Chapter 6

Once Nico shadow-traveled away, Will felt light-headed, and weird. Distant. He grabbed onto the side of a coffin-like bed to keep him steady. It was the only way he could stay standing. "This isn't right." He muttered to himself, scrunching his eyebrows together in confusion. "I...I need to go get some help." With that, he stumbled to the Apollo cabin on shaky legs, and gripped the door frame for support. Luckily, Austin happened to be inside, staring out the window. He turned his head to look at Will. "Hey, man, how are...." He seemed to notice Will's condition. He jumped up from his bed, and ran over, his expression changing from calm to worried. "What's wrong?" Will needed a minute to answer. "I don't know. Nico and I got into an argument, and after he shadow traveled, I started to feel light-headed, weird, distant, and shaky. It could be from stress, of course, but..." "You aren't stressed." Austin finished for him. "No, I'm not. Maybe I need a few days in the Infirmary until we know what's...wrong." Will could feel his eyelids growing heavy. His thoughts left him. "Hey, Will, stay with me! You can't...." He couldn't feel his grip on the frame loosen, and his knees buckled, sending him into a dark space.

******

Will didn't know if he was dreaming, or if he was awake. Everything seemed real and nothing seemed real at the same time. It confused him. But he found himself at his worst. First, he grieved over Michael's death, tears streaming down his face. Then, he watched as Gaea rose, utterly helpless, and thought the world would end right there and then. Next, he saw himself in Tartarus, leaving a sleeping Nico to see if regeneration pods had any healing abilities. After that, he couldn't remember. Everything came at him faster, and faster, getting worse and worse, until-"WILL! WAKE UP! WE'VE GOT A SITUTAION!" He flew forward, and opened his eyes, both terrified and confused once he registered the skeletons trying to pin Apollo kids to the ground. "Send them back!" Kayla yelled, struggling between a skeleton, and the wall. "I second that!" Austin shouted, holding a skeleton in a headlock. Will blinked. How had....? Did he and Nico.....? "I don't know how!" He shouted, staring at his hands, as if the solution was written on them. "Try and imagine them sinking back into the ground! That might work." Kayla told him, now holding her attacker against the wall. He nodded, and closed us eyes, wishing they would go back to Tartarus, wishing they would leave his siblings alone. And when he opened his eyes, they were gone, as if nothing had happened. Instantly, Austin and Kayla rushed over to him, but didn't crowd him. "Dude, you were jerking in your sleep-" Austin started, an eyebrow raised. "And yelping. Like-" Kayla interrupted, a paniked look on her face. "Nico." Will finished, piecing it all together. "Wait-where is he, anyway?" Kayla made a timeout sign. "Hold up, Solace, you summoned skeletons in your sleep-" "While yelping and jerking-" "And you ask where di Angelo is?!" Will slid his legs over the cot. "I'll explain later. First, I need to find him. Be right back!" And, before they could protest, he pictured his boyfriend's face, longing to see him, and needing to know if he was ok. Shadows wrapped around him, and it made him so cold, he hugged himself. He did not like shadow traveling. But it seemed to work. He found Nico at the entrance of Camp Jupiter, face-first on the ground, passed out. "Nico!" He knelt next to his grumpy little ball of darkness, and went to check and make sure he was ok, when he stirred, and opened his eyes. He propped himself up on his arms. "Will? Wait-what happened?! I-" "You passed out after shadow traveling, from what it looks like. Just like I passed out after you left..." For the first time, Will noticed the son of Hades was glowing, like he used to. So, his theory was correct. "Nico, hold onto me. We're going back to Camp." "But....how? You can't..." He trailed off. Then he realized. "Oh, oh. I see." He took Will's hand, and they both pictured Camp, or, more specifically, the infirmary. Once they landed, Kayla jumped back, and Austin hit the floor, he jerked back so hard. "We'll let you know what happened."