𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄// 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐔

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟎// 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐅𝐚𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐞

It happened in a few seconds, but to Will it felt like an eternity.

Falling, falling, falling, the wind screaming in his ears--

The impact shuddered through him. Then pain. Agonizing, roaring pain that stole the scream from his mouth. Darkness crashed over his vision, and Will thought that Death had at last caught up to him, that he wasn't able to cheat Fate this time.

But then the darkness cleared, and Will found himself laying in a patch of hyacinths, staring at the sky. He was covered in blood and petals.

He could feel Jalgan next to him. Will managed to turn his head, ignoring the pain spiking through his skull.

Jalgan...

He was covered in blood as well, but the angle of his neck...the emptiness of his eyes...

Gone.

Jalgan Abaddon was gone.

Will could only stare at the man who he had been married to for several hours. The man who had wreaked havoc on his life and brought the entire kingdom to its knees.

The man now lying dead in the gardens that they used to walk through together.

Will opened his mouth and managed to say one word:

"Good..bye."

Footsteps. Clanking armor and panicked shouts. Guards, coming quick. Only then did Will realize he couldn't move--either his legs were broken, or he was in too much pain to get up.

Figures appeared in the corners of his vision--some clad in the armor of guards, others in the white uniforms of healers. They inspected Jalgan; Will didn't have the energy to tell them he was gone.

Someone knelt behind his head, leaning over him. Familiar eyes stared down at him. "Wi--Your Majesty, can you hear me?"

"Per...cy."

"Hang on." Perseus motioned to two healers, who crouched next to Will and began to work. Pain tore through Will's body, and he nearly lost consciousness again.

Alarm bells screamed in the distance, but to Will they sounded far away. Even Perseus's voice was muffled. He felt as though he was on the edge of an abyss, seconds away from plummeting into darkness.

"Can't..." Blood foamed on Will's lips, trickling down his chin. "Can't stay."

"Just listen to me, Your Highness. Can you look at me?"

He could have sworn he heard an achingly familiar voice calling to him. It sounded like...

"Michael." Will's glassy eyes were fixed on the starry sky. "I hear...Michael."

"Will, please, just hang on." Perseus's voice shook with desperation. "You can't go now. Stay with me."

Will met Perseus's eyes, ocean-blue meeting sea-green. Will raised a damaged, trembling hand to Perseus's face. Despite the agony pulsing through his body, he felt strangely calm. Happy, almost.

"Tell...the others...I'm sorry."

He could feel the healers' combined power coursing through him. Perseus was shouting for backup, but the prince was too far gone. The darkness came again, and this time he surrendured to it.

☀️☀️☀️

Nico di Angelo had skill breaking free from bonds. Bryce Lawrence had trained him to get out of anything. But these damned magical restraints were a raging pain.

Alarm bells were going off, and guards were running around below, but none found him lying in the empty corridor. Where were the guards on this damned floor?

He was considering dislocating his shoulder in an attempt to free himself when Lou Ellen appeared. With a snap of her fingers, the magic dissolved.

"I'll kill him," were the first words out of his mouth. "I'll rip him apart."

"He's already dead."

"What?"

"I'll explain it later. Look, we have other problems."

"But Jalgan's dead, and so are his soldiers. What else is there?"

"He had another plan up his sleeve. One of his soldiers cast a spell. It involves the King and Queen. And I need you."

"Anything." Nico leaped to his feet. "I'll do anything."

Blackstone's eyes were unreadable. "Then let's go."

☀️☀️☀️

She took him to the King and Queen's chambers. On the way, Nico peeked out the windows to see guards rushing about in a panic; when he tried to ask Blackstone about it, she would only shake her head and urge him onward.

When they reached the bedchambers, a familiar figure appeared, pulling them into the room. It was Queen Levesque. "Thank the gods you're here. I was getting worried. I can't do anything." She looked at Nico and frowned. "Why is he here?"

"I'll explain later, Your Highness. We need to do this now."

Nico looked at the bed and found Apollo and Naomi sleeping peacefully. He frowned as well. "What's wrong?"

"Like I said, one of Jalgan's lackeys cast a spell." Blackstone tugged at her hair. "Long story short, if we don't break the spell and wake them up, they will die."

"What do I have to do with it?"

"Only a child of Abaddon can break it."

"But I've tried!" Hazel protested. "The spell doesn't--"

"A child of Abaddon by blood."

A beat of silence. Levesque's eyes widened with realization.

"I'm the second son," Nico said, almost whispering. "I didn't know until..."

"We'll discuss this later," the Shade Queen said, her eyes dark. "But for now, do what you have to."

He looked back at the bed, something like helplessness rising in his chest. "I--I don't know magic. What if it doesn't work?"

"If you aren't careful, the counterspell will go haywire. There is a chance that you will die with them," Those green eyes gleamed. "Are you willing to take the risk?"

Nico said nothing. Did he care about the King and Queen enough to save them?

Apollo's words echoed in his head. Give me one reason why I should let you near my son again.

Then the thought of Will losing his parents came to him, and his determination hardened. If he couldn't do it for the King and Queen, he would do it for their son.

"Tell me what to do," was all he said.