Page 117 of The Court of the Dead
Naomi smiled. “I like him. Somehow, I thought griffins were bigger, but he’s just about purse-size! Adorable.”
“I feel like my brain is going to explode,” said Deion.
Will put his hands on either side of his mom’s face. “Mom, please focus. One thing at a time! You’re sure Hazel said dodecahedrons?”
“Yes, I— Well, let me check.” Naomi pulled out her cell phone and read something from it. “Yes. Four dodecahedrons. And they’re running out of food, and water, and air. That’s important.”
Frank groaned. “We need to leave immediately.”
“Hold on,” Nico said. “We still need to gather the rest of the team, plus debrief with Johan and Semele. They might’ve found some more info on Pirithous. Can we bring Naomi inside Camp Jupiter? Do we have your permission?”
“Of course,” Frank said without hesitation. “Anyone who can help us bring our friends home is a friend of Camp Jupiter.”
“Oh, I’m so excited!” Naomi said. “Is this like Camp Half-Blood?”
Deion looked offended. “Uh, no. We are far superior to the Greek camp.”
“Please,” said Nico. “You’ve never stepped foot in Camp Half-Blood.”
“Anyway…” Frank intervened. “Claudia, Janice—good job. Stay on duty. The rest of you, let’s go.”
The sentries looked disappointed that they couldn’t follow Naomi and hear more of her stories, but they glumly went back to their posts.
Frank gestured to the tunnel entrance. “Ladies first?”
“Oh, this is so exciting!” Naomi grinned at Will. “I know your demigod life is your own, but I’ve always wanted to see a little more of it.”
He blushed. “Well…prepare yourself, Mom. This might be a lot.”
Nico was pretty sure that nothing would be “a lot” for Naomi Solace.
In just an hour, it seemed like Naomi had won over half of Camp Jupiter with her bubbly personality and the need to introduce herself to practically everyone she came across, including the fustiest of the Lares. Even Vitellius Reticulus called her “delightful.” She was one of the most rambunctious people Nico had ever met, and he wasobsessedwith her.
They made a pit stop at the mess hall because Naomi wanted to see how the wind spirits delivered food. Nico left the Puffs there to feed on table scraps—their new favorite hobby—and then they headed down the Via Principalis, where they met Semele with Orcus in tow. Will’s mom had a field day with both the concept and the reality of an eidolon.
“This is all so exciting!” Naomi said. “Eidolons and griffins and ancestral ghosts wandering the camp…It makes me want to write a song.”
Frank gave her a nervous look. “Uh…the camp’s existence is technically a secret, so—”
“Oh, honey,” she said. “You can’t suppress inspiration when it strikes.”
“Don’t worry, Frank,” said Will. “She writes in metaphors. It’s not like she’ll publish directions to the camp.”
“Your love like tiny griffin wings,”Naomi sang. “An eidolon to pull my strings.Hmm, I’ll workshop it!”
“I think that’s excellent,” said Orcus.
“It needs work,” said Semele, but Nico sensed gentle amusement in her voice.
Frank didn’t seem entirely convinced, but he let it go. He sent Deion to gather the rest of their squad—Lavinia, Lucius, Savannah, and Yazan—and then led the group into the principia. Johan was waiting for them with a stack of old documents and a fresh pot of tea. Naomi gushed over the way Johan had organized the bookshelves, which made the blemmyae glow with pride.
“These are mostly camp records,” he explained. “Admissions, awards, organizational details…that sort of thing. Dating back hundreds of years!”
“Wow,” Naomi said. “I could spend an entire week reading these.”
Will gave Nico a pointed look. “Thank you! I thought the same thing.”
Nico crossed his arms. “I hope you know just how bizarre this is for me. You and your mom are barely different people. She’s just a bit extra.”
