ELYSIAN, the riordanverse

27

BLOOD OF OLYMPUS

'Nico?' Will said, looking at a mop of messy black hair and oddly, a bright orange shirt.

Nico spun around, his sword in his hand and almost decapitated Will Solace. 'Put that down!' The son of Apollo hissed. 'What are you doing here?'

Nico looked dumbstruck, as he took in the group of three demigods. Will and two other campers were crouched in the grass, binoculars around their necks and daggers at their side. They wore black jeans and T-shirts, with black grease paint on their faces like commandos.

'Me?' Nico asked. 'What are you doing? Getting yourselves killed?'

Will scowled, this might be the boy he was slightly infatuated with but the boy was also rude. 'Hey, we're scouting the enemy. We took precautions.'

'You dressed in black,' Nico noted, 'with the sun coming up. You painted your face but didn't cover that mop of blond hair. You might as well be waving a yellow flag.'

Will's ear reddened. Ok, so maybe Nico was right. 'Lou Ellen wrapped some Mist around us, too.'

'Hi.' The girl wriggled her fingers in a hello. 'You're Nico, right? I've heard a lot about you. This is Cecil from Hermes.' She pointed towards the boy next to her. Cecil waved as Nico knelt down next to them. 

'Did Coach Hedge make it to camp?'

Lou Ellen giggled, 'Did he ever.' 

Will elbowed her as Lou rolled her eyes. 

'Yeah, Hedge is fine. He made it just in time for the baby's birth.' 

'The baby!' Nico grinned. Will realized that this had to be the first time he'd ever seen Nico smile. It... looked good on him. 'Mellie and the kid are all right?'

'Fine. A very cute little satyr boy.' Will shuddered. 'But I delivered it. Have you delivered a baby?'

'Um, no.' Nico said as Will smiled a little.

'I had to get some fresh air. That's why I volunteered for this mission. Gods of Olympus, my hands are still shaking. See?'

Will took Nico's hand, which sent an electric current down his spine. He'd always wanted to hold Nico's hand, not that he would ever tell anybody that.

Nico's hand was cold, it seemed frozen, and much too lifeless for someone who was alive. 

Nico quickly withdrew his hand, 'Whatever,' he snapped. 'We don't have time for chitchat. 'The Romans are attacking at dawn and I've got to- '

'We know,' Will said. 'But, if you're planning to shadow-travel to that command tent, forget it. 

Nico glared at him. 'Excuse me?'

Will's blue eyes stayed fixed on Nico, as if a glare was going to make him back away. 'Coach Hedge told me all about your shadow-travel. You can't  try that again.'

'I just did try it again, Solace.' Will rolled his eyes though his ears reddened again. 'I'm fine.'

'No, you're not. I'm a healer. I could feel the darkness in your hand as soon as I touched it. Even if you made it to that tent, you'd be in no shape to fight.' Will sighed internally, all he wanted was to help. 

'But you wouldn't make it. One more slip, and you won't come back. You are not shadow-travelling. Doctor's orders.'

'The camp is about to be destroyed—"

Gods, how stubborn was this boy?

'And we'll stop the Romans,' Will said. 'But we'll do it our way. Lou Ellen will control the Mist. We'll sneak around, do as much damage as we can to those onagers. But, no shadow-travel.'

'But—'

All Will wanted was to help. So he said, with a tone of finality, 'No.'

Lou Ellen's and Cecil's heads had been swiveling back and forth between the two like they were watching a really intense tennis match.

Nico sighed in exasperation as Will crossed his arms. This boy was not going to shadow-travel, no, not on his watch. Will had realized that right now, Nico needed a friend. 

He'd known that as soon as he heard about Nico's shadow-travelling adventure and the fact that Nico had almost died. He knew that Nico had lost his sister, and though Will knew he didn't know the son of Hades all that well, he knew he could help.

He had to.

Will gazed down at Camp Half-Blood, where the rest of the Greeks were preparing for war. Past the troops and ballistae, the canoe lake glittered pink in the first light of dawn. 

Will remembered the first time he'd seen Nico, when the son of Hades had crash-landed at camp in his dad's sun chariot.  He remembered seeing his dad, Apollo, smiling. Will remembered that Lee had pointed to Apollo and said, Will, that's dad.

That's our dad, Lee? Will had asked.

Yeah, squirt. That's dad.

Will sighed again, he missed Lee. He missed Michael. He missed his brothers.

'Whatever,' Nico said as Will looked at him. 'But we have to hurry. And you'll follow my lead.'

'Fine,' Will said as Lou Ellen and Cecil nodded in agreement. 'Just don't ask me to deliver any more satyr babies and we'll get along great.'

Will hoped they would get along.