapter Text

“Don’t touch her.”

Nico whispered the command, but he didn’t need to speak up to be heard. The room had gone dead silent the moment he stepped out of the shadows in the small space between his sister and the blue-eyed boy from before, who still had his hands on Bianca’s chair.

The boy didn’t respond. He couldn’t, really, with Nico’s sword pressed up against his throat the way it was. He stood frozen for a few seconds, staring Nico down, before slowly backing away just far enough to bring a hand up to rub his throat. 

“You again?” Nico spat at the boy, sword still raised. “What? You'll ask permission to move an empty chair, but when there's a person in one you think you can just take her wherever you please?”

The shadows in the room swirled around Nico as he spoke, and the boy’s eyes went wide. He didn't respond, but took a few more steps back, letting his gaze flick back and forth between Nico's eyes and his sword.

“Nico,” Bianca’s voice cut through the silence, and Nico dropped the sword, spinning around to face her. She had turned her chair around and was staring up at him with a frown. “I appreciate the concern, Nico, but I can take care of myself perfectly fine without you making a whole scene.” 

Nico looked around and realized that everyone was looking at him with expressions that mirrored the blonde boy’s. The room was dark, and several people were shivering with their arms wrapped around themselves.

He looked back at Bianca. She was still frowning, but the look was softer now. “I don’t need you to protect me, Nico.”

“I know that, Bianca, I just… I mean, I didn’t mean to—” He let out a huff and allowed his shoulders to drop, releasing his posture from the tense, fighting position he hadn’t realized he was still holding. “I’m sorry, Bi. You’re right.” 

Nico closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing the shadows to retreat. It took a few moments and more concentration than it probably should, but when he opened his eyes the lighting and temperature in the room had returned to normal. He hung his head rather than looking at his sister, or anyone else.

“Quite right,” Nico felt a cold hand grab onto his shoulder as a sharp voice spoke behind him, and he turned quickly to see the man with the pointed beard peering down at him. “Your sister is a capable young lady, Mr. di Angelo. I’m sure she had the, ah, situation well in hand without your interference.” Over the man’s shoulder, Nico noticed the blonde boy perk up and take a few steps closer, as if trying to put himself in the professor’s line of sight, but the man didn’t look away from Nico as he spoke. “Though, I can’t say I’m not intrigued by the manner in which you decided to intervene.”

The man’s stare was uncomfortably direct, and Nico felt like he was a specimen being studied. The blonde boy shifted closer again, watching the interaction with the smug face of someone who was watching their bully get reprimanded by their favorite teacher.

Nico didn’t love the idea of establishing himself as a bully — with creepy eyes and weird magical powers to boot — on day one at university, but he decided it didn’t really matter now, since he was probably about to be expelled. 

The professor cleared his throat and finally looked away from Nico, scanning the faces of the students and faculty around them, most of whom were still watching Nico warily. 

“You may all return to your orientation, if you please,” he said loudly, tightening his hand on Nico’s shoulder to make it clear he wasn’t dismissed with everyone else. He turned back to Nico and lowered his voice before continuing. “Mr. di Angelo, if you would come with me, I believe we have much to discuss.”

Nico followed the man out of the conference room, avoiding meeting the eyes of the other students, who he knew were watching him. They walked through a series of convoluted hallways in the grandiose building. The man didn't speak while they walked, so Nico didn't either. 

Eventually, they reached a large wooden door with a small plaque that read Dr. Minos, Head of Sorcery. The man pulled out a key and opened the door to reveal a room that looked like a cross between an office and an alchemy lab. On one side of the room there was a large oak desk flanked by an armchair and a bookshelf. The shelf was stuffed with leather-bound books, most of which had titles that weren't in any language Nico was familiar with. In the other half of the room there were several pristine cabinets against the walls and a circular table covered in cauldrons and vials of liquids in a variety of colors. A book was propped open on a stand facing the table.

The professor walked around the desk to sit behind it and gestured towards the armchair. Nico perched himself carefully on the edge of the chair, barely allowing it to hold his weight. 

“Please, make yourself comfortable, Mr. di Angelo. I expect you'll be spending a lot of time in this office over the next few years, and I would hate for you to feel like you can't relax here,” the man said. 

“I— what?” Nico blinked at the professor, waiting for him to explain, but the man just folded his hands and smiled in a way that was probably meant to be comforting. “I’m sorry, Professor, um—”

“Oh, goodness me. I never even introduced myself. My name is Dr. Minos,” he reached over the desk, offering Nico his hand to shake. Nico took it, briefly, but pulled away quickly and retreated deeper into the armchair. “I’m over the sorcery department here at Schist — well, technically, I’m the only member of the department, as we’ve been low on magic-users these past few years, but that’s beside the point. I’d like to offer you personal tutoring for the duration of your time at this school.”

Nico’s head was spinning. This couldn’t be happening. Nothing today had gone the way he expected. People were usually afraid of Nico, even if they hadn’t seen him use magic. They didn’t smile at him, or shake his hand, and they certainly didn’t offer him private sorcery lessons . None of his tutors growing up had known what to do with his powers. No one had seen anything like his shadow magic before, and it tended to get him in trouble more than anything else. 

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Minos,” Nico said, a little too late. “I, uh, I thought you were going to expel me.”

The professor tilted his head and squinted, his eyes roving over Nico's face like he was an interesting book. 

“Of course not,” he said eventually. “With magic like that, why, I suspect you’ll be of interest to more powerful people than me, Mr. di Angelo. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t take you under my wing and prepare you to meet them. Although, I would suggest refraining from using your powers to intimidate other students, in the future.”

“More powerful people?” Nico repeated.

“Yes. In fact, I think I’ll write to Kronos at once. We’re friends, he and I, and I think he’d love to meet you,” Minos reached into one of the drawers of his desk as he spoke and pulled out a pen and paper. “I could probably get you an audience with him before the end of this year, although he’ll want you to finish your degree before giving you any official title.”

“Official—” Nico’s mind was racing as he tried to grasp the full meaning of Minos’ words. “An official title from The Wizard? You think he would— You think I could—”

Minos looked up from where he had already started writing and smiled again, then nodded. 

“Do well, and in a few years I think you could be The Wizard’s magic grand vizier.”

——

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Minos let Nico explore his alchemy station while he wrote his letter. Then, because Nico had missed orientation, Minos took him on a personal tour of the school, which seemed like it had been designed with the express purpose of getting Nico lost whenever possible. They finished the tour by visiting the admissions office, where Minos worked with a counselor to rearrange Nico’s schedule so that he would be spending almost half of his class time each week with Minos. 

He even walked with Nico to pick up his luggage from where he had been told to drop it off before orientation, and then helped him navigate the convoluted hallways to find his new room.

Nico was lagging a bit behind, as he was dragging two suitcases and a large shoulder bag along with him, when Minos stopped in front of a circular wooden door. There were only a couple other doors in this hallway, and Nico was surprised at how far apart they were, and how big that meant the rooms behind each of them must be. When they’d talked with the counselor earlier, she’d said the school had made an error and Nico had accidentally been assigned to a regular dorm — rather than one of the expensive suites that she was sure his dad must have meant to reserve for him — but she had upgraded him as soon as she saw he was Bianca’s brother. Even knowing that, he hadn’t expected the suites to be quite so… well, sweet. 

Nico was pretty sure there had not actually been a mistake in the housing assignment, but he wasn’t going to say anything about it. Luckily for him, Governor Hades di Angelo cared just slightly more about his reputation than he cared about making sure Nico knew he was less important than his sister. If someone from the school questioned why Hades was paying for luxury housing for one of his kids and not the other, the governor would surely agree there had been a mistake and cough up the extra money to save face.

Just as Nico had caught up to Minos and started putting down his bags so he could pull out the key he’d been given, the door to his new room swung open, almost hitting him in the face. The door blocked him from seeing who it was that was coming out of his room, but he heard a surprised gasp, and then saw a hand dart out to grab one of Minos’ and shake it vigorously. 

“Dr. Minos! Sir, it is such a pleasure to meet you. My name is Will Solace, son of Naomi and Apollo Solace. I’m sure you remember them. They both said you were their favorite professor when they were here years ago, and I know you worked especially closely with my dad on his healing magic. He still brags about how you told him he was the best healer you’d ever trained.”

The person on the other side of the door — Will — didn’t stop shaking Minos’ hand even after he finished talking. After a few seconds, Minos grabbed the boy’s forearm with his free hand and slowly pried himself out of Will’s grasp.

“Is that what I told him? Such a shame he decided to be a musician, then, isn’t it?”

“Exactly! That’s what I always say!” The boy did not seem deterred by Minos’ reaction to his hand shaking, but plowed on as if he’d gotten exactly the response he was hoping for. “But don’t worry, I’m planning to pick up right where he left off. I’ve been studying healing incantations since I could talk, and getting in your basics of sorcery class was my top priority for my schedule this semester. I’m sure under your tutelage—”

“Actually, I’ve recently decided I’ll be cancelling that class until further notice. I had to free up some time to work more closely with one particularly gifted student. In fact, I’m only here because I was helping him to find his room,” Minos turned to Nico, who hurriedly pushed his bags to the side and stepped around the door, already putting a hand out to greet his new roommate. 

For the third time that day, Nico was met with bright blue eyes.

He dropped his hand.

Chapter Text

“Ready for a rematch, di Angelo?”

Nico looked up, surprised, from where he was retying his shoe and found Will looking down at him with one hand on his hip and the other spinning his dulled practice sword in a way that — though Nico would never admit it — looked cool, but still made Nico nervous to be crouched below him. He glanced around while he quickly finished with his shoe, hoping the instructor would notice the blatant flaunting of safety regulations, but she was busy adjusting another student’s fighting stance.

“I would hardly call what happened at orientation a swordfight. You weren’t armed with anything but my sister,” Nico replied, grabbing his own sword from where it was sitting next to him in the grass and standing to meet Will’s gaze.   

“Exactly.” Will flipped his sword over in his hand one last time before lifting it up to swing at Nico, who immediately raised his own blade to block him. 

It had been several weeks since the start of the semester, and Nico had spent an unfortunate amount of that time thinking about Will. The blonde — who had apparently been told he would be getting a private room before the “error” in Nico’s housing had been discovered — had filled their room with his clothing and decor, barely leaving any space for Nico to sleep on his own bed, let alone unpack any of his belongings. They had a silent battle going on where whenever Nico had a few hours to spare he would spend it boxing up Will’s things and moving them back onto Will’s half of the room, and every time Will had time he would move it all back into Nico’s space.

They didn't talk much — or ever, actually — and they usually avoided being in the room at the same time, except to sleep. And yet it still felt like they were arguing whenever they were near each other. Nico felt like his frustration was almost palpable whenever he returned to find Will had taken over his side of the room again, and he could practically hear the blonde silently screaming whenever Nico practiced his magic in the room at night. Nico knew it was petty, but a part of him enjoyed rubbing his sorcery studies in Will's face. And if sometimes he waited to practice his most impressive shadow magic until Will had come back from wherever he spent his afternoons, well, that was Nico’s business.  

Outside of their dorm, Will and Nico only ever acknowledged each other in angry glances. Nico knew that Will probably complained about him to his friends — and Nico would have done the same if he had any friends to complain to — and he was sure their rivalry wasn’t a secret around the school, but Will didn’t usually acknowledge it openly. He didn’t need to. Unfortunately, he was handsome, charming, and a lot less off-putting than Nico. So, of course everyone would immediately side with him without ever seeing their silent disagreements themselves. Although the whole school had witnessed Will’s blatant disregard for Bianca’s bodily autonomy on the first day, and Nico didn’t really understand how anyone could blame him for his reaction.

So, Nico was a little wary about why the blonde had approached him today. Nico usually ended up sparring with a practice dummy or the instructor during their free practice time, because everyone else in the weapons training class tended to avoid him. And Will didn't normally fight with swords, preferring to spend his free time at the archery range across the courtyard. 

Not that Nico had been watching him or anything, but Will was very good at archery.

He wasn't too bad at swordplay either, it turned out. It was clear Nico had more practice — his footwork was cleaner and his strikes more precise than Will's — but the blonde was taller and stronger, and he knew how to use that to his advantage. His swings were powerful, and he almost knocked Nico’s sword out of his hand a couple times with pure force. Nico didn’t intend to lose, though. He focused on dodging and weaving, and backed away slightly to let Will think he was gaining ground while Nico analyzed his attack style for weak points. 

They continued on like that for several minutes, until Nico could tell Will was starting to tire himself out. He was clearly getting frustrated with Nico's parrying, which meant he would start getting sloppy soon, if Nico could just wait until—

There. 

Will's sword clattered to the ground a few feet away, and for a moment Nico couldn't hear anything over the sounds of his own breathing and his heart pounding in his ears. He had almost let Will back him into the outside wall of a dorm building at the edge of the courtyard, but had turned at the last moment so the blonde now had his back to the wall, both hands up in surrender, though he didn't look happy about it. 

Nico let his eyes roam over Will's face briefly — watching a drop of sweat trace its way down his cheek, pass over a smattering of freckles, and drip off his jaw — before lowering his sword from where it was pointed at the other boy's throat. Will's cheeks were stained red from the exercise, and he didn't say anything as he stared at Nico for another few moments. 

Someone coughed, and Nico broke eye contact with his roommate, turning around just as several people in the courtyard turned away, apparently trying to hide that they'd been watching the duel. Cecil Markowitz and Lou Ellen Blackstone, Will's two closest friends that he'd known back home in Delos and who he seemed to spend most of his time with, were blatantly staring. They came trotting over as Will moved to pick up his sword, and they quickly pulled him into a whispered conversation.

Nico huffed, still feeling a little unsure about the whole confrontation. He met eyes with the weapons instructor, Ms. Ramírez-Arellano, but she just shrugged and gave him a thumbs up before gesturing to the clock tower, which showed it was just about time for class to end. 

He made his way over to the storage shed to clean and return his practice sword. He didn't look back at his roommate, but for some reason he couldn’t shake from his mind the image of freckles across tan skin with a light blush, and blue, blue eyes. 

——

The sword fights became a regular occurrence after that. It didn't happen in every class, but at least once every couple weeks Will would grab a practice sword and approach Nico to ask for a “rematch.” 

Nico didn’t mind. He won most of the time. It wasn't a surprise that Nico had more sword training to start with, seeing as he was raised by a soldier turned politician and Will grew up with two musicians, but Will was slowly improving.

He never said anything after the fights, but occasionally during lessons Nico would look over and catch Will watching him, probably trying to imitate his stance or study his style.

Outside of weapons class, their relationship remained much the same. They ignored each other in the few other classes they shared — and if they had to acknowledge each other it was done in sarcastic quips and glares — the battle of the bedroom decor continued, and Nico could still feel Will glaring at him every time he practiced magic in their room. But something seemed to change whenever they were sparring. Will would smile at Nico, occasionally, mid-fight, and though it had felt taunting the first few times, now it felt almost … friendly. 

It was unnerving, because Nico didn’t know what it meant, and it always threw him off guard. The few times that Nico had lost to Will, it had happened while the blonde was smiling at him. 

This was, unfortunately, one of those times. Nico hadn't been paying enough attention to his foot placement, for some reason, and had managed to trip himself while backing away from one of Will's attacks. It was a bit of a cheap win, but Will didn't seem bothered as he flashed a smile over his sword, which he had pointed triumphantly at Nico’s chest. 

They stayed like that for a moment, Nico flat on his back with his sword in the grass somewhere to his right and Will’s sword pointing at his heart, until Will stepped back and stabbed his weapon into the grass next to him. He reached a hand down to help Nico up and Nico hesitated for a moment but grabbed it, preferring not to be visibly petty where everyone could see.

Will started to pull him up, but just before Nico was fully standing and balanced, Lou Ellen ran quickly past them, holding her sword above her head like a throwing spear, with Cecil close on her heels. One of the two bumped into Will as they passed, and suddenly Nico found himself back on the ground with Will sprawled on top of him. 

They both froze. Somewhere in the back of Nico’s mind, he registered the commotion happening around them as Cecil tackled Lou Ellen to the ground and Ms. Ramírez-Arellano started shouting at them from the other side of the courtyard. But it was hard to pay attention to any of that when he could feel Will's breath on his face and Will’s heartbeat pulsing against his chest. Or maybe that was just Nico's own heart, beating twice as fast and wildly out of rhythm. 

Will's blue eyes were looking into his, and from this close Nico could see the way the blue of each iris was ringed by a faint black line, and there was a bit of light yellow in the center, like a splash of sunshine surrounding his pupils. 

Nico couldn't breath all of a sudden, and he flung both his hands out, desperately searching for a shadow he could use to get out of here. But they were outside at midday and the only shade he could find was the shadow cast by the man on top of him. He'd never tried manipulating or traveling through a person's shadow — something about the idea made him queasy — and now didn't seem like the time to start. 

Luckily, his right hand landed on the hilt of his sword, which kicked his mind into battle mode again. Without thinking about it, he wrapped a leg around Will's waist — just as the other boy had started to lean back like he was going to push himself up — and flipped him over, bringing the sword up in a fluid motion that left Nico straddling his roommate with his sword pressed against the blonde’s neck, once again. 

This was… not better, actually. Will was holding his breath and staring at Nico with something in his eyes that Nico couldn't decipher. 

They stayed like that for a moment before Nico jumped to his feet, suddenly feeling like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. He turned away from Will and practically ran over to the weapons shed, where he sat down against a wall and started rapidly wiping down his blade with a rag. His breath was coming far too quickly and he felt like he was staring straight through the sword at the ground below. 

It shouldn't have been so much of a shock when his hand slipped, but he let out a surprised hiss, anyway, as the dull blade made a jagged cut in his palm. It wasn't deep but it stung, and he froze, watching as a few drops of blood fell into the grass.

Suddenly, the sword was being gently lifted out of his hands. He looked up, and there were those eyes again, blue like the clear sky above them.

Will set the sword aside and squatted down next to Nico. He reached out for Nico's hand, pausing when the black-eyed boy flinched away. 

“May I?” Will asked, his hand still outstretched. 

Nico pulled his gaze away from Will's, glaring at a spot in the grass a few feet away instead. He nodded once, and then felt Will’s hand grab his. It was far too warm, and Nico could feel the calluses on his fingers from archery.

Will started mumbling something under his breath while he traced his thumb over the cut, and a warmth spread over Nico's palm. He stopped after a few seconds and Nico looked back to see the cut had closed, leaving a light pink scar across his palm. 

“Oh,” Nico stared dumbly at his hand. “I forgot about the, um, the healing incantations.”

“Yeah, well, I haven't had much practice since I got here,” Will replied, leaning back on his heels. “I was hoping to study with— I mean, uh…” Nico felt himself go pale as he realized what Will had been about to say, just as Will seemed to realize who he was about to say it to. “I just, well, I used to be able to do it without leaving scars.” 

That last part came out sounding a lot more bitter than the initial explanation. 

Nico didn't look up. He reached over after a moment to pick up the rag he'd been using and his sword from the grass where Will had set them down, and started wiping his blood off of the blade.

Will’s shadow lingered for a moment above him before pulling away. Nico listened to one, two, three footsteps before looking up. 

“Will?” 

The boy turned. 

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

Chapter Text

Nico didn’t know what to expect from Will after the healing incident, but nothing really changed in their relationship. If anything, it was almost like Will was trying even harder to avoid Nico, but Nico wasn't sure if he was imagining that or if his roommate consistently coming home after Nico had fallen asleep and leaving before he woke up in the morning could simply be attributed to a busy almost-finals season.

Not that he wanted to see Will, of course. He didn’t. He just wanted to know what the guy's deal was. 

Which was why Nico kept looking over at him during their shared history class. The blonde was blatantly ignoring Dr. Chiron — the centaur who Nico had noticed standing in the back on the first day — in favor of whispering with Cecil and Lou Ellen, who kept glancing in Nico's direction, although Will never did. Will really should have been listening, not just because finals were starting next week, but also because Chiron was a great teacher whose lectures Nico always found fascinating. Nico, who definitely was not ignoring the lecture in favor of watching Will, couldn't figure out why the other boy wasn't interested in — he glanced at the chalkboard — the history of segregation in Olympus.

Oh, Nico actually probably should have been paying attention to this.

“—which is why animals and magical creatures now attend separate schools from human students like yourselves,” Chiron was saying. “I'm a unique case, actually.” He flicked his tail as he paced slowly at the front of the classroom. “Most of the non-human professors at Schist were asked to leave when the shift happened, but I had a great deal of tenure and a good relationship with Dr. Dionysus. He very kindly made an exception to allow me to keep my position.”

Chiron paused, looking around the room. He seemed to realize how many of his students were holding side conversations or working on projects for other classes. He sighed, taking a step back toward his desk like he was going to end the lecture, but then he met Nico's eyes, and smiled.

“I know this is fairly recent history, but I feel like I have a special opportunity here in a classroom full of human students to share a bit about the recent changes in our world, from a non-human perspective,” he was still looking directly at Nico as he spoke. “If you have learned anything in my class this semester, I hope it is that there is always value in questioning what you think you know and seeking out new perspectives.”

Nico nodded, feeling guilty that he had let himself get distracted during the majority of the lecture. He considered, as Chiron dismissed the class and everyone started packing up, what beliefs did he have that might be worth questioning? He had never really wondered before why there were only human students at Schist, and he wished he'd caught more of Chiron’s explanation. Surely the Wizard had a reason to keep the species separate, right?

Nico had gone to school with animals and magical creatures when he was very young. He remembered an owl he'd befriended briefly because she had eyes like his and because no one else wanted to sit with either of them at lunch. She'd left the small school shortly before Nico's dad had pulled him out in favor of private tutoring, and Nico had always assumed she moved away or got private tutoring herself, but he realized now he'd never asked.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he was slowly packing up his things by the sound of Chiron’s voice at the front of the room.

“Mr. Solace, would you mind staying back for a moment?”

Nico looked up and realized he was one of the last few students in the room, along with Will and a couple other stragglers. He moved quickly toward the door, where Will, Lou Ellen, and Cecil had stopped at the sound of Chiron’s voice. The blonde shot his friends a confused look, but turned and walked back toward the professor. He didn’t look at Nico as he passed.

Chiron waited until Cecil, Lou Ellen, and the other stragglers had left and Nico was almost out the door before he started speaking. 

“Mr. Solace, I'm so sorry to keep you, but I was wondering if I could ask you for a quick favor.”

Nico stopped walking as the door shut behind him. He wasn't sure why he did it — he wasn't usually one for eavesdropping — but he couldn't bring himself to step away once he realized he could still hear the muffled conversation through the door.

“I heard a rumor that you recently healed another student after an incident in weapons class,” Chiron paused, as if waiting for a response from Will. The blonde must have nodded, because Chiron continued. “Are you fairly well practiced in healing magic?”

“I mean, I studied it a lot growing up, but only what I could learn from books. I've never had the opportunity to study with an actual sorcerer,” Will sounded uncomfortable, and Nico wondered if it was because of the question about his studies or the revelation that someone had apparently seen the moment he'd had with Nico by the weapons shed and was telling people about it. 

Or maybe that wouldn't make Will as uncomfortable as it made Nico. Maybe Will was the one telling people about it himself. 

“Do you, by chance, know any incantations for pain relief? I have a bit of a bum knee from an old injury and the pain has been flaring up again recently. I was hoping you could…” Chiron trailed off.

“Oh, I don't know, sir,” Will hesitated. “I've practiced some pain relief spells before, but surely you should see a licensed healer for something like that?”

“There aren't a lot of healers who will treat a centaur these days, unfortunately.”

Nico really wished he’d been listening more closely to today’s lecture. 

“What? Why?” Will obviously had not been listening, either. “I know there aren’t a lot of magical healers anymore, but magical creature care should be part of the curriculum for any level of healing, right? Aren’t there any specialists? Or doctors who graduated from the animal schools?”

Chiron sighed. “Those are all great questions, my boy. It’s, well, it’s a little bit complicated for animals and magical creatures to get a medical degree at the moment, and even harder for us to study magical healing practices.”

“Don’t most magical creatures have a natural proclivity for magic, though? Even more so than humans do?”

“I’m surprised you know that, Mr. Solace. Not many people do, anymore.” 

Nico certainly didn’t. 

Chiron hummed like he was considering how much to share. “Yes, you’re correct. I’m actually one of the only magical creatures that I’m aware of in my generation who doesn’t have any sort of magical skill. But… the new, non-human schools don’t usually have sorcery programs.”

“Oh.” Will sounded genuinely remorseful about the animals and magical creatures not being able to practice magic. He probably related to them, Nico realized.

There was a pause before Chiron spoke again. 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Solace. I probably shouldn’t have asked, I just—”

“No! No, of course I’ll do it,” Will interjected. “I’m just surprised you don’t have any better options. It, um, won’t be the strongest pain relief spell, but feel free to come find me anytime to do another, if you need it.”

“Oh, thank you, Mr. Solace. I really do appreciate it.” Chiron’s hoofs clacked on the wooden floor as he shuffled around, probably moving to give Will better access to his knee. Nico started to step away from the door, figuring the blonde would be coming out soon, but stopped when he heard Will speak again. 

“You know, I hadn’t really decided what kind of medicine I wanted to specialize in. Maybe I’ll look into healing animals and magical creatures. I could open up my own practice for you all after I graduate.”

“That would be lovely, Mr. Solace,” Chiron sounded like he was smiling. 

“I just hope I get the chance to study some more magic while I’m here. It would definitely make the whole process easier.”

“I hope so, too,” Chiron said, and then Will started softly chanting a healing incantation. 

Nico stepped away from the door, then, and let himself melt into the shadow of a nearby bookshelf.

——

Later that evening, Nico found himself pacing around his bedroom. He was supposed to be studying, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Will and Chiron and the conversation he’d overheard. 

Nico hadn’t had time yet to de-Will-ify his side of the room since the day before, so everywhere he looked he saw reminders of the other boy. He was familiar with Will’s things — he couldn’t count the number of times he had picked up and moved almost every item in the room this semester — but he hadn’t really stopped to think about why Will owned, and had brought to college, most of the stuff that he had scattered around. 

There were the normal, decorative things: posters, knick knacks, framed photographs of Will with his family and friends — things that Nico honestly wouldn’t have minded making room for if they had belonged to anyone besides Will, considering Nico didn’t have any photos or posters of his own to decorate with — but then there were all the textbooks, and the medical tools, which Nico was only just now realizing may not have been decorative. Nico had spent so much time wondering how Will had managed to get a hot pink copy of every single one of his textbooks that he hadn’t stopped to consider why Will had so many more textbooks than he could possibly need for one semester or why they were all about healing and medicine. 

Nico picked up a golden mortar and pestle that was sitting on a bookshelf and examined it. He had moved the tool so many times this semester, and each time he had wondered whether it was real gold and thought about how stupidly lavish that would be — a sentiment he still stood by, of course. But he hadn’t even bothered to wonder if Will had ever used it, and if so, what he had made with it, or who he had helped.

And that’s what it boiled down to — As stupid and prideful and misguided as he was, Will wanted to help people.

Nico thought about why he had wanted to study magic, himself.

He honestly hadn’t really considered it before arriving at Schist, figuring that no one would want to work with his particular brand of sorcery. But when Minos had told him he might have the opportunity to work with the Wizard, it had felt like a dream come true.

It’s not that Nico didn’t want to help people — he did have plenty of ideas about how the magic he was already learning could potentially be put to use to improve Olympus — but there was definitely a part of him that just really wanted the recognition after all these years as a social outcast. 

And he was just one student, taking up class time that could have benefitted dozens more. How many students were there like Will? Students who had far more tangible goals, who knew specifically how they could and would help people with magic, and who weren't being given the chance to learn because of Nico? 

Nico sighed, setting down the golden tools, and turned toward his desk, where his history textbook lay open. He knew what he had to do, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to focus enough to get any studying done tonight until he got it over with. Luckily, he knew that Minos regularly stayed pretty late in his office, so it was possible he could still catch him.

He stepped into a shadow, remembering how the professor had told him this morning that he wouldn’t mind if Nico just popped up right in his office for tutoring, rather than taking the time to travel into the hallway and then knock on the door. That probably didn’t apply to unannounced late-night visits, though, so Nico appeared where he usually did, in the shadow of a large bear statue that was down the hall from Minos’ office. 

“—that a threat, Dr. Minos?” 

Nico froze, pulling the darkness closer around where he stood next to the statue. The voice had come from the direction of Minos’ office, where there was a triangle of light spilling through an open door into the otherwise dark hallway. It occurred to Nico only then that at this time of day, when all the lights were out, he probably could have appeared anywhere in the hallway. But given the serious-sounding conversation happening on the other side of the statue, it was probably a good thing he hadn’t. He peeked around the bear and could just make out the long, stretched-out shadows of three pairs of legs, which he assumed belonged to three people standing in front of the open office door, until four of the legs shifted in unison and he realized he recognized the voice that had spoken as that of Dr. Chiron.

“No, no, of course not. I just thought you should know what students have been saying,” Minos replied. 

“And you’re sure it’s the students who are worried about the way I’m teaching Olympus’ recent history?”

“Who else would I have heard it from?”

Nico didn’t know why he stayed in the shadows, other than the fact that the conversation seemed to be a serious one and he wasn’t sure if he should intrude. He could have slipped back through the darkness to his dorm room and attempted to talk to Minos another day, but something about the sharp edge in Chiron’s voice made him hesitate, wondering what the two professors were discussing. It dawned on him that this was his second time eavesdropping on the centaur just that day, but he pushed that thought to the back of his mind.  

“It is such a shame, what’s been happening to the non-human residents of Olympus recently,” Minos continued. “I would hate for anyone to assume that you’ve been affected by the strange, ah, shall we say, ‘mental decay’ that’s been going around? If they did, some might start calling for your resignation.”

Something about the tone of Minos’ voice didn’t sit quite right with Nico. It reminded him of the way his father sounded whenever someone would ask him about his kids in public and he had to pretend he liked them both equally.

“I can assure you that my mental capacity is perfectly sound, sir, but I appreciate your concern,” Chiron didn’t sound very much like he appreciated anything, actually.

“Oh, all right then. Have a good night, Dr. Chiron.” With that, Minos closed and locked the door to his office, throwing the hall into almost complete darkness. He swept quickly down the hallway, passing Nico’s hiding spot behind the statue without looking up. Nico — who had never had much trouble seeing in the dark — watched him go. He knew he should follow Minos so he could ask him about reopening his basics of sorcery class for next semester, but he felt himself drawn instead to the other professor who was still standing in the hallway. 

Chiron stood quietly in front of the office door for a moment longer, before turning and beginning to walk in the opposite direction, his shoulders slumped slightly. 

“Wait, Dr. Chiron!” Nico stepped out from behind his statue, causing the centaur to flinch at his sudden appearance and turn around. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but, um,” Nico realized he wasn’t totally sure why he had stopped the professor, or what he wanted to say to him. “Well, I was just coming to talk to Minos about something, and I heard part of your conversation. Is… is it true, what he said? About animals and magical creatures losing their, um, ‘mental capacity?’”

Chiron sighed and looked around the hallway, as if checking to make sure Minos wasn’t coming back.

“Take a walk with me, Mr. di Angelo.”

Chapter Text

Nico scanned the dining hall for Bianca the next morning at breakfast. He didn’t normally sit with her at meals, not wanting to be the weird little brother who forces himself into his sister’s friend group, but he really needed to talk to someone about everything he’d learned from Chiron the night before, and he didn’t have anyone else who would listen to him. 

He was avoiding looking in the part of the room where Will always sat with his posse — which seemed to be growing by the day, even though Nico couldn't fathom why so many people liked the guy — because he really didn’t want to get distracted right now. He also really didn’t want to think about why seeing Will would be so distracting. He had more important things to focus on. 

Luckily, he spotted Bianca before he had to follow that train of thought to its conclusion. She was sitting by herself at the end of a table, but the presence of backpacks and jackets on the chairs to either side of her made it clear she wouldn’t be alone for long. Nico walked over quickly and plopped down next to her, moving a backpack one seat over and setting his tray of food in front of him.

“Bianca, do you remember Jules-Albert?”

“Hi, Nico, nice to see you, too,” Bianca raised an eyebrow at his sudden appearance. “I’m doing well, thanks for asking. How are you?”

Nico crossed his arms. “I’m actually having a minor crisis about the state of our country, if you must know,” he huffed.

Bianca let out a surprised snort, putting her hand over her mouth to try and hide her amusement when she realized Nico was being serious. 

“And it has to do with our penguin butler that disappeared when you were, like, 10?

“Yes! Exactly! He disappeared! Did Dad ever tell you why?”

“What do you mean, why?”

“Like, did he quit? Was he fired? Did he suddenly and inexplicably lose the ability to speak?” Nico realized his volume was slowly increasing, and he noticed a couple people at nearby tables turn to look at him.

“Lose the ability to— Nico what are you on about?”

Nico took a couple of deep breaths, and continued at a whisper. “Look, I ran into Dr. Chiron last night, and he was telling me that— ok, well, first I overheard him talking with Dr. Minos, who said something about Chiron losing his ment—”

“Yo, Eyes, what’s up!” Nico looked up in exasperation at the person who had interrupted him. Bianca looked up, too, and immediately smiled as her roommate, Thalia Grace, slid into the seat on her other side and winked across the table at Nico. She had jet-black hair, styled in a choppy pixie cut, and ice-blue eyes that sparkled with mischief. “What brings you to our corner of the dining hall? I was starting to think you were too cool and broody to hang out with your lovely sister.”

Bianca blushed bright pink at the compliment, but Thalia just grinned and wrapped an arm casually around the other girl’s shoulders. 

That was a new development that Nico would definitely have to ask Bianca about later — after he finished worrying about the deep injustices in their world that he had only just become aware of, of course. So, it might be a while. 

And speaking of injustices…

“Eyes? Really, Grace? That’s the best you could come up with?” Nico glared at his sister’s roommate. “And what do you call Bianca? Wheels?”

“Yes,” Bianca and Thalia both said at the same time. 

Nico blinked. 

“But I'll come up with something else if ‘Eyes’ bothers you,” Thalia shrugged, pulling her arm back from Bianca to start digging into her meal. “I'll have to base it on your aesthetic though, and those nicknames tend to be meaner, right Wise Girl?”

Thalia had looked over Nico’s shoulder when she asked that last question, and Nico turned to see the blonde girl who was supposed to be his tour guide at orientation walking up to the table with a tray of food — Annabeth, if Nico remembered correctly.

“Wise Girl is only an insult if you think being brainless is a good thing, Thalia,” she said, as she grabbed the backpack Nico had moved and sat down next to him. “Hey, Nico, how’s your first semester going?”

“Um…” Nico had not anticipated having to make small-talk with Bianca’s friends today. He picked up his fork and started poking at his food before mumbling out a response. “Pretty good, I guess.”

He looked over at Bianca, but she was watching Thalia with a small smile on her face. His sister seemed to have completely forgotten that he’d been trying to tell her something important just a minute ago.

“Are you ready for finals next week?” Annabeth seemed determined to make Nico suffer through a conversation, but luckily Thalia jumped in before he could come up with an answer.

“Boring! Let’s talk about anything else.” She pointed her fork at Annabeth. “I was thinking… we should all go out tonight. There’s that new place that just opened up downtown, the Half-Blood Lounge. What do you think?”

“I think we have finals next week, Thalia,” Annabeth pointed her fork back, like this was some sort of duel. 

“Yeah, and you have a whole weekend to sleep off whatever happens at the Half-Blood, maybe even get a bit more studying in,” Thalia turned away from Annabeth to look at Bianca, putting her fork down and grabbing the other girl’s hand in one of hers. “C’mon, Wheels! You’ll come with, right?’

Bianca blushed again, staring at their intertwined hands. 

“Of— of course! Yeah, it’ll be fun!” She smiled up at Thalia, who whooped and stood up, pulling Bianca away from the table by her hand to spin her around. They both broke down in a fit of giggles after a moment, and Bianca wheeled herself back to her spot at the table. Thalia remained standing, but leaned a hip against her chair and stared at Annabeth.

“Oh, alright,” Annabeth sighed. “I’ll come for a couple of hours, but only because you need supervision.”

Thalia smiled, then turned her sharp eyes on Nico. 

“What about you, Death Boy?”

——

This was a bad idea. 

Nico couldn’t get the thought out of his head as he looked himself up and down in Will’s full-length mirror. 

Bianca had just left to go get herself ready, after insisting that Nico let her help him pick an outfit for their outing to the Half-Blood, which Thalia had basically turned into a school-wide party. Nico had reluctantly agreed to attend — after a silent argument with his sister over the breakfast table — thinking it would just be the four of them. But then Thalia had proceeded to walk around the dining hall and invite everyone with a heartbeat to some sketchy downtown dance hall on the last Friday before finals. By lunch, it was all anyone was talking about. Nico really didn’t get it. 

But Bianca wanted him to come — something about him needing ‘a healthy dose of social interaction,’ whatever that meant — and he really could never say no to her. Which is how he found himself wearing this, frankly, ridiculous outfit that she had managed to throw together from the few clothes he had brought with him that weren’t just variations of the school uniform.

It had started as his one formal outfit that their dad had had made for him last year to wear to political functions: a too-tight pair of black slacks, a black button up shirt, and a black fitted dress coat. Only, Bianca had taken scissors and a sewing needle to the dress coat, so now the left tailcoat was missing and the left sleeve was cut off at the shoulder, so it looked like a vest on that side. The other sleeve extended all the way down and past Nico’s wrist in a triangle that connected with the skeleton ring Bianca had gifted him for his last birthday. That one sleeve had been embroidered with a swirling green design that travelled down from his shoulder and over the tiny part of his chest that was covered by the jacket/vest monstrosity. Tiny part, because Bianca had managed to give the jacket a much deeper v-neck than it had originally — with the first button falling a little below his sternum — and she insisted Nico should wear it without the button-up shirt underneath, to show off the pecs she seemed to think he had. She had cinched it around his waist with a leather belt and told him to wear his black leather combat boots, which Nico didn’t really think went with the formal outfit, but Bianca seemed certain.

“Whoa.”

Nico jumped, looking up from his jacket to meet the mirrored eyes of his roommate, who had just walked into the room, with Cecil and Lou Ellen flanking him on either side. It was probably one of them who had spoken, because Will seemed entirely incapable of forming words at the moment. His mouth was hanging open and his face was flushed bright red — the way it normally looked after their sparring matches.

Nico hadn’t planned on his roommate catching him using his mirror, but he also hadn’t expected Will to be this angry if he did. It was just a mirror, for goodness’ sake. He took a step back and slowly turned around to face Will and his friends head on. 

“So, uh, what are you getting all dressed up for, di Angelo?” Cecil asked. He was leaning casually against the door frame, looking between Nico and Will with a grin. Lou Ellen had already crossed the room and started rummaging through the closet on Nico’s side — which was currently full of Will’s things, as was the closet on Will’s side — but Will hadn’t moved from where he was standing. He did manage to close his mouth, though.

“My sister and her friends invited me to go out tonight. I guess you'll the room to yourself for a few hours.” Nico kept glaring at Will while he spoke, silently daring him to say something about the mirror. 

“Are you talking about the party at the Half-Blood?” Lou Ellen asked, reappearing from the closet holding a bunch of stylized vests and suit jackets in various shades of pink and gold. Nico looked at her and nodded. “Amazilocious! We’ll be there, too! We were just coming in here to raid Will’s clothes for something swankified, although now that I’ve seen what we have to compete with, I don’t know—”

“Nico!” Everyone jumped at Will’s sudden outburst, but the blonde was striding purposefully across the room toward Lou Ellen. He reached above her head to grab at something from a shelf at the top of the closet, then turned around and held out a large hat box. “You should wear this hat to the party tonight!”

“I… uhh… what?”

Will stepped back over to Nico and pushed the box into his hands. Nico grabbed it out of instinct, and, not knowing what else to do, slowly lifted the lid and pulled out the hat inside. It was black, the same shade as his suit jacket and pants, and had a wide brim and a pointed top, which was leaning a bit to the side from the way it had been squished into the box. There was a bit too much fabric for the amount of hat, giving it a sort of rumpled look that Nico assumed must be intentional.

“Um, Will?” Cecil stood up from where he’d been leaning in the doorway. “What are you—”

“It’s really, uh, sharp, don’t you think?” Will said, interrupting his friend and grabbing the hat from Nico’s hands. He placed it on Nico’s head and spun the smaller boy around by the shoulders to look in the mirror. “And it goes with, like, everything you own.” 

Nico was confused and skeptical. The hat was not his style, and he had no idea why Will would give it to him. He glanced at the blonde standing behind him in the mirror, and suddenly his mind flashed to that day by the weapons shed. He thought about Will rubbing his thumb along Nico’s palm and the warmth that spread through his hand. He supposed it wouldn’t be the first time the blonde had done something nice for him. He looked back at the hat, then the rest of his outfit. It wasn’t like he wasn’t already dressed way outside of his normal comfort zone. 

“I… yeah, I mean, I guess so.” Nico knew Will, like Bianca, had a much greater understanding of current fashion trends than he did, and he was sure the blonde didn’t own anything that wasn’t in vogue . The longer he looked at it, the more he thought the hat had a sort of interesting character to it. And it seemed to be an attempt at a peace offering from his roommate. He met Will’s eyes again in the mirror and nodded once. “Thanks Solace, I appreciate it. I’ll, um, let you get ready.”

He stepped away from the mirror and headed towards the door. Cecil watched him with a slight frown as he approached, but moved aside and let him leave, closing the door behind him.

Nico pulled the hat off his head and looked at it as he walked towards Bianca’s room. He wasn’t sure what to do about this new development with his roommate. He was still wary of Will, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be friends with the boy, but maybe a little bit of kindness wouldn’t hurt. 

He rounded the corner and stopped in front of his sister’s room, knocking quickly on the door. 

“Just a minute!” Bianca’s voice called from inside, just as Thalia yelled, “What do you want?” 

“It’s me, Nico.” He said through the door. “How long are you going to be?”

“Twenty minutes, tops!”

“That means thirty!”

Nico chuckled, having lived with Bianca long enough to know that Thalia was probably right about her real ETA. 

“Okay, I’m going to run an errand real quick. If I’m not back by the time you’re ready, I’ll meet you at the club.”

The girls shouted their agreement, and Nico walked down the hall a little ways until he found a corner with a shadow he could disappear into. 

——

Almost an hour later, Nico stepped out of the shadows in an alleyway across the street from the Half-Blood Lounge. He didn’t leave campus all that often, but every once in a while when he was avoiding going back to his dorm and there were too many other people in the library for his liking, he would take a walk downtown to clear his head. He had passed the Half-Blood a few times since it opened and, although he’d never gone in, he knew it was a busy place in the evenings. 

He stayed in the shadows for a few minutes, watching people arrive a few at a time and psyching himself up for all the social interaction he was about to endure. He thought about just slipping back into the shadows and going back to his dorm, but he knew Bianca was probably worried about where he’d gone off to. 

He had planned on getting back to her dorm before she and Thalia left for the party, but Minos had been a lot harder to convince than Nico anticipated. In the end he had to threaten to stop studying magic himself if Minos didn’t open a class for the next semester. 

Nico honestly wasn’t sure if he would have followed through on that threat, but Minos believed him, so it didn’t matter. 

He took a deep breath, readying himself to step out of the alley and head across the street, when his eyes caught on two people who had just come around the corner and were walking in the direction of the club. Lou Ellen caught his attention first, because somehow in the last hour she had managed to turn her hair from black to a bright lavender color that stood out in late evening light. She had a silver button up shirt that was cut off short enough to show a strip of skin on her stomach, and striped lavender pants that matched her hair. Cecil walked next to her, his curly brown hair unchanged, but with a splash of orange, glittery makeup across his eyes and cheekbones. 

Nico didn’t get a good look at what Cecil was wearing, because a second later Will rounded the corner behind them. His mop of blonde hair stood out like a beacon, and he was wearing one of the pink stylized vests Lou Ellen had pulled from his closet earlier, with a gold design down the front that looked like falling rose petals, and gold pants. Underneath the vest he was wearing a black button up shirt with the top two buttons undone. The shirt hugged his chest and arms snugly, like it was just a little too small and had been stretched to—

Wait a second. 

Was that Nico’s shirt?

Before Nico realized what he was doing, he had crossed the street and was standing in front of Will and his friends as they approached the Half-Blood. He saw the moment Will noticed him, his eyes widening just a fraction and one of his feet stumbling over the other briefly before he continued walking confidently behind his friends. Lou Ellen and Cecil seemed to notice him a second later, because they both waved and Cecil called out to him. 

“Di Angelo! You made it!”

Nico awkwardly raised a hand to wave back, but didn’t say anything in response. He wasn’t really sure what he was supposed to say. Cecil and Lou Ellen had never really spoken to him before today, and now all of a sudden they were acting like he was just another one of their close friends. Luckily, Nico didn’t have to figure out whether to start a conversation or not because Will spoke just as the three of them reached Nico and came to a stop.

“You’re actually wearing my hat.” 

Nico met Will’s eyes, which were staring at him curiously.

“You’re actually wearing my shirt.”

Will's eyes went wide and a tinge of red spread across his features. He opened his mouth, but didn't seem to know what he wanted to say.

“Sorry, I hope you don’t mind,” Lou Ellen stepped in front of Will to meet Nico’s gaze. “I just thought it looked wonderocious with the vest. Can you believe this idiomaniac doesn’t own anything black?”

Nico raised an eyebrow before gesturing to the hat on his own head. 

“Well, besides that, of course.” Lou Ellen smiled. “Anyway, are you heading in?”

“Yeah, yeah, totally.” Nico glanced at the door, thinking of how Bianca and her friends were probably waiting inside for him, but then he remembered why he was late in the first place. “Oh, but first, um…” he hesitated, not sure if he wanted to have this conversation with Will’s friends listening in. “Will, could I, uh, talk to you for a second?”

Will blinked, but nodded, his face still slightly red from before. Lou Ellen and Cecil looked at each other with matching small smiles that Nico wasn’t totally sure how to interpret, before stepping away and heading into the night club. Nico gestured for Will to follow him a few steps away from the door, so they wouldn’t be in the way, before turning and looking the blonde in the eyes. 

“So…” Nico started. He wished he’d rehearsed this earlier, but he hadn’t really been planning on having this conversation today. “I wanted to thank you for, um, healing me the other day… and for the hat, I guess.”

Will nodded slowly, clearly wary of where Nico was going with this.

“Right… it’s not a big deal, really.”

“I know, I know,” Nico sighed, choosing to look down at his feet instead of into Will’s pretty eyes. “I just… I think we got off on the wrong foot, and, well, I know you were frustrated about the sorcery class getting cancelled, and I probably wasn’t the nicest about that whole situation, but… I talked to Dr. Minos and I convinced him to open up a class for next semester. He’s going to make the announcement at breakfast tomorrow, so people can start enrolling, but I asked him to make sure your name gets on the list. I’ll be in the class, too, so maybe we can… um…”

Nico trailed off, not sure exactly what he was trying to ask. Will didn't respond, so after a second Nico looked back up at the blonde’s face. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to see there, but it certainly wasn’t the wide-eyed, horrified look Will was giving him.

He wasn’t quite meeting Nico’s eyes. His panicked gaze seemed to be fastened just above the shorter boy’s head, instead. Nico took a step back, disappointed in his roommate’s apparent disgust at the idea of… whatever Nico had been about to propose, but not entirely surprised. It was his own fault, really, for letting himself think he could just change one professor’s mind about a class and then he’d suddenly be able to make a friend out of his suave, handsome, popular roommate, who was so opposite from Nico in every way.

Nico mumbled something about his sister waiting for him and quickly turned around to walk into the Half-Blood. He let the door swing shut behind him, immediately starting to look for Bianca and her friends in the crowd. Several people turned to look at him when he came in, but he ignored their stares. It wasn’t anything he wasn’t already used to, although it had calmed down a lot since the beginning of the school year, so he wasn’t totally sure why everyone decided he was so interesting to look at tonight. He pushed it out of his mind as he spotted Annabeth, helped by the fact she was a good eight inches taller than everyone around her, and waved. She waved back, but squinted at him like she was confused about his sudden appearance. Maybe Bianca and Thalia had told her he wasn’t coming after he never showed back up at their dorm room. 

He moved toward the mass of people on the dance floor, who he unfortunately would have to push through to reach the place where Annabeth — and presumably Bianca and Thalia, although he couldn’t see them over the crowd — was standing at the back of the room. Just as he took his first step, though, the door swung open behind him. 

“Wait, Nico!” Will’s voice called out, but Nico didn’t turn around. Instead he braced himself to be touched and jostled before pushing his way into the crowd in front of him.

——

“Nico. What are you wearing?”

Nico heard Bianca’s voice before he spotted her. It had taken him a couple minutes to navigate the crowd and find the corner she and her friends had claimed at the back of the room. He thought about shadow traveling, but he’d been trying to avoid doing that in public ever since making a spectacle of himself at orientation, so he settled for suffering while he tried to remember where he had seen Annabeth’s curls sticking up above the crowd. 

When his eyes finally landed on Bianca, she was looking at him with a similar horrified look to the one Will had given him a few minutes ago. Annabeth and Thalia were standing on either side of her, both with expressions that were not quite as disgusted, but definitely confused.

“What do you mean, what am I wearing,” Nico looked down at his outfit. “You picked this out, remember?”

“I picked this out,” Bianca waved her hand up and down to gesture at his entire outfit, before stopping with one finger pointed at the top of his head. “I did not pick that out.”

Nico’s hand went up involuntarily to touch the top of his head, where he found the mess of fabric Will had given him earlier. He’d almost entirely forgotten about it. 

“Oh, right,” he pulled the hat off and looked down at it. “Uh, Will gave it to me. He said… well, it matches, right? It’s the same color and… it’s not really my style, but neither is this jacket and I figured he knows more about this stuff than I do, so…”

Nico felt Bianca’s hand on his arm as he trailed off. He looked up and met her eyes, which were now scrunched up a little. Her lips were tucked into her mouth, forming a thin line. It was the look she used to give him whenever their dad would compare the two of them over dinner, always coming up with ways that Nico fell short. 

“Nico…” Bianca glanced over his shoulder and Nico turned, spotting Will in the crowd immediately. He seemed to have followed Nico partially across the room, but had stopped about ten meters away. The blonde boy was almost as tall as Annabeth, but that wasn’t what made him easy to find in the packed club. No, what drew Nico’s attention immediately were the bright blue eyes that he couldn’t seem to get out of his mind, that were fixed on Nico’s own face. 

You’re actually wearing my hat.

Nico. What are you wearing?

I did not pick that out.

And suddenly Nico got it. 

The hat was never a peace offering. It was a joke. Nico was the joke.

He blinked, feeling tears start to well up in his eyes, but he wasn’t going to let them fall. Not while Will was watching him, with his stupidly perfect face, and his stupidly bright eyes, and his stupidly furrowed eyebrows, and that stupid little frown. He looked down, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by Will’s blue eyes staring him down, and glared at the hat, instead. He spun it around in his hands a couple of times while he blinked away the rest of his tears without letting them fall. He breathed, taking a moment to school his face into the angry, slightly uncanny expression that he had practiced so many times before to get people to leave him alone, then looked up again.

Will was still looking at him. 

He put on the hat. 

——

It stayed on for the rest of the night, and Bianca didn’t say anything else about it. Plenty of other people did — not to his face, obviously, but he was familiar enough with people staring and whispering to recognize when they were talking about him. 

He rotated between dancing one-on-one with Bianca, Annabeth and Thalia, and got pulled into a few group dances as well. He was surprised by how much fun he was having with the three girls. None of them seemed bothered to be hanging out with him, despite his eyes, or his magic, or his obvious fashion faux pas, and he was starting to wonder why he hadn’t been joining their group for meals and activities all semester. 

He might have said the night was perfect, if it wasn’t for the fact that he still couldn’t keep himself from glancing over at his roommate, who was now on the far side of the room dancing with Cecil and Lou Ellen, and a rotating cast of other people who orbited around Will like planets around the sun. The blonde never seemed to have a moment to himself, and yet he apparently had enough free time to spend almost all night staring at Nico. 

Their eyes met nearly every time Nico looked over, but Nico couldn't work out what Will's expression meant. He kept looking at Nico with that small frown, like he was concerned, or… or guilty, maybe, if Nico was feeling optimistic. But Nico wasn't sure guilt was an emotion Will Solace had ever experienced, so he didn't think it was that. 

It was frustrating. Nico was familiar with the blonde’s angry looks, which hit him with disdain whenever they made eye contact in class or in the hallway. He knew some of Will’s excited and happy looks, from the few times he had — casually, in the totally normal and not weird way that one pays close attention to a school rival — watched from across the dining hall as the boy interacted with his friends and admirers. He was even becoming well acquainted with the overconfident, teasing looks Will had started to throw at him during their — also totally normal — sparring sessions in weapons class. But this look was new in that it was hardly anything. Just a little frown with no meaning. Like Will had put up a wall.

Why wasn’t he sneering? Or laughing? Or giving any sort of reaction to the fact that Nico had clearly fallen for his ridiculous hat trick (ha ha) and was choosing to flaunt it for some reason. Maybe he just didn’t care. Maybe this was what Will’s apathy looked like. 

But then why wouldn’t he stop staring?

Eventually, Nico decided he needed some fresh air to clear his head so he could focus on enjoying the night with his friends, rather than on the incomprehensible facial expressions of his roommate. He stepped outside and suddenly realized it was much later than he’d thought. The stars were out, and he felt his heart rate slow as he let his eyes trace over some of the constellations that Bianca had taught him back when they were kids. 

He mapped out the night sky a couple of times over, breathing in the crisp winter air as he did so. He stayed there for a longer than he probably should have, given his lack of gloves or scarf or shirt (thank you, Bianca), but he didn’t notice the chill until he stepped back into the warm bar and felt himself shiver at the sudden change in temperature. He started walking towards the corner where he had left Bianca, but turned when he heard her laugh ringing out from the other side of the room. There were a lot fewer people in the club than there had been when Nico first arrived a few hours ago, and it didn’t take long to spot Bianca where she was sitting and talking to—

Will. 

Will was talking to his sister. Why was Will talking to his sister?

He stopped, scanning the crowd for the tall blonde he had expected to see next to Bianca, but Annabeth must have gone home earlier in the night. He didn’t even see Thalia, and she had barely left Bianca’s side at any point that evening for longer than it took to get a couple of drinks from the bar. 

How long had he been outside? 

“He’s apologizing, you know.”

Nico jumped, turning to look at Thalia, who had appeared beside him as silently as if she was the one who could travel through shadows. She offered him one of the two drinks she was carrying — which Nico assumed must have originally been for her and Bianca — but Nico just shook his head. 

“Who’s apologizing?”

“Dr. Sunshine over there,” Thalia pointed toward Will with her chin. “Well, actually, I don’t know what they’re talking about now. But just before I left, he was apologizing for grabbing her chair at orientation.”

Nico felt his eyes widen, and he turned back to look at Will. He was smiling and nodding along excitedly to something Bianca was saying, and looked just like he usually did when talking with his friends over meals. 

“He sought her out? To apologize?” Maybe there was something to the guilt theory, after all.  

“Oh, no. She approached him first, to yell at him about giving you that hat and ruining all her hard work to turn you into a certified hottie,” Thalia bumped her elbow against Nico’s teasingly, and he felt himself blush. He made a mental note to talk with his sister later about how he is also an adult now, who doesn’t need her to protect him any more than she needs him to protect her. “Then Cecil butted in to say that you are a certified hottie and Will only gave you the hat because he was having a mild panic attack over your insanely hot outfit and was desperately trying to tone down the—” Nico elbowed Thalia back, hard, making her stumble and almost spill her drinks.

“Shut up, he did not say that.” Nico gave her his best withering stare, but Thalia just laughed.

“Don’t believe me if you don’t want to, but that’s what he said,” she shrugged. “Anyway, that’s when Will suddenly jumped in with the apology. I think he was just trying to distract everyone from what Cecil was saying, but the fact that an apology is the first thing he came up with tells me it’s probably been on his mind.”

Nico contemplated that as he looked back over at the blonde, who let out a loud laugh at something Bianca said, shaking his head a little and scrunching up his eyes. The laugh quieted to a soft chuckle and he glanced up, freezing when he made eye contact with Nico.

The smile stayed frozen on his face, but Nico could practically see the wall that the blonde had been hiding behind all evening slotting itself into place. Nico raised an eyebrow at him in a silent question. 

He wasn’t sure exactly what he was asking, but he didn’t get a response. Instead, Bianca, probably noticing Will’s frozen expression, turned around and waved to Nico.

“There you are! Get over here! I was just telling Will about how obsessed you used to be with that card game. Wizzomania or something?”

Oh, Nico was definitely going to be having a talk with Bianca later. 

“Wizomagic,” Will said, laughing again. Nico blinked, giving the blonde a surprised look and finally walking over to the group, which he realized Thalia had already joined at some point. How long had Bianca been holding that drink? “I used to play it, too,” Will explained, smiling in a way that Nico had never seen directed at himself before. “There’s a lot of actual information in there about spells and sorcery, and I thought it would help me with my healing.”

Nico couldn’t stop himself from letting out a surprised laugh.

“Oh, of course you played a healer.”

Chapter Text

“So, Death Boy,” Will turned to Nico as they were leaving the Half-Blood a couple hours later. Nico wasn’t sure at what point in the night the blonde had picked up on that nickname, but he was sure that he and Thalia were going to have words later. “That whole shadow teleportation thing you do… is it a driver-only situation or can you take along a passenger?”

Nico raised an eyebrow, but didn't answer. He was pretty sure he knew where this was going, but he wasn't so sure that Will understood what he was actually asking for.

“I’m just saying, you and I are going to the same place and, after dancing all night, my feet are so tired.” Will made an exaggerated pouty face, and pretended to stumble sideways toward a shadowy alleyway.

Nico rolled his eyes at the blonde’s obvious antics (he knew — had learned a long time ago — that people couldn't tell when he was rolling his eyes, but sometimes he couldn't help himself from imitating the gesture anyway, if only for his own amusement) but smiled, anyway, in the way he and Bianca both tended to when they were about to cause chaos on purpose. 

“You're going to regret asking me this,” he said, grabbing Will by the wrist and pulling him into the alleyway before he could respond. A second later they were in their room, standing next to Nico’s bed. 

Well, Nico was standing. Will had immediately collapsed onto the bed and was holding a pale hand over his mouth like he was trying not to vomit. 

“So, I can take passengers, but for some reason I’ve never had anyone ask more than once.” Nico reached through the shadows to grab a trash can that was sitting by the door and handed it to Will, giving him a deadpan look. “Don’t throw up on my bed, please.”

Will grabbed the trash can, and held it within vomiting range, but didn't end up using it. Instead he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before looking back up at Nico. 

“That was amazing.”

Nico blinked.

“Uh… what?”

“That was so cool!” Will sat up and pulled his feet up so he was cross-legged on the bed, then patted the space next to him. “I mean, I’d appreciate a little warning next time, but I definitely want to try that again.”

Will was… smiling. His smile was very pretty. Will was smiling prettily at Nico, after Nico did shadow magic on him. Will seemed… excited? About… the shadow magic? 

He patted the space next to him again, and Nico cautiously sat down. 

“That’s… not the usual response I get,” he said, unable to pull his eyes away from Will’s smile.

“Well, it should be, because that was awesome.”

Nico didn’t know how to respond to that, so he didn’t. He also didn’t look away from Will’s smile, and Will didn’t look away from him either. Nico found himself smiling back. 

“Hey Nico,” Will tilted his head to the side, slightly, and his eyes darted up above Nico’s head quickly before coming back to look him in the eyes. “We’re friends now, right?”

Nico let out a surprised laugh. If someone had told him this morning that he would spend his evening talking and laughing with Will Solace — that the conversation would start with a remark about Wizomagic of all things — he would never have believed them. But he had, and he’d enjoyed it. He nodded.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he replied.

“Well, then I have to tell you something.” Will looked above Nico’s head again and bit his lip, nervously. Nico raised an eyebrow, prompting the other boy to continue. “That hat… it’s kind of hideous.”

Nico laughed again, louder this time, his whole body shaking with the unexpected mirth. After a couple seconds, Will started laughing, too, which made Nico laugh harder, and they continued like that for a few minutes. Eventually, after almost stopping and then starting up again several times in a row, they both calmed down enough to breathe properly, and Nico was able to answer, while wiping laughter-induced tears from his eyes.

“You know, believe it or not, I did actually figure that out,” he said.

“I know! I know! I’m sorry!” Will ran a hand through his hair. “It was so stupid, and I shouldn’t have given it to you. I just…” he trailed off.

“Thalia said you did it because you thought I looked hot in this outfit,” Nico said, looking down at his clothes. “Well, she said that’s what Cecil said, and— hey, hey, don’t worry about it, I'm not mad!”

Nico had looked up again to see that Will’s eyes were wide and he had turned bright red.

“Look, I’m not saying I get it — why someone who looks like you do would be worried about ‘death boy’ over here stealing your spotlight, but I’m not… I'm not mad, “ Nico repeated.

“Someone who looks like— Stealing my—” Will stuttered a bit, glancing down at Nico's outfit then back up at his face. “Oh! Oh, right. Yeah, I was just… like, super jealous. Of your outfit.” Will’s face was still very red — it might have even been getting redder — but his facial expression returned to almost the same smile he’d been wearing before, though this one looked a bit more forced. “Anyway… your turn, then.”

“My turn?” Nico questioned.

“To tell me a secret,” Will flopped backwards onto Nico’s bed. “That’s what you do at sleepovers. I told you one, so now it’s your turn.” 

Nico turned around to look Will in the face, feeling confused, and not just because he wasn't totally sure which part of what Will said was supposed to have been a secret. “This isn’t a sleepover, Will. We literally sleep in the same room every night.”

“Yeah, but now we’re friends. And when you sleep in the same room as your friends , that’s a sleepover.”

Nico wasn't sure that was how that worked, but then again, he'd never had a sleepover before.

“I guess so…” Nico adjusted himself on the bed, giving himself time to think of a secret while positioning himself so he could lean back against his headboard, now sitting perpendicular to the blonde. “Um… Oh! I know a secret. I was talking with Dr. Chiron the other day and he told me—”

“Eh! Wrong!” Will reached over toward Nico and grabbed a small pillow from next to him, which he threw at Nico’s face, even though Nico had already stopped talking when Will interjected. “You have to tell your own secret, not someone else’s. If we could tell other people’s secrets I would have told you that Cecil and Lou Ellen are totally in love with each other but neither of them knows it yet.”

“Just like Thalia and Bianca,” Nico said, tossing the pillow back at Will, who caught it on his chest, before looking back at Nico with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, I’m pretty sure Thalia and Bianca know it, but sure.”

Nico laughed at that, then leaned back again, thinking about what sort of secret he could share. Will waited quietly, probably sensing that Nico was sorting through his memories for something he hadn’t told anyone else.

“Ok, so a secret, that’s about just me…” he hesitated. “Um… It’s— it’s my fault Bianca uses a wheelchair.”

Will let out a small gasp and sat up, turning to face Nico head on.

“And… it’s my fault our mom is dead, too.” Nico wasn’t looking at Will, now, choosing to stare down into his own lap instead. He took a breath to continue, but Will cut him off. 

“Nico, you don’t have to…” He trailed off.

“No, no, it’s okay. I’ve never told anyone this but… we’re friends now, right?” He glanced up to see the blonde watching him intently. Will stared into his eyes for a moment longer, a small frown on his face, before nodding. 

Nico wasn't sure why he felt so much like he could trust Will with this, but for some reason he genuinely believed the blonde when he said he wanted to be Nico's friend. Nico hadn't ever had a friend before that wasn't his sister. He took a deep breath, and nodded back, then looked down at his lap again before continuing. 

“Bianca’s been paralyzed her whole life. She was born that way, and she doesn’t mind. She’s never known any different, after all. But… Mom and Dad weren’t too happy about it. They were always looking for ways to…” Nico winced. “... fix her. I never met my mom, but, apparently she spent a lot of time after Bianca was born seeking out healers and doctors, and when she wasn’t getting the answers she wanted, she started to get desperate.

“Eventually she found her way into some… shadier circles, and someone told her to seek out a sorcerer who they heard had developed some new, experimental magic using water from the Styx River.

“She paid him a lot of money, apparently, and he made her a potion. He told her that she had to drink it, not Bianca, because it worked through the power of a mother’s love, or some nonsense explanation like that. He said if a mother drank the potion, it would make her youngest child extremely powerful.

“Mom only had one kid at the time, so she wasn’t really concerned about the ‘youngest child,’ part. She drank it, assuming that whatever power it granted Bianca would come with some sort of healing, but… nothing happened. Bianca was the same. The sorcerer disappeared, and Mom was never able to track him down again.

“Then, about eight months later, I was born.” Nico looked up, finally meeting Will’s gaze again, and was surprised to see tears welling up in the other boy’s eyes. He took a breath before continuing. “The pregnancy was… messy. Mom didn’t make it. Dad always thought that if I didn’t— if Mom hadn’t been pregnant with me when she took the potion… maybe it would have worked. Maybe everything would have been fine.”

Will was fully crying now, and Nico watched as the tears slipped down his freckled face. He wasn’t sure what to say, not wanting to belittle the other boy for his emotions, but not fully understanding what had brought them on, either. On instinct, he reached out a hand, stopping just before touching Will’s cheek, waiting for the other boy to give permission. Will was still looking into Nico’s eyes, but he leaned forward just a bit, putting his cheek in Nico’s palm. His face was warm, and Nico ran his thumb across it, wiping the tears from under one of his eyes, then lifted his other hand to do the same on the other side. 

They stayed like that for a bit longer than was probably necessary before Nico started to pull his hands back, but Will grabbed onto them with both of his own hands and pulled Nico forward, suddenly, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy and holding Nico’s head against his chest.

Nico felt his breath catch, not really sure what was happening. He could hear Will’s heartbeat, and could feel Will’s breath on the top of his head. Will held him there for a few moments before pulling back slightly, just far enough to look Nico in the eyes.

“Nico,” His blue eyes were bright, like staring into a cloudless sky. “None of that is your fault. I know that might be hard to believe, because you’ve been told your whole life that it is, but…” he paused, like he realized he didn’t know how he was going to finish that thought. “But… it’s not, okay? It’s not.”

Nico nodded, not really sure what to say. He knew why Will was saying that. It was the same reason Bianca always said it: because that’s what you’re supposed to say when someone seems upset about a problem they caused unintentionally. That doesn’t mean it’s true. 

Bianca was never healed, because of Nico. Maria di Angelo died, because of Nico. He knew that. He’d accepted it a long time ago. The tragedy of his birth was part of who he was — a fitting prelude for the rest of his life. 

Will was crying again, so Nico cautiously wrapped his arms around the boy, returning his hug, and pulled him into his chest. That seemed to be the right move, because Will immediately melted into Nico’s arms, letting the tears flow down his face and onto Nico’s chest, which Nico realized — with a silent curse against his sister — was still mostly bare. There was nothing to do about it now, though. Will had made himself comfortable, and seemed to be starting to drift into sleep, the tears drying up as his breathing slowed into a comfortable rhythm. Slowly, Nico reached behind himself to grab a couple pillows and arrange them behind his back, so he could lean backwards without disturbing the boy sleeping on his chest, and closed his eyes, subconsciously matching his breathing with Will’s. 

——

“Will!” Lou Ellen’s voice was punctuated by several loud raps at the door. “Are you in there?”

“Just a minute!” Will called out, quickly finishing up whatever he was doing with the sharp thing he had pointed at Nico’s eyeball before darting across the room to open the door. 

“Oh, thank goodnacious!” Lou Ellen pushed her way into the room as soon as Will opened the door, Cecil close on her heels. Her hair had already returned to black, making Nico wonder if she had used some sort of magic to dye it last night. “We haven’t seen you all morning! Cecil thought that Nico might have murderified you after creepiliciously pulling you into the shadows last night, but I thought something a bit more scandalocious might be going on.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Will, who just rolled his eyes, though he did turn a bit pink. 

“More scandal, uh, scandal- ocious than… murder?” Lou Ellen and Cecil both whipped their heads in Nico’s direction when he spoke, as if just realizing that he was in the room, too. They had matching smiles again, which Nico was starting to find a little disconcerting. 

“Are you wearing… green eyeliner?” Cecil asked the question like nothing in the world would bring him greater joy than for the answer to be yes . 

And it was, unfortunately.

“I tried black, but it just blended right in with his eyes,” Will answered for him. “And pink didn’t seem like his color.”

Nico gave Cecil and Lou Ellen a look that he hoped said, please get me out of here by any and all means necessary, but judging by the way their smiles grew in unison, he wasn’t sure the message got across.

Will had woken Nico up as soon as the sun was up that morning — which Nico really hoped was just because they had accidentally fallen asleep in the same bed and not something that was going to become a regular thing now that they were, apparently, friends — and started talking his ear off, claiming they had to make up for all the time they didn’t spend getting to know each other earlier this semester. 

Nico had found himself actually enjoying the conversation, which he hadn’t totally expected. He wasn’t usually one for icebreaker, get-to-know-you talk, but Will had a way of telling even the most mundane stories in a way that had Nico hanging on his every word. About half an hour ago he had told Nico about how he met Cecil and Lou Ellen — which was very much not a mundane story and involved actual trebuchets — and had then asked Nico who his best friends were. Nico answered, honestly, that Bianca was his only friend and that most people didn’t like him because of his weird eyes and general demeanor.

Which led to the current situation, because Will was convinced that there was no way anyone was put off by Nico’s eyes and the only reason he didn’t have friends was because he didn’t know how to properly accessorize. Sure.

“Actually, I’m glad you showed up,” Will said, pulling Lou Ellen and Cecil’s attention away from Nico for a blessed moment. “Nico’s convinced no one likes him because of his eyes, so I’m trying to show him that he can totally be popular if he just, like, learns how to curate his image.”

“I would like to clarify that I did not ask him to do this and I do not want it,” Nico deadpanned, unfortunately getting no reaction from the others.

“Obviously, the makeup and accessories are still in the experimental phase,” Will continued as if Nico hadn’t spoken, gesturing at the paint on Nico's face and the pointed hat that he had stubbornly put back on when Will tried to style his hair earlier. “But maybe we could take a break from that and work on practicing socializing. He sucks at small talk.”

Nico blinked. He thought he’d been doing a pretty good job small-talking with Will all morning. 

“How’s his flirtationing?” Lou Ellen asked, turning a mischievous smile on Nico. “We could practicify that.”

Cecil, for once, did not match Lou Ellen’s expression. He matched Will’s, who had narrowed his eyes and glanced between Lou Ellen and Nico suspiciously. Nico remembered what Will told him yesterday about his two friends not knowing they were in love with each other and figured he should put a stop to Lou Ellen’s line of questioning as quickly as possible.

“No thanks, Lou Ellen. I’m gay.” That should do it.

It didn't. Lou Ellen’s smile just grew, for some reason.

“Oh, I didn’t say you had to flirt with me, ” Lou Ellen replied. She turned to Will, who had turned bright red, again. Was he really that upset that Lou Ellen didn’t want to practice small talk with Nico? 

Cecil’s smile had returned as well, and he grabbed Will by the arm, pulling him over to the bed where Nico was sitting and pushing him down so that he was sitting in the same spot he’d been occupying in front of Nico before the other two showed up.

“Nico, why don’t you practice flirting with Will?” Cecil said. “Tell him something you like about his appearance.”

Nico felt heat rush to his face, a thousand answers flying through his head — eyes that shine like the sky outside, freckles that Nico could spend hours looking for constellations in, gold hair that curled gently around his ears — but none that he was willing to say out loud considering he and Will had only just decided to stop hating each other. He wondered if he was as red as Will, whose face seemed to have frozen in the shocked expression he’d been wearing since Nico said he was gay. 

Oh. Of course. Nico had finally made one friend that wasn’t his sister and now he’d ruined it by letting his sexuality slip and making Will think he might have a crush on him.

Which, now that he thought about it, he might, actually. 

Well, Schist.

Nico stood up, backing up until he felt himself step into the shadow of a dresser. 

“I— I need to go.” And then he disappeared.

——

To Nico's surprise, Will came and found him later that day at lunch. He had thought about sitting with Bianca and her friends, but he really didn't want to face questions about where he'd been at breakfast that morning or why he was wearing green eyeliner — he couldn't figure out how to wipe it off, ok? — so he took his tray to his regular sulking corner, prepared to eat by himself once again.

He didn't get to. Just a few minutes after he sat down, Will was sliding into the seat across from him, closely followed by Cecil and Lou Ellen. 

“Sorry if we freaked you out earlier, Death Boy,” Cecil said in lieu of a greeting. Nico made another mental tick on the count of how many people were using that nickname now, so he could keep track of exactly how annoyed he was with Thalia.

“Yeah, we didn’t mean to make you uncomfortablocious, with the whole flirtationing thing,” Lou Ellen added. 

“Oh, no worries,” he lied. “I wasn’t bothered by it.”

And that was it. They didn’t say anything about Nico being gay. Will didn’t say anything about Nico being gay. He actually didn’t say anything at all about that morning — other than telling Nico he was glad to see he hadn’t wiped off the eyeliner, and that it looked really good on him. The compliment made Nico blush, slightly, but he figured Will was just glad to see his own work still being displayed on Nico’s face. 

He didn’t get much of a chance to think about it, though, because the table was soon overrun with the crowd of students that usually followed Will around. More than one person asked, as they approached the table, why Will wasn’t sitting in his usual place, and each time Will just smiled and replied that he wanted to mix things up, but feel free to join us. No one had asked about the obvious newcomer at the table, but Nico caught plenty of confused glances thrown his way during the meal. 

After that, Nico found himself hanging out with Will and his friends surprisingly often. They sat together at most meals — sometimes in Nico’s usual corner, sometimes at Will’s regular table, and sometimes they hijacked Bianca, Thalia, and Annabeth’s table — they studied together in the library and in their dorm room, and Will even sought Nico out in classes that weren't weapons training. 

Nico… liked it. 

It was weird at first, because hanging out with Will often meant hanging out with all of his friends and admirers — unless they were in their dorm room, which was definitely Nico’s favorite place to hang out — but it turned out a lot of those people were really nice, too, after they realized Will no longer saw Nico as public enemy number one. Cecil and Lou Ellen, especially, treated Nico like he had just always been part of the group. It was… nice. 

Of course, the group of admirers did start to dwindle a bit as Will spent more and more time with Nico, but whenever Nico brought this up — because he really didn’t want Will giving up friends for him — Will just shushed him and said it was their loss. 

Nico tried to ignore the part of his brain that kept trying to remind him of the realization he had on that first day after the Half-Blood — that he may or may not be starting to develop a tiny crush on his roommate. He wasn’t naive enough to think he was the only person to recognize that Will was charming and handsome. In fact, he was probably the last person in the school to acknowledge the fact; the boy had a whole gaggle of admirers hanging around him at almost all times, after all. Nico didn’t know if any of those people had noticed the parts of Will that Nico had noticed, though. The things he tended to hide behind the charming facade and only let slip out when he thought no one else was watching him, like when he stayed after class at the end of their history final to check in on Dr. Chiron’s leg, or when he left a fresh tube of green eyeliner on Nico’s pillow after Nico had asked to borrow his a couple times (so he liked it, sue him. And Will had said it looked good).

But the others didn’t need to know all that to know that they wanted Will’s attention. And Nico wasn’t foolish enough to believe that Will would see him as anything other than a friend when he had the pick of the entire school for romantic options. So, he locked that part of himself up in a jar in the back of his brain and focused on enjoying the fact he had friends for the first time in his life.

On the last day of the two-week finals period, Nico found himself sitting between Annabeth and Will at a lunch table while everyone compared their class schedules for the next semester. The two blondes were talking over his head, having just realized Will was going to be in the weapons training class that Annabeth would be helping lead as a teacher’s assistant. She would be graduating at the end of next semester, and was hoping to become a member of the Wizard’s Guard, just like her mother. She had apparently been training with guard members for most of her life and was already well-renowned for her skill with a blade.

“Maybe with your help I’ll finally be able to beat Death Boy, over here,” Will said, nudging Nico with his arm. “He and I sparred a lot this semester, but I never managed to get a win without playing dirty.”

Playing dirty?

Nico thought about the few times that Will had bested him this semester. 

Oh. That’s what the smiles were about. He’d been doing it on purpose. Huh.

“Death Boy? Really? We’re all really sticking with that nickname?” Annabeth responded, placing an arm on Nico’s head like he was an armrest. Nico groaned and pushed her off, shoving her into Thalia — who was sitting on her other side — and causing the black-haired girl to fall off her seat with a yelp. 

Ha. Two birds, one stone.

Will laughed and it took all of Nico’s willpower to keep glaring at Thalia and Annabeth rather than turn around and look at the bright smile he knew was lighting up Will’s face.

“Yes!” Thalia said, her head popping up from the ground. “Death Boy is some of my finest work! Almost as good as Wise Girl.” She lightly punched Annabeth on the arm as she pulled herself back into her seat with her other hand.

Annabeth just rolled her eyes, but Will made a confused noise behind Nico.

“Wise Girl?” Will questioned. “But, that’s a compliment isn’t it?”

“Thank you!” Annabeth said. “That’s what I’ve been saying! And I’d say the one she’s been using for you is a compliment, too, Dr. Sunshine .” 

Will laughed again, and this time Nico did allow himself to turn his head slightly. The blonde was aiming that beautifully distracting smile over Nico’s head at Annabeth, and Nico felt a pang of jealousy before he managed to shove his feelings back into their place in the jar. 

“If you say so,” Will leaned closer to Nico and wrapped an arm around him so he could reach Annabeth and push her lightly on the shoulder, which Nico tried not to think of as a flirty move between the two blondes. 

And if Will’s hand lingered on Annabeth’s arm for longer than it probably needed to before he pulled it back, lightly brushing Nico’s shoulders as he went, Nico could probably convince himself he’d imagined it. 

Chapter Text

Nico’s one-on-one tutoring with Minos had been cut down to only a few times a week to make time for the introductory sorcery class, but Nico actually felt like he was making more progress this semester than he had with just the private lessons. 

They’d focused so much last semester on testing the limits of Nico's unique abilities with shadows, but it had felt a bit like jumping straight into the deep end without spending time learning how to swim first. Since his tutors growing up had been so afraid to touch his shadow magic with a six-foot pole, they’d mostly avoided magic instruction altogether whenever they could. So, Nico didn’t actually have a good understanding of the basics of sorcery, which apparently included a lot of self-awareness and emotional control. 

There was a lot more meditation involved in the introductory class than Nico would have guessed. 

Minos had let them practice simple spells at first, as a way of gauging their already existing skill levels. In the first class, he had handed everyone a different broken object and told them to search through their books for a spell to fix it. Will had excitedly flipped through the pages, muttering about how a fixing charm couldn’t be that different than a healing charm, and within minutes he had tidily fixed up the old, broken down set of reed pipes he was given, making the flowery design painted on the side look like it had only just finished drying before picking it up and playing a simple, pretty tune. For some reason, Nico was surprised that Will could play the instrument. He shouldn't have been — he knew Will’s dad was a pretty famous musician — but somehow it seemed out of character for the boy who only ever talked about medicine.

Nico took a bit longer to find the right spell to fix the dusty and snapped-in-half pair of high heels he’d been given — not because he kept being distracted from the task by Will’s excited smile as he worked. He just wasn’t as familiar with the textbook as Will was — but once he found it, he also made decently quick work of the assignment. The shoes, once cleaned and repaired, turned out to be a bright, sparkly silver, with a beautiful etched design on the sides that resembled angel wings. Nico had given them to Bianca after class, and although they were slightly too big for her, he still saw her wearing them whenever she had a reason to get dressed up. 

But Will and Nico had been two of only five students who had managed to fix their items by the end of class, so Minos decided they needed to start from the very beginning. After the first couple lessons, the sorcery class involved a lot less actual magic and a lot more quiet reflection and breathing exercises. Nico had expected to be bored out of his mind, but he was surprised by how much the meditation helped with his ability to tap into his magic on command. While shadow travel was pretty instinctual for Nico, the rest of the shadow manipulation magic had only ever come as an involuntary, emotional response. He and Minos had spent a lot of time last semester talking about things that made him angry — mostly Will — in an attempt to draw the magic out of him, but it was never quite as powerful as when he did it accidentally.

But Minos had an entirely different teaching style when he was working with a group of mostly beginners, and after a few classes spent sitting quietly while Minos talked about feeling the energy in your subconscious and finding where the magic sits in your body, Nico felt like he was already understanding his power a lot more clearly. 

Nico did still have the advantage of getting to use magic during his one-on-one time with Minos, though, and he knew a lot of other students, including Will, were frustrated that almost a month in, the class hadn't moved beyond centering yourself. 

What he didn’t know was, Will had apparently been practicing new spells in his own time. 

“See? I’m glowing!” Will was standing with a foot on his chair and both of his arms outstretched, looking expectantly at the faces of the other people around the table. His wide grin started to falter as his eyes jumped from face to face, most of which were looking at him with something between confusion and amusement. 

“Yeah, Will, that’s uh… really cool…” Lacy, one of Will’s admirers that had stuck around this far into the semester, started to say.

“Oh, don’t lie to him,” Annabeth popped a strawberry in her mouth, before grabbing Will by the arm and pulling him into his seat, between her and Nico. He pouted at her, but she just playfully nudged him. “I have no doubt that you have learned a light spell and that you were glowing, but maybe the brightly lit cafeteria isn’t the best place to show off the new skill, eh?”

Will blushed at Annabeth’s words and scratched the back of his neck, glancing around again at everyone at the table. He made eye contact with Nico last and gave him a sheepish grin, before turning back to Annabeth and dramatically slumping down with his head on her shoulder. 

Lacy glared from across the table, and Nico had to stop himself from doing the same. 

“I just feel like the class is going so slow!” He groaned. “I know I can do more than what Minos is giving us right now.”

“You said you’d been practicing this by yourself?” Annabeth asked. “Why don’t you practice with Lou and Cecil? Or with Nico? He’s got the direct connection to Minos, at least.”

Will blushed again, glancing over at Nico, who gave him a small smile that he hoped said I’d be happy to study magic with you and not please take your head off of Annabeth’s shoulder right now or I might combust, since both thoughts were blasting pretty loudly through his mind. 

“I just… well I was kind of trying to avoid this exact situation,” Will was mumbling slightly, but Nico was still able to hear him. “You know, trying some new magic and completely embarrassing myself.”

“For the record,” Nico said, holding that small smile on his face. “I could tell you were glowing.”

Will sat up, and looked at Nico in surprise. “You could?”

“Well, sort of,” Nico shrugged. “You weren’t casting a shadow.”

“Oh! Wait, wait, of course!” Will broke out in a grin. “Shadows, Nico!”

“Uh… yes?” Nico returned Will’s smile hesitantly. “What about them?”

“Can you make some? Like what you did at orientation?” Will was starting to get out of his seat again, and Nico didn’t think the blonde even realized he was doing it. “If you darken the room, just a bit, then I could do the glow spell again and everyone could see it!”

Annabeth reached up and grabbed Will’s arm again, pulling him back into his chair. Nico really wished she would stop doing that. 

“Will, you know he got in trouble for that,” she chided, still holding his arm. “And it’s probably hard to do when it’s not an anger response, right Nico?”

Her head moved forward, probably so she could look Nico in the face around Will, but Nico was still staring at the place where her hand was resting on Will’s elbow, tan skin against tan skin. He felt a cold sensation in his gut. This had happened a few times this semester, but he’d found Minos’ breathing exercises surprisingly helpful in turning the magic off when he needed to. This time, though, he let the ice race through his veins, closing his eyes and focusing his mind on the place in his subconscious where he held his energy, pulling as much power as he could from it.

He felt the cold in his gut growing, and he let it pool there for a few moments. Distantly, he thought he heard someone saying his name, but he was too far into his own subconscious to respond. After a moment, he opened his dark eyes, looked up at the lights above them in the cafeteria — which already looked like they were flickering slightly — and released the magic with a sharp breath out, like blowing out a candle. 

Darkness. For a second, Nico thought he had closed his eyes again, but no. This was darker even than the inside of his eyelids. The lights had gone out, but that wasn’t all. The walls of the cafeteria were covered with windows, and it was the middle of the day; if Nico had only turned the lights off, there still would have been plenty of sunlight to see by. No, this darkness was like a heavy blanket that had fallen over the entire room, possibly the entire school.

And everything had gone silent. It stayed that way for the second that it took Nico to realize his eyes were still open and the magic had worked, and then voices erupted all around him. 

Several people started screaming, yelling out for their friends. Thalia was laughing loudly somewhere on Nico’s left, but the sound didn’t hold his attention long because he suddenly felt a warm hand on his arm that could only be Will’s. The hand slid down until it met Nico’s, squeezing it tightly, and Nico was very glad no one could see the blush he knew had broken out on his face. 

Will started softly chanting under his breath, his words slightly nonsensical but steady and repetitive. His hand in Nico’s got warmer and suddenly, like someone had flipped on a flashlight, there was Will, clearly sitting next to Nico at the lunch table. 

It wasn’t quite like a flashlight, Nico realized, because the light didn’t seem like it was actually coming from Will. He wasn’t hard to look at, like staring into a lightbulb would be, but he was visible when nothing around him was. It was like there was a gentle light shining on the boy from all sides, but it couldn’t quite break through the darkness Nico had cast on everything else nearby. 

The room quieted down slightly when Will appeared, presumably because everyone was now staring at the glowing boy, but Will was looking right at Nico. Or, well, he was looking generally in Nico’s direction, but Nico wasn’t sure if the blonde could see him. 

“Did it work?” he whispered, as if everyone in the cafeteria wasn’t trying to hear his every word. As if Nico was the only one there. “Can you see me?”

Nico nodded, then remembered Will couldn’t see. 

“Yes, Will. I can see you,” he whispered back. 

“Awesome.” 

And Nico could have spent the rest of the day staring at Will’s brilliant smile and soft blue eyes.

“Mr. di Angelo!” But unfortunately, he would not be able to. Instead, he would have to deal with the consequences of, apparently, putting out the sun. 

“Yes, Dr. Minos?” Nico tried to sound nonchalant as he called in the direction he thought the professor’s voice had come from. Will snorted next to him. 

“Look, Nico, I’m glad you and Mr. Solace are finally getting along, but just because he’s the light of your life all of a sudden doesn’t mean the rest of us wouldn’t like to be able to see each other as well.”

Will turned pink at that statement, and Nico felt his own invisible blush deepen. Several people in the room snickered, and Nico quickly pulled his hand out of his roommate’s, causing Will to look down and frown slightly, for some reason.

“Right, right,” Nico closed his eyes. “Let me just… uh…”

He took several deep breaths, feeling around in his mind for the place he’d drawn the power from. The feeling in his gut was warm, this time, as he opened up his power stores again, as if making space for the cold to come flooding back into him. He reached out, mentally, and felt the shadows that he’d released, like a soft blanket covering the room. He imagined himself grabbing the blanket, folding it up, and tucking it back into that place in his mind. The warmth in his gut cooled slowly, back to his normal resting temperature, and he opened his eyes to see the room had returned to normal. 

“Awesome,” Will said again, grinning at Nico.

Nico grinned back. 

And if he had been able to pull his eyes away from Will’s he might have noticed Minos, across the room, grinning as well. 

——

“Bianca! Bianca, Bianca, Bianca, Bianca!” 

The girl startled slightly as Nico came stumbling out of the shadow of a bookcase right next to her, but she was used to Nico’s sudden appearing acts so it didn’t take long for her expression to shift to one of amusement as she waited for her brother to catch his breath and tell her what had him so excited. 

Everyone else in the library was slightly less understanding, but Nico ignored their glares as he sat himself down on the table in front of Bianca — right on top of her open textbook. He grabbed his sister by the shoulders to make absolutely certain she was looking at him before he continued speaking. 

“Bianca! I just came from my tutoring session with Minos, and he told me he finally heard back from The Wizard!” Several library patrons loudly shushed Nico about halfway through his sentence, and — suddenly remembering where he was — he dropped into an excited whisper. “He wants to meet me this weekend! I’ve been invited to an audience with Kronos!”

He leaned in and shook Bianca lightly by the shoulders as he spoke. 

“That’s great, Nico!” Bianca laughed. “Maybe you can talk to him about that thing Chiron told you about that had you concerned?”

“Yes! Exactly!” He shook her again, almost forgetting to whisper in his excitement.

Nico had eventually managed to talk to Bianca about everything Chiron told him — that animals and magical creatures all over Olympus were randomly being stricken with some disease that made them lose the ability to speak. The disease had started spreading about 15 years ago, shortly before the shift to school segregation, but it had been growing exponentially in the past few years and some of the afflicted had started to go missing. 

Since no one knew what sort of magic was causing the silence plague, most creatures avoided talking about it for fear that the act of discussing the unknown disease would increase their chances of catching it. That was why its spread wasn’t common knowledge among humans, according to Chiron. Nico figured that The Wizard must not have been informed about it yet, or he must not have known the true extent of how bad it was, otherwise he would have figured out a way to fix it by now. Which was why Nico was determined to bring it to his attention. 

Bianca had believed him, but she convinced him not to tell anyone else what he’d learned from the centaur, pointing out that there was probably a reason Chiron had only told him about it in whispers at night. Although the disease had only shown up in animals and magical creatures so far, it was hardly worth tempting fate by spreading the news far and wide, she’d reasoned.

But now, Nico would be meeting directly with the one person he knew could solve it. And he was going to bring Bianca with him.

“Oh! I almost forgot the best part!” He said, still holding her shoulders. “Minos said I should bring someone with me, for, like, moral support or whatever. So! Do you want to spend Saturday with me in Othrys City?”

Nico expected Bianca to jump with excitement (figuratively, obviously) at the invitation, but she hesitated, suddenly breaking eye contact and looking sheepishly down at her lap.

“Oh, Nico, that sounds like so much fun, and I’d love to be there to support you, but… well…” she looked up with a blush, but she wasn’t looking at Nico this time, instead leaning a bit to the side to look around him. “I, kind of, have a date this Saturday…”

“Kind of?” Thalia’s voice came from behind Nico. He hadn’t even realized she was there, sitting across the table from Bianca, probably listening to their entire conversation. “Sweetheart, I made reservations, there’s no ‘kind of’ about it.”

Nico scowled. He flopped backwards, dramatically, so his head hung off the table in front of Thalia. He crossed his arms and glared at her upside down, but she just smiled down at him and winked. 

The audacity . 

Before he could say anything, though, he heard the sound of the clock tower coming through an open window, reminding him that he was late for his history class. He huffed and pulled himself to his feet while maintaining his glare at Thalia. 

“You and I will be having a conversation about this later, Pinecone Face,” he said, slowly backing into the shadow that he’d emerged from a few minutes before.

Thalia raised her eyebrows, looking offended. 

“I fall out of a tree one ti—”

But Nico had already melted into the shadows. 

——

Will and Nico had history together with Dr. Chiron again this semester. Last semester’s class had been focused on the political history of Olympus — the leaders, the wars, and the political movements that had come and gone before they landed on the system they had now, with The Great Wizard Kronos at the helm — but this semester’s curriculum was tied more to the cultural and mythological history of their country — focusing on things like music, art, and folklore — and Nico was fascinated by every detail. Well, he would have been, if he caught every detail, but Will typically sat next to him in that class, which did sometimes make it a little difficult to concentrate.

“...Nico?”

Nico jumped when Chiron said his name, looking up from where he’d been watching Will’s freckled fingers drumming against the desk. 

“Yes, Dr. Chiron?”

Chiron sighed, clearly recognizing that Nico hadn’t been paying attention. 

“I was just talking about the Styx River. You grew up in Styx, didn’t you?” Chiron asked, probably repeating the question from before. Nico nodded. “Do you know anything about the mythological history of the river?”

Nico hummed while he tried to remember the stories he had heard about the body of water. 

“There was, uh, something about a magical book, right? The Rimmerie or something?”

“The Riordanerie, yes,” Chiron corrected, writing the word on the chalkboard behind him. “According to legend, the book was written by ancient beings called Primordials, who once ruled and roamed this land, long before it was called Olympus. They wielded powerful magic, but it was dangerous, and as the population of the land grew, less and less people were born with the ability to use it.

“The remaining Primordials came together and decided that the power they held was too great to be possessed by such a small portion of the population, so they wrote the Riordanerie, siphoning their magic into its pages bit by bit until they were each left with only a small amount — the equivalent of what magic-users are able to wield today. They buried the book in the farthest corner of the land, and from it there burst a river—”

“The Styx.”

Everyone looked toward Nico, at the interruption, but it wasn’t him who had spoken. 

“Uh, yes, William. That’s correct.” Chiron said after a few moments. He blinked at the blonde in surprise — Will didn’t usually pay much attention in classes that weren’t about healing and medicine — but Will was looking at Nico.

“Nico, don’t you think that’s connected to your—” Will’s slightly frantic question was cut off by the sound of a door slamming open at the front of the room. 

Two soldiers marched through the open door, followed closely by the headmaster, Dr. Dionysus, who Nico realized he hadn’t seen since his first day at Schist. The two officers positioned themselves on either side of Chiron and made to grab for his arms, but he pulled away, turning to look at Dionysus.

“Headmaster? What is the meaning of this?” Chiron lowered his voice, but if he was trying to keep the conversation secret from the students, it was no use. The entire classroom had gone dead silent the moment the doors opened. “Dionysus, you told me I had another week, at least.”

“I’m sorry, Dr. Chiron,” the headmaster spoke just as quietly as Chiron, sounding genuinely remorseful about the situation. “There have been more complaints. The fact of the matter is that a magical creature really can’t be teaching at a human school. It won’t do.”

“Complaints from whom, Dionysus?” 

Dionysus didn’t answer, only frowned at Chiron for a moment with his eyebrows furrowed, before nodding at the officers, who stepped forward again to box the centaur in from either side. Chiron didn’t fight them, this time, but held his head high as he began walking out of the classroom.

“Wait!” Nico could feel the cold starting to pool in his gut, but he pushed it back, standing from his seat. The officers and Chiron stopped, momentarily, at the interruption “Dr. Dionysus, you can’t do this. Chiron is one of the best teachers at this school. And— and… isn’t it good for us, as students, to be exposed to different perspectives?”

Nico looked around the room, hoping to see other students agreeing with him and standing to rally around their teacher. Instead, he saw a lot of people staring resolutely at their desks, avoiding eye contact. He might have started calling them out, individually, except he didn’t know any of them that well. Lou and Cecil didn’t have this class with him this semester, and though a few of their fellow students had been part of Will’s entourage last semester, none were people that had stuck around once Nico joined the group. 

Nico turned last to Will, who was sitting right at his side, and found the boy staring back at him. But there was no pride or sense of support or justice in his eyes. Instead, they were wide with fear. His gaze seemed to scream at Nico to sit down, and Nico was reminded of the many kind acts he had seen his roommate perform, and how all of them had happened behind closed doors. 

“Mr. di Angelo.” Nico looked back at Dionysus. He didn’t know that the headmaster knew who he was. “Unfortunately, this is out of my hands.”

The officers began moving forward again, Chiron in tow, and Nico turned his gaze on the centaur, desperate for some hint about what he should do. Chiron met his eyes, smiling sadly, as he allowed himself to be walked out of the classroom. Thank you, he mouthed, just before he was taken from the room. 

“Students, allow me to introduce you to your new history professor, Dr. Tantalus,” Dionysus said, his voice suddenly returning to the bored, apathetic tone he had used at orientation. 

He gestured to the door that Chiron had just been removed through, and a thin, pale man stepped into the classroom. He reminded Nico a little of Dr. Minos, if Minos took significantly less care of his grooming and appearance and often forgot to brush his teeth and hair. As the students’ all turned their attention to examining the newcomer, Nico felt a hand suddenly grab his wrist and yank him down into his seat. He’d forgotten he was still standing.

“Hello students! I’m so glad to make your acquaintance,” the new professor smiled with grisly, yellow teeth. “Why don’t we get started, immediately.”

He was holding something that was covered by a blanket and appeared to be somewhat heavy, based on the way he stumbled while carrying it over to Chiron’s desk. Dionysus slipped out of the room while everyone’s attention was on Dr. Tantalus and his mysterious package. 

The new professor turned to look at the chalkboard, on which Chiron had drawn a crude map of Olympus, with the Styx River clearly marked. Beneath the river, he had written The Riordanerie. 

“I see you’ve been discussing one of the ways in which power has been known to be diminished in the past. Well, as important as it is to learn from our past, we must also occasionally make time to look to the future.” He pulled the piece of fabric off the package he had set down on the desk, revealing a metal box with evenly spaced bars making up the sides, and a solid metal top and bottom. 

Inside the box, there was a small, trembling creature, who let out a sad-sounding bleat. He looked like a human toddler, but with furry legs and two tiny horns barely visible through his curly hair. A satyr.

The cold feeling returned to Nico’s gut. He took several deep breaths, but he felt the anger creeping into his veins anyway.

“This, my dear students, is a cage. As you can see, it’s the perfect size to hold a small magical creature—”

“Perfect size!” Nico interjected, standing up again. Will’s hand, which was still holding his wrist, tugged incessantly in an attempt to bring him back to his seat, but he stayed upright. “He barely has space to breathe in there! He’s trembling!”

“Well, that’s just because he’s happy to be here,” Tantalus replied, hardly even glancing at Nico. “Now, as I was saying, these cages are the newest development in the study of a strange malady that has been afflicting our non-human friends as of late…”

Nico allowed himself to be pulled back into his seat as Tantalus continued talking, but inside he was seething. He turned to Will, who was watching him with a concerned frown, tears starting to pool in his blue eyes.

“Will, we can’t just sit here. We have to do something,” Nico whispered, leaning in toward his roommate.

“I know, Nico, this isn’t right,” Will whispered back. “But what can we even—”

Will was cut off by a loud whimper coming from the front of the classroom, and they both turned to see Tantalus with his hand inside the cage, prodding at the small satyr with what appeared to be a long needle. 

“STOP IT!”

Nico’s vision went dark. He felt himself stand up, though it felt like the action wasn’t his own. The cold that had been pooling in his stomach and spreading throughout his body suddenly ripped out of him, more painfully than it ever had before. He felt the ice leaving his veins, so cold that it burned. When the feeling finally settled, he was standing, heaving deep breaths, and he couldn’t see what was around him. The air was frigid and silent. 

He waited, expecting voices to start up out of the darkness like they had the other day in the cafeteria, but the room stayed quiet. There was no sound. No sight. No sensation other than the feeling of cold air pushing its way in and out of his lungs, and a warm hand still wrapped around his wrist. 

“Nico?” Will’s voice came as a whisper, the smallest sound Nico had ever heard from the other boy. “Are you there?”

Nico moved his free hand across his body, wrapping it around Will’s on his arm.

“Yes, I’m here,” he breathed. “But everyone else… I think I put them to sleep, Will.”

For a moment, all Nico could hear was Will’s breathing. 

“Nico, why am I awake?”

Nico didn’t have a good answer for that. So he didn’t respond. After a moment, he heard Will muttering under his breath, and then, he could see him. Will’s cheeks had tear tracks running down them, and his eyes were bluer than Nico had ever seen them. 

Looking down, Nico noticed he could see Will’s chair and desk, too, and their hands on Nico’s arm. The glow still wasn’t coming from Will in the way that light comes from a candle, but the circle of visibility he had created expanded outwards from the boy, about a foot in all directions. 

“You’ve been practicing,” was all Nico could think to say. 

Will’s lips turned up slightly at that, but it couldn’t exactly be called a smile, and the expression quickly settled back into a serious one. He appeared less scared, and more determined, than he had before; instead of being peeled wide open, his eyes narrowed as he tried to peer through the darkness towards the place where Tantalus had been standing. He stood, sliding his hand down Nico’s arm and dislodging the hand Nico had wrapped around his, in favor of entangling his fingers with those on the hand attached to the wrist he’d been holding. 

“Come on.” He pulled Nico around their desks, walking slowly since he could only see about a foot in front of him. 

When they reached the front of the classroom — stepping carefully over Tantalus, who was slumped on the floor next to Chiron’s desk — he let go of Nico’s hand and used both hands to pick up the cage, with the young satyr fast asleep inside.

“So?” He turned, leaning in close so that the light around him shone on Nico’s face. “How are we getting this little guy out of here?”

Nico felt his breath catch. He froze for a moment, looking into Will’s determined eyes. Then he blinked, breathed, and shook himself out of it. He looked at the metal box in the other boy’s arms, and reached out, putting both of his hands over Will’s on the container. 

“Can you, uh, turn off the light for a second?”

Will’s lips turned up again in that small smile, and he closed his eyes. Then, he was gone, the light extinguished around them. Nico tightened his grip on Will’s hands, and pulled them both into the darkness. 

——

They emerged in the shadow of a tree in the woods south of campus. Nico blinked at the sudden brightness of the sun all around them. In the heavy darkness of the classroom, he’d forgotten it was still the middle of the day. They were a little ways away from the path through the woods that led into town, next to a small, bubbling creek. It was a place that Nico had found on one of his solo walks last semester, a place he had come back to occasionally when he needed a little peace and quiet. 

Will slumped onto the ground, setting the cage down in front of him. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the tree, probably trying to keep himself from throwing up after the shadow travel. Nico sat down next to him and began looking for a way to open the metal contraption. He fiddled with various levers and hinges until he heard a sharp click, and three of the bars suddenly swung forward. 

The baby satyr was stirring, blinking himself out of the sleepy haze that Nico had cast. He flinched away when Nico reached through the open door, backing up against the bars on the far side. 

“Here, let me try something,” Will said. He had sat up against the tree and was watching Nico with a soft expression on his face. He reached into the school bag he had slung over his shoulder, and after a minute of rummaging around, he pulled out the small set of reed pipes that he had fixed in their first day in magic class. He put them to his lips and started to play a simple melody that Nico didn’t recognize. 

The satyr sat up, clearly interested in the music. Nico scooted away, leaving a little extra space around the opening of the cage. Slowly, the child satyr moved towards the door and toddled out of the metal box, reaching towards Will with his small hands. 

The blonde smiled, finishing up the melody and then holding the reed pipes out for the kid to examine. The toddler giggled, grabbing the instrument in his little fists and blowing hard into one of the pipes, making a loud screeching sound. 

Nico and Will both rushed forward to shush the child, but their attempts were undercut by the fact they were both laughing right along with the kid. 

“So, what are we going to do with him?” Nico asked, after Will had pulled the satyr into his lap and was covering the top of the pipes with one hand to prevent the kid from blowing into them again. 

Will sighed. “I don’t know, Nico. They’re going to know it was us, right? I’m sure your spell wore off as soon as we left the room.”

“Maybe I could help?”

They both jumped at the new voice, looking up with wide eyes to see Annabeth standing over them with her arms crossed, a small smile on her face. 

“Annabeth!” Will handed the satyr off to Nico before jumping to his feet and pulling Annabeth into a hug, which she returned warmly.

Nico wasn’t quite as excited to see her. Annabeth had always seemed like she was a bit of a stickler for the rules, so she wasn’t exactly the first person he wanted to see when he had probably just committed a crime and the evidence was sitting in his lap trying to make a set of reed pipes scream. 

“How did you find us here?” He asked, his tone a little colder than he intended. 

Annabeth pulled away from Will and looked down at Nico sympathetically. 

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to report you. I heard about what happened with Chiron and I was actually just on my way into town to send a message to—” she cut herself off. “Well, I was passing by when I heard the sound of the reed pipes and thought I’d come see what was up.”

“Come on, Nico,” Will sat down again, patting the space next to him to indicate that Annabeth should join them on the ground. “You know we can trust Annabeth.”

The girl sat down, reaching out a hand to the baby satyr, who smiled up at her and wrapped a pudgy fist around her finger. She laughed, and then raised her eyes to meet Nico’s.

“I know there’s a lot going on, Nico, and it’s hard to know who to trust. But, if you’ll let me take him, I know some people that can get the kid somewhere safe, maybe find his family.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Who?”

“Good people. Friends of Chiron.”

He watched her face as she spoke, looking for any sign that she was being insincere, and not finding any. 

“Alright,” he sighed, leaning forward so Annabeth could pull the kid from his lap. She stood up, settling the satyr on her hip and moving to grab the reed pipes so she could return them to Will. 

“Don’t bother,” Will said, smiling. “He can keep them.”

Annabeth smiled, then bid them goodbye and turned around to weave her way through the trees, back towards the trail. 

After she’d disappeared back the way she came, Nico let out a frustrated sigh, thumping his head back against the tree and kicking the cage in front of him. Will chuckled. 

“Look, I meant what I said about trusting Annabeth,” he met Nico’s eyes and smiled softly. “She’s smart. She’ll know what to do with him.”

Nico stared back into Will’s eyes, knowing he was right, but wishing he wasn’t. There was another reason he was hesitant to let Annabeth be the hero here, and he tried to ignore it because he knew it was unfair to her. But the heavy emotional turmoil of the day combined with the gentle way Will was looking at him right then made it difficult to keep shoving his feelings back into their jar.

“Will, do you want to go with me to Othrys City?”

Chapter Text

“One day, Will! We’re only going to be there for one day! We’re not even spending the night. Why are you packing a bag?”

“It’s not a bag , Nico, it’s a purse.”

“Biggest purse I’ve ever seen. You have two changes of clothes!”

“What if I get sweaty?”

“You will if you spend the whole day lugging around that giant purse.”

Will didn’t respond, just stuck his tongue out at Nico while shoving one last pair of socks into his duffel-bag-sized purse and zipping it up.

“Come on, we’re going to be late.” Nico grabbed Will by the elbow and flipped the lights off in their room, pulling the blonde with him into the shadows.

They popped out next to the ticket booth at the downtown train station, making the half-asleep teenager in the booth practically jump out of her pants. Nico looked her in the eyes and smiled apologetically, but that just seemed to make the girl more scared. The fact that Will was practically dry-heaving next to him probably didn’t help either. 

Regardless, she sold Nico two tickets for the early morning train to Othrys City while Will took a moment to recover from his shadow-induced nausea, and then they made their way over to the bench to wait. There were a surprising amount of people waiting by the bench for an early Saturday train, but as they approached, Nico realized he recognized most of them. 

“There you are! We were starting to worry you were going to miss your train,” Bianca called from where she was sitting next to the bench.

“We wouldn’t have to worry about that if Nico would just shadow-travel us all the way there,” Will called back, bumping Nico with his hip as they walked. 

“I told you, a shadow jump that far would have you curled up in a ball for hours begging me to just put you out of your misery,” Nico said, bumping Will back. “Plus, I’ve never been to Othrys City, so we’d probably end up popping up in a dumpster.”

“How many dumpsters have you shadow traveled to, Death Boy?” Thalia was leaning on Bianca’s chair with her arms crossed, smiling at Nico and Will as they finally reached the group and stopped walking. 

“No comment. What are you all doing here anyway?” Nico leaned around Thalia and Bianca to see that Annabeth, Lou Ellen, Cecil, and a few others had come out to see them off. Nico was impressed — he had barely managed to convince himself to wake up this early on a Saturday to see himself off. 

“You’re literally going to meet The Wizard. Y ou didn’t think we would come see you off for that?” Bianca asked, pulling Nico down into a hug and almost knocking the hat off his head.

(It was the frumpy, pointed, black hat Will had given him before the party at the Half-Blood last semester. Despite Will and Bianca telling him, repeatedly, that the hat was actually ugly, it had grown on Nico. He thought it had a comfortable charm to it, and he'd taken to wearing it pretty regularly. They had given up on trying to stop him.)

“I mean, I really didn’t think it’s that big of a deal—” Nico started. Bianca pushed him out of the hug far enough that she could raise an eyebrow at him while she fixed his hat. “Okay! Okay, it’s a big deal. But, I just mean, we’ll be back tonight, you know?”

“I know, I know. Just let me hug you.”

And Nico did. He continued to protest, as the train pulled up, that there really was no reason for them to have all gotten up so early to come say goodbye, but somewhere in the back of his mind he let himself acknowledge that Bianca had organized this, because Bianca wanted him to know that she was proud of him. And she organized it before they left, rather than planning to receive them when they got back — well, probably because she was hoping to still be out on her date with Thalia at that time, but also — because she wanted him to know that she was proud of him now , whether he ended up working with Kronos or not. Whether he ever achieved anything that would earn their father’s approval, or not. 

So, he hugged her. And he accepted congratulations and pats on the back from their other friends, and he didn’t even glare at Thalia when she told him to make us proud, Death Boy . And, when Annabeth stepped up and pulled Will into a tight hug and whispered something in his ear right before he stepped on the train behind Nico, he didn’t even let that dampen his mood. 

At least, not very much. 

The train ride was mostly uneventful. Will had packed a lot of snacks — almost enough for Nico to concede that the giant purse was a good idea after all — and an old Wizomagic deck that he’d apparently just found packed away in one of his suitcases. He hadn’t thought to tell Nico to bring his own deck, though, so they couldn’t actually play, but Nico did spend a good portion of the ride making fun of Will’s cards.

He flipped over a random card, prepared to make another joke about a healing hymn or salve of sunshine, but instead he found a picture of a young satyr playing a set of reed pipes, labeled pipes of plenty.

“Hey Will,” Nico nudged the other boy, whose head had been drooping forward like he was about to fall asleep. “Did anyone ever say anything to you about the, um…” he held the card up for Will to see. 

Will grabbed the card, yawning and squinting at it for a moment before he seemed to wake up enough to realize what Nico was asking. He glanced around quickly, like he was afraid of being overheard, but there were almost no other passengers on the train.

“No, no one from the school did, if that’s what you mean. But just before we got on the train Annabeth did let me know that he’s safe, apparently.”

“Oh, that’s what that was about?”

“Yeah,” Will started to stretch again, but paused midway through to turn and look at Nico, one arm frozen above his head. “Why? What did you think it was about?”

Nico quickly turned forward in his seat, hoping that Will hadn’t noticed the slight blush that he could feel rising on his cheeks. 

“Oh, nothing,” he lied. “Anyway, I wonder why we haven’t gotten in trouble for it. They had to know it was us, right?”

Will shrugged, putting his arm down.

“I don’t know, but I’m glad we haven’t. My parents would kill me if they found out I disrupted a class like that.”

“If you can even call what he was doing a class.”

Will hummed in agreement. “Maybe your sleep spell left everyone’s memories groggy and they didn’t even realize we were missing. Or, maybe Minos smoothed it over, since you are about to be The Wizard’s golden boy.”

Nico made a face at that, but was distracted before he could argue by the screeching sound of the train’s brakes being applied. He sat up straighter to look out the window, just in time to see the large, opulent train station outside Othrys City come into view. 

“Whoa,” Will’s breath created a tiny bit of fog on the window, and Nico turned to see the other boy had leaned over and put his face right next to Nico’s in order to see the city. Something fluttered in Nico’s chest as he looked at the side of Will’s face, the freckles across his nose highlighted by the sunlight filtering through the window. Then Will turned slightly, just enough to look Nico in the eyes, and smiled, and the fluttering thing in Nico’s chest suddenly felt like it was trying to violently rip its way out through his throat. 

“Yeah,” he said, still looking into Will’s blue, blue eyes. “Whoa.”

——

Nico’s appointment with The Wizard wasn’t until late afternoon, so they had almost an entire day to kill in the largest city in Olympus. Nico, being the overpreparer that he is, had researched the city and made a list of all the classic tourist destinations — Aunty Em’s Statue Garden, Circe’s Spa, Waterland, The Lotus Casino, DOA recording studios, etc. — ranking them each from one to ten on how interested he would be in visiting. 

Will’s approach to being a tourist was far more chaotic, however, and involved a lot of grabbing Nico by the hand and dragging him across the street whenever Will saw something shiny in a store window. 

Nico found he didn’t mind it as much as he would have thought. They did manage to visit a few of the places that Nico was most interested in — including the recording studio, ranked 9, where Will had known all the right questions to ask to trick the tour guide into telling them industry secrets, and the statue garden, ranked 6.5, which had a lot more life-like statues of terrified-looking tourists than Nico would have expected — but they had also found themselves exploring a whole slew of places that they never would have found by only relying on Nico’s tourism brochures.

One of those places was the little hole-in-the-wall cafe that they found themselves sitting in for lunch. It served the most delicious soup Nico had ever tasted, which he was practically drinking straight out of the bowl while looking between his list of tourist locations and a map of the city that he had spread out on the table between him and Will.

“So, we’ve got about an hour before we need to be at The Wizard’s castle. I don’t think that’s enough time to get any decent treatments at the spa…” he drummed his fingers on the table and went to get another spoonful of soup, but let out a huff when he realized his bowl was empty. “We could head over to the Persephone Gardens. They’re on the other side of the city, but I could shadow travel us there if you don’t mind risking the dumpster treatment.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Will put his hand on top of Nico’s on the map, pushing it flat against the table so he was forced to stop drumming his fingers. 

Nico looked up at him with a scowl, but it melted pretty quickly upon seeing the other boy’s bright smile. Will took the spoon out of his own empty soup bowl and used it to point at something out the window. The cafe was next to an open square full of street performers and local vendors, and on the other side of the square was the Amphrysos River, which cut straight through the center of Othrys and flowed directly to the castle just outside the city limits.

It took Nico a few moments to figure out what Will was pointing at through the mess of shops and tourists outside, but eventually he spotted, at the far end of the square, a small dock sticking out into the river with a single boat tied to it. On the dock, a man was sitting, half-asleep, in a fisherman’s chair, holding a sign that said Canoe Rental: 10 Drachma.

Nico turned back to Will, who had already put his spoon down, packed Nico’s map and list into his bag, and was pulling some cash out to leave on the table. Before Nico had a chance to question the prudence of renting out the singular sketchy boat, Will was tightening his hand around Nico’s and pulling him out of the booth and through the front doors of the cafe. 

It wasn’t the first time that Will had grabbed Nico’s hand that day, and Nico was getting more and more used to getting dragged around town. But he was a little bummed every time they reached Will’s spontaneous destinations, because inevitably the blonde would drop his hand as soon as they got to wherever they were going. 

The same thing happened this time. They wove their way through the crowd toward the tiny dock, but just before they reached it, Will let go of Nico’s hand and stepped solo toward the man in the fisherman’s chair.

But this time, Nico reached out with his recently vacated hand and grabbed Will’s arm, to stop him before he could wake the man up.

“Will, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea…” Nico trailed off as the blonde turned to look at him. He looked so excited about the prospect of renting out that dinky little canoe, but now that they were closer to it, Nico could see it had about an inch of water in the bottom and a layer of mildew around the sides. 

Will tilted his head, looking at Nico’s face with a curious expression. 

“You’ve got some soup on your, um…” he reached out suddenly and lifted Nico’s chin slightly with his hand. 

Nico felt his breath hitch as Will’s thumb brushed lightly over the corner of his lip, wiping away the spot of soup, and he realized suddenly how close the blonde was standing to him. They stayed like that for a moment too long, staring into each other’s eyes, before Will spoke again.

“Nico, I—”

“Hey! Are you boys going to rent out this canoe here or not? Cause you’re blocking my dock,” a gruff voice called out suddenly.

Nico and Will both jumped, stepping backwards to put a few feet between themselves and the dock and turning to look at the man who occupied it, who apparently was not as asleep as Nico had thought. 

“Name’s Iapetus, but you can call me Bob. This here’s Gorgyra,” he gestured at the questionable watercraft. Nico glanced at Will, hoping to convey his concern about the boat, but the blonde was just nodding happily, already digging around in his bag for the required coins. 

“Nice to meet you, Bob!” Will shook the man’s hand before handing him the 10 drachmas. “Do you mind if we bring her back later this evening? My friend here has an appointment with The Wizard, and we’d love to arrive at the castle in style.”

My friend. Nico tried to pretend he didn’t know why that word choice bothered him.

Bob raised an eyebrow, glancing back and forth between the two boys, before letting out a loud laugh.

“Sure, sure! You boys do whatever you need to do.” He continued chuckling as Will stepped up to the boat. Nico followed cautiously, still wary of getting aboard the vessel, but starting to recognize that Will was not going to be easily stopped. 

The blonde kneeled down on the dock next to the canoe and put a hand on it, then started a soft chant. Bob looked confused, but Nico recognized the words as those from the repair spell they’d use on their first day of sorcery class. He smiled, realizing Will had actually thought this through, and jumped up on the dock to join Will in the incantation. After a few minutes, the boat looked like it had just been hewn from a tree that morning and given a fresh coat of paint. Two oars sat pristine at the bottom of the boat, and there was no water left inside. Will deftly hopped into the vessel and reached out a hand to help Nico in. Before taking it, Nico turned to Bob, intending to thank him for the ride, but instead found himself laughing at the man’s shocked expression. 

“Your Excellences, thank you!” he said, bowing repeatedly to the two boys. Nico laughed again and told the man the obsequience really wasn’t necessary, before taking Will’s hand and stepping carefully into the boat. 

——

They floated down the river, paddling occasionally but mostly letting the current take them towards their eventual destination. And they talked. They talked about the things they’d seen that day in the city. They talked about their classes. They talked about what they imagined The Wizard looked like. They talked about their families. And through it all, Will just kept looking at Nico with those blue, blue eyes, and smiling at him with that meltingly warm smile. Nico was probably imagining it, but it seemed like as the conversation went on, Will was leaning forward, moving closer and closer into Nico’s space. 

Nico was probably imagining it, but he leaned closer, too, just in case.

They were getting close to the castle now. Nico could see the place where the river let out into a moat that surrounded the palace. There was a wooden dock where they could park the boat underneath a bridge, which connected to a yellow brick path leading up toward the imposing green castle on one side and out into the distance on the other. 

There was a lull in the conversation as Will and Nico both took in the sight of the palace, and then set to work with their oars to pull the boat up to the dock. Once they were situated, Will pulled a watch out of his pocket and showed it to Nico, leaning noticeably closer so Nico could see the time. They had only a few minutes to spare, but Nico didn’t want to climb out of the boat just yet. 

He looked up from the watch and found Will’s eyes focused on him. The blue-eyed boy’s gaze turned soft, and he smiled one of those gentle, sincere smiles that he usually kept hidden under his charming facade. 

“Will?” Nico asked in a whisper.

“Yes, Nico?”

“Are you…” Will nodded, even though Nico didn’t even know what he was asking. He tried again. “Are we…” 

My friend here has an appointment with The Wizard. My friend. Friend. 

Nico took a deep breath.

“We’re good friends, right?”

Will leaned back, his smile growing in size until it looked more like his usual charming grin, but the light in his eyes seemed to dim, slightly. 

“Of course, Nico. Best friends.

Chapter Text

They were quiet as they tied the boat to the dock and made their way toward the castle, walking side by side. The back of Will’s hand brushed against Nico’s once while they walked, but judging by the way the blonde flinched away slightly — almost imperceptibly, but Nico was focusing more closely than he should have been on the other boy’s movements — Will hadn’t done it on purpose.  

The yellow path led right up to a set of large wooden doors, flanked by two members of the Wizard’s Guard on either side, all four of whom were standing at attention. One of them stepped forward as Nico and Will approached, and Nico quickly pulled out the invitation Minos had given him, with Kronos’ official stamp, that stated he had an appointment with the Wizard. The guard took the invitation, looked it over, and nodded, then the doors swung open as if by their own accord. Inside, there was a long, shadowy hallway that appeared deserted. Nico and Will both took a tentative step inside, and heard the creaking of a chain pulley system as the doors swung immediately closed behind them. 

There were no windows in the hallway. It was dark, but not in a magical way. Nico could tell, because he could see through this darkness. Will couldn’t, though, and Nico watched out of the corner of his eye as the blonde immediately reached out for him after the doors closed, but stopped himself before making contact. It stung a little, watching Will stick both hands in his pockets, instead, but Nico reminded himself of the jar in the back of his mind, and how he really needed to patch up all the cracks in it that he’d been letting go unfixed.

Will started chanting the words to his now well-practiced light spell, and soon enough he had created a small circle of visibility. Nico thought about how Will had used that spell to pierce through the magical darkness that Nico had created just a few days earlier — the only kind of darkness that Nico couldn’t see through by his own power. There was a metaphor in there somewhere, about Will providing a solution to the problems that Nico created for himself, but thinking about it any more would only make the jar leak faster, so he tried to shake the thought from his mind. 

He looked away from Will, suddenly feeling like the light was burning his eyes, even though it had never bothered him before. 

“Hello?” Will called into the empty hallway. “Is anyone there? We’re here for an appointment with The Great Wizard Kronos.”

There was no response, only a slight echo. Will turned to look at Nico — what he could see of him, anyway, since Nico was standing just on the edge of Will’s bubble of light — with a small frown on his face. Nico tried to seem casual and confident, like finding Wizards in shadowy castles was something he did everyday.

“Maybe he’s waiting for us down the hall?”

“Right. Maybe.” Will didn’t seem convinced, but he followed as Nico began the trek down the long hallway. It seemed at first like it extended deep into the castle, but it turned out to be an optical illusion created by the shadows around them, since after about a hundred yards, they suddenly realized they were standing at the base of a long, spiral staircase. There didn’t seem to be any other direction to go, so the boys began climbing, Nico in the lead. Eventually, they arrived at a small landing, still shrouded in darkness, that had a large set of wooden doors. 

Those doors did not swing open as they approached, so Nico reached out a hand and knocked.

Rap-tat-tat . It echoed loudly down the stairwell.

Slowly, the doors began to creak open. A soft green light spilled into the hallway from the room behind the doors, and a deep, layered voice began to speak. 

“I AM KRONOS! THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE!”  Nico stepped into the room and blinked, his eyes adjusting to the sunlight streaming in from the domed ceiling several hundred feet above them, which was covered in green stained-glass windows. The voice appeared to have come from a large man — almost 20 feet tall — sitting on a giant throne on the far side of the room. “WHO ARE YOU AND WHY DO YOU SEEK ME?”

Nico looked at Will — who had stopped glowing and was looking back at Nico nervously — then looked up at the large man. He took a shaky breath and knelt on the ground, bowing his head. 

“Your Greatness, my name is Nico di Angelo. I, uh, had an appointment?”

“Oh! Nico! I forgot you were coming,” Nico startled as the new voice — which sounded a lot like Kronos’, only much less loud and at least an octave higher — came from his left. He turned his head, noticing that Will had knelt on the ground next to him and was also looking left, toward a man who had stepped out from behind a gold curtain that blended into the wall on the side of the room. “Oh, stand up, stand up. There's no need for that here.”

Nico and Will obeyed, glancing at each other again with confused expressions, before looking back at the man. He appeared to be in his late 50s or early 60s, and had sandy-blonde hair. He wore an easy smile, not unlike Will's usual grin, but the charming effect was slightly offset by the deep pale scar that ran from his right eye to his chin. Nico wasn’t one to judge someone based on a slightly off-putting facial feature, though, so he smiled back at the man, trying to copy his grin. 

The man stepped forward, ignoring Will, and reached out as if to shake Nico’s hand. Nico reached out as well, but was surprised when the man grabbed his arm and pulled him into a hug. After a moment, he pulled back to look Nico in the eye.

“Oh, look at you! You’ve certainly been through it, my boy, haven’t you?” His voice was definitely the same as Kronos’, Nico realized, just not as deep and distorted. “Sorry about the big guy,” the man turned to gesture to what Nico now realized was just a large statue. “People expect The Wizard to be larger than life, and really, who am I to deny the people what they want?”

Nico let out a small laugh at that, because it seemed like the right response.

“So, you’re Kronos, then?”

“Yes! Yes, of course. That’s more of a title, though, a name I borrowed from one of the known descendants of the Primordials, the oldest that we still have a record of. He was an ancestor of mine. Feel free to call me by my given name, though — Luke Castellan.”

“Is that where your vast magical power comes from, Your Greatness?” Will piped up from behind Nico. 

Luke looked up, as if noticing Will was there for the first time.

“I believe that is part of it, yes. Although, I did have to go on quite the journey as a young man to prove myself worthy of this power. A journey that was not without its… souvenirs.” He reached up and traced a finger over the scar that cut down his face, staring into the distance for a moment, before seeming to remember where he was and looking back at Will. “Sorry, but, who are you?”

“Will Solace,” Will said, setting his giant purse on the floor and stepping forward to grab and shake Luke’s hand with a grin. “I’m Nico’s, um” his eyes flicked over to Nico quickly, then back to Luke. “I’m his… friend.”

“Oh, of course! Minos mentioned that you might bring someone along,” Luke turned back to Nico, dropping Will’s hand dispassionately and putting that charming grin back on his face. “It’s so wonderful that you have a friendly support system. I do hope that soon enough I can be part of that system for you, as well. You know, I think we might actually be family, you and I.”

“Family? How?” Nico responded.

“Oh, very distantly,” Luke said. “But I mentioned my relation to the Primordials, yes? Based on the great power that Minos tells me you have displayed, I wouldn’t be surprised to discover you have Primordial blood in you as well.”

“Really?” Nico’s mind was spinning with the possibilities of what Luke was implying. Was it really possible that he was connected to the great powers that had created the Styx River? That had practically formed the land of Olympus? “But, my father and my sister… neither of them have ever had much skill with magic.”

“Yes, well, perhaps the talent skips a generation here and there. Who's to say how Primordial genes work?” Luke waved his hand dismissively. “The important part is you have this power, and I want to make sure you can learn to use it well. Now, when I was a young man like you, I embarked on a quest to retrieve a very powerful magical item, one that rightfully belongs to members of our family line. It was guarded by a terrible beast, who gave me this scar, but I ultimately bested him and was successful in my goal.

“In the years since, I have learned a great deal from this artifact, and I have often regretted that I don’t have any children of my own to pass it down to. But Nico, I think maybe it was always meant to go to you.”

Nico didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t help but think about his father, and how unlikely it was that Hades di Angelo would ever pass down anything of value to Nico. Luke’s smile was so kind, and Nico felt an overwhelming urge to make the man proud. 

Just then, the wooden doors behind them started to open again, with a loud creaking sound. Nico turned, and was surprised to find Dr. Minos entering the room, carrying a large, leather-bound book. 

“Ah! Dr. Minos,” Luke said. “Right on time as usual. Boys, I believe you are familiar with my most trusted advisor of magic and sorcery?

Nico nodded, looking back and forth between Luke and Minos. He had known Minos was friends with The Wizard, but he hadn’t realized the professor was part of Kronos’ inner cabinet. He had never heard anyone talk about an official advisor of magic, and he wondered briefly why an all-powerful Wizard would need an advisor of magic, but he figured it would be impolite to ask. 

“Dr. Minos,” he said instead. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

The professor smiled, the thin grin having a much less calming effect than Luke’s wide one. 

“It was a sort of spur of the moment decision. I thought it would be nice to support you in your first meeting with the esteemed Wizard. Although, I’m glad to see you already have some support from…” he glanced at Will briefly, the way someone who doesn’t much like children would look at a half-hazardly finished drawing presented by a toddler. “Well, not from the person I expected, to be perfectly honest.”

Nico felt himself blushing, though he wasn’t totally sure why.

“Bianca was… busy,” he mumbled, looking at the floor and trying to keep his eyes from wandering to Will, who had remained quiet throughout the exchange. 

“We were just getting acquainted,” Luke said to Minos. “I see you’ve brought the book! Lovely. Let’s set it up on the stand over here, and we’ll see what young Mr. di Angelo can do.”

Luke led the group over to a book stand that sat in front of a large window, through which Nico could see the river they floated in on and the yellow brick road that crossed over it, both twisting and turning into the distance in opposite directions. 

Minos set the book down on the stand, and Nico tentatively reached out to open it. It looked much older up close. It was large and leather bound, with dusty, frayed edges on the pages, and Nico felt a sense of comfort come over him as he ran his hand along the spine. It felt like family, like when he and Bianca used to sit by the edge of the Styx and have rock skipping competitions that always devolved into just splashing each other. He smiled at the memory, and lifted the cover of the book to see the first page. It was spotted with a few symbols or runes that didn't look like any language Nico had seen before, and yet, as he stared at it, the runes seemed to rearrange themselves, solidifying into one clear word: Riordanerie

Nico let go of the cover, stepping back quickly and tripping over his own feet. He flailed his arms slightly as he started to fall backwards but was caught by a pair of sturdy hands on his back and arm. He turned to see Will’s bright blue eyes looking at him with concern. 

“That book-” Nico’s voice came out harsh and scratchy. He cleared his throat and turned to look at The Wizard who was watching him with concern etched on his face. “Is that the real Riordanerie?”

Will gasped, his hand tightening on Nico's arm, but Luke just smiled like he'd been hoping for this reaction. 

“So, you can read it?”

Nico nodded.

“Wonderful! Let’s try a spell, then, shall we?”

Nico looked back at Will, expecting him to be just as concerned as Nico was about what the book’s presence here could mean for Olympus, but the blonde was staring toward the book stand with an expression that Nico hadn’t seen on his face before. It was almost… hungry. 

“Isn’t that supposed to be buried under the Styx River?” Nico asked, cautiously turning away from Will to look again at The Wizard. “To prevent excess power from being kept and abused by a small number of people?”

“You’ve taken Dr. Chiron’s sentiments too much to heart, my friend,” Minos cut in sharply, replying before Luke could. “This book has allowed The Wizard to begin the process of restoring Olympus to its former glory.”

“I understand your concern, Nico,” Luke added, speaking more gently than Minos. “Great power can easily be misused, but it’s not always a bad thing. When it’s in the right hands, it can do a lot of good.”

“Right,” Nico nodded. “Of course.”

His fears weren’t totally assuaged, but Luke’s confidence was calming, and he didn’t want to ruin this opportunity to connect with The Wizard.

“Let’s start with something simple, alright?” Luke said, stepping up to the book stand and gesturing for Nico to join him in front of it. Luke flipped to a page that had the corner turned down, and had a vague outline of a human soldier wielding a sword, surrounded by more runes. “I’ve had quite a few soldiers retire in the last few years, and we’ve been in a bit of a recruitment drought, so the guard is looking a little sparse. Why don’t you try out this spell that should summon a few magical soldiers?”

Nico nodded again, and ran his hand over the page watching as the runes seemed to rearrange themselves in front of him. They didn't spell out a word this time, but instead seemed to form a sort of pronunciation guide for the incantation, which Nico started to read aloud. 

Casting the spell was almost painful. He felt the cold magic pooling in his gut, but as it spread through his body it was like his bones were responding to the words he spoke, trembling and aching inside him. He willed the power downward, through the castle and into the ground underneath, where he had an innate feeling that he would find the warriors the spell was seeking. There was a space down there, below the castle, full of individual closed off rooms, many of which held what the magic told him were potential warriors. He could sense the place, although he didn’t get a chance to fully examine it and understand what it was because the spell was calling the warriors to the throne room. Nico felt his energy depleting as he gave life to the beings he called on. He finished reading the spell, the last few words coming out as a whisper, and fell backwards, landing on the floor just as a loud cracking sound shook the room and a jagged line snaked its way across the smooth marble floor.

Will had also fallen to the ground, but Luke and Minos were both holding themselves up against the wall and watching Nico closely. 

The crack on the floor widened and objects that looked like solid white stones came flying out of the hole, landing on the ground in various piles that started putting themselves together. It took Nico a moment to realize what he was seeing, but as the stones assembled themselves, he realized they were taking on the form of animals. He heard Will gasp next to him, just as Nico himself realized exactly what creatures he had called from the depths. In front of him there were hundreds of skeletons putting themselves together and standing at attention. 

There were a couple of human skeletons in the mix, but the vast majority were animals and magical creatures. He scanned the crowd, his gaze passing over skeletal minotaurs, cyclopes, lions, tigers, bears, and what might have been a young dragon. Many of the bones had fractures in them, or were twisted out of place, sticking out in ways they shouldn’t have been. His eyes landed on a centaur skeleton, which stood unsteadily because one of the bones in its left leg was snapped clean through, barely balancing on itself. His mind flashed back to Dr. Chiron being led away by soldiers, who he realized now were surely a part of The Wizard’s Guard, and he felt sick.

“Wow,” Luke’s voice broke through Nico’s shock, as the man detached himself from the wall and walked over to offer Nico a hand up. “You truly are incredible, Nico.”

Luke was smiling that same warm smile down at Nico, but Nico focused his gaze on the scar across the man’s face. 

It was guarded by a terrible beast, who gave me this scar.

Nico shakily got to his feet, ignoring Luke’s hand. 

“It’s you.”

Luke’s smile wavered, but he didn’t look away from Nico. 

“What’s me?”

“This… this… crusade! Against animals and creatures! The silencing disease, the segregation, the cages!” Nico’s voice was getting louder. He gestured to the skeletons, who were all standing at attention and awaiting his command. “It was all you! You’re behind it! You probably don’t even have any magic of your own, do you? That’s why you hide behind that curtain. That’s why you went looking for this book.”

Nico stepped back up to the book stand and closed the Riordanerie forcefully, pulling it into his arms. Luke reached out as if to stop him, but there was a cold darkness beginning to radiate from Nico that seemed to slow Luke’s movement. 

“That’s what you wanted me for, isn’t it?” He turned to Minos, who had stepped away from the wall and was watching Nico cautiously. “You’ve known all along. You’ve been training me for this, from the moment you met me.”

“No, it’s been much longer than that.” Minos was calm as he answered Nico, seemingly unphased by the darkness now swirling around him, the skeletons jittering anxiously in response to Nico’s heightened emotions. “Nico, listen to me. If you just let us explain, this will all make sense. Everything Luke and I have done is for the benefit of Olympus. It’s for your benefit.”

“No.”

Nico stepped back, turning to Will, who was staring at him with wide eyes that flicked between his face and the book in his hands. Nico reached out for Will, releasing his power in a loud cry, and the darkness that was swirling around him exploded outward, filling the room just as Nico wrapped a hand around Will’s wrist. 

And then they were gone.

Chapter Text

Nico didn’t know where he’d shadow travelled them to. He hadn’t been thinking clearly when he grabbed Will and pulled him into the darkness, just focusing on getting away from Luke and Minos. He had thought briefly about traveling back to Schist, but changed his mind at the last second, remembering that he couldn’t safely bring Will that far. 

In his haste to get away from here, but not too far, he seemed to have popped them out in some other part of The Wizard’s castle, a guess he was making based on the fact that he couldn’t see anything, which must have meant they hadn’t left the area influenced by his recent magical outburst. 

He contemplated all of this while slumped on the floor against a wall, where he had collapsed as soon as they came out of the shadows, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. Shadow travel didn’t normally take that much out of him, especially traveling such a short distance, but he must have expended a lot more energy than he’d initially realized on the skeleton summoning spell and his subsequent tantrum.

He had heard Will sink to the ground next to him, but the other boy seemed to be recovering much quicker from his shadow-travel-induced nausea than Nico was from his fatigue.

“Nico?” Will said after a second. “Are you okay?”

Nico leaned his head back against the wall, struggling to keep his eyes open, and gave a half-hearted affirmative hum. 

Will started chanting his light spell, and Nico realized he was still holding the blonde’s wrist when he felt it start to warm up. His other arm was wrapped tightly around the Riordanerie .

He opened his eyes and blinked in the light of the boy in front of him, who he was surprised to see was looking at him with a scowl — an expression Nico hadn’t seen on Will since before they had become friends at the end of last semester.

“Are you hurt?” Will asked tersely, looking Nico up and down as if searching for injuries. 

“No,” Nico yawned, closing his eyes again. “Just… tired.”

“Tired.” Will scoffed. He put a rough hand on Nico’s face, and Nico immediately felt more energized. He opened his eyes and was met with Will’s intense blue ones. “Nico, look at me. You just did the literal stupidest thing you could have possibly done. This is no time for a nap.”

Nico cracked a smile at that. 

“It’s always time for a nap,” he joked.

“No, Nico! I’m being serious!” He shook Nico’s head slightly with his grip on Nico’s chin. “You just attacked Kronos! The Great Wizard of Olympus! What were you thinking?”

“I didn’t attack him,” Nico sat up straight, furrowing his eyebrows at Will, who was still looking at him with that almost angry expression. “I just— well, he… Will, didn’t you see those skeletons? They looked like they’d been tortured!”

“You didn’t even give him a chance to explain!” Will pulled his hands away from Nico to gesture in frustration. “You don’t know how they ended up like that! You don’t even know that he was involved! You just blew up on him and now—”

“Will, they were here!” Nico interrupted. “I felt it, when I summoned them. Those skeletons came from inside— no, from underneath the castle. They were in some sort of dungeon, Will! In cages! Just like the satyr!”

Will didn’t respond, but closed his eyes tightly and stood up, stepping away from Nico, and put both of his hands on his head to pull at his hair. The circle of light around him moved as he did, and Nico got a clearer view of the small room they were in. It was barely larger than Nico’s closet back at Schist, and the walls on three sides appeared to be made of solid metal. The fourth side, at Will’s back, was closed off by several metal bars, with a hinge on one side and a lock system, similar to the one Nico had fiddled with when releasing the baby satyr from his cage, on the other. 

“They were here…” Nico said, almost a whisper. 

“Yes, Nico! You’ve said!” Will seemed to squeeze his eyes shut tighter, as if hoping he could make everything around him disappear by refusing to look at it.

“No, Will, turn around.” Nico stood up, slowly stepping toward Will and putting a hand on his arm. “We’re in the dungeon, Will. We’re in the place I summoned the skeletons from.”

Will seemed to calm slightly at Nico’s touch, but kept his eyes closed for several more seconds, breathing in and out deeply. Finally, he let go of his hair and opened his eyes, turning around to see the bars of the cell that they had appeared in. 

He took a shaky breath. 

“Look, there has got to be some sort of explanation for this,” he said. “We just need to go back upstairs, and you can apologize for freaking out, and everything will be fine.”

“No.”

Nico wasn't positive that he was thinking clearly, but he was pretty sure Will wasn’t either. Going back to apologize to the man who might be committing genocide definitely wasn’t the right way to proceed. He stepped away from Will, toward the door of the cage, and began checking to see if it was locked. After a second of one-handed fiddling — because the other hand was still wrapped tightly around the book — the door swung open, and Nico stepped into the space outside. 

“Nico, what are you doing?” Will hissed, following Nico out into what appeared to be a long room, with several cages on both sides and an aisle down the middle. “If you don’t go apologize now, he’s going to send guards after us! You just stole his magical family heirloom!”

“I’m kind of starting to doubt that he’s even related to the Primordials, actually. Plus, he clearly can’t even use it,” Nico waved off Will's concern and started walking down the aisle, checking each of the cages that were lined up on either side.

Will followed, luckily, because otherwise Nico wouldn’t have been able to see what he was doing. The cells were all empty, probably because the animals that had been occupying them were all dead and still standing in The Wizard’s throne room. 

“That doesn’t matter, Nico! You stole it, and he’s going to send people after you! He’s going to send people after us !”

Nico didn’t respond. He’d arrived at the end of the hallway, where there was a metal door. He reached out to open it, but his arm was caught by Will.

“What exactly is your plan here, Nico?” He whispered, sounding exasperated.

Nico raised an eyebrow.

“You’ve seen me do this before, Will,” he said, waiting for Will to realize what had happened. When he didn't say anything, Nico pulled his arm back, exasperated and pushed the door open. “Everyone in the castle is asleep! But I don’t know how long that’s going to last, so I’m kind of in a hurry.”

“A hurry to do what?!” Will said, scrambling through the door after Nico. Will’s light revealed that they were now in a circular room with several other doors spaced evenly around, which Nico assumed led into more hallways full of cages. Three of the doors had guards in front of them, slumped onto the ground, sleeping. 

“There,” Nico said, striding over to the first door that had a guard. “The ones with guards will be where the animals that are still alive are being kept.”

Nico knelt down and felt around in the guard’s pockets until he found a ring of keys, which he started testing on the door behind the guard until one of them fit. He elbowed the door open, but turned around with a frown when he realized his light source hadn’t followed him. 

“Nico,” Will was pleading, now. “You have to think this through. If there are prisoners in there, surely they’ve been locked up for a reason. Initiating a prison break is only going to add to your charges when The Wizard comes after you.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m in a hurry, Will,” he said, ignoring the first part of Will’s argument. Surely Will didn’t actually believe Luke had a good reason to imprison and torture almost exclusively animals and magical creatures. The other boy had to just be reacting out of shock. “We have to get out of here before he wakes up.”

Nico turned and walked into the room, hoping Will would follow but planning to just go by touch if he had to. Sure enough, Nico heard a huff of annoyance behind him followed by soft footsteps, and a second later the space around him was illuminated by Will’s spell.

Nico was already trying the keys on the first cage in the room, but he froze when Will walked in and he could suddenly see what was inside. It was a siren, asleep in a tiny pool of water that was barely large enough to hold her. The water looked like it had never been changed. It was a nasty brown color and covered in floating mildew. The siren seemed to be alive, but only barely. Nico could see the shape of her ribs sticking out through her gray skin. 

Will gasped quietly next to him, and Nico turned to see the other boy looking into the next cage over, which held a leopard cub who couldn’t be more than a few years old, and who was sleeping with one leg sticking out from underneath him, clearly bent in the wrong direction.

Neither of them said anything after that. They worked quietly, moving through the room and unlocking all of the cages. Nico thought about setting the Riordanerie down somewhere, to free up both hands to sort through keys, but he was reluctant to part with the ancient book, so he just worked one-handed. Will stayed behind in a few of the cells after Nico had opened them, like the one with the leopard cub, to perform small healing spells on the most visible injuries. It was clearly draining on him to maintain the light spell and perform so many small healing spells, but he didn’t complain.

It took them several minutes to work their way through all three rooms full of animals. They peeked through the other doorways as well, just to check, but found them all filled with empty cages except one, which contained a stairwell upward and another sleeping guard.

After they’d opened all the cages, Nico searched the guard’s bodies again and found them each carrying two chains with cuffs on either end, which he and Will used to secure their arms and legs, hopefully clearing the way for the animals to escape once they woke up.

When they finished, Nico turned to Will, who sat down on the floor in the middle of the room, staring at his hands. The bubble of light he was producing was much smaller now, seemingly having shrunk as he expended more and more energy.

Nico sat down in front of him, leaning in close to make sure the other boy could see his face. 

“We’re doing the right thing, Will.”

Will shrugged, not looking up. Nico waited a moment, but then sighed. He was exhausted himself, and he wasn’t sure if he was still actively maintaining the sleep spell with his own energy. If he was, it wouldn’t be lasting much longer. They needed a plan. 

“We can’t go back to Schist, obviously, and I don’t think we can trust either of our parents not to turn us in.” Nico made a face, thinking about asking his father to harbor a fugitive. “We certainly can’t trust mine. But I do know one place that might be safe, at least for a little bit while we figure out where—”

“Don’t tell me where you’re going, Nico,” Will cut him off, looking up suddenly and meeting Nico’s gaze with tear-filled eyes. “I don’t want to know.”

Nico blinked, staring back just as intensely. 

“What do you mean where I’m going?”

A tear slipped out from Will’s eye and made its way slowly down his cheek. 

“I can’t—” Will’s voice caught in his throat. “I can’t go with you, Nico. I’m not… I’m not like you.”

“Not like me how?” Nico’s voice was strangled. He couldn’t believe what Will was saying.

“I’m just not like you!” Will raised his voice and it echoed slightly in the circular room. “I can’t be… I can’t lead some sort of rebellion with you. I have people I can’t disappoint. My family, my friends back at Schist. I have a life to go back to!”

Nico leaned back, Will’s words stinging with the harsh implication that Nico didn’t have those things back at school. Will seemed to notice, and flinched slightly at his own phrasing. 

“Not that you… I mean,” Will sighed, leaning forward to put his forehead on Nico’s shoulder. Nico stiffened, but didn’t pull away. “I think falling in— befriending you is the most rebellious thing I’ve ever done.” He paused, started to lift his head slightly, then seemed to change his mind and put it back on Nico’s shoulder. “And I don’t regret it. But I just… I just can’t, Nico. I can’t.”

Nico’s cheeks were wet, and he realized he’d started crying. He hadn't expected to have to say goodbye to his… his best friend, today. He set the Riordanerie down on the floor next to him, forgetting for a moment the concern he had about how delicate the book might be, and wrapped his arms around Will, pulling him in closer and burying his face in the blonde’s hair as they both cried. 

“I'll miss you,” Will whispered between sobs.

Nico tightened his hold on the other boy.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered back.

They stayed like that for several minutes, and Nico could almost feel himself starting to fall asleep, the exhaustion finally catching up with him, as they sat on the floor. Will’s breathing had evened out after a few minutes, and he stopped glowing entirely, so Nico was pretty sure the other boy had fallen asleep against him. Nico knew it wasn’t wise for both of them to be unconscious while still in the castle, but he felt his eyelids drooping anyway. 

Then he heard a shuffling sound behind him, and one of the guards groaned like he was starting to wake up. Nico’s head shot up. The darkness around him was dissipating, and he turned his head just enough to see movement out of the corner of his eye coming from the direction of the guards.

Nico reacted instinctively, grabbing the book from the floor next to him and keeping one arm around Will as he pulled on the shadows that remained around them and slipped into the darkness.

They reappeared in the throne room in the shadow of the Wizard statue. Will was still holding tightly to Nico in his sleep. Elsewhere in the room, the sun was once again shining through the stained glass windows, reflecting off the bones that weren’t stacked into animal shapes anymore but were scattered around on the floor. There was a crack that stretched across the floor where Nico's spell had broken it open earlier. Luke and Minos were both stirring from where they had fallen. 

Nico gently removed Will from his arms, laying the boy on the ground. He stayed for a few seconds longer than he should have, looking at the soft curve of Will’s face and wishing he had time to count the freckles across his nose. 

“Goodbye, Will,” he whispered, standing and taking a step deeper into the shadow. “I hope… I hope you’re happy.”

And then he was gone, disappearing too soon to hear the soft I hope you’re happy, too, Nico that followed him.

Chapter Text

Schist student suspect in theft of magical heirloom from Wizard’s castle

Eileen Smythe, reporter, The Othrys City Gazette

A Schist University Student who was visiting The Wizard’s castle on a field trip Saturday has disappeared with “a priceless magical heirloom,” according to a press release from Kronos’ office.

——

Schist student Nico di Angelo implicated in escape of hundreds of animal criminals

Eileen Smythe, reporter, The Othrys City Gazette

Schist University student Nico di Angelo, who is still at large after being accused last week of stealing an unnamed magical heirloom from The Wizard’s castle, has now been implicated in a large prison break that occurred just after di Angelo’s visit to the castle on Saturday, according to information released by The Wizard’s Guard.

——

Kronos declares Nico di Angelo a Wicked Witch

Eileen Smythe, reporter, The Othrys City Gazette

After terrorizing the Land of Olympus for over a year by releasing animal criminals from prisons throughout the land and attacking The Wizard’s Guard with unstable shadow magic, Nico di Angelo has been given an official title by The Great Wizard Kronos: The Wicked Witch of the West.

——

Wizard takes on son of Apollo as new magic apprentice

Lou Ellen Blackstone, reporting intern, The Othrys City Gazette

Will Solace, son of musical sensation Apollo and folk singer Naomi Solace , has just been offered the job of a lifetime — magical apprentice to The Great Wizard of Olympus, Kronos. 

“It’s more than I ever could have imagined for myself,” Solace said.

The musicians’ son is in his last year of undergraduate school at Schist University, but has been studying with The Wizard since his freshman year, when his professor of sorcery recognized a great magical talent and offered to make the introduction. 

…

Despite being offered every college student’s dream — a steady, well-paying job right out of undergrad — Solace intends to continue his schooling after graduation, seeking a medical degree at the Schist School of Medicine. He said he expects a lot of stressful days and late nights between his new job and his studies, but he believes that the medical degree will ultimately be a benefit as he fulfills his responsibilities as Wizard’s Apprentice — which include being a spokesperson for The Wizard and assisting with the ongoing efforts to apprehend Nico di Angelo, who Kronos has named the Wicked Witch of the West. 

“My goal with learning magic has always, always been to heal people. I’ve been fascinated by healing magic since I was a boy,” Solace said. “I’ve learned a lot already about healing charms and other forms of magic, but I know with more training, there’s more good that I can do.”

——

Governor of Styx and father of ‘Wicked Witch’ dies from unexpected heart attack

Cecil Markowitz, reporting intern, The Othrys City Gazette

Hades di Angelo, the governor of Styx and the father of Nico di Angelo, The Wizard’s most wanted ‘Wicked Witch,’ died Thursday from an unexpected heart attack.

“My father lived a life some would be envious of, and his sudden death was a shock to many,” Bianca di Angelo, the governor’s daughter, said. 

Despite his son’s status as Kronos’ least favorite criminal, Governor di Angelo remained loyal to The Wizard throughout his political career, ignoring protests and passing several local regulations that support Kronos’ ongoing effort to separate animals and magical creatures from humans.

——

Will Solace, Wizard’s apprentice, attends funeral of Hades di Angelo

Lou Ellen Blackstone, reporter, The Othrys City Gazette

Will Solace, newly appointed apprentice of The Great Wizard Kronos, made his first appearance in his new position Saturday, when he attended the funeral of Styx Governor Hades di Angelo.

——

Sister of ‘Wicked Witch’ follows father’s footsteps, enters politics

Cecil Markowitz, reporter, the Othrys City Gazette

Bianca di Angelo, daughter of the late Styx Governor Hades di Angelo and sister of wanted witch Nico di Angelo, has entered the running to replace her father as governor in the emergency election being held this month, after Hades di Angelo’s untimely death two weeks ago. 

At 26, Bianca is only just old enough to run for the position, and would be the youngest governor to be elected in the history of the small province. She is experienced in the Styx political sphere, however, after working as an advisor to her father for the last four years, since she graduated with a degree in political science from Schist University. 

“I learned a lot from my father about the world of politics, but I am not my father. I don’t intend to govern the way he did,” Bianca said in a press conference, emphasizing that her priorities as governor would include restoring the right of animals and magical creatures to learn and work alongside humans. 

Bianca’s focus on desegregating the province has raised concerns among some potential constituents that she is in kahoots with her brother, Nico di Angelo, who is known to work closely with multiple animal rights groups that have been labeled as terrorist organizations by The Wizard. But Bianca insists that she has not seen or heard from her brother since he was first accused of stealing from The Wizard’s castle more than four years ago. 

——

Bianca di Angelo elected as youngest ever governor of Styx

Cecil Markowitz, reporter, the Othrys City Gazette

——

Athena Chase retiring as captain of the Wizard’s Guard, to be replaced by daughter

Lou Ellen Blackstone, reporter, the Othrys City Gazette

After more than 35 years on the force and almost 15 years as Captain of the Wizard's Guard, Athena Chase is stepping down into her long-awaited retirement. 

“It was a tough decision, but I've been at this a long time,” she said. “I could use the break, and I think it's time to let some of the younger folks make their mark.”

And make their mark they will. The Wizard announced Thursday he has already chosen a replacement for Athena: her daughter, 29-year-old Annabeth Chase.

Annabeth has been on the guard, officially, for seven years. She joined when she was 22, immediately after graduating from Schist University with a degree in criminal justice. But she trained with the guard as a junior officer throughout her teen and college years, and “her ability with the sword is legendary,” according to her former Schist weapons instructor, Reyna Ramírez-Arellano. 

Bianca di Angelo, another graduate from that same Schist class, became the youngest governor in Olympus history when she was elected three years ago as governor of Styx. With this new promotion, Annabeth will follow her classmate’s lead and become the youngest Captain of the Guard the country has seen. 

“I'm proud to see my daughter step up and fill this role. The rising generation has a grand history to uphold,” Athena said.

——

Will Solace to receive official title, ‘William The Wonderful’ after med school graduation

Cecil Markowitz, reporter, the Othrys City Gazette

Most people graduating med school are happy with the new title of ‘Doctor,’ but Wizard’s apprentice Will Solace is about to receive an honor much greater: an official title from The Wizard. 

A declaration released Monday by Kronos’ office states that after Solace’s graduation ceremony from the Schist School of Medicine this Thursday, The Wizard will host a special private ceremony with his apprentice’s close friends and family, to honor Solace and give him the official title of ‘William the Wonderful.’

Chapter Text

“William Andrew Solace”

Will beamed as he walked across the stage, his eyes sweeping over the audience as he tried to remember where his parents had been seated. He didn’t manage to find them before he reached the other side of the stage, where Dr. Dionysus — looking as bored as ever — shook his hand and handed him his diploma. Will heard the clicks of several cameras going off as he accepted the piece of paper and turned to shoot a smile in the direction of the roped-off press area next to the stage.

He was pretty sure that most med school graduations did not include a press area, but it wasn’t a surprise that they were here considering that he — Will Solace, apprentice to the Great Wizard Kronos, the man about to be dubbed ‘William the Wonderful’ — was one of the people graduating. 

He’d gotten used to reporters following him around ever since he became Kronos’ apprentice about four years ago. He wasn’t unfamiliar with seeing paparazzi before that, given his parents were both well-known musicians, but they’d mostly left Will alone once it was clear he wasn’t planning to follow in his parents’ footsteps. Then Will had to go and make himself famous in an entirely different sphere than Naomi and Apollo, so now when the three of them went out together they were surrounded by entertainment reporters and political reporters alike.

Will had never intended to become a politician — he wasn’t even sure if that’s what he was, exactly, because it’s not like he had a say in any laws or government functions, but that was the part of the newspaper he usually ended up in — but he couldn’t say he wasn’t happy with his lot in life. Of course he was happy. How could he be anything but happy? 

Happy is what happens when all your dreams come true, isn’t it?

He sometimes thought about where he might be right now if Minos hadn’t introduced him to The Wizard all those years ago. He might still be here, graduating from medical school, becoming a doctor. But there would be no press presence. There would be no grand afterparty. He wouldn’t be receiving an official title.

William the Wonderful.

Sure, it was a little presumptuous, but Luke said he had more than earned it. He was the most well-known sorcerer in the land aside from The Wizard and Ni— aside from The Wizard. And even though he had focused his studies on healing magic, he was well-rounded in his magical education. And he’d been using that magic for good, in more ways than even The Wizard knew about. 

Most of his sorcery training came through Minos, since Luke didn’t technically have any magical abilities. But Luke had taught him a lot about the magic of a good reputation. The Wicked Witch might be able to command an army of the undead with a wave of his hand, but Will could just as easily control an army of the living with nothing more than a charming smile and a calm word. And a bit of bright pink eyeliner didn’t hurt, even if Luke said it looked too much like he was trying to copy the green eyeliner that the witch always wore. 

Will’s train of thought was cut off as he stepped off the stage and found himself immediately wrapped up in two sets of arms. No wonder he hadn’t been able to find his parents in the crowd; they had somehow managed to wait by the stage for him, despite the headmaster making a point before graduation started to ask all family members to please wait in your seats until the ceremony is finished.

He should have known that didn’t apply to Apollo and Naomi Solace. 

He could hear more cameras clicking as he embraced his parents, but he refrained from looking over at the press until after his mom and dad had both finished telling him how proud they were, and he had hugged them each one more time while thanking them effusively for their support.

Finally, with his dad’s arm still around his shoulders and his mom’s hand grasped in his, he turned toward the press area with a smile and scanned the faces there for whichever of his two favorite journalists had managed to talk their editor into letting them come. 

It didn’t take long to find them. Lou Ellen had become much easier to spot ever since she fully committed to the bright lavender hair, even when she was hiding her face behind a giant camera. Will was surprised to see the camera — Lou was a reporting journalist, not a photographer — but then he spotted Cecil standing next to her, scribbling away in his reporter’s notebook. He grinned. 

Will pressed a quick kiss to both of his parents’ cheeks and told them he would meet them at the Half-Blood for the afterparty, but that they should go back to their seats before they caused even more of a scene — he was starting to feel bad for the students that had been called across the stage after him, who were exiting with their diplomas and having to navigate their way between the Solaces and the press to get back to their seats. After they left, he stepped over to the press area, waving to Lou and Cecil and giving polite smiles to the other reporters who called out his name. 

“Lou, you’re learning photography just because your editors wouldn’t let two reporters come to my graduation?” he said, as soon as he was close enough to be heard over the continued announcement of graduate names. “I’m flattered.”

“You’re conceiterated is what you are,” Lou said, making her camera flash one more time right in Will’s face. “Malcom and Blanche both just quit, and Travis is on paternity leave. I’m holding this camera out of necessitatity.”

Will gave her an over exaggerated pout. 

“Well, I was going to offer to take you both a super-exclusive tour of the afterparty venue before it starts, but—”

“You mean you were going to ask us to dip out on the rest of this graduation to go find out if the folks at the Half-Blood still remember our usual orders?” Cecil interrupted. His tone of voice was far too accusing considering he was already closing his notebook and tucking it and his pen away in his bag.

Will winked and lifted the rope they were behind so they could both duck underneath it and follow him out a back door. Lou took a bit longer to pack away her camera in a backpack, but soon enough they were making their way across Schist campus and then turning onto the path through the forest that led into town.

“WILLIAM SOLACE!” 

Will froze. He glanced quickly over his shoulder to verify that that was who he thought it was storming her way towards him across the courtyard, and he then grinned at Lou and Cecil, who had stopped with him. 

“Run.”

He took off into the forest, Lou and Cecil close on his heels. The paved path wasn’t hard to navigate, but Will knew he wasn’t going to outrun Annabeth by staying on the paved path. He scanned the forest ahead of him, and spotted an opening between some trees with a slightly overgrown footpath veering off to the right. He pointed it out to Lou and Cecil and then swung off the road into the trees, hoping that Annabeth was far enough behind still that she hadn’t seen which way they went. 

He had to slow down a bit as he picked his way between the weeds and rocks on the new path, which was in a state of partial regrowth, like it had been purposefully trodden by someone several years ago and hadn’t been touched since. He wove through the trees, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to check that Cecil and Lou were still behind him, and that Annabeth wasn’t, before coming to an abrupt stop when he almost walked right into a flowing creek.

Cecil slammed into Will’s back, almost knocking both of them into the water, but Lou Ellen grabbed them both by the shoulders just in time. 

Will took a second to catch his breath and look around the clearing they had emerged in. The place seemed oddly familiar but he couldn’t quite figure out why. 

“Whoa, what’s this?” Cecil crouched down on the edge of the clearing. He was looking at something metal that was sitting on the ground. Will looked over at it, and that sense of deja vu increased, like he should have recognized the place they were in.

He hadn’t noticed the object at first because it was rusted to the point that it almost blended in with the dirt, and it was covered in vines and other foliage that had grown up around it.

But underneath all that, it was a small metal cage. Suddenly, Will knew exactly where they were. 

“Solace! I know you’re in here!” Annabeth’s voice came from the direction of the path, and Will turned just as she burst through the trees behind him and came into the small clearing. She crossed her arms, glaring at him as if waiting for an explanation. He smiled.

“Annabeth! Fancy seeing you here!” He stepped between her and the cage, which Cecil was still examining, and reached out as if to pull her into a hug.

She ducked underneath his arm and scowled. 

“Solace, I am the Captain of the Guard!” She had a clear view now of the cage, and Will wondered if she would say anything about it, but she seemed to be purposefully avoiding looking at it. Will tried to do the same. “I can’t be out here playing like your personal bodyguard.”

“Then don’t,” he shrugged and leaned against a tree. “It’s not my fault you’re the only person who ever notices when I leave. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“Right. Maybe when you stop running off on your own in the middle of important events, I’ll believe you.”

“Hey, nothing’s ever happened to me so far,” Will defended, with a grin. “And I didn’t run off on my own. I was just taking Cecil and Lou to go see the afterparty venue.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. 

“You know Kronos hates it when you give these two special treatment,” she said, but she was smiling, too, already turning around to leave the clearing. “It makes the other reporters frustrated.”

“And yet the other reporters keep showing up,” he said, pausing before winking and tacking on, “and swooning whenever I smile at them.”

Annabeth scoffed.

“You are far too charming for your own good.”

——

Annabeth walked with them to the Half-Blood, having given up on getting Will to sit through the rest of his graduation and claiming that she needed to review the security at the lounge anyway before people started arriving. 

The after-party was slightly more exciting than the graduation had been. Luke made a very short appearance, hooked up to his voice modulator and decked out in the sparkly green Kronos costume he used whenever he had to make public appearances (which included hidden stilts to give him that larger-than-life factor and extensive makeup that made him almost unrecognizable). He officially announced Will’s new title and gifted him an overly extravagant new wand and a crown that was far more beautiful than it was comfortable. Will wasn’t really looking forward to having to wear it at all future public events.

Then Luke disappeared backstage and Will gave a little speech, emphasizing how honored he was by the title and how now that he had graduated he was excited to spend more of his time focusing on the betterment of Olympus. He used his new wand to set off a small, pre-planned light show (only about five percent of which was actually magic) and then he was free to spend the rest of the evening celebrating. 

Or, he should have been. Just as he was about to step down off the raised platform they were using as a stage, Dr. Minos stepped up next to him, holding a drink in each hand. He handed one of the drinks to Will, then turned and raised his glass toward the crowd.

“A toast for William the Wonderful! May he protect us from the terror of the Wicked Witch!”

Cheers spread throughout the hall, and Will smiled, raising his glass alongside Minos’, as he knew he was expected to. 

“And to all the good people of Olympus who have shown me their support,” He added, before taking a drink. 

“William!” Someone called from the crowd just as Will was lowering his glass. “What do you know of the Witch’s current plans?”

Will only hesitated briefly, about to reply with a diplomatic answer about how he was working with the Wizard’s Guard to ensure no harm would come to the citizens of Olympus, but someone else in the crowd answered before he could. 

“I hear he’s been helping criminals escape by taking control of the guards’ shadows and mind controlling them!”

Will raised his eyebrows, but kept a calm demeanor while trying to determine who had spoken, so he could tell them the rumor was exaggerated. It may have been several years since they had seen each other, but even if mind control was among the Witch’s powers now, Will couldn’t imagine the other man choosing to use it often.

Unfortunately, he took too long to respond.

“And he only releases rebel animals, because they give him food and shelter!”

That rumor was probably closer to the truth, although Will doubted that was the exact reasoning behind the choice to focus prison raids on animals and magical creatures.  

“I heard he can raise an army of the undead with a wave of his hand!”

Okay, that one was true, but also something Will was pretty sure the Witch didn’t like to do.

“And if he looks at you with his third eye, you’ll instantly become a zombie or dissolve into shadows!” 

This was getting out of hand. Will loudly cleared his throat and put on his best reassuring smile. This wasn’t the first time he’d heard rumors flying around about the Witch, but they got a little more ridiculous every time. 

“Now, now, I know we’re all scared,” Will spoke over the growing whispering of the crowd. “But as terrifying as terror is, that’s not what we’re here to focus on today. Today is a day of celebr—”

“I heard his soul is so dark and unclean that pure water will melt him!”

“—ation.” Will blinked. His smile slipped, just for a moment, as he took in the absurdity of the statement that he’d just heard. “What?”

“Please, somebody go and melt him!”

“Let’s not get ahead of oursel—” Will started, but he was interrupted by Minos, who raised his glass again. 

“A toast! To the hope that one day the Wicked Witch will be melted!”

Cheers filled the dance hall, and Will felt his smile growing more and more strained as he raised his glass again alongside Minos’.

The toast was enough to quiet everyone’s fear for now, fortunately, so Will was finally able to jump off the stage and make his way through the crowd toward the exit. It was slow-going because he knew he had to smile at and shake hands with just about everyone he passed, but eventually he pushed his way through the front door of the dance hall and was hit with a blast of cool evening air. 

He took a few steps away from the door and ducked into the alleyway next to the building, then closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the cool brick wall. He stayed like that for several minutes, focusing on forcing air in and out of his lungs so that he wouldn’t think about anything, or anyone, else. 

Unfortunately, breathing could only keep his mind occupied for so long.

Pure water will melt him?

The rumors were… frustrating. They always were — because Will knew most of them were wrong, and that he couldn’t say anything against them or people would think he was defending a ‘Wicked Witch’ — but something about that last claim had caused an almost visceral reaction in Will that he’d had a hard time keeping under wraps in front of everyone. The idea that the man Will had known, who was now so hated across Olympus, had become the Wicked Witch not because of his own decision to fight and rebel, but because there was something intrinsically bad about him? Something so detestable and vile that his very being was incompatible with simple water? The thought made Will feel like he was going to throw up. 

And what had that man ever done to earn that reputation? Was it just because of his appearance, or was there something more to it? They say the eyes are the window to the soul, but whenever Will had thought of that phrase in relation to those eyes he had thought that the other man must be as vast and powerful and unknowable as a starless night sky, as deep and mysterious as staring into the ocean on a cloudy night. He was drawn to it, intrigued by it. He’d never considered that darkness to be something to fear.

And yes, the witch was causing chaos around the country, but did any of those people in that dance hall even know why? Had they ever asked themselves what would motivate a man to spend years repeatedly risking his own life to break into prisons, gather in protest with so-called enemies, and leave messages in the shadows about their Great Wizard’s wrongdoings? 

But then again, what if they had? What if everyone else around Will was thinking about the witch’s motivations just as much as Will was, and they all still believed he was wicked? That he was so naturally unclean he could be washed away with water like a speck of dirt? What would they — the people who had come to that conclusion about the witch — think of Will if they knew everything that he had been doing for the last eight years?

It wasn’t much, what he’d been doing. It certainly wasn’t enough. He gave up his only chance to ever do enough when he told the witch eight years ago that he wouldn’t run with him. That he couldn’t run with him. 

He hadn’t known then what lay in store for him. He hadn’t known that he was starting on a path that would lead him to be known as the country’s biggest defender against the so-called Wicked Witch. The witch who, in Will’s eyes, had yet to do a single thing wrong. 

But Will had known, even then, that if he couldn’t go with the other man, then he couldn’t ever do enough.

And yet. 

He didn’t go. 

Why didn’t he go?

“Hey.”

Will jumped. He hadn’t heard anyone come outside, but when he looked up he saw Annabeth was leaning against the wall next to him. She was looking at him with the same angry look she gave him every time she caught him sneaking out of a public event by himself without any guards, but her face softened into a concerned frown when he met her eyes. 

“Hey,” he replied, knowing she could see the tears welling up in his eyes, but not sure what to say about them. 

“What’s wrong?” Her voice was gentle, but still firm in a way that told Will she wasn’t going to let him avoid answering. 

Will had an interesting relationship with Annabeth. They’d become really close during Annabeth’s last semester at Schist, when she was assisting in Will’s weapons class, but then Will had gone to Othrys City with Ni- with their mutual friend, and come back alone. A lot of his relationships changed after that. Minos told everyone the Wizard’s version of events — that the witch had schemed his way into Kronos’ castle in order to steal and wreak havoc, but that Will had stood by the Wizard’s side, impressing him enough to warrant special magic lessons with Kronos and Minos — and Will never told anyone any differently. He knew that his close friends, those that had known the other man, wouldn’t believe the story as it was told. But he never answered their questions. Not Cecil’s or Lou Ellen’s, not Annabeth’s, not even Bianca’s. If anyone deserved an answer from him, it was Bianca. But he stayed silent and accepted the praise he knew he didn’t deserve.

His gaggle of admirers that called themselves his friends grew after that, so he was never truly alone, but he knew on some level he had lost the trust of many of the people that had been closest to him.

He had only seen Bianca and Thalia once since Annabeth and them graduated. It was at Bianca’s father’s funeral, and he hadn’t spoken to either of them. He knew they got married a few years ago. He hadn’t been invited to the wedding. 

He had been invited to Cecil and Lou Ellen’s. They had been angry at him for a while after that first visit to Othrys City, because they knew something was wrong with Minos’ story, and they wanted Will to tell them what. They forgave him eventually, though, trusting that he had his reasons, and stuck by him through the rest of their time in undergrad. But the three of them had drifted apart since graduation, more because of distance than anything else. He only ever saw them now at functions like this, when it was usually just one or the other of them and they were working. 

Annabeth had been the closest thing Will had to a consistent friend over the last eight years, even if they weren’t as close as they had been before. She was a member of the Wizard’s Guard, and Will spent a lot of time at the Wizard’s palace even before he was officially named Kronos’ apprentice, so they’d had the opportunity to see each other regularly. He was glad to have her watching his back most of the time, but he had never been truly vulnerable like this in front of her. Honestly, he wasn’t sure when he had last been vulnerable like this in front of anyone.

He blinked, realizing he hadn’t responded to her question, and he felt a couple of tears get stuck in his eyelashes. She was watching him with that little frown that told him she didn’t mind waiting until he was ready to answer. It was softer than the look she gave him when he had run off earlier today, but still exasperated enough to remind him of the way she’d glared at him in the forest, when he’d run off into the trees in an attempt to escape his responsibilities briefly and accidentally ended up in one of the last places he remembered ever feeling free. 

“Annabeth,” he said eventually, “did you notice, in the woods earlier today…”

Will trailed off, but Annabeth didn’t respond, only tilted her head and raised an eyebrow to prompt him to continue. He cleared his throat.

“We’ve been in that clearing before,” he said.

She nodded, slowly.

“We have,” she replied.

“The… the cage was still there.”

She nodded again, maintaining her concerned frown as she waited for Will to explain where he was going with this. 

“What happened to the satyr?” he asked finally, barely whispering the words and looking down at the ground while he spoke. “What did you do with him?”

Annabeth didn’t respond immediately, so after a few seconds Will looked back up and met her eyes again. They reminded him of storm clouds, and he felt like he could see the lightning brewing behind them as she contemplated his question, even though her facial expression had remained mostly the same. 

“I took care of it,” she said eventually. Will waited for more, but she didn’t offer anything else. 

“How?”

“Will, what do you really want to ask me?”

Will squirmed a little under her gaze. He knew that she knew what he was asking, but she was giving him a chance to deny it. To change his mind and put his mask back on and walk away. Was that because if he doubled down, if he clarified what he meant, she would have to report him to The Wizard? Was she giving him one last chance to be loyal and save himself? 

Or was it because she wanted to know how committed he was to finding out the truth? Did she want him to confirm that he meant what he was asking and that he was willing to risk his reputation to find out?

He looked into her stormy eyes, hoping to find something that would give him a clue of what to do. How much he could trust her. How much she trusted him.

If Annabeth was working against The Wizard, Will knew she was doing it right.

She wouldn’t be doing it like Will. Trying, unsuccessfully, to convince Luke that maybe he was going too far. Breaking into the palace dungeon to heal the prisoners, but only when he knows no one will suspect anything. Not even releasing them, even though there were a few times he knew he could have gotten away with it, because he didn’t know where to tell them to go after they got out. 

If Annabeth was working against The Wizard while working under his command, it was because she had a plan. Because it was strategic. Not like Will, who was doing it because he was too much of a coward for anything else. And he wasn't even doing it well.

Will had watched The Wizard hurt people.

And he had let him.

“Sometimes I wish…” he whispered, barely audible. “I wish I had gone with him.”

A pause, while Annabeth took that in. She took a breath.

“With who?” 

The lightning continued to flash behind her eyes. A challenge. To tell the truth. To say the name he hadn’t even let himself think in years. 

He wanted to. 

But before he could respond, the door to the Half-Blood slammed open. 

“William! Captain Chase! Where are you both!?” Minos’ voice broke sharply into the night around them.

Annabeth straightened her shoulders, immediately putting back on the face of the calm, collected soldier, and marched out of the alleyway toward the door. Will followed, fastening his regular, cheerful smile into its place. 

“Sorry, Dr. Minos!” He called, waving at the man, who turned to face them. “I wanted to step out for some air, and Annabeth agreed to accompany me for a short walk to make sure I stayed safe.”

The tall man squinted his eyes questioningly, but nodded anyway.

“Well, your walk is over,” he said. “We must return to Othrys City at once.”

“Why?” Annabeth questioned. “What’s happened?”

Minos smiled, his thin grin that never had the cheerful effect he seemed to think it did. 

“I’ve just heard from our Lord Kronos.” He leaned in, smile growing as he switched to a whisper. “He’s captured the witch.”

Chapter Text

“How did he do it?”

Will and Minos were sitting next to each other on the train to Othrys City. They hadn’t had a chance to talk much since Minos had found Will and Annabeth outside the Half-Blood. After telling them that the witch had been captured by Kronos, Minos sent Annabeth to gather her guards who were at the party and told Will to say goodbye to his parents before meeting back at the train station, where a private train was already waiting for them. 

Annabeth was sitting with the other guards near the front of the train car, but Will had followed Minos to a seat at the back. 

“Kronos was just giving a speech at the Half-Blood less than an hour ago,” Will continued. “How did he catch the Witch and get back to Othrys City in so little time?”

Minos chuckled with his not-so-cheerful smile. 

“Kronos may have given a speech at your party, William, but Luke Castellan did not.”

“Huh?”

Minos reached down to the bag at his feet and unzipped it, pulling out a bottle of green liquid. 

“A simple transfiguration spell,” Minos said, showing the bottle to Will. “And while I played Kronos for all your adoring fans, Luke stayed at the palace to wait for your dear old friend.”

Will’s stomach sunk at Minos’ use of the word friend. He looked up at the front of the train, where Annabeth had stood up and was staring stoically out a window as the trees rushed by.

“Did Annabeth know?” he asked. 

“No,” Minos replied. “We couldn’t risk involving her. Luke and I have long suspected that we have a spy in the guard, but Annabeth insists she trusts each of her soldiers. She would have interfered.”

“Do you know who the spy is?” Will kept watching Annabeth, wondering if she could hear their conversation from across the train.

“Unfortunately not, but the fact the Witch came to the castle today proves our theory that there is one. Only Annabeth and her soldiers knew about the bait we laid for him there.”

Will felt like he was going to be sick again.

“Bait?” he prompted Minos to keep talking. 

“Another old friend of ours, one who we knew the Witch cares for quite a bit,” Minos explained. “We’ve had him locked up for some time now in another location, but two days ago he was moved into the palace dungeon by Kronos’ command. Then it was just a matter of waiting for the Witch to come for him. We suspected he would try today, since it was well-publicized that myself, Kronos, Annabeth, and you would all be hours away, at your graduation ceremony.” Minos paused before adding, “I apologize for interrupting your celebration, by the way.”

Will didn’t feel much like celebrating anymore, anyway, but he didn’t say that. Instead he just smiled and shrugged it off and pretended this was the way the world was supposed to be. 

——

Will’s nausea hadn’t subsided by the time they got to the castle, in fact, he felt like he was going to throw up a little more with every heartbeat. The Witch was here. He was somewhere in this grandiose building and Will was going to see him , and he didn’t know what that meant or why he was feeling the way he was about it, but all he could think about was the other man’s face eight years ago when he asked Will to run away with him. Or, more accurately, when he had started trying to make a plan with Will because he trusted him so fully, so completely, that he had assumed Will would run away with him. Because it was right.

And he’d looked so confident, with sweat smeared across his brow and his eyelids drooping over the dark abyss of his eyes from the effort of maintaining a spell that kept them safe while he freed hundreds of prisoners. He knew what he was fighting for, and in that moment, he had thought Will did, too.

That was the man Will had remembered all these years. That was the face he pictured when people talked about the Witch. He had to focus on that face, on that trust, because if he let himself think about what happened next, he knew he would break. 

I can’t go with you, Will had said. I’m not like you.

And everything had shattered.

Will could feel Annabeth’s stormy eyes on the side of his face as they descended staircase after staircase, following Minos towards the dungeon underneath the palace, but he couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze. The soldiers that had come with her to Schist were trailing behind. 

When they finally entered the dungeon, Will froze momentarily, causing a small buildup behind him as Annabeth and her guards almost knocked into him. He stepped into the circular room to get out of the way, blinking several times as his eyes adjusted to the light. The stairwells they had come down had been dimly lit with a torch every 20 feet or so, and Will had expected the dungeon to be the same. It usually was. But when they walked through the door into the round room, Will felt like he had walked outside on a cloudless summer day. It was harsh even for Will, and he was usually pretty comfortable with bright lights. He looked around the room, trying to discern where the light was coming from, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.

There were no shadows anywhere in the room, and that’s what gave it away for Will. 

He scanned the room again, looking more closely at the ground, and finally noticed a small, open bottle leaning up against a wall. The bottle itself was difficult to see, with the brightness permeating the room from all sides, but Will recognized it. Even without picking it up, he knew it had a small W engraved on the bottom. A W for William. Or for Wonderful. 

Minos caught Will’s eye, seeming to notice what Will was looking at, and nodded at him as if to say thank you, before leading the group past a guard and into one of the hallways that held the cages. 

The bottles were an early graduation gift from Minos, part of a whole alchemy set. Alchemy was one of the last realms of sorcery that Will needed to study, and Minos had said the easiest way to start learning was by practicing bottling a simple spell — one that the user was very familiar with — over and over again. 

Will had wanted to bottle a healing spell. He knew that would be more helpful to have on hand, and he knew some fairly simple ones. But Minos had insisted it had to be simpler. Will had probably made hundreds of those little bottles of light, for no reason, he had thought, other than practice. 

It occurred to Will then, as they walked past several empty cages that each contained a small, open bottle and were all filled with unnatural light, that Minos and Luke didn’t trust him. Publicly speaking, Will was Kronos’ right hand man. Very few people even knew who Minos was, besides that he was a professor at Schist. Will was the one who went to public events on the Wizard’s behalf, kissing babies and charming old folks and giving smiles and vague nonanswers to newspaper reporters. 

But Will had not been included in this plan. He was used in this plan the same way he was always used by Kronos: as magical labor, and as a distraction. But he wasn’t trusted enough to know about the plan until it was over. 

They arrived at the last cage in the hallway, and Will froze again. 

Annabeth wasn’t so nice this time as to stop behind him. She forcefully shoved him to the side, pushing him into one of the many guards that were standing around and inside the cell with their swords drawn, and walked into the small, barred off room to stand in front of Luke, who was sitting on a bench on one side. 

She began berating the Wizard, asking how he could dare to endanger her soldiers with a plan like this without telling her about it. At least, when Will thought about the scene later and tried to remember all that had been going on, that was what he assumed she had been saying. In the moment, though, he really wasn’t listening. 

He was paying more attention to the man sitting on the other side of the cell, who Annabeth was completely ignoring. He was slumped to the ground, guards positioned on either side of him even though it didn't look like he had the strength to raise his own head, let alone swing a sword.  Both of his hands were shackled to the wall behind him with loose chains that allowed for a small amount of movement.

His hair was longer, and it hung over his face. It was messy, like it had been forcefully pulled out of a bun or braid. He was wearing an all black outfit, armored so that no skin should have been showing below his neck, but pieces of the armor had been torn off and the clothes were cut open in several places, so Will could see the other man was bruised and bleeding all over his arms and legs. He looked sturdier than when Will had last seen him, like he had grown into himself and developed the muscles to match the strength that Will knew he had from having matched swords with him so many times before. Strength that clearly hadn’t served him well enough today. 

Next to him on the floor, crumpled and covered in specks of blood and dust, was the black pointed hat that had become his trademark over the last eight years. The hat that the children of Olympus included on every crude drawing of the monster in their closet or under their bed. The hat Will had given him as a cruel and unnecessary joke. 

Defying Will’s expectations, the man raised his head and looked at Annabeth, who was still talking with the Wizard. Will let out a soft breath when he saw the man’s face. It was thinner, more well defined, and had several new scars, including three that cut evenly across his cheek. But his eyes hadn’t changed — dark and reflective, like they were flooded with ink, and surrounded by badly smudged green eyeliner. He turned his head slightly at the sound of Will’s breath. 

He blinked. Will’s heart stopped beating and fell out onto the floor.

“Nico.” 

It came out as a strangled breath, barely audible over Luke and Annabeth’s continued conversation. 

The man didn’t respond, but set one hand on the hat that was sitting next to him on the floor. He blinked again, then turned to look at the Wizard and Annabeth. Luke was assuring Annabeth that he would not use any soldiers without her approval again. He pointed out that this was an exceptional case and that the plan had clearly worked, meaning there was a spy within her ranks. Annabeth didn’t seem like she was fully appeased, but she sighed and stepped aside, allowing Luke to examine Will, Minos, and the other soldiers they had brought with them.

Luke smiled.

“See, Nico,” Luke turned to the man on the ground. “Here is a perfect example of what I was telling you, before we were interrupted. William, come sit with me.” Luke gestured at the spot on the bench next to him. 

Will didn’t move. He couldn’t feel his legs. His heart had stopped beating and was sitting on the floor. After a few seconds, Minos put a hand on his back and gently pushed him into the crowded cell, where he sat down on the bench. A small bottle of light was sitting open on the bench between him and Luke. He stared at his shoes.

“Look at the two of you,” Luke continued, his sickly sweet smile bleeding into his voice. “You couldn’t be more different, down to the opposing headwear.”

Will reached up to his head, only then realizing that he was still wearing the uncomfortable crown he’d been gifted on stage at the Half-Blood, what felt like a lifetime ago. Maybe that could account for the pounding in his head that hadn’t stopped since his conversation with Annabeth in the alley.

He briefly wondered where the wand was that he'd been handed at the same time. He wasn't sure when he was last holding it.

“And yet, eight years ago, you were roommates. Friends, even, if I remember correctly.” Luke continued, his usually calming voice grating on Will’s ears. He wasn’t sure if it was a difference in the way the man was talking, or just a difference in how Will was hearing him. “Now here you both are, both defending a cause you believe is just.”

That wasn’t true. 

“But only one of you has any power in this country. Only one of you has Olympus eating out of the palm of his hand, while the other is feared and hated by the masses. Only one of you is Wonderful, while the other is Wicked . One of you has a family who can be proud of him. One of you has achieved everything he ever could have wanted in life. And the other is sitting on the floor, alone, bruised, and beaten, after trying to save a community that doesn’t want saving .”

Will forced himself to look up, and immediately regretted it when he made eye contact with Nico. Or, at least, he was pretty sure he did. It was hard to tell sometimes exactly where Nico was looking, but it was a small room and Nico was facing Will, not the Wizard, and the light was so bright that Will could clearly see his own face reflected back at him in Nico’s eyes. 

Maybe that’s why looking into Nico’s eyes hurt so much. Because looking into Nico’s eyes also meant looking into his own. 

He wanted to look away. 

He didn’t look away.

“How easily a few simple choices brought you both here,” Luke continued next to him. “And just as easily, a few simple choices could put either of you in the other’s position. I could give you power, Nico, just like I’ve done for Will.”

Annabeth coughed slightly, and Will’s attention was drawn over to her. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes flashed down toward Will’s hand, and he realized he had grabbed the bottle sitting next to him on the bench and was holding it tightly. He let go of it, hoping no one else had noticed.

He wondered if Nico had. 

“I’m not like Will.” Nico’s voice was rough. It scratched against his throat like he hadn’t used it in a while. But the words themselves were calm, almost like he wasn’t deliberately throwing Will’s own words from eight years ago back at him. “I’m not motivated by power.”

I can’t go with you, Nico. I’m not like you.

“Of course you are,” Luke responded easily. “Everyone is motivated by power. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t still have that book.”

Nico scowled, but didn’t respond.

“Well, my Wonderful William,” Luke put an arm on Will’s shoulder after a few moments and stood up. “I believe our friend here needs some medical attention. Just enough that he won’t die before I can change his mind or make an example out of him, mind you, and if you can do it without using any magic, all the better. We both know what he is capable of with a full store of energy.” He began walking out of the cell and gestured for Annabeth to follow him. “I’ll leave you with Minos and the guards while you work. Annabeth and I have to begin the work of rooting out a spy.”

Luke left, with Annabeth and the soldiers she had brought with her from Schist following behind. The rest of the soldiers — those who Luke had apparently trusted enough to involve in his plan of capture — stayed guarding the cell. Minos stayed as well, leaning casually against the bars of the cage. 

Will stood up from the bench and stepped towards Nico, already reaching into his satchel to pull out the supplies he would need. 

Nico didn’t say anything as Will knelt down in front of him and cautiously reached out to begin the work of examining his wounds. He closed his eyes, giving silent permission for Will to touch him. This part was easy, familiar. Will had done this with hundreds of prisoners before in this same dungeon. He had bandages and a couple salves on him, and he sent one of the guards to go retrieve a few more supplies for him as he worked. Soon enough, Nico’s arms and legs were covered in bandages and bruise salves, and he might have been ready to be sent home to continue healing on his own if this were a doctor’s office and not a palace dungeon. 

Instead, Will gave him one more once over, poking and prodding a few places to make sure the bandages were secure. Nico kept his eyes closed, and would almost have convinced Will he was sleeping if he hadn’t violently winced when Will brushed a hand over his chest. Will raised an eyebrow, waiting to see if Nico would open his eyes, but the man stilled again, as if he was hoping Will hadn’t noticed the strong reaction. 

Will lifted up Nico’s shirt, moving slowly to make sure it was clear what he was doing, and found deep purple bruising across Nico’s front.

“Take a deep breath for me,” Will said, laying a hand over the other man’s lungs. Nico nodded, and started to take a breath in, but stopped halfway through, wincing worse than he had before. Will turned to look at Minos.

“I think he has a broken rib. That’s going to take more than bandages, but I’ll try to keep the magic minimal,” he explained. Minos nodded, looking bored.

Will turned back to Nico, his hand still on his chest, and began chanting a general healing spell, feeling his energy flow into the other man, just enough to locate the fractured rib and start knitting it back together. As the magic worked, Will had a dull sense of what was going on in the rest of Nico’s body. He felt the various cuts and bruises slowly healing from his salves, and without thinking too much about it, sent a tiny burst of energy into each one, speeding their healing along. There was also an intense sense of exhaustion, and a cold darkness that seemed to rest somewhere in the other man’s stomach. 

The bone was finished mending now, but Will kept his hand on Nico’s chest for a few more seconds, feeling the other man’s dark tiredness seep into him slowly. Will thought about the small vial of light behind him, just out of Nico’s reach. It would be so easy to break it, to provide just a single shadow for Nico to slip into and get away. 

But Minos was watching. Several guards were watching. They were probably already starting to wonder why it was taking Will so long to heal Nico’s rib. He couldn’t do anything more for the other man than what he had done. Not without ruining his own life in the process. 

He started to lift his hand from Nico’s chest, but at the last second, Nico opened his eyes. Will looked into them, seeing his own broken heart reflected back at him.

What kind of life was this anyway, to be so worth protecting?

With the featherlight touch he still had on Nico, he sent a surge of energy into the other man. And then everything went black.

——

Will woke to the sound of hooves on stone and someone speaking in a loud, distressed whisper. He was laying on the ground, in a dark room, and it took him a moment to remember how he’d gotten here. 

He sat up. There was light slowly starting to seep in from the other cells in the hallway, like a dark blanket had been thrown over this particular cell, but the fabric was growing thinner. Minos and the guards were all on the floor around him, starting to stir. Nico was gone. 

Will walked over to the now empty bottle that was sitting on the bench and picked it up. It was cracked in half, splitting right through the W etched into the bottom. He dropped the pieces back on the bench and stepped over the people on the ground to make his way out of the cell. As soon as he pushed past the last guard, he was suddenly surrounded by bright, shadowless light once again. It seemed Nico hadn’t had enough energy to darken and put to sleep the entire castle this time, but had done just enough to provide himself a way out. 

But he also hadn’t left, Will realized, when he suddenly recognized the voice he could hear echoing through the dungeon. 

“Please! Please, I can’t leave you, but I don’t have the strength to—” 

Nico’s voice cut off when Will pushed the door open and walked into the circular room where all the dungeon hallways met. The room was filled with centaurs, frantically pushing past each other to make their way to the stairwell. The guards that had been in the room were all unconscious and laying against a wall. One had a visible hoofprint on her forehead. 

On the opposite side of the room, Nico was kneeling on the ground next to a centaur who looked like he had collapsed there after barely making it out of the hallway full of cells. Nico looked up when Will entered, his eyes watering underneath the brim of his hat. Two of the centaur’s legs were clearly broken, and he was looking at Nico with the sad eyes of someone who didn’t fully recognize the person in front of him but wanted to comfort him regardless.

None of the centaurs were speaking, Will realized, and he wondered whether or not they could.

Nico watched Will warily as he made his way across the room, dodging the last few centaurs that were pushing their way up the stairs. Nico stood and took a step back, reaching for a sword that he had probably stolen from one of the knocked-out guards, but he didn’t stop Will as he approached and crouched next to the injured centaur. The centaur shifted his gaze to Will, and Will froze as he looked into the clouded over eyes of his old history professor, Dr. Chiron.

Only Annabeth and her soldiers knew about the bait we laid for him. Another old friend of ours.

Oh.

He placed a hand over the centaur’s nearest leg, and quickly chanted a healing spell, shifting the bones back into place and knitting them together. He moved to the other broken leg and started the process again. This injury was older, one that had healed on its own and been broken over again, maybe more than once. He recognized it. 

He was reminded of the first time he had ever performed a healing spell on someone who wasn’t human. It was a simple pain relief spell that Chiron had asked him for during his first semester at Schist. It was probably the first and last time Will had ever felt like he was truly using his abilities to do good.

Will finished the spell and looked over at Nico who was still watching him with a hand on his sword, but Will realized he was wobbling, barely holding himself up against the wall. Will had given him just enough strength to break the magical light in the cell he’d been in and escape, but Nico had chosen to stay in the palace dungeon anyway, only traveling just far enough to free the person he’d come here for.

Will heard the sounds of footsteps coming from behind him, and knew they only had seconds before the guards that Nico had put to sleep burst into the room. 

He could stay on the ground, make himself cry and act like Nico had forced his hand. He could maybe even give Nico and Chiron more time to get away while maintaining his own status here with the Wizard if he ran into the other room now and stopped the guards, telling them he’d been forced at swordpoint to heal the centaur but that he’d just escaped the Wicked Witch’s clutches. 

But he saw his own face reflected back to him in Nico’s eyes. He saw the hard set of his own jaw. He remembered sitting in this same room looking into Nico’s eyes eight years ago. He remembered the trust that he had seen in the other man’s expression then, and he wished he could see it now. He turned to the centaur, beaten and unfocused, still kneeling on the ground next to him, and tried to see in him the passionate history professor he had watched walk out of his classroom so long ago with his head held high. 

“Dr. Chiron,” the centaur’s eyes seemed to clear slightly when Will said his name. “I think we’re going to need a ride.”

The centaur smiled, almost imperceptibly, and began standing up. Will stood as well and swung himself onto the centaur’s back before reaching down a hand toward Nico. Nico hesitated for a moment, staring at Will’s hand with a pained expression, but then the door to the hallway he’d been kept in burst open, and several dazed-looking guards came spilling out into the room, with Minos behind them.

Nico grabbed Will’s hand and pulled himself onto the centaur behind Will. He barely had time to wrap an arm around Will’s waist before Chiron took off, galloping up the steps at a speed that Will didn’t know was possible. Nico pulled his sword out with the hand that wasn’t holding onto Will, but Chiron flew past everyone in the castle so fast that Nico didn’t have the chance to use it. In what seemed like seconds, they had burst through the front doors and were galloping through the woods away from the palace, leaving any pursuing soldiers in the dust. 

Will held tightly to Chiron. He didn’t know where they were going. He didn’t know if Chiron or Nico knew where they were going. He didn’t know what would happen to him, or if he would ever see his parents again, or how long it would take for Luke to realize what had happened and set all of Olympus against him. 

The wind blew his hair out of his eyes, and he felt Nico sheath his sword and wrap his other arm around Will’s waist. A tear made its way down Will’s cheek, forced out of his eye by the wind rushing past. 

And he smiled.

Chapter Text

It had been a long time since Will had ridden bareback on a horse — or centaur — so he was incredibly grateful when Chiron apparently decided he was done running and brought them to a stop near a small stream in the forest. Nico released his hold around Will’s waist and they both slid off their former professor’s back without saying anything. 

Nico knelt down by the stream and began drinking water out of cupped hands. The silence was palpable, but Will didn’t know how to even begin to address everything that sat unspoken between them. So, he didn’t say anything to Nico. Instead, he turned to Dr. Chiron and softly asked if he could give the centaur a more thorough checkup than what he’d been able to do before they left the palace. Chiron didn’t answer, but he seemed to smile again, and moved his head in what might have been a nod. 

Will still had his small satchel and the supplies the guard had brought him for treating Nico, so he set to work addressing the various bruises and scratches that the centaur carried. He checked on both of Chiron’s legs that had been broken. The one that was a fresh break had healed cleanly with Will’s spell, but the one that carried the old injury looked like it would still likely cause pain for a long time. While Will had been able to heal the recent break in that leg, it would be much harder and take much longer to repair the damage caused by years and years of walking on a leg that wasn’t properly healed the first time.

For now, he wrapped the leg with a bandage to help with compression, performed a small pain relief spell, and told the centaur, with a wink, that it would be better if he could avoid galloping at full speed with two grown men on his back in the future. 

“But, thank you, for doing it,” he added, smiling. “We couldn’t have gotten away without you.”

“Do you know if he can understand us?”

Will jumped at the sound of Nico’s voice, having gotten so absorbed in the healing process that he almost forgot the other man was there. He turned to see Nico sitting on a rock next to the creek, watching Will with a curious expression.

“I don’t know,” Will sighed, looking down at the grass. “I never had the opportunity to examine those affected by the silencing disease very closely. Luke usually kept them guarded pretty heavily, and it was the one topic he refused to ever discuss with me. I thought, maybe, once I was officially a doctor, that I could convince him to let me try to figure out how to heal it, but…” Will sat down heavily in the dirt next to Chiron, who had laid down and was looking up at the sky wistfully. “That was just wishful thinking, I know. The Wizard — Luke — he didn’t actually want them healed.”

Will sighed again and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. He realized he wasn’t wearing his crown anymore, and vaguely wondered at what point it had fallen off. How did Nico always manage to keep that ugly hat on in situations like this? Was it pinned in place?

He heard shuffling from Nico’s direction, but he couldn’t bring himself to look back up at the other man. He felt a hand placed gently on his shoulder, but he kept stubbornly staring at the grass, trying to blink away the tears that had started gathering in his eyes. 

A second hand came up to cup his jaw, and then his face was lifted slowly up, until he could see Nico kneeling in front of him on the ground, that stupid hat still firmly secured on his head. Tears were gathering in Nico’s eyes as well, and for a moment, Will thought he saw stars twinkling somewhere in the deep abyss of Nico’s gaze. 

“Will…” Nico’s lips turned up in a small smile. 

“Nico, I—” Will’s throat felt like it was closing up. “I— I’m— I’m sorry.”

And then the tears were flowing down his face, and he felt two arms wrap around his shoulders and pull him forward. He returned the hug, holding tightly to Nico’s waist and resting his head against Nico’s neck.

“I missed you, Will.”

Will shook his head against Nico’s neck, unable to speak as sobs ripped themselves from his throat.

“Yo— You— You shouldn’t,” he managed to choke out after a moment. “I don’t deserve— I didn’t— I couldn’t—”

“Shh…” Nico ran a hand up and down Will’s back. “Eight years ago, you didn’t, and you couldn’t. But today you could, and you did.”

Will pulled back, lifting his head to look Nico in the eyes. 

“But how can you trust me?”

Nico snorted, lifting one of his hands to wipe the tears away from Will’s face, even as they continued to fall. 

“Oh, I don’t. There are loads of things I will not be telling you, places I will not be taking you, and people I will not be introducing you to,” he smiled, before adding, with a slight tilt of his head, “yet.”

Will sniffled, the tears still falling, but not as fast now. He let his eyes roam over Nico’s face, examining the way the scars on his cheek bent around the one small dimple that appeared with his smile, and looking for any sign that the other man wasn’t being sincere. 

“But then, why keep me around at all?”

Nico raised an eyebrow. 

“Well, logistically speaking, you are probably the best single recruit our little resistance has ever gotten,” Nico let out a small laugh, but then hesitated. The dimple disappeared again behind his scars. “I mean, if you wanted to join us, that is. I guess, I assumed that’s why you left with me, but I didn’t—”

“Yes!” Will interjected, maybe a little too loudly. Nico smiled again at the outburst, raising both eyebrows, and Will spoke again, softer. “Yes, Nico. I want to help you. I’m here for… for whatever you need.”

“Good,” Nico nodded once, like they’d just sealed a contract, and stood up to pace around the clearing as he continued talking. “Because really, how many healers do you think we’ve got lying around who are not only well-versed in technical healing practices, but also know sorcery? And have an actual medical degree?”

Will let himself smile a little bit as he realized that Nico had been keeping tabs on him. Then he quickly tried to tamp down his blush as he scolded himself for thinking like that. He was The Wizard’s right-hand man, of course Nico had kept tabs on him. 

“Plus, Luke wasn’t wrong when he said you basically have Olympus eating out of the palm of your hand,” Nico continued. “Having you on the team will do great things for our credibility and recruitment. And don’t forget you’re best friends with the only two journalists in the country who seem to have any critical thinking skills. I wonder if they’d be interested in… well, no, Luke owns the paper, doesn’t he?”

Nico turned to look at Will, who nodded, his smile growing wider without his consent. Nico stayed focused on him for a moment, and then he walked back over with a small smile of his own and extended a hand, silently inviting Will to stand with him. Will grabbed it.

“Well, regardless, there are a lot of reasons that I want to keep you around,” Nico said, pulling Will to his feet, and suddenly they were standing close enough that Will could feel Nico’s warm breath on his cheek. Their hands were still linked together, and Will couldn’t pull his eyes away from Nico’s. “Not the least of which being that you’re my… friend.”

We’re good friends, right?

Of course, Nico. Best friends.

They stood there for a beat too long before Nico startled a little, as if only just realizing how close they were, and took a small step back, dropping Will’s hand.

“I mean, you were, at least,” he turned his face away, and Will thought he saw some pink coloring his cheeks. “And… I’d like you to be again.”

Friends. 

Friends.

Will could do friends. 

Friends could be enough.

Will knew his own cheeks were probably bright red, but he tried to shake off the blush as he stepped forward and pulled Nico into a tight hug. 

“Nico,” he whispered. “I missed you, too.”

——

The next part of their journey was much slower. Since neither Will nor Nico knew where Chiron had brought them, and they figured it would be easier to decide where to go next if they knew where they were currently, they decided to just start walking until they found a road or other landmark they could use to orient themselves. 

Having not eaten since early that morning, Nico didn’t have the energy to shadow travel all three of them anywhere without knowing how far he’d be going. Plus, he said he still had to decide which of his hideouts would be the safest to bring Will to. 

They waited about a half hour until the sun went down before they set out, to lessen their chances of running into anyone. They walked for most of the night, and honestly, they could have been going in circles for all Will could figure. But Nico seemed to have picked up some navigation skills in his time as a fugitive; he kept stopping to look up at the stars before setting off again in a slightly different direction, leading Will and Chiron along with him. They didn’t talk much as they walked. The exhaustion of the past day seemed to have caught up with all of them. Will could only hope they would find somewhere to rest before the sun came up. 

Just as the sky was starting to lighten but before the sun had actually started to peak out above the horizon, they stumbled onto a yellow brick road, and turning to the right, Will could see the outlines of several buildings clustered together in a small town that he was pretty sure he recognized. 

He looked for the sign near the entrance to the town, but he couldn’t read it clearly considering it was still dark outside and they were a couple hundred feet away.

“Hey Nico, you can see in the dark, right?” Will turned to Nico, who looked like he was also scanning the town. “What does that sign say?”

Nico squinted in the direction Will was pointing.

“Delphi, I think.”

Will smiled. “Perfect,” he said, and started walking quickly down the road towards the town. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you doing?” Nico ran after him, with Chiron trotting behind. Chiron kept looking around nervously now that they were out in the open rather than under the protection of the trees, but luckily no one else was on the road this early in the morning. “We can’t just walk right into town. Do I need to remind you that I am the Wicked Witch of the West?”

“We’re not walking into town. We’re going to turn off the road again right…” Will squinted, running his gaze along the tree line until it landed on a small wooden sign next to an almost unnoticeable fork in the road, and pointed, “right there.”

Nico’s gaze followed Will’s finger to where a tiny brick path, just wide enough for one horse, broke off the road and cut into the trees behind the sign, which read Private Property. No trespassing. He looked back at Will with a raised eyebrow. 

“Python Mansion. My dad’s summer home that he inherited from my grandparents,” Will explained. Nico looked unimpressed. “Dad’s getting too old to make the trip so they pretty much never use it anymore.”

“You don’t think Luke will think to send guards to look for you at your parents’ summer house?”

“Nope. Luke doesn’t know it exists.” Will winked, before explaining: “Tax evasion.”

Nico let out a surprised laugh, just as they reached the sign. He followed Will onto the small path back into the woods without hesitating, even while he asked, “What about your parents? Won’t they look for you here once they find out you’ve run away?”

“They probably would, but I don’t think they’re going to find out I ran away.”

Nico raised an eyebrow again, clearly unconvinced, but Will had been thinking this through all night while they walked. He was almost certain Luke wouldn’t be telling anyone that he left.

“You’ve got to understand how Luke thinks. I’ve got Olympus eating out of the palm of my hand, remember?” Will winked, but Nico just crossed his arms, looking unimpressed. “I’m Olympus’ golden boy, Kronos’ right-hand man, and…” he paused for dramatic effect, “Othrys City’s most eligible bachelor.”

Will wasn’t really sure if Nico could roll his eyes, but the way the muscles in his face shifted just then certainly had the essence of an eye roll. Even so, Will thought there might have also been a slight blush on the other man's cheeks. But maybe that was just wishful thinking. 

“If Luke starts telling people that I defected to the enemy of my own accord, he’s going to lose a lot of support, and quickly,” Will continued, trying not to think too hard about Nico's facial expression. “If, on the other hand, I was kidnapped by the big bad witch …”

He gestured at Nico, whose eyes widened, finally understanding what Will was getting at. He stared at Will for a moment, then broke out into a grin.

“And why would your kidnapper bring you to your parents’ secret summer home?” Nico said, putting it all together.

“Exactly!”

Will turned forward again on the path, just as they turned a corner revealing the gate that led onto the property. The gate was locked, but luckily for Will, his parents were both very forgetful, and they had started leaving a set of keys in one of the bushes after the third time they came for the summer and ended up having to stay in an inn in town for the night while a servant rode back to Delos for their keys. 

“You’ll have to make some sort of statement as soon as possible,” Nico said a few minutes later, after Will had gotten them through the gate and just as they were approaching the front door of the large house. “The longer you’re with me before you start telling people that you joined me freely, the easier it will be for Luke to claim that you’ve fallen under some sort of spell.”

Will glanced at Nico while turning the key in the lock on the front door. He opened the door for the other man, who yawned as he stumbled through it. Chiron followed him, but Will kept watching Nico. He turned to face Will with that small smile back on his face, the dimple just peeking through his scars. 

What if I have fallen under your spell?

“Well, that sounds like tomorrow’s problem,” he said, instead of voicing his real thoughts out loud. “For now, let’s go find some beds.”

Nico agreed, and Will led him and Chiron down the hallway that held the nicest bedrooms. He peeked inside a few, making sure they were clean, then told Nico and Chiron they could pick whichever they liked, before heading a few doors down to his own room.

“Will?” 

Will turned around before going inside. Chiron had already disappeared into a room, and Nico had his hand on the doorknob of another, but had stopped and was looking at Will. He looked like he had a slight pink to his cheeks, but that could have just been the lighting. 

“Yeah?” Will leaned against his doorframe, trying to look nonchalant, but his heart was suddenly beating very fast. 

“When you say you're ‘the most eligible bachelor’ or whatever…” Nico paused and Will suddenly wasn't sure if his heart was beating at all. “Well, I know all of Olympus sort of thought you were dating Annabeth—”

“I'm not,” Will interjected. Too quickly. He felt himself blushing, but Nico didn't seem bothered by the interruption. He just smiled slightly, turning his head away to try and hide it.

“I know,” he said softly. “I was just wondering if… if there was anyone else?”

Will shook his head. 

“Not since college.”

Not since you.

“Cool,” Nico’s smile grew, but then his eyes widened and he turned to look back at Will. “Not that— I mean, it's not cool, I just meant— wait, it's not not cool either it’s just… uhm…”

Nico was definitely blushing now, and Will found himself smiling at the other man's fumbling.

“It's just good that no one else is going to come looking for me, right?” he said, finally throwing Nico a lifeline.

“Right!” Nico responded. “Totally! That's… that's all I meant.”

He scratched the back of his neck, looking at the ground. Will wasn't sure if he should fill the silence or not, or what to fill it with, but he also couldn't bring himself to walk away yet.

“Me too, by the way,” Nico said eventually, not looking at Will. “The… the bachelor thing.” Nico turned quickly around to head into the room he'd chosen, almost like he was hoping Will hadn't heard him. He let out a quick, “Sleep well, Will!” before closing the door sharply behind himself. 

Will stood in his doorway for several more minutes, trying to understand what had just happened. 

“You too, Nico,” He breathed out, eventually. Too late. Always too late.

——

Will woke to the sound of crashing thunder. 

He felt like he had slept for several hours, so it was probably sometime in the afternoon, but it was still dark outside his window except for the occasional flash of lightning. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, taking a moment to think through everything he’d done in the last couple of days. It seemed absurd to think that he’d been at his med school graduation a little more than 24 hours ago. 

Will watched the rain out his window for a few minutes. Just as he was starting to wonder about how quickly the storm must have set in — considering the sky had been mostly clear when they arrived this morning — a large gust of wind passed through, rattling his windowpane, and suddenly the storm was gone, like it had been pushed away with the breeze. The sun shone brightly through his window, and the drops that remained on the glass quickly evaporated. 

He kept thinking about the strange storm as he washed up and changed his clothes, grateful that he had left some extras here the last time he visited with his parents. He made his way to the kitchen, where he found Nico sitting at the table eating a sandwich. He was wearing simple, black clothes that might have once belonged to Will’s dad, or maybe a butler, and he had washed his face and his hair, which was pulled back in a low ponytail under the pointed hat. He also had freshly applied green eyeliner, which… what? Did he… carry it with him? Where had he been keeping it?

There were two more sandwiches sitting on a plate next to Nico at the table. Will guessed they were made out of very stale bread and the somewhat suspicious vegetables that grew wild in the garden out back, but he grabbed one of them anyway and took a large bite as he sat down next to Nico. 

It was… delicious. One of the best sandwiches Will had ever had. The bread was soft, like it had just been baked that morning, and the vegetables tasted crisp and fresh. 

Nico was scowling at a large book sitting in front of him on the table. It was vibrating slightly and had a powerful aura emanating from it, and Will figured it must have been a testament to how hungry he was that he had managed to notice the sandwiches first. He wasn’t sure what it said about him that he had noticed Nico’s green eyeliner even before that, but he decided that was a topic of self-reflection he’d like to worry about another day.

He thought he recognized the book, and his suspicions were confirmed when he leaned over to try and read it and found only indecipherable hieroglyphs.

Will would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought in-depth about the Riordanerie during the last several years. He wondered what sorts of new spells it contained, and what powers Nico had learned in his time with the book. He also wondered if it was really as dangerous as Chiron had said.

The glyphs seemed to shake on the page as Will stared at them, and he quickly turned away, already feeling a headache coming on. 

“Two questions,” Will said. Nico jumped, looking up at Will with wide eyes, like he hadn’t realized he had come into the room. “One, what is the Riordanerie doing on my kitchen table?” Will pointed at the large book. “And two, and more importantly, how on earth did you find fresh bread and vegetables when no one has been in this house for months?”

He wanted to ask about the eyeliner. He really, really did. But that seemed like a touchier subject for some reason. 

Nico smiled mischievously, his mouth stretching out more on one side than the other and making that one dimple really stand out.

“One answer,” he said. He lifted the side of the book up slightly, creating a shadow on the table, and then stuck his hand into the darkness. His arm disappeared into the shadow up to his elbow, and when he pulled it back out he was holding a fresh apple, which he offered to Will with a smirk. 

“Apple?” he asked. 

Will let out a surprised laugh and took the fruit, biting into it and raising his eyebrows at how perfectly crisp and sweet it was. 

“Being friends with the apple tree nymphs has its advantages,” Nico said, turning back to his book. 

“Evidently,” Will replied, with a chuckle, and took another bite of his apple. 

Will watched for a few minutes as Nico studied the spellbook. His scowl deepened as he seemed to read over the same page multiple times. Finally he stood up from his chair and reached into the shadow under the table to pull out a long staff. He stepped away from the table until his own shadow was clear against the wooden floor, then he touched it with the top of the staff, muttering a few unintelligible phrases followed by a name Will recognized: Bianca Grace-di Angelo. 

Nico’s shadow seemed to shake a little, twisting and moving on its own for a moment, before settling back into place, unchanged. Nico groaned and threw out his hands in frustration, almost whacking Will with the staff. Will ducked out of the way just in time and Nico gave him a sheepish look.

“Sorry… it’s just, something’s not right,” he said. “I’ve been trying to check on her ever since I woke up. She’s always had this weird fascination with being outside whenever it’s raining, but something about that storm this morning just felt… weird. I wanted to make sure she’s doing alright, but it’s not going through for some reason.”

“Have you tried checking with Thalia?” Will was intensely curious about how Nico was planning to check on Bianca with his shadow, but he figured the other man was about to show him anyway, so he decided to try being helpful instead of asking. 

“Thalia’s not home with Bianca right now. She’s been training some new recruits in—” Nico cut himself off, looking back up at Will with a bit of panic in his expression.

So, Bianca and Thalia had been working with Nico all these years. Will had always suspected it, ever since their school days, when — shortly after Nico had been declared a Wicked Witch — Bianca started wearing, on a daily basis, the silver shoes that Nico had gifted her. From what Will had seen in photos of her public political appearances, she still wore them regularly. Will wasn’t sure how many people knew they had been a gift from her brother. 

Will tried to keep a neutral expression in response to Nico’s slip-up. He understood why the other man didn’t feel like he could fully trust him, but watching him actively withhold information was a painful reminder of how different their relationship was now than the close friendship — and, maybe, almost more than a friendship, or so Will had thought — they had once had. 

“So, how exactly does the shadow communication work, then?” Will said, changing the subject. “Have you checked to see if Bianca’s the only person you can’t reach right now?”

Nico’s shoulders relaxed a bit at the topic change, and he turned back to look at his shadow on the floor.

“It’s not exactly communication, because it only goes the one way,” he explained. “Here, I’ll try someone else and hopefully you can see what I mean.”

He tapped his shadow again with the staff and repeated the spell he’d used earlier, pausing at the end to think for a second before adding Luke Castellan.

The shadow twisted and shook for a moment, elongating until it solidified into the silhouette of a man that definitely wasn’t Nico. 

“—your name?” the shadow said, in Luke’s voice. He paused, long enough for someone else to respond, and then continued. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Percy Jackson.”

Nico looked at Will, eyebrows furrowed questioningly. Will shook his head. He didn’t recognize the name. 

“You’ve done us a great service today,” the shadow continued. “By dropping your house on this terrible witch, you’ve rid the land of Olympus of a great evil. We will, however, have to do something about her, uh, shoes. About her shoes.”

The man in the shadow appeared to turn and take a few steps to the side, although the shadow didn’t actually move from where Nico stood in the middle of the kitchen. The shadow crouched down and reached out with both hands, making a pulling motion, and then the silhouette of a high-heeled shoe appeared in each of his hands. He set the shoes down, and they immediately disappeared from Nico’s shadow show when the man was no longer touching them. The shadow man then appeared to reach into a pocket on his cloak and pull out a small bottle, the exact size and shape of the ones Will had spent the last few weeks filling with light spells. The shadow turned the bottle upside down and released a couple drops of something into the place where the shoes had been, then returned the bottle to his pocket before picking up the shoes, which reappeared in his hands, and turning around. 

Will and Nico both watched the shadow intently, unsure of what, exactly, he was up to.

“These shoes contain an incredibly powerful magic,” the shadow said, holding out the silhouetted heels. “The witch, who you have so graciously killed for us, has a brother who is, unfortunately, even more fearsome than she is”

Nico gasped, and took a step back. The shadow followed with him. 

“You must bring these shoes to our Wonderful Wizard Kronos in Othrys City, and quickly, before the Wicked Witch of the West gets ahold of them. Here, put them on. It will be the easiest way to keep them safe from him.”

Will held his breath, looking at Nico. He was expecting to see tears welling up in his eyes, maybe a flush of anger beginning to spread across his cheeks. But Nico had gone white, paler than Will had ever seen him. His mouth hung open slightly, and Will could have sworn that his eyes had somehow gotten darker, like instead of the regular reflective shine that was usually there, there were simply two black holes where the windows to Nico’s soul should have been. 

The room was getting colder, and shadows started to seep out of the walls as Nico raised his staff, pointing it at the shadow on the ground, and slamming it down with a crack that spread across the hardwood floor. 

The shadow dissolved into the general darkness that was filling the whole room, but just before it had completely disappeared, Will heard Luke’s voice one more time, echoing distantly.

“Oh look at that!” He said. “They’re a perfect fit.”

Chapter Text

Nico fell to his knees on the floor, his staff clattering to the ground next to him as darkness rolled off of him in waves. His legs seemed to disappear into the shadows beneath him, like he was kneeling in inky black water. Will could barely make out his silhouette as the darkness got deeper. He wanted to reach out and grab the other man before he was lost completely to the shadows, but something held him back. 

Who was Will to try and comfort Nico now? What claim did he have on Nico to try and pull him away from his own demons?

There was a clip-clopping sound, and Will realized that Chiron must have woken up in the midst of the chaos and was making his way across the hardwood somewhere behind him. He turned, but the shadows were too thick to determine where the centaur was. Turning back, Will could still just barely make out Nico’s outline in the darkness, if only because Nico himself had become the darkest thing in the room. 

Steeling himself for a rejection of some kind, Will knelt down in front of Nico. He slowly reached out a hand and set it on the empty black space where Nico’s arm should have been. 

He expected the other man to flinch away, or to attack him, or maybe to disappear entirely into the darkness. What he did not expect was for Nico to immediately grab his arm, with fingers so cold it felt like they were burning into his skin, and yank him forward into a painful embrace.  

Will gasped, surprised by the contact with Nico’s freezing cold skin, but he wrapped his arms around the other man anyway, cradling his head as it fell forward onto Will’s chest.

His breathing was erratic, and Will tried to model slow, deep breaths. Nico’s head rose and fell with Will’s chest, and after several minutes his breathing started to match Will’s.

They stayed like that for another minute before Nico raised his head as if he was looking Will in the face, although it was far too dark still to see anything. A cold hand touched Will’s cheek, and he felt Nico’s thumb wipe away a tear that Will hadn’t realized he’d let fall. 

“Brace yourself,” Nico whispered.

And then the ground disappeared from underneath him. 

——

Will felt his knees hit dirt, and immediately the apple and the sandwich from earlier were burning their way back up his throat. He heaved three times into what might have been a bush, his eyes screwed tightly closed, and then fell onto his back on the ground.

He might have stayed like that for the next several hours —  trying to catch his breath and stop more bile from rising to his mouth — if it hadn’t been for the sound of Nico’s voice. 

“WHERE IS PERCY JACKSON?”

Will’s eyes shot open and he sat upright. The sun was bright overhead, and he blinked several times, trying to get his bearings. He was indeed sitting in the dirt next to a vomit-covered bush, which was in a neatly trimmed row with several other bushes. Behind him, there was a dense mass of trees, and on the other side of the bushes there was a yellow brick path that extended off into the distance in one direction, and swirled together with a red brick path in the other direction to form a courtyard. It had been a while since Will had been to Styx, but he was pretty sure the large, battered-looking house sitting in the middle of the courtyard was new.

It was painted sky-blue and had a white trim along the roof and sides. It appeared to be four or five stories tall, with a deck that wrapped all the way around the outside. A bronze eagle weathervane sat on the top, and by the door there was a set of wind chimes that were shaped like trees but seemed to turn into dryads as they spun. 

On one side of the house, there was a pool of dark red liquid leaking out from underneath the building. Scattered around it were bits of metal and wood, and what was clearly the twisted wheel of a wheelchair. Sticking out from under the house, Will could just make out two bare feet. 

He felt like throwing up again. 

Sitting in a lawn chair on the porch, holding a sword and looking as smug and confident as Will had ever seen him look without any of his public-appearance Wizard getup, was Luke Castellan. 

And storming his way toward the porch, seeming far less cool and collected and looking anywhere but at the pool of blood, was Nico. 

Will scrambled to his feet, running after Nico to try and stop him from confronting Luke on his own. He didn’t doubt that Nico could take the old man in a one-on-one fight, but he was also certain this fight would not be one-on-one. 

This was a trap. 

Just as the thought passed through Will’s mind, he heard the sounds of boots stomping in unison. Soldiers, with swords ready at their sides, emerged from the trees all around the courtyard. 

Will only paused for a moment before continuing to chase after Nico, who seemed completely unphased by the sudden show of force. He continued his march towards Luke, reaching into the shadow of his jacket against his side and pulling out a long black sword, which he lifted in preparation to strike. Before he could, the front door of the house swung open, and Annabeth stepped out. 

Nico stopped, then, watching Annabeth warily as she pulled out her own sword. Her eyes were tinted red, like she’d been crying but had hastily tried to wipe the tears away just before coming out of the house. Luke stood up, leaning on his sword and apparently failing to notice his captain’s thinly veiled distress. He was too busy watching Nico’s much less veiled distress with a crooked smile. 

“My loyal, royal guard!” Annabeth shouted, addressing her soldiers, who had started to march forward, closing in on Nico and Will. “Before you stands a man who is a traitor to all of Olympus. A man who has committed heinous acts of treachery against this country’s most vulnerable populations.” She paused, taking a deep breath, and looking directly at Nico before she continued. “A man who, just this morning, ordered his second-in-command to call a magical storm, which he used to murder an innocent woman in cold blood!”

It took a moment for that last sentence to sink in. Before it did, Annabeth had already turned and swung her sword at Luke. He barely raised his own weapon in time to stop her, but she immediately swung again, and again, and she quickly had the man backing up along the length of the porch, panting like he was already out of breath. 

The soldiers around the courtyard stopped, watching the scene in confusion. A few charged forward, putting themselves between Nico and the house, but hesitated as they looked back and forth between where Will had finally caught up with Nico and where Annabeth was attacking Luke on the porch.

Will suddenly became very conscious of the fact that he was unarmed. Luckily, he had always been better at wordplay than swordplay.

“Soldiers of Olympus!” He yelled. “If ever you have trusted in me, Olympus’ own William the Wonderful, or in Annabeth Chase, your well-respected Guard Captain, please believe us now when we tell you that your enemy today is—”

“LUKE CASTELLAN!” A woman's voice ripped through the clearing, wet and sharp like shards of shattered ice. Will whipped his head to the side to see Thalia Grace-di Angelo kneeling by the side of the house, next to the broken wheelchair parts and the two bare feet. Her eyes were rimmed with a red that was the same shade as the blood seeping into the fabric of her pants. “How— How could you?!?”

Her eyes seemed glazed over as she scanned the group in front of her, as if looking for Luke among them. Will could tell her focus wasn’t really there, though. It shouldn’t have been difficult to find Luke, seeing as he and Annabeth were the only people in the courtyard who hadn’t stopped to stare at Thalia — and the two magical creatures that had apparently arrived with her.

She was flanked by a centaur armed with a bow and a quiver of arrows, and a young satyr holding nothing but a set of reed pipes with a floral design painted on the side that seemed oddly familiar to Will.

He didn’t have time to dwell on it, though, because the guards seemed to get antsy again at the appearance of the new arrivals. Will could feel the tension as they looked around at their fellow soldiers, each wondering which side the others would choose. Will opened his mouth, intending to make another rousing speech, but before he could figure out what to say, Nico charged forward. 

He swung his sword at one of the three guards that had put themselves between him and the front porch steps, and the guard instinctively lifted her own weapon to block him.

That seemed to be all that was needed for the tension to break, and suddenly battle erupted all around Will. Most of the soldiers charged towards the house, where Nico and Annabeth were clearly the largest threats, but a couple made their way towards Thalia’s small group, and one came running at Will. 

He ducked, avoiding the woman’s first swing, and rolled to the side. By the time he popped up — holding his fists up as if that was going to do anything against an armed soldier — the woman was falling forward onto the bricks, an arrow sticking out of her neck. Will called a quick thank you in the direction of the centaur and picked up the fallen soldier’s sword. 

The rest of the battle passed in a blur. Will managed to barely hold his own, possibly thanks to the years he spent in weapons training at Schist, but more likely because none of the guards were actually paying him any attention unless he attacked them first. He wasn’t nearly as much of a threat as Nico or Annabeth, and they were both severely outnumbered. Thalia hadn’t joined in the fight, but was still kneeling by Bianca’s remains, with the centaur and satyr standing over her. The satyr was playing his reed pipes, causing small plants to sprout out from between bricks and wrap around the ankles of soldiers, but it wasn’t doing much good, and each note seemed to tire the satyr out more than the last. 

Will watched a guard break off from the main battle around the porch, after tripping over a particularly large dandelion and almost impaling himself on his own sword, and move towards the satyr. Will ran to follow him. The centaur reached behind her back for another arrow, but came up short, having emptied her quiver. Will got there just in time, diving in front of the soldier and raising his sword to stop the downward swing that would have gone right through the reed pipes the satyr had desperately raised over his head. 

This particular soldier must have been pretty new to the force, because it didn’t take Will long to disarm him and send him scrambling back across the courtyard. 

Just as Will sent the man’s sword flying into the trees, he heard Annabeth yelling from the porch. He wasn’t able to make out exactly what she said, but he heard the words Nico and tactical retreat and was able to figure out the rest. 

Annabeth had been counting on the soldiers taking her side when she turned on Luke, and that hadn’t happened. Now she had given up any tactical advantage she’d had while working undercover for The Wizard, and they were outnumbered and overwhelmed. 

They had lost.

The centaur and satyr must have heard Annabeth’s command to retreat as well, because the centaur turned, offering her back to the satyr, Will. and Thalia. The satyr jumped on while Will crouched down and tried to pull Thalia to her feet, but she only looked at him with a shattered gaze, and wouldn’t budge. 

Looking into her eyes, Will knew he wouldn’t be able to pull her from this spot on his own. He stood, putting himself between Thalia and the battle with his sword arm at the ready.

“Go,” he said, to the magical creatures behind him. “I’ve got her.”

The centaur hesitated, but after a moment, she turned around and galloped away down the yellow path, the satyr holding tightly to her back. Will watched them go, then turned back towards the house to see Annabeth and Nico fighting side-by-side, cornered against the porch railing nearest to Will. Luke was nowhere in sight. 

Shadows were swirling around Nico, but he didn’t seem to be able to focus enough to use his magic effectively while holding off multiple soldiers with his sword. It was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed, and Will could tell Annabeth knew it. She took a moment that she really couldn’t spare to glance behind her at Will and Thalia and seemed to come to a decision. 

The soldier closest to her used her momentary distraction to his advantage, knocking her sword out of her hand and sending it flying behind her. She responded quickly, ducking to avoid another soldier’s swing, and slamming her shoulder, hard, into the porch railing behind her and Nico. The wood cracked, and before he realized what was happening, Nico was tumbling to the ground a few feet away from Will. 

Annabeth landed next to Nico, already on her feet, and grabbed his sword out of his hand before he could orient himself.

“Go!” She yelled, pushing him backwards toward Will and Thalia before turning around and throwing herself at the crowd of soldiers now pushing their way through the hole in the porch railing.

Nico let out a strangled yell, and Will could see tears in his eyes as he stood, about to charge back into the fight unarmed. Will grabbed Nico’s wrist, to stop him, and was met with a watery glare from those dark eyes. The glare softened slightly as Nico took in Will’s pleading face, and then glanced down at Thalia still on the ground. For a second his eyes seemed to turn a deep red, reflecting the blood spattered on the ground and across Thalia’s legs. Behind him, Annabeth was once again overwhelmed by soldiers, and a few were breaking away to come after Nico. 

Will felt like he was watching in slow motion as the tears Nico had been holding back started pouring from his eyes, and he reached out to Thalia with the arm Will wasn’t holding onto. Shadows engulfed them just as the first sword came swinging down towards Nico’s back, and the three of them disappeared.

——

The adrenaline that had forced Will’s earlier nausea away was seemingly squeezed out of him by the shadows, and he, once again, collapsed on the ground as soon as they landed back in the kitchen at Python Mansion. Luckily for the kitchen floor, he didn’t have any food left in him to vomit up, but that didn’t stop him from dry heaving several times. 

He kept his eyes closed while he tried to catch his breath, but he could hear the sounds of Thalia and Nico on either side of him, both either sobbing or retching, or possibly both. As soon as he could stand to, he opened his eyes and looked around, confirming his suspicion that Nico had taken them back to Python. The kitchen looked exactly like they’d left it, complete with the crack Nico had left in the floor and his staff rolled halfway under the table. Standing next to the staff, with one hand on the table and the other holding a sandwich that seemed to have frozen halfway on its way to his mouth, was Chiron. Will glanced between Nico and Thalia, who were both still curled up on the floor, and decided it might be best to give them some time together to grieve. 

He stood up and offered Chiron his arm. The centaur blinked at him, but took it with his free hand and they walked out of the kitchen together as Chiron finished his sandwich. Will led the old centaur down the hallway and into one of the many unoccupied bedrooms, where Will started telling Chiron everything that had happened that morning. He still wasn’t sure how much Chiron understood, but his eyes seemed to turn sad when Will recounted how Bianca had died, and a single tear slipped down his cheek when Will explained how Annabeth had sacrificed herself so they could get away. 

Will reached out a hand to wipe the tear from his old professor’s face.

“Don’t worry, sir,” he said, trying to speak with more confidence in his tone than he felt. “She could still be alright. Annabeth is resourceful, and I think Luke always had a bit of a soft spot for her. I wouldn’t be surprised if he kept her alive, even if just to use her as bait, or to make an example out of her in some way.”

Will realized he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince the centaur, but he had to have hope that there was a way for Annabeth to make it out of this. She was the closest friend Will had had for years. He wouldn’t believe— couldn’t believe that she was dead. 

He opened his mouth to speak again, although he wasn’t sure what other comfort he could give the centaur, but was interrupted by the sound of Nico frantically calling his name somewhere down the hallway.

Will jumped up off the bed he had sat down on and opened the door, finding Nico frantically running through the hallway toward him. 

“Will!” He yelled again when he saw the blonde appear. Tears were still streaming down Nico’s face, and Will wasn’t sure how the other man could see clearly enough to find him, but Nico grabbed one of Will’s hands as soon as he was within reach and started pulling him down the hallway. Will heard Chiron come out of the room behind him and follow them back to the kitchen.

“It’s Thalia!” Nico explained through tears while they ran. “She— she saw the book and she— I’ve been teaching her to read the— the— but her pronunciation was wrong, and it wasn’t the right spell, Will, because there… there isn’t a right spell! You can’t fix— heartbreak doesn’t just—” 

Nico cut himself off with a sob as they entered the kitchen, where Thalia was laying on the ground with the Riordanerie upside down on the ground next to her. She was curled up in the fetal position, with both hands over her chest, whimpering with pain. 

Will quickly knelt down next to her, already muttering the words for a general healing spell that would hopefully provide a little pain relief while he assessed what was happening in her body. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder and felt his energy slip in under her skin. He was pulled toward her heart, just under where she was clutching her chest. It took him a moment to understand what was happening. He had never seen this before — it shouldn’t have been possible — but her heart was… shrinking. It was like the muscular tissue cells were just… disappearing? Dissolving? He wasn’t sure, but he knew if he didn’t act fast, she wouldn’t survive longer than a few minutes. 

He pushed all the energy from his spell into her heart, focusing on keeping it pumping, and he felt the disappearing process slow down, but it didn’t stop completely. 

“Will, what’s going on?” Nico was kneeling across from him on Thalia’s other side, his face red and splotchy, his eyes wide, terrified. This woman was basically another sister to him, Will realized. He couldn’t let her die. Not so soon after Bianca. 

“Nico, is there anything in that book that could reverse what she did?” Will asked, pointing with his chin at the Riordanerie, which Nico had shoved to the side when he kneeled down. “Her heart… it’s not normal, Nico. It’s like it’s disappearing.”

Nico was already flipping through the Riordanerie, a determined set to his jaw.

“Repeat after me,” he said after a moment. Will nodded. “Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen.”

“Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen.”

Nico put his hand over Will’s on Thalia’s shoulder as he read the next line, and Will suddenly felt his energy stores increasing as Nico added his power to Will’s through the spell. Suddenly, light was pouring out of Will’s hands, and shadows started pouring out of Nico’s. Both the light and the darkness floated upward, twisting together like smoke, until it solidified into a ribbon that was somehow dark and glowing at the same time. It wrapped itself around Thalia’s body, and Will could feel her transforming under his hands. 

The words of the spell started making sense to Will as he was repeating them from Nico. He could hear himself saying the nonsense phrases, but the translation rang through his mind clearly as he spoke.

Let her flesh not be torn

Let her blood leave no stain

Thalia’s heart was still shrinking, and yet Will could feel her life force starting to grow stronger. Her shoulder seemed to stiffen underneath the glowing ribbon, and her whimpering was replaced with soft breaths. 

Though they beat her, let her feel no pain

Will thought of Annabeth at that phrase. He didn’t know exactly how the spell worked — it wasn’t anything like the healing magic he was used to — but he couldn’t help but wonder if there was any way they could use the power in Nico’s book to protect Annabeth from whatever Luke and his guards must be doing to her… if it wasn’t too late. 

Let her bones never break

And however they try to destroy her

Let her never die

Let her never die

Thalia’s shoulder turned shockingly cold underneath Will’s hand as the spell ended. He could no longer sense her heart — or any of her organs for that matter — and yet her life force was strong. The ribbon of magic started to unfurl from around her, and Will gasped as it rose into the air.

She was made of… tin.

But she was alive. Her eyes were closed, but she was breathing, her metal chest rising and falling rhythmically. Nico reached out a tentative hand and knocked gently on her chest with one knuckle. It echoed.

She was hollow.

The magic ribbon was twisting and turning in the air above her, and Will watched it for a moment, wondering why it hadn’t disappeared. As if in answer to his question, it suddenly lifted up, like it had been picked up by a gust of wind, and flew swiftly out the window.

“Where is it going?” Will asked, but Nico just shook his head. 

“I don’t know. Maybe…” he hesitated, looking at Will. “Were you… were you thinking about Annabeth at all while we did the spell?”

Will felt his eyes widen as he realized what Nico was implying. He nodded. 

“I was, too,” Nico said. 

“You don’t think…”

Nico stood up, grabbing his staff from the floor and stepping away from Thalia until his shadow was laid out flat on the ground. He spoke the spell he had used earlier to spy on Luke, ending it this time with Annabeth Chase, and tapped his staff against his shadow. 

The shadow twisted and turned, and Will felt himself breathe out a sigh of relief when it stopped, landing in a shape that clearly wasn’t Nico. That meant she wasn’t dead. 

But then he realized exactly what the shape was, and the relief dissipated. 

Splayed out on the ground in front of Nico was the shadow of a cross, with the silhouette of a woman seemingly tied to it. Her head was lolled forward, and she wasn’t moving. 

Will remembered what he’d said to Chiron earlier, about the possibility that Luke would want to make an example out of Annabeth. He felt nauseous again. 

No one moved for a few seconds as they absorbed what Nico’s magic was telling them. Nico lifted his staff again as if to dispel the shadow, but just before touching it, he froze. Something had appeared at the bottom of the woman’s silhouette. A shadowy ribbon, moving on its own, seemed to be wrapping around her, starting with her feet and working its way up, until it was holding her head in place on the cross. And then in a burst of light, the shadow disappeared from the floor. A second later, Nico’s regular shadow returned. 

The staff fell out of Nico’s hand and clattered loudly against the ground. He stared at it for a moment, his expression empty. He turned his head slightly, seeming to look from the staff to his shadow, then to Thalia on the ground, then lastly, he looked toward the entrance of the kitchen, where Chiron was standing, watching the scene unfold with a small frown on his face. 

Will wanted to know what Nico was thinking, but there was a cold tension surrounding the man that Will was afraid to break. He stayed silent, watching as Nico slowly kneeled on the ground and leaned forward to pick up the Riordanerie from where he had left it next to Thalia. He opened to a seemingly random page. 

And ripped it out. 

Then another. 

And another. 

Before the shock wore off enough for Will to react, there were loose spellbook pages all over the kitchen floor. He picked one up, and saw the outline of a human heart surrounded by runes. The page seemed to buzz with power in his hand. 

“Nico.”

He didn’t respond. 

“Nico.”

Pages were flying around the room. They weren’t dropping immediately to the floor anymore as Nico ripped them out, but were starting to swirl through the air around them. Will released the page he was holding and it flew up into the tornado of paper. 

“Nico!”

Finally, the other man looked up. Tears were, once again, streaming down his face, and he made no effort to wipe them away as he met Will’s eyes. The hard expression he’d been wearing a minute earlier had cracked, like the wooden floor beneath him, and all Will could see in his face was hurt . 

“It’s all my fault, Will.”

Will shook his head. 

“No, Nico. It’s not.”

The pages flying around them got faster, and closer. Chiron startled and tapped his feet as the pages pushed past him, excluding him from the tornado that was closing in on Will, Nico, and Thalia. 

“It is, Will,” Nico’s voice was choked with tears, now, but Will could barely hear him over the whooshing of the paper around them. “Luke was right. I’m no better than him. I kept this book because I thought… I thought that if I was the one using the power… I convinced myself that I deserved it. That I was good enough, strong enough, to… to…” he trailed off, turning to look at the place where Chiron was probably still standing, though they couldn’t see him anymore through the swirling storm of pages.

“I should have listened to Chiron,” Nico continued, his voice rising to be heard over the roar of the pages. “He told us in that lesson, at school. It’s too powerful. If it weren’t for this… this stupid book, he wouldn’t be infected. Annabeth wouldn’t be in danger. Thalia wouldn’t be… whatever Thalia is.” He paused, staring at Thalia’s prone, metal form on the ground. Then he looked up, suddenly, his eyes reflecting the pages all around them and the fear in Will’s own face. “If it weren’t for this book , Bianca wouldn’t be—”

Nico cut himself off with a sob, and the pages around them seemed to respond, flying towards him all at once. There was one last loud whoosh , and suddenly the Riordanerie was as good as new, sitting on the ground in front of Nico. Chiron was still standing by the doorway. He looked back and forth between the two men on the floor, but didn’t otherwise show any reaction to what had happened. 

“No!” Nico picked the book up and threw it across the room. It hit a window and landed face down, half-opened. “I don’t want it! I reject this… this wretched power!”

Shadows were starting to swirl around Nico the same way the pages had, but he threw his hands out and stopped them in place. The dark tendrils hovered in the air like the ribbon from earlier, but without the light that Will’s magic had apparently added. Nico stuck a hand into one of the shadows, feeling around for something, and when he pulled it out he was holding a small glass bottle. 

It looked familiar. 

“I wish my mother had never taken this infernal potion.” His voice was quiet again, but sharper than before. He lifted the bottle, as if to throw it at the ground, but stopped himself at the last second with his hand just a few inches above the floor. He held it there, tense for a few moments, before dropping his head with a sob and releasing the bottle. It rolled across the floor, stopping when it hit Thalia’s knee with an echoey ping . 

That bottle looked really familiar. Will reached out and picked it up. Slowly, he turned it over, dread filling his stomach when he saw the small W etched into the bottom. 

“ William the Wonderful. ” He whispered it, barely loud enough to even hear himself. If Nico heard, he didn’t react. His head was down, now, his shoulders slumped over. Broken.

Will didn’t know if it was the right time to be asking probing questions about the other man’s family, but, well, he had probing questions to ask.

“Nico…” he started, softly. “This is the bottle your mom’s potion was in?”

Nico nodded without looking up. Will took a shaky breath.

“What does the W stand for?”

Nico shrugged, finally lifting his head slightly in Will’s direction. 

“I always thought it was an M .”

Will stared at the bottle in his hand for a moment. W. Wonderful. William. 

He spun in over. M. 

Oh.

Will laughed. He shouldn’t have. This wasn’t funny. But the chuckle forced its way out of his throat anyway. It was far too angry for a laugh, but it was a laugh nonetheless. And he couldn’t stop laughing. There was nothing mirthful about the sound, but the laughter kept coming. 

Nico was fully looking at him, now, confusion etched across his face. And something else. Hurt, maybe, like he thought Will was laughing at him, and that thought made Will stop laughing immediately. 

The sound cut off sharply. Nico looked at him. Will held up the bottle, as if that was an explanation all on its own. Nico blinked. 

“Look, there are so many, much, much worse things about what I’ve just realized, but…” Will looked back at the M on the bottle in disbelief. “He regifted them. I can’t believe he—”

Will cut himself off with another laugh, louder, but just as devoid of humor. Nico only watched him with narrowed eyes. 

“Minos gave me about a hundred of these bottles, as a graduation present,” Will finally explained. “He said he’d had them specially engraved just for me. A W for William the Wonderful .” 

He spat the title out this time, eager to get it out of his mouth as quickly as possible and never say it again. 

Nico stared at Will for a long time, blinking slowly as he took in everything that was implied in the spaces that Will didn’t fill in out loud. 

And then he laughed. 

It was sharp, and harsh, and bitter. There was no joy in it. But it was a laugh. 

And Will still thought it was beautiful. 

“There are so many worse things about that realization, Will,” he managed to say eventually, through a mixture of laughter and tears.

And then they were both laughing. It was ridiculous. It was awful. It hurt. But they were laughing together and Will didn’t want to stop.

They did, though, after a few moments. There wasn’t really anything to laugh about, and it didn’t take long for them both to remember that. They sat in silence for a while longer, before Nico finally spoke again. 

“We have to use the book to cure the silencing disease,” he whispered. “Then I’m going to get rid of it.” 

He said the last part fast, like he was worried if he didn’t get the whole sentence out as quickly as possible he would change his mind. 

“You should.” Will responded immediately. Nico looked up, surprised, like he had expected Will to argue, but Will just shrugged. “Look, I’ve tried the whole ‘clinging to power for the sake of power’ thing…” 

Nico was looking into Will’s eyes — as far as Will could tell, with Nico’s eyes being the way they were — and Will paused, examining the other man’s face. He had tear tracks down his cheeks, cutting across the scars that Will knew hid a single dimple that Will didn’t expect to see again anytime soon, but hoped to see again one day. He had soft, almost invisible freckles across his nose that seemed far too gentle to go with his scarred skin and sturdy jaw, but somehow fit him perfectly anyway. 

He was wearing smudged green eyeliner and an ugly black hat. 

He was beautiful.

“It’s not worth the cost.” 

Chapter Text

Six days passed before Will saw Nico’s dimple again.

It wasn’t a full dimple, poking deeply into the man’s cheek like it used to in their school days, when Nico would smile widely at Will over the smallest things — an invitation to study together, a shared cookie from the cafeteria, a genuine inquiry about the quality of his day. 

No, this dimple was much lighter, much softer, and it was barely there before it disappeared again. Will probably would have missed it entirely if he hadn’t become unhealthily obsessed with studying Nico’s every microexpression over the last week. 

They’d been spending almost all of their time together, trying to decipher anything in the Riordanerie that might lead to a cure for the silencing disease. Nico had long suspected that Minos had created the disease, and with Will’s revelation about Minos being the mysterious sorcerer whose potion gave Nico the ability to use the Riordanerie’s power, they realized Minos must have learned to read and understand some of what was in the book. It was possible Minos had used something in the Riordanerie to create and perpetuate the disease, and if they could figure out what it was, then maybe they could reverse it. 

Will was pretty sure that finding a cure wasn’t the only reason Nico was dedicating himself so fully to studying, though. The man was grieving, or he should have been. His sister had been brutally murdered, his close friend and sister-in-law was recovering from a painful magical transformation, and his other friend and closest advisor had been captured, possibly killed, and had given up the rebellion’s greatest advantage over the Wizard.

Nico should have been breaking down, curled up in a ball, overwhelmed by his heartache. Will was sure that’s what he would have been doing if it were his close family members who had died and been attacked. But instead Nico was working nonstop — almost without eating or sleeping — as if he thought that by ending the disease that had started this whole thing he could somehow turn back time and bring Bianca back into his life. 

And Will knew the manic energy was about Bianca, even though Nico wouldn't say so directly, because Nico had one other obsession that had taken over his mind during the last week: Percy Jackson. Specifically, his shoes. Or rather, Bianca’s shoes. 

Nico kept checking on the man’s shadow, trying to figure out where in Olympus he was. Luke had sent the stranger walking toward Othrys City on the yellow brick road — the same road that passed right by Python Mansion — and Nico intended to intercept him before he could get to the Wizard. 

“You're not going to hurt him, right?” Will asked, for probably the hundredth time that week. 

Nico had acknowledged multiple times that it probably wasn't Percy Jackson's fault that he had been inside the house Luke and Minos decided to use as a murder weapon. And he seemed like a nice enough guy, based on the few one-sided conversations they had heard from him.

Luke had probably just given him the shoes and sent him walking because he didn't know what else to do with the guy, and he figured if Nico killed Percy Jackson for the heels, that would just be more evidence that Nico was wicked. 

Which was why Nico wasn't going to kill him for the heels. And he'd assured Will of that a number of times already.

But Will couldn't help but worry. Nico seemed to build up this darkness around him every time he was watching the man's shadow, trying to glean information about where Percy Jackson was from the conversations the man was having with the companions he had apparently picked up on the road. 

“No, Will, I'm not going to hurt him,” Nico sighed, dispelling the shadow on the floor. Percy Jackson had failed to say anything helpful or interesting for the entire 20 minutes they had been eating lunch, which Will had forced Nico to take a break from studying the Riordanerie for. “I just wish he would get here already so I can make him give me her shoes back.”

“See, it's the ‘make him’ part of that sentence that worries me.” Will sighed. “As charming as I think you are, this guy still thinks you’re a wicked witch. I’m not so sure he’ll just hand over the supposedly magical shoes without a fight.”

That was when the dimple appeared. Tiny, barely there, and gone before Will could fully appreciate it.

But it had been there, and that was something. 

“They aren’t even magical,” Nico complained, ignoring Will’s concerns about whether or not he was going to fight the poor man. “They’re just… they’re important to me.”

He looked over at Thalia, who Will had also dragged out of her room to participate in lunch. Will wasn't a professional grief counselor, but he was pretty sure it helped to be around other people who could support you, and Thalia had barely left the bedroom she’d picked since she'd woken up on the kitchen floor, realized she was made of metal and declared that “genuinely, I would rather be a pine tree.”

She didn’t look up from her plate when Nico looked at her, but continued morosely pushing her vegetables around without eating them. Chiron was the only one at the table who had finished all the food he’d been served, but Will could tell no one was going to be eating any more lunch today. 

“How about this?” Will said, drawing Nico’s eyes back to him as he stood from the table. “Why don’t we all go take a walk toward the road. We know this Percy Jackson guy should be passing by here soon, since he was in Dodona yesterday. Maybe we can figure out a way to watch for him. Plus, I think we could all use the fresh air.”

——

Nico and Thalia were less than enthused by the idea, but Chiron seemed excited to get outside and that was apparently enough to convince them. Will and Nico put on large cloaks that covered their faces, just in case they ran into someone, and the group made its way up the small path toward the larger road. 

Will walked with Chiron, talking idly about the greenery around the house and the memories he had of playing in the forest during the summers of his childhood. He still wasn’t sure how much the old centaur understood, but Chiron smiled and nodded along anyway.

Thalia and Nico walked ahead of them. They didn’t speak, but Nico had put an arm through Thalia’s, and a little ways into the walk she leaned her head on his shoulder.  

They slowed when they got close to the road, and Will quickly realized why as he and Chiron came up behind them. He could hear the sound of three or four people talking lowly amongst themselves as they walked past, and, instinctively, he stepped back, putting more trees between himself and the road. Nico and Chiron did the same, but Thalia took a couple steps forward, poking her head around a tree curiously. 

There was a loud bark and the voices stopped just as a large black mass of fur came barrelling into Thalia and knocked her to the ground with a cacophony of clanging and clanking. Nico jumped forward, sword already in hand, but before he could do anything, a man ran into the trees and pulled the mass of fur, which Will realized was a large dog, off of Thalia.

The man was tall and skinny, with jet-black hair that had a streak of gray through it, and bright green eyes. He smiled apologetically at Thalia, crouching down on the ground next to her as he held the dog back with his arms. Two people came running shakily into the forest after him, but stopped when they saw how many people were standing there. They stayed in the shadow of a tree, so Will couldn’t get a good look at their faces. 

“Mrs O’Leary! That is not how we greet people!” the man scolded, looking the dog right in the face. She didn’t look very apologetic, but she backed off, sitting down on her hind legs and tilting her head at him. Once it was clear Mrs. O’Leary wasn’t going to jump Thalia again, the man stood, turning as if to offer the metal woman a hand up. Nico quickly stepped in front of her, his head ducked so that his cloak still covered his face, but his sword pointed at the newcomer.

“Whoa, whoa,” the guy said, putting both his hands up. Will noticed he had a sword belted to his hip, but he didn’t reach for it. It looked like it might be too big for the guy to wield properly, anyway. “Mrs. O’Leary just gets excited around new people. She didn’t mean any harm, I pro—”

Nico interrupted the man with a swing of his sword. Will stepped forward, not exactly sure what he intended to do, but feeling like he had to stop Nico from hurting this man who had clearly just wandered into their part of the forest. Will didn’t know why Nico was being so hostile towards this stranger.

But before Will could do anything other than take a single step toward the fight, it was over. In a flash of metal that was way too fast for Will to follow, the man had drawn his sword and parried Nico’s swing, then immediately surged forward, disarming Nico and sending his sword flying through the trees to the left. Nico took a step backward from the force of his sword leaving his hand and tripped over Thalia, who was still lying on the ground behind him. He landed on his butt next to his sister-in-law and stared up at the newcomer in shock. 

Will stared, too. He had never seen anyone beat Nico in one-on-one combat before. 

The man just smiled apologetically again, quickly tucking his sword back into its sheath and holding out both of his hands, one to Nico and one to Thalia. They both hardened their expressions, ignoring the man’s extended hands in favor of helping each other up.

“You’re lucky, honestly,” the man said, looking between Thalia’s and Nico’s cold glares with a confused smile. “My sparring is a lot less sloppy when I have a sword that’s balanced properly.” He paused, looking down at his feet. “And when I’m not wearing heels.”

Will blinked, his eyes flashing down towards the man’s — no, Bianca’s — shoes. 

Oh. They actually were a perfect fit. Huh.

Percy Jackson seemed to have a realization as well as he looked at the shoes. His eyes widened and flashed up again to look at Nico, whose face was now clearly visible, the hood of his cloak having fallen backward when he fell. 

“Oh. You must be Nico,” his eyes darted over to Thalia, and he seemed confused for a second, before shaking it off and giving her the same sympathetic look he’d given Nico. “And you must be Thalia.”

Neither responded for a moment, but Nico stuck his hand into the shadow of his cloak, feeling around for a few seconds, and then pulled it back out with his sword in hand. Percy blinked several times and tilted his head. He seemed a little surprised, but also, not nearly as surprised as Will felt like he probably should have been. 

Nico adjusted his feet, squaring his stance like he was preparing for another fight, but he didn’t lunge forward this time. Will noticed out of the corner of his eye that one of Percy’s two companions — a woman, it seemed — stepped forward, but she stopped when Nico spoke.

“We just want the shoes,” he said. 

Percy’s eyes turned sad. 

“I know,” he said, lifting up one of his feet to examine the shoe. “And trust me, I would give them to you if I could. I’ve honestly been trying to take them off for days now, but that Luke guy must have put some kind of magic on them.” He made a show of tugging on the shoe. “They won’t budge.”

“We were hoping there was something in the Riordanerie that could help get them off,” the woman said, stepping forward again to stand at Percy’s side. She wobbled a little as she walked, and Will realized why when she stepped into the sunlight. She was a scarecrow. Her limbs looked to be made of potato sacks and other loose pieces of fabric tied together, and her face was stitched on, although the stitches moved fluidly, like a normal mouth, as she spoke. 

Her voice was familiar, and despite her unsteady limbs, she held herself confidently. She reminded Will of—

“ Annabeth? ” Nico and Thalia spoke at the same time, voicing the same thought Will had had about the scarecrow woman’s identity. She smiled and stepped forward again pulling them both into a hug. 

“It certainly took you guys long enough to intercept us,” she said, pulling back to look Thalia and Nico both in the face and frowning. “Thalia, why are you made of metal?”

“Why are you made out of straw!?” Thalia responded, incredulously, shoving Annabeth’s shoulder.

“I think I’m stuffed with olive blossoms, actually,” she laughed and held her arms up, looking down at herself. “I don’t know what’s up with that.”

“They’re a symbol of healing,” Will spoke up automatically, remembering the decorative olive blossoms that had been scattered about in one of his medical professor’s classrooms. Everyone turned to look at him, so he reached up and pulled his hood down, so they could see his face before he continued, shuffling awkwardly in place. “And like, peace, and friendship, and stuff.”

Annabeth smiled again, running over to Will and throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. He hugged her back, trying not to squeeze too hard despite the fact she felt like a stuffed pillow. She stepped back after a second, leaving a hand on each of Will’s shoulders. 

“I assume this is your doing then, Will?” She gestured down at herself, and Will remembered watching the ribbon of light and darkness wrapping itself around Annabeth’s shadow on the cross. 

He glanced between Annabeth and Thalia, wondering at the completely different transformations they’d experienced in response to the same spell. Then he looked at Nico, and found the other man already staring back at him, expectantly.

“Yeah,” Will said, finally. “Mine and Nico’s, I think.”

“Well, thank you for saving my life,” she said, looking between both men with a smile. “Now,” she clapped her hands, which made a very soft pat . “Where are you all staying? We have a lot to talk about.”

——

The first thing Annabeth did, as they walked back to the house, was introduce Will and Chiron to Grover, the last member of their traveling party. He was a satyr — the same satyr, Will realized, who had fought with the group in the battle at Styx. He already knew Thalia and Nico, and, apparently, had even met Will once when he was very young. 

“Really?” Will asked, when Annabeth said that. He looked over at the satyr, curiously.

“Yup!” Grover nodded excitedly. He reached into his bag and pulled out the reed pipes he'd been using during the battle at Styx, handing them to Will, who examined the familiar-looking floral design on the side. He had seen these reed pipes before, he realized. He’d fixed them during one of his first magic classes at Schist, before giving them away to—

His eyes went wide.

“Oh! It's— it's you!” Will felt tears welling up in his eyes all of a sudden, but he was smiling as he turned back to the satyr. Grover smiled back and nodded. “Holy Primordials, can I— can I hug you?”

Grover just laughed and pulled Will into a hug. Will was fully crying when he pulled back a few moments later, and he wasn't really sure why, so he wiped the tears from his eyes quickly and smiled again.

“Sorry, sorry,” he said, waving his hands around as if in explanation. “It’s just… I've always wondered what happened to you after Annabeth…” he glanced at Annabeth, who was watching the interaction with a smile, then looked back at Grover. “I'm just so glad that you're safe, and that you're here.”

“I am, too,” Grover said, patting Will on the shoulder. “I always knew you'd join us, eventually.”

The satyr had been training with Thalia for about a year, apparently, and though he was mostly a novice in all kinds of fighting, he was pretty skilled in nature magic. He was apparently only 12 years old, but Will knew — having specialized in animal and magical creature care during his medical studies — that satyrs initially mature much faster than humans, reaching adulthood by about 10, and then aging very slowly for the next hundred years or so. 

Grover and the centaur who had also been at the battle — another trainee named Chariclo — had offered to travel with Thalia to Styx when Annabeth sent word after the storm to let her know something may have happened to Bianca. 

“After we… left,” Grover looked down, frowning as he seemed to think about his and Chariclo’s retreat from the battle, but Annabeth put a calming hand on his shoulder. He took a deep breath, and continued: “we waited in a nearby town to see what information we could find out about how it ended. It didn’t take long. We didn’t hear anything about you or Nico, which we hoped meant you had gotten away, but everyone was talking about how Captain Chase had been executed after betraying the Wizard. There were even some journalists from Othrys City walking around, trying to find anyone who could give them an eye-witness account of what happened.”

“Oh yeah!” Annabeth jumped in. “Your friends, Lou Ellen and Cecil, were there! They intercepted Percy and me outside of town, just before we ran into Grover and Chariclo.”

Will’s heart warmed at the thought of his friends. He knew they couldn’t always write what they wanted to, with Luke having final say about what goes in the newspaper, but he was glad they were out there trying to find out the real truth of what had happened.

“They didn’t recognize me, luckily. No one did, since they all think I’m dead and not made of fabric.” Annabeth continued. “And Percy just told them what Luke had told him about the situation, since I hadn’t told him what was really going on yet.”

“Yeah, she lasted a whole three days pretending to just be a kind soul showing me the way to Othrys City before cracking and admitting she was actually spying on me,” Percy grinned, elbowing Annabeth gently in the side. 

“Before deciding I could trust you, you mean,” she elbowed him back a little harder — though Will doubted it felt like much considering she was, you know, made of fabric. 

“Yeah,” Percy’s smile softened as his eyes met Annabeth’s. “That too.”

——

They arrived at the house shortly after, but everyone stayed standing around in the entry way for a few more minutes as the group finished telling the story of how they’d gotten here. After running into Grover and Chariclo, they’d decided to have the centaur play messenger and let the rebels in Nico’s various hideouts around Olympus know what had happened. They had hoped she would find Nico in one of them, but Annabeth figured that even if he was hiding somewhere else, he would probably intercept them before they reached Othrys City in order to demand Percy give back Bianca’s shoes. 

Nico scowled at that, probably because of the insinuation that he was, apparently, predictable, but Annabeth ignored him. She explained that they’d decided to continue walking in the direction of the capitol city, both so that Luke wouldn’t get suspicious if he was tracking Percy’s progress, and so that Nico would know where to look for them. 

Will noticed after they finished that Mrs. O’Leary hadn’t spoken up at all during the conversation, so he turned to her to ask what her first name was and how she knew Percy.

“Oh, she doesn’t have a first name,” Percy responded for her, placing a gentle hand on her head and starting to comb his fingers through her fur. “And she doesn’t talk. I don’t think she has the silencing disease, though. I’m pretty sure she’s never talked. She’s also not married, in case you were going to ask that next.” He paused, furrowing his brow and looking down at the dog, like he was suddenly confused. “I’m also pretty sure she’s not usually this small…”

Will blinked, looking at the dog again. He was almost positive she was a black mastiff, and one of the largest he had ever met. He looked back at Percy, whose brow was still furrowed, like he was trying to remember something but he wasn’t sure what. 

“Why don’t we find you all somewhere to rest for a while?” Will decided.

——

“First thing’s first,” Annabeth said, a few hours later, after the new arrivals had napped, eaten and washed up, and everyone had settled themselves in the living room to discuss what to do next. “Have you made any progress on healing the silencing disease?”

She was looking between Nico and Will, who were sitting next to each other on one of two couches in the room. Annabeth was sitting on the other, between Percy and Grover. Thalia was curled up on Nico’s other side, leaning against Nico's shoulder, and Chiron and Mrs. O’Leary had sat themselves comfortably on the floor.

Nico shook his head at Annabeth, like he was expecting the question, but Will was surprised. 

“How did you know that’s what we’ve been working on?” He asked. Annabeth tilted her head at him curiously. 

“Because you’re here?” She said it like that answer should be obvious. “Whenever Nico used to talk about you coming to your senses and ditching Luke, he always said the first thing he’d have you work on was healing the silencing disease.”

Will blinked, taking a moment to absorb that. He looked over at Nico, but the other man was staring resolutely at the floor in front of him. A slight blush might have risen on his cheeks, but that could just be the lighting. Will thought about what Grover had said earlier, about trusting Will would join them eventually. 

Apparently the satyr wasn’t the only one who had shared the sentiment. Will smiled.

“And how often, exactly, did Nico used to talk about me?”

Nico’s eyes went wide, and he was definitely blushing now, but he didn’t look up from the floor. Thalia snorted audibly and leaned forward to look past Nico and meet Will’s gaze with a much smaller version of her usual mischievous smile, and Will grinned back. That was the biggest reaction he had gotten out of her since Bianca’s death six days ago. 

Annabeth cleared her throat and Will looked over at her. She was also grinning, and opened her mouth as if to answer, but Nico spoke up before she could say anything. 

“Anyway!” he interjected, still looking pointedly at the floor. “The point is, we haven’t made much progress. So, whatever plan you’ve concocted will have to wait until we figure that out, unless you’ve got a way for us to beat Luke when half of our forces can’t communicate”

Will watched as Annabeth looked over at Chiron, who was watching the group with a smile on his face, but didn’t seem to react to what was being said. She sighed. 

“I’m still working out the details of a plan, but I have some ideas,” she said. “We might still have a way to get back into Luke's cabinet despite me losing my position, but we’ll have to hurry. We only have a few days before Luke notices that Percy’s no longer walking across the country, and he’ll probably try to use his disappearance as an excuse to rile up a mob, telling them Nico killed or kidnapped an innocent man over a pair of shoes.”

“I bet killing him would get the shoes off,” Nico said, almost nonchalantly, but there was a bitter edge to his voice as he looked across the room at the heels. 

Annabeth put a hand on Percy’s knee, but to Percy’s credit, he didn’t seem put off by Nico’s threat. He just looked sadly at the man sitting across from him. 

“They were your sister’s right?” He asked softly. When Nico didn’t respond, Percy’s eyes flickered over to Thalia. “And she was your wife?”

Neither responded, but Will could see how the grips they each had on the other’s arms seemed to tighten, and they leaned closer together. 

“I… I have a sister, I think.” Percy continued, speaking in that same soft voice. “And a…” he glanced at the hand Annabeth still had on his knee, then up at her fabric face. He smiled, briefly, but then a look of confusion seemed to pass over his features. “Well, I don’t really remember, actually.” 

He furrowed his brow, as if he was trying to put together a riddle. Eventually, he just shook his head slightly and looked back at Nico and Thalia.

“I’ll figure out how to take them off, I promise.”

——

“So… you and Annabeth seem like you’ve gotten pretty close.”

Will tried to keep his voice conversational, not moving his eyes from the potion he was stirring, but still watching Percy out of the corner of his eye. The other man was sitting on the counter next to Will in the makeshift alchemy lab they’d put together in the smaller, downstairs kitchen at Python. Percy had been casually swinging his heeled feet as he watched Will work on their next attempt at something to remove Bianca’s shoes, but he stiffened at Will’s non-question. Will noticed a blush creeping up the dark-haired man’s face. 

Ha. He’d thought so.

“Yeah, she’s… she’s pretty great.” Percy sounded like he was trying desperately to sound casual, but Will didn’t buy it. He had noticed the way Percy and Annabeth had stuck to each other since arriving at Python a couple days ago, and the way Percy always looked at her like she might be able to fix every problem in his life by just smiling one more time.

“I bet she’s a really good kisser, too, right?”

Percy made a spluttering, strangled noise, and Will couldn’t stop himself from cracking a huge grin as he turned to look at the other man head on. It was all he could do not to bust up laughing at the complete shock on Percy’s face, which was practically glowing with how red he had turned. 

“Or maybe not so much now that she’s a scarecrow?” Will leaned a hip against the counter casually, but he knew Percy could tell he was on the verge of laughter. “Does she just taste like straw?”

Percy’s shocked expression shifted to something a little more hostile then, his eyebrows furrowing as he struggled to tamp down his raging blush. 

“Olive blossoms,” he said, looking far too serious for the topic of conversation. “She’s stuffed with olive blossoms.”

Will raised an eyebrow. 

“Which I have not tasted!”

Before Will could do more than laugh at that response, Nico came marching back into the room, triumphantly holding up a small bottle of orange liquid, which he immediately poured into the potion Will was supposed to be minding. 

“So, are you going to tell us what that is?” Will asked, going back to stirring.

“Nature magic from Grover,” Nico responded, his mouth quirking sideways into a small smirk. It was quick, but it made that one dimple pop up again briefly, and Will couldn’t help but to smile softly in response. “I asked him what kind of spell he would use to get a parasite out of something, and then we bottled that.”

Will snorted, but Percy just blinked several times, putting a hand to his chest and doing a terrible job of trying not to look offended. 

Grover was upstairs in the main kitchen at the moment, working with Annabeth and Thalia to try and find a cure for Chiron’s silencing disease. They’d set up a rotation system so no one would be spending more than a few hours at a time focusing on either the shoes or the cure, with the hope that the variety would give them all a little more brainstorm power for both problems, but it had turned into a bit of a cardio program with how often people were running up and down the stairs with ideas that involved someone else’s particular brand of magic. 

Well, most of the time it was Nico doing the running. He was overwhelmed, Will could tell, and having these tasks to focus on seemed to be helping him push away the grief for now, but Will wasn’t sure how healthy that was or how long it could last. Considering Nico could teleport, Will had a feeling the run up or down the stairs was often just an excuse to step away from whatever Nico was doing for a moment. He had come to get Will quite a few times, when they weren’t on shift together, with requests that felt more than a little made up, but Will certainly didn’t mind spending the extra time with him.

Nico seemed pretty confident about this idea, though, so Will quickly finished mixing the potion before ladling it into a small spray bottle, which he passed to Nico. Percy lifted one of his feet towards Nico, who grabbed the bottom of Percy’s heel-clad foot and sprayed the potion on it with the apathy of someone who had already done this a hundred times in the last two days with no result. 

The three men watched as the beads of liquid seemed to sink into the shoe. They waited for about thirty seconds, watching for any other visible indication that the spell was working, before Nico gave the shoe a firm tug. 

It didn’t budge. 

They all let out a collective sigh. 

“I don’t get it,” Will said, pushing the heels of his palms into his eyes. “I thought I knew pretty much all of Minos’ tricks. This really shouldn’t be that hard of a spell to undo.” 

“And you’re sure there’s nothing magical about the shoes themselves?” Percy asked, leaning back with his elbows on the counter. 

“No,” Nico huffed, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall. “As far as I know, the only magic that was ever used on them before this was the fixing charm I used to put them back together in that class when I first got them.”

“And Minos said all the stuff he handed out in that class was just junk he found washed up near the school after a storm,” Will added. 

Will waited for Percy to ask the question that logically followed, which had come up every time they’d talked this through before: what kind of storm was it? Was it a storm like the one that had brought Percy here from Long Island — a land somewhere outside of Olympus that Will had never heard of before — and could the shoes also be from some other world? If so, would that make them react differently to a regular sticking spell?

Will didn’t have an answer to any of those questions, and no one else in the house seemed to either. But it didn’t matter, this time, because Percy asked something else, instead. 

“What exactly does a fixing charm do?” he said, drawing both Will and Nico’s eyes to him at the change in the regular script. “Is it similar to a healing charm?”

Will paused, thinking back to the simple fixing spells they had used in that class so many years ago.

“I mean, it depends on what exactly is broken,” he replied. “But yeah, in their most basic forms, healing charms and fixing charms are pretty similar. It’s just that one is meant to repair damage done to a person, and the other repairs damage done to… pretty much anything else.”

Percy seemed to contemplate that for a minute, swinging his feet underneath him.

“And the magic defines a person as any sentient being?” he asked, eventually. 

Nico squinted at Percy, leaning forward slightly.

“Anyone who isn't evil defines a person as any sentient being,” he replied, coldness seeping into his tone, and into the air around them.

Percy’s eyes went wide and he waved his hands in front of himself frantically.

“Yes! Yes, obviously ! I didn’t mean to— of course every sentient being is a person!” He said. “I just meant, well, Luke and Minos are evil, right? So, what if you’re trying to reverse a spell that was performed by someone who didn’t think the subject of the spell was a person? Can a healing spell reverse a spell that was meant for harming… non-people?”

It took Will a moment to catch onto what Percy was asking, but Nico got there faster. His eyes went wide, and he stood up straight.

“Minos’ silencing disease,” he said, almost in a whisper. “We’ve been looking in the wrong part of the book.”

He looked at Will, his night-sky eyes seeming to sparkle with stars for a moment as the new idea formed in his head, and then he leaned back into the shadow of the wall and disappeared. 

Will stared at the spot where Nico had been standing, his mind struggling to catch up with the conversation after becoming fully distracted by the gleam in the man’s otherwise dark eyes.

“So…” Percy jumped off the counter and turned so that he was facing Will as he walked backwards toward the kitchen door. “Speaking of people that one of us may or may not have kissed…”

Will’s mouth fell open, and he was sure his blush rivaled Percy's from earlier. Percy stopped walking as he let out a loud laugh at Will’s embarrassment, and Will managed to compose himself enough to roll his eyes and push past the other man — shoving his shoulder just a touch harder than was probably necessary.

“Come on,” he said, ignoring Percy’s continued laughter. “We’ve got work to do.”

Chapter Text

Will was disgusted, honestly, that it worked. 

A fixing spell. The answer was a fixing spell. 

Because the spell that Minos had used to cause the damage wasn’t meant to break people . It had been twisted, darkened, and forcibly used on sentient individuals, but it couldn’t be healed. Not the way damaging spells meant for people could be healed. No, it had to be fixed. 

Because to Minos and Luke, the animals and magical creatures of Olympus were objects. 

Will had worked for men who saw some people as objects. For years. 

He felt a hand laid softly on top of his, pulling him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see Nico looking at him with a concerned frown. Will realized he must have been making a face at the thought of his own complicity, so he smiled softly back at the other man, hoping to reassure him. Nico returned his smile, but the concern was still evident in the crease between his eyes. 

Will tried to shrug it off, turning back to where Annabeth was debriefing Chiron on everything that had happened in the years since he had been infected.

It had taken a few tries to figure out the fixing charm. They still weren’t sure exactly what it was that Minos had done to cause the disease, but they had a general sense based on some spells Nico found in the non-human part of the Riordanerie. It had taken a blend of fixing magic, healing magic, and some sort of dark something from the book that helped combine those two things together, but they’d eventually figured it out.

Chiron had healed much faster than Will had expected, only needing a few doses of the bottled charm before he was fully coherent — and shocked to find himself staying in a small mansion with four of his former students, all several years older than when he’d last seen them, and two of them no longer human.

The timing was perfect, actually, because they probably only had another day before it was time to enact Annabeth’s plan to take down Luke. She was pretty sure that the plan could work even if they didn't find the cure in time, but having it definitely helped. 

As she’d predicted, it had taken a few days for Luke to notice that Percy was no longer trekking across the country, and then another couple to figure out where he was last seen in order to narrow down when Nico had “kidnapped” him and where he might be being kept, in order to send soldiers after them. 

Of course, because of Nico’s ability to teleport, Luke didn’t actually expect to find Percy or Nico. He’d explained as much to his new captain of the guard this morning, while everyone at Python had been listening in through Nico’s shadow. He was just sending a small squadron to Delphi because if he was going to publicize Percy’s disappearance in order to turn more people against Nico, he had to make it seem like he was trying to do something about the problem. 

Luke was already using Will’s supposed kidnapping as anti-witch propaganda, which Will was glad of, actually, because it meant his parents kept being quoted in the newspaper saying how much they missed him, which meant he knew they were safe. Of course, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility for Luke to have just made up quotes from his parents for reporters to use, but Lou Ellen had written most of the stories with his mom and dad in them, and Will knew that she would have found a way to subtly indicate his parents weren’t safe if that were the case. She and Cecil were surprisingly good at phrasing things just vaguely enough to be truthful while still adhering to the editorial requests made of them. 

The squadron Luke was sending would be small enough — and ill-prepared enough for the fact they were actually going to find Nico’s current hideout, right off the path near Delphi — that Nico and Percy could probably take them out all by themselves if they wanted to. Luckily for the soldiers, though, that wasn’t part of Annabeth’s plan.

Percy didn’t have any magical abilities like Nico did, but his skill with a sword was more than enough to make up for it. While the last few days had mostly been spent trying to fine-tune and then mass produce the silencing cure, Percy and Nico had also managed to find several opportunities to practice sparring together, and Will may have been caught staring on more than one occasion.

Percy had caught Nico off-guard when they first met in the woods, as Nico hadn’t expected this stranger to be so experienced with a weapon. But when they actually got to sparring, they were almost equally matched.

Except — since they’d decided the problem of Bianca’s shoes could wait now that they needed all hands on deck to work on making more doses of the cure — Percy was doing all this sparring in heels. 

At least he wasn’t doing it with an unbalanced sword anymore. Will’s parents weren’t fighters, but they were collectors, and there was a room in the basement full of pristine bronze and golden weapons that Will was pretty sure no one had ever used. Will, remembering how Percy had mentioned needing a new weapon, had shown Percy the room on the second day after he and his group had arrived at Python. 

Percy had walked right up to a shining bronze sword hanging on the wall, with anaklusmos engraved along the hilt, and said, “Oh, this one’s mine.”

And that was that. The sword was perfectly balanced. 

Will was pulled out of his thoughts again when Nico’s hand, still resting on top of Will’s, gave a tight squeeze. Will turned back to Nico who smiled at him again, more teasing this time, as if he knew Will’s mind had been elsewhere. 

Will had been seeing that smile more and more lately — beautiful dimple and all — as Nico adjusted to the feeling of being surrounded by friends who were willing to support him through his grief and help distract him from it while they planned their next moves. 

Nico gestured with his chin toward where Chiron was making his way around the circle, saying goodbye to each member of the group. 

Annabeth had evidently finished updating Chiron on his part in the plan — which would be beginning before this meeting was even over, since Nico needed to conserve his strength and Chiron was the only other person who could travel fast enough to get to all of Nico’s other hideouts by the end of the day to deliver the cure and to let the other rebels know to meet them in Othrys City tomorrow.

It occurred to Will that, even though he hadn’t been listening, Annabeth had likely just listed, out loud, all of Nico’s other hideouts. And no one had asked Will to leave first. In fact, Will was privy to every single part of the plan that was about to go down. He didn’t know if he had ever been trusted this much by anyone.

He didn’t have time to dwell on it, though, because suddenly Chiron was standing in front of him and Nico, smiling kindly as he looked between them. 

Will stood and threw his arms around the centaur. It was a good thing Will was tall, but even so, he had to rise up to his tiptoes to reach his old professor, and the hug was still a little uneven. Chiron pulled back after a moment, his smile still soft, and turned to hug Nico as well, despite the even more awkward height difference.

“Thank you,” Chiron said, looking between his two former students. “I’m proud of the men that you’ve become.”

Will looked down at that. He hadn’t really been listening, but he was pretty sure that Annabeth had skated pretty quickly over Will’s role in everything before he left the palace with Nico a couple weeks ago. He wondered how proud the old centaur would really be of Will if they’d had the time to give him a detailed rundown of the political scene these last several years. 

“Thank you, Dr. Chiron,” Will said, instead of voicing his concerns. “Nico has done a lot of good while you’ve been… gone, I guess.”

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at the centaur, who was looking down at him with a soft, understanding smile. 

“As have you, Will.”

Will just smiled and nodded, not believing it, but needing Chiron to believe that he did. It seemed to be enough for the centaur, and Will kept the mask on as he watched Chiron finish saying his goodbyes and sling several bags of medicine over his back. Will stepped out of the ongoing planning meeting to follow Chiron to the front door, in order to give him a quick medical once over before he left and to perform one last pain relief charm on the centaur’s bad knee. Hopefully it would be enough to get him through the next couple days.

He didn’t let the smile fall until he had finished waving the centaur off and closed the door, slowly turning around to lean against it. 

Then he saw who was standing behind him, and immediately picked the fake smile back up again. 

Nico had apparently followed them out of the planning meeting, and he was watching Will with that small, concerned frown he’d had on earlier. Will hoped he had fastened his smile back in place quickly enough to avoid being noticed.

“That’s why he’s proud of you, you know,” Nico said, after a long moment where they just stared at each other. 

“Huh?” Will tilted his head, hoping the cracks in his facade weren’t as visible as they felt.

“He didn’t ask you to do that. Check on his health, offer to help with his knee before he left. But you did.” Nico was still frowning, his voice soft against the chatter Will could still hear coming from the living room. “You may not have always known how best to go about it, Will, but you’ve always wanted to help people. That’s what Chiron is proud of.”

Will looked down, not trusting himself to speak for fear of breaking the already tenuous hold he had on his own image. 

“You know,” Nico continued, when he realized Will wasn’t going to respond. “Chiron wasn’t our first attempt at rescuing somebody from the palace dungeon.” Will glanced up at the change of topic, but he couldn’t bring himself to look into Nico’s dark eyes for long, especially now that he was talking about the place where most of Will’s complicity had happened. 

He looked back down.

Nico kept talking anyway. 

“It was actually one of the easier places to get people out of, most of the time.”

Will heard soft footsteps, and then Nico’s socked feet appeared on the floor in front of him. He didn’t raise his eyes. 

But then, there was Nico. He had ducked to put his face in Will’s line of sight, and now Will was caught, once again, staring at his own reflection in those dark eyes. He looked softer, gentler, and he wondered if that was how the other man saw him.

“You know why?” Nico continued. Will shook his head, barely moving, but it was enough for Nico to understand. “The people kept in the palace could always walk . Unlike most of the other prisoners, they were healthy.”

Nico straightened up, slowly, and Will followed him, their eyes locked together like magnets. There was a pull there that Will couldn’t break now that he’d been sucked into it.

“They told us it was you.” Nico reached out a hand, laying it gently on Will’s cheek and using his thumb to wipe away a tear that Will hadn’t realized he’d let escape. “That was part of why I always knew you’d come back to m— to us, eventually.”

Will had no words, and even if he had had them, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to force them past the suspiciously heart-shaped lump in his throat. He blinked, trying to make sure there weren’t any more tears in his eyes, and licked his lips, his mouth suddenly feeling uncomfortably dry. 

Nico’s hand dropped from his cheek after a moment, but he didn’t pull away, still watching Will with his reflective gaze, and that slight frown.

“There’s something I need to do tonight, before everything goes down tomorrow,” Nico said, changing the topic again, as Will had yet to give him a response. “Will you come with me?”

Will nodded without thinking. Of course he would go with him. Anywhere. 

Nico smiled, slightly, the dimple just ghosting over his cheek. He promised to be right back before slipping away down the hallway. 

By the time he returned — holding the Riordanerie tightly under one arm — Will had managed to find his voice again. And he’d remembered that they were technically supposed to be in a meeting, still.

“They’ll forgive us,” Nico said, barely pausing in pulling on his shoes when Will voiced his concern. “It’s just a review of the plan, anyway.”

“But, won’t they wonder where we are?”

“Probably, but they’ll know we’ll be back in time for everything. They trust us.” Nico tilted his head, watching Will closely as Will felt his casual facial expression grow a little more strained. He was sure Nico could see right through him. “Both of us, Will.”

And it was the strangest thing, but Will believed him.

“Thank you, Nico,” he whispered.

——

Will could hear rushing water as they popped out of the shadows, but he couldn’t see the river through the darkness of an overcast night sky. 

Having had a little bit of actual warning this time, he had done an anti-nausea charm on himself before shadow-jumping across the county, but his stomach still churned, and he found himself leaning heavily on Nico as he tried to get his bearings.

The other man just chuckled, rubbing Will’s back softly with one hand until Will was able to shake off the nausea and stand up fully on his own. He squinted into the darkness around him, but couldn’t even see his own hand in front of his face. He thought about casting a light spell, but he didn’t want to alert anyone nearby to their presence. He still wasn’t sure why they were here. Or where here was.

“Where are we?” he asked, turning to Nico, who he could sense more than see beside him. 

“Styx,” Nico answered. His hand disappeared from Will’s back, and Will worried for a split second the other man would walk away without him. But then the hand slipped into Will’s and Nico started pulling him toward the sound of rushing water. “How bad is your vision right now?”

“Pretty much nonexistent,” Will replied. “I can’t even see you.”

Nico hummed in acknowledgement, his hand tightening in Will’s. They seemed to be on some kind of stone trail, which gave way after a few minutes to something soft, like sand. 

They took a few more steps forward, Will’s feet slipping into the soft ground, before Nico stopped. Will could just make out the other man’s outline now, his eyes having adjusted a bit to the lack of light, and he watched as Nico turned toward him.

Will smiled awkwardly, not knowing what expression the other man was wearing, but knowing that Nico could see his face clearly.

The sound of water was louder now, and Will was almost certain that the Styx River was right next to them. He wondered how far they were from where Nico grew up.

Nico didn’t say anything. They stood there for a few moments, facing each other, one of each of their hands still intertwined. Will listened to the sound of the rushing water, and his mind flashed back to a moment by a different river, eight years ago.

Will, are you… are we…

We’re good friends, right?

Will should have said something then. He should have told Nico the truth about how he felt. Everything had been so much simpler then. Before.

Before Will had lost Nico’s trust. Before Nico was grieving the only family member who ever truly cared for him. Before they’d both agreed to a plan that might separate them forever. 

But even then, Will had been a coward. 

“Nico?” Will asked in a whisper.

“Yes, Will?”

I’m in love with you.

Will had always been a coward.

“What are we doing here?”

Nico took a step back, his hand pulling out of Will’s. Will almost reached out to stop him, but caught himself at the last moment, letting Nico go. 

“Bianca and I used to play near here, when we were kids.” Nico’s voice caught in his throat. “I— I thought it would be a good place.”

“A good place for what?”

There was the sound of movement, and fluttering pages, as Nico let out a soft grunt. Will remembered suddenly that before they’d shadow-jumped, Nico had been holding the Riordanerie in his other hand. A moment later there was a loud splash somewhere in the direction of the river. 

Everything was silent for a long moment, before Will spoke again. 

“Nico?”

“Yes?”

“Did you just—”

“Yes.”

Will sat down in the sand with a soft thump. A moment later, he heard another thump next to him. 

“I thought you were going to wait,” Will admitted. “Until after everything was over.”

“We found the cure,” Nico said, his voice coming from closer than Will had expected. “That’s all I needed it for.” He paused, before adding, much softer: “Bianca had been telling me to get rid of it for years. I should have listened to her sooner.”

Will rolled that around in his mind for a moment, turning his head to face the place where he could just make out Nico’s outline. He felt the other man’s shoulder brush against his, and wondered if Nico was facing him as well. 

“Will you lose the spells you learned from it? Like the shadow eavesdropping thing, that seemed pretty—”

“I don’t know.” Warm air brushed past Will’s cheek. “I don’t care.”

Will’s breath hitched. It felt like Nico was right in front of him. He couldn’t see, but he felt like he was looking deeply into the other man’s eyes. Falling into them, perhaps. Like every bit of darkness all around him was just Nico Nico Nico. 

“So much power. Gone,” he whispered.

“I don’t want power,” came the easy reply.

“What do you want?”

A soft hand found Will's in the dark, intertwining their fingers. There was a layer of sand between them, scratching against Will's palm. Will’s breath hitched as he searched the darkness in front of him for any sign of Nico's face. 

“This,” Nico muttered, his voice softer now, like he was no longer facing Will directly. “This is all I want.”

And Will wanted to know, should have asked, what exactly that meant.

He leaned his head over, finding Nico's shoulder next to him. Nico's other hand moved to Will's head and he started absently combing his hand through Will's hair. 

What about this do you want? 

Will could have said.

I want this, too. 

He should have said.

“Hey, Nico?”

Nico hummed in response.

“That shadow eavesdropping spell…” Will paused. This was not what he meant to ask, but it was somewhere in the right direction. He sat up slightly, dislodging Nico's hand from his hair and turning his face in Nico's direction “Did you ever use it on me?”

Did you miss me? Did you want to see me? Do you love me?

Nico didn't answer, but a moment later Will felt a soft press of lips on his cheek. 

“We should go back,” Nico said, and Will wasn't sure if he was imagining the sound of tears in the other man's voice. “It's late.”

Too late.

Chapter Text

“Help! Help!” 

Will’s breath came in sharp puffs as he ran. He could hear the rhythmic stomping of boots ahead of him, and he burst through the trees just as the last of a squadron of a dozen or so soldiers passed by the small path to Python Mansion

“Please, please help!” He yelled again, drawing their attention. The man at the front of the group turned as shock spread through the soldiers. 

“William the Wonderful?” The apparent leader asked, his eyebrows raising sharply.

“Yes! Yes, it’s me!” Will responded, gasping and throwing his arms out for emphasis. “I’ve only just escaped the Wicked Witch, but he has other prisoners! I’m afraid he’s going to hurt them because I left. Please! You have to stop him!”

He pointed frantically back down the path he’d just come from. The squadron leader squinted, taking in Will’s haggard appearance with a frown. Will was wearing the same outfit he’d worn to his graduation two weeks ago, only it was dirty and torn in several places. He had a couple of bruises and cuts on his arms and legs, courtesy of the few times Nico had managed to talk him into joining sparring practice in the last week, none of which had ended well for Will.  

Will held his breath.

Finally, the soldier gave a single, sharp nod. 

“Lead the way,” he said, gesturing towards the place where Will had come out of the trees. 

Will sighed with relief, thanking the soldiers profusely as he led them back down the path. They had to walk two at a time to stay on the small trail, and Will was honestly shocked they didn’t suspect this was a trap, given how easy it would have been for a couple of well-trained swordsmen or archers to pick them off. They were lucky it wasn’t a trap. At least, not in the way that would end with them all dead. 

No. Only one person was going to die in Delphi today.

Will ran through the gate in front of the mansion and stepped to the side, allowing the guards to pass him and enter the house. They charged in, all twelve of them, and the door closed behind them, leaving only silence behind.

Well, no. Not silence. It was a summer day in the countryside. Birds were chirping, leaves were rustling softly in the wind, a nearby creek was gurgling softly. Will only wished it was silent. 

Silence would have felt far more appropriate. 

He didn’t know how much time passed as he stood in the yard, grieving a man whose death hadn’t even been confirmed yet, but eventually the guards returned with Thalia, Grover, Annabeth, Percy and Mrs. O’Leary in tow. 

Annabeth’s left arm was scorched, like it had been lit on fire, and she was leaning against Percy on that side. The soldiers were cheering, patting each other and Percy on the back.

The squadron leader made eye contact with Will and broke out into a wide smile before sharing the good news that Will had been dreading all morning:

“The Wicked Witch is dead!”

——

The next few hours passed in a blur. It didn’t take them long to get shipped back to Othrys City — despite Percy’s shock upon learning there were trains and carriages and other means of transportation in Olympus other than walking — and they were soon greeted as heroes by ‘The Great Wizard Kronos,’ who Mrs. O’Leary quickly revealed was just a statue with a microphone attached when she sniffed out Luke behind the curtain. 

Luke played it off pretty well, though, offering little trinkets to each member of the group as if they were grand rewards and informing them he was already planning a city-wide celebration in their honor. He didn’t recognize Annabeth or Thalia in their new forms, luckily, and he evidently hadn’t paid enough attention to Grover at the battle of Styx to realize it was the same satyr. He did recognize Will, obviously, and he welcomed him back with a warm, almost fatherly hug, as if he really had been kidnapped.

After all his gifts were handed out, Luke asked a few guards to take Percy and his entourage to some guest rooms that he must have had rapidly prepared so that they could freshen up before the festivities started that night. Will turned around to leave with them, but immediately felt a sharp hand on his shoulder. 

“Oh, not you William,” Luke said, a wide, kind smile still evident in his voice, despite the vice-like grip he had on Will. “You and I still have a few things to discuss.”

Will turned back, matching Luke’s fake smile with one of his own, and waved for his friends to go on without him. 

“Of course, your greatness.”

The room was quiet for a while after Will’s friends filed out. Will was alone with Luke, but he knew every exit to this room was heavily guarded from the other side. He didn't look at Luke directly, but instead found himself staring at the large crack in the floor that The Wizard had never bothered to fix. It was a reminder, Luke had said, of how dangerous the witch could be.

The older man didn’t say anything at first, instead walking over to a small bench by the window that overlooked the city and sitting down with a long sigh. Will didn’t say anything, either, waiting to see how Luke would begin the conversation. 

“Your parents have missed you,” Luke said eventually, looking over at Will with an almost believable pitying look on his face. 

“I’ve missed them, too.” Will returned the sad look. “I’m really sorry, Luke.”

Luke’s lips turned up in a small, sad smile, and he gestured for Will to sit with him. 

“Tell me what happened, my boy,” Luke said, after they’d both sat down.

So, Will did. 

He told him about how he’d been so close to the witch when they were in college, and how he’d secretly been yearning to join him all these years. He told him about sneaking into the dungeon to heal prisoners, and how he’d healed the witch far beyond what was necessary to keep him alive, giving him the energy he needed to escape. 

He told him about running away, and realizing that he might have been in love with the witch the whole time. He told him about comforting the witch after his sister died, and how the two of them had been working nonstop over the past couple weeks to try and find a cure for the silencing disease. 

He told him about how the witch had been growing more and more agitated when Will wasn’t able to produce something helpful. He told him how the witch slowly turned on him, blaming Will for the lack of progress and accusing him of sabotage. He told him how the witch began torturing him with shadow magic, to try to motivate him to work harder. 

He told him how his only relief came when the witch learned that Percy Jackson would soon be passing nearby and left to capture the stranger. He told him how his own torture was lessened as the witch decided to focus all his energy on removing Percy’s shoes. He told him how, eventually, the scarecrow offered herself as a distraction while Will and the others escaped. He told him how he felt like a coward for being the only one willing to take her up on the offer. 

He told him how he’d left the house he was being kept in just in time to find the soldiers Luke had sent for them, and how grateful he was for the Wizard’s care and foresight. 

He told him how Percy Jackson had killed the Wicked Witch, and saved Olympus, just like the soldiers had said.

By the time he was finished, he could barely speak through the tears streaming down his face. Luke had put a comforting arm around Will’s shoulder as he spoke, and when he concluded, Luke again pulled him into a warm hug. 

“You poor, poor boy,” Luke said, rubbing a hand up and down Will’s back. Will had to stop himself from recoiling, and instead leaned into the older man’s embrace. “Everything will be alright now. You were led astray, of course, but you made it back.”

Luke pulled back, looking Will in the eyes with a gentle smile, and then reached up to wipe the tears away from Will’s cheek. 

“You have much to feel sorry for, I know,” Luke said softly, patting Will on the shoulder. “But, with my help, you can still be wonderful, William. Don’t forget that.”

——

It wasn’t hard for Will to slip back into the role of The Wizard’s devoted disciple. It was a part he had been playing for years after all, with only a short hiatus these last couple weeks. 

He didn’t enjoy the role, but he played it well. 

He arrived at Othrys City’s central park with Luke and Minos in a chariot pulled by two gleaming white horses. They didn’t speak, and Will wondered — not for the first time — if any of the animals working for the Wizard had ever been paid. 

But now wasn’t the time to worry about that. If everything went well today, he’d be able to help them soon. 

So, with his most charming smile attached as firmly as the scratchy crown pinned tightly to his head, and his mind wiped deliberately blank, he stepped out of the carriage and was met with cheers from the gathered crowd. He waved and scanned the faces around him, looking for Percy and the rest of their crew, who should have arrived just a few minutes earlier. 

He didn’t find them, but his eyes landed instead on two perfectly styled heads of blonde hair, and two pairs of watering blue eyes that looked just like his own. Before he could stop himself, he was running, pushing through the crowd and slamming into Naomi and Apollo Solace, who caught him in a tight embrace.

“Mom! Dad!” He gasped, already crying. “I’ve missed you!”

His parents just sobbed in return, and they all held each other for a few minutes. Eventually, they pulled back, with Will’s mom putting both hands on Will’s cheeks to examine his face, as if looking for injuries.  

“We’re just so glad you’re safe, Will,” Apollo said, a hand still sitting on Will’s shoulder. “And away from that wretched man.”

“He’s not—” Will started automatically, but cut himself off. “He’s not… a threat anymore, I mean. He’s dead.”

Will’s voice shook a little on that last declaration, but his parents’ gasped anyway, their faces filled with a hopeful delight that made Will sick to his stomach. He heard other gasps nearby, and remembered they were surrounded by a crowd of civilians, who were likely listening in. He looked around, realizing he was standing near a set of steps leading up to a makeshift stage that had been set up in the park, which Kronos — which is to say, Luke, in full costume — was already ascending. 

“Good news!” Luke’s modulated voice boomed across the park as he stepped onto the stage. “He’s dead! The Wicked Witch of the West is dead!”

The crowd — including Will’s parents — cheered. Will cheered, too, though if anyone was watching him closely, they might have noticed how it came just a little too late. 

“It’s what he deserves!” Naomi Solace yelled as the crowd celebrated. “After everything he put our poor son through!”

“And everything he put Olympus through!” Apollo agreed. “Wreaking havoc, releasing criminals, and always going on about the problems of animals .” He spat the last word like it tasted like bile in his mouth, and Naomi nodded along. “If I hadn’t seen the man, I’d say he must have been an animal himself. Isn’t that right, Will?”

Will tried to keep his mind wiped blank so he could keep his empty smile in place as he nodded. He was here to smile, wave, and kiss babies. He was here to agree with his father, with Olympus, that today was a day to celebrate. He wasn’t here to think about what he was celebrating. He wasn’t here to think about anything. 

“Of course!” He said, far too brightly. “He was a… a…”

“A traitor!” Will’s mother supplied. “To his kind! To Olympus!”

Will just nodded, smiling still, even though everything in him was screaming to run, to fight, to do something . He looked back at the stage, where Luke had begun speaking again when the crowd’s excitement had softened to a dull roar. Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, Grover and Mrs. O’Leary had all climbed onto the stage at some point, although Luke was only introducing Percy as the savior of Olympus. The others all stood silently behind him, like the subservient non-humans Luke expected them to be. 

Annabeth met Will’s gaze, and he was sure she could see the turmoil in his eyes despite the smile he still held in place. The desire to fight that was becoming overwhelming as he listened to the celebrations around him. She shook her head, an action so small it could have been nothing — just her fabric neck responding to a slight gust of wind. But Will understood. 

Not yet.

Annabeth’s eyes darted away, and Will followed her gaze to a server, making his way through the crowd and handing out drinks. Right. Will had asked Luke to let him lead a toast as part of the celebration. He looked back at the stairs leading up to the stage and saw Minos standing by them — right where he always was, close to the Wizard, but just outside the spotlight.

He wasn’t holding a drink yet. Good. 

Will excused himself from his parents, explaining that he was going to be needed on stage soon, and made his way toward the server. He slipped his hand into his pocket as he walked, feeling the smooth glass bottle he had tucked away there. His thumbnail scratched against the small W — or, was it an M? — engraved on the bottom. 

A few minutes later, balancing three drinks in his hands, he made his way back toward the stage, just as Luke called out a welcome for William the Wonderful. As Will approached the stairs leading up to the platform, he raised one of the glasses towards Minos with a smile. 

“Thank you, William,” Minos said, taking the drink from Will, and leaning in close to add, in a whisper: “I knew you’d make the right decision in the end.”

Will just smiled. 

“You’re welcome, Dr. Minos.”

And then he made his way up the stairs to the stage, where he was greeted by cheers of adoration from hundreds of spectators. He noticed there were animals and magical creatures spaced throughout the crowd. Far more than lived in Othrys City, he was sure. 

Will handed Kronos the other drink in his hand before turning to the crowd. He smiled, and waved. There weren’t any babies close enough to the front of the crowd for him to kiss, or he would have done that, too.

“Let us be glad!” Will exclaimed. “Let us be grateful! Let us rejoice that goodness could subdue the wicked workings of… of…” he stuttered, briefly. “Of, you know who! I propose a toast,” he raised his glass and was met with hundreds of raised glasses in response, “to the knowledge that good will conquer evil!”

Will glanced sideways at the Wizard, silently asking if Kronos had anything to add to the toast before they drank. 

“No one mourns the Wicked!” Luke declared, before taking a drink from his own glass and prompting everyone in the crowd to do the same. 

Cheers filled the air once again, but through them, Will could hear a soft coughing coming from both the Wizard beside him, and from the stairs just behind him. He turned, slightly, and saw Minos staring intently at the empty glass in his hand. He looked up and made eye contact with Will, opening his mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out.

His eyes widened in fear.

Will turned back around quickly, clearing his throat to call the crowd’s attention to him again. 

“Everyone, I have another joyous announcement to make!” He called. Luke looked over at him with a confused expression on his face, but he was still coughing slightly and didn’t make a move to stop him. “Just before I was kidnapped, I made a major breakthrough on some research I had been conducting involving the terrible silencing disease that has been afflicting so many of our community members.”

Luke’s eyes widened. Will heard footsteps behind him as he spoke, and he knew Minos was coming up the steps towards him. Luke opened his mouth as if to speak, but Will forged onward, speaking faster to distract from the fact that the Wizard wasn’t saying any words at all. 

“I believe the Witch decided to take me when he did in order to prevent the cure from being distributed, but now that I’m back I can—”

And then the shadows came. 

Will was cut off by screams erupting through the crowd as swirls of darkness began spiralling around the Wizard. Minos charged onto the stage, with several guards on his heels, just as a shadowy tendril snaked out from around Luke and flew in Will’s direction. Will ducked, and the shadow hit Minos squarely in the chest, knocking him over into the soldiers behind him.

“Dr. Minos!” Will called, running toward his old professor and extending a hand to help him up. “Are you okay?”

Minos ignored Will’s hand, glaring up at him with hate in his eyes.

“Dr. Minos, what’s going on? What did he do to you?” Will asked, concern lacing his voice as he shot a nervous look back towards the Wizard, who he could hardly see through the shadowy tornado. Minos didn’t respond, but the guards behind him were starting to get to their feet, looking nervously between Will and Minos. Will stared at Minos for a couple more seconds, making a face like he was putting something together, before gasping loudly. “The silencing disease! The Wizard did this to you!”

Minos scowled and shook his head, but Will ignored him, turning around to face the crowd again. It was chaos. People were screaming, trying to push past each other to escape or to find their loved ones. Others were frozen in place, staring up at the stage with terror written across their faces. Among the screams and chaos, Will heard one phrase being yelled over and over again: the Witch!

“People of Olympus!” Will called, putting on his most authoritative voice. The chaos died down slightly as most of the crowd turned to hear what Will had to say. “The Wicked Witch is dead! I saw it myself! But it seems there is another in Olympus who wishes to—”

Will was cut off when more shadowy tendrils shot out from around the Wizard. One hit Will in the chest, pushing him back softly, although he reacted as if he’d been hit much more forcefully. The other tendrils snaked through the crowd, hitting many of the animals and magical creatures that Will had noticed earlier, and a few human audience members as well. 

Everyone that was struck by a shadow reacted, putting their hands on their throats like they were in pain, or opening their mouths as if to scream, but releasing no sound. Will did the same, waving to try and keep the crowd’s attention and moving his lips as if he was still trying to speak, but no words came out. 

Those that hadn’t been hit screamed, and people began running in all directions again. Even if Will could speak aloud, he was sure he wouldn’t have been able to gain the crowd’s attention again. 

Fighting broke out around the park as some soldiers tried to keep order among the gathered public, while others stormed the stage, though they didn’t seem to know whether they were there to attack the Wizard or defend him.

Minos waved his arms around angrily, pointing between himself, Will, and the Wizard — who was still shrouded in shadow — but the guards hesitating around the stage didn’t seem to know what he was trying to tell them. Will certainly wasn’t giving them any hints, just moving his mouth silently and looking baffled. 

Eventually, Percy — who had been watching the chaos from the back of the stage, where he and his entourage had retreated when the shadows appeared — stepped forward into the crowd of confused guards. 

He had a determined look on his face, like he was trying to push past his own fear for the sake of those around him. 

“Soldiers!” Percy yelled, looking around at the surrounding guards. “I know this man has been a leader to you for many years, but look at him! He’s attacking the people of Olympus, with a brand of magic that has only ever been used before by a Wicked Witch.” Percy’s expression grew pained, as he turned to look at the swirling shadows, which continued shooting out tendrils occasionally, apparently silencing more and more members of the crowd. “I don’t know if this was his plan all along, if he’s somehow being controlled, but he must be stopped!”

A man stepped forward who was dressed slightly differently than the other guards, and who Will realized must be the new captain, based on the way the others turned to him with apparent deference. 

“Guards of Olympus!” He shouted, pointing his sword toward the Wizard. “Attack!”

Most of the guards responded, barely sparing a glance at Minos’s increasingly distressed gesturing as they charged the Wizard, but there were several who seemed to decide against following their new captain and instead stepped in to defend Luke. The defenders were greatly outnumbered, though, and the attackers had Percy on their side, still wearing heels and wielding the sword he had found at Python — which, had he been holding that the whole time? Will could have sworn Percy’s hands were empty a few minutes ago. They also had Mrs. O’Leary, Annabeth, and Thalia, although the latter two were both unused to fighting in their new bodies, with Annabeth’s movements sweeping and unsteady, while Thalia’s were jerky and overly sharp. Grover stayed back, but he played a soothing song on his reed pipes that seemed to be keeping the energy up among the attacking soldiers.

Will decided he wasn’t needed in this fight as he watched Percy take out two guards at once and easily breach the shadow barrier between him and the Wizard. Instead, Will turned back to where Minos had been standing, and cursed when he realized the old sorcerer was no longer there. He scanned the crowd until he spotted the tall man running towards the carriage that had carried them to the park earlier. 

The driver of the carriage had apparently fled, but the two horses were hitched in, so they couldn’t do much more than trot anxiously in place. Will jumped off the stage and started pushing his way through the crowd, but he was too late. Minos jumped into the driver’s seat and urged the horses forward, and before Will could reach him, he was speeding down the road toward the palace.

Will looked toward the carriage that Percy and the others had arrived in, but the horses that had pulled that carriage must have been attached a little more loosely, because they were nowhere to be found. Good for them, honestly. 

Will huffed, looking around at the crowd one more time, before starting to run up the road toward the palace. He wasn’t sure exactly what his plan was, but he didn’t trust Minos, even without his voice. He made it about a hundred yards before he heard the clip-clopping of a horse behind him, along with the sound of rattling wheels. 

“Hey! Mr. Wonderful! Wait up!” 

Will turned to see a large black horse pulling a small cart behind him with two people inside. Will lit up in a grin when he realized who the occupants were. 

“Blackjack, this is our friend, Will,” Lou Ellen called as the cart pulled up alongside Will. “Will, this is Blackjack.”

“He’s a delivery guy for the paper,” Cecil added, reaching his hand down to hoist Will into the cart. “And sometimes he gives us rides to events.”

“Nico to meet ya, Boss!” Blackjack said, his head turned to look at Will in the cart behind him. “Are we following that sketchy guy with the carriage?”

Will smiled and nodded, hoping to convey his gratitude with just the expression on his face. 

Blackjack whinnied and started forward again, running to try and catch up with Minos, who had disappeared down the road in front of them. Will turned back to look at his friends and found himself immediately pulled into a crushing, three-way hug. 

“It’s good to see you again, man,” Cecil said, patting Will on the back when they eventually pulled out of the embrace. Will nodded his agreement, but didn’t say anything. 

“Alright, so,” Lou started, whipping out her reporter’s notebook and a pen as they bounced along the road. “The officialocious story, that’s going into the paper tomorrow, is that this guy Percy Jackson defeatified the Wicked Witch, with a bucket of water. In the process, he rescueated Will the Wonderful, who as we all know, had been kidnapped by said witch. 

“Then, the Wizard called a large public event under the guise of celebrating the Witch’s death, only to attackify the public with witchy shadow magic, revealing that he had likely been collaborating with the witch the whole time to spread the mysterious silencing disease, which, apparentociously, can now affect humans.” She looked up at Will, from where she was scribbling away in her notebook. “Did I get that all right?”

Will nodded, schooling his expression into something serious, like he would for a real interview, despite his joy at being reunited with his friends. 

“Great,” Cecil said, leaning back and crossing his legs as Lou packed her notebook away in her bag. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s go off-the-record, shall we?”

Will tilted his head, feigning confusion.

“I may not know a lot about how witchy shadow magic works,” Cecil continued. “But I don’t really think ‘evil enough to melt when touched by water’ is a thing. I mean, surely Nico’s taken a shower before, no?”

Will desperately fought the smile that was threatening to break out on his face as Cecil and Lou both leaned closer to him, wearing the same mischievous expressions they always used to carry in school. 

“So, Will,” Lou said, looking Will directly in the eyes, “why don’t you tell us, with your voice that I am 99 percentaciously certain you still have, what in Olympus is actually going on here?”

Will couldn’t help it. He grinned. 

——

By the time they arrived at the castle, where Minos had left the Wizard’s horses and carriage abandoned concerningly close to the edge of the river as he ran inside, Will had given Lou and Cecil the basic summary of what had happened since he ran away with Nico. He skipped over the part where he may or may not have realized he was completely in love with the other man and then done absolutely nothing about it, but based on the looks his friends gave him as he spoke, he was sure they would be asking more questions about that exact topic as soon as they had the chance.

But for now, they had to find their old sorcery professor.

Blackjack dropped them off by the doors of the palace, but decided to stay outside to try and help the two white horses get disconnected from their carriage. Will ran into the castle, leading Lou and Cecil through the dark hallways as he headed towards the place he thought Minos might have gone. They stopped briefly in the armory, where they each picked up a sword even though Will was pretty sure the other two hadn’t touched a weapon since finishing undergrad. 

A few minutes later, they burst into Minos’ alchemy lab. It was a large, circular room — much larger than the lab Minos had at Schist, which was just half of his office — and it took Will a minute to find the man in the chaos of the space. The room was never tidy, exactly, as there were always various cauldrons and bottles and spell books spread across the tables and shelves, but today it was especially disorderly, with bottles spilled onto the ground and multiple tables tipped over as if Minos had forcefully shoved them out of the way in his rush to get to… there.  He was sitting on the ground at the far end of the room, leaning against a large mahogany cabinet that had one drawer hanging open. His face was bright red, like he was overheating, and he was chugging a blue liquid out of a small bottle with an M (or was it a W ?) engraved on the bottom. 

Seriously, how many of those bottles did he have?

“So, you’ve had a cure this whole time?” Will said, walking over to stand in front of the old man and crossing his arms. 

Minos didn’t respond, only stopped drinking long enough to let out a few deep, scratchy coughs, and then turned back to the bottle, despite the fact the drink seemed to be hurting him. 

“I don’t know if that will work quite how you want it to,” Will continued, crouching down in front of Minos with his sword held up between them. “We didn’t copy your exact formula. We just needed to stop you from speaking so you couldn’t perform any magic at the celebration. It went well, by the way, don’t you think?”

Minos finished drinking and glared at Will, holding the bottle tightly in his hand. He opened his mouth to speak and the voice that came out was scratchy and barely there, but layered somehow like three or four people were all whispering and choking at the same time. Will wasn’t sure if this voice was solid enough to actually cast a spell, but Minos started reciting one anyway. He immediately had three swords pointed at his throat and he stopped, though Will wasn’t sure if Minos had stopped because of the threat or just because he’d been interrupted by the loud hacking coughs he was letting out now.  

“You… can’t…” Minos managed to force out between coughs.

“I think we can,” Will said, raising an eyebrow. “You saw how things were going in the park. Luke is outnumbered, and so are you. If you cooperate, we’ll keep you alive until you can face trial for murdering Bianca.”

He stood and sheathed his sword, although Lou and Cecil kept theirs out on either side of him. He extended Minos a hand, but the professor ignored it, continuing to scowl up at him. 

“I am… the most powerful… sorcerer… in Olym—”

“No. I am.”

The shadows near Minos darkened, seeming to thicken and swirl around him, until they were covering his mouth and holding his hands against his side. The bottle he was holding clattered to the ground next to him. Will spun around, immediately finding where the voice had come from behind him, and practically threw himself across the room at Nico. He pulled the other man into a tight hug, pushing his nose into Nico’s cold neck. 

He heard an excited gasp from either Lou or Cecil behind him, followed by a couple whispered exclamations that sounded vaguely like I told you and I knew it.

Nico returned Will’s embrace, but pulled away after a moment and brought a hand up to lift Will’s chin until they were looking into each other’s eyes. 

“You… you know I didn’t actually die, right?” Nico asked. His voice was teasing, but there was something… sad about his expression, like he couldn’t quite bring himself to smile all the way as he looked into Will’s eyes.

Instead of responding, Will just buried his face in Nico’s neck again, feeling the way Nico’s shoulder moved as he chuckled slightly, that sad tone stuck in his voice.

“I… I actually just came to tell you— wait.” Nico cut himself off, his head popping up to look past Will at Lou and Cecil behind him. “You two know this is all off-the-record, right? As far as the newspaper is concerned, I’m dead.”

His voice was stern, but Will could hear the slight smile in it. Will lifted his head as well and turned to look at his friends, remembering when Nico said they were the only reporters in Olympus with any sense. He couldn’t help but agree. 

Minos struggled on the ground between them, but nobody paid him any mind.

“Absolutely!”

“Of course!”

Lou and Cecil spoke at the same time, their smiles matching each other in the slightly uncanny way they did sometimes.

“It’s good to see you, Nico,” Cecil said, coming forward to put a hand on Nico’s shoulder and pushing Will out of the way to pull Nico into a short hug. “It’s been too long.”

“It has,” Nico agreed, looking between Lou and Cecil with a small smile. “Sorry I couldn’t make it out for the wedding.”

Lou shrugged. 

“I have a feeling we won’t be invited to yours either,” she said, laughing at the embarrassed flush that immediately spread on both Will’s and Nico’s cheeks. 

Nico’s expression dropped slightly at the comment. He looked at Minos, briefly, where he was still sitting on the floor and glaring daggers at the four of them, and then turned back to Will. 

“I came to tell you that Luke is dead,” he said, his face turning serious. “He stabbed himself after Percy and the guards cornered him and he realized he couldn’t speak. So, as long as you can get the guards to charge Minos officially with murder, you should be in the clear to take over as interim ruler until you can get yourself officially elected.”

“I— what?” Will responded, looking back and forth between Nico’s dark eyes as he absorbed what the other man had said. “Me?”

“Of course you, Will. Who else?” Nico smiled softly, but there were tears gathering in the corner of his eyes, as he lifted a hand again to stroke Will’s cheek with his thumb. 

“I thought—” Will started, pausing as a tear made its way out of Nico’s eye and down his face. “What about Annabeth?”

“Will, as far as anybody else knows, Annabeth Chase is dead and a traitor. That woman out there is just some scarecrow.” Nico sighed. “You and I both know she’d do a great job, but I think it’ll be a few years before the people of Olympus are ready to elect a non-human leader, even if she did have the same following that you do.”

That… made sense. Will hadn’t really thought too hard about what would happen after they took the Wizard down, but he’d figured Annabeth would know how best to put Olympus back together again. He’d thought Nico and him were on the same page about that. 

He'd thought… well he wasn't sure what he’d thought would happen between him and Nico after all this was over. He'd known Nico would have to leave, but he'd hoped…

He'd hoped this wasn't goodbye.

Nico leaned up and kissed Will's cheek, and everything Will wanted to say got caught in his throat.

Did Nico think Will would choose Olympus over him? That Will would, once again, seek his own comfort and power instead of following Nico to the end of the world? As if Will hadn’t been tearing himself up inside for eight years straight after making that decision the first time?

Will opened his mouth, not really sure yet which of those questions he was going to ask, or if he'd even be able to get the words out, but he didn’t get a chance to try because Nico was already melting into the shadows.

Will could just hear a faint goodbye, Will as the man disappeared.

He fell to his knees on the floor, staring at the shadow where Nico had been standing a moment before. He was vaguely aware of movement around him, as Minos’ shadowy bonds disappeared and Cecil and Lou Ellen ran over to stop him from getting up. Will wasn’t sure what they used, but they must have found something in the lab to bind Minos with properly, and soon enough they were both kneeling at Will’s side. He only realized they were there when Cecil put a soft hand on his shoulder, and Will’s head jerked up. 

“Lou,” Cecil said, looking past Will over at Lou Ellen on Will’s other side. “Weren’t you just telling me the other day about how you’ve always wanted to run for political office?”

“You know, Cecil, I think I was,” Lou Ellen replied, smirking back at her husband. “Though, it’s such a terrifical shame that if I run now, I’ll have to do so while grievifying my dear, dear friend, William the Wonderful.”

Will blinked, looking back and forth between his two friends, as he tried to understand what they were talking about.

“Yes, yes,” Cecil said, nodding his head with a faux solemn look on his face. “It’s so tragic that we both had to witness his brutal murder at the hands of the same man who murdered Governor Grace-di Angelo last week.”

Minos made a sound of protest through whatever Lou and Cecil had used to gag him, but he was ignored. A small smile was growing on Will’s face as he watched Lou put a hand to her forehead to amp up the dramatics. 

“And he did it with magic too! So, there weren’t even any remains!” Her eyes locked on the space above Will’s head, and her smile grew as she reached up and started pulling pins out of his hair to loosen the scratchy crown he was still wearing. “Nothing left to remember him by but this beautiful crown.”

Minos’ unintelligible protests were growing more and more agitated, but Will ignored him as he pulled his two friends into a tight hug. He stood up, pulling the crown the rest of the way off his head and handing it to Lou Ellen as he did so.

He thought about his parents. His home, back in Delos. He thought about his room here at the palace, and how easy it would be to stay here, get elected, run the country.

Then he thought about Nico. 

“I… I have to go,” he said, looking between Lou and Cecil as they stood up next to him. “Tell my parents—” He winced, remembering their words earlier about Nico and the animals. “Well, not the truth, but tell them something. That I love them. And I’ll miss them.”

His friends just nodded, and despite knowing that he had to hurry, he pulled them both into one more hug. 

“I’ll miss you guys, too,” he whispered

“We love you,” Lou Ellen replied, softly, and Cecil nodded. “Now go!”

He let out a wet laugh. Then he turned to the door, and he ran. 

——

Will almost slammed right into a centaur as he ran out of the palace, barely stopping himself in time to avoid being knocked into the dirt, as she was running towards him just as fast. He had just enough time to recognize her as Chariclo, the centaur that had helped them in the battle at Styx, before he was being wrapped in the fabric arms of the scarecrow who had just jumped off the centaur’s back. 

“Will!” Annabeth cried, holding him tightly. “We did it, Will! Luke is dead!”

“I know!” He said, returning the embrace with fervor. “Nico told me. And, speaking of which…” he pulled back slightly, to look her in the eyes. 

She seemed sadder than she should have been, the stitches that made up her mouth twitching as if she was fighting a frown, and the look in her eyes seemed distant, and cloudy. But then, maybe Will just wasn’t yet used to interpreting her expressions on her new face. 

“I’m dead,” he continued, glancing back towards the castle. “Minos killed me, and there were no remains, got it?”

Annabeth tilted her head slightly, her stitches pulling into a small smile, though the sad look in her eyes didn’t quite disappear. She nodded. 

“Chariclo?” Will asked, turning towards the centaur. “Any chance you could give me a ride to…” he paused, suddenly realizing he didn’t know if Nico would have gone back to their former hideout now that the Wizard’s guard knew where it was. 

“Delphi,” Annabeth said, as if reading his mind. “He’ll be there.”

Chariclo agreed, and Will moved to swing himself onto her back, but Annabeth put a hand on his arm to stop him. 

“Wait,” she said. She reached into a bag that was hanging from her shoulder and pulled out a pair of sparkly, silver heels. “Give him these.”

Will’s breath caught in his throat as he took in Annabeth’s watery smile.

“Percy—” he breathed out, barely a whisper, but Annabeth cut him off. 

“He’s fine,” she said, tears starting to pool in her eyes. “He just… he had to go home.”

Will pulled Annabeth into another hug, holding her as she finally let the tears fall. 

(The doctor in Will suddenly had a lot of questions about scarecrow tear ducts, but there was no time for that.)

Annabeth straightened up after a few moments, wiping her eyes, and pushed the shoes into Will’s hands. He gave her one last quick hug before turning again to climb onto Chariclo’s back. 

——

The trip seemed to go by faster than the last time he’d taken a centaur from the palace to Delphi. And maybe that was because Chiron had been injured and carrying two, or because Chiron hadn’t been traveling directly with a specific destination in mind, but Will suspected it was mostly because, this time, his mind was racing so quickly he barely noticed the journey until it was over. 

He and Nico had talked during the last couple weeks, while they were working on the cure, about their lives apart. Nico had told Will about the rebellion. He had recruited and rescued a decent amount of followers by this point, more than Luke seemed to have record of. He told stories of his most daring rescues, although Will suspected he was editing them slightly, to spare Will the real details of what he saw in the Wizard’s prisons.  

In return, Will had told Nico about what he’d learned from Luke and Minos over the years, and how he’d spent every lesson forcing himself not to think about how much better Nico would have been at all of this. Nico had just laughed. 

“Maybe at Minos’ lessons,” he’d said. “But I could never have mastered charisma and charm the way you and Luke have.” 

Will had opened his mouth to argue, but Nico cut him off with a laugh and a bump to the shoulder.

 “It’s not just the eyes,” he'd said, somehow knowing exactly what Will was going to say. “I just don’t have it in me to pretend the way you do.”

Will’s gut had twisted slightly when Nico said that, but he’d tried not to let it show on his face. He knew what Nico meant, knew the other man was glad to finally have someone on board who had the respect of the masses the way Will did. 

“That’s why it’s up to you, now, Will. For both of us.”

Will replayed that conversation in his head over and over again as they approached Delphi. He’d thought Nico was just talking about today’s plan, and how Will would need to be convincing enough to sell the idea that Luke was the one performing the shadow magic, that he had been in kahoots with the witch the whole time. 

But how had he missed the hint of melancholy in Nico’s words? Or was it even really there? Was he just adding that emotion to the memory himself, knowing what he did now?

They hadn’t talked about the future, but Will had thought…

He had hoped…

Chariclo stopped right outside Python Mansion. She asked if Will wanted her to wait for him, and he hesitated, but ultimately told her no. He was dead now, anyway. Even if Nico wasn’t here, it’s not like Will had anywhere else to go. 

He waited for her to leave before going inside, the urgency he’d set out with suddenly abandoning him as he faced the very real possibility that he was alone here — that Nico wouldn’t be waiting for him. He wasn’t sure how long he stood outside, listening to the sounds of the forest. It was dark out, but the sky was clear and the moon was full, so he could still see the garden around him. 

When he finally did step inside, he was greeted by a hollow darkness. Not the magical kind, he was pretty sure, just a house at night with all the curtains drawn. But it felt oppressive, all encompassing. He knew the layout of the house. He knew there was a wall a couple feet to his right and a stairwell immediately to his left. But he felt like he could have been standing in the middle of a large, open expanse of nothingness. Like if a light flipped on right now he’d find himself surrounded by nothing at all. Nowhere. Just floating utterly alone through the cosmos. 

Will had never been afraid of the dark, but it settled sharply around him now. He couldn’t help but remember how the darkness last night had felt freeing, open, filled with possibilities. Because last night he’d had Nico by his side. 

“Nico?” He whispered it, the sound barely reaching his own ears through the thick darkness around him. He took a couple tentative steps forward, clearing his throat softly. “Nico, are you here?”

Will waited, holding his breath, but heard nothing. 

He took another few steps forward, and began chanting his now well-worn light spell as he went. After a few moments, there was a large circle of light around him, illuminating the hallway as he made his way to the kitchen. He put the shoes in his hands on the kitchen table and sat down on the floor, feeling numb as he looked around the empty space. His mind flashed back to two weeks ago, holding Nico on this same floor after he’d learned of his sister’s death. Then kneeling here, just a few hours later, holding the life of Nico’s other sister in his hands as she nearly died from a broken heart. He shivered, and his eyes caught on something dark, just at the edge of his circle of visibility. He stood up and took a few steps, until it came clearly into the light. 

He should have known it would be here. Not just in the house, but in this exact spot, right above the practically invisible trap door Annabeth and Percy had built into the floor a couple of days ago. 

But it still felt like a stab in the gut to see Nico’s hideous black hat — Will’s hideous black hat — abandoned on the floor of the empty mansion.

As he leaned down to pick it up, there was a soft footstep behind him and the creak of a door. 

Will spun around. Nico was frozen in the doorway of the kitchen, blinking slightly in the light of Will’s spell. 

They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other in silence, before Nico finally spoke.

“You came back.”

“You waited.”

Nico blushed slightly, looking down at the ground. 

“I… I told myself I was just here to gather my things before I left, but…” he looked up at Will again, something like hope shining in his dark eyes. 

“It’s probably best not to,” Will said, turning to put the hat back on the ground where he’d found it. “If any of those guards come back, they’ll expect it to look just like we left it.

“Right,” Nico said, his voice soft.

Will waited another few moments, before eventually taking a step towards Nico, who stayed frozen in the doorway. 

“I’m dead,” Will whispered it into the silence between them. Nico only blinked, looking at him with a question on his face that he didn’t seem to know how to articulate. Will took another few steps forward. “I was murdered. Magically, so there aren’t any remains. All that’s left,” he glanced back to where Nico’s hat had been swallowed by the darkness once again, “is a hat.”

“Oh.” A smile was starting to pull on Nico’s lips, and Will took another step forward. They were right in front of each other now. “What a coincidence. Me too.”

Will brushed a lock of hair out of Nico’s face, his fingers ghosting gently against Nico’s cheek. 

“Lou’s going to run for office,” Will’s hand lingered on Nico's face, cupping his jaw as Nico's mouth split into a grin. “I think she’ll win in a landslide. Everyone loves her column in the paper.”

“Cecil will make a great first man,” Nico agreed, nodding. 

The air was charged between them. It grew darker, as less and less of Will’s attention was going towards maintaining the light spell.

“Why did you leave?” Will’s voice cracked a little on the question, a bit of the hurt he’d felt earlier slipping through, despite the fact that hurt was fading a little more every second he spent looking into Nico’s eyes. Nico’s smile dropped slightly at the sound.

“I thought…” Nico paused, his breath hitching as Will’s thumb traced one of the scars on Nico's face, mourning the dimple underneath it that had disappeared with his smile. “I thought you’d want—”

“I don’t.”

One of Nico's hands came up to touch Will's face, soft but insistent, like he had to make sure Will was really there.

“What do you want?”

Will leaned forward, watching the reflection of his own eyes in Nico's grow dimmer as the light around them dissipated. Will closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Nico's, feeling the other man's breath ghosting against his lips. Nico seemed to lean forward slightly, causing the tips of their noses to brush against each other, but he didn’t close the gap between them. They stayed there, frozen, for what could have been a lifetime, before Will felt Nico start to pull away.

No . 

Don't leave me again.

Will surged forward before he could second guess himself, crashing his lips into Nico’s, too harshly. He retreated almost immediately, but was pulled back in, both of Nico’s hands on his face now. Slower this time.

The kiss was warm, and cold, and all-encompassing, like drowning, and Will reached out, grasping onto Nico with both hands if only to prove to himself the other man was really there 

“This, Nico,” Will muttered against Nico’s lips, mirroring the other man’s words from the night before. “You are all I want. You are all I have ever wanted.”

Chapter Text

“There’s no place like home… There’s no place like home…” Percy felt a warm hand on his cheek, and someone pushed a spoon into his mouth with something that tasted like buttered popcorn. He felt like he was lying in a soft bed, but that couldn’t be right. He’d just been standing in Othrys City, saying goodbye to… to… 

His eyes flew open. 

“Annabeth!” He smiled at his wife, who scraped a drip of nectar off his chin with the spoon she was holding. 

“Whoa, Seaweed Brain,” she put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from sitting up, but smiling back at him. “You hit your head pretty hard. Will might have a conniption fit if I let you get up too quickly.”

“I have never had a conniption fit ever in my life, thank you.”

Percy turned his head to the side to see Will coming out of the office at the back of the infirmary, and he noticed Nico, Grover and Thalia all sitting on the bed next to his, playing a game of Mythomagic. 

Nico snorted, glancing up from the game briefly to give his husband an incredulous look. 

“You have absolutely had a conniption fit.”

Will stuck his tongue out and shoved Nico on the arm as he passed, pulling out a flashlight as he approached Percy’s bed. He shined it in Percy’s right eye just as Percy opened his mouth to ask what had happened. 

“We got attacked on the way in to camp for the reunion,” Annabeth said, anticipating Percy’s question. “The minotaur’s back again, and surprise, surprise, he still hates you. Leo’s out fixing the car now.”

“You know, I really wasn’t planning on working today, but all my siblings who still live here are asleep already,” Will said, writing something on his clipboard before going back to shine the light in Percy’s other eye. 

Percy had a fuzzy memory of something big slamming into the passenger side of their new Prius and sending them tumbling through the air before he blacked out. That seemed like so long ago, though, like he’d gone on an entire quest and toppled a fascist regime since then.

“How long was I gone?” He asked, after Will had finished with the flashlight, asked Percy a series of questions about head pain, and declared him to be concussion-free. 

“You’ve only been out for a few hours,” Nico replied, looking at his watch. “It took me about ten minutes to take out the minotaur for you, by the way. You’re welcome.”

“No way,” Percy said, pulling himself into a sitting position despite Will’s glare as he did so. “It feels like it’s been weeks. I walked across an entire country, I’m pretty sure.”

Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him, looking concerned. 

“A demigod dream?”

“No, no,” Percy shook his head. “It was more like… like a place. A real place. And you were there. You were a scarecrow.” She tilted her head at him, amused, but he turned to look at the others, sitting on the bed. “And you were all there. Grover, you were just yourself, but younger. And Thalia, you were older. Like you had actually aged in the last fifteen years. And you were made of metal, and I think you were married to—” 

He cut himself off, looking at Nico. Maybe it was best not to share that part. 

“Well, Will and Nico, you were there, too. Nico, your eyes were all black, and you had magic that no one else had, and you wore this pointed black hat everywhere—”

“Hold on, hold on,” Nico said, putting his hands up in the time out symbol. “You had a Wizard of Oz dream, and you made me the witch?”

Everyone laughed at that, and Percy found himself laughing along, having not even recognized the similarities between his adventure and the movie until right then. 

Huh. It must have just been a dream after all. 

“Nico, have you even seen The Wizard of Oz?” Will said, leaning against the bed Nico was sitting on. “I don’t think I ever showed you that one.”

“It came out in the 30s, love. I saw it in theaters.”

Percy looked out the window, smiling at the sound of his friends’ continued laughter, and watched the last of the sun’s rays set on Camp Half-Blood. 

There really is no place like home.