Chapter I

Nico Di Angelo

I sat silently on my bed, staring down at my shoes. The black Converse were covered in Sharpie. I had owned them for years—since sometime after leaving the Lotus Casino with Bianca. My eyes drifted around the Hades cabin. It was dark and cold, all the walls painted black, which bothered me a little. It felt like a stereotype, as if all children of Hades were supposed to be vampires.

There were only two bunk beds—one in the far corner, farthest from the door, and one along the wall leading to the bathroom. I usually liked being alone, but the quiet felt heavy tonight. I missed Hazel. She was still at Camp Jupiter with Frank, and though I wanted to see her, I was certain I would die if I shadow-travelled again.

My whole body ached. I had never felt more drained. Chiron insisted I stop by the infirmary to get checked out, but I didn't want to. I didn't want to see anyone. Even though I was finally back at Camp Half-Blood, I still didn't feel welcome here.

A sudden knock echoed through the cabin, startling me. The sound felt strange after so much silence.

"Come in," I said. My voice sounded small—smaller than usual, I mean.

The door creaked open, and a streak of sunlight broke through the dark.

"Hey," a warm voice said.

I looked up to see a boy about my age standing in the doorway.

"Are you Nico?" he asked.

I could already tell he was a son of Apollo; I could feel it in the way his presence radiated warmth and life. I nodded and slowly stood, but the room blurred. I had sat up too quickly.

He stepped inside, glancing around curiously. "I've never been in here before."

I nodded again, unsure what to say.

"I'm Will Solace." He held out his hand. I shook it briefly. His skin was warm. I pulled away quickly.

Will ran his fingers through his blond curls. "So, Chiron told me you'd be stopping by the infirmary, and when you didn't show up, I got a little worried." He laughed awkwardly, the sound was bright and natural, it made something twist in my chest.

I was surprised he had come all the way here, but then again, he was a healer.

"Oh—yeah, sorry," I muttered, scratching the side of my arm. "I was tired."

He nodded, checking something on his clipboard. "That's okay. Let's get going?"

I suppressed a sigh. I would rather stay in my cabin, even if it meant being alone. I did not want to see anyone—especially not someone like Will. People always unsettled me; I could feel the pulse of their lives too vividly. That was why I preferred the dead.

We walked in silence toward the infirmary, which suited me just fine. I had never been good at small talk. We passed campers going about their day outside their cabins. I did not know any of them. Grover was the only familiar face I had here, but he was usually gone helping demigods find their way to camp. I wished Jason were here. Or Annabeth. Or literally anyone I actually knew.

"Here we are!" Will's voice broke through my thoughts, clear and cheerful.

The infirmary stood near the Big House—a smaller building, with tents set up outside for check-ins. Will waved to a girl at the front, another child of Apollo, who was talking to an injured camper.

"Hey, Will!" she called, smiling.

We stepped inside, and the faint smell of death hit me immediately, making my stomach turn. Another healer nodded at Will as he helped a camper to another room. Everyone seemed to like him here, which, I supposed, made sense. Everyone liked Apollo kids.

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