Page 24 of The Sun and the Star

As Nico explained that they had to catch another train uptown, he noticed Will reaching under the collar of his blue T-shirt and running his fingers along the gold chain he wore.

The chain Nico had given him.

And, like Will’s smile, it warmed Nico. Maybe he was overthinking all of this. It was clear Will cared deeply for him, and Nico let that one little gesture push away his worries as they headed into the maze of Penn Station.

Parts of Penn Station had been renovated recently, but it was still nowhere near as picturesque as Grand Central Station, a fact that Nico always found disappointing. The lower level was dimly lit, crowded and claustrophobic. As they navigated their way from the LIRR terminal to the subway, Nico grumbled to Will about the station’s dismal design.

‘It’s not that bad!’ said Will, pointing to a nearby food stand. ‘Those pretzels smell delicious.’

‘I don’t think the scent of baked dough counts as a positive architectural feature,’ said Nico.

‘You’re just upset that I didn’t let us shadow-travel or use the Grey Sisters or your zombie chauffeur.’

‘Any of which would have been easierandmore fun!’

‘What have I told you about shadow-travel?’ Will chided him. ‘It’s not good for your health. You should only use it for emergencies, and this is not an emergency. Yet.’

As soon as he said this, a woman who wasdefinitelya tourist walked straight into him, spilling her iced coffee down the front of Will’s shirt and jeans.

Once again, Nico had to hold back a laugh. The poor woman was incredibly apologetic and offered to buy Will a shirt from a gift shop. Personally, Nico would havelovedto see Will in anI♥NYtee, but Will muttered that it was fine, accidents happen, and they continued on their way.

‘Is it an emergency yet?’ Nico asked as they waited at the platform for the E train, a puddle of beverage forming around Will’s feet.

‘It’s coffee,’ said Will matter-of-factly. ‘We’ll be in the warm open air soon enough, and it’ll dry. Still not an emergency.’

It wasn’t an emergency when the E train they were waiting for didn’t show up for thirty minutes due to a signal problem somewhere downtown. Italsowasn’t an emergency when the 6 line they’d transferred to sat in the tunnel outside the Ninety-Sixth Street station for another ten minutes, Will’s clothes still damp, making the subway car smell like the dumpster behind a Starbucks.

‘This train is now out of service,’ the conductor announced when theyfinallypulled into the station.

‘I can literally hear you sayingI told you soin your mind, Nico,’ said Will when they emerged on the Upper East Side. ‘You’re basically yelling at me through telepathy.’

Nico laughed super hard. ‘I said no such thing!’

‘Exactly. But you’rethinkingit.’

Nico mimed a zipper across his lips. ‘I am nothing if not supportive of you, Will Solace.’

Will turned his face to the early-autumn sun and breathed in deeply. ‘All right, Nico di Angelo. So what’s this detour you had in mind?’

‘Right this way,’ Nico said.

The two of them dodged pigeons and some slow-walking tourists in a neighbourhood that was very much alive and very much unaware of the gods, demigods and monsters who called it home. The Mist prevented most humans from ever seeing that magicalside of the world. To a mortal, a glowing sword might look like a baseball bat, because that’s what their brain could accept. A ravenous harpy might look like a bad-tempered chicken. Even a celestial fight between gods and Titans might be written off as a freak thunderstorm. This was a good thing, considering how many wars for humanity had taken place here in Manhattan. But the Mist sometimes deceived demigods, too, obscuring the truth of the immense, primordial powers at play, and that’s why Nico was taking Will to a small apartment on 104th and First Ave.

Because only two other demigods had ever survived a journey through Tartarus and, for Will’s peace of mind as well as his own, Nico wanted to compare notes.

Will did not figure out where Nico was taking him until they were in front of the building. Then he stopped cold.

‘What are we doing here?’ he asked. ‘Recruiting Percy? I thought he was in California.’

Nico scowled. ‘Not recruiting him. Hadesno. I wouldn’t dream of that. He more than deserves time off.’

‘Then –’

‘You’ll see.’ Nico led the way inside and up the stairs.

When the apartment’s front door opened, Sally Jackson smiled, her daughter, Estelle, firmly attached at the hip.

‘Hello, boys. Been a few months since I got a demigod visit,’ she said, and Estelle cooed. ‘Come on in.’

---