Page 30 of The Court of the Dead
“Probably nothing.” Nico concentrated on Will’s beautiful eyes, the way his hair caught the sunlight. “Next stop, Bombilo’s.”
He stepped with Will into the shadow of Pluto’s shrine.
The rest of their morning training wasn’t so easy to escape.
When Lavinia found out about their shadow-travel cheat, she laughed and complimented them for being so sneaky. Then she sentenced them to being the “first couple” for two hours of square-dance practice in the hot sun. By then, it had become clear to Nico that Lavinia Asimov was a daughter of Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance, and she considered dancing a critical part of team building and combat training.
“Half sashay!” she yelled into a megaphone, which was completely unnecessary since she was standing right behind them. “Promenade! Look lively, Romans! A threat could arrive at any time! You’ve gotta be prepared to square-dance at a moment’s notice!”
“Is it possible to love someone’s vibe,” Will whispered to Nico as they do-si-doed, “and still find them completely annoying?”
“I heard that!” Lavinia blasted the megaphone in their ears. “And I love you too! Now swing your partner, Blondie!”
Next, they did an hour of weight training. Then, when Nico’s arms felt like overcooked noodles, Lavinia took the Fifth Cohort to the archery range.
“You can use a regular bow,” she advised her legionnaires, “but all the real girlies use one of these!”
She brandished her weapon of choice—a heavy-duty two-handed crossbow called a manubalista.
“Nice,” Nico said. “Was the armory out of rocket launchers?”
Lavinia grinned. “Funny! You’re first up, pumpkin!”
Nico proved unable to hold the weapon upright, much less fire it, which delighted Lavinia. “Come on!” she chided him. “My girlfriend is stronger than that, and she’s a poison ivy plant!”
Will used a very normal bow and was able to land all his arrows on the target. None were bull’s-eyes, but he was clearly overjoyed to have made such an improvement.
Finally horns blew from the sentry towers, signaling lunchtime. Will and Nico trudged miserably to the mess hall, then realized they were already late for their afternoon meeting with Asterion. They grabbed sandwiches to go and trudged right back out across the Field of Mars. Nico hoped the Puffs were still asleep in the guest quarters. At leasttheycould relax.
Asterion was waiting for them on the porch of the makeshift mansion. Somehow, he’d found himself an extra-large rocking chair, and was rocking back and forth, knitting what looked like a new sweater. Arielle sat next to him, sipping an iced red beverage that Nico fervently hoped was just Kool-Aid.
Nico found the scene strangely wholesome and domestic—Ma and Pa Mythic at home on the farm.
“Welcome!” the bull-man said in his deep voice. “I am glad you are here.”
“You’re late,” Arielle noted. “Can we get this ‘joint training’ nonsense over with? There is more to be done on our…home.”
She said the last word like it was from a language she didn’t speak. Nico remembered when he couldn’t imagine Camp Half-Blood as a place where he’d ever belong. He wondered if this was how all of Asterion’s friends were feeling.
The bull-man rose from his chair. He held up his new sweater for them to see. It had broad pink and white stripes, with a slogan stitched across the chest in large red letters:I LUV DEMIGODS.
“What do you think?” He directed the question at Arielle. “I thought it might make you seem friendlier to our hosts.”
The empousa glanced at Will. If she’d been able to charmspeak, Nico imagined she would have told himPlease kill me now.
“There’s no way I am wearing that,” she said.
“I think it’s lovely,” Will offered.
“Hmm-moo.” Asterion’s massive shoulders slumped. “Perhaps pink is not Arielle’s color. No matter. Please, demigods, come inside.”
They were just crossing the threshold when Nico heard someone running up the front steps behind them. He turned and found Hazel, out of breath, dressed casually in boots, jeans, and an SPQR T-shirt. Her mass of curly brown hair was pulled back and tied off with a purple scrunchie.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said. “We had to deal with a couple of campers who…” She glanced at the mythics. “Never mind.”
Nico didn’t ask, but he felt a lump of anger hardening in his chest. Why did people have to behave badly?
They walked inside together, and Nico’s grumpiness dissipated as he scanned the room.
