Through the Ice ― Nico di Angelo & Will Solace

―v. isaac & nico go to jail (kind of)

THEY EMERGED FROM THE SHADOWS to Frank Zhang and Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano freaking out—or, well, the closest to freaking out that Reyna got, at least.

"Nico!" Frank said, startled. "Isaac, what—?"

Nico wavered, forcing Isaac to reach out to steady him. Luckily he didn't pass out, but it took him a few seconds to stop looking like he was about to.

"Basement," he said eloquently.

Isaac shook off the lingering disorientation and elaborated, "We need to go downstairs. There's a flower we need to pluck."

Reyna blinked. "I... what?"

Frank raised an eyebrow. "Quest?"

"Unfortunately," Nico said.

Reyna sighed, plucking a set of keys and leading the way to a stairwell in the back. "You said you have to pluck a flower?"

"Snowdrop," Nico explained. "Apparently it's what's causing the blizzard here and in six other places, including Camp Half-Blood."

"I told you it wasn't global warming," Frank muttered under his breath.

"It could've been," Reyna said defensively. She unlocked the heavy-looking door and warned, "Watch your step," before leading the way down the dark stairwell.

Isaac had never done anything to get put in the prisons below the principia—they were supposedly reserved for the worst crimes, like treason or murder. Octavian likely would have ended up down here if he hadn't been a complete and utter dumbass and got himself launched into the sky like a screeching comet.

The basement prison was pitch-black and humid—and warm, which made all the extra layers Isaac had on deeply uncomfortable. The floor was predictably soft—just as Isaac had suspected, the building team hadn't gotten to replacing the flooring just yet.

"How big is this place?" Nico asked as they walked.

"Not big," Reyna promised. "We only have a dozen cells down here—there's never been a need for any more."

"Thankfully," Frank added.

Reyna led them further into the basement. Isaac was about to wonder how they were supposed to find the flower when he spotted it—just, there, planted in the center of one of the cells.

"Hey, look," he said, pointing it out.

The snowdrop looked like the picture Sun-hee had drawn—green stem and drooping white bud. It was glowing an eerie white, which was probably the only reason Isaac could even see it, given how dark it was down here.

"So we just... pluck it?" Nico asked Isaac.

Isaac shrugged. "I think so."

Reyna took her set of keys and unlocked the cell that was unwittingly holding the snowdrop prisoner. Isaac moved to step inside, but Nico grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"What if it's booby-trapped?" Nico asked.

Isaac squinted at the flower. "I don't think we have any other choice but to try," he said. He looked at the bars, glowing a faint gold in the darkness. "These are Imperial gold, right?"

Frank nodded. "Nearly impossible to break or cut through."

Isaac nodded. "I'll go in and you can lock the door behind me. I'll pluck the flower—if something goes wrong or it is booby-trapped, it should be contained, right?"

"Are you kidding?" Nico demanded. "That's a stupid idea."

"No, it's not," Isaac argued. "It's the best option. If plucking the flower triggers something, it shouldn't go past the bars. I'll be the only one in danger."