𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 ²

Chapter 61

V - Five
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Hazel

HAZEL FELT LIKE SHE'D JUST INTRODUCED two nuclear bombs. Now she was waiting to see which one exploded first.

  Until that morning, her brother Nico had been the most powerful demigod she knew. The others at Camp Jupiter saw him as a traveling oddball, about as harmless as the fauns. Hazel knew better. She hadn't grown up with Nico, hadn't even known him very long. But she knew Nico was more dangerous than Reyna, or Octavian, or maybe even Jason.

  Then she'd met (y/n).

  At first, when she saw him stumbling up the highway with the old lady in his arms, Hazel had thought he might be a god in disguise. Even though he was beat up, dirty, and stooped with exhaustion, he'd had an aura of power. He had the good looks of a Roman god, with pearl white eyes and wind blown dark hair with the faded green roots.

  She'd ordered Frank not to fire on him. She thought the gods might be testing them. She'd heard myths like that: a kid with an old lady begs for shelter, and when the rude mortals refuse—boom, they get turned into banana slugs.

  Then (y/n) had controlled the shadows and destroyed the gorgons. He'd turned a pen into a black sword, similar to Nico's. He'd stirred up the whole camp with talk about the graecus.

  A son of the moon goddess…

  Long ago, Hazel had been told that a descendant of Diana would save her. But could (y/n) really take away her curse? It seemed too much to hope for.

  (y/n) and Nico shook hands, standing at the exact same height. They studied each other warily, and Hazel fought the urge to run. If these two busted out the magic swords, things could get ugly.

  Nico didn’t appear scary. He was skinny and sloppy in his rumpled black clothes. His hair, as always, looked like he’d just rolled out of bed.

  Hazel remembered when she’d met him. The first time she’d seen him draw that black sword of his, she’d almost laughed. The way he called it “Stygian iron,” all serious-like—he’d looked ridiculous. This scrawny white boy was no fighter. She certainly hadn’t believed they were related.

  She had changed her mind about that quick enough.

  (y/n) scowled. "I know ya'... Chico de muerte..."

  Nico raised his eyebrows. "Do you?" He looked at Hazel for explanation.

  Hazel hesitated. Something about her brother’s reaction wasn’t right. He was trying hard to act casual, but when he had first seen (y/n), Hazel had noticed his momentary look of panic. Nico already knew (y/n). She was sure of it. Why was he pretending otherwise?

  Hazel forced herself to speak. "Um…(y/n) lost his memory." She told her brother what had happened since (y/n) had arrived at the gates.

  "So, Nico…" she continued carefully, "I thought…you know, you travel all over. Maybe you’ve met demigods like (y/n) before, or…"

  Nico’s expression turned as dark as Tartarus. Hazel didn’t understand why, but she got the message: Drop it.

  "This story about Gaea’s army," Nico said. "You warned Reyna?"

  (y/n) nodded. "Who's Gaea, anyway?"

  Hazel’s mouth went dry. Just hearing that name…It was all she could do to keep her knees from buckling. She remembered a woman’s soft sleepy voice, a glowing cave, and feeling her lungs fill with black oil.