Will POV

The end of the month passed. Nico still couldn't leave the infirmary, and he hadn't allowed anyone to enter. Still, we waited outside everyday, hoping he would change his mind.

I couldn't help but feel both guilty and angry at him at the same time. On one hand, he probably realizes that we failed him. He was almost killed, though we had promised him that he would be okay by the end of the month. The rebellion and his boyfriend both failed him.

On the other hand, I just lost my last living family member and I wanted someone to talk to, but Nico was all I had. And he wasn't letting me in. The anger always faded when I began thinking once again about how I had promised him this wouldn't happen. About how I had specifically told him he would be safe.

Percy told me the last words he'd said before he passed out had been about poison catching up to him. Percy hadn't known what it meant, but I did.

I knew.

Word count: 175