Solangelo 4

Part 6

NICO

I can't seem to find Percy, so instead I just start work on our chariot alone. And I'm content doing that for a while, but what Percy said last time keeps latching onto my mind. What if Persephone's given me more powers?
I step outside, finding Percy instantly as he hosts a canoeing class on the lake with a load of campers. I move over to the edge of the forest, far away from anyone else.
'Persephone.' I say, looking up through the canopy of the trees, 'I want to understand what you've given me. Please...I don't know. Show me? Help me? I don't know.'
I sit at the edge of the forest for the longest time, just waiting. It takes me a while to realise the grass around me isn't even trying to die. I look a little closer and find it's even greener than the rest.
I move over to a flower that's been crushed by someone walking by. I hold it up, and life flows back into it. It's alive again.
I stand up, aware that I need to get back to Will. I move past the flower bushes, the ones that aren't yet in bloom and run my hands across them. They open up, bright and alive. I pick a couple and rush back to Will.
He's asleep when I get to him, and I don't want to wake him, so I sit and wait, the flowers still in my hands. It takes an hour for him to wake himself up.
'Nico, I told you to go.' He says, sitting up, 'how long have you been here?'
'A couple minutes.' I lie, I hold up the flowers, 'look!' I run my hand across their petals, and they bloom.
'Nico, that's amazing.' He says, taking the flowers, 'how'd you do that?'
'I don't know. Persephone. I just tried it and it worked.' I say.
'They're beautiful.' He says, smelling them.
'Not much good in a fight though.' I say.
'Maybe this is her way of saying you shouldn't be in fights.' He offers.
'Maybe that's what you want.' I say, 'but Persephone is way too cool to not want me to fight.'
'It's not cool to fight.' Will says, 'it's cool to be safe and stay away from fights.'
'Oh, right. Is that what's cool?' I ask, leaning on his bed.
'It is.' He insists, fiddling with my hair, 'much, much cooler.'
'Well I'm going to keep looking.' I say.
'As long as you don't exhaust yourself again.' He says.
'I'll be fine.' I say.
'Reve wants me to stay overnight. Maybe for a couple nights.' He says, changing the subject, 'will you be okay?'
'Yeah, Yeah.' I say, quickly, brushing it off as if I'd hardly thought about it. But in reality it'd taken up most my day; worrying about how I'd sleep without Will with me, 'don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just try get better so you can get out of here.'
'I'll do my best.' He says.
'Can I bring you something down for dinner?' I ask.
'I'm not hungry, but thank you.' He replies, not meeting my eyes.
'I'm still going to bring you something.' I say, 'you need to try to eat. Just think, if the roles were reversed, you'd want me to eat.'
'You're right, I know, but just thinking about eating makes me want to throw up.' He says.
'Well at least keep trying to drink water.' I say, handing the glass to him. He takes a sip, but no more.
'Nico, don't worry about me. Reve and Kayla know what they're doing. I'll be out of here soon.' He says, 'before you know it.'