-Nico-

By dinnertime, I was too anxious to eat.

My insides squirmed as I pushed my food around my plate. The idea of taking another bite seemed as enticing as having a wrestling match with the entire Ares cabin - so, not at all. Latching onto that line of thought, I gazed across the dining pavilion at the burly demigods and imagined that scene. Even with a migraine, I figured I could hold my own against Sherman and Ellis, but if Clarisse joined in...

"Nico?"

"Hm?" Something twisted in me when I turned to the golden-haired healer. I wasn't the best at reading people, but my boyfriend's face was as clear as day. It was drawn with worry and braced for rejection. A few seconds late, I realized he was waiting for an answer to a question I hadn't heard. "Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you're okay," Will repeated, frowning a little more.

I shrugged and avoided his eyes as I recited the same phrase I'd been telling myself since this morning: "It's nothing."

Across the table, Austin and Kayla shared an uneasy glance. I wasn't sure what bothered me more: their silence or their clean plates. Usually, those two chatted and bickered so much that quieter demigods like me would be finished eating by the time they'd even registered what was on their plates. But the conversation at our table had been muted tonight – because of my odd behavior, I assumed. The realization made something strange happen in my gut again. This time, I recognized the twisting feeling: guilt.

Apparently, hanging out with the theater god's kids for the better part of eight months – and dating one for six – hadn't done any favors for my acting skills.

Will went on questioning me like he was taking notes on a mental clipboard: "Are your ears still ringing?"

"Yep."

"Has your headache gotten any better?"

"It's...manageable," I told him, because that was technically true. I think he saw right through me, though. Probably on autopilot, he lifted his hand to my forehead, but I shooed him away before he could touch me. "Will, I'm fine," I insisted for the tenth time today. Then I looked away again, so I wouldn't have to see the hurt in his eyes.

My boyfriend directed his dissatisfaction at my plate – at the food that I'd barely touched. "I still don't understand why you won't let me help you."

"I already told you, it's just a headache. What if there's an emergency? You should save your energy."

"Pain relief is easy," he argued. "It would take me two seconds."

I knew he was telling the truth...and I think he knew that I wasn't. But I couldn't bring up the deeper reason that I was refusing his healing. If my instincts were right – if my powers were trying to tell me something – then I didn't want to numb the feeling, in case it turned out to be useful. I doubted it would, though. More likely, it was just another unfortunate side effect of my genetics – and as uncontrollable as the events it was predicting.

The ringing in my ears wasn't as concerning. It always happened before major battles, when mass loss of life was to be expected. But I'd gotten the same sensation for groups of people I'd never met, whenever disasters occurred within a rough hundred-mile radius of me. It also happened whenever I was around a strong Underworldly presence.

The migraine was what really disturbed me. This morning, I'd barely noticed it. But as the sun had crawled across the sky, the pain behind my eyes had steadily worsened, and my thoughts had started drifting to the last time I'd had a headache so awful and seemingly random...the day before Bianca had died.

I tensed as images of my closest friends cycled through my mind's eye like they were on some damn roulette wheel. My own powers were torturing me, and I hated it. I didn't want to imagine what would happen when that wheel finally stopped spinning...and which face I might never see again. Over the past year, I'd grown closer to more people than I thought I ever would. I couldn't stand the idea that any one of them would be gone by tomorrow.

Of course, I wanted to tell Will about all of this – to share my fears with someone who would understand. But there was no sense in causing a panic over an unknown and inevitable tragedy. The last thing I wanted to do was drag Will or anyone else down with me. This was my curse, and I would have to bear it alone.

Will was still trying to argue with me: "You could at least take some aspirin."

I shook my head, which was a mistake. The slight motion amplified the blistering, throbbing sensation behind my eyes. "I'm fine," I said again, but the pain must have shown in my face. As all three Apollo kids stared at me like I was about to keel over, I realized I was running out of energy to fend off their questions. "I going to get some rest," I muttered, getting up from the table.

"But it's only six-thirty," Austin pointed out, frowning at the setting sun.

"And you barely ate," Kayla added.

"At least let me give you a check-up first," Will protested, standing up with me.

"Guys. It's just a headache," I said slowly, like they were making a big deal out of nothing. In reality, they had every reason to be worried – and not just about me.

For a few seconds, Will mirrored my stubborn scowl. Then something softened his blue-eyed glare, and he said firmly, "Call me if you need anything."

"Doctor's orders?" I finished for him, trying for dry humor.

Will's frown didn't budge. "I mean it, Nico."

"I know. I'll be fine."

"And if you're not?"

I gave him a weary frown. "Then I'll call you."

Those blue eyes narrowed with hawk-like intensity. "Promise?"

"Mmhmm."

That clearly wasn't the answer he was looking for, but I turned my back on him and retreated to my cabin before I could lose my resolve.

For the next few hours, I alternated between lying in bed, pacing a rut in the marble floor, and kneeling to pray at my father's shrine. None of it helped much. It felt like thousands of spiders were swarming below my skin. I sat heavily on the edge of my bed and rubbed my aching eyes, wondering how much worse this headache was going to get. The pain was sharper than I'd expected. I wondered if it was this bad when I'd lost Bianca. The throbbing was making it hard to remember.

Gods, please don't let it be Hazel.

That was my first thought – and the one that scared me the most. I really didn't want to lose another sister. But then I pictured Reyna, Coach Hedge, and Jason. I thought of Percy, Annabeth, Frank, Leo, and Piper. All of them were so far away from me right now.

I could shadow travel...but how would I know which one to go to, or where they are?

I closed my eyes and meditated on the pain, begging my powers to tell me who needed me and where. Even if I couldn't change the outcome, I at least wanted to be there. I concentrated with all my might, but it was no use. The death radar in my head was as maddeningly unhelpful as ever.

As I got up to pace again, someone knocked on my door so softly that I thought I might have imagined it. When I answered it, I was surprised to see a tall, blond demigod waiting for me outside. The sight unearthed a memory from last summer. I remembered Jason, hair ruffled and glasses askew, standing on my doorstep like a lost puppy, searching for reassurance after Leo's sort-of-death. That was the day I'd decided to stay at Camp Half-Blood. When I'd told him, the son of Jupiter's mood had shifted to such genuine enthusiasm that I'd even let him hug me.

Just like when I'd mistaken Jason for him eight months ago, my heart performed a weird little flutter when I saw Will. "Oh, good. You're awake," he murmured, giving me that sunshiny smile that never failed to throw off my breathing.

The sight of him was enough to distract me from my pain, but confusion drowned out the happy emotion. "What are you doing here?" I whispered back, scanning the rooftops past his head.

"Checking on you," he said simply.

"But it's past curfew. The harpies–"

"They won't attack a healer," he assured, tapping a two-inch-wide white cloth wrapped around his upper arm, where a small red cross blinked brightly. Black letters stitched underneath the LED cross read: HARPY PASS.

I stared at the arm band in astonishment. "Is that new?"

"It's not common knowledge," Will confessed. "We try not to make house calls after curfew. I mean, could you imagine if the Hermes cabin found out about this? They'd be making replicas and selling them to everyone."

"Oh." My heart raced ahead of my brain. "So, is that what this is? A house call?"

Another smile pulled at his lips - one that made my breath catch for a different reason. "Are you suggesting that I would abuse my power as a healer to visit my boyfriend in his empty cabin while everyone else is asleep?"

"Nope. Not at all," I replied in the same overly innocent tone. Then I stepped aside and beckoned him in so nobody else would see him.

As I closed the door behind us, Will's playfulness faded into worry again. "Are you feeling any better?"

I would've preferred if we'd stayed on that last subject. My head throbbed again at the reminder. I grimaced and shrugged. "Not really."

Will stepped closer to me, and I got the impression that he was barely keeping his hands at his sides. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?" He asked. His tone was so insistent that he might as well have said, Just let me heal you, dummy!

I considered it. Suffering through the headache didn't seem to be making any difference, and I doubted I would get any sleep if the pain didn't ease up. But the anxiety would keep me up too, so I figured sleep was out of the question regardless. I sighed in defeat as I met those unwavering blue eyes. Then my heart jumped into my throat as another image appeared on the roulette wheel of death.

Oh, gods...

Sick with dread, I studied my boyfriend's concerned face. The thought of losing him hit me like a knife in the chest. Until now, I hadn't considered the possibility that the tragedy could happen right in front me...and I would probably still be helpless to stop it.

That didn't mean I wasn't going to try.

"You could stay here tonight."

The desperate plea tumbled out of my mouth before I could think too hard about things like tone, phrasing, or context. I probably could've fried an egg on Will's face. His reaction was contagious. "Not in my bed!" I added hastily, fumbling over the words. "Uh, not that that would be a problem, but...I mean, you could, if you wanted to, but there are plenty of spare ones..."

Will's lips twitched like he was trying not to laugh. Cringing at my own awkwardness, I buried my face in my hands. That got a chuckle out of him. He let me wallow in my embarrassment for a moment, before gently pulling my hands away from my face and holding them at our sides. His cheeks were still flushed, but he was grinning like he was completely at ease.

"You're adorable."

A disgruntled noise slipped from me, but I'd been dating him long enough to know that arguing that point would get me nowhere. "I meant for the headache," I mumbled, scraping up what was left of my dignity.

"I gathered that," Will said with a teasing gleam in his eyes. Then he planted a kiss on my forehead - one that lasted precisely two seconds. I exhaled as the pain faded completely. Even the ringing in my ears dropped a few decibels. When he pulled away, he was wearing a triumphant smirk, like he'd finally accomplished something he'd been working on all day. I supposed that was fitting.

"Thanks," I said sheepishly.

"No problem," he replied, giving me a pointed look. Then he let go of my hands and stepped toward the door.

My heart leaped with panic. "You're leaving?"

He chuckled again, and I realized I must have sounded pretty pathetic. "Relax, Death Boy. I'm just going to get some PJs...unless you'd rather I sleep in my jeans?"

His tone made my face heat up again. Somehow, I composed myself enough to put on a resigned pout. Then I gave him an ultimatum, which probably seemed like more of a joke than it was: "If you're not back in five minutes, I'm coming to get you."

Will just beamed and assured, "I'll be back in four."