𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄// 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐔

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒𝟐// 𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐘𝐞𝐬

When the three got to the tent for the healers, it was alive and bustling. Not a lot of people had gotten injured, but the injuries of the rescued were a lot more severe than they had thought at first. At least, that's what Will assumed by all the chatter.

News of Sorceress Blackstone's death had spread like wildfire through the camp. Hazel quietly told the two of them that her body was in a coffin in Blackstone's tent, which was guarded. Will couldn't hide the tears; Lou Ellen had saved him so many times. To sacrifice yourself in such a way...

"She will get the honorable burial she deserves when we return to our Kingdom," Hazel said. "I'll make sure of it."

They made it to a private room for Nico.

"What's going on? May I ask about McLean, Chase, and Beckendorf?" he asked a nearby healer, curious.

The healer hesitated. "McLean is doing okay for now. Beckendorf and Chase are stable, but we're having a bit of trouble."

Will nodded, watching a few healers sit Nico down and assess him. They immediately had him lie down on a table and started to brew a potion, which Will recognized as one to render someone unconscious. Dread tightened his chest. "What kind of trouble?" he prodded.

"We found..something in Beckendorf's leg. Not just infection, but... organisms."

"What?"

"It seems the Black Hand had created maggots that target humans. The maggots have eaten...a lot. Most of the bone is practically powder."

Will put a hand over his mouth, feeling nauseous. "Dear gods. Is he going to die?"

"He'll most likely live, but we might have to amputate. We can't heal something that isn't there anymore. Even our magic has limits." The healer wrung their hands. "For now, we're just trying to get the...things out of him, so they don't cause even more damage. He'll be out for quite a while."

"What about the others? You said Chase was having trouble?"

"We don't know how to get the chip out. Fletcher is worried about causing damage. We're debating allowing Leo Valdez to do something about it, since he knows more about technology than us. The Jacksons should be interrogating the prisoners sometime soon, to see if they can get any information about the chips." The healer turned to look at Nico, who was squirming on the table, talking to Hazel in hushed tones. "Speaking of chips...di Angelo has one, doesn't he? I can sense it from here."

"He-he has one. Are they performing surgery?"

"I'm afraid we'll have to," said a second healer, a woman with dyed blue hair brewing the potion. "Lots of internal damage." On cue, the potion gave a large puff of green smoke. She cooled it with an incantation, before grabbing the vial and walking over to Nico's side. "This is going to put you to sleep," she said in a soothing tone. "You won't feel a thing."

Nico didn't look soothed in the slightest, but he nodded. Hazel gave him a final smile, before stepping back to let the healers do their work. Will realized the two of them needed to leave, and quickly made his exit. He doubted he could stay calm watching them perform surgery, of all things.

The second he was outside, someone crashed into him, arms wrapping around him. He barely managed to keep his balance. He realized it was his mother and laughed. "I'm fine. I promise."

"Thank the gods you are!" She grabbed his shoulders, then cupped his face, looking for injuries. "You're a mess."

"Mom." She tried to wipe sand off his face, and he howled his laughter. "Mom! I'm not a little kid anymore!"