NICO
I walk at the back with Will, watching something I never thought would happen - my two sisters talking to each other. Hazel and Bianca. Side by side.
'You okay?' Will asks.
'Huh?' I turn to him, 'Sorry. Yes. Yes. I'm good. I'm great.'
'Did you know?' He asks.
'Know what?'
'That She was there? Did you come for her?'
'I...I knew she'd finished her third life, and I knew she was in the Isle of the Blessed. But...' I watch her laugh at something Hazel says. She turns and smiles at me briefly, 'she chose to go with the hunters when she was still alive. And she left me. And...I wasn't sure if she'd want to come back.'
Will's quiet for a moment. Thinking, I assume.
'I'm glad I could meet her.' He says, 'she reminds me of you.'
'Really?'
'Yeah. More chatty.' He says. I smile, 'she looks like you too. Same eyes.'
'Same eyes.' I repeat, 'I didn't know that.'
'Yeah you...' He continues speaking, but I can't hear. A dull, throbbing noise fills my head. I see Bianca and Hazel fall to their knees too.
'Will, make it stop!' I yell, but I can't even hear myself, 'Gods!' My ears ache, my vision blurs. I can feel the ground start to crack.
Will is kneeling beside me, hands on my hands, trying to figure out what's wrong. Reyna is by his side.
The ground cracks further. It splits me and Will, Reyna holds him back.
'Get out, you have to get out!' I yell.
'Nico!' I can see him calling me, but I can't hear it. I turn and see Percy trying to help Hazel, and Jason helping Bianca.
The ground breaks beneath me, and I grab hold of the ledge to stop myself falling through. I can feel Tartarus pulling me down. Piper takes Reyna's place holding Will back, and Reyna proceeds to jump over to my side, and reach down to try pull me out. The dull throbbing stops but the ground still falls away around me.
'You can't!' I yell, 'you'll fall.'
'I'm not leaving you.' She says.
'Nico! Nico, help him!' I can hear Will yelling. I turn to see him thrashing against Piper.
'Take my hand.' Reyna insists.
'I can't take you down with me.'
'You're not going back.' She says, 'take my hand.'
'Are my sisters safe?' I ask. She turns to check, and nods.
'They're safe. Just give me your hand.' She says.
'I can't. I can't do that to you.' I say. My fingers aching. I can't hold on much longer.
I see her look to Will.
'I'll look after him.' She says.
'Reyna, don't you dare.' I yell, 'don't you dare.'
'For old time's sake?' She says, attempting a smile, and jumping down beside me, just as I lose my grip.
