Page 98 of The Sun and the Star

He wove his way between the legs of the first creature, hoping to confuse it, but then his own legs were swept out from under him by the tail of the second.

Hiss-Majesty was instantly at his side. ‘Up, son of Hades!’ Their small, strong hands pulled him to his feet. ‘We must defeat them!’

Nico swung his sword above Hiss-Majesty’s head as the first drakon charged them – but something felt wrong. His sword was utterly weightless in his hand. The blade passed through the drakon’s shoulder joint as if it were empty air.

For a moment, Nico wondered if he was back in one of Epiales’s nightmares, battling a hallucination.

Then the drakon collapsed like a broken card table. The monster stared at its severed leg with a look of absolute shock, which Nico found completely understandable.How did that sword slice through drakon scales?

The creature howled as its body disintegrated, wafting away in a cloud of dust. Nico turned to face the other drakon but found, to his great surprise, that it was retreating into the gloom.

Hiss-Majesty doubled over, panting heavily. Their green skin was covered in a sheen of moisture.

‘That was very tiring,’ they said. ‘I was not sure I could do it.’

Nico stared at his blade, still smoking with drakon blood. ‘What did you do?’

‘I am very fast. I guided your sword.’

Nico’s eyes widened. ‘You – youwhat?’

‘Sometimes speed can do what pure strength cannot.’ Hiss-Majesty removed their cheese hat and used it to sponge the sweat from their face. ‘I must rest a moment.’

Nico started laughing. Drakons were nearly impossible to defeat, yet Hiss-Majesty had found a way to do it inseconds.

‘You were amazing!’ said Nico. ‘You just … and then you … I’ve never …!’

Hiss-Majesty looked uncomfortable with this praise. ‘Let us go check on our friends. Unless there are more drakons to fight?’

Nico clapped them on the shoulder. ‘I don’t think any drakon is going to come within five miles of you now.’

When they reached the trail, Nico was happy to see Will sitting upright, munching on an ambrosia square. Screech-Bling sat nearby, applying some sort of grease to his blistered skin. Apparently, the fire had hurt him worse than he’d let on.

‘Hey,’ Will said sleepily. ‘What happened?’

Nico planted a kiss on Will’s forehead. ‘Well, you passed out,Screech-Bling got torched, andHiss-Majesty defeated a drakon.’

‘I – Wait, what?’ Will glanced over at Screech-Bling. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I will be fine.’ The CEO scooped a handful of goop. ‘Our salve is very good for burns. Top-rated SPF – skink protective fat. You have none in your medical kit?’

‘I think I need to correct that oversight,’ Will admitted. Then he turned to Hiss-Majesty. ‘And did Nico just say you defeated adrakon?’

‘I only assisted.’ Hiss-Majesty kicked at the dirt. ‘It is not as big a deal as the son of Hades is making it out to be.’

‘You defeated adrakon!’ Will said. ‘That isabsolutelya big deal!’

Hiss-Majesty blushed a deep shade of emerald.

‘How areyoufeeling?’ Nico asked, inspecting Will’s cuts and bruises. ‘You took a nasty tumble.’

‘I’m fine,’ said Will. ‘Nothing that can’t be fixed with some nectar or ambrosia.’

Nico frowned at the bleeding spot on Will’s knee. ‘Seriously, did youhaveto wear shorts?’

‘They’re comfortable!’

‘Not when they don’t protect you in a fall!’

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