Page 142 of The Court of the Dead
Like the death of Pirithous, Semele suggested.
“That could be arranged,” Nico said.
“What?” Will asked.
“Nothing,” he said. “First things first. Let’s stop this Mist-pocalypse.”
The closer they got to Apate and Dolus, the harder it became to move. After another few feet, Will stumbled.
“Nico?” he cried. “Are you still here?”
“Right in front of you!” Nico said, taking his hand.
Will’s eyes stared through him. “I can’t— I canhearyou, but…”
Nico looked down at Loneliness, who was now fast asleep in Will’s palm.
They must be exhausted, Semele said.They will not be able to help much longer.
Worry spiked in Nico again. He had never considered that the Puffs had limited energy, just like he did.
How are you holding up?Semele asked.Do you not feel the strain?
“Not really,” he said. “I mean…I’m a little tired, but it’s nothing like I was before.”
Hmm. Perhaps these two selves in one body will not end badly.
Nico did not like the ominous sound of that, but he needed to take care of Will first.
“Just keep hold,” he told his boyfriend. “Can you feel my hand?”
Will swallowed, clearly trying not to freak out, but he managed to nod. “Okay. Yes. It feels like I’m holding a tiger’s tail, but I’ll assume it’s your hand.”
“I’ll lead you,” Nico promised. Then he muttered an apology to the sleeping Loneliness.
“Hold on, my other Puffs, wherever you are,” he said. “Just help us for a little bit longer.”
They ran for the center of the park.
For a few steps, Nico thought they would make it. He could feel the Mist fighting against him like a hallucinogenic headwind, pushing him back, filling his senses with false impressions. But he kept going, tapping into Semele’s seemingly boundless strength as he clung desperately to Will’s hand.
Then, only twenty feet from the fountain, an unseen force hit him in the gut. He lost hold of Will, falling forward and catching himself with his palms, which scraped painfully against the concrete.
“Nico!” Will called.
“Still here,” Nico groaned.
“Nico? Nico, where are you?”
Oh, no, he thought.
Will couldn’t even hear him now.
Worse: Nico had lost his own grip on reality. When he looked around him, he saw nothing but endless statues. Some were cartoonishly inaccurate depictions of gods locked in battle. Others were abstract art—cubes and pipes and polygons all collapsing together. Others were Egyptian obelisks, or bronze busts of historical figures.
“Will!” he called out as he pushed himself up. “Will?”
His boyfriend had vanished.
