Too Late

Chapter 25

~ Will ~

It felt strange to be alone with a girl who had died years ago, but he stood his ground. Hazel studied him carefully, "I'm sure you're aware that if you break my brothers heart, I will break you."

He took a step back, fighting the urge to ask if Frank would be the one who broke him.

Hazel cleared her throat, "Now that we have that settled, what's wrong?"

"What?"

"Something is wrong. Something from your past has come back to haunt you."

He wanted to leave, to disappear, but he held his ground and nodded.

Hazel raised an eyebrow, "I'm a child of Pluto, I can sense your despair."

Will didn't say anything, his entire life he had trained himself to let go, and he had always been able to. Until now. He had always let the pain wash over him, and only let the sunlight in. But he had to accept that the universe was not sunshine and rainbows.

Hazel's gold eyes stared at him, waiting for an answer.

Will sighed, "Her name was Harper. She was a daughter of Apollo, my half sister."

"And she's gone?"

He nodded, "She is. She died years ago."

"But you understand this. So what's wrong?"

"I don't know."

Hazel smiled at him, "I know." she whispered, placing her hand over his, "You never let go." Then she was gone, walking down the dirt path.

* * *

Nico glared at him, "You aren't always happy."

"No."

"You don't show your pain."

"No."

"But you don't run from it either."

"No."

"You just leave it where it belongs and continue on your way, is that it?"

"Yes."

He looked sad, "You keep it all bundled up until it's all too much and you lose it, then you remember yourself and stop."

He nodded, "Yes."

He didn't want to do this, he just wanted to sit with Nico and do nothing. But Nico was doing this because he cared, he couldn't get upset by that.

The son of Hades took a step forward and wrapped his arms around him, "I want you to tell me when something is wrong."

Will nodded, "I'll do that."

"You'd better."

"I will." He said, holding the son of Hades close.

* * *

"Will, this is Alya."

Will smiled at the young woman, she looked oddly familiar but he was sure he didn't know her.

"Have we met before?" Will asked.

She studied him sadly, "I guess you wouldn't remember me."

"So I do know you?"

"Yes." Alya said quietly.

"When did we meet?"

"Camp Half Blood. At the time I went by Blake." She said disgustedly.

Will's eyes widened, "You're alive?"

She noded.

"I thought you...." The words died in his throat, then he pulled his old friend into a hug.

They pushed away from him, "But I go by Alya now, and I swear to the gods if you mess up my pronouns."

Will wrapped an arm around Nico, "I won't. But how are you alive? And why did you leave?"

"Harper." Alya said, and that was the only thing that needed to be said in order for Will to understand.

Will stood still, trying to understand why a piece of his past had come back to him.

Nico put his arm around him, "Hey," he said gently, "Solace."

Will pushed his thoughts aside, "Do you know why she did what she did?"

Ayla nodded slowly, "I'm fairly sure I know the truth."

"Why?" Will demand. It had been so many years and he had wanted to know for so long.

Ayla looked concerned, "I don't think you're ready..."

"I've been waiting years. I can't wait any longer."

The young woman sighed, "Fine. It was that stupid boy, the one who turned against the gods."

"Luke Castellan?" Nico asked.

She nodded, "He killed her," she paused, looking at Will, "But you don't know why. He killed her and blamed it on the gods, he knew that he did it, but he got himself to believe it was them."

"He killed her?" Will asked in a hollow voice.

Ayla nodded, "Yes. He only wanted answers, he took her to the grove and forced her to speak, but she wouldn't. By the time she had left him behind, you found her at the edge of the forest, she had time to say good bye and go. Later Shelby and I went looking for her, I lost Shelby that night too. Then I left, not thinking of who would take care of you."

"The grove?" Nico asked.

Ayla nodded absently, "Yes."

Will ignore Nico's question, "Why did she go?"

"She wanted answers too. Luke had been telling new campers about the ways of the gods, letting them know the harshness and the cruelty at a young age. She wanted to know why, she wanted to stop him." The daughter of darkness sighed, "Dumb move on her part, she thought she could convince him to stop. She saw his future, she knew his past, his deepest fears, she knew it all."

"She did?"

"Yeah, she had Apollo's gift."

Will blinked, "She never told me."

"She didn't tell me everything either."

"Then how did you know?"

"Luke told me." Ayla tilted her head, "You look pale William."

He nodded, "Okay."

Nico looked at him with a worried expression on his face, "Will, are you alright?"

"Probably not." Will admitted as he collapsed to the ground.