Chapter 31: Don't define your world in black and white because there is so much hiding amongst the greys.

A/N:

Many thanks to the ever-faithful ViscountessAberowen! Thank you to those who read and those who comment!

Nico sat still on the bed, wishing he could walk out of the room with Leo. But, as the door shut with a quiet snick, he realized he owed it to Will– to himself– to stay and talk. Nico shifted on the bed and cleared his throat. Would Will remember the son of Hades only did that when he was nervous? What details did exes consider important enough to remember? Maybe it wasn't too late to catch up with Leo.

Nico's eyes darted to the door and swiftly returned to Will's blue irises. He took a deep breath, readying himself to speak, but the Apollo camper beat him to it.

"What are you doing at camp?" The soft words felt heavy in the room, buzzing with hazy quiet. "I mean, I guess there has to be a reason? You wouldn't just...come back? Not that you're not allowed." Will winced as the words left his mouth.

Nico licked his lips before answering. "Dionysus. He said to get here or suffer the consequences."

Will raised an eyebrow, and Nico shrugged. "The usual, you know? I'll get turned into a dolphin. Although, he did say he might do a tiger this time." One side of Nico's mouth quirked upwards in a half-smile. Will didn't return it, remaining impassive. Instead, he stared at Nico as if the son of Hades was speaking a different language of which he had no interest in learning. Nico's smile faded.

"What are you doing here, though?" Nico scrambled to adjust his tone as Will's eyes narrowed. "I mean, I thought...shouldn't you be in Connecticut? I thought you were going to be skiing with your family around Christmas time?"

Will's eyes darted away from Nico's, and he crossed his arms loosely in front of him. "Decided to come back."

Nico's fingers wrapped around the ring on his right hand and began to twist the ring round and round his finger. Way to bring up the plans that were supposed to include you. "Oh."

Will sighed heavily and met Nico's gaze. "Mom and I fought."

Nico's shoulders loosened at the mention of Will's mom Naomi. Then, pushing forward with his question before he lost the nerve, Nico asked, "Is she still upset with you about wanting to go to New Rome? For university?"

Shoulders sagging, the son of Apollo wiped a hand across his tired face and nodded. "Yeah. Still harping about going to a real university. You know, get a degree in medicine from an accredited university. So I can actually use it. Try to lead a normal life."

Nico hesitated before asking, "Doesn't she realize you already help a ton of people?" The unspoken "How you helped me?" fell softly through the air– a peace offering and proclamation of the truth.

Will shrugged again, and Nico continued. "Going to New Rome wouldn't change that. You'd just be doing more than helping only mortals."

"She doesn't see it that way. She wants me to go to Duke when I graduate. It's in the top five schools in the country for medicine."

"So you'll have to convince her," Nico replied, his voice adamant. "Your mom seems like a pretty reasonable person if a bit...boisterous." The country singer exuded a confidence and attitude that most people quailed under rather than oppose.

"I doubt it," Will scoffed. "Mom filled out applications for summer programs. All of them accepted. So, she agreed to the offer from Columbia because it came with a full scholarship and stipend– even though Duke wanted me as well– just wasn't paid for."

Nico whistled softly. "Columbia? Isn't that in your top three?"

The Apollo camper nodded before dropping his head into his hands. "Duke, Harvard, Columbia. But that was before New Rome. She applied and accepted without telling me."

"Oh."

"I already had plans to go to New Rome for their summer program. They want me. Especially after everything that happened with the emperors. They're looking for all the help they can get." Will looked up between his fingers at his ex-boyfriend. "And I already agreed to enter their program. I wouldn't have to pay anything and would learn more about using the powers I get from my dad. I was going to tell my mom on the ski trip."

Nico's "Oh," sounded faint in the infirmary.

Will chuckled dryly. "Yeah. Oh." He sat up straight and looked out the window onto the grounds. "She wasn't pleased. Said I could– I could do better. That an accredited and well-known university will be more practical for my future. She doesn't want me to waste my potential."

Nico bit his lip, worrying it between his teeth before deciding to speak. "Will, I think it's amazing that Duke and Columbia and New Rome accepted you. That's huge."

Will looked up at the son of Hades with a guarded expression. "Thanks? I don't know what I should do. I don't want to let my mom down."

Nico shook his head and flicked Will on the knee, both boys flinching at the casual contact. Nico ignored it and blew out his breath. "Your mom will eventually come around. If you want my opinion, I think you should do what you want for a change. Instead of trying to live up to everyone's expectations. Trying to be everything for everyone." Will's eyes widened, but Nico continued. "If you want to go to university in New Rome, you should. Naomi loves you– and just wants what she thinks is best for you."

Nico's voice dropped as he added, "You and your mom are alike. You try to do what you think is best for those you love."

A silence fell between the two boys again, Will staring openly at Nico, who, true to his nature, was looking anywhere but at Will. Then, when the tension seemed to be at a breaking point, Nico hastily said, "If you want, I can reach out to Hazel and Frank. See if they can get your mom clearance to tour the university and see what it offers."

The tense silence shifted toward awkward quiet until Will said, "Thanks. I– I might take you up on that."

Nico nodded.

Will snapped his fingers. "You know, now that you're here..." The son of Apollo trailed off and sprang up from the bed, walking over to a cabinet on the far side of the room. He knelt and opened the door, pulling a box forward and out before standing again. He kicked the cabinet shut and crossed over to Nico, placing the box on the bed. He gestured at the box. "I didn't know what to do with it. I couldn't get in your cabin with you not there, so– "

Nico glanced in the box as Will spoke, sifting through the contents. He picked up a stack of papers and, as he leafed through them, realized they were letters– from Reyna, Hazel...even one from Percy and Annabeth. The last bundle was letters from Jason– five of them. A lump formed in Nico's throat as he set them back down. He pulled a book from the depths of the box– one that Austin had gifted him when Nico and Will had first started dating. And, there, in the bottom–

"My sketchbook," Nico breathed. He gently lifted the pad of paper from the box. "I...I thought I lost it."

Will shook his head. "You left it in my cabin. I wasn't sure you'd want it back, but..." Will shrugged. "I know you were using it for therapy and that not all the sketches were...happy."

Nico half-listened as he flipped open the cover, stomach clenching at the first page: dark circular smudges led one into the other– the inside of his jar– and brilliant splotches of dark scarlet– pomegranate seeds. The view from his prison. What he thought would be his grave.

Nico turned the page, jerking at the scene splayed across the paper: Tartarus. Even though Nico had sketched in colored pencil, the ground seemed to boil and blister. The sky pressed down from above with a strange mix of sickly sunset and sinister darkness—an abhorrent landscape punctuated with misery. Nico could feel the heat in his cheeks, could feel the sizzling and cracking dryness creeping up his throat.

He picked a page at random and flipped to it– anything had to be better than that. And it was. Immensely better. The view from atop the fighting deck on the Argo II. Nico's heartbeat slowed, and a wave of calm washed over him, much like the cool breeze on the open sea from his memories. "You fall, I fall."

"I always liked that one." Will's voice sounded wistful and melancholy.

Nico flinched and shut the sketchbook, guilt settling in his stomach like a stone. Even then. Even then, he had been thinking about Leo. And it hadn't been fair to Will.

The son of Apollo must have read something on Nico's face because anguish flickered briefly over his own. "How long have you and Leo...been at camp?"

Nico ignored the sudden change of words from the other demigod and answered honestly. "We only got here this morning. I shadow jumped us."

Will frowned. "Shadow jumped? But I didn't sense anything on you. Did you– how?"

"Yeah, about that. I was doing it wrong. The whole time."

Will arched an eyebrow. "Nico? The Ghost King and Master of All Darkness doing something wrong?"

Nico rolled his eyes and groaned. "Gods. You would think I had a complex or something. I never said I didn't do anything wrong ever, just...rarely."

"Uh-huh. Right." The sarcasm rang clear through Will's voice but vanished when he spoke again. "Leo seemed a bit protective of you. I honestly thought it was Calypso he brought in here."

Nico went entirely still.

"Are you two together?"

Nico opened his mouth and immediately closed it again, the wave of guilt pulling him under and threatening to drown him. Will seemed to understand and nodded, turning away. "Will, I–" Nico's mouth went dry, and when Will turned, Nico realized he could only be honest with the demigod. "I think so. Yeah."

Will nodded again, and Nico was surprised when he started to speak. "I was the one who gave Leo a tour of camp on his first day. Did he tell you that?" Nico shook his head, and Will continued. "He seemed– off. Reserved but in such a loud way. As if making people laugh could keep them from looking too close. You know?"

And Nico did know. Leo's jokes, easy-going manner, off-color comments, and too-loud voice were all carefully crafted to urge people to look away– nothing to see, nothing to see.

"When I overheard him talking to her– you– I thought, 'Man, he must love her.' Because in the few days he was here, I honestly had a hard time believing he'd let those walls down. But the way he was talking to you..."

Nico swallowed heavily. "We haven't been together long, Will. It's absurd to think he feels that way about me in that amount of time, okay? So we shouldn't– why are we talking about this?"

Will scoffed, a harsh edge to it. "Take it from someone who's loved you, Nico. Despite what you think, it's hard not to fall fast once someone's lucky enough to be with you. So just...if you figure out you don't want to be with him, maybe let him know sooner. Yeah?"

Shame burned Nico's lips, and his mouth formed words of apology, tongue and teeth getting in the way as he stumbled over the sounds. "I didn't– Gods, I didn't mean to hurt you, Will. I wish I could go back and– and do it differently. Not hurt you. I do– I care about you. I promise. And I'm just– I'm just–"

The temperature fell in the room, and frost began to creep over the edges of the window panes. But each of the shadows stayed in their respective corners and under the beds. No spirits whispered. Nico's form remained solid enough that his shaking was evident against the bedsheets.

Will shook his head. "I know. It's...I don't think you were trying to hurt me. Okay?"

Nico nodded, and slowly the temperature warmed and hovered slightly above freezing. Will nodded in the direction of the shadows. "Impressive. Been practicing?"

Nico shrugged, still shaking. "Sessions with Dionysus. And...I've gotten a bit of practice being at the Waystation. Working through...things."

"Ah," Will said with a knowing air. "Willing versus willful, right?"

Nico nodded and closed his eyes, breathing deeply through his nose. "I'm sorry, Will. I truly am." Nico opened his eyes.

The son of Apollo nodded. "I believe you." He hesitated before adding, "I can see why you like Leo. I think...you guys might go well together. You seem to have a lot in common."

"We went well together," Nico replied softly.

Will smiled, the corners of his mouth twisting up wryly. "Going well together on paper and making sense doesn't mean it will last."

Nico didn't speak, so Will continued.

"I don't want to talk too much more on this, Nico. It's pretty– it's hard. I don't want to talk about what we used to be. It was hard for me– while you were here and after you left. I didn't want you to leave but, looking back, it was probably for the best."

Nico tried to stop the flash of hurt that surged through him. But, ever watchful, Will seemed to realize what the son of Hades was thinking.

"Not like that, Nico. I mean, it was easier to focus on my well-being. Without you here. Another reason I had to box up all that," Will gestured toward the box of Nico's belongings. The demigod sighed and explained, "As a healer, it's hard to take care of yourself when you see another person in pain."

Will's blue eyes flitted up to Nico and looked the boy over, his gaze appraising. "You're looking healthier than I've seen you in a long time. You've gained weight– you even look like you've seen the sun a bit. So, congrats. It seems that Indiana agrees with you."

Nico offered the son of Apollo a half-smile, but it wavered as Will added, "You must be taking care of yourself. It doesn't even look like there's anything physically wrong with you. So, I mean it. I'm proud of you– I know how hard it can be to take care of yourself."

Looking away, Nico's hand subconsciously drifted to his right arm, resting on top of his forearm.

Will's voice was slow and curious as he asked, "You are okay, right?"

Nico bit his lip again before saying, "I don't want to upset you more than I already have."

Will sat down on the bed across from Nico, a hand automatically reaching up and pinching the bridge of his nose: an action Nico had come to equate with Will developing a headache.

"The prophecy?" Weariness laced Will's words. When Nico didn't answer, Will looked up. "It is, isn't it? You've still been working on it. Even after– even after everything that happened."

"I couldn't just drop it, Will," Nico growled. He felt his eyebrows draw down into a scowl. "I know it's about me– I can't drop it. See for yourself!"

Nico thrust his right arm out to the son of Apollo, pulling back the sleeve as he did so. The purple energy rippled over his skin lazily, sparking and flashing in odd and random intervals.

A gush of air left Will, who took Nico's arm into his hands. His fingers gently prodded the skin. "Does it hurt?"

"No," Nico said, shaking his head. "Doesn't hurt at all."

Will ran his fingers along the soft skin of Nico's forearm, frowning when the gesture did little to disrupt the violet wave patterns arcing across Nico's arm. "When did this happen? How?"

Nico pulled his arm back and pulled his sleeve down. "Had a nightmare. Woke up with it. Has...has Apollo said anything to you?"

Will shook his head, a questioning glance falling about his features. "About what? The prophecy?"

"Just in general," Nico said. He licked his lips before adding, "The dream didn't...it didn't feel like a dream."

"Nico," Will started. "A lot of dreams feel like that. They just feel too real– especially if you're stressed."

But the son of Hades was already shaking his head. "It wasn't that, Will. I was dream-walking– I had to talk to Clovis. I wanted to let him know I was coming to camp, but...when I tried to get out of his dream, everything changed. The scenery, the overall 'feel' of the dream?' All of it. And then I broke my arm, and then Jason–"

Will inhaled sharply, his eyes jerking up to Nico's. "Jason was in your dream? Like, actually Jason?"

Groaning, Nico said, "I don't know! I'm not sure. He...wasn't acting like Jason. But he's dead. Who knows what he acts like now. Or where he is."

The two fell silent before Nico concluded, "He grabbed me and told me to listen. 'Come to us. Find us.' Then I woke up to this." Nico gestured to his right arm before staring glumly at the ground.

Will blew air out between his lips in a heavy sigh. "Does anyone else know?"

Nico nodded. "Leo. Calypso. I'll tell Zag when I talk to him next."

"Zag? Zagreus? You guys are on speaking terms? When did that happen?" Will's voice was incredulous, and his eyebrows raised so much they threatened to join his hairline.

"I'm not...I'm not supposed to talk about it," Nico muttered awkwardly.

Will became quiet before flashing a pained smile at Nico. "I won't push for details, but, to be honest, the energy feels the same as what's been on some of the creatures attacking camp lately. I don't know if you knew, but–"

"Myrmekes, right? Clovis told me. Said they wandered into camp but just...crumbled away or something? I don't–"

The door to the infirmary opened on a gentle breeze, and a voice as sour as the smell of grapes that suddenly filled the room spoke. "I did not realize that I, a god, ranked below an ex-boyfriend."

Nico jumped to his feet, his fingers flying to the rosary around his neck before cautiously lowering his hand, shoulders taut with nerves. Dionysus stood in the doorway to the infirmary, his eyes surveying the scene before him with distaste. A short-sleeved button-up shirt clothed the god, a mishmash of vertical and horizontal stripes accentuating his ample belly. "I did not think I would have to tell you to come find me when you got here, Mr. di Angelo. Follow me. Now."

Nico blanched. "I– I apologize. I told someone I'd meet them in an hour, and it's almost that time..." Nico trailed off as Mr. D's face grew dark and pinched. Will hastily stood and grabbed Nico's box of belongings on the bed. He glanced at the god before addressing Nico.

"I'll let Leo know that you got held up, okay? And I'll give him your stuff."

Nico opened his mouth to argue, but one more look at the god of wine and madness and the son of Hades changed his mind. He nodded jerkily. "Ask Leo to tell you what's going on with the prophecy, okay?"

Nico waited until the son of Apollo nodded before turning to stride toward Dionysus. The god rolled his eyes. "Gods above. It's not like you are dying or anything. No need to be so dramatic. Now," Dionysus spun on his heel and left the room, calling over his shoulder, "Follow me."

Nico trailed after the god and director of Camp Half-Blood, uneasiness settling about his shoulders like an uncomfortable jacket. Instead of making their way to Mr. D's office, the pair crossed to the front door and through it out into the open. Nico blinked rapidly against the sunlight and raised a hand to shield his eyes. Dionysus never slowed down. He plodded down the stairs, his sandals slapping against his heels as he hurried away from the Big House. Nico followed closely, curious.

The god did not speak until the duo had made it across the grounds and into the strawberry fields and, even then, only hushed Nico when the demigod asked, "Why are we out here?"

They walked for several more minutes until they were in the heart of the fields. Only then did Dionysus whirl around, his seemingly bored face at odds with his speed and actions. Nico looked curiously around. "Is there something out here you wanted to show me?"

Mr. D scoffed. "Why in all the worlds would there be something in a strawberry field to show you? No. Regardless of their vining, strawberry karpoi tend to gossip less. Huckleberry karpoi, on the other hand..." The god pulled a face, leaving little doubt in Nico's mind just how gossipy huckleberry spirits were.

"Why would their inclination to gossip matter? For a therapy session?"

Mr. D ignored Nico's question and brought his fingers up to his eyes for inspection. The god studied his nails and said, "You know, most satyrs and nature nymphs are loyal to me. But not all. Some spirits at camp have loyalties elsewhere– and one can never know that something will be loyal just because its brothers and sisters are."

Nico stared at the god in puzzlement, who dropped his hand to run a finger along one of the flowering vines. When the demigod didn't speak, Dionysus continued. "For example, if a god were to be told that another certain god from the Underworld and his brother were arguing in L.A. about venturing into the Underworld on unofficial business while buying a rather obvious knockoff tunic from a faun...well, if that information got to someone high up, it might be worth looking into." Dionysus' watery blue eyes snapped up to Nico's. "Especially if that person is already paranoid about his eldest brother staging a coup."

Nico bit his lip hard, his heart suddenly thumping hard against his ribcage. "Quill."

Dionysus made no acknowledgment that Nico had named the faun Zagreus and he had met in L.A. Instead, the god surveyed the fields as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Now, imagine that a faun wasn't the only creature paying attention and reporting back to those with whom their loyalties lie. Fortunate for those brothers of the Underworld," Dionysus' eyes flashed toward him briefly before dancing away again. "The aura who heard the whole thing is sisters with another aura married to our own Gleeson Hedge."

The god looked back at the son of Hades and smirked. "Family dramas are quite complicated, aren't they?"

Nico spluttered before asking, "But why would he care? He's still in power. No one is thinking of taking over. We weren't even going down for that reason– we– "

But Dionysus held up a hand, his blue eyes flashing. "Say nothing more. I will deny any knowledge."

The god quickly gazed about the field, sharp eyes seeking out shadows and sprawling vines that buzzed in the hot sun. His voice dropped low and a note of urgency crept into it. "Sometimes, we are our own worst enemies. Even your ex-boyfriend's father would tell you that we more often than not fulfill our own prophecies. Think back. My grandfather became paranoid in his time, fearful of being overthrown. Because being in power, you call all the shots. So you act out of fear– of losing that power. That freedom."

Nico scoffed, but Mr. D cut him off sharply. "What of your past, Mr. di Angelo? Running away and letting anger take hold, letting people make assumptions because you were afraid."

Nico fell silent, a cold dread creeping into his gut. Dionysus studied him, his ordinarily uncaring attitude abandoned. The god's eyes sparked with a steel resolve and seriousness unusual to him.

"Fear will do all it can to twist you," Mr. D continued. "To make it more palatable, fear remakes itself. Anger, forgetting, warping reality. Bitterness and vengeful tendencies...all are masks for fear. Some gods," Dionysus cast his eyes upward before looking back to Nico. "Some gods might be reaching that paranoid state– expecting something to happen because it hasn't."

The god's voice became even more hushed– urgent, even. "It's like having a streak of good luck– you expect that, eventually, it will run its course and come to an end. And so, one's defense might be to go on the offense sooner rather than later. And hearing of two sons of the rival you fear most might just be the lynchpin– regardless of whatever other dangers are stirring in the world."

Tense energy fell heavily in the silence that followed. Even the buzzing and noises from nature seemed insidious in the hot heat. Nico felt as though a million eyes observed him– that ears strained to hear the conversation between himself and the God of Wine and Madness.

The god straightened abruptly and said breezily, "However, this is all mere speculation and chitchat in response to your curiosity about why I felt the need to walk in the strawberry fields. Perhaps, I just wanted a change of scenery. And it is a lovely day out, isn't it?"

Nico nodded, trying his hardest to banish the dazed expression from his face.

In an imperious tone, Mr. D asked, "So. Did you completely set aside the knowledge that you are supposed to be having regular sessions with me?"

Startled, Nico finally snapped from his wandering and panicked thoughts. "I thought–"

"Did you, though?" Dionysus shook his head and began to stroll down the path through the strawberry vines, flicking his wrist for Nico to join him. "I see that you were speaking with young Willie–"

"Will."

"Yes, yes. Him." Dionysus waved a hand through the air, swatting away the correction. "How did that go?"

Nico thought for a moment, a slight frown falling over his features. "I...I think it went well. I was honestly expecting never to be able to face Will again."

"Why is that?" Dionysus clasped his hands behind his back as he walked and looked over to Nico.

Nico shrugged before answering, "Maybe not wanting to? I didn't want to see how much I had upset him."

"Did you expect him to still be pining over you? Unable to move forward?"

Scowling, Nico shook his head vigorously. "No! I just...I hurt him. Badly. And...I guess I didn't want to see that. I didn't want to see the results of me hurting him."

"Ah." Dionysus hummed and then added, "It's not a comfortable emotion to sit with, is it? Guilt? And seeing how our actions directly affect those around us?"

Nodding, the son of Hades' shoulders fell.

"But," the god continued with an airy tone to his voice. "You stayed in the infirmary. You could have left– could have stormed out. But you didn't. You stayed. You spoke. You reined in your emotions and didn't let them overwhelm you."

"Yeah, I– how do you know that?" Nico stared at the god hard, a blush stealing over his cheeks.

"Young man, you are not a dimwit no matter how you pretend sometimes. Camp is my domain. I know everything that happens here. I just don't usually care." Dionysus scoffed, an edge of indignation coloring the expression.

The god stopped suddenly and stooped to examine an aphid nibbling one of the strawberry leaves. He held out a single finger until the aphid turned its attention and ambled onto the god's skin. Mr. D raised the insect to his eyes and glared at the creature. "Do not eat my plants."

He sucked in a breath and gently blew over the creature. In an instant, the aphid had grown and warped, exchanging its hard carapace for a slimy pink body which began to writhe and whip back and forth on the god's hand. Dionysus smiled at the worm, lowering his hand to the ground with care. He watched as the worm wriggled and burrowed its way into the soil. "There."

Mr. D stood and glanced at Nico before continuing. "And how did Will react? What did you think of how he acted towards you?"

"I guess...I'm surprised." Nico took a deep breath before explaining. "I thought he'd hate me. And...that's not what I got. I didn't even think he'd want to be in the same room with me. That he wouldn't...wouldn't...I just didn't think it'd go like it did."

Dionysus looked at the son of Hades, a slight tugging at the corners of his mouth belying a genuine smile. "Perhaps the world is not as black and white as you previously thought, Mr. di Angelo. People– gods, mortals, and, I suppose, monsters– can change. We make mistakes, and I'd like to think that we can be forgiven them by our peers. Or, at the very least, our mistakes might be understood, and we can move past them to try to make progress in the right direction."

Nico hesitated before blurting out, "Lou Ellen turned me into a pig. I didn't try to find Will– I didn't even know he was here."

Mr. D grunted in acknowledgment and asked, "How did that feel?"

Nico shuddered and answered honestly, "I didn't like it. I knew it was coming, and there was nothing I could do to stop it after she threw that ball. And then I wasn't me anymore. And there was nothing I could do. So I just...just ran. And then Leo caught me and helped me calm down."

Nico took a shaky breath. His fingers crept back to the ring on his right hand and twisted it. "We went to the infirmary, and Will was there and...I realized there wasn't anything I could do to make the situation better, so I..."

The pair fell into a silence that stretched on for a moment before Mr. D said, "Accepted it?"

Nico nodded but said nothing.

"And you didn't run away after."

Nico shook his head. "No. I didn't. I wanted to run, but I stayed."

Mr. D reached out to trail his fingers along the ripening vines, adding, "You know, even if we don't find the absolution we seek from those we've wronged...perhaps we can at least find ways to forgive ourselves. All we may do is try to be better tomorrow than we were today. And I believe that you are succeeding, Mr. di Angelo."

And even though Nico's day had gone from uncomfortable with his arrival and transformation into a pig to awkward and dreadful between his conversation with Will and the vague warnings from Dionysus, Nico felt a comforting warmth settle about his shoulders, easing his self-doubts and anxiety for the future.

Mr. D turned abruptly to face Nico. "I believe that is a good place to end our session. Remember everything I've said. Keep working toward that gray area– you are getting there with allowing others that middle-ground, and I challenge you to realize that you can make those allowances for yourself as well."

Nico nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak. Dionysus raised his hand as if about to snap his fingers before saying, "Your family would be proud. I'm sure of it."

With those last words, Dionysus snapped his fingers and faded, the smell of grapes lingering in the hot air.

"Don't define your world in black and white because there is so much hiding amongst the greys." ~Unknown