Page 33 of The Sun and the Star

‘Yes!’ said Will, breathless. ‘It’s the end!’

They rushed down the remaining steps and into the cavern. As before, the Styx’s waterfall roared to Nico’s right. Across the river loomed the burning ramparts of Erebos.

Nico had this whole plan in his head to explain the geography of Erebos to Will so he’d have some idea where they were heading, but when he turned to speak his heart sank.

It wasn’t just Will’s panicked expression that terrified him. Somehow their surroundings had changed again. Nico couldn’t believe it, but they now stood in the woods of Central Park in the dead of night.

His heart racing, he pivoted and stared at the blank grey wall of schist that marked the Door of Orpheus.

There was athumpbehind Nico. Will had fallen to his knees in the wet grass.

‘Nico,’ he said desolately. ‘What’s happening?’

‘If I remember correctly,’ said Nico, ‘the first time I met Will was during a battle.’

‘Which one?’ Will narrowed his eyes. He still looked so weak and tired. ‘Oh, wait – was it when Octavian’s faction attacked the camp?’

‘Uh,no,’ said Nico. ‘Wasn’t that only, like … a little over a year ago? We’ve known each other a lot longer than that.’

‘Oh.’ Will rubbed his face. ‘Sorry, you’re right.’

Nico felt another twinge of concern. ‘Is your memory getting worse?’

Will grunted but did not answer the question. ‘You were around … before that,’ he said hazily. ‘Long before. Back around the time when … when the Battle of Manhattan …’

Nico smiled. ‘Yeah, I was. I wasn’t staying at Camp Half-Blood much, though.’

‘I remember that! And even when youwereat camp it was so hard to pin you down. You wouldn’t stay put. You were … afraid. Afraid of getting close to anyone.’

Nico was silent for a moment. ‘Sometimes I still am,’ he said. ‘Like earlier, when you were complaining that I wasn’t telling you things.’

‘Sort of.’ Will pressed his hand against his stomach. ‘I don’t know if I was being fair to you –’

‘That’s not important now,’ said Nico. ‘Let’s get through this.’

‘I hope you do not feel that I am something to “get through”,’ said Gorgyra. ‘I am not trying to make things difficult for you boys.’

For a moment, Nico had almost forgotten the nymph was there. He tried to tamp down his fear and frustration, his urge to screamJust let us go!

‘It’s a trade, right?’ he said. ‘We give you our story, and you give us a boat.’

‘If you must see it that way,’ she said. ‘Yes.’

‘I remember …’ Will coughed softly, and Nico ran his hand over his boyfriend’s back. His eyes travelled down to the gauze on Will’s leg.

It was completely soaked through with blood.

‘What do you remember?’ Gorgyra asked.

‘I remember how sad I was when you left to go find Percy,’ Will said to Nico. ‘When he disappeared.’

‘You were sad? But … did we even know each other then?’

‘Maybe not as close friends or anything, but … but I was drawn to you. Maybe it was because you were so mysterious. Maybe it was because you kept pushing everyone away whenever they tried to be your friend.’

‘Not a lot of people tried to be my friend in those days,’ said Nico.

‘That’s not true!’ said Will, and for a moment his energy seemed to come back. ‘Plenty of us tried to be friendly to you, and you always had an excuse or a mean remark ready for us.’

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