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"Chiron, it's been a month."
Will huffed as Chiron merely nodded in response. He hadn’t expected a rescue party, necessarily, but some concern would’ve been nice.
“I understand that Nico’s whereabouts are very important to you, Will, but you need to realize that this sort of thing happens on quests sometimes. Try not to worry about it too much,” Chiron said, although Will thought he looked weary. Will didn’t come to be consoled, though. He wanted answers.
“Aren’t you worried?” Will asked, adamant that Chiron admit something was amiss. “I haven’t been able to Iris Message him in weeks. They haven’t even connected. I know he’s run away before, but doesn’t that seem a little bit concerning?”
“Yes, I suppose it does,” Chiron sighed. “There isn’t much to do about it, however. He could be anywhere in the world and we would be none the wiser. If you’d like, I can ask around to see if anyone’s heard anything, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. You can do the same, if you’d like.”
Will frowned but nodded. As much as he hated to admit it, Chiron had a point. He had no idea where Nico was, and while that was exactly why he wanted to go out and find him, he didn’t know where to start. Making up his mind, he thought of just who he wanted to talk to.
-
“Couldn’t I at least come?”
Nico rolled his eyes, but gave Will an affectionate little half-smile that was nearly impossible not to kiss. He shook his head.
“It’ll be fine. It’s Underworld stuff, y’know? Probably not good for a son of Apollo.” At Will’s pout, Nico laughed and continued. “Besides, it shouldn’t take too long. If all goes according to plan, I’ll be back in a week.”
“And if it doesn’t? Will you let me know?” Will wanted to believe him, he did, but it stressed him out to no end to watch Nico go off on his own. It wasn’t that he was incapable—in fact, that couldn’t be further from the truth—but the thought of an individual quest by Hades’ command was certainly not comforting.
“I’ll try. No guarantees.” Nico’s expression softened. “I’ll be fine. It’s just a few escaped souls, nothing big. I’ve dealt with worse.”
“That doesn’t exactly make me feel better,” Will grumbled. He trusted his boyfriend to be able to succeed, but he knew how dangerous the world was for demigods. After losing two older brothers, he couldn’t help but worry.
“I’ll be fine,” Nico repeated. He stepped closer to Will and gave him a soft kiss. As soon as he pulled away, Will pulled him closer into a quick, tight hug. Nico chuckled but didn’t hesitate to hug him in return. Will couldn’t help the spark of pride at that. Finally, Nico pulled back. “I have to leave, but I’ll see you soon, okay?”
Will kicked at a stray rock in his path. That had been a month ago, and while Nico had said not to worry, Will could hardly do anything but. Quests stretching in length were never good signs. He was good at distracting himself with work in the infirmary, but anytime he wasn’t healing he felt like he could jump out of his skin.
As he headed to the Apollo cabin, he began doubting himself. He trusted Nico not to run away again, but what if he was still on his quest? What if he ended up calling while Nico was hiding, and gave his position away?
Will shook himself out of his thoughts as he pulled open the door to his cabin and headed toward the bathroom. He’d gone this far, he couldn’t give up yet. Making up his mind, he entered the bathroom and started the sink. After a quick prayer, he flipped a drachma into the stream.
“Nico di Angelo. Your guess is as good as mine as far as where he is, though.” After the water remained the same, Will sighed. “Alright, fine. Hazel Levesque at Camp Jupiter.”
This time, the call connected. Will was greeted with a view of Hazel feeding a horse something shiny—was that gold? He cleared his throat and Hazel looked up.
“Oh, Will! Hi!” she said, giving him a sweet smile. They’s spoken a few times before, but they still didn’t know each other very well. Still, Hazel was kind and would certainly care about her brother’s whereabouts.
“Hey, Hazel,” Will said. “I was wondering if you knew anything about where Nico is?”
At that, her expression fell. A look of concern grew on her face and Will noticed a small gem pop up between her feet.
“No, I’m not sure. He didn’t run off again, did he? I thought he was doing better now…” She trailed off, obviously trying not to give Will the pointed look he was sure someone less polite would’ve certaibly done.
“No, he didn’t run away. Hades had a few jobs for him, but he said they’d only take a week and it’s been about a month now. I thought you might’ve heard something about it.”
Hazel shook her head, a frown crossing her lips.
“I can try to check the Underworld, but I’m not as good at shadowtraveling as he is, sorry. I don’t think…” She shook her head again. “I’m not sure. I’m sorry, Will.”
Will offered her a strained smile.
“Thanks, Hazel. I’ll ask around, I guess.”
“Good luck. I’ll let you know if I hear anything, okay?”
After exchanging goodbyes, Will swiped his hand through the message. He cursed under his breath. Back to square one. A glance at the time showed that he had to join his cabin for the campfire soon. Admitting a temporary defeat, he left the bathroom and reunited with his cabin for the festivities.
-
That night, Will dreamt. It wasn’t unusual for a demigod to dream, especially when said demigod was related to the god of prophecy, but that didn’t mean it was any more pleasant.
Will found himself in Central Park. It was night, and the bustling nightlife of Manhattan was silenced by the air through the trees. Observing the area, he noticed a man sitting atop a cluster of rocks. The man was strumming a lyre and Will felt entranced by the sadness of the song. As he drew closer, the man looked up.
“You aim to retrieve your lover,” the man said, stating it as a fact instead of asking. Stunned, Will could only nod. The man looked sad as he said, “Your search is futile. The son of Hades is already in his father’s domain.”
Will felt like he had just been doused in ice water, but the man did not seem surprised. As he continued to play, Will noticed how the world around him seemed to lean toward the sound. Through his haywire emotions, he was able to realize one thing.
“You’re Orpheus,” he said. The man only nodded and continued to play. Suddenly, Will understood. Orpheus had been a son of Apollo who became so distraught when his wife, Eurydice, died that he created an entrance to the Underworld. Hades had been so moved by his song that he agreed to allow Eurydice to follow Orpheus back to life under the condition that he couldn’t turn around until they reached the living. Orpheus couldn’t hear her footsteps, though, so he turned around to check if she were still there. She was, but he had already sealed her fate. She returned to the Underworld, while he returned and became so depressed that he begged for monsters to kill him. The story didn’t bode well to him, so he elected to ignore it and the resemblance to his own situation and instead said, “So you—he’s in the Underworld?”
“He is. I cannot tell you more than that, only that there is a way to enter. I cannot recommend it, of course, but it is available if that’s what you must choose. Percy Jackson knows of it.”
“Percy?” Will asked desperately, but he could feel himself waking up. As the sunlight hit his eyes, he knew what he’d need to do.
-
“You need to find the Door of Orpheus?”
Percy looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, which he probably had. He was wearing sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt announcing the name of some high school swim team, and as he spoke he let out a big yawn. It was understandable; Will had only waited until 9:00 to call, and Percy didn’t rise with the sun like the Apollo cabin did. Still, he focused on Will with a steady gaze and Will couldn't help but remember why Percy had been to the Underworld last. Determined not to become intimidated, Will nodded.
"Nico is… missing. Last night, I dreamt that Orpheus told me he was in the Underworld and that you'd know what to do." Concern flashed across Percy's face, but Will ignored it. "Can you help me?"
"I mean…" Percy paused, eyeing Will warily. "I can, but you have to know that it's probably a bad idea. I mean, Orpheus telling you to get him from the Underworld has got to be a bad sign, right? That's not exactly a story I'd like to repeat."
"I know," Will sighed. "It's probably a bad idea, but I have to. Knowing there was something I could do and ignoring it? I couldn't do that. I mean, what if it were Annabeth?"
At that, Percy's expression darkened. After a moment, his shoulders slumped and he nodded.
"Okay, I'll help you. I want to help him out, too, and if this is the best idea… I'm in."
Will gave him a tight-lipped smile.
“The Door of Orpheus is in Central Park. I can meet you there this evening if you want. Bring, uh, some sort of instrument.”
Will nodded, making a note to figure out which instrument he sucked at the least. In the message, Percy shifted awkwardly.
“Look, dude, I know I can’t convince you not to do it but just, y’know, be safe. I don’t want to be on the other side of Nico’s wrath if this goes downhill. Or Chiron’s, for that matter.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll be careful. Thanks, Percy.”
“No problem. I’ve gotta go, though. I was supposed to be at breakfast with Annabeth ten minutes ago, so…”
Will laughed. After a quick goodbye, he ended the Iris Message and sighed. It certainly wasn’t his best idea, but he was nothing if not determined. Making up his mind, he left his cabin and made his way to the Big House.
As he crossed the grass, Will spotted the majority of his cabinmates on the volleyball court. He attempted a smile and a friendly wave, but most of his siblings looked away uncomfortably. The rest frowned, concern growing on their faces. Will sighed. Stress and grief, he supposed, were not easy to hide.
Pushing the thought from his mind, he climbed the steps to the Big House and opened the door. Chiron sat in wheelchair form in front of the ping pong table, seemingly engrossed in a book. Will wasted no time on preamble.
“Chiron, I know how to find him.”
Chiron looked up at Will, an unreadable expression on his face. He gestured for Will to continue and placed his book on the table.
“It’s—I need to go to Central Park. Tonight. From there it should only take me a day, and then we’ll both be back here.” He avoided mentioning what he was going to do. Chiron was sure to disapprove, and he couldn’t risk his plan failing. Somehow, though, Chiron seemed to know exactly what he meant. He frowned.
“I see. If you were to go, who would you take with you?” Chiron asked, giving Will a knowing look. Will broke eye contact, dodging his gaze.
“I plan on meeting Percy in the park,” Will said, hoping against hope that Chiron wouldn’t read between the lines. To his disappointment, Chiron had millenia of experience with stubborn demigods. His frown deepened, and he shook his head.
“You wish to go alone? I’m sorry, Will, but I can’t have you risking your life when you don’t even know if he’s in danger.” Chiron rolled himself forward and placed a comforting hand on Will’s shoulder. “You must be patient. I’m sure you understand.”
Will slumped. He knew Chiron wasn’t likely to agree, but hearing the confirmation was like a slap to the face. Knowing he was so close to retrieving Nico but being forbidden from doing so was just another reminder that he was a healer, not a fighter, and in moments of crisis felt absolutely useless. Still, he nodded. Chiron smiled gently at him and gave him a comforting pat.
“Have faith in Nico, Will. He’s a strong young man, and certainly wouldn’t want to see you so worried. Now, I believe the Apollo cabin is in the arena with the Ares cabin. I’m sure you’ll want to attend, if for no other reason than to patch up any unfortunate sword wounds.”
Will forced a smile, but judging by Chiron’s grimace, it looked about as cheery as he felt. As he exited the Big House, he considered what his options were. There was no feasible way for him to make it to Central Park before that evening on foot, and he couldn’t ask Argus to take him. He was about to accept that his plan was fruitless when he spotted Lou Ellen and Cecil leaning against the wall of the Apollo cabin. Cecil waved casually and Lou Ellen beckoned him over when he returned the gesture. Confused, Will made his way over to them.
“Don’t you two have stuff to be doing?” Will called. Nonetheless, he was grateful to see his friends.
“Don’t you?” Lou Ellen retorted. Will shrugged.
“In theory. You obviously have something in mind, though, so what’s up?”
“Listen, dude,” Cecil began, “we heard your conversation with Chiron. What’s your plan?”
Attempting to remain nonchelant, Will shrugged.
“There isn’t one. I’ll just have to wait, I guess,” Will admitted. A thought occurred to him. “Wait, how did you hear that? We were the only ones in the Big House.”
“Just poking around,” Cecil said with a grin. “It’s easy to get into locked rooms when you’ve got the Mist on your side. Which brings me to my next point—we’re gonna help sneak you out.”
Will tried not to gape.
“You—what? How?”
Lou Ellen wiggled her fingers at him.
“Magic, duh.” She grinned wryly. “Take Blackjack. He’ll be eager to see Percy, and you know he likes you after you helped heal him last summer. I’ll make you invisible for long enough for you to leave, and when Chiron notices, we’ll act like we don’t know anything.”
Will bit back a grin.
“I’m glad to know that you guys have this all planned out. I’ll keep that in mind if Cecil ever disappears.
Cecil punched his arm just hard enough to hurt. Lou Ellen just rolled her eyes.
“Look, do you want our help or not?” she asked, giving Will a pointed look. He nodded. “Good. Because honestly, I was getting tired of hearing you mope about Nico.”
Will laughed a real, honest laugh. Even through his stress, just being around his friends was enough to lift his spirits.
“You know, if you wanted me to shut up, you could’ve just said something. No need to sneak me out of camp.”
“No way, dude,” Cecil said. “A dramatic rescue is totally what you need to do. Besides, I don’t think you could shut up about him if you tried. Better you go crash the scene, save his ass, and make him swoon. That way you’ll at least be happy about it.”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to make him swoon. With my questing luck, I’ll probably manage the opposite.” Will paused thoughtfully for a moment, considering what he’d need for his plan to succeed. After thinking it through, there was only one thing he could think of that he still needed to aquire. Grinning at his friends, he asked, “what instrument do you think I suck the least at?”
-
Just before dinner, Will snuck away from his cabin and headed toward the stables. He’d spent the day anxiously watching the time, and though he hadn’t mentioned it to anyone else, he had a feeling that Austin was onto him. They’d spent an hour together in the infirmary sorting supplies, and his brother had been shooting him glances the entire time. Still, he’d made up his mind.
As he approached the stables, he spotted Lou Ellen. She nodded at him, and he crept inside, praying to the gods that no one noticed him.
“Cecil’s going to dinner. He said that would make us less obvious, but I think he was probably just hungry,” Lou Ellen said as a way of greeting. Will chuckled.
Blackjack paced in his stall. Will wondered if he could sense his nervousness, or if he was just hoping that they’d brought sugarcubes. Will opened his stall and Blackjack trotted out, clearly eager to leave.
“Hey, Blackjack. I need to meet up with Percy in Central Park. Can you get me there?” Will asked, patting the pegasus’ nuzzle. Blackjack whinnied in response, seeming to gesture towards his back. “Great. Thanks, Blackjack. I’ll get you some donuts when I get back to camp.”
That seemed to motivate Blackjack even more. Within a nick of time, Will was hoisting himself and his bag onto his back, and before he knew it, they were flying invisibly through the sky.
Will hadn’t spent much time riding pegasi before. Sure, he’d done it, but it wasn’t his go-to activity. Even so, he knew that flying around camp was nothing like flying through the open air. The Long Island Sound flew by underneath them as Will considered his situation. He’d brought a ukelele with him, like Cecil had suggested. He wasn’t great at it, but it was small enough that he was able to sneak it off without a problem. He’d also brought a bow and arrows, even though his archery skills were somehow worse than his musical skills. He had a bit of food, an emergency medical kid (finally, something he actually felt prepared to use), and—what else? A half-formed idea based on a dream? If it weren’t him doing it, he’d tell the quest-goer that they were out of their mind. As it was, though, he was the one doing it, so he had to be prepared—at least, that’s what he told himself as he landed and spotted Percy waiting in the distance. Steeling himself, he thanked Blackjack for his help, and headed over to the cluster of rocks he recognized from his dream.
Percy looked up as he approached. He didn’t smile, but Will could see the relief in his body language.
“Good. I’m glad you made it. Um…” Percy glanced around them cautiously before gesturing to the rocks. “So there’s the Door of Orpheus. You’ll need to open it with music. I know you’re not really into the whole music part of Apollo, but Grover was able to open it with his reed pipes, so you’re probably fine.”
Will nodded, taking a shaky breath as he approached the rocks. They appeared normal, but as he grew closer, he could sense the power below. It seemed like sadness radiated from the rocks, and as he neared, a spirit he now recognized as Orpheus materialized in front of him. He registered Percy making a sound of alarm, but ignored it.
“So you decided to follow my path,” Orpheus said. Will could practically feel the despair radiating off of him in waves. Still, he nodded.
“You knew I would.”
“Yes, I did,” Orpheus agreed. “I’d recommend you learn from my mistakes, but it seems like it’s too late for that. Instead, I’ll offer my blessing.”
Apparently, that was enough to make Percy speak up.
“Your blessing?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Orpheus nodded his assent.
“He is a fellow son of Apollo. I’m willing to help him succeed where I once failed. I can’t help directly, but I can aid you in opening the Door and offer a moment of clarity when you need it most.”
“Why?” Percy asked, but Orpheus kept his gaze steady on Will as he answered.
“I couldn’t persuade him not to follow in my footsteps. If nothing else, I may be able to change how the story ends,” Orpheus answered. “I’d like to see my tragedy lead to some happiness.”
“Thank you,” Will said, and he was surprised to feel that he entirely meant it. Even so, he shifted awkwardly on his feet. “I have an instrument with me, but I’m not the best musician. I hope my playing doesn’t offend you too much.”
Whatever musical gift Will believed himself to be lacking, however, seemed to emerge as soon as he began to play. A song he had never heard flowed from his fingers like second nature, and the rocks ahead of him began to crumble and part. The song he played was tragic and beautiful, and a glance at Orpheus told him it was all the spirit’s doing. As the song ended, the Door opened. With a sad smile, Orpheus nodded once to him and disappeared. Will and Percy both stood in silence for a moment.
“Um, so…” Percy began, trailing off before he was able to say anything. Still, Will understood.
“You don’t have to come with me,” Will said, offering Percy what he hoped was a comforting smile. “I should be fine on my own.”
He could tell Percy was hiding his relief as he nodded. He obviously didn’t want to go with him, and Will definitely didn’t want to force him. Percy clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a nervous grin.
“You should probably hurry before that closes again. But, uh, good luck, Will. Seriously.”
After saying his thanks and waving a quick goodbye, Will stepped into the tunnel. The passage was dark and tight around him, and he realized with a pang of regret very quickly that he hadn’t brought a torch. Still, he trekked onward for what felt like hours. Each step he took echoed like a heartbeat around the tunnel, and suddenly he understood Orpheus’ pain. Walking through the dark, he felt like he could never reach the Underworld, much less see the sunlight again. With only his thoughts to keep himself company, it was easy to slip into such distressing thoughts, but he forced himself to focus only on the path ahead.
After what felt like an eternity, he reached the mouth of the tunnel, but the sight before him was no more comforting than the darkness behind him. The River Styx twisted and turned across the land like a sluggish snake covered in the remains of millions of long-dead dreams. The gates stood tall in front of the land of the dead, and the only thing more frightening was Cerberus, standing attently in front of the gates. The leftmost head began to snarl at him as he approached, but Will had a plan in mind. Offering a quick prayer to Orpheus and Apollo, be began to play his instrument again.
For a terrible moment, nothing happened. Just as the other heads began to take notice, though, the song he’d played earlier began to spring from his fingertips once again. Cerberus swayed slightly and then promptly fell asleep, crushing a pour soul underneath its hind leg. Anxious to continue, Will headed through the nearest gate.
The Fields of Asphodel sprawled out before him, a seemingly infinite stretch of land covered in millions of souls wandering aimlessly. As if his body had a mind of its own, Will stepped nearer to the crowd. He froze as soon as he realized what he was doing. Horrified, he turned away, ignoring the sad chattering of the dead and the uncomfortable cold feeling in his stomach.
The Underworld wasn’t what he expected. The dead did not cling to him, envious of his life. Hellhounds didn’t chase him across the land of the dead. It was simply… sad. It was as if the land itself was dead, full of people with unfulfilled dreams and long-forgotten ambitions. Distantly, he could hear the screams of the tortured in the fields of punishment, and as he walked past Elysium, he swore he could hear familiar voices laughing and talking. He forced himself not to focus on what he was sure was Lee’s voice, and continued towards Hades’ palace.
As Will approached the obsidian palace, the doubt he’d been ignoring crept up his spine, leaving him feeling like he’d been doused in ice. What was he thinking, sneaking into the Underworld to retrieve Nico? His heartache had given him the courage to come this far, but what would he do afterward? Would Nico even be willing to leave his father’s domain?
Shaking off his fear, Will eyed the garden before him. He’d heard of Persephone’s garden, but nothing could prepare him for actually being in its presence. Even without much knowledge of plants, Will couldn’t help but gasp at the beauty of it all. Flowers he had never seen before sprawled across the ground, covering the Underworld in color. Trees grew to impossible heights, twisting and turning as if reaching toward the life above. An array of colors and flora lined the path. Taking a deep breath, Will began to walk.
The pathway curved slowly through the garden, displaying its impressive array of greenery. After a few minutes of walking, Will froze, taken aback by the garden’s centerpiece.
Pomegranate trees arched over the path and spread across the land. Each one looked regal and smelled absolutely divine. Will had never been particularly partial to them before, but walking through Persephone’s pomegranate orchard, he began to have second thoughts. The tart smell filled the air and he almost—almost—reached for one.
Brushing off his temptation, he continued through the garden. The trekk may well have been an hour, but eventually, he reached the palace gates. Flanked on each side by skeletal soldiers, the door before him stood dark and foreboding. A glance at the guards told him that fighting them would almost certainly be fatal, but they didn't do anything more than stare as he walked past.
Entering the palace, Will remembered a time Nico had told him about his father's realm. They had been in the Hades cabin just after Will had finished an infirmary shift. Exhausted, Will had flopped across Nico as soon as he'd seen his boyfriend sitting on his bed playing something on his DS.
"Tell me something," Will had said after he finishes lamenting the day's patients. Nico had hummed thoughtfully, lazily playing with Will's hair.
"Did I ever tell you that I have a room in my dad's palace?" Nico had said, laughing at Will's incredulous look. "It's true! I've spent a lot of time down there, and it's not like he has many other kids, so he made me a room. It's… nice, I guess. The whole palace is based off of Olympus, but if Olympus turned goth or something. I think he meant it as an act of defiance, but I think it just seems sad."
Looking around, Will understood what Nico had meant. The entire palace seemed as if it had been inverted from the Olympus he'd seen before. It had an air of loneliness about it. As he observed the room, the centerpiece was impossible to miss: two thrones, one made of silver and the other of bone, sat against the far wall. Despite the different material, the two were incredibly similar in appearance but for one thing: the throne of silver was empty.
Nervously, Will knelt to Hades. Fear trickled into his mind, but as he stood, he attempted to remain confident.
"Lord Hades. I have come to, uh, pick up your son. I heard he'd gotten into some trouble so I thought I'd…"
"Take him home?" Hades finished. The god's expression was unreadable as Will nodded. "And why exactly should I let you do that?"
Will gulped. He hadn't thought that far ahead.
"I don't exactly have a gift or anything," Will explained nervously, "but Orpheus granted me safe passage here. I could, uh, play you a song? Although, I'm not sure if the blessing still applies, and I've been told I'm a pretty lousy musician for a son of Apollo, so that might be more of a punishment than anything."
For a moment, Hades frowned. Then, shockingly, he did the opposite—Hades laughed. Baffled, Will stared speechlessly at the god.
"I don't know that I've ever been threatened with bad music by a son of Apollo before. I admire your bravery, Will Solace." At that, Hades snapped at one of his skeleton guards. It shambled wordlessly down a hallway. Will furrowed his brow in confusion, but Hades gave him a sly, withering smile and shook his head once. Will bit back the question on his lips and frowned. After a few long minutes, though, he heard a voice he almost thought he'd never hear again.
"—told you, I'm going to leave in a few days. I don't need…" Nico called, exasperation clear in his voice as he walked home the room. As soon as his eyes landed on Will, his sentence trailed off. Wide-eyed, he stared, a mix of emotions flitting across his face. Finally, he broke the silence. "...Will?"
"Son," Hades remarked far too casually, "this boy has committed a serious crime. He has broken into my realm, entered my home without warning or invite, and is now demanding I let you go. What do you propose I do?"
"I…" Nico murmured. He stared at Will like he couldn't decide between being shocked, angry, or thrilled. Will, for one, understood. He couldn't help but drink in the image of Nico before him, pale and strong and tense. He had nearly forgotten about Hades until the god cleared his throat.
"Perhaps I will leave him to you," Hades said, fixing Nico with a pointed look. "Do what you see fit. I will trust your judgement."
With that rather surprising statement, Hades rose from his chair and strolled from the room. The air was frozen for a moment, and then Will rushed forward.
He didn't know who had taken the first step, but in a moment, they met each other in the center with a tight hug. Will relished in the feeling for what felt simultaneously like hours and a few short seconds, but soon, he pulled back just enough to look at Nico.
"You're here," Will breathed. Nico nodded wordlessly and then surged forward again, kissing Will with a sort of ferocity only fear could bring about. Will, for one, was happy to return it. All too soon, they broke apart again.
"What are you doing here?" Nico asked. Even after separating, they stood close together. Will couldn't ignore the intense look in Nico's eyes, like he was frightened and overjoyed and annoyed all at once. Will shrugged.
"I came to get you," he said. At Nico's quizzical look, he continued. "You were gone for so long. I was—I was really worried. And then I had a dream about Orpheus and he said you were already here, so…"
Nico gawked.
"So you snuck into the Underworld because Orpheus, the guy who tried to do exactly that and failed, told you to? Gods, you're starting to sound like Percy."
"I did get his help to open the Door," Will admitted with an embarrassed chuckle. Looking back, it may not have been his best-made plan. "Still, you can't tell me it's not a little romantic that I came down here to get you out."
"You sound like your dad," Nico said, rolling his eyes. Still, the happiness was plain on his face. "Couldn't you have waited? I was going to go back in a few days."
"You said a few days when you left. How was I supposed to know? Gods, Nico, I thought you were dead!"
Nico's expression softened, the teasing expression slipping off to reveal something more tender.
"Of course I'm not dead. I know how to take care of myself, Will. I just ran into some stuff I wasn't expecting and it took longer than I planned." Nico's voice was kind, soothing in a way Will had only heard in times when he had been at his breaking point. It was the tone he'd heard when patients had died, when he'd spent days on end taking the night shift, and Will noticed with shock that he was verging on tears. He took a deep breath to calm himself.
"What happened?" Will asked. "Why did it take so long?"
Nico sighed.
"I was on a quest for Hades," he explained. "There were a few escaped souls causing some problems, so I went to track them down. They were harder to find than I thought, though, and they were strong. It took me almost two weeks to find them, and once I did, I was unprepared. I ended up opening a rift to the Underworld and dragging them back myself, but I was pretty badly injured during the fight. I decided to stay here to recover and come back once I was strong enough." He nudged Will lightheartedly. "I assumed you wouldn't want me shadowtraveling to you while bleeding out."
That set off Will's healer instincts. Furrowing his brow, he scanned Nico's body for any obvious injuries. Nico laughed, bringing his attention back up to his face when he didn't notice anything immediately amiss.
"It's almost healed now, but I'll let you examine it when we get back. Speaking of which, we should probably leave soon. I don't want another rescue party coming after you."
Leaving. While the thought was certainly nice, Will couldn't help but remember the ending of the myth he'd been repeating.
"Is your dad going to make you walk behind me?" Will asked, and Nico laughed again.
"I don't think so. Here, grab my hand." Nico held his arm out to Will, who gladly accepted. In an instant, the world melted to black, and Will was reminded of just how much he hated shadowtraveling.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself on the front porch of the Big House face to face with an aggravated-looking centaur. Chiron huffed in annoyance as Will stumbled backwards, dragging Nico with him. Nico, for his part, looked faint, but he gave Will a thumbs up regardless. Chiron cleared his throat.
"I'm glad to see you back, Will, although I believe I recall telling you to remain at camp," Chiron said, obviously irritated. Will gave him a sheepish smile.
"Wait," Nico said, staring at Will as if he'd sprouted a second head, "you snuck out? Are you serious?"
"Yes, Nico, he did," Chiron said, visibly softening. "I'm glad to see you well, by the way. In the future, however, I'd recommend answering your Iris Messages to prevent certain healers from disappearing on their own rescue missions again. You had us quite worried."
"Iris Messages…?" Nico wondered aloud.
"I tried calling you," Will explained. "None of my messages would connect. It didn't do much to convince me you were okay."
A look of understanding dawned on Nico's face. Still, he rolled his eyes.
"You can't IM the Underworld,” he explained. “Imagine if people could message the dead. They just don't reach that far."
"You aren't dead, though. Shouldn't it have been able to reach you?"
Nico waved has hand, dismissing the thought.
"That's beside the point. I'm obviously an exception."
"Regardless," Chiron said, "I'm truly glad you two are safe. However, Will, I'm sure you understand that I must punish you in some way. I can't have campers risking their lives on a whim even more than usual, and as a counselor, you set quite an example for others."
Will nodded.
"Still, we can discuss that in the morning. It's quite late, and I'm sure you two are exhausted. Goodnight, boys, and sleep well."
-
As it turned out, Will’s punishment was cleaning the stables. It certainly wasn’t how he would like to spend his day, per se, but it wasn’t so bad. He’d brought Blackjack the donuts he had been promised, and by some miracle of fate—or, more likely, Chiron turning a blind eye—the Hades cabin happened to be scheduled to clean that day, too, so Will was able to spend the day with Nico (even if it was while covered in pegasus droppings.) They finished their cleaning just before dinnertime. As they were tidying up, Will nudged Nico’s shoulder with his own.
“Can you believe I was lucky enough that Hades didn’t punish me for sneaking in and stealing you away?” Will mused. “I mean, not even Orpheus succeeded that. I must be pretty good, huh?”
Nico snorted and gave Will a funny look.
“You know you can’t even get to his palace without his approval, right?” Nico asked, still gazing at Will with an expression that was somewhere between affection and exasperation. “He totally knew what he was doing. It wasn’t some mistake that he left us alone.”
Will blanched. Nico laughed again.
“You didn’t know that? Maybe you really should stick to healing.”
“You wound me,” Will said, pouting at Nico. “So, wait. If he knew I was coming, why would he let me just… walk up to his palace? Couldn’t his guards have done something about it?”
"Maybe because I'm not dead so you weren't exactly stealing from the Underworld?” Nico suggested with a shrug. “Or maybe because it's me and, uh, it's you?"
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Will teased. Nico turned away indignantly, but not before Will could notice a light dusting of red across his cheeks.
"You know. I mean, he—he knows who you are. He's heard of you before."
“You talk to your dad about me?” Will ‘aww’ed, earning himself an elbow to the gut.
“Shut up,” Nico laughed. “Maybe he just let you in because he knew you aren’t a threat.”
“Dork.”
“Asshole.”
“That’s cold!” Will exlaimed, gasping dramatically. Nico rolled his eyes.
“Anyone who’s said you’re nothing like your dad hasn’t spent enough time around you,” Nico said, despite his barely-hidden smile.
“You’re a sap,” Will replied, “and closet romantic. I can’t believe people think you’re scary.”
Nico stuck his tongue out at Will, who laughed and slung an arm over his shoulder. Deciding the stables were sufficiently neat, the two headed toward the pavilion for dinner, continuing their playful bickering all the way over. After getting some grief from his siblings for his attempted rescue mission, Will was finally able to make his way to the fire. He did his usual prayer to Apollo (or, more accurately, for Apollo, because he certainly wasn’t in any place to be answering prayers at the moment) and hesitated. Taking a deep breath, he performed his second sacrifice.
Hades, thank you for allowing me to enter your kingdom yesterday and come home with Nico. I may have been a little dramatic, but it’s definitely appreciated regardless.
Once he was finished, he headed back toward his table. Nico gave him a questioning look, gaze lingering on Will’s plate, but Will just grinned.
Hey, Orpheus, he thought. I did it.