Page 43 of The Court of the Dead
“I tried to get to him,” Hazel said, “but—”
“No shadows in the middle of the highway,” Nico guessed. Even if they’d tried, shadow-travel didn’t have pinpoint accuracy. Hazel or Nico might teleport right in front of an eighteen-wheeler. In fact, if it weren’t for the double-wide lines painted between the second and third lanes, Orcus wouldn’t have had any room to cower. It was a miracle he hadn’t been hit yet.
“He was calling for you,” Hazel told Nico. “That’s why I came to get you.”
“Forme?” Nico wasn’t sure whether to feel honored or singled out. “Okay, okay, let’s get as close as we can.”
They made their way down the median, horns blaring and drivers yelling at them to get out of the middle of the highway, as if they might not have thought of that themselves.
“Orcus!” Nico called when they were within shouting range. “I’m here!”
“Nico?” The griffin poked his head out from beneath his wings. He looked so small and scared. The panic in his eyes broke Nico’s heart. “H-help! Help me!”
“Hold on, buddy!” Nico said. “I’m coming!”
He turned to Hazel. “Can you still manipulate the Mist?”
“I— Yes. Yes, I can do that. What do you need?”
Nico told her his idea. “It’s going to have to be gradual, though, so we don’t cause a million-car pileup.”
Hazel nodded. She took a breath and stared intently at the griffin. The air turned colder.
Right in front of Orcus, a bright orange traffic barrel shimmered into existence, with a flashing light and a sign that readROAD WORK AHEAD.The traffic slowed and veered around it.
“Perfect,” Nico said. “Now if you can make me a path…”
Hazel kept her gaze on the griffin, as if she were shielding him with sheer willpower…which she pretty much was. A row of traffic cones with lights and arrows popped into being, one after the other, slowly encroaching on the fast lanes, directing traffic to the right. Cars swerved and laid on their horns, but none of them crashed into one another. Nico supposed Bay Area drivers were used to unexpected obstacles. After another minute, Hazel had created a slowdown guaranteed to ruin thousands of commuters’ mornings, but the lanes between Nico and Orcus were clear.
“Can’t—hold it—long,” Hazel warned through gritted teeth. Her eyes were tearing up; her legs shook from the effort.
Nico hopped the guardrail and dashed toward Orcus.
“I got you,” he said, scooping up the griffin, and then he gasped in pain as Orcus dug his sharp claws into Nico’s forearms. Apparently, grabbing a panicking griffin was as dangerous as grabbing a drowning swimmer. Orcus was a shivering ball of nerves, no heavier than an average house cat. Judging from the smell of his fur and feathers, he’d been farting. A lot.
“I’m sorry,” the griffin whimpered. “What is this place? What are those things?”
Nico realized he meant the cars. Had he never seen a highway before?
“Doesn’t matter right now,” said Nico. “We’ve got to get you out of here.”
This part should’ve been easy: just cut across two lanes to get back to the guardrail. But at that moment, Hazel’s knees buckled. The illusion of traffic barriers vaporized. This left nothing between Nico and—of course—an eighteen-wheeler, whose driver was so delighted to have the fast lanes clear ahead of him that he hit the gas. Apparently, because the Mist had a sense of humor, the driver didn’t see Nico holding his griffin.
Nico panicked. No time to jump aside. No time to concentrate.
His eyes happened to fix on the metal doors that marked the entrance to Camp Jupiter. Two guards there were gesturing at him frantically, urging him to move. That was all Nico needed. He jumped forward, into the shadow of the truck that was about to hit him, Orcus howling in his arms.
A flash of cold darkness, and he materialized at the tunnel’s entrance, collapsing at the feet of the sentries.
“Julius Caesar!” cursed Yazan. “That was close.”
He and the other sentry, Deion, helped Nico to his feet.
“What did you justdo?” asked Deion. “Can you beam yourself around like onStar Trek?”
Nico didn’t bother answering. He was too busy checking Orcus for injuries.
“I—I am fine, Nico di Angelo,” said Orcus, pressing his beak against Nico’s chest. “Thank you for rescuing me. I knew you would.”
