Shelter (Solangelo)

Chapter 36

"Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Nico, Will, and Lou Ellen turn their heads as one at the sound of the voice. Will gets up, using his staff for balance, and Nico helps Lou Ellen to her feet as Apollo jogs towards them. He looks as young and healthy as ever, dressed in his orange Camp Half-Blood tank top and a pair of cutoff shorts. As he approaches, the clouds disperse overhead, and the sun shines upon the beach, warming Nico's face.

Apollo catches Will by the arm and slaps his back, then holds onto him in a half-hug. He eyes the staff in Will's other hand, sizing up the snake. "Hmm. I'm digging your new get up."

Pythia bows her head to the side, again making Nico think she's blushing. She flicks her tongue. "I prefer you in this form, too. You are not as scary as before."

Apollo grins, then looks back at Will. "You're a chip off the old block. I know Asclepius views truth, love, and compassion as my best traits, but your use of them demonstrates creativity is the real power behind them."

Lou Ellen nudges Nico with her elbow. They share a laugh at the sight of Will's face, reddening under his father's praise. "Oh yeah," she says to Nico. They step away to give Apollo and Will time to catch up, and –Nico thinks – to stroke Apollo's ego. "I should call Will's family back. They'll want to say goodbye and I don't think Apollo's gonna let us hang out until they come back on their own."

Nico nods. "Yeah. I suppose." He's not sure how he feels about the way things have turned out. It doesn't seem like their quest is truly finished yet – and he'd been practically relegated to the position of a bystander for the final battle. He thinks he's okay with that – for the most part. Opening a hole to the Underworld doesn't hold the same appeal it used to.

He reaches out with his senses, and gauges how close he'd come to sabotaging Will's plan, then throws up his hands. It's is still rising, albeit slowly.

"What is it?" Apollo asks. He's at Nico's side in the space of a breath.

"The Underworld –" Nico gasps, trying to halt its progress. "It's rising. I thought I'd stopped it. It was a back up plan, but –" He struggles, his feet sinking in the sand.

"How far is it?" Apollo asks, his voice not quite hiding his alarm. "Do we have time to get back to camp? Should I summon Hades?"

A bead of sweat slides down Nico's face, stinging the tender skin where Will had blasted him with UV rays. "About an hour or so," he says, wetting his dry lips. "Yeah, it's probably a good idea to call Hades."

Apollo nods and then grins. "Alright. He's not very happy, but he says he can handle it." It's disorienting to talk with a god like Apollo. He looks hardly older than they are, but the extent of power he conceals behind his boyish face is frightening. "He said it was when you brought your staff down, Will. The solar power gave Nico's summons a boost, and it's gonna take some work to slow it down."

Will stares at Apollo, his eyes huge as Apollo bursts into laughter. "Why are you laughing?"

"You two," Apollo says, and wipes a tear from his eye. He slings an arm around each of them and pulls them into a weird extended hug. Nico cringes, but doesn't try to escape, he knows Apollo's stronger than he appears. "You're perfect together. Hades is gonna go nuts when he finds out how much you're able to boost Nico's powers. We'll try to keep it on the down low though, yeah? Don't want the big guy to see you waving it around like a red flag before a bull."

Will and Nico look sideways at each other. Nico sees his own emotions reflected back at him in Will's eyes, a mixture of fear, confusion, and exhilaration.

"Anyway, it's time to get back to camp. You guys are stuck with me until the spring."

Funnily enough, Nico doesn't sense any trace of dismay in Apollo at the mention of his punishment. The way his face brightens – more than usual – at the mention of camp, makes Nico think he considers it an adventure. A gust of warm air rushes over Nico's face, ruffling his hair.