𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐢━━Nico di Angelo

57

Despite the midday heat and the raging storm of death energy, a group of tourists was climbing over the ruins. Fortunately there weren't many, and they didn't give the demigods a second look.

Ajax had assured the others they could literally run around naked and the mortals still wouldn't look at them twice.

He had seen Nico turn red across the deck when he said it.

Nico led the way now. At the top of the hill, they climbed over an old retaining wall and down into an excavated trench. Finally they arrived at a stone doorway leading straight into the side of the hill. The death storm seemed to originate right above their heads. He could feel something ancient, something powerful. It was nauseating. Looking up at the swirling tentacles of darkness, Ajax felt like he was trapped at the bottom of a flushing toilet bowl. That really didn't calm his nerves.

Nico and Ajax made eye contact.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

In and out. In and out.

In and out. In and out.

Okay, he could do this. Being a little petty, Ajax broke eye contact first, looking at Jason. He didn't catch Nico's frown deepening.

Nico faced the group. "From here, it gets tough."

"Sweet," Leo said. "'Cause so far I've totally been pulling my punches."

Nico glared at him. If he didn't like Leo before, Ajax could feel his hatred for the boy now. "We'll see how long you keep your sense of humor. Remember, this is where pilgrims came to commune with dead ancestors. Underground, you may see things that are hard to look at, or hear voices trying to lead you astray in the tunnels. Frank, do you have the barley cakes?"

"What?" Frank had been deep in thought.

"I've got the cakes," Ajax said. He pulled out the magical barley crackers they'd made from the grain Triptolemus had given them in Venice.

Treasure, Hecate had called it. It looked lame in his hands.

"Eat up," Nico advised, he glanced at Ajax from the corner of his eye. Ajax was all he could think of. He couldn't imagine what he must be thinking, going to a place of death, where death was so close as someone terrified of dying.

Nico was suddenly struck with the conversation he had had with Ajax. The one where he said he would have to go to the underworld after this.

Maybe that was for the best. Maybe Nico should move on.

It was hard to remember that Ajax was technically dead. He died. Because of Nico.

Ajax chewed his cracker of death and tried not to gag. It reminded him of a cookie made with sawdust instead of sugar.

"Yum," Piper said as she made a face.

"Okay." Nico choked down the last of his barley. "That should protect us from the poison."

"Poison?" Leo asked. "Did I miss the poison? 'Cause I love poison."

"Soon enough," Nico promised. "Just stick close together, and maybe we can avoid getting lost or going insane."

On that happy note, Nico led them underground.

The tunnel spiraled gently downward, the ceiling supported by white stone arches that reminded Ajax of a whale's rib cage.

As they walked, Hazel ran her hands along the masonry. "This wasn't part of a temple," she whispered. "This was...the basement for a manor house, built in later Greek times."